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SEMI Interface A Standards Overview

This document is an introduction to the SEMI Interface A (EDA) standards. The following topics are covered:

• What are the SEMI Interface A Standards?
• Interface A/ EDA Terminology and Acronyms,
• Summary of each major EDA Interface A standard
• Frequently Asked Questions about the SEMI Interface A Standards
• Interface A Resources

Register for the upcoming Interface A Standards Webinar!

Download the complete Cimetrix White Paper on the SEMI Interface A Standards.

What are the SEMI Interface A Standards?

The SEMI Interface A, also known as Equipment Data Acquisition (EDA), standards are a collection of SEMI standards for the semiconductor industry to improve and facilitate communication between IC Maker’s data gathering software applications and the factory Equipment. When implemented together, these standards provide a convenient interface for Equipment Data Acquisition using SOAP/XML messages over an HTTP or HTTPS connection. The main Interface A SEMI standards include E120, E125, E132, and E134. Solutions must comply with the specific SOAP/XML implementations of these standards; E120.1, E125.1, E132.1, and E134.1.

Interface A provides multiple client access to data gathering capabilities. It does not purport to replace the SEMI GEM/SECS standards or the SEMI 300mm standards since Interface A does not provide any features for equipment control or configuration. Instead, Interface A/ EDA must be supported in addition to other required interfaces. Over time, EDA/ Interface A could replace the need for any other data providing interfaces so that IC Makers only require the Interface A and SECS/GEM/300mm connectivity standards. In practice, some initial Interface A deployments may provide little more data than the SECS/GEM interface, but eventually it is expected to provide more data—particularly state information, sensor feedback, actuator states, and other raw data necessary for process, product and equipment analysis. All data must be supplied to Interface A as directly from the source as possible with minimal software layers. In order to make all expected data available and achieve performance expectations, some equipment will require internal restructuring and architectural changes.

During 2005 and 2006, IC Makers started requiring integrated Interface A solutions from the Equipment Suppliers. The demand continues to increase as IC Makers roll out plans to improve yield and equipment utilization. Equipment Suppliers must begin development as soon as possible in order to meet these deadlines and provide a quality solution.

