Integrated test facility (ITF)-automation testing to support Intel's manufacturing output

To meet the challenges of increasing automation and the potential for downtime, the current Virtual Factory Joint Automation Managers (JAM) worked with Components Automation Systems (CAS), the central engineering group responsible for the automation system, to create an Integrated Test Facility (ITF). ITF's mission is to conduct volume integrated testing of the automation suite prior to production release and to ensure that the automation suite does not hinge factory ramp. The ITF is a complete factory automation system running simulated production wafers. Established in January 1996, the ITF tests new automation product changes integrated into a complete factory manufacturing automation system and certifies that they can run in high volume. Integrated with CAS automation processes, the ITF is a key part of a process that delivers quality software.