Edwards Vacuum joins ISMI's ESH Technology Center

AUSTIN, USA: The International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI), the global consortium of the world’s major semiconductor manufacturers, announced that Edwards Ltd, a leading global supplier of vacuum and abatement equipment and services, has joined ISMI’s Environment, Safety and Health (ESH) Technology Center.

Within the Center, Edwards will collaborate with hundreds of ESH experts and consultants from around the world to develop data-driven solutions in areas such as energy and resource conservation, chemical management, and industry response to climate change.

“We’re pleased to welcome one of the leading manufacturers of vacuum equipment to ISMI’s ESH Center,” said Ron Remke, ISMI’s ESH program manager and head of the Center. “At the Center we are working through all levels of the supply chain to address the industry’s need for sustainability, productivity, and cost-effectiveness.

“We look forward to working closely with Edwards in an effort to keep our industry’s manufacturing businesses productive, profitable, and sustainable, while significantly reducing the environmental footprint of manufacturing operations.”

Scott Balaguer, General Manager, America's Edwards stated: “We are very excited to become a member of ISMI, and to participate in the ESH program. We have always made it a priority to minimize the environmental impact of our products, which has become even more important with the recent increase in environmental regulations worldwide. For instance, our pumps incorporate the ability to operate in several process specific green modes, reducing power consumption between 20 and 99 percent.”

Balaguer adds, “The data we will derive from this partnership will help us develop new environmentally-friendly capabilities for our products.”

The SEMATECH and ISMI ESH program has been pursuing energy and resource conservation for over 15 years and has published several dozen reports and presentations which collectively document best practices for energy and resource conservation. For example, ISMI was successful in providing proven process data (etch rate, uniformity, particles) to enable member companies to implement vacuum pump idle mode savings in their own facilities with confidence.

In 2009, ISMI launched its ESH Technology Center to further address the energy and resource conservation needs of the semiconductor industry. The center is the industry’s first global collaborative research effort dedicated to finding and implementing green technologies that reduce energy consumption, lower costs, and promote greater productivity in manufacturing. Participating companies share ideas and resources, while directing, evaluating, and refreshing the program portfolio.