ROSENHEIM, Germany / KUALA LUMPUR, 5 May 2026 — esmo group (esmo), a leading global full-service systems integrator, developer, and supplier of advanced automation solutions for the semiconductor test industry, today announces the debut of its X-change Cart. A dedicated, semi-automated Device Interface Board (DIB) exchange system that enables a complete load board changeover by a single operator in under one minute, the X-change Cart addresses the safety, efficiency, and reliability challenges associated with manual board handling on the semiconductor test floor.

In high-mix semiconductor test environments, load board changeovers are a frequent and operationally significant activity. The reliance on manual handling has long presented challenges around changeover time, operator safety, and the risk of damage to high-value boards.

“Across test floors, we kept seeing the same pattern,” said Josef Weinberger, Head of Business Unit, esmo semicon. “Board changeovers were slow, physically demanding, and too dependent on individual technique. In tight spaces, that's where mistakes happen and time is lost. That observation drove us to build a dedicated solution that makes changeovers fast, repeatable, and manageable by a single operator in under a minute.”

Engineered for the Modern Test Floor

The X-change Cart removes the physical demands and variability of manual board handling from the equation entirely. Through a structured, HMI-controlled process, a single operator can lock, rotate, and transfer a board to the tester within a minute. The ability to carry two boards in a single trip makes that timescale achievable in practice. Thoughtful design details, including a ±180° rotation at the locking mechanism and a ±90° tower swivel, address the real-world constraints of a busy test floor.

Broad compatibility with leading ATE platforms (e.g. Teradyne, Advantest, SPEA and more) facilitates integration into existing multi-vendor environments without reconfiguration, allowing OSATs and IDMs to realise multiple benefits without disruption to their current setup.

For facilities with longer-term automation objectives, an optional configuration allows the interface tower to be mounted onto a customized AGV or AMR, providing a practical upgrade path toward autonomous test floor operations. The modular design further allows additional features to be incorporated as operational requirements evolve.

Weinberger added, “Reliability in production comes down to the details. The gripper head is engineered to perform consistently under real production conditions, with ESD-safe construction ensuring the board is protected at every point of contact. That level of engineering discipline is what makes the difference on a real production floor.”

X-change Cart Key Features

• Modular DIB exchange system for reliable, error-free board loading and unloading
• One-person operation — complete board change in under one minute
• Transports two load boards simultaneously for rapid exchange
• Full multi-axis rotation: ±180° at locking mechanism | ±180° Y-axis | ±90° Z-axis
• Compatible with leading ATE platforms — Teradyne, Advantest, SPEA and more
• Interfaces with test head, prober, DIB-loader, storage rack, and maintenance workbench
• Tower swivels ±90° for use in narrow corridors and constrained test floor layouts
• Integrated Human-Machine Interface (HMI), sensor detection, safety hand-brake, and modular battery
• Optional: fully automated configuration mountable on AGV or AMR

The X-change Cart will be available for live demonstration at the esmo booth throughout SEMICON Southeast Asia 2026. Visit esmo at Booth 2145, Hall 8, Level 2, MITEC Kuala Lumpur from 5–7 May 2026, or contact [email protected] to arrange a meeting or request further information.

• Read more about esmo group Launches X-change Cart for Single-Operator Load Board Handling

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 29 April 2026 – DAS Environmental Experts presents its latest sustainable technologies at SEMICON SEA 2026 (May 5–7, MITEC, Booth 1174). The focus is on closing resource loops in semiconductor manufacturing through integrated waste gas and water treatment.

Integrated environmental technologies for next-generation fabs

Date: April 21, 2026
Location: Hsinchu, Taiwan

yieldWerx is expanding its presence in Taiwan through a collaboration with Enlight Technology Co., Ltd., bringing advanced test data aggregation and analysis capabilities to one of the world’s most concentrated semiconductor markets.

