Fab Automation Gets Boost From Interface A

Steve Schwartz, CEO, Asyst Technologies Inc.

The second trend is in fab automation, where we see process complexity and productivity needs driving dramatic changes in material handling requirements. Process complexity is driving up the number of process steps and thus the number of FOUP and wafer moves required to fabricate advanced devices. At the same time, customers want to limit the floor space allocated to stockers and sorters and contain cycle times. The industry is beginning to reach the theoretical limits of what can be accomplished through simply increasing the speed of current material handling systems. To meet future requirements, the industry will soon need to embrace innovative new technologies and approaches for material stocking, material transport, and tool loading. We believe that customers will have the opportunity to see some of these new technologies at SEMICON West this year.

The final trend relates to tool automation, specifically atmospheric wafer handling through the equipment front-end module (EFEM). An increasing number of equipment suppliers are beginning to recognize the EFEM as a value-added aspect of their tools, because the EFEM offers an opportunity to improve total tool performance, reliability and cost of ownership. Some of this relates to the ability of the EFEM to efficiently integrate with the tool. But as fabs are becoming increasingly automated, EFEMs also need to be capable of integrating seamlessly into the fab automation environment. At the show, we expect to see an increasing number of equipment suppliers and chipmakers exploring options to optimize and exploit the performance capabilities of new EFEM designs.

Bill Ramus, Senior Vice President, Commercial Management, ILS Technology

In the past, for example, before design for manufacturing (DFM) trends reshaped operations, manufacturing processes occurred in a sequential fashion — for example, a design house would hand off a chip design to the mask shop, the mask shop would deliver the mask set to the fab, and the fab would run the process. When problems erupted, they were dumped back on the design house, fixed, and the process would begin again. With real-time, secure collaborations, however, all parties can access IP that has been approved as being allowed to be shared simultaneously, allowing for quicker resolution of process problems and, ultimately, improvements in the time it takes to get a device into volume, high-yield production.

With the advent of this new capability, we expect to see more companies begin to solidify new policies around remote collaborations, be it in the context of technology development, DFM or management of one's supply chain. After all, while enabling online collaboration is key, each party in the process must be able to fence off portions of its IP in a dynamic fashion with flexibility to set business policy rules in regards to who can see what, when and where, depending on conditions in the environment, inside the fab or inside a manufacturing relationship.

Bob Reback, President & CEO, Cimetrex Inc.

A lot has happened in the last 12 months. As fab production engineers learn about the flexibility, quality and capabilities of Interface A, it appears there will soon be a time when they don't know how they ever survived without it. There are still challenges to overcome as IC makers prepare for fabwide EES implementations using the new standards.