Next-Generation Chip Fabs

Posted by michael on Tuesday August 20, 2002 @05:46AM from the dips-not-included dept.

PaulBu writes "As reported in EE Times, a new IBM $2.5B fab will be the first one to 'produce chips using all three of the sophisticated technologies on the industry's bleeding edge: low-k dielectrics, copper interconnect and silicon-on-insulator based transistors' on 300mm wafers. And it runs entirely on Linux! Quote from the article: 'The state of automation in Building 323 is such that 20,000 sensors are used to track wafer lots in front-opening unified pods that are transported from one tool to the next on rails using linear induction motors. The setup resembles an intricate monorail system tuned to millimeter-precision specs. A central control system monitors all stations and tracks wafer lots via 802.11 wireless communications.'"

4 of 256 comments (clear)

Watch out for Starbucks by havaloc · 2002-08-20 05:49 · Score: 5, Funny

For they will wreck havoc with your 802.11 control infrastructure.
Little short on the creativity by Ralph+Wiggam · 2002-08-20 06:00 · Score: 5, Funny

They spent 2.5 BILLION bucks on this fab and the only thing they could think of naming it was "Building 323". That's so weak. How about SupaFab? Fab:TNG? Absolutely Fab-ulous? MegaFab2k2? It's not like this is a super secret government base like Area 51. Come on IBM, have some flair.

-B
IBM != Flair by doublem · 2002-08-20 06:08 · Score: 5, Funny

"IBM" and "Flair" are two words that just don't go together.

Oops. I was wrong Google says there are 12,100 hits.

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"Live Free or Die." Don't like it? Then keep out of the USA
Re:Their reasoning for choosing Linux by SirSlud · 2002-08-20 06:09 · Score: 5, Funny

Yeah, who on earth would make a decision based on whats better? Whats the engineering world coming to?

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"Old man yells at systemd"