FabFocus Solutions for the Electronic and Semiconductor Industry

June 2007

Facility Automation

Sunwin: A project of superlatives Facility Automation

CuCMP wastewater treatment solution for semiconductor

Process Equipment

New Equipment Interface TLK software suite

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CONTENT

EDITORIAL

FACILITY AUTOMATION

2 EDITORIAL PROCESS EQUIPMENT

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Busbar trunking system used in solar cell production

Covering all the bases SECS/GEM and EDA communication in one: Equipment Interface TLK

Surmounting special challenges

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Fast track access to equipment data Improved fab productivity with new EDA standards

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Nothing like the sun Simatic technology used to control solar cell tools at DayStar

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The country of foundries Siemens earns high marks in Taiwan for its fab industry activities

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Selective, effective filtration CuCMP wastewater treatment solution for semiconductor

Keeping the heat on Thermal processes controlled by compact industrial PC

New fab approach Sunwin – A project of superlatives

Equipment Interface TLK in 300mm wet processing tools

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Power to the fab

20 PRODUCTS 22 NEWS

Partnering in safety ASM Europe and Siemens form cooperation involving Simatic fail-safe controllers

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Accurate bump measurement Siscan 3D control sensors at EPCOS

FabFocus Publisher Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Automation & Drives Division (A&D), Nuremberg Group Executive Management Helmut Gierse, Hannes Apitzsch, Dr. Peter Drexel, Anton S. Huber Responsible for content Peter Miodek Responsible for technical content Gerd Limmer [email protected] Andrea Luedecke [email protected] Publishing house Publicis KommunikationsAgentur GmbH, Corporate Publishing P.O. Box 3240, 91050 Erlangen

Phone +49 (0) 9131/91 92-5 21 Telefax +49 (0) 9131/91 92-5 94 Coordination: Sabine Zingelmann Artwork and layout: Juergen Streitenberger DTP der Döss für Kommunikation, Nuremberg Printed by Wünsch, Neumarkt © 2007 by Siemens Aktiengesellschaft Berlin and Munich. The following products are registered trademarks of Siemens AG: SIMATIC, SISCAN, SIRIUS, ET 200 If trademarks, technical solutions or similar products are not included in the list, it does not imply that they

are not protected. The information provided in this magazine contains merely general descriptions or characteristics of performance which, in case of actual use, do not always apply as described or which may change as a result of further development of the products. An obligation to provide the respective characteristics shall only exist if expressly agreed upon in the terms of contract. All rights reserved by the publisher. “FabFocus” is printed on 100 % recycled paper. Printed in Germany 002800 1011 0607 Circulation: 5,500 E20001-A120-P250-X-7600

Dear readers, automation continues to play an increasingly important role in machine building, also in the semiconductor industry. Growing demands of end customers with regard to cost efficiency and quality are forcing OEMs to introduce appropriate solutions. With its “Equipment Interface TLK” software suite, introduced at the end of 2006, Siemens has taken up position in the semiconductor market as a total solution provider with a comprehensive 300mm and EDA/Interface A portfolio. The cover story starting on page 3 outlines how this software is supporting OEMs in achieving higher machine operation and equipment control engineering efficiency. An altogether different, yet equally important aspect for OEMs involves the topic of safety – not only given the fact that laws governing safety at the workplace are becoming more and more stringent in many countries around the world. Siemens has tackled this issue head on with its “Simatic Safety Integrated” concept, as the feature article on the Dutch company ASM Europe on page 12 illustrates. Finally, we are also very proud to report on ProMOS in this issue, one of Taiwan’s largest chip manufacturers, which chose Siemens as its cooperation partner for its brand new 8” fab in Chongqing, China. Siemens was awarded the complete contract for the fab’s power supply system following a close two-year cooperation with ProMOS – the largest semiconductor-related project ever for Siemens. The story on page 16/17 underscores the fact that not only state-of-the-art technology and industry-specific know-how are important securing contracts. In the end, it all comes down to the operational readiness of all of the parties involved to turn projects into success stories. Let’s continue the good cooperation going forward!

Gerd Limmer Director Competence Center Semiconductor Industry Contact: Gerd Limmer, Siemens Nuremberg [email protected]

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C. Noelscher

tions for a variety of standardized equipment control level interfaces such as OPC, TCP/IP, Microsoft Message Queue, SIMATIC S7 communication, RS-232, as well as databases such as SQL, ADO and ODBC.

Ernst Pfitzinger (left) is director of engineering and Juergen Mitterer (right) is the project manager for the Equipment Interface TLK software

SECS/GEM and EDA communication in one: Equipment Interface TLK

Covering all the bases Through the continuous introduction of new software technologies into the semiconductor industry, fab automation plays an increasingly important role. For 300mm semiconductor fabs, fully automated operation solutions are already an absolute necessity. The challenge is to provide tool manufacturers with a cost-efficient, SEMI-compliant solution for the full range of SECS/GEM and EDA/Interface A requirements. With its new Equipment Interface TLK software, Siemens has done just that. FabFocus spoke with the Competence Center Semiconductor employees Ernst Pfitzinger, director of engineering at Siemens, and Juergen Mitterer, project manager, about the importance of Equipment Interface TLK for OEMs and the semiconductor industry as a whole.

