Tuesday February 17, 10:57 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
PRI Automation and K&S Partner to Install First Semiconductor
Back-End Automation System
Leading Packaging Firm Will Become First to Implement Overhead Transport Factory
Automation Technology on the Back End
BILLERICA, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 17, 1998-- As the result of a previously announced technology
collaboration, PRI Automation, Inc., (NASDAQ:PRIA - news) a leader in semiconductor factory automation,
and Kulicke & Soffa Industries (NASDAQ:KLIC - news) will soon be installing the industry's first fully automated
assembly line utilizing overhead transport. A leading IC packaging, design, assembly and test services firm will be
the first company to implement this back end solution.
An initial test line for plastic ball grid array (PBGA) is scheduled to be operational in the packaging firm's factory
by late 1998. The automation solution, consisting of K&S Model 8020 gold ball bonders and elements of PRI's
300mm wafer handling solutions including AeroTrak(TM) overhead monorail, will handle material transport from
wafer preparation to mold, and is compatible with factory-wide automation. Material handling for back-end
processes has traditionally been manual.
''PRI and K&S have been working closely together to identify customer requirements for back-end automation,''
said Mitchell Weiss, vice president, strategy and technology for PRI Automation. ''We discovered that flexibility
and reliability were the key requirements. PRI played a key role in hastening the adoption of automation in the
front end, by introducing flexible systems that worked to improve material flow. In conjunction with K&S, we've
now designed a solution that can deliver the same benefits to the back end.''
''As the world leader in semiconductor assembly equipment, K&S is intimately familiar with the pressing issues
facing packaging and assembly organizations,'' said John Campanale, K&S vice president, factory systems.
''Although our own assembly equipment is highly automated, most firms manually transport material between
process steps. The K&S/PRI solution targets the unique challenges facing the back-end.'' Campanale explained
that assemblers need to maintain a very high level of flexibility in response to shifts in demand for semiconductor
packages. Variables such as device size and number of leads add complexity to the material handling task.
According to Weiss, this particular packaging company was the ideal test site for such a system, because it is a
large organization with complex material routing needs. ''An exciting facet to this project has been demonstrating
that back-end automation can be implemented without requiring major changes to the manufacturing process,'' he
noted.
PRI and K&S have entered into an ''Automation Systems Agreement'' whereby PRI will modify its existing
front-end automation solutions in conjunction with K&S for use in back-end assembly and packaging. K&S will
market these assembly and packaging solutions on an exclusive basis to semiconductor manufacturers worldwide.
About PRI Automation
PRI Automation, Inc., headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, is a leading global supplier of advanced factory
automation systems that enhance the competitiveness of semiconductor manufacturers. PRI is the only company to
provide a tightly integrated and flexible hardware and software solution that optimizes the flow of wafers
throughout the fab. The company currently has more than 1,600 systems installed at approximately 100 locations
worldwide. For more information, visit PRI's Web site at pria.com.
About K&S
Kulicke & Soffa (NASDAQ:KLIC) is the world's largest supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment. The
company serves the integrated circuit assembly market with a product offering that includes wire bonding, dire
bonding and wafer dicing equipment, factory automation and integration products and services, and expendable
tools and materials. It has sales and service facilities worldwide. The company's Web site address is
kns.com.
AeroTrak is a trademark of PRI Automation, Inc.
Contact:
PRI Automation, Inc. Schwartz Communications, Inc.
Jeff Nestel-Patt Michelle Goodall Faulkner, x6515
978/670-4270, x3024 Nancy Kashanek, x6605
jpatt@pria.com 781/684-0770
nancyk@schwartz-pr.com |