The collaboration combines Enlight Technology’s established role across Taiwan’s semiconductor design, manufacturing, and research landscape with yieldWerx’s expertise in data aggregation and statistical analysis. Together, the companies aim to address the increasing demand for data-driven yield optimization as device complexity grows across advanced packaging, silicon photonics, and heterogeneous integration.

Enlight Technology is the authorized representative of Siemens EDA in Taiwan and provides a portfolio of electronic design automation (EDA), manufacturing execution systems (MES), and engineering solutions spanning IC, silicon photonics, MEMS, PCB, and system-level applications. The company supports semiconductor and electronics customers, including fabless design houses, foundries, OSATs, and system companies, with engagement across more than 100 semiconductor organizations and 300 system companies in the region.

As part of the partnership, the companies will work together to:

Provide localized technical engagement and support aligned with Taiwan’s semiconductor workflows and language requirements.

Support improved yield learning cycles and more efficient production ramp across the region.

Extend yield analytics capabilities into an ecosystem spanning design, verification, and manufacturing execution.

“We are excited to partner with Enlight Technology as we expand into Taiwan and the broader Asian market. Their deep domain expertise and strong ecosystem presence significantly enhance our ability to deliver scalable, data-driven yield solutions to customers operating at the forefront of semiconductor innovation.” — Aftkhar Aslam, CEO, yieldWerx

“As advanced packaging and silicon photonics drive exponential test data growth, our partnership with yieldWerx equips Taiwan's ecosystem with powerful statistical analysis. We empower customers to turn complex data into actionable insights, accelerating yield learning and time-to-market” — Su Cheng Yu, General Manager, Enlight Technology

About yieldWerx
yieldWerx is a leading data and yield analytics platform for semiconductor manufacturing, advanced packaging, and photonics I/O. The platform provides end-to-end visibility across wafer probe, optical and electrical wafer acceptance, module assembly, and system-level test. By analyzing this data, yieldWerx helps organizations understand yield performance, variability, and production trends, enabling optimized quality and faster time-to-market.

About Enlight Technology Co., Ltd.
Enlight Technology Co., Ltd. is a Taiwan-based provider of electronic design automation and engineering solutions and serves as the authorized representative of Siemens EDA in Taiwan. The company delivers solutions spanning IC, silicon photonics, MEMS, PCB, DFM, and manufacturing execution systems, supporting customers from IC-level design to system-level integration. With over three decades of experience, Enlight Technology provides customized solutions and technical services to the electronics industry.

For further information, please visit https://www.yieldWerx.com or https://www.enlight-tec.com/.

• Read more about yieldWerx and Enlight Technology Extend Design-to-Test Data Continuity Across Taiwan’s Semiconductor Ecosystem

High-performance connectivity software delivers structured, high-volume equipment data required by tier-one fabs and advanced packaging facilities ahead of the expected mid-2026 SEMI standards update

POITIERS, March 25, 2026 – Agileo Automation, a leading provider of control and connectivity solutions for global semiconductor manufacturing, today unveils Agil'EDA, a new software solution implementing Equipment Data Acquisition (EDA), a set of SEMI standards also known as Interface A, to enable semiconductor equipment manufacturers to meet the evolving high-performance connectivity requirements of tier-one fabs and advanced packaging facilities.

As semiconductor manufacturing moves towards higher levels of automation and data-driven optimization, fab owners increasingly require EDA alongside traditional SECS/GEM connectivity from semiconductor OEMs for their production tools. Agil'EDA addresses this by separating the control flow from the data flow, ensuring that structured, high-frequency data collection does not interfere with critical equipment operations.
Designed for long-term deployment, Agil'EDA fully supports the widely used EDA Freeze 2 (SOAP/XML) and is architected for the transition to Freeze 3 (gRPC/protocol buffers). This next-generation standard offers significantly higher data throughput and reduced latency. Agileo has already successfully tested and validated its EDA Freeze 3 implementation at SEMI’s North America Standards Fall Meetings in November 2024 in Milpitas, California. SEMI’s EDA Freeze 3 standards suite is expected to be released mid-2026.