Could you briefly explain what Equipment Interface TLK is all about? Ernst Pfitzinger: Equipment Interface TLK is a graphical development toolbox that allows customers to easily configure and combine predefined objects to create complex interface functionalities. Its out-of-

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the-box mechanisms enable semiconductor fab equipment to communicate with a host system. The software supports SECS/ GEM functionality (200mm), 300mm services and EDA/Interface A. Juergen Mitterer: Equipment Interface TLK also offers several connectivity op-

What is the application range of Equipment Interface TLK in the fab? Ernst Pfitzinger: Equipment Interface TLK is suitable for any tool used to communicate with higher level fab automation such as Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) or Equipment Engineering Systems (EES). There are two standard interfaces for this type of communication: SECS/GEM and EDA/Interface A. SECS/GEM is used for MES systems that control the complete production process, including sub-control systems such as cell controllers. The rapidly emerging EDA/Interface A is required for EES applications, which monitor or mine process data to improve quality and productivity. Juergen Mitterer: The main attraction of Equipment Interface TLK is that it provides both interfaces: SECS/GEM and EDA. How is the connection to the equipment achieved? Ernst Pfitzinger: SECS/GEM and EDA both require a description of the designated equipment structure. A graphical equipment designer module called “ECS Designer” is therefore included in Equipment Interface TLK. It features a graphical method of simulating the physical architecture (SEMI E120) of the equipment, including all logical properties such as parameters, events and exceptions (SEMI E125). What other benefits are there? Juergen Mitterer: The Equipment Interface TLK software supports the equipment manufacturer with open, standardized inter-

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“Time-to-market is a key issue for our customers. The focus is always on efficiency.” Ernst Pfitzinger

Pictures: C. Noelscher

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faces that allow implementation of stream functions, state models, all customized equipment interfaces, and also fab-specific C++ code integration. As such, it offers optimal investment protection while reducing engineering costs. Ernst Pfitzinger: For OEMs, the situation is as follows: Because of the growing complexity of semiconductor processes, there is tremendous demand for quality process data access. Existing SECS/GEM host interfaces are no longer able to fulfill all of these data acquisition needs. That’s why

MES: Process Control WIP

Recipes

SECS/GEM

EES: Monitoring & Improvement EPT

APC

EDA/Interface A MES IF

SEMI established the EDA interface. With its integrated EDA interface, the Equipment Interface TLK software offers a wide range of new potential applications, for example, failure detection control (FDC), statistical process control (SPC), e-Diagnostics, advanced process control (APC), run to run (R2R), and so on. Our customers now benefit from better product quality, significantly higher availability and throughput, as well as lower costs in the face of continuously increasing process complexity.

EES IF

Equipment Interface TLK

E-Diagn.

In other words, the new Equipment Interface TLK software that Siemens has developed fully meets the needs of tool manufacturers? Ernst Pfitzinger: Absolutely! Time-to-market is a key issue for our customers. The focus is always on efficiency – efficiency in machine operation and in equipment control engineering. Tool manufacturers need flexible, powerful

The Equipment Interface TLK software suite permits single-source engineering through both SEMIcompliant interfaces: SECS/GEM and EDA/Interface A

“The Equipment Interface TLK provides both interfaces: SECS/GEM and EDA.” Juergen Mitterer

software for the seamless integration of everything from the actor/sensor to the fab IT level. Equipment Interface TLK meets all of these requirements. What about SEMI standards? Juergen Mitterer: Equipment Interface TLK is fully compliant with all relevant SEMI standards. These not only define data formats, but also rules for equipment behavior, operation, exception management, data tracking and reporting, remote control and much more. We are in close contact with the SEMI standards committee to make sure that all market requirements are met. How does Siemens support the integration of Equipment Interface TLK? Ernst Pfitzinger: In several ways, for example through software integration trainings taught by our Siemens specialists. Training sessions are also available over our trained system integrator partners, competent companies with which Siemens has been cooperating for years, and which are very familiar with the technology. Equipment Interface TLK was developed in close cooperation with selected customers and system integrators. Mr. Pfitzinger, Mr. Mitterer, thank you for
taking the time to talk with us. Contact: Juergen Mitterer, Siemens Nuremberg [email protected] www.siemens.com/semiconductor

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SPEC

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The design of the new wet processing tool generation involves a highly scalable, automated environment

An S7-317T controller handles all of the automated motion control and coordination tasks

Equipment Interface TLK in 300mm wet processing tools

Semiconductor Process Equipment Corporation (SPEC), a supplier of wafer and wet process equipment for the semiconductor industry based in Valencia, CA, recently selected the latest equipment control solution from Siemens for its next generation 300mm SBX electroless plating systems. A key factor in favor of Siemens was the innovative object-oriented Equipment Interface TLK 300mm host interface software.

