Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Applied Materials No-Politics Thread (AMAT) -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: FJB who wrote (24755)	12/9/2010 2:16:09 PM
From: gugie	2 Recommendations Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 25522

Wow-sounds like the facilities guys at Yokkaichi have some 'splainin' to do! Modern fabs have protection against power sags like this, redundant power feeds, and generators that snap on quickly enough for long power down periods. They "should" protect against this. I'm not sure if Mie Prefecture is on the 50 or 60 hz side of Japan, but if it's 60Hz, it would be only a voltage drop for 4 cycles (rounding 4/60) for a 0.07s voltage drop. I worked at a fab that had voltage dropouts like this maybe 5-10 times a year. You'd know it was happening when the lighting dimmed slightly (office area was not power conditioned). Our critical tools were on an internal UPS circuit. Often the ones that weren't would power down, and we'd have to bring those tools back up. We rarely lost product because of this. This must have taken down some key tools, I can't see this taking out the air and water systems, unless it took down some high voltage fab systems. At that point recovery would take quite a while. 20% indicates a major FUBAR.

To: FJB who wrote (24755)	12/9/2010 3:49:06 PM
From: Ian@SI	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 25522

A properly designed electrical system should isolate the clean room from external anomalies. e.g. Electricity drives a motor generator which in turn generates the power required by all equipment essential to run the fab. The motor generator will continue generating clean power for a few seconds after a complete failure. The motor generator is also normally run off batteries (i.e. - large room filled with wet cell lead batteries designed explicitly for this purpose. The batteries are kept charged by either the Electical Utility source or by the fab's own diesel generators. A UPS unit automatically switches the source if and when required.