Tokyo Electron

Many SEMI members have long looked to the military as a rich source of talent, and many veterans and active reservists have been employed in the microelectronics sector for years. The April 2022 issue of GI Jobs featured an interview with West Point graduate and TEL President Larry Smith.

The SEMI Smart Manufacturing Americas Chapter, a key driver of the Global Smart Manufacturing Initiative, accelerates awareness of digital and data-driven strategies and implementations to help speed adoption of smart manufacturing. In 2021, the Chapter will focus on expanding its work across the industry to include academic and research initiatives. The semiconductor industry saw an unprecedented focus on improving digital monitoring of manufacturing activity in 2020, partially due to COVID-19. The Americas Chapter shared case studies on new tools and techniques for social distancing in fabs, aides for remote maintenance, and tips for remote workers. The Chapter also introduced its three pillars of Sensing, Connecting and Predicting and offered related programs. The Global Smart Manufacturing Conference (GSMC) highlighted the significance of universities and research institutions in the development of smart manufacturing with their focus on joint research for broad dissemination. To help drive smart manufacturing advances, at GSMC several offered non-proprietary tutorials on topic including the following: Integrating sensors for acquisition – CEA-Leti Applying new AI and ML tools and strategies to manufacturing – Binghamton University Digital tools for planning, qualifying and management and scheduling in fabs – MINES Saint-Étienne. Adding AI tools to robot work in a smart factory – KAIST Institutes By continuously highlighting the activities of these and other institutions through presentations, interviews, articles and blog posts, we will draw more attention to what is on the horizon for smart manufacturing in 2021. The SEMI Smart Manufacturing Americas Chapter also plans to elevate activities important to the Outsourced Semiconductor Assembly and Test (OSAT), Surface-Mount Technology (SMT) and Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) segments of the industry including programs on inspection, traceability and the SEMI SMT-ELS Standard for SMT automation. Thurston Taylor, marketing expert at Tokyo Electron and Vice Chair of the Americas Chapter, notes that “With increasingly more demanding requirements for bump, assembly and test, smart manufacturing and applied data science are necessary to achieve back-end goals now and in the future.” Also, many companies are implementing smart manufacturing applications and assessing various strategies to increase their smart manufacturing capabilities. Members of the Americas Chapter plan to review and develop self-assessment documents and maturity models that apply to front-end wafer fabs all the way through packaging and assembly facilities. “Moving forward it is imperative for all of us to up the intensity on specific ROI vectors such as quality, cost, productivity, sustainability and safety leveraging our smart manufacturing SEMI framework of Sensing, Connecting and Predicting,” said noted Bobby Mitra, worldwide director of Smart Manufacturing at Texas Instruments and Americas Chapter Chair. “By offering special flagship events, invited talks, ROI case-studies and ROI criteria in maturity models, we’ll bring high value to the smart manufacturing industry.” Chapter members also will begin mapping the skills needed to implement and support increasingly digital manufacturing capabilities, including any new skill sets, to help companies develop their hiring, training and management strategies. The mapping effort aims to support companies in building a strong pipeline of employees who can efficiently manage and operate smart manufacturing facilities. For its part, the Americas Chapter’s Go Green Subcommittee will focus on applying smart manufacturing technology to reducing the electronic industry’s carbon footprint by accurately tracking energy waste improving overall fab efficiency. Stay tuned for details on activities planned for our chapters in Europe, China, Japan, Korea, Southeast Asia and Taiwan. To learn more about each chapter and how to get involved, please visit the SEMI Smart Manufacturing Hub and sign up for our newsletter. Ayo Kajopaiye is senior project coordinator, Collaborative Technology Platforms, at SEMI.