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he design of the new wet processing tool generation involves a highly scalable, automated environment. The highly customized engineering configuration requirements of the equipment posed a special challenge for the interface software, calling for a solution that could be adapted to the specific configuration without the need for additional coding. The communication with the existing graphic user interface and the specific 300mm service scope of requirements at SPEC were calling for optimal performance and flexibility. The implementation of XML via MSMQ proved highly effective, as did a simple ActiveX component engineered as a plug-in. The solution enables easy data acquisition

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while also speeding up data communication between the interface and equipment. The main Equipment Interface TLK 300mm functionalities were configured and are supported with individual objects while the tool logic implementation, control scenarios and the required SEMI standards were programmed using multifunction objects.

Heightened automation control The company also chose to implement a Simatic S7-317T controller to handle all of the automated motion control tasks and multi-axis coordination via Profibus. Highly flexible and modular in its design, the high-speed, real-time Profibus network dramatically improves system throughput

SPEC

Surmounting special challenges and response times. As Kevin McGillivray, vice president at SPEC, comments, “The partnership with Siemens and the introduction of Siemens automation systems has allowed SPEC to maintain its leading edge in wet processing technology, especially precious metal plating for underbump metallization.”

Significantly shorter develoment time The Equipment Interface TLK objects implemented at SPEC considerably shortened the development time by more then 30%. McGillivray optimistically observes, “We are confident that Siemens can provide SPEC and our customers with global technical support and innovative new control solutions that will allow SPEC to be more
competitive on the world market.” Contact: Azad Jafari, Siemens San Francisco [email protected] Richard Schuler, Siemens San Francisco [email protected]

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Improved fab productivity with new EDA standards

Fast track access to equipment data

DCP-based plans with equipment-specific metadata. With the help of these plans, users can then include event, trace and alarm requests on a continuous and/or cyclical basis. These data collection plans can be modified, activated, and deactivated as needed by the user accelerating the process of accepting the equipment into production.

A global solution with many benefits

Trying to improve performance and productivity for semiconductor fabs and equipment used to involve time-consuming searches for elusive equipment data and critical process information. Today, a set of new SEMI standards for equipment data acquisition (EDA), also known as Interface A, enables engineers and other fab personnel to quickly access equipment data to utilize EES applications – a capability with the potential to significantly improve fab productivity. With its Equipment Interface TLK software, Siemens offers a host interface solution with an integrated SEMI-compliant EDA component.

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he growing sophistication of semiconductor technology has led to an increasing need for MES level equipment diagnostics and status monitoring systems, also known as equipment engineering systems (EES). All semiconductor tool OEMs require a SECS/GEM interface to connect their tools to the fab’s MES backbone. Soon, it is expected they will also need a EDA interface. According to Gino Crispieri, e-Manufacturing project engineer at ISMI, new EES applications in modern fabs such as e-diagnostics and advanced process control (APC) require the continuous flow of large amounts of process and equipment data. As a new data pipeline and information application, EDA promises richer data, high data reporting throughput and multiclient connectivity. Simply stated, EDA provides faster access to more process and equipment data to enable plantwide EES applications. As such, it brings to the industry a solution with the potential to significantly improve overall equipment efficiency (OEE) and lower cost of ownership (COO).

Secure multi-client data access EDA allows for more than one client to establish independent communication sessions with the equipment. With EDA, several authorized clients, including fab technicians, maintenance specialists, process and factory applications engineers, can access data directly from the tool, create data collection plans based on their current

needs, and extract information to resolve their problems. The result from this flexibility is translated into higher production yields through fewer test wafers, reduced equipment process changeover and minimized downtime. In addition, EDA provides mechanisms that employ encryption technology to safely request equipment data. With the help of the secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol, the client establishes a secure session using certificates issued by the fab to ensure protection against phishing and spoofing. Authorization is handled through a simple but powerful privilegeand-role mechanism (SEMI E132) that defines specific client rights.

Deployed in semiconductor manufacturing, EDA can make a huge difference. The ability to monitor equipment health and performance directly impacts downtime and OEE, resulting in valuable productivity gains. Detailed monitoring of processes

A set of new SEMI standards for equipment data acquisition (EDA) enables engineers and other fab personnel to quickly access equipment data for evaluation and analysis

Metadata and DCP management Authorized clients have access to a series of services concerning equipment structure and metadata availability. This information is critical for creating the control interfaces to factory applications. Each metadata-described component, for example, specifies data parameters needed to collect, control or modify data during processing or equipment characterization. EDA reduces tool ramp-up, process setup and qualification times by providing information and data collection capabilities to users without the need of special IT services providing immediate productivity returns to chipmakers. Data collection plan (DCP) management (SEMI E134) allows users to quickly set up

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processes efficiently according to authorization rights. As a mainstream technology solution, EDA can lower automation maintenance costs enabling the users to access equipment data when needed in comparison to current practices and methods were only few users can access and program equipment to extract data.

product beyond conventional software solutions available today on the market by offering OEMs a seamless and compact SEMIcompliant host communication solution with integrated SECS/GEM and EDA interface capabilities. In addition, Siemens’ solution can provide, if required, the auto
mation hardware.

