NBS Technologies Achieves Production Qualification for its New WPC EVO Advanced Wafer Packing/Unpacking/Sorting System

Toronto, Ontario (PRWEB) January 12, 2009

NBS Technologies Inc., the leading supplier of automated wafer handling equipment announced today that their new WPC EVO 300mm tool successfully achieved full qualification and release to production from an Asian subsidiary of a leading European memory supplier. The WPC EVO was ordered and shipped in Q3/08 and is configured to pack, unpack and sort 200mm and 300mm finished wafers between industry standard cassettes and coin stack format wafer shippers.

The WPC EVO sets a new industry leading standard in wafer handling tools. Developed by NBS' semiconductor group in Rousset, France, it provides the capability to fully automate wafer packing, unpacking and sorting processes between industry standard cassettes, FOUP/FOSB and Horizontal Wafer Shippers.

"Through the current difficult economic conditions, NBS' semiconductor customers are looking for ways to significantly reduce the cost and improve the quality of shipping finished wafers," said Kurt Kaashoek, Director - Semiconductor Sales at NBS Technologies. "The WPC EVO provides high speed, high quality wafer handling and complete wafer traceability to allow our customers to fully exploit the cost reduction and quality improvement benefits of automated, coin stack format, finished wafer shipping processes."

The WPC EVO represents a significant leap forward in wafer packing and sorting automation with tangible benefits including:

• Leading edge Cost Of Ownership and Overall Equipment Effectiveness
• Completely manages the logistics process (100% traceability)
• Full range (thick or thin) wafer handling
• Significant reduction in wafer shipping costs
• Significant reduction in packing material storage costs
• Significant reduction in wafer breakage and cosmetic defects caused by manual handling processes    
• Operates in a fully automated environment (SECS/GEM300 Standard)

For more information about NBS, WPC EVO and our complete line of semiconductor wafer handling and backside inspection solutions, please consult our website at http://www.nbstech.com.

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