Complementing the SECS/GEM standards used to control equipment behavior, Agil’EDA incorporates robust cybersecurity features such as authentication and encrypted communications. The product is available as a stand-alone solution for any existing equipment software using a platform-independent gRPC application programming interface (API) to communicate with it or as a pre-integrated component within Agileo’s A²ECF-SEMI framework. When used with Agil'GEM and Agil'GEM300, it provides a comprehensive connectivity solution that significantly reduces time to market for OEMs.

"With the growing demand for data to improve yield in tier-one fabs, as well as in Advanced Packaging and 3D integration, EDA is no longer optional. It is becoming a mandatory requirement for equipment entering the world's most advanced fabs," explains Marc Engel, chief executive officer of Agileo Automation. "The key value we deliver for OEMs is a fast and easy adoption path for a seamless EDA architecture that delivers compliant production machines to global fab customers. By providing a future-proof architecture ready for Freeze 3, which will significantly increase performance, we address OEMs’ current needs while preparing them for the evolving requirements of semiconductor manufacturing, including AI-driven process control."

- ends -

About Agileo Automation
Agileo Automation is a trusted partner for equipment manufacturers, helping them build smarter, automated, and more connected machines that integrate seamlessly into advanced semiconductor fabs. Founded in 2010 in Poitiers, France, Agileo helps OEMs with control, communication, data acquisition, and testing across their tools through proven software and expert support. Its flagship A²ECF-SEMI framework provides a solid foundation for developing equipment controllers fully aligned with SEMI SECS/GEM, GEM300, and EDA standards. As an active member of SEMI and the OPC Foundation, Agileo Automation contributes directly to shaping the standards that drive manufacturing. For more information, please visit our website or follow us on LinkedIn.

• Read more about Agileo Automation Launches Agil'EDA to Accelerate SEMI EDA Adoption for Semiconductor Equipment OEMs

Dresden, Germany, March 24, 2026 – As semiconductor manufacturing continues to expand in China, reliable and efficient environmental technologies are becoming increasingly important for stable and sustainable fab operation. DAS Environmental Experts presents its SALIX wet scrubber product family, a series of high-efficiency point-of-use systems designed for the treatment of waste gases from wet chemical processes in semiconductor manufacturing.

SALIX systems are engineered to ensure high removal efficiency and stable operation in demanding semiconductor production environments. SALIX reliably removes substances such as IPA, ammonia and hydrofluoric acid (HF) from waste gas streams of modern single wafer clean systems – a key contribution to safe and sustainable semiconductor manufacturing. In addition, the technology removes particles, salts and droplets from the processed gas stream. The robust system design supports high uptime and long maintenance intervals, contributing to reliable fab operation.

A key advantage of the SALIX product family is its flexible portfolio. SALIX products are among the smallest and most compact systems on the market and are suitable for both new fabs and retrofit applications in existing fabs. DAS Environmental Experts offers the technology in four different products, providing semiconductor manufacturers with a wide range of configuration options:

• NEW: SALIX – the latest release with improved performance and optimized system operation
• SALIX MINI – a compact two-stage system for space-constrained installations
• NEW: SALIX MICRO [SR1.1]– a highly compact configuration with pre-scrubber section for flexible integration

This structured product portfolio enables customers to select the most suitable system according to process requirements, fab layout and integration needs. The availability of multiple system variants within one technology platform provides semiconductor manufacturers with excellent flexibility in system selection and plant design.

SALIX systems are designed for compatibility with all common process tools and can be adapted to a wide range of wet chemical applications. Their compact design and flexible configuration support efficient integration into modern fabs, helping manufacturers optimize both environmental performance and operational efficiency.

The SALIX product family will be presented during SEMICON China 2026 (March 25–27, Shanghai New International Expo Centre). Interested visitors can learn more about the technology and its applications at the DAS Environmental Experts booth (Booth N2 | 2619).

