The Power of E-Manufacturing
Peter Singer, Editor-in-Chief -- Semiconductor International, 7/1/2001
 |
The obvious question: Why not take these powerful and relatively inexpensive tools developed for the Internet, adapt them to semiconductor manufacturing operations to better handle the data generated, and use that data to drive improvements in efficiency and supply chain management? The answer is that it makes wonderful sense, and many key groups within the industry have been working on exactly that, gearing up to implement what has become known as "e-manufacturing."
To better understand the benefits of e-manufacturing and what is required to fully implement it, we've assembled a series of seven articles, each from a unique perspective.
First, Intel's David Bloss and Devadas Pillai address e-manufacturing opportunities in semiconductor manufacturing. They explain that, from a high level, e-manufacturing can be characterized as providing the right data to the right people at the right time, coupled with decision support systems that act upon this information with or without people intervention. The overall goal of this effort is to synchronize the planning, procurement, ramping and operations of a factory and its support functions at significantly faster (i.e., Internet) speeds and with greatly reduced costs.
Next, Bill Shade of Advanced Energy explains how process equipment productivity can be increased through e-manufacturing, thanks to the introduction of Web servers on the factory floor, combined with the convergence of industry standards and guidelines, and new strategies for yield and productivity management.
This leads to an e-manufacturing "domino effect," as described by Howard Ignatius of Electroglas and Tom Simas of Statware. They show how Web technology allows efficient distribution of existing data to where it is needed, making easy access and analysis of information possible. This creates a domino effect that can dramatically impact productivity and efficiency.
Of course, this all requires implementation using existing tools and IT infrastructure and, in the case of 300 mm tools, meshing with automation standards that have already been developed. Addressing these issues is Jack Ghiselli of GW Associates/Asyst Technologies, who writes on "Working Together: E-Diagnostics, SECS/GEM, EFEMs"; and Corina Mullen of Cimetrix, who answers the question, "Can SECS/GEM handle needs of 300 mm fabs and the market demand for e-manufacturing?"
To fully reap the benefits of e-manufacturing, some believe that tool manufacturers and software developers must embrace a standard form of distributed object computing. This topic is addressed in a Web Exclusive by Feisal Nanji of Berkeley Process Control.
We wind up our series with another Web Exclusive, a case study from Rajeev Raman of software supplier Questra, showing how the implementation of e-diagnostics - a key part of e-manufacturing - positively impacted the business of one equipment supplier, and also how it brought technology benefits to an IC manufacturer.
The implementation of e-manfacturing will truly bring a paradigm shift in semiconductor manufacturing, with wide-ranging benefits to data handling, efficiency and cost management. Challenges of implementation and security still need to be overcome, but the benefits clearly outweigh any risks.
