Our customers were demanding more high-speed, dependable information from tool suppliers in order to improve yield, productivity, and reliability. The current solutions available did not provide the level of frequency and quality data collection that we were looking for, and developing a solution in house was not cost-effective or efficient. Partnering with a software company like Cimetrix allowed us to share the cost burden for this major initiative and benefit long term from a tool control software platform which would be a supported product. This helps lower the total cost of ownership for Axcelis. Cimetrix’s experience with the Interface A standard and advanced data collection and their reputation for standing behind their commitments, made them the ideal partner for developing this solution. The Cimetrix Global Services team served as an extension of our engineering team – they were dedicated to the success of the project and followed a defined project methodology to meet milestones and commitments.