With more than three decades of experience in environmental technology for the semiconductor industry, DAS Environmental Experts continues to support chip manufacturers worldwide with solutions that combine high process reliability, efficient emission treatment and long-term operational stability.

About the Company
DAS Environmental Experts Group (DAS Group), headquartered in Dresden, Germany, was founded in 1991 and is now a global organization with subsidiaries on three continents and more than 950 employees worldwide. Over the past three decades, DAS Group has become one of the leading technology and equipment providers for waste gas abatement solutions with a focus on semiconductor industry.
In addition, DAS Group develops advanced process and system solutions for industrial water treatment, with extensive expertise in the recycling and reuse of wastewater from the semiconductor industry.
DAS solutions are engineered to meet the stringent purity requirements of semiconductor manufacturing, helping clients comply with global environmental standards.

• Read more about DAS Environmental Experts Introduces Flexible SALIX Wet Scrubber Portfolio for Semiconductor Manufacturing in China

Location: Richardson, Texas

Modus Test, a leader in advanced test socket testing solutions and performance validation, and yieldWerx, a semiconductor data and yield analytics platform, today announced a strategic partnership to help close the gap between test hardware and yield intelligence. The collaboration combines Modus Test’s high-performance socket test technology with yieldWerx’s enterprise-scale yield management platform to provide manufacturers with direct visibility into the relationship between socket health and device performance.

The partnership addresses a long-standing disconnect between test execution and data analytics in high- volume manufacturing. Degraded, misaligned, or worn sockets can introduce false failures or escapes without clear root-cause identification. By integrating hardware performance data with yield analytics, manufacturers can better distinguish contact-related artifacts from true silicon failures.
Through this partnership, customers can now:
• Monitor and trend socket performance across testers, sites, and handlers
• Correlate device failures to specific sockets, test cells, or contact events
• Identify unnecessary device rejects caused by socket degradation
• Detect potential escapes where devices pass due to intermittent contact issues
• Optimize preventive maintenance cycles using data-driven insights

By integrating Modus Test equipment data with yieldWerx’s wafer-, lot-, and device-level analytics, manufacturers gain the ability to separate true device behavior from test interface variability, improving confidence in test outcomes and accelerating root-cause resolution.

About yieldWerx
yieldWerx provides a semiconductor yield management platform that enables manufacturers to collect, analyze, and act on production data across the manufacturing lifecycle. The platform consolidates data from wafer fabrication through final test, delivering visibility into product quality, process performance, and yield improvement opportunities.

About ModusTest
Modus Test, LLC was founded on the idea that there are creative ways to improve results by combining innovation with the best-known methods in test design and manufacturing. Providing innovative test solutions includes the MPT series of parametric tests, systems, and accessories. Modus Test has a global presence and the capability to support customers in all the IC development centers and high-volume manufacturing sites around the world. See for yourself how combining innovation with best-known methods can improve your results.

Statements from Leadership
“yieldWerx was built to unify disparate manufacturing data into actionable yield intelligence,” said Aftkhar Aslam, CEO of yieldWerx. “Valuable data exists across testers, handlers, sockets, MES systems, and inspection tools, but it often remains siloed. Our platform connects these domains into a unified analytical framework that enables faster, data-driven decisions that reduce costs.”

“This partnership represents an important step forward in bringing greater transparency and intelligence to semiconductor test,” said Jesse Ko, COO of Modus Test. “Modus Test’s high-performance socket validation solutions, combined with yieldWerx’s powerful analytics platform, create a closed-loop ecosystem where hardware performance and yield outcomes are fully correlated. Together, we are enabling a smarter, more adaptive test environment.”

For further information, please visit https://www.yieldWerx.com or https://www.ModusTest.org.

• Read more about Modus Test Partners with yieldWerx to Deliver Closed-Loop Socket to Silicon Correlation

• Read more about Ayar Labs and yieldWerx Partner to Streamline Photonics Test Data Analytics, Delivering Measurable Results in Just 30 Days