Nic move in EGLS today.....this appears to be the catalyst:
biz.yahoo.com
Monday June 28, 8:05 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
Knights Technology, a Division of Electroglas, Receives Major Volume Purchase Agreement From ST Microelectronics
YieldManager(R) System Chosen for ST Microelectronics' Fabs Worldwide
SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 28, 1999-- Knights Technology, a division of Electroglas Inc. (NASDAQ:EGLS - news), a leading supplier of essential process management tools for the semiconductor industry, today announced that it has signed a major volume purchase agreement (VPA) with leading integrated circuit manufacturer, ST Microelectronics (NYSE:STM - news). According to the terms of the VPA, Knights Technology will provide YieldManager® systems with the database conversion software module, Data Explorer(TM), to ST Microelectronics' fabs in Europe, Asia, and the United States. Systems have been installed in Agrate, Italy; Crolles, France; Rousset, France; Phoenix; and Carrollton, Texas, with follow-on orders expected through the end of 1999. The YieldManager system will replace ST's existing yield management software at all of its sub-micron facilities worldwide.
YieldManager was first installed in Crolles, France, in December 1996, as part of a corporate-wide evaluation program of yield management software solutions. In 1997, ST evaluated YieldManager's ability to address their diverse program requirements. In third quarter 1998, after impressive evaluation results, ST Microelectronics signed a major VPA with Knights for multiple systems to be installed in its production facilities worldwide.
''After evaluating YieldManager for 18 months in a variety of applications, our tests concluded that Knights Technology system was the best choice for our diverse yield data analysis needs,'' said Jean Pierre Bonnot, central manufacturing worldwide process control corporate manager for ST Microelectronics. ''YieldManager's impressive flexibility coupled with its seamless compatibility with our existing metrology system were primary reasons for selection. The YieldManager system allows us to centralize critical fab data, providing our engineers with visual access to information that can improve our process and maximize yield.''
ST Microelectronics will use the YieldManager system in the evaluation of all sub-micron integrated circuit products including SMART cards, microprocessors, and EEPROMs. The company's leading-edge ICs are used in a variety of microelectronic applications, including telecommunications systems, computer systems, consumer products, automotive products, and industrial automation and control systems.
''This volume purchase agreement from ST Microelectronics illustrates our ability to provide today's leading multi-product integrated circuit manufacturers with open architecture software solutions that deliver industry-recognized data processing and data display capabilities,'' said Bill Haydamack, vice president of Electroglas and Knights Technology's general manager. ''The ST VPA validates our ability to provide customers with flexible software solutions that are capable of addressing the program requirements of today's semiconductor manufacturers.''
About YieldManager
YieldManager is a customized, instrument-independent software solution that enables fab engineers to collect, analyze and graphically display essential process, inspection, and test data to help identify the sources of semiconductor yield loss. The YieldManager system is the only independent software tool designed to interface with equipment from multiple suppliers to collect data from the entire process flow-design, wafer process, inspection, metrology, parametric, and electrical test.
About Data Explorer
Data Explorer is an optional YieldManager module designed to provide expanded analysis of yield data. Data Explorer is a database conversion software module used to extract data from YieldManager's relational database and convert it into a spreadsheet format for custom statistical analyses. The Data Explorer feature gives engineers the critical capability of analyzing defect trends and performing other advanced statistical analyses of defect data. Data explorer adds to the rapid identification of key process variables and the accelerated problem solving that increases yield and profit.
About ST Microelectronics
STMicroelectronics is a global independent semiconductor company with strong European roots, whose shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:STM - news), on the Bourse de Paris and on the Milan Stock Exchange. It designs, develops, manufactures, and markets a broad range of semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) and discrete devices used in a wide variety of microelectronic applications, including telecommunications systems, computer systems, consumer products, automotive products and industrial automation and control systems. For the year 1997, the company had revenues of $4.02 billion and net earnings of $406.6 million. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.
About Electroglas, Inc.
Electroglas delivers essential tools for process management designed to enhance semiconductor companies' profitability. The company's wafer probers, inspection systems and software solutions serve as data collection, management, and analysis tools that semiconductor manufacturers depend on to improve their productivity and process control by optimizing sort-floor efficiency. Electroglas has been a leading supplier of wafer probers for over 35 years and has an installed base of more than 10,000 systems. The company's stock trades on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol ''EGLS.'' The company's World Wide Web site is located at www.electroglas.com.
About Knights Technology
Electroglas' 1997 acquisition of Knights, an industry leader in yield enhancement software for integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing, adds critical, synergistic yield management capabilities to the Electroglas suite of data collection and management solutions. Knights products include Merlin's Framework(TM), the recognized industry standard in CAD navigation software for IC design, failure analysis, defect review, and debugging; and the YieldManager system, which integrates data from process, inspection, test and metrology equipment to help determine which process zones or tools contribute to yield loss. Knights' homepage is located at www.knights.com.
YieldManager is a registered trademark of Knights Technology. Merlin's Framework and Data Explorer are trademarks of Knights Technology. Other product names mentioned in this document are trademarks of their respective holders. |
