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FormFactor Reduces Flash Memory Test Costs With New Harmony OneTouch(TM) ATC Full-Wafer Contact Probe Card Solution
Enhanced Platform Increases Test Cell Efficiency for Advanced 300-mm Flash Wafers
| Source: FormFactor
LIVERMORE, CA--(Marketwire - February 9, 2009) - FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ : FORM ) today
introduced the newest addition to its suite of advanced full-wafer contact
probe cards for NAND and NOR Flash memory 300-mm wafer testing -- the
Harmony OneTouch™ ATC probe solution. Leveraging many of the
architectural enhancements recently introduced on the Harmony eXP™
platform for DRAM wafer testing, the Harmony OneTouch ATC card enables
Flash device manufacturers to lower their test costs on their leading-edge
Flash products through increased wafer test productivity and improved test
yields.
The Harmony OneTouch ATC card supports the company's RapidSoak™
technology, which leverages advanced temperature control to reduce the time
required for the probe card to achieve thermal equilibrium by as much as 50
percent -- resulting in increased test cell productivity and uptime. In
addition, RapidSoak technology improves the scrub consistency of the
Harmony OneTouch ATC probe card by compensating for temperature variation
related to wafer chuck movements.
The Harmony OneTouch ATC platform with RapidSoak has been qualified at
Hynix Semiconductor Inc. to test sub 50nm Flash devices. The platform is
designed to accommodate the testing of Flash devices of various densities,
ranging from 128MB NOR devices up to and including 64GB NAND devices.
"To maintain our position as a world-class semiconductor manufacturer and
one of the world's leading NAND Flash producers requires both technology
leadership and cost-efficient manufacturing," stated Sr. Manager, BW Kang,
Hynix Semiconductor Inc. "Having access to the latest wafer probe card
technologies helps us to assure the quality of our most advanced NAND
devices and increase test productivity."
Harmony OneTouch ATC provides superior planarity over FormFactor's
previous-generation Harmony OneTouch platform, by as much as 25 percent in
some customer-specific configurations. X/Y placement accuracy has also
improved significantly, offering high accuracy at both hot and cold test
insertions using the same probe card.
"Flash memory suppliers are under extreme pressure as the industry works
through today's difficult economic challenges," stated Adrian Wilson,
general manager of FormFactor's Flash product business unit. "FormFactor
is committed to helping customers reduce their cost of test -- not just in
the short term, but on a sustainable basis. Our investment in innovation
and R&D enables us to deliver mission critical products, like the Harmony
OneTouch ATC, which are designed to significantly reduce overall test time,
thereby improving test floor efficiency and lowering overall test costs."
Harmony OneTouch ATC probe cards are now available for ordering and
shipping.
Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical in nature
are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities
laws, including results the company's customers' might realize when using
the company's products, demand for the company's products and future
growth. These forward-looking statements are based on current information
and expectations that are inherently subject to change and involve a number
of risks and uncertainties. Actual events or results might differ
materially from those in any forward-looking statement due to various
factors, including, but not limited to: the company's ability to lower
customers' test costs and improve their test yields on leading-edge Flash
memory devices, to support customers' cost and test technology roadmaps as
they transition to sub 50nm Flash device geometries; to increase customers'
wafer test productivity and improve their test yields, to deliver products
that increase customers' test cell productivity and uptime, to continuously
provide tighter planarity products, to improve X/Y placement accuracy at
both hot and cold test temperature environments, and the company's ability
to support its RapidSoak technology within the Harmony OneTouch ATC
platform and maintain thermal stability and improve scrub consistency, and
reduce the time required for the probe card to achieve thermal equilibrium.
Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual events or
results to differ materially from those in any forward-looking statement is
contained in the company's Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29,
2007 and the company's Form 10-Q reports for its fiscal quarters within
2008, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and
subsequent SEC filings. Copies of the company's SEC filings are available
at http://investors.formfactor.com/edgar.cfm. The company assumes no
obligation to update the information in this press release, to revise any
forward-looking statements or to update the reasons actual results could
differ materially from those anticipated in forward-looking statements.
About FormFactor
Founded in 1993, FormFactor, Inc. (NASDAQ : FORM ) is the leader in advanced
wafer probe cards, which are used by semiconductor manufacturers to
electrically test ICs. The company's wafer sort, burn-in and device
performance testing products move IC testing upstream from post-packaging
to the wafer level, enabling semiconductor manufacturers to lower their
overall production costs, improve yields, and bring next-generation devices
to market. FormFactor is headquartered in Livermore, California with
operations in Europe, Asia and North America. For more information, visit
the company's web site at www.formfactor.com.
FormFactor, Harmony, Harmony OneTouch, Harmony OneTouch ATC, Harmony eXP
and RapidSoak are trademarks or registered trademarks of FormFactor, Inc.