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To: Gary Burton who wrote (14817)	7/14/1998 12:18:00 PM
From: Andrew Vance	Respond to of 17305

AV--Not at all!!! First of all, most of the 300mm equipment will have integrated indexers courtesy of ASYT. Therefore, ASYT has to have a POD system to deliver the wafers to the integrated indexer. ASYT holds numerous patents on port plate designs and PODs. I also know that I have seen front loading PODs already. As a matter of fact, an idea and patent application for one of those front loading designs was submitted by myself (ripped off by a person in higher management and submitted under his name) and did not pass muster with the attorneys based on artwork that ASYT already had. There is more to this story than meets the eye. From my perspective, Jenoptik and ASYT products have to be incompatible due to some ASYT patents. Therefore they may not be as interchangeable as you might be led to believe. The POD business, which is a profitable business, is not something ASYT has ever had much interest in. They tried to get Fluoroware involved in taking over that business years ago. PODs are not the life's blood of ASYT. I am sure ASYT has its own 300mm front loading POD design but it does not rule out any interest in a better designed product. EMPAK, Inc. also has PODS (I do not know if they are 300mm yet or if they are front loading) that could be used. If ASYT were convinced that a "better mousetrap" exists they would either: Buy the company that manufactured it (Unlikely here) Buy the PODS from the company and then resell it (likely) Get out of the POD business and concede it to Jenoptik thereby telling its customers to deal directly with Jenoptik(possible) Design a better POD in house (also very likely) Challenge the patent based on their own prior artwork (betcha they are giving that some consideration) License the technology from Jenoptik and manufacture it in house(not a chance in the world)<GGG> Andrew Nothing like laying on the line with an opinion. Andrew