WESTWIND TO SHOWCASE SPINDLES AT SEMICON WEST 2004

Located in Booth #6815 in the North Hall, Westwind will be showcasing a range of air bearing spindles for semiconductor processing including spindles for wafer spinning, back grinding, edge grinding and dicing. One of Westwind�s latest developments for improved productivity is a dual shaft design, which performs both rough grind and finish grind operations with a single spindle.

Westwind supplies state-of-the-art wheelhead and workhead air bearing spindles, with speeds up to 15,000 rpm, to many major equipment OEMs for wafer grinding applications up to 300mm diameter. The smoothness of rotation, minimal vibration and high bearing stiffness make air bearing spindles ideal for wafer back grinding.

Used for dicing silicon, ferrite and other hard materials, Westwind wafer dicing spindles are capable of carrying single or multiple blades with diameters from 50 to 100mm. Recent developments for 300mm wafer processing include longer bodies for greater reach, larger brushless DC motors for greater power up to 2.2kW and rotational speeds up to 60,000 rpm. Advantages of using air bearings include increased productivity, greater efficiency, higher quality and reduced costs.

Darren Robinson, General Manager Westwind Air Bearings Inc, said: �Westwind specialises in providing customised solutions to customer specific requirements. We are delighted to participate in Semicon West and look forward to the opportunity of meeting people interested in discovering how air bearings can benefit their semiconductor application.�

To arrange an appointment at the show or receive further information, please email darrenr@westwind-airbearings.com or telephone +1 781 229 6911.

For further information, please contact:

Darren Robinson, General Manager, Westwind Air Bearings Inc, 1 North Avenue, Burlington, MA 01803. Tel: +1 781 229 6911, Fax: +1 781 229 9822. Email: darrenr@westwind-airbearings.com. http://www.westwind-airbearings.com.