Progressive automation system for semiconductor manufacturing

A new semiconductor manufacturing line was set up and subsequently expanded to meet growing demand. The high yields and short turn-around time necessitated by the most recent technology requires current process equipment to operate at the limit of its capacity. Current factory automation systems must continually evolve to meet these new requirements. The semiconductor manufacturing line consists of several bays, such as those for photolithography and ion implantation. Hitachi has developed a progressive, flexible automation system that can be applied to manufacturing at the bay level. This system has two aims: to reduce operators' working hours by fully automating fabrication and semi-automating the inspection of wafers and equipment, and to increase working intervals between required equipment maintenance. The automation system is realized using in-situ monitoring.