The Equipment Interface TLK difference The data volumes required by EES applications in modern fab automation continue to grow. As a result, many third-party software suppliers, including Siemens, now offer EDA capabilities to IC makers in their products. With the introduction of Equipment Interface TLK, Siemens provides a

Contact: Gino Crispieri, ISMI Sematech, Austin [email protected] Martin Zennig, Siemens Nuremberg [email protected]

Oerlikon AG

Daystar

can lead to less scrap and fewer test wafers. Moreover, data collection and equipment monitoring are no longer limited to automation departments or specific applications. EDA can offer installations, upgrade, modifications, and equipment acceptance to specification when it is installed as an integrated software and hardware solution within a networked environment. This has many benefits, including increased uptime, OEE, yield and availability with fieldproven, robust information, enabling hardware, control software and diagnostic solutions. EDA offers higher throughput and data collection rates, allowing multiple clients to access, monitor and control

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centrotherm

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Thermal processes controlled by compact industrial PC

Keeping the heat on Thermal processes play a key role in the semiconductor industry. As its core competency, the centrotherm Group, headquartered in Blaubeuren, Germany, specializes in manufacturing equipment process technology, and solutions for semiconductor technology-related thermal processes. For the photovoltaic industry centrotherm offers complete turnkey solutions for the solar cell production. A compact Simatic Microbox PC 420 provides valuable support in helping the company to achieve zero-defect production.

centrotherm – a reliable partner for the semiconductor and photovoltaic industry Founded in 1976, centrotherm is a leading technology supplier for the semiconductor, environmental and photovoltaics industries. With more than 600 employees worldwide, including branch offices in the US, France and Asia, the company has a local presence in all of the important markets.

In 2004, the company was divided into centrotherm thermal solutions GmbH & Co. KG, centrotherm photovoltaics AG, and centrotherm clean solutions GmbH & Co. KG. • centrotherm thermal solutions develops processes, designs and produces equipment and systems for the semiconductor industry and other high-tech industries.

• centrotherm photovoltaics is the world’s largest provider of complete turnkey solutions for solar cell production. • centrotherm clean solutions builds waste gas and wastewater treatment systems for semiconductor manufacturing operations.

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bout 10% of semiconductor production processes necessitate special heat treatment (oxidation and diffusion). Thus, process reliability is a top priority. This, precisely, is where the Simatic Microbox PC 420 comes into play, which controls the gas charging and thermal treatments of the diffusion system while the wafers are in the diffusion furnace.

Up to the task Also, because power failures are not uncommon, particularly among fab manufacturers in Southeast Asia, it is crucial the thermal processing machine be up and running again within seconds, reliably resuming operation at the last process step. In order to prevent data loss, the control PC must be able to reboot very quickly and set a marker to log process steps. Equipped with a mains buffering, the power supply of the Simatic Microbox PC 420 industrial PC is able to compensate power failures of up to 15ms. The Simatic Microbox PC 420 cyclically stores process step data in a nonvolatile static RAM. Although this does not entirely prevent temporary power failures, it does avoid their adverse effects, including the rejection of entire oven loads of silicon wafers, as well as related high scrap costs.

Diagnostics increases process reliability Process reliability is at the top of the list of system requirements. Here, a “watchdog” software monitoring system, which can be freely activated and specifically adapted to the application, and that allows for event notification programming as needed, of-

fers help. As a result, commissioning can be optimally supported in the embedded environment. Integrated temperature monitoring and an operating hours counter also help to increase system availability. Temperature fluctuations in the switch cabinet can thereby be detected and evaluated at an early stage, and the systems can respond specifically to the application. The integrated operating hours counter in the diagnostic tool provides support in the preventive maintenance of the entire system. It also continuously updates users, allowing them to quickly respond to any potential malfunctions.

Parts continuity offers technical edge The continuity of automation components is an important element of an industrial automation solution. The hardware platform offered by the Microbox PC 420 is available for 3 years. After that, the Siemens spare parts service offers repairs for another 5 years, if necessary – a long period of investment security that is unusual for PC technology. For centrotherm, it is a key element for the company’s technological advantage. The cost savings gained from the long-term automation components availability, for example, can be used to further develop core know-how. Thanks to its fanless, robust design and its high level of availability, the Simatic Microbox PC 420 lays the groundwork for round-the-clock high-quality semiconductor production.


