Semiconductor Manufacturing & the SEMI Standards
According to Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), “standards offer a way
to meet the challenges of increasing productivity while enabling business opportunities around the globe.” With the transition to
300mm wafer manufacturing, the level of factory automation in semiconductor manufacturing has increased significantly in the last 10 years. Initially, SEMI and the industry focused
on the development of the GEM300 standards to minimize the cost of this dramatic change. However, due to the
increasing costs to build a factory, the industry is again focusing on improved efficiency for 300mm manufacturing facilities.
International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI), representing sixteen of the top semiconductor manufacturers, has established programs – including its Next Generation Factory (NGF) concept – to examine ways to both increase 300mm fab efficiency as well as ease the future transition to 450mm wafers. Technologies such as APC, SPC, FDC, P&PM, EEQA & EEQM using the new Interface A standards will allow further productivity gains.
Cimetrix is the industry’s most trusted source for efficient implementation of the SECS/GEM, GEM300, and Equipment Data Acquisition (EDA), also known as Interface A standards. At the forefront of established and emerging SEMI standards development, Cimetrix maintains Co-Chair positions on both the SEMI NA GEM300 and Diagnostic Data Acquisition (DDA) task forces.
- Semiconductor Equipment Automation & Connectivity Software Products
- Semiconductor Manufacturing Professional Services
Semiconductor Equipment Automation & Connectivity Software
We offer a complete set of proven and tested solutions that enable faster fab acceptance and time to market. Currently, our equipment connectivity & automation products are used by over 60 equipment suppliers on virtually every tool type in every 300mm factory worldwide.
Semiconductor Equipment Connectivity
For over 10 years, Cimetrix has provided semiconductor equipment communication software solutions to quickly implement the SEMI SECS/GEM standard. In the 1990s, Cimetrix began investing further in the semiconductor industry to prepare for the emerging 300mm wafer transition, introducing a GEM300 software product and participating in the development of the new standards. Today, Cimetrix is the industry’s leading supplier of robust and reliable equipment connectivity software.
Semiconductor Equipment Data Acquisition
In 2001, Cimetrix realized the need for industrial automation equipment to provide remote systems with specific process data via real-time, high-speed, flexible network conduits. Becoming actively involved early in the SEMI Interface A/ Equipment Data Acquisition (EDA) standards development and prototype efforts, Cimetrix believed that regardless of whether or not the standard was accepted, the fabs and equipment suppliers would need access to higher quality data to improve efficiencies and productivity. This belief ultimately led to the development of new products focused on high speed equipment data acquisition for the new demanding eManufacturing systems being planned and implemented. Today, over 50% of the top twenty equipment suppliers in the world trust Cimetrix’s Interface A/ EDA products to deliver high speed, reliable data.
Semiconductor Equipment Automation
Over 20 years ago, Cimetrix’s core business consisted of PC-based advance motion control software and technology. In 2006, the Company came full circle when it entered into a Joint Development Project with leading semiconductor equipment supplier, Axcelis Technologies, to develop a new tool control architecture for the Next Generation Factory. As the industry focuses on improving efficiencies and production, increasing demands are placed on equipment suppliers to provide equipment automation software that not only enables supervisory control, substrate handling and factory automation, but also supports the emerging equipment engineering capabilities (EEC). Cimetrix’ new tool control solution is a sustainable solution for meeting the requirements of today, tomorrow and the future. View the complete list of Cimetrix's Equipment Control Software Products.
Semiconductor Manufacturing Professional Services
Responding to industry demands, the Cimetrix Global Services team was introduced in late 2004. Consisting of a seasoned team of industry professionals with backgrounds from AMD, TRW, GW, Novellus, Aixtron and Brooks Automation, the Global Services team is the perfect complement to our solid reputation for developing best-in-class semiconductor equipment connectivity & automation products. With years of expertise and domain knowledge, Cimetrix’s Global Services team has a defined, transparent project methodology aimed at gaining fast tool acceptance in the fabs. Our proven processes for managing and delivering software solutions allow us to deliver your project on-time and on-budget. Leverage the experience of Cimetrix’s Global Services for integration, training, and project management of SEMI standards based software solutions. Tailored professional services projects are available for both OEMs/ equipment suppliers and the factory.
