PRI Automation Completes Installation of Multi-Million Dollar Full-Factory Automation System in Singapore
Contract With Silicon Manufacturing Partners Increases PRI's Presence in Leading Foundries
September 28, 1998 08:29 AM
BILLERICA, Mass., Sept. 28 /PRNewswire/ -- PRI Automation, Inc. (PRIA) , a leader in semiconductor factory automation, announced today that it has completed the installation of its multi-million dollar system for Silicon Manufacturing Partners Pte. Ltd (SMP), a new joint venture between Lucent Technologies (LU) and Chartered Semiconductor. PRI has installed a full-factory automation system consisting of an AeroTrak(TM) overhead monorail system, wafer storage systems and TransNet(TM) material control software in SMP's new 200mm wafer-processing foundry at the Woodlands Industrial Park in Singapore.
"The manufacturing process in foundries is even more demanding than in traditional semiconductor fabs because of the variety of devices we must produce," said T.Y. Ang, general manager, Silicon Manufacturing Partners. "We demand the utmost in terms of flexibility and responsiveness and we need an automation partner who not only understands our business, but has a solution that is capable of adapting to our changing product mix. We chose PRI because they know the foundry business, their automation solution has the flexibility to meet our manufacturing requirements and they can service our needs locally."
"This is an important win for the company because it solidifies our leadership position as the automation supplier of choice to the world's leading semiconductor foundries and establishes PRI's presence in Singapore," said Mitch Tyson, president and chief executive officer of PRI Automation. "Our systems are ideally suited to the needs of foundry manufacturers because they have been designed to provide maximum flexibility and scalability to meet a wide variety of manufacturing requirements. Foundries develop one manufacturing process, or "recipe", for one type of device and a different process for another device. Because our products are so flexible and scalable, foundry manufacturers can be assured that our automation systems will optimize the flow of wafers for each device throughout the entire manufacturing process."
About SMP and Chartered
SMP is one of the world's three largest foundries and will manufacture a number of different integrated circuits using technology developed by Chartered and Lucent's Bell Laboratories. At full capacity, SMP will produce 26,000 wafers per month. Chartered Semiconductor Manufacturing is a leading dedicated foundry, providing integrated circuits to companies worldwide. Chartered offers a full complement of advanced manufacturing processes, including deep-submicron CMOS logic, memory, and mixed-signal technologies. Chartered is headquartered in Singapore with offices in England, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan, and the United States. Chartered's web address is csminc.com. |