Siemens

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Ultra-compact, robust, maintenancefree and scalable with up to 3 PC/104 plug-in cards

Simatic Microbox PC 420: Highlight • Extremely small size (262 x 134 x 47 mm), yet great performance • Processor performance, RAM etc. configurable for flexible adaptation to the application • Interfaces: 2x Ethernet, 4x USB 2.0, 1x COM, Profibus (optional) • 3 free slots for low-cost, long-term availability of PC/104-Plus extension modules • Buffered SRAM for safe storage of process data • DIN rail or wall mounting

Contact: Joachim Menth, Siemens Ulm [email protected]

Safely loading the diffusion oven with wafers

• Maintenance-free through lack of mechanical wearable parts (no fans) • Continuous, round-the-clock operation design at ambient temperatures of up to 50 °C • High EMC compatibility due to full metal housing and EMC connection of all interfaces • Integrated 24V power supply with electrical isolation and mains buffering • Simatic PC CompactFlash for maximum field availability

centrotherm

• Integrated monitoring functions for voltage, temperature and program run (watchdog, programmable)

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• Software packages for, among other things, preventive data backup, diagnostics and monitoring

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Simatic technology used to control solar cell tools at DayStar

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hile traditional silicon-based solar cells still make up more than 90% of the cells produced by solar panel manufacturers today, there is growing interest within the industry for more cost competitive alternatives. As a result, thin-film solar cells made of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS), along other technologies, are increasingly gaining and expanding market share.

Converting sunlight into electricity The photovoltaic foil manufactured by DayStar acts as the sunlight-to-electricity conversion engine of next generation photovoltaic modules and systems, a promising technology with the potential to compete with traditional power generation options in the growing global electricity market. DayStar’s market strategy and key differentiator is to manufacture CIGS thinfilm solar cells as a cost-effective alternative to conventional silicon solar panel technology. The company has a vision of producing PV energy at costs competitive with fossil fuel energy.

Nothing like the sun DayStar Technologies, based in Halfmoon, New York, specializes in developing and manufacturing inexpensive, lightweight, highly flexible photovoltaic products made of Photovoltaic Foil. Well positioned to become the lowest cost producer of non-silicon, CIGS thin-film solar cells, used to convert sunlight into electricity, the company recently chose to implement Simatic S7-315PN controllers for use with its next generation solar cell tools.

Positively impacting tool yield Thanks to manufacturing advancements, the commercial viability of CIGS technology continues to grow. DayStar engineers its tools in-house to best meet its own specific needs. A unique new generation of tools incorporates physical vapor deposition (PVD) and evaporation processes to coat a stainless steel foil substrate in pro-

ducing a specific DayStar CIGS-based solar cell known as TerraFoil. DayStar recently introduced a Simatic S7-315PN controller connected to an ET 200M I/O subsystem via Profibus to manage the thin-film stainless steel web of the heated PVD and evaporation processes used to manufacture the CIGS thin-film solar cells in a continuous roll-to-roll process. The controller handles the high perfor-

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Daystar

Thin-film solar cells made of copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) are increasingly gaining and expanding market share as a cost-effective alternative to conventional silicon solar panel technology

mance PID loop requirements to control the critical process parameters that directly affect tool yield and throughput.

Picture: agefotostock

Tremendous market flexibility The solar thin-film market is rapidly expanding. Lead times for the required capital equipment are a significant cost factor, lengthening product time-to-market. This prompted DayStar to execute an aggressive manufacturing deployment plan, one that mitigates risks by utilizing lessons learned from early phase development stages. The approach allows the company to employ key process technologies such as that of the Simatic PLC to construct an efficient, largescale, roll-to-roll manufacturing platform. DayStar operates two production lines at its Halfmoon facility, each of which employs a different thin-film deposition method. The first line (Gen I) is a batch process used for low-volume development and production of high-efficiency cells, as well as specialty products. The second manufacturing line (Gen II) involves both continuous in-line and batch processing. In March

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2006, the company created the Equipment Development Group in Santa Clara, CA to accelerate and support the development of its proprietary Gen III™ roll-to-roll continuous production platform. Thanks to the Simatic S7-315 PN controller technology, DayStar is now able to modify its TerraFoil product early in the product development cycle. Each new manufacturing stage builds on know-how gained from previous generations, thereby reducing technology-, product- and costrelated risks associated with deploying an unproven, large-scale, roll-to-roll cell line.

Supporting the company plan The incremental development plan of DayStar is directed at cost-controlled product build up. The Simatic PLC solution allows DayStar to control engineering and equipment resources while decreasing the development time for process modifications. Moreover, the Simatic controllers offer the necessary performance, reliability and adaptability that DayStar needs to manufacture its high product yields as the com-

pany continues to grow. Dennis Palsgaard, electrical engineering manager at DayStar Technologies, observes: “The Siemens S7-300 controller implemented on our chain drive sputtering system is used to develop the CIGS window layer. We selected Siemens for the fact that many of the engineers have years of experience with Siemens control solutions, and product support and reliability is one of the best in the industry.” Further, because the modularity and expandability of the Simatic architecture greatly reduces the number of wires between tool devices and the controller, it also significantly minimizes machine production costs. “We also wanted a highly modular automation platform we could implement and modify easily and still be able to
expand,” Palsgaard concludes. Contact: Azad Jafari, Siemens San Francisco [email protected] Richard Schuler, Siemens San Francisco [email protected]

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ASM Europe and Siemens form cooperation involving Simatic fail-safe controllers

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stresses. “We specialize in equipment used for fabricating wafers. These machines employ a process in which chemicals are used to apply layers of material.” The process, however, also involves risks, because explosive and poisonous gases are used. “For example, we dose pure hydrogen and oxygen to initiate the oxidation process. The proportions have to be just right. Otherwise, you create an explosive medium,” van den Berg explains.

