CHELMSFORD, Mass. – May 10, 2005 – Brooks Software, a division of Brooks Automation, Inc. and a leading provider of real-time applications for complex manufacturing operations, today announced the availability of iReticles 3.0, the latest version of Brooks’ system for managing the large number of reticles that exist in a typical semiconductor fab. iReticles 3.0 gives semiconductor manufacturers real-time insight into the status of reticles across a single fab or across the enterprise and the supply chain, enabling better scheduling and utilization to improve manufacturing efficiency and productivity.
“As semiconductor manufacturing complexity increases, reticle inventories are becoming an even more significant cost factor for today’s global manufacturers,” said Mike Smith, vice president of engineering and product development for Brooks Software. “Effectively managing this expensive asset across a company’s global supply chain can improve manufacturing throughput and return on investment. iReticles 3.0 gives manufacturers an effective application with real-time visibility into their global supply chain operations to ensure that their reticle assets are optimized for the new global manufacturing realities.”
The new version offers two options for reticle management – iRFab for managing reticles within a single fab and iREnterprise for reticle management across multiple fabs and the supply chain. The iREnterprise module offers waiver management for quick resolution of supply chain issues and allows the electronic transfer of certificates of compliance (COC)
between the supply chain and fab. iREnterprise also provides the security necessary for real-time supply chain execution by offering a portal with XML certification and user authentication to ensure secure communication and transactions.
iReticles 3.0’s iRFab brings many new features to Brooks’ reticle management system including support for multilayer reticles, out-of-fab reticle tracking for managing the status of reticles when they leave the fab for repair and cleaning, and user configurable checklists that define the steps for reticle inspection, facilitate qualification and approval of reticles.