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Aquest Systems Unveils Its Breakthrough Automated Material Handling System
Company's New FabEX(TM) Automation Solution Delivers Unprecedented Productivity Advantages for Today's IC Manufacturers
SUNNYVALE, Calif., May 9 -- Aquest Systems, which is developing innovative automation solutions, today unveiled FabEX(TM), a new type of automated material handling system (AMHS) designed to improve fab productivity by delivering higher speeds and greater capacity than conventional AMHS. According to company officials, the complete FabEX product portfolio will help deliver on Aquest's vision for No-Wait-Manufacturing(SM) by enabling chipmakers to significantly reduce or eliminate the unnecessary waits or delays that negatively impact both the productivity and profitability of their fabs.
Aquest's No-Wait-Manufacturing Vision
In today's multibillion-dollar fabs, productivity is one of the greatest contributors to fab ROI, while depreciation is one of the biggest cost factors. Yet, all too often, the multimillion-dollar production systems used to manufacture chips stand idle waiting for wafers. This can be due to wafers waiting to be delivered to equipment, waiting for pick up at the equipment, or waiting in stockers pending transport. No-Wait-Manufacturing is about drastically reducing or eliminating these delays to help chipmakers worldwide improve equipment utilization, reduce overall cycle times and boost fab productivity.
According to G. Dan Hutcheson, CEO of VLSI Research, as the hot, new company in the automation arena, Aquest has the potential to deliver on the promise of the industry's productivity improvement initiative called 300 Prime. "The last time Mihir Parikh brought new technology to the semiconductor industry, he completely transformed the landscape with automated mini-environment systems that are now the industry standard. Mihir has proven that he is very good at anticipating and solving the problems IC manufacturers face. Clearly, No-Wait-Manufacturing is a core concept that could similarly transform 300-mm manufacturing."
FabEX: Turning the Vision into Reality
FabEX is an optimized, "No-Wait" AMHS that brings Aquest's No-Wait- Manufacturing vision to fruition. With its patent-pending technology, which transports wafer containers, called FOUPs (Front Opening Unified Pods), at high speeds (>3 meters/second), FabEX is significantly faster than conventional AMHS built from conveyors or overhead hoist vehicles. It also has the ability to move around curves and ramps, while minimizing vibrations with minimal particle generation. Finally, since FabEX does not need any vehicles, it provides the high capacity afforded by conventional conveyor systems. All of this, coupled with sophisticated internet-protocol (IP) technology-based controls and software, enable seamless integration into semiconductor fabs.
In a typical 300-mm fab, wait times for a conventional overhead transport vehicle to arrive, pick up and move a wafer to the next process step are usually sixty seconds or more. On average, FabEX AMHS can reduce that time to less than five seconds, which translates into faster and more consistent delivery times. This, in turn, will allow manufacturers to shorten cycle times, improve equipment utilization and increase production capacity -- all of which are key requirements for next-generation IC fabs.
Another unique aspect of the FabEX technology is its inherent simplicity. With significantly fewer moving parts than conventional AMHS vehicles or conveyors, it is designed to deliver higher reliability and a lower cost of ownership. And by reliably and predictably increasing the number of moves per hour, FabEX allows users to optimize lot sizes and increase their fab productivity.
Commenting on today's launch, Dr. Mihir Parikh, president and CEO of Aquest, adds, "Our long experience in creating successful, industry-standard automation products at Asyst positions us to create the next-generation AMHS with a complete family of products based on FabEX. With our Asia-based business model, which optimizes our global organization around customer proximity and cost-effectiveness, we are confident in gaining market share and creating industry-leading shareholder value."
Aquest reports that FabEX has already received significant commitments from some of today's leading chipmakers with initial shipments and installations starting in June of this year.
About Aquest Systems
Founded in 2004, Aquest Systems is the pioneer of No-Wait-Manufacturing (NWM) automation technologies for the worldwide semiconductor industry. A truly global company, Aquest employs a worldwide organization to efficiently leverage talent and resources in the United States, Japan, Taiwan and India. The company is privately held and headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif. More information can be found at www.aquestsystems.com.
NOTE: No-Wait-Manufacturing (NWM) is a service mark of Aquest Systems.
FabEX is a trademark of Aquest Systems.
CONTACT: Carol Higgins of Aquest Systems, +1-408-530-2503, or chiggins@aquestsystems.com; or Jean LeMoin of MCA, +1-650-968-8900, ext. 101, or jlemoin@mcapr.com
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