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Terminology and Acronyms

Term or Acronym	Description
3507	ID for E132 during the Task Force development stage.
3509	ID for E134 during the Task Force development stage.
Access Control List (ACL)	Part of E132, the Client Authorization details that grant or deny Client sessions and impose restrictions on Clients access to specific Interface A information and operations.
CEM	E120.1 XML Schema for the Common Equipment Model
Client Authentication	In order for an Interface A Client to gather data, E132 requires clients to first establish a session. The client must provide credentials to the Interface A Server. The Interface A Server must be preconfigured to grant the client permission (based on the credentials) to establish a session.
Client Authorization	Part of E132, before the Interface A Server accepts an operation request from the Client, the Server must verify that the Client has permission. These permissions are preconfigured in the Server using Access Control Lists.
Client Consumer	An Interface A Client that receives the Data Collection Reports and other E134 consumer operations.
Client Manager	An Interface A Client that establishes a session, identifies the Consumer to receive the data, sets up Data Collection Plans, and uses other E134, E132, and E125 manager operations.
Data Collection Plan (DCP)	Part of E134, a data gathering request that includes a set of Events (with a configurable set of Parameters), Exceptions (with a fixed set of Parameters), and Traces (with a configurable set of Parameters). After successfully creating a Data Collection Plan, it must be activated. Then the Client will receive the respective Data Collection Reports as configured in the plan.
Data Collection Report (DCR)	The Equipment sends the requested data in this standard format.
DCM	E134.1 Provisional Specification for SOAP Binding of Data Collection Management
ECA	E132.1 Provisional Specification for SOAP Binding for Equipment Client Authentication and Authorization
EDA	Equipment Data Acquisition. The combination of SEMI standards E120, E125, E128, E132, E134 and E138. This term is more common the term “Interface A”, but both refer to the same thing. Of course, the EDA acronym is also used in the semiconductor industry to stand for Electronic Design Automation, but this is unrelated to this document or the referenced SEMI EDA standards.
Equipment	Equipment refers to the hardware and software received from Equipment Supplier to perform work for the IC Maker. In some context of Interface A, Equipment refers to the Interface A Server that represents the hardware and software to the Clients.
ESDS	E125.1 Provisional Specification for SOAP Binding for Equipment Self Description
Exception	Part of E134, an Equipment alarm, error, or warning notification.
Event	Part of E134, a notification that something important occurred on the Equipment tied to a state machine. An Event request in a DCP can include any set of Parameters.
FF	Fire-and-Forget where a message sender does not expect a reply message.
Host	The software an IC Maker is running to communicate with the Equipment. A host typically refers to the SECS/GEM connection but could also refer to a client using Interface A.
HTTP	HyperText Transfer Protocol: the protocol for moving hypertext files across the Internet. Requires a HTTP client program on one end, and an HTTP server program on the other end. HTTP is the most important protocol used in the World Wide Web (WWW)
HTTPS	HyperText Transport Protocol (Secure): the standard encrypted communication mechanism on the World Wide Web. This is actually just the use of Netscape's Secure Socket Layer (SSL) as a layer under its regular HTTP application layering.
Interface A	The resulting Equipment interface when SEMI standards E120, E125, E132, and E134 are implemented together. Interface A is also known as EDA.
Interface A Client	Software that attempts to use the Equipment’s Interface A by establishing a session. Typically, this is developed by the IC Maker or a third party hired by the IC Maker. Equipment suppliers can also develop Interface A clients, such as for capturing diagnostic information. This is also called an EDA Client.
Interface A Server	The Equipment software that implements the Interface A standards. This software should be installed on the Equipment’s internal computer and fully integrated into the Equipment’s system. However, the software can be run on an external computer to retrofit Equipment that does not have an integrated solution. This is also called an EDA Server or EDA Web Server.
Interface B	A collection of conceptualized SEMI standards to implement data sharing between applications (primarily IC Maker applications), such as Statistical Process Control and Run-To-Run applications.
Interface C	A collection of conceptualized SEMI standards to allow remote access to Equipment data. This is intended primarily for Equipment Suppliers to remote obtain the Equipment's diagnostic and maintenance information.
Metadata	Information that describes the data, such as when an Event occurs or the interpretation of a Parameter's value.
Operation	An Interface A transaction, method, or message initiated by an Interface A client or server. Each operation has a name, well-defined format and meaning. E125, E132, and E134 each define a set of operations for the client and server.
Parameters	The set of data available for gathering from the Equipment's Interface A connection.
PR8	Proposed Standard for the Equipment Data Acquisition: a previous name for the E134 standard.
RR	Request-Response where a message sender expects a reply message.
Security Admin	A part of E132, Security Admin is a utility provided with the Interface A Server to provide administrative configuration.
Session	Also called an Authenticated Session, a session is established between the Server and Client by following the E132 procedures. Once a session is established, the Client can send authorized operation messages.
SOAP	Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP): In order to make the Interface A standards easier to implement, they use the SOAP protocol. It is a lightweight protocol for exchange of information in a decentralized, distributed environment. It is an XML based protocol that consists of three parts: an envelope that defines a framework for describing what is in a message and how to process it, a set of encoding rules for expressing instances of application-defined datatypes, and a convention for representing remote procedure calls and responses. SOAP can potentially be used in combination with a variety of other protocols; however, the only bindings defined in this document describe how to use SOAP in combination with HTTP and HTTP Extension Framework. See www.w3.org/TR/2000/NOTE-SOAP-20000508 information.
Tool	A synonym for Equipment. The term Equipment is used more frequently in the standards.
Trace	Data polling performed by the Equipment as defined by the Client. The Client defines the polling frequency, the set of polled Parameters, and the conditions to start and stop polling.
UML	Unified Modeling Language (UML): All of the Interface A standards use UML notation for all class diagrams and for object oriented diagrams provided as examples. UML is a notation for representing object-oriented designs and views created by Booch, Rumbaugh, and Jacobson in order to merge their three popular notations plus aspects of other existing notations into a single object-oriented notation intended to be usable by all. UML is an open modeling language to specify, visualize, design, and document models of software systems. See www.uml.org or www.omg.org/technology/documents/modeling_spec_catalog.htm for more information.
XML	Extensible Markup Language: A markup language used for representing data rich with context and content in documents and in communications. XML is an extension of SGML, a document-oriented markup language. It was created by W3C for use on the Internet. See www.w3.org/TR/REC-xml for more information.
XML Schema	An XML Schema defines the structure, content and semantics of XML documents.