Inherent safety risks

Unique integrated safety solutions

Safety is an extremely important issue at the ASM Europe facility in Almere, Netherlands, as senior engineer Max van den Berg

A reliable fail-safe controller is absolutely essential for accurate proportioning. The Simatic fail-safe controller from Siemens

W. Geyer

ince its founding in 1968 as a manufacturer of thermal-chemical wafer processing tools, ASM International has grown to become one of the world’s leading suppliers of semiconductor equipment for the front-end and wafer processing as well as back-end, assembly and packaging markets. With the Advance 400 series, its dual-reactor family of vertical furnaces, ASM Europe ranks among the top three furnace suppliers in the world.

ASM Europe

In spring of 2006, ASM Europe and Siemens signed a letter of intent for the installation of Simatic fail-safe controllers in ASM production machines used in the semiconductor industry. Initially, only the new A412 vertical furnaces, developed for the fabrication of 300mm wafers, are equipped with the safety controllers. Over the long-term, however, cooperation plans between the two companies include the ongoing technical development of the ASM machines, as well as for possible ASM additions to Siemens products and systems.

ASM Europe

Partnering in safety

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13 Simatic Safety Integrated

Flexible, effective, top-level protection installed at Almere is capable of processing the information of two sets containing mass flow controller and flow meter, thereby enabling direct control of the chemicals dosing, and thus correct process operation. “We work with analog signals that are collected redundantly and used in a safety program,” van den Berg adds. “As far as we know, Siemens is still the only supplier to offer this technology as one integrated solution that fits in the current budget.” ASM Europe is very enthusiastic about its Simatic fail-safe controller. According to van den Berg, other suppliers have no comparable product. “At present, Siemens has a clear head start here.” And he also has words of praise for the Siemens support: “Whenever we have a question, someone is onto it immediately.”

Shorter test phase The first A412 machines to take up operations at the end of 2006 required much less time for testing. This has obvious advantages, as van den Berg explains: “By debugging the program in advance – offline – you can find out at an early stage how it works, and the final debugging phase can
be significantly shortened.”

Contact: Patrick Veldkamp, Siemens Den Haag [email protected]

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Accidents, damage and human injury on the factory floor as a result of machine and system faults must be avoided at all costs – not only given the fact that laws governing safety at the workplace are becoming more and more stringent in many countries around the world. With its Simatic Safety Integrated line of products, Siemens has put together a fully integrated, flexible and highly effective system design concept for safety-related applications in the production and process automation industries. Most importantly, Simatic Safety Integrated offers users a high degree of protection for both standard as well as safety-relevant automation tasks. Conventional fail-safe PLC solutions are rapidly approaching their limits in terms of technological and economic feasibility. With the steadily growing complexity of automation tasks, wiring and engineering costs continue to rise. Troubleshooting generally requires more time, leading to reduced plant and system availability. Not surprisingly, more and more plant operators are seeking out integrated automation solutions to handle the safety-relevant tasks of their factory and process automation systems. Simatic Safety Integrated is a key element of Totally Integrated Automation, the comprehensive automation solutions concept of Siemens for all industry sectors. Comprising but one fail-safe controller, one distributed I/O module and one bus system, Simatic Safety Integrated requires fewer components than conventional automation safety systems, translating into significant cost savings. As a result, system and plant operation also remains simple, meaning that operation personnel generally require fewer training hours. Moreover, Safety Integrated solutions fully comply with all relevant certification standards, including IEC 61508 (SIL 3), IEC 61511, EN 954 (Category 4), NFPA 79, NFPA 85, SEMI Safety Standard E 54 as well as the IEC 62061 sector standard. Simatic Safety Integrated forms a seamless fit together with already existing network structures and components. Engineering and programming of both the standard and safety functions is performed with one and the same software tool, the Simatic Step 7, simplifying and speeding up commissioning. Thus, diagnostics of safety-relevant signals, for example, can be read out using standard panels and HMI components. In terms of communications flexibility, Simatic Safety Integrated enables users to handle standard as well as safety-related tasks with both Profibus and Profinet. As such, Simatic Safety Integrated forms a seamless symbiosis between standard and safety automation tasks, while offering flexible, effective, high-level system and plant protection.

