ADVANCED ENERGY AND SYMPHONY SYSTEMS ROLL OUT SUITE OF PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS FOR THE CHIP INDUSTRY
Proven System Enables Fabs to Delay New Tool Investments by Increasing Asset Productivity
Fort Collins, Colorado and Campbell, California (April 17, 2001) - Advanced Energy Industries, Inc. (Nasdaq: AEIS) and Symphony Systems, a leading supplier of network-based applications and open-architecture software solutions for the semiconductor industry, announced today a new suite of applications designed to dramatically improve the performance of equipment used to manufacture chips-the EPM™ Equipment Productivity Manager. This new product, which addresses productivity concerns for chipmakers, semiconductor equipment manufacturers and sensor makers alike, performs a multitude of tasks from assisting maintenance of tools in the cleanroom to web-enabled troubleshooting and analysis.
In March 2000, Advanced Energy (AE) and Symphony formed a strategic partnership to deliver an advanced network-based infrastructure that seamlessly connects people, equipment, and information to form a global resource management system that will dramatically improve overall equipment productivity. Under this agreement, both AE and Symphony will develop, market, and support these products for semiconductor OEMs and end-users, while AE will exclusively distribute these products to the semiconductor industry as a whole.
The EPM suite is a comprehensive offering that provides network connectivity, web-based automated data collection, a high-performance, real-time database for time-series parametric data, and an integrated suite of data analysis applications. When the tool is connected to the network, multiple applications can share the tool and database, communicating through open object interfaces, such as ActiveX controls, and ODBC. The EPM suite provides the platform for e-diagnostic and APC solutions. These include network connectivity, data collection and data archiving from key sources including process equipment, sensors and subsystems. Also, the EPM suite has open architecture allowing users to rapidly build their own applications.
This announcement follows on the heels of Symphony and Advanced Energy's recent introduction of the eSES™ External Symphony Equipment Server, a key component of the new software suite. The eSES offers the hardware and software platform for complete tool integration required by engineers and suppliers, while facilitating e-diagnostics. The web-enabled (Intranet and Internet) eSES connectivity solution combines equipment data with sensor data inputs, providing one interface for all users and applications.
In addition to the eSES product, the EPM suite includes: the Data Collection Manager (DCM™) for advanced data collection capability; Aspen Technologies' high-performance real-time InfoPlus.21™ (IP.21) database; Aspen Technologies' Process Explorer™ viewer for data presentation and analysis; the Symphony Equipment Tuner for analysis and management of data, events, and alarms; and connectivity hardware.
Dr. Keith Bennett, Symphony president and chief executive officer, points out that customers realize both a financial and competitive advantage with the EPM solution's single integrated package and its breadth of capabilities. "The use of the new EPM suite allows significant cost savings and the extension of soon-to-be-obsolete technologies. For example, an engineer at a customer's site determined using Symphony's process graphic analysis tool that an etch time in a particular process can be reduced from 55 to 40 seconds without affecting wafer quality. When applied to each of the 25 wafers on each cassette, such 'fine tuning' of the process saves a quarter of a million dollars a year just on this recipe."
The EPM product provides a variety of troubleshooting tools for complex problems on all types of tools, including multiple chamber systems. The online chamber-level tool data accelerates troubleshooting and maintenance, and advanced data retrieval and analysis tools significantly decrease mean time to repair (MTTR). In addition, EPM software reduces process re-qualification time by characterizing and comparing data before and after the incident.
The EPM suite's open and flexible architecture allows the easy integration of custom and best-of-breed applications for OEE, failure analysis, spare parts management and enterprise resource management. This feature enables managers and engineers to make more efficient operational, engineering and business decisions based on real-time and historical tool data rather than outdated information. In addition, fabs are implementing the EPM suite as a means to deploy network connectivity and automated data collection throughout their fab, on assorted tools. Engineers in the fab can now monitor tools in real time via their Intranet, and use web-based applications for data analysis.
Symphony's EPM suite can be installed without requiring changes to existing factory automation systems using the host pass-through feature of the eSES software. The unique system architecture allows the rapid deployment of the EPM suite throughout the fab
About Symphony Systems
Founded in 1997, Symphony uses its network-based tool connectivity infrastructure and suite of software applications to seamlessly connect people with new and existing equipment within an entire supply chain, allowing equipment users, equipment suppliers, parts and consumables suppliers, and application software providers, to collaborate to improve equipment productivity through real-time equipment interaction. More information can be found on www.symphony-systems.com.
About Advanced Energy
Advanced Energy is a global leader in the development, marketing, and support of technology solutions that are central in the manufacture of semiconductors, data storage products, and flat panel displays. Original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and end-users around the world depend on AE products when plasma-based technology plays a vital role in their manufacturing process. AE offers a comprehensive suite of products for vacuum process systems, including power management, temperature sensing, dynamic temperature control, gas delivery management, process monitoring and machine control tools, ion-beam sources, and plasma abatement technologies. AE technology solutions are sold and supported globally by direct offices, representatives, and distributors. Founded in 1981, AE is a publicly held company traded on Nasdaq under the symbol AEIS. AE's URL is www.advanced-energy.com.
