Metron Technology Delivers New Solutions for Green Manufacturing
SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 11, 2006--Metron Technology, Inc. demonstrates its environmental leadership this week at the Semicon West trade show, exhibiting a wide range of innovative point-of-use abatement technologies and other energy-saving solutions that enable chipmakers worldwide to meet their most stringent environmental goals.
"Metron's expanded environmental product line further strengthens our ability to partner with customers globally in their efforts to improve production efficiencies and protect the environment," said Werner Finsterbusch, general manager of Metron Technology. "With a comprehensive array of cost-effective and resource-efficient new technologies, Metron can work closely with customers to implement flexible environmental strategies that fit their specific regional needs."
To help chipmakers address ever-tighter environmental regulations, Metron this month launched the innovative, point-of-use Aquareus(TM) copper abatement system that enables customers to remove 99% of dissolved copper from CMP(1) slurry. Metron is also featuring a number of PFC(1) abatement systems, including the Marathon(TM), Trinity(TM) and Litmas(TM) systems that utilize a diverse set of technologies to eliminate global warming gases. These innovative solutions allow customers to meet their environmental regulations at an improved cost of ownership over existing systems.
Reducing fab power consumption is a critical issue for customers. As part of its family of energy-saving technologies, Metron is introducing its unique Idle-Mode software that enables process tools such as etch or CVD(1) systems to instruct the Marathon(TM) abatement system to return to "idle" setting, dramatically conserving electric power. Use of Idle-Mode technology in Applied Materials' Maydan Technology Center has demonstrated savings of up to 17% on chilled water costs alone; chilled water systems can consume over 20% of a production fab's energy.
Metron also will show its line of Toyota vacuum pumps, which were designed in conjunction with Applied Materials to radically reduce power consumption. Conventional pumps are a significant energy drain in fabs, consuming nearly one-third of the electric power used during production. As the global semiconductor industry distributor for these ultra-high efficiency Toyota pumps, which use less than half the power of competing products, Metron is helping customers overcome challenging electric power resource issues.
Please visit Metron during the Semicon West trade show in Booth #319 of the South Hall of Moscone Center.
Metron Technology, Inc. is an independent supplier of fab-wide support services to the semiconductor and related industries providing custom integrated solutions for optimizing operations and improving manufacturing efficiency. Metron is headquartered in San Jose, California, and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq:AMAT). Metron can be found on the web at www.metrontech.com.
(1) CMP= chemical mechanical planarization; PFC= perfluorocarbon; CVD= chemical vapor deposition
CONTACT: Applied Materials, Inc.
Betty Newboe, 408-563-0647 (editorial/media)
Randy Bane, 408-986-7916 (financial community)
SOURCE: Applied Materials, Inc.