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Mitsubishi goes automated

Silicon wafer manufacturer Mitsubishi has ordered $4.5 million worth of automation systems from PRI Automation in Billerica, MA. The gear includes an AeroTrak overhead monorail system, machine-loading robot vehicles, and loading robots for inter- and intrabay transport and storage of 150- and 200-mm wafers. Installation at Mitsubishi's Mod V fab in Salem, OR, is scheduled for early this year. Meanwhile, PRI bought six Inertra gas-delivery systems from Semifab for installation at Mosel Vitelic's Taiwanese fab. PRI will incorporate the tools in its high-density pod storage systems. The units provide an inert environment for sealed SMIF pods. Delivery is scheduled for the first quarter of this year.

Jenoptik makes breakthrough

A multimillion-dollar order from a South Korean semiconductor manufacturer represents a major breakthrough in the Far East chip market for Jenoptik Infab, the German vendor reports. The order from Anam Industrial Co. of Seoul includes more than 300 Ergospeed SMIF robot systems, 100 minienvironments, and the vendor's IridNet advanced tracking system. Anam will install the systems for production of ASIC devices at its 8-in. wafer fab in Buchon. The fab will have a capacity of 25,000 wafer starts per month. Installation is scheduled to begin this March with pilot production set for June. The order came after Anam representatives visited a European fab equipped with Jenoptik Infab gear, the vendor says.

Tencor reaches milestones

Tencor Instruments' film measurement division shipped its 100th Prometrix UV-1250-SE and OmniMap RS75 resistivity mapping systems. Tencor crows that the 100-unit sales mark indicates rapid market acceptance of the two systems, which were introduced in January and October 1995, respectively.

The Prometrix tool combines spectroscopic ellipsometry and broadband UV spectrophotometry for CMP, diffusion, CVD, and etch applications. Based on a special four-point probe technology developed by the film measurement division, the OmniMap is designed to offer rapid identification of process problems.

ChemWest to outfit fab

ChemWest Systems has signed an $800,000 contract with National Semiconductor to install wet process equipment in the chipmaker's new fab in South Portland, ME. The Wilsonville, OR­based vendor collaborated with National in designing the cleaning system. The plant is scheduled to begin production in March 1997.

Moto buys Applied tool

Applied Materials' DPS Centura metal etch system passed Motorola's qualifying tests and will be installed at the chipmaker's most advanced fab, MOS 13, in Austin, TX. The decoupled plasma source tool uses high-density plasma for precise metal etching of advanced devices at high throughputs. Applied has received more than 50 orders for the cluster tool since it was introduced in February 1996.

Fairchild sells to Samsung

Samsung has purchased several photoresist wafer processing systems from Fairchild Technologies for installation in the chipmaker's South Korean fabs. The Falcon deep-UV 0.25-µm systems will be installed in Samsung's most advanced 8-in. wafer fabs during the second quarter of this year. The purchase follows a six-month evaluation of competing systems under simulated production environments, according to Fairchild.

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