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SEMI Interface A Standards

Interface A comprises of multiple SEMI standards including the following. All of these are available for download from the SEMI website.

• E120 Specification for the Common Equipment Model (CEM)
• E125 Specification for Equipment Self Description (EqSD)
• E132 Specification for Equipment Client Authentication and Authorization
• E134 Specification for Data Collection Management

Interface A Client Operations

The following image demonstrates the basic operational flow using all of the Interface A standards.

Initially, each client must establish an authenticated session. Next the client can ask for the Equipment Model metadata information to see what data is available through Interface A. With this information client can define and activate data collection plans. The Equipment will continue to generate Data Collection Reports until the client deactivates the plans or becomes unavailable. When shutting down properly, the client should close the session.

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Interface A Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I get more information?

More information is available from the following websites.

• SEMI www.semi.org
• SEMATECH www.sematech.org
• ISMI www.ismi.sematech.org
• Cimetrix www.cimetrix.com

Why use Interface A (EDA) instead of SECS/GEM for data gathering?

Using Interface A for data collection has several benefits. View the comparison of SECS GEM vs. Interface A.

Will the Interface A standards change over the next few years?

The standards have been modified on a regular basis as IC Makers have utilized the standards and found areas for improvement. The standards will continue to adapt to the needs of the Semiconductor community and mature over time. Anyone who implements the Interface A standards must plan to dedicate resources to follow the standards and migrate with further inevitable changes and improvements.

Is the SOAP/XML over HTTP fast enough?

Yes, if it is implemented effectively. Cimetrix has run multiple tests and prototypes that proved adequate performance. The results have been presented in industry public forums.

What data should be made available through Interface A/EDA?

Ultimately, each Equipment Supplier must negotiate requirements from the IC Makers to determine exactly what data they need. Until IC Makers develop and deploy systems that use EDA, it is difficult for them to establish clear requirements. Nevertheless, here are some guidelines for Equipment Suppliers:

• As many sensors and actuators as possible
• Processing or inspection setup information, states, sub states and results. Provide enough information to track equipment utilization, feed APC systems, and support e-Diagnostics.
• Material tracking
• Provide all data as near as possible directly from the source. This can require some software and hardware architectural changes.

What should be reported when the requested data is not available?

SEMI E134 defines a NoValue class with a ValueNotAvailable value for the NoValueReasonEnum enumeration to handle this situation.

How can a client gather SEMIObjType information, since the object IDs are not in the Equipment Model?

SEMIObjType objects can be created and deleted dynamically or exist statically on the Equipment. Either way, Interace A Clients manage them using the same operations. Dynamic objects include carriers and substrates. Static objects include substrate locations not in the carrier and Equipment Performance Tracking modules. First, a client should use E125 operation GetSEMIObjTypes to query the list of available SEMIObjType classes. These are part of the Equipment Model. Then use E134 operation GetObjTypeInstanceIds to get full instance ID information for the current set of objects. With these instance IDs, the client can use any of the data gathering operations such as Define Plan or GetParameterValues to query the object's attribute data. If the object get's deleted, then the client will receive a NoValue with a NoSuchParameter reason enumeration.