SEMI spoke with Eyal Shekel, senior vice president of Service Strategy and Excellence at Tokyo Electron Limited, about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on smart manufacturing and how other fab solutions for smarter process tools are advancing semiconductor manufacturing.Eyal shared his views ahead of his presentation at the SEMI Fab Management Forum, 17 February, as part of the SEMI Technology Unites Global Summit, 15-19 February 2021, an online event. Join us to meet experts from Tokyo Electron and other key industry influencers. Registration is open. SEMI: AI technology is considered a key enabler for smart manufacturing. What are the latest trends? Shekel: The advent of advanced nodes and extreme complex 3D semiconductor geometry has lengthened time to market and increased costs in areas ranging from equipment development and large-scale metrology usage to monitoring yield inhibitors.AI is becoming a critical tool in the area of material informatics to determine suitable materials and processing techniques in order to meet the needs of future devices. Together with new materials and processes, the development and implementation of virtual metrology will enable accurate and almost absolute real-time monitoring of our customers’ device wafers at each stage of the manufacturing process.SEMI: What are the benefits of data analysis in the process from R D and Ramp-Up to High-Volume Manufacturing? Shekel: The new research field of materials informatics enabled by AI provides tools to guide the highly efficient discovery and optimization of production processes. For example, TEL has developed methodologies for co-optimizing processes and materials for etch rates.To monitor and manage the yield of semiconductor fabrication processes, direct metrology measurements are important. However, it is difficult to monitor all production wafers due to the time and cost involved. With deep learning AI, it is now becoming possible to predict every wafer’s metrology measurements based on production equipment data and previously processed wafer metrology variables. This enables total quality management and run-to-run control, while simultaneously reducing production costs and cycle time.SEMI: Can you tell us more about TEL Service Advantage?Shekel: TEL Service Advantage is a TEL global support organization that allows customers to select a service plan that fits their needs. Through TEL Service Advantage, we can quickly respond to customer requests and technical advancements. TEL Service Advantage provides various plans to maximize equipment maintenance efficiency for customers and productivity from equipment manufactured by TEL. TEL Service Advantage plans can be combined to meet customer needs and achieve maximum results.A key enabling element of TEL Service Advantage is TELeMetrics™. TEL analyzes equipment data from various sensors using a remote connection and, based on that analysis, provides solutions to customer-specific problems around equipment throughput and predictive maintenance.SEMI: How is AI helping during the pandemic? Can you share a success story? Shekel: The pandemic forced severe travel restrictions worldwide, making it very difficult or even impossible in many cases to visit our customers, as it is still the case today. Standard communication devices like smartphones and email helped at the beginning when TEL intensified the remote support by our Total Support Centre (TSC).TEL continued to develop its Service Advantage program quickly, and started using additional advanced tools and methodologies such as the following: Deployed AR (Augmented Reality) to remotely assist our customer and TEL engineers Secured remote connections into TEL tools to investigate parameters and logs, or to change set-up Used remote training courses that connects trainers via video conferencing systems and training tools in the factories to skill up engineers located in a different parts of the world Used AR glasses for tool start-up and troubleshooting Expanded TEL database global technology with multi-tool on languages search capabilities A key project at a customer site in Europe offers an excellent success story. Using all the approaches above, we collaborated with the local team to put a tool into production with no major delays. This was highly appreciated by the customer and very important for us.SEMI: What do you predict for the future? Shekel: Global technology infrastructure continues to develop and expand rapidly. Elements like 5G networks, IoT and advanced sensing capabilities will lead to what we call General AI, which will be based on neuro-like infrastructure. The auto learning will spread across domains and rely on internal logic and reasoning to automate many tasks that are manual today. In our industry in particular, General AI will enable workers to focus more on data analytics and future advanced R D rather than ongoing operations.SEMI: How can technology unite us? What do you expect from your participation at SEMI Technology Unites Global Summit?Shekel: Technology united us in the last 150 years. The connectivity started with telegraph and telephone and was used to exchange information over wider distances. Nowadays, video conference capabilities, AR and improving communications technology makes it much easier to unite people who are geographically dispersed. This becomes obvious and valuable especially during this pandemic period. As a fact, we are able to continue to perform all our key activities – our tool support, training and customer relationships – even if we cannot be present in person.The SEMI Technology Unites Global Summit is a great chance to stay connected to people and customers that I would normally meet at the SEMICON exhibitions.It also offers the opportunity to network with many more people who I would not be able to meet otherwise. Moreover, I can watch speeches and presentations at any time! Normally I would miss some programs since exhibitions and events took place at the same time.Eyal Shekel, senior vice president of Service Strategy and Excellence at Tokyo Electron Europe Limited, is a 27-year semiconductor industry veteran. Upon his graduation as a Mechanical Engineer from the Technion (Israel leading technical institute), he joined Applied Materials. In 1997 he moved on to Tokyo Electron (TEL) in Europe, served as the Regional Service Manager of Israel and, soon after, was appointed the company’s General Manager. Since 2005 Eyal has been part of TEL Europe senior management. He oversaw the Service and Support Operations for TEL Europe as a senior vice president until 2019. In his current role, he co-leads TEL’s Global Service Committee in Japan.The SEMI SMART Manufacturing Initiative is a global effort to promote awareness of and interest in smart manufacturing with a focus on delivering industry-recognized best-in-class programs and services to enable members to maximize product quality and productivity while reducing costs. Activities are focused on building out core capabilities to enable smart manufacturing across the microelectronics supply chain. MADEin4 is a consortium of 47 partners from 10 countries connecting the full range of supply chain – from semiconductor equipment manufacturers and system-integrating metrology companies to RTOS and key applications such as the automotive industry. The MADEin4 Project develops next generation metrology tools, machine learning methods and applications in support of Industry 4.0 high-volume manufacturing in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Serena Brischetto is senior manager of Marketing and Communications at SEMI Europe.

