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| [June 29, 2006] |
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BlueShift Launches QuickLink Wafer Processing Platform with Innovative Linkable Linear Geometry
ANDOVER, Mass. --(Business Wire)-- June 29, 2006 -- BlueShift(TM) Technologies, Inc., today announced the release of QuickLink(TM), its highly innovative, linkable and adaptable wafer handling system.
BlueShift's advanced QuickLink vacuum robotic system, controlled by cutting-edge QuickBlue(TM) software, offers significant benefits over current cluster tool equipment--a compact, efficient and flexible linear design with smaller system footprint, substantially lower costs, enhanced quality control and increased wafer throughput. The system architecture, targeted at small-lot manufacturing and currently configured for wafers up to 300 mm, is easily scalable to 450 mm. QuickLink delivers improved vacuum-process isolation, reduced wafer-to-wafer cross-contamination, minimal risk of wafer thermal stressing, and excellent low-particulate performance.
"QuickLink provides a highly competitive differentiator to our semiconductor OEMs," said BlueShift president and CEO Peter van der Meulen. "Compared with current market leader pricing, our system offers major reductions in capital and installation costs while reducing delivery lead times dramatically when scaling to full production."
Traditional fab systems cluster process modules in a radial geometry and process wafers in batch mode. The traditional radial geometry imposes a number of shortcomings: large footprints requiring oversized and non-standard metal stock, complex design and functionality, and limited vacuum-process isolation. The resulting equipment manufacturing environment for traditional radial systems is low volume, high mix, slow completion times and high costs of customization.
BlueShift's new QuickLink wafer processing platform, in contrast, offers an innovative linear geometry in an efficient hardware-software system that has substantial performance and cost advantages over the traditional radial design. QuickLink's linear geometry offers an alternative to batch processing by allowing wafers to pass along a line of process modules, entering at one end and exiting at the other. The linkable design permits processing modules to be added as needed in a compact configuration, resulting in footprint reductions up to 40% compared with radial footprints and allowing the fab to optimize tool throughput by eliminating bottleneck process chambers. The resulting manufacturing environment for QuickLink is high volume, low mix, fast completion times and substantial cost savings.
QuickLink's state-of-the-art QuickBlue software adds several key innovations to the BlueShift offering. QuickBlue's fast graphics provides immediate visualization of the entire interior workings of the QuickLink hardware in real time, from any vantage point selected by the user. Positions of wafers and wafer-handling robot arms are tracked at 50 Hz sampling rates, allowing continuous monitoring of the condition of moving parts. This provides a "predictive maintenance" capability, so that maintenance can be optimally timed to replace parts when needed--not too early or too late. As the QuickLink system expands, QuickBlue software easily accommodates new units in plug-and-play fashion.
About BlueShift
BlueShift Technologies, Inc. develops and markets linkable and highly adaptable vacuum automation products for semiconductor manufacturing. BlueShift's QuickLink platform features an innovative linear geometry that offers significant benefits over current cluster tool equipment--a compact, efficient and flexible design with smaller system footprint and increased throughput at substantially lower cost. QuickLink empowers OEMs to cost-effectively adapt PVD, CVD, Etch and other advanced processes to evolving nano-manufacturing requirements. For more information visit www.blueshifttech.com or email marketing@blueshifttech.com.
Copyright 2006 BlueShift Technologies, Inc. BlueShift, QuickLink and QuickBlue are trademarks of BlueShift Technologies, Inc.
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