Berkeley Unveils Industry's First Network-Based Motion and Machine Control System for Semiconductor Manufacturing Tools.RICHMOND, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 14, 1999-- First Member of New Xtreme Control Product Family Delivers Significant Performance, Size and Cost Breakthroughs Berkeley Process Control, Inc. (Berkeley), a global leader in integrated motion and machine control technologies, today unveiled its new BXi controller--the industry's first integrated motion and machine control system designed specifically for automated au·to·mate v. au·to·mat·ed, au·to·mat·ing, au·to·mates v.tr. 1. To convert to automatic operation: automate a factory. 2. semiconductor process tools. The BXi controller is the debut product of Berkeley's new Xtreme Control portfolio of semiconductor automation products. It features eight internally powered servo An electromechanical device that uses feedback to provide precise starts and stops for such functions as the motors on a tape drive or the moving of an access arm on a disk. axes axes [L., Gr.] plural of axis. The straight lines which intersect at right angles and on which graphs are drawn. Usually the horizontal axis is the x-axis and the vertical one the y-axis. Called also axes of reference. , an expandable 100 Mbit Ethernet I/O (Input/Output) The transfer of data between the CPU and a peripheral device. Every transfer is an output from one device and an input to another. See PC input/output. I/O - Input/Output system and an object-based development environment. A powerful RISC-based processor core drives the system. This highly integrated feature set enables the BXi to control virtually all servo motor-driven wafer (1) A small, thin continuous-loop magnetic tape cartridge that has been used from time to time for data storage and specialized applications. (2) The base unit of chip making. It is a slice taken from a salami-like silicon crystal ingot up to 12" (300mm) in diameter. handling equipment, such as multi-axis robots, notch-aligners and pod pod, in botany pod or legume, dehiscent fruit of a member of the family Leguminosae (pulse family). At maturity the pod splits along its two seams and releases the enclosed seeds. door openers door opener n. 1. An electromechanical or electronic device for automatically opening a door, as one to a garage. 2. Informal An effective means of gaining success or seizing an opportunity. . Because it resides on an Ethernet network, machine data down to the sensor level can be accessed through the corporate intranet or anywhere in the world via the Internet. Historically, machine developers in the semiconductor industry have not had integrated automation solutions to choose from. Rather they have had to design, build and then support a custom solution assembled from various `black-boxes.' As a result, new tools have not been developed as quickly as the industry needs have dictated dic·tate v. dic·tat·ed, dic·tat·ing, dic·tates v.tr. 1. To say or read aloud to be recorded or written by another: dictate a letter. 2. a. , nor have they leveraged the hardware and software advances that would help boost tool productivity and reliability. As the industry continues to accelerate new technology transitions, adopt increasing levels of tool automation and contemplate the move to 300 mm wafers wafers compressed roughage in flat plates useful for feeding to animals in transit. , toolmakers must be able to quickly develop new manufacturing tools to stay competitive in the market. Last year at SEMICON SEMICON Semiconductors Equipment and Material International Conference West, Berkeley introduced Autocalibration(TM) technology, an innovation the industry demanded to eliminate subjective robot teaching. "At that time, we found the industry was also demanding a product that was smaller, less expensive, more reliable, faster to implement and wide open," stated Berkeley President Paul Sagues. "By integrating internally powered servo motion and logic in a small package and then adding an Ethernet connection, we are able to eliminate a large amount of intricate wiring and unnecessary user integration effort. And since software ultimately ties all these control elements together, we are able to provide far more software re-use. We are also borrowing much proven technology from our existing product lines so we are able to meet the market's need for both reliability and price," Sagues added. Measuring approximately 10" x 3" x 8" (250 mm x 80 mm x 210 mm), the BXi presents toolmakers with an extremely compact and sophisticated automation solution. With the BXi, there is no point-to-point wiring required, no control panel to build and no low-level software to write. Developers literally start their efforts with a CE-compliant control system in this one small device. Beyond the obvious time savings, there are significant gains to be made in reliability and productivity. The BXi leverages Berkeley's proven MachineWorks(R) development environment, which is currently running in thousands of motion and machine controllers around the world. In recent semiconductor applications, this same architecture has been instrumental in reducing new software development by 95 percent, with a simultaneous three-fold increase in tool productivity. In addition, there are the many breakthrough features enabling the BXi to reduce cost of ownership for device manufacturers. A key feature is Berkeley's Autocalibration(TM) technology, which eliminates time-consuming robot teaching and lengthy robot replacement times. Using a variety of application-specific methods, Autocalibration allows a robot to precisely locate tool points without the need for operator assistance, reducing this previously time-intensive process from several hours to just a few minutes. Other unique features include predictive maintenance Predictive maintenance (PdM) techniques help determine the condition of in-service equipment in order to predict when maintenance should be performed. This approach offers cost savings over routine or time-based preventive maintenance because tasks are performed only when , robot self-diagnostics and machine-wide error handling, which help eliminate machine down-time due to unscheduled unscheduled Adjective not planned or intended Adj. 1. unscheduled - not scheduled or not on a regular schedule; "an unscheduled meeting"; "the plane made an unscheduled stop at Gander for refueling" maintenance. Berkeley's Xtreme Control BXi system will be previewed to audiences during SEMICON West 99, July 12 - 14. The system will be available beginning in 3Q99 and has a list price of approximately one-third that of competing products. About Berkeley Process Control: Berkeley Process Control, Inc., Richmond, Calif., a privately held company privately held company A firm whose shares are held within a relatively small circle of owners and are not traded publicly. founded in 1981, is the leading supplier of advanced automated motion and machine control solutions for the critical manufacturing processes used in the semiconductor, fiber optic, packaging and aerospace industries. Berkeley's comprehensive and unique approach to factory automation enables faster time to market, greater machine productivity and seamless system integrity for original equipment manufacturers. To learn more about Berkeley, visit their Web site at www.berkeleyprocess.com |
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