ClassOne Equipment to Unveil Polaris(TM) Controller at SEMICON West

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwired - Jul 9, 2013) - ClassOne Equipment announced today that it will be demonstrating its all-new PLC controller upgrade for its remanufactured Semitool® product line at SEMICON West. The new Polaris™ control system has been developed as a field-upgradeable replacement for the antiquated Semitool 302 control system. Polaris features intuitive state-of-the-art electronics with fully configurable software for real time control, data-logging, and communications, driven by an intuitive graphical user interface, designed and developed by former Semitool veterans at ClassOne Technology, a wholly owned subsidiary of ClassOne Equipment. 

The new Polaris PLC upgrade offers the following benefits and advantages:

• Significantly extends the life of existing 302-based systems (SST, SAT and Equinox), significantly reducing fab CAPEX.
• Brand new Quad-Core CPU with Windows®, replaces the old, obsolete 486-based processor and proprietary software.
• Flexible reconfiguration of the system, such as adding tanks and changing pumps.
• Dual hard drives and RAID configuration for hot-swapping and backup for increased uptime.
• Ethernet network connectivity allows remote data logging, real time chemical consumption monitoring, predictive maintenance functions, email notifications and reporting.
• Reversible cassette rotation for enhanced process capability.
• Integration of off the shelf electronics with fully configurable software.

"Semitool's Spray Solvent and Spray Acid tools have been the work-horses of the industry for decades with hundreds of units installed around the world. Because of this, refurbished tools continue to be highly sought after," said Byron Exarcos, President of ClassOne Equipment. "The Polaris control system brings all the advantages of a modern control system to a time-tested platform while maintaining and enhancing the key elements of performance and cost-effectiveness. Not only does this upgrade offer additional and useful features to the user, it eliminates the concerns over the age of a core component in tools based upon the aging Semitool 302 controllers. This competitively priced, critical update will breathe new life into an industry standard platform and extend its useful life for years."

The Polaris controller will be highlighted in ClassOne's booth (#441) at SEMICON West in San Francisco from July 9^th through 11^th where it will be installed in a Semitool Spray Solvent Tool. The Polaris will be offered as a stand-alone field upgrade and as an optional upgrade for tools remanufactured by ClassOne Equipment.

About ClassOne Equipment
ClassOne Equipment (http://ClassOneEquipment.com) is a recognized leader in the business of equipment refurbishment with over 2,500 tools installed world-wide in four key markets: Semitool Wet Chemical Processing, SPTS Plasma Etching & PECVD, Suss/EVG Mask Aligners, and KLA-Tencor Wafer Inspection. Known for superior quality 75 to 300mm equipment, customer-first service, and its 30-day unconditional return policy, the ClassOne team has been winning and serving customers in the traditional semiconductor and emerging technology sectors for over 10 years.