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Jon Goldman Associates Offers Line of Diffusion Furnace Controllers and Control Software Contact: Andrea Roberts, A·R Marketing 858-451-8666; aroberts@san.rr.com Orange, CA - December, 2002 - Jon Goldman Associates, Inc. (JGA), manufacturer of data capture, analysis, and process control software for diffusion furnaces and other semiconductor equipment, announces the availability of the ICCI SLC99 Furnace Controller and Windows®-based GMI (Graphical Management Interface) Host. The SLC99 is used on new furnaces or as replacement for old and obsolete controllers on existing furnaces. The GMI Host is a "station controller" for editing recipes, collecting and analyzing data, obtaining status information, and managing equipment operation. The Windows-based GMI Host software adds functionality and versatility to the SLC99 controller. It consists of two main modules, the Supervisor Module and the Engineer Module. The Supervisor Module provides low-level serial communication with the SLC99 Controller and can communicate with up to eight furnace controllers on a single PC platform. The Engineer Module provides important user functions: Tube Status, Recipe Edit and Download, Run Start, Alarm Viewing and Acknowledge, Trace Data Viewing, etc. Since the Supervisor and Engineer Modules are software, they can be placed together on the same PC, giving users local access to all controller and user functions. The Engineer Module can also run on any networked PC for remote access as well as on an Internet Server, providing worldwide remote access to all controller and user functions. The GMI Host infrastructure allows five access group levels. The Engineer Module includes process status and event log, viewer recipe manager, recipe editor, trace data viewer utilities, and maintenance manager. A Statistical Process Control Module can also be provided. The SLC99 furnace controller consists of a chassis (the heart of the controller), temperature electronics module, input/output boards, a boat-loader interface, and operator terminal. There are several options to address different process needs. For example, different Gas Electronics Boards are available for either CVD or Atmospheric applications. These boards provide gas and pressure safety interlocks and gives the controller the capability to perform leak checking, low gas flow detection, hydrogen/oxygen ratios, etc. An LED board is another option. The SLC99 offers great functionality. It can handle recipes of up to 99 steps. Each recipe step controls 3-zone or 5-zone temperature settings with either spike or profile thermocouple control, eight analog (MFC) loops, and can redirect based on numerous step-exit conditions. The controller can also drive digital output signals for various indicators such as lights and horns as well as valves. "Having both the software and the controllers allow us to provide our customers with all the parts necessary to monitor, control, and maintain a diffusion furnace," commented Jon Goldman Associates Vice President and COO Kerry Eszlinger. "We can handle any type of furnace and provide replacement parts, upgrades, or an entirely new system." Jon Goldman Associates, based in Orange, CA, is in its twelfth year of providing data mining software solutions to the semiconductor industry. JGA's data analysis tools are widely used in the industry by both end users and equipment manufacturers to reduce downtime and wafer scrap by implementing and improving SPC control. JGA's recently acquired Integrated Control Concepts, Inc. (ICCI) Division, based in Hollis, NH, manufactures diffusion and LPCVD process controllers and software used throughout the semiconductor industry. Visit the JGA website at www.JGA-inc.com. Jon Goldman Associates Kerry Eszlinger 2237 N. Batavia Street Orange, CA 92865 Phone: (714) 283-5889 Fax: (714) 283-2884 Kerry@JGA-Inc.com A·R Marketing, Inc. Andrea Roberts PO Box 501528 San Diego, CA 92150 Phone: (858) 451-8666 Fax: (858) 451-8777 aroberts@san.rr.com Jon Goldman Associates, based in Orange, CA, has been providing data mining software solutions to the semiconductor industry for over ten years. Founder and President Dr. Jon Goldman has been serving the semiconductor industry for more than 25 years. He is the holder of several patents, including LPCVD deposition of Silicon Nitride, LTO, and BPSG. JGA's data analysis tools are widely used in the industry by both end users and equipment manufacturers to reduce down time and wafer scrap by implementing and improving SPC control.