If you think the world is flooded with a mind-boggling volume of digital content, then you might be just a amazed to learn about the sheer wealth of information and business opportunities that will be uncovered at this year’s SEMICON Japan as the event goes full digital.To start, more than 160 companies will exhibit their semiconductor manufacturing gear and services on the virtual show floor of Japan’s premier event for the semiconductor manufacturing and design supply chain. Add to that over 80 presentations and panels that feature global industry executives, visionaries and experts offering insights into the latest microelectronics developments, trends and technologies, and it’s easy to see how SEMICON Japan 2020 Virtual is designed to help attendees grow their businesses and the industry drive the next wave of innovations that promise to address some of the world’s greatest challenges across healthcare, the environment, transportation and other industries.Best of all, it will all be available at your convenience from your office or home 24 hours a day, making it safe and easy for you and others from all over the world to attend. Following is what’s in store at SEMICON Japan 2020 Virtual to help lead you into the future.Leading Japanese Securities Analysts to Weigh in What’s Ahead for the Chip Equipment Sector in 2021 For the first time, SEMICON Japan will feature Bulls Bears as Japan’s’ five top securities analysts focus on the 2021 outlook for the global semiconductor equipment sector. The December 17th event will include discussions on the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the semiconductor industry, the continuing geopolitical tensions that are forcing the industry to reconfigure its supply chains, the fast-growing China market and cutting-edge applications that are powering industry growth. The perspectives from Japan’s investment community are sure to be compelling as the region supplies one-third of the global semiconductor industry’s chip manufacturing equipment.Moderated by Akira Minamikawa of OMDIA, the panel will include these experts:Three Visionaries to Explore the Digital TransformationPowered by semiconductors, the fourth industrial revolution is driving digitalization globally, remaking societies to bring more efficiencies and conveniences to our work and home lives and help more people prosper. But the flip side of those tremendous benefits is the risk that wealth will be concentrated in the hands of people in positions of power, companies and nations. Democratizing economic development remains a serious challenge worldwide.Addressing this pressing issue, the Opening Panel on December 11 will feature prominent visionaries from political, academic and industrial communities including the following:Sony’s Leading-Edge Electric Car and Nissan’s Driver Assistance System to Highlight Automotive InnovationsCars are becoming more like smartphones on wheels, rapidly filling with more and more semiconductor chips every year with electrification and electronic driver-assisted systems to key drivers of this growth. At the SMART Mobility 1 session on December 14, two pioneering companies – Sony and Nissan Motor – will focus on both areas of semiconductor innovation.Sony’s Vision-S concept car, exhibited at CES 2020, astonished many in the electronics ecosystem and the automotive industry. What is Sony’s vision behind the vehicle? Izumi Kawanishi, Senior Vice President, AI Robotics Business at Sony will share the latest on the initiative.Nissan, maker of the pioneering LEAF electric vehicle, is the first Japanese carmaker to equip a car – its new Skyline – with the ProPILOT 2.0 driver assistance system for hands-off highway driving. Nissan Executive Vice President Asako Hoshino will provide an update on the company’s driver assistance system strategy and plans.Quantum Computing Meets Chip Manufacturing for the First Time at SEMICON Japan In contrast with current computer systems that use bits (binary 0 or 1 state) for computing, quantum computers leverage quantum superposition (0 and 1 states exist at once) to quickly solve highly complex problems that might take traditional supercomputers hundreds or even thousands of years to tease out. American physicist Richard Feynman promoted quantum computer as early as 1982, but it wasn’t until nearly two decades later and long after his death that quantum bit circuits emerged for use in superconductive materials.With quantum circuits and devices requiring state-of-art semiconductor processing technology, The Era of Quantum session on December 15 at SEMICON Japan 2020 Virtual will discuss necessary advances in chip manufacturing technology to enable the next generation quantum computing. The session will be the first time SEMICON Japan connects the semiconductor manufacturing and quantum computing communities.The program will feature the following experts:Strategies for Sustainable Semiconductor Industry GrowthSemiconductors are giving rise to a hyper-connected world that is fueling demand for staggering volumes of chips, pressuring the electronics industry to uncover new ways to increase manufacturing efficiency while reducing power consumption in a bid to help combat climate change. The Grand Finale Panel composed of executives from Japan’s semiconductor supply chain and a supervising ministry will gather for the Grand Finale Panel on December 18 to discuss ways the industry can achieve sustainable growth through innovation with a focus on energy savings and an new process technologies such as extreme ultraviolet lithography (EUV), which promises to enable electronics devices that are more power powerful, cheaper and more energy-efficient.Panelists include the following:Register TodayThe SEMICON Japan 2020 Virtual All-In Pass provides online access to all 80 presentations and panels, which will be available on-demand for replay until January 15, 2021. What’s more, all eight keynote programs will feature English subtitles. For complete information of the exposition, programs and registration, visit the SEMICON Japan website.I look forward to seeing you virtually at the event!Jim Hamajima is president of SEMI Japan.