downloadGroupGroupnoun_press release_995423_000000 copyGroupnoun_Feed_96767_000000Group 19noun_pictures_1817522_000000Member company iconResource item iconStore item iconGroup 19Group 19noun_Photo_2085192_000000 Copynoun_presentation_2096081_000000Group 19Group Copy 7noun_webinar_692730_000000Path

New China Advanced Backend Factory Integration Standards Activity

By Clare Liu, Leader of the SEMI Information & Control China Advanced Backend Factory Integration Task Force, KXWARE

As backend packaging and testing manufacturing continues to grow, advanced backend factories show strong demand for more advanced automation control and data collection. Some factories have started to adopt GEM 300 standards. However, there are several issues when adopting GEM 300 standards. The most challenging element is the adoption of SEMI E87, Specification for Carrier Management (CMS). Some challenges include:

  • Most backend tools do not have a standard load port with a carrier tag reader and carrier slot map scanning mechanism. This makes it difficult to follow the existing SEMI E87 carrier ID and slot map verification scenarios.
  • Most backend manufacturing lines are mixed lines, which means both 200 mm and 300 mm wafer carriers are expected to be processed on the same tool and sometimes on the same load port. The different size carrier may result in the carrier ID and slot map being read and verified in different ways.
  • Some backend equipment uses carriers that are not wafer containers, but instead might be a tape and reel, a carrier of trays or even a carrier of carriers (nested carriers). The SEMI E87 slot map and content map structures are invalid for some containers.
  • There are currently no standards to adopt SEMI E87 for backend tools in backend factories. SEMI Draft Document 6840 is being developed to provide guidelines and standardization for backend equipment to implement SEMI E87 as well as other GEM SEMI Standards.

Currently, some factories use non-standard scenarios to support carrier management. A standard way to use S3F17 (carrier action request as described in SEMI E5) is still needed to cover slot map verification scenarios for backend tools without a slot map scanning mechanism installed.

The discussion to modify SEMI E87 was initiated by the Advanced Backend Factory Integration (ABFI) China Task Force (TF) and is chartered to investigate how to support equipment that cannot verify the slot map. This topic received a lot of attention from the ABFI NA TF early on and may even open related SEMI Standards for revision. During the Information & Control China Technical Committee (TC) Chapter Spring Meeting 2022 held on March 25th, a new Standards New Activity Report Form (SNARF) for Line-Item Revision to SEMI E87-0921, Specification for Carrier Management (CMS), SEMI E87.1-0921, Specification for SECS-II Protocol for Carrier Management (CMS), and SEMI E5-0821, Specification for SEMI Equipment Communications STANDARD 2 Message Content (SECS-II) [SEMI Draft Document 6914] was submitted by the ABFI China TF, endorsed by the ABFI NA TF, was approved. Collaboration between task forces in the SEMI I&C Global Technical Committee will be a major milestone.

Get Involved

SEMI Standards development activities take place throughout the year in all major manufacturing regions. To get involved, join the SEMI International Standards Program at: www.semi.org/standardsmembership.

For more information, please visit our main Web site and current events page. If you have any questions regarding SEMI Standards activities, please contact your local SEMI Standards staff.

 

Standards Watch
SEMI
www.semi.org
June 15, 2022