How does an EDA client receive data from the equipment?

The client must implement a web server with a single URL that implements the equipment-initiated E125, E132 and E134 operations. During the EstablishSession operation, a client passes its web server URL to the equipment. When data collection plans are activated, the equipment uses the NewData operation to pass the data collection reports to the client.

How can I implement Interface A?

The most cost effective solution is to purchase a solution from a third party supplier like Cimetrix. Cimetrix offers a state-of-the-art EDA development package called CIMPortal which is for Equipment Suppliers or IC Makers. When choosing a solution, it is important to consider the following technical and commercial challenges:

• Evolving Standards

  There is no question that the standards will change several times over the next few years. A reliable solution not only complies to today's standards, but is designed to anticipate and accommodate future changes. The software team must be committed to become experts in the standards, actively track the changes, and provide timely upgrades.

• Data Source Management

  You must ask these crucial questions; "Where does the data reside?" and "What is the most efficient way to get the data into EDA?". All of the data will not be in one location. The Interface A solution must have the ability to channel data directly from different sources.

• Data Integrity

  The EDA solution must manage data integrity. Inevitably, there is a time lag between data gathering and data reporting. Some data must be refreshed in every data collection report. Other data can be cached for limited periods of time. Still other data can be perpetually cached. In order to maximize EDA performance, the solution must be able to manage data integrity and make correct data-caching decisions.

• Performance

  ISMI has reported in public forums that IC Makers expect Interface A to achieve data rates of 50+ variables per chamber at rates up to 10 Hz. In EDA specifications, IC Makers have requested the ability to gather 1,000 to 2,000 parameters using data collection rates from 5 to 20 Hz. These rates are only possible with a software architecture designed for high performance.

• Software Quality

  Over the next short years, Interface A will become an increasingly valuable feature to the IC Makers. It will become one of the critical features that IC Makers will validate before making a decision to purchase a tool. The Interface A solution must achieve the highest software quality and performance standards. A second-rate solution will jeopardize equipment sales.

• Experience

  A professional Interface A solution requires experience. Experience means running on real machines in production for long periods of time. Experience means prototypes and demonstrations with simulators and real machines. Experience gives a solution the maturity to implement not only the requirements, but to include the intent of the standards and features beyond the requirements to manage IC Maker expectations.

• Customer Dedication

  Commercial solution providers must be committed to providing effective customer support. Check references and review past experiences. Ensure that the company is truly dedicated to its customers.

Which versions of the Interface A SEMI standards should I implement?

Unless the client and equipment are implementing the same version of the Interface A EDA standards, they cannot fully communicate and might be incompatible. This is the nature of SOAP/XML Web Service technology. In 2006, ISMI announced a freeze version of the EDA Interface A standards in order to ensure the interoperation of equipment and client software implementations.

Standard	Document Revision	Schema Namespace Version	WSDL Namespace Version
E120 Common Equipment Model	1104	E120-1.V1104	N/A
E125 Equipment Self Description	1105	E125-1.V0305	E125-1.V0305
E132 Client Authentication and Authorization	1105	E132-1.V0305	E132-1.V0305
E134 Data Collection Management	1105	E134-1.V1105	E134-1.V1105
E138 Common Components	0305	V0305	N/A

Until a new ISMI Freeze Version is declared, these are the only versions of the EDA Interface A standards that are acceptable in factories. Therefore, even though the standards continue to be revised, the newer versions should not yet be implemented.

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SEMI Interface A Standards Resources

• Download the white paper on the SEMI Interface A Standards
• Listen to the recorded webinar on the Interface A Standards
• Download the related presentation slides on Interface A
• Read blog posts relevant to the standards
• Ask an Expert about Interface A
• Explore the Interface A Software Solutions from Cimetrix