Asyst Software Unveils Revolutionary Factory Connectivity Solution; Asyst-SWIFT enables integration of peripheral devices on equipment and single-wire connectivity to factory computer integrated manufacturing - CIM - systems.FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 14, 1997--Asyst Technologies, Inc. (NASDAQ NASDAQ in full National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations U.S. market for over-the-counter securities. Established in 1971 by the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), NASDAQ is an automated quotation system that reports on :ASYT), the leading supplier of minienvironment and SMIF-based technology to the worldwide semiconductor industry, today announced that its subsidiary, Asyst Software, Inc. (ASI ASI, n See Anxiety Sensitivity Index. ), has introduced a revolutionary software-based manufacturing connectivity solution-Asyst-SWIFT(TM) (Single-Wire Interface Technology). A Windows NT-based software tool set, SWIFT integrates peripheral devices such as Asyst-SMIF devices, material tracking and control systems, bar code devices and external sensors on semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In addition, SWIFT, compliant with Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) is a trade organization of manufacturers of equipment and materials used in the fabrication of semiconductor devices such as integrated circuits, transistors, diodes, and thyristors. (SEMI) standards for SEMI Equipment Communications Standards II (SECS II), Generic Equipment Model (GEM) and High Speed Message Standard (HSMS HSMS Hazardous Substance Management System HSMS Hierarchical Storage Management System HSMS High Speed Messaging Service (semiconductor equipment communications standard; associated with GEM/SECS) HSMS Hierarchical Storage Management Software ), enables a single-wire connection to a fab's computer integrated manufacturing (application) Computer Integrated Manufacturing - (CIM) http://dmtf.org/. (CIM (1) (Computer-Integrated Manufacturing) Integrating office/accounting functions with automated factory systems. Point of sale, billing, machine tool scheduling and supply ordering are part of CIM. ) network or manufacturing execution system – Manufacturing execution system (MES) describes a set of integrated functions within a packaged software system or it can also describe the accumulated functionality within the production management infrastructure of a manufacturing or production company. (MES (Manufacturing Execution Software) Software that provides real time access to plant activities that include equipment, labor, orders and inventory. An MES integrates the data with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems so that management has complete control of ). Asyst-SWIFT software components currently include ActiveTag, ActiveSMIF and ActiveSC. SWIFT addresses the industry's increasing need for optimizing factory-wide equipment and CIM system integration in the production of advanced integrated circuit integrated circuit (IC), electronic circuit built on a semiconductor substrate, usually one of single-crystal silicon. The circuit, often called a chip, is packaged in a hermetically sealed case or a nonhermetic plastic capsule, with leads extending from it for (IC) products. Mike Brain, ASI's vice president of marketing, explained, "As device complexities increase, the number of processing steps and the amount of equipment increases, limiting chipmakers' ability to meet yield and cycle time objectives. This will prove more critical in the transition to 300mm processing of next-generation ICs when integration to the CIM framework will be a prerequisite." Brain added, "Because most equipment suppliers currently use custom software drivers to connect to CIM systems, there is a large amount of equipment and information incompatibility resulting in barriers to efficient manufacturing." According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. ASI, Asyst-SWIFT's Windows format eliminates the need for these proprietary controls and hardware by utilizing robust off-the-shelf, industrial personal computers (PCs). This allows unparalleled CIM and MES connectivity potential, maximizing fab-wide equipment integration capabilities for both original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and IC makers. "Designed as an open-system interface, SWIFT provides the simplest and most reliable tool-to-factory connection, helping accelerate time-to-market for equipment manufacturers and speed the ramp to higher yields for chipmakers," said Brain. Recognizing that each equipment manufacturer has different requirements, ASI offers Asyst-SWIFT in two formats. SWIFT is available as a plug-and-play solution customized for specific equipment and manufacturing environments, or as components that enable an equipment manufacturer to create their own solution. ASI's ActiveSMIF is a software component to monitor and control SMIF SMIF Standard Mechanical Interface SMIF Stream-based Model Interchange Format SMIF Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility (Duke University) SMIF Stanford Management Internship Fund SMIF SMAD4-Interacting Transcription Factor input and output mechanisms. ActiveSMIF supports SMIF mechanisms such as the Asyst SMIF-Arm(TM), SMIF-Indexer(TM), SMIF-LPT(TM), SMIF-LPI(TM) and SMIF-LPO(TM). ActiveTag and ActiveSC permit direct read-and-write access to the Asyst SMART-Tag(TM), making material information available in real time for the first time. These software components conform to the Microsoft ActiveX open standard and support a dual interface (iDispatch and vtable), allowing the software to be used from any of the major programming systems in use today, such as Visual Basic, Visual C++, or Java. Supplied with sample code, these components can dramatically reduce the integration effort required for an equipment manufacturer to offer a fully integrated SMIF solution. Asyst will be demonstrating Asyst-SWIFT at its booth, No. 637, at the SEMICON/West exposition and conference, July 14-16, at San Francisco's Moscone Center (South Hall). Currently, Asyst-SWIFT is in beta site testing at a major U.S.-based chipmaker's new facility. Production software is scheduled to be available August 1997. About Asyst: Asyst Technologies, Inc. is a leading provider of material handling systems that help semiconductor manufacturers improve their integrated circuit (IC) manufacturing productivity. The company's Asyst-SMIF(TM) System combines state-of-the-art minienvironments with advanced robotics to create ultraclean processing environments that are both comprehensive and flexible. The SMART-Traveler(TM) System (STS (Synchronous Transport Signal) The electrical equivalent of the SONET optical signal. In SDH, the European counterpart of SONET, STS is known as STM (Synchronous Transport Module). ) works in tandem with SMIF to eliminate misprocessing. Both Asyst-SMIF and its companion STS products are integral to seamless factory automation. Asyst Software, Inc., is dedicated to the development of software products for equipment communications and automated material handling, identification and tracking. Founded in 1984, Asyst Technologies, Inc. is headquartered in Fremont, Calif., with facilities in Europe and the Far East. Asyst Software is located in San Jose, Calif. Asyst Technologies' home page on the World Wide Web is located at: http://www.asyst.com About SMIF: SMIF stands for Standard Mechanical InterFace, the material handling approach that enables wafer transfer to and from sealed SMIF environments without exposure to cleanroom ambient conditions. SEMI standards exist for 150- and 200mm wafer sizes and are now being defined for 300mm. -0- NOTE TO EDITORS: Windows, Visual Basic, Visual C++, ActiveX and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp. CONTACT: Asyst Technologies, Inc. Lisa Garcia, 510/661-5000 510/661-5160 (fax) or Doug McCutcheon, CFO See Chief Financial Officer. , 510/661-5000 510/661-5166 (fax) or MCA MCA in full Music Corporation of America Entertainment conglomerate. It was founded in Chicago in 1924 by Jules Stein as a talent agency. In the 1960s it bought Decca Records and Universal Pictures, and today it produces films, music, and television shows. , Inc. Vincent Mayeda, 415/968-8900 415/968-8990 (fax) |
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