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Siscan 3D confocal sensors at EPCOS

n 1999, when Siemens delivered its first optical measurement systems to the EPCOS plant in Munich, Germany, the first generation of Siscan 32-channel sensors were used to inspect the height of solderbumps of integrated modules designed for installation in consumer electronic products and mobile phones. Bump heights are a critical factor for ensuring a reliable solder bond for further chip processing. With the introduction of wafer processing at the plant in 2004, Siscan technology also played a key role. A 3D confocal sensor Siscan MC64 formed the core of the new surface acoustic wave (SAW) component measurement system, with which wafer transfer, however, was still conducted manually.

Accurate bump measurement Increasing product miniaturization as well as the need for improved production yields and lower scrap/rework rates have driven a growing demand for advanced vision-based measurement precision in the semiconductor industry. When EPCOS introduced wafer processing at its Munich production facility in 2004, the company also chose to rely on the 3D measurement technology from Siscan to measure the height of bumps on flip chips used in mobile phone production.

Rising production output Output at the EPCOS plant continued to steadily rise. As a result, a new fully automatic Siscan wafer inspector MC128 was added to production in July 2006, equipped with an advanced 3D confocal 128-channel sensor. The system automatically measures components on a wafer. Featuring an integrated wafer-handling robot, it is able to remove up to 25 wafers from a cassette, place them on a wafer chuck for measurement, and then return them again to the cassette. Thus, the system achieves a very high level of throughput at 100% inspection. In terms of accuracy, the system conducts bump measurements with a repeat accuracy in the sub-µ range at 3σ. Consequently, it is ideally suited to handle the increasing measurement precision demands of the industry. The Siscan wafer inspector MC128 can also easily be taught to perform new bump measurements. Its adaptability is well-suited for the production environment.

The Siscan wafer inspector MC128 takes wafers out of a cassette with up to 25 wafers, places them onto a wafer chuck for measurement, and returns them again – fully automatically

Continued cooperation Recently, the Siscan team was commissioned to upgrade the inspection module delivered to EPCOS in August 2004 with a handling system. It has also supplied an additional Siscan wafer inspector MC128
that was delivered in May 2007.

EPCOS

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Contact: Richard Poleschinski, Siemens Munich [email protected] ea.automation.siemens.com

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Siemens AG

FACILITY AUTOMATION

3VL circuit breakers protect tap-off units up to 1,250A. An LD busbar trunking system enables hot swapping

Busbar trunking system used in solar cell production

Power to the fab Deutsche Solar AG, one of the world’s largest producers of mono- and multicrystalline silicon wafers for photovoltaics, recently built a new production facility at its Freiberg site to increase production capacity. A busbar trunking system offering many advantages over conventional cable-based systems handles the supply of the plant’s power-intensive processes.

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he extensive expansion of the production facilities at Deutsche Solar in Freiberg, located in the German state of Saxony, comes in response to the rapidly growing market for solar cells. Construction of the new production building for silicon used in solar cells on the outskirts of the city of Freiberg got underway in mid 2004. The main low-voltage distribution system as well as the five transformers, each supplying 5,000A to the 400V network, are not located on the ground floor of the new production building, but rather one level higher than the actual production facilities. The electrical connection between the transformers and the main low-voltage distribution system is handled by an LD busbar trunking system. The system covers the current range from 1,100A to 5,000A

FabFocus 2007

at a cross section of only 24 x 18cm. The busbar systems are available in standard lengths of 1.60m, 2.40m and 3.20m, but also in precise centimeter-specific lengths for configurations of over 50cm. This important system feature enables optimum adaptation to existing building conditions.

Hot swapping LD busbar trunking systems allow for hot plugging and unplugging of tap-off units up to 1,250A. Connected consumers need simply be switched off. 3VL series circuit breakers handle shortcircuit and overload protection of the individual tap-off units from 800 to 1,250A. To protect consumers with lower current loads of 125A to 400A, the tap-off units are equipped with fuse switch disconnectors with integrated Sitor fuses.

Maintenance-free connections The various tap-off units are connected with the help of single-bolt joints. This type of connection features very low transfer resistance, and is also maintenance-free. Appropriate cup springs ensure that the single-bolt joints are always pressed onto the individual busbar connections with the assembly torque of 80Nm after installation. Continuous contact resistance plays an extremely important role particularly for large busbar systems. Additional advantages are evident in the high-level shortcircuit resistance, much higher than that of cables, as well as in the fire load, which is considerably lower in busbar systems than in cables.

Integrated design The integrated design of the busbars, feeders and cross-section modules helped to facilitate planning and installation at the Deutsche Solar production plant. The special connection technology created secure connections with low transfer resistance even at high currents, which are also maintenance-free. Thanks to their compact dimensions, their length flexibility, as well as their cross-section options in three axes, the busbar systems enable tailored adaptation to existing building conditions. This naturally also applies to any extensions and
modifications of existing systems. Contact: Rainer Rosenloecher, Siemens Nuremberg [email protected]

FACILITY AUTOMATION

Sunwin – A project of superlatives

New fab approach New ideas are frequently developed outside of the office. This was the case with the new 8’’ DRAM fab of the Taiwanese chip manufacturer ProMOS Technologies Inc. in Chongqing, China, for which the initial business model was developed at a restaurant. Siemens could have chosen making a standard product supply offer. Instead, it submitted an end-to-end proposal to supply the complete scope of power, electrical and control packages – an approach that offers significant benefits.

