FabTime Newsletter Community Announcements Page
The FabTime newsletter shares announcements of interest to the wafer fab operations community.
The announcements below are from the FabTime Cycle Time Newsletter, Volume 27, No. 1, published on March 17, 2026. We share a recap from the recent FOA Summit, held in Austin, TX, a User Group Meeting announcement, and a new INFICON article about using machine learning and advanced statistics for process time prediction.
Past issues of the newsletter are available for subscribers to download in PDF format. Existing subscribers can find the archive link in your most recent email newsletter. New subscribers will see the link upon registering.
- Register for the newsletter here
- Main article for Volume 27, No. 1: Fab Trade-Offs: Better Cycle Time for the Status Quo
- Subscriber discussion forum for Volume 27, No. 1
- Reach out to newsletter editor Jennifer Robinson here
INFICON team attends the FOA summit in Austin, TX, sponsors social event
Chris Bode, Emilio Martinez, Jennifer Robinson, Mario Faria, John Behnke, and Dave Wizelman (as shown left to right in the photo below) represented INFICON at the recent Fab Owners Alliance (FOA) Summit in Austin, TX.
Jennifer, who is on the Women of the FOA (WFOA) advisory council, as well as the overall FOA Supplier Partner Advisory Council, especially enjoyed the WFOA event, which included icebreakers, dinner, a panel-led group discussion, and a painting activity. The photo below shows the WFOA meeting attendees – a much larger group of women than could be found at any FOA event prior to three years ago.
At the main meeting, John Behnke presented a case study with a customer about INFICON’s new Impact Manager product. INFICON also sponsored the post-meeting Poker Tournament event, where much fun was had by all. The next FOA meeting will be held in July at the Northrop Grumman facility in Maryland. Our team hopes to see you there!
INFICON User Group Meeting to be held in Southeast Asia in late 2026
INFICON is currently assessing options for an in-person User Group Meeting in late 2026. Our current plan is to host the event in Southeast Asia in September. All FPS, FabTime, and FabGuard customers are welcome to attend. Please contact Mike Neel, Director of Marketing, for more information.
AI team uses machine learning and advanced statistical models for process time prediction and smarter scheduling
Readers may enjoy a recently published article by Igor Kuvychko and Michael Neel from INFICON in the November/December 2025 issue of Semiconductor Digest: The Critical Role of Process Time Prediction in Semiconductor Manufacturing. The article discusses why process time prediction is important for optimal scheduling decisions and how machine learning and advanced statistical models can help drive smarter scheduling. The article includes lessons learned from INFICON’s work in this area, as well as predictions about the road ahead for advanced prediction models.
For more reading from the FabTime newsletter, see:
- Main article for Volume 27, No. 1: Fab Trade-Offs: Better Cycle Time for the Status Quo
- Subscriber discussion forum for Volume 27, No. 1
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