SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Applied Materials unveiled its latest semiconductor manufacturing equipment update, Vistara, aimed at improving chip production efficiency and energy consumption. The new system, introduced at a chipmaking conference in San Francisco, comes amidst significant investments in chip factories by the United States and the European Union.
The Vistara system marks Applied Materials’ first major update to its core chipmaking platform since 2010. As chip production has grown more complex, the system allows factories to seamlessly integrate various types of vacuum chambers, eliminating any bottlenecks and accelerating the manufacturing process.
Adopting an AI-powered approach, the Vistara system incorporates thousands of sensors that collect real-time data to optimize manufacturing processes and reduce electricity usage. Applied Materials estimates that the new system can lower energy consumption by approximately 10%.
Mike Rice, Vice President of the Semiconductor Products Group at Applied Materials, revealed that the Vistara system has already been shipped to multiple memory chip manufacturers. Additionally, computing chip manufacturers have expressed interest in the system, which is essential for the functionality of electronic devices. However, the company has chosen not to disclose the names of its customers.
“The objective is to enhance productivity, minimize space requirements, and achieve energy savings for these applications,” Rice commented regarding memory chips. He further added, “The market is poised for continuous growth… albeit starting mostly with leading memory manufacturers.”
(Reporting by Stephen Nellis in San Francisco; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
Credit: The Star : Tech Feed
