GW Associates Signs Agreement With International Sematech for 300 MM Factory Integration Testing

SUNNYVALE, CALIF. (April 15) BUSINESS WIRE -April 15, 1999--

SECS/GEM Leader Developing Complete Compliance Testing Tools

                For Integration of 300 mm Fabs 

GW Associates Inc. (GWA), the leading provider of wafer fab communications software and related products for automated semiconductor manufacturing, was selected by International SEMATECH (I300I) to provide automated script-driven test methods for factory integration testing. The GW tool based on these tests verifies compliance with the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) standard Carrier Management Specific Equipment Model (SEM), Intra-bay SEM, Inter-bay SEM, and Stocker SEM requirements. These SEMI standards will be used in 300 mm factories worldwide.

"GW Associates was the leading choice for this I300I project given its contribution to industry standards compliance testing through successful products such as SECSIM Pro(R) GEM compliance and Y2K.Pro compliance testing simulator," stated Jackie Ferrell, International Sematech standards program manager. "GW has a standards attitude that we really appreciate. The textual scripts and procedures will be published per agreement on the I300I web site to facilitate development of standardized commercialized industry tests," noted Karl Gartland, International Sematech CIM project manager.

"Our FITT300 Factory Integration Test Tool product is an automated script-driven test tool for the SEMI E23.1 Carrier Handoff Enhanced Parallel Link used in 300 mm factories. Specifically, FITT300 provides the Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) handoff between Automated Material Handling Systems (AMHS) and production equipment either process or metrology," commented Jack Ghiselli, GW Associates' president.

"The FITT300 proves that production equipment performs proper E23.1 handshaking to AMHS before the equipment is shipped or installed in the fab, thus minimizing integration time," noted Steve Hausle, executive vice president of GW Associates. "The I300I program is particularly concerned with keeping 300 mm fab start-up costs contained. The FITT300 will do that."

I300I is the group within International SEMATECH responsible for defining requirements and standards related to 300 mm production in the semiconductor industry. International SEMATECH is a wholly owned subsidiary of SEMATECH, a non-profit technology development consortium of U.S. semiconductor manufacturers. International SEMATECH began operations in April 1998. Its research programs include lithography infrastructure, 300 mm wafer tool development, standards, environment, safety and health issues and manufacturing methods.

GW Associates Inc., founded in 1975 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, is the semiconductor industry's market leader in the application of the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI) Semiconductor Equipment Communications Standards (SECS) and the SEMI Generic Equipment Model Standard (GEM). The company provides computer software and services for factory automation in the semiconductor industry as well as for the surface mount, circuit board, hybrid substrate and rigid disk manufacturing industries. In addition, GW Associates markets diagnostic test tools such as the SECSIM Pro(R) SECS Simulator, the leading "active tool" for testing SECS interfaces, and the SECSMON(TM) SECS Monitor, the leading "passive test tool" that monitors the host/equipment SECS link without interfering with normal operation. GW Associates is located at 1183 Bordeaux Drive, Suite 27, Sunnyvale, CA, 94089. Visit GW Associates on the world wide web at http//www.gwainc.com.

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CONTACT: GW Associates

          Steve Hausle, 408/745-1844 ext. 103 

shausle@gwa.com

           or 

Mathews & Clark Communications

          Stew Chalmers, 408/736-1120 

schalmers@mathewsandclark.com

KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL EUROPE
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED PRODUCT TRADESHOW
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