Process and Reliability Improvement on Legacy Coater/Developer Tool using RIOC™
We were contacted by a chip maker that required better process, chemical and facilities monitoring and control to meet tighter
process parameters of modern geometries.
Specifically, the company wanted to:
- Continue to use the existing installed base of coater/developers
- Better control developer, adhesion, and rinse flows
- Configure limits for these flows and trigger configurable alarms and notifications upon limit crossings
- Prevent unauthorized personnel from making changes to the configuration
- Send data to the SECS/GEM Host system to enable predictive maintenance based on data trends
- Notify operators when flows cross limits
- Configure behavior upon limit crossings
- Maintain the existing fab footprint of each coater/developer
Working closely with the chip maker, Atomic Medium specified one RIOC™ System per coater/developer.
As a result, this company was able to:
- Continue to use their existing installed base of coater/developers
- Meet tighter process requirements
- Reduce re-work
- Develop predictive maintenance schedules from data supplied through the SECS/GEM connection
- Create a simple procedure that allowed quick training of operators
- Install the system within the existing coater/developer footprint utilizing modular hardware design and
existing spare compartments inside the coater/developer.
- Locate the touchscreen conveniently
above the OEM touchscreen for maximum operator efficiency and accuracy despite limited space
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Process and Reliability Improvement on Post CMP Scrubber with RIOC™
We were contacted by a chip maker that manufactured devices on 200 mm wafers with processes that were evolving to meet
new geometry and circuitry needs. The post-CMP cleaning process was becoming more critical than the legacy control system
could manage, and increasing costs made scrap incidents increasingly expensive. The chip maker wanted a way to keep the
existing, qualified scrubbers in place, but to tighten the process, reduce scrap incidents, and supply the factory automation
system with enough data to predict future failures, and to detect immediate failures in real-time.
Specifically, the chip maker wanted to:
- Monitor facilities and flows that were not monitored by the OEM control system
- Configure limits for these monitors and generate configurable alarms and notifications upon limit crossings
- Prevent unauthorized personnel from making changes to the configuration
- Send data to the SECS/GEM Host system to enable predictive maintenance based on data trends
- Be non-invasive to the OEM control system
- Allow re-configuration in the fab, without programming or software changes, when process changes or other conditions warranted
Working closely with the chip maker, Atomic Medium specified the RIOC™ System with upgraded software tailored to
this project. Coordinating with the fab engineers and a third-party integrator, the RIOC™ systems were delivered
and the project completed on-time.
As a result, this chip maker was able to:
- Keep their existing installed base of scrubbers in-place
- Meet process requirements and reduce scrap incidents
- Create a simple procedure that allowed quick training of operators
- Supply the factory automation and APC departments with required control and data for better central
management of the toolset
- Install the system within the existing scrubber footprint and locate the touchscreen conveniently
above the OEM touchscreen for maximum operator efficiency and accuracy
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