Esprit-Semiconductor Equipment Assessment (SEA): "bridging the process innovation-equipment productivity gap"

The Esprit Semiconductor Equipment Assessment initiative (SEA) started early in 1996 and has established strategic links between European equipment manufacturers and semiconductor manufacturers world-wide. Its objective is to ensure that state of the art equipment and innovative process techniques which have been developed meet all the production manufacturing requirements of the mainstream users and in doing so, bridge the process innovation-equipment productivity gap which can occur as technology rapidly evolves. Examples of successful results will be given from six main equipment themes.