Brooks-PRI Receives Multi-Million Dollar AMHS Expansion Order from Asian Foundry Silterra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
Friday October 25, 10:21 am ET
CHELMSFORD, Mass., Oct. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc. (Nasdaq: BRKS - News), which delivers total automation for semiconductor manufacturing, announced today that customer Silterra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., a Malaysian foundry, has purchased additional Brooks-PRI automation equipment as the result of a planned capacity expansion for its fabrication facility (fab) that produces integrated circuit chips on eight- inch (200mm) wafers. A full-fab automation system consisting of Brooks-PRI software and hardware is already in production at Silterra's facility, which was named 2002 Fab of the Year by Semiconductor International magazine due to operational excellence. This latest order from Silterra is for an expansion of its Automated Material Handling System (AMHS), and includes wafer stockers, track and integration services. Brooks-PRI expects to begin equipment and services delivery in Q2 of fiscal 2003.
According to Tahiruddin Hamdan, Senior Manager of Computer Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) and Automation at Silterra, the company has been very pleased with the flexibility and efficiency provided by its Brooks-PRI automation solution. "As a foundry, Silterra produces many types of devices, often in small quantities, so it's crucial that our facility be as flexible as possible," said Hamdan. "The automation system from Brooks-PRI not only ensures that the right lot is at the right place at the right time, but also that the lot is processed correctly. We've seen metrics such as cycle-time variability and time-to-market improve dramatically since implementing automation."
"The Silterra installation is a great example of the type of additional opportunities that exist in automation from maturing fabs," said Jeff Cassis, senior vice president of Brooks-PRI's FAB Systems Group. "We feel it is very important to have satisfied customers who will look to Brooks-PRI as their automation partner throughout the lifecycle of their fab, and we have significantly increased our ability to provide total automation for them. Brooks-PRI does very well in the foundry market because we provide the most flexible, most complete automation systems, particularly when it comes to AMHS. This is the second time in the past two quarters that a 200mm foundry has chosen to expand their AMHS system with us, with TSMC in Taiwan being the other recent customer." Cassis noted that Silterra is already an important user of Brooks-PRI factory automation software, including the MES (manufacturing execution system) used to manage the day-to-day manufacturing process.
About Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc.
Brooks-PRI (Nasdaq: BRKS - News) delivers total automation. The company's hardware, software and services can manage every wafer, reticle and data movement in the fab, helping semiconductor manufacturers accelerate time-to- market while reducing their risk. Brooks-PRI products are used in virtually every fab in the world. For information, visit brooks-pri.com.
About Silterra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd.
Silterra Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. is a premier semiconductor manufacturing service provider that offers customers leading-edge CMOS process technologies. The company was the co-winner of Semiconductor International's Top Fab Award for 2002. Silterra's wafer fab will reach its planned capacity of 40,000 eight-inch wafers per month in 2003. The company's headquarters and factory are located in Kulim, Malaysia, and has a worldwide sales and marketing office in Sunnyvale, California. For more information on Silterra or its services, please visit www.silterra.com.
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The foregoing discussion contains forward-looking statements related to future results and speaks only of the Company's expectations as of the date of this press release. The forward-looking statements involve several known and unknown risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, the continued success of Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc. (the "Company") in the marketplace, the Company's dependence on the cyclical semiconductor industry, the highly competitive nature and rapid technological change that characterize the industries in which the Company competes, and other risks and uncertainties described in the Company's reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. As a result, there can be no assurance that the Company's future results will not be materially different from those projected. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any such statement to reflect any change in the Company's expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.
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Investor Contact: Media Contact:
Mark Chung Rachel G. Mann
Director of Investor Relations Account Executive
Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc. Gray & Rice Public Relations
P: (978) 262-2459 P: (617) 367-0100 ext. 114
mark.chung@brooks-pri.com rgmann@gr2000.com
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Source: Brooks-PRI Automation, Inc. |
