The Forgotten Story of How IBM Invented the Automated Fab
Summary
IEEE Spectrum's The Forgotten Story of How IBM Invented the Automated Fab revisits IBM's Project SWIFT, an early automated wafer-fabrication line conceived in the 1960s to drastically reduce production times for RAM-II memory chips. The piece details the five-sector layout, monorail taxi, advanced control systems, and the organizational dynamics that enabled rapid automation, highlighting lasting innovations that influenced modern semiconductor manufacturing.