Consilium Launches Semiconductor Industry's Most Advanced Fab Management Solution with FAB300 2.0 Software.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SEMICON Taiwan

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 8, 2000

FAB300(TM) Fab Control Software is Specifically Designed for

300mm Wafer Production

Consilium, an Applied Materials, Inc. company, today released its FAB300 2.0 product, a wafer fab management software package specifically designed to meet the challenging new requirements of 300mm wafer production. The FAB300 2.0 product integrates a full complement of operating modules, enabling chipmakers to easily manage 300mm wafer movement and equipment operation in a single, fully automated, fab-wide solution.

"Our new FAB300 2.0 software is a highly developed manufacturing execution system (MES) that provides customers with a state-of-the-art solution designed to reduce fab costs while increasing productivity and yield," said Stephen Schwartz, president of Consilium. "This innovative product has been continuously tested and refined over the last several years and is now ready to help customers manage the new and formidable demands of 300mm production manufacturing. We expect our FAB300 solution, which is already generating significant interest with customers, to make a compelling difference in the way these new fabs are run."

FAB300 2.0 software offers many features never before available in a fab control package that allow chipmakers to realize the full potential of their facilities. Its broad array of fab management applications seamlessly integrates wafer and tool data, providing a closed-loop information stream essential for completely automated operation. By managing the detailed information from each wafer and process tool, FAB300 2.0 software enables rapid production ramps, use of fewer non-product wafers, and much more efficient day-to-day production decisions on the plant floor.

"Consilium's FAB300 product is the most advanced automated fab management solution available, going far beyond conventional software architectures to provide the flexibility and scalability needed to run 300mm semiconductor fabs," said Richard Danielson, vice president of marketing at Consilium. "Its unique applications and framework enable closed loop control from data collection, to analysis, to initiation of corrective actions. We expect this level of automated control to be essential in achieving the ramp time, cycle time and process capabilities necessary for manufacturers to remain competitive."

Providing key functions to improve overall fab effectiveness, the FAB300 2.0 product includes wafer management, advanced process and equipment management and intelligent dispatching. The software tracks the processing of individual wafers, including monitor wafers, by tool and chamber, as well as tracking multiple lots and non-product wafers within single carriers. Its ability to view equipment details down to the process chamber and component level enhances management's ability to operate the equipment at maximum efficiency and effectiveness. FAB300 2.0 combines complete equipment maintenance management capabilities with process and materials management.

The FAB300 2.0 product conforms to all relevant standards for 300mm fab operation, including SEMI's CIM Framework, and follows the Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors. FAB300 2.0 software runs on the Microsoft Windows 2000(R) operating system and uses the Microsoft Transaction Server and Oracle8(R) database.

The FAB300 2.0 package will be shown at SEMICON Taiwan, September 13-15, 2000, in the Applied Materials booth No. 1138.

Consilium, Inc., headquartered in Mountain View, California, was acquired by Applied Materials in December 1998. For over 20 years, Consilium has been a leading supplier of advanced, factory-wide control systems and services to semiconductor and electronics manufacturers. Consilium's software-based systems monitor and control the manufacturing process in real time, enabling manufacturers to enhance performance in the areas of cost, quality, customer service and speed. Its WorkStream product family is used at approximately 300 advanced manufacturing sites around the world. For more information about Consilium, please visit the web site www.consilium.com.

Applied Materials (Nasdaq:AMAT) is a leader of the Information Age and the world's largest supplier of products and services to the global semiconductor industry. Applied Materials' web site is www.appliedmaterials.com.