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ith the proposed fab site located in Chongqing – a remote region in the South-West of China, ProMOS expected to encounter multiple challenges: • Familiar partners for project execution, as well service and support infrastructure are not available • In time delivery of spare parts has to be secured • Huge variety of Chinese regulations – investors usually face a long approval procedure – particularly with the Chinese Power Supply Bureau (PSB) This has been the motivation to develop a business concept, which reaches further than the traditional product supply scheme. Siemens approached this project as an Electrical Engineering Procurement Company (EEPC) with following scope of supply for power, electrical and control packages: • Planning, design, budgetary estimate • Support of approval procedure with the local Power Supply Bureau • Project execution including project management, installation and commissioning • One source of supply for products used in the power, electrical and control package • Service, support and spare part supply by local Siemens partners

The Siemens proposal has been introduced to ProMOS and was very positively perceived. After the first hurdle has been taken Siemens Power Turnkey Division has been incorporated into the project to take the role of a Siemens EEPC. Conceptual and basic design of the Siemens portion has

Project contribution Power package: • High-voltage gas insulated transformers • Power transformers • Medium-voltage switchgear • Distribution transformers • Protection relays • Project management • Installation and commissioning Electrical package: • Low-voltage Sivacon switchgear • Motion control center (MCC) • Busbar systems • Project management • Installation and commissioning Control package: • Simatic for facility monitoring and control system (FMCS) • Simatic for facility subsystem control (gas, water, chemicals) • Field instrumentation for FMCS

Siemens AG

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Sunwin Chongqing B Investor: ProMOS Taiwan B Investment volume for building and facility infrastructure of Phase 1: 200’ USD B Product: DRAM, 25nm technology B Size of the cleanroom: around 30,000 sqm per fab module B In total 4 fab modules planned for Chongqing fab cluster

been carried out by Advanced Engineering in Singapore, a proven Siemens partner – not only for this project. The Taiwanese EPC L+K was chosen by ProMOS to take over the overall planning responsibility. The following two years have been surely a challenge for all involved Siemens parties. Siemens mastered the challenge to handle a project of this kind – not being just supplier of products, solutions and engineering, but actively developing the design on an EPC level for Power and Electrical systems. In this phase of the project L+K became a reliable partner of Siemens – an experience which could be the starting point to develop a close partnership for further projects. In August 2006, after many delays, caused by political issues between Taiwan and Mainland China and the flat market for DRAM, the project started again – this time with a very high speed. In January 2007 the entire Siemens bidding scope for high voltage, medium voltage and low voltage power distribution, as well as for control and drives systems has been awarded to Siemens – an overall volume of 28 million USD. A project of superlatives: For Siemens the biggest ever project in the Semiconductor Industry, for Siemens Limited China the biggest ever project for the Siemens low voltage switchgear factory.

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ProMOS Technologies For ProMOS, the Siemens solution brought with it numerous advantages: • State of the art planning and design of High, Medium and Low Voltage distribution with particular focus on reliability and cost saving • Reliable and in time project execution for one of the most sophisticated parts of the Fab infrastructure • Ensuring low costs of ownership through single source supply capability and strong service and support by local Siemens partners Many people from Siemens Headquarter in Germany, Siemens Taiwan and Siemens China contributed greatly during the more than 2 years project development time to the final success. It has been a good example of cross-regional cooperation: the Competence Center Semiconductor in Germany and Taiwan coordinated the initial phase of the project – development of business

Established in 1996, ProMOS Technologies is the world leading memory solution provider. Headquartered in Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan, the company has sales offices in Asia Pacific and North America. ProMOS Technologies is traded on the Taiwan OTC (symbol 5387). The Company has over 5,000 employees and a revenue (2006) of 60 billion NTD. ProMOS Technologies is renowned in the global DRAM industry for its outstanding performance in technology advancement and manufacturing efficiency. ProMOS started a technology alliance with Hynix Semiconductor, the world's leading semiconductor memory company, from 90 nanometer to 70 nanometer process technology and will jointly develop technology below 60 nanometer technology. ProMOS is the very first DRAM company in Taiwan employing 90 nanometer process technology to produce high-density DRAM products in 2005. The company is also the first DRAM company in Taiwan to launch 70 nanometer technology node in 2007.

model, facilitation of project capture teams in Taiwan and China, finding partners for basic design and project execution have been just few of the tasks. In the second phase of the project the ProMOS team moved to Chongqing site, Siemens Limited China and Semiconductor Competence Center China took offer the task to support the project further. Focus of activities in this phase of the project have been: Design

support for power distribution systems, support of negotiations between ProMOS and the state-owned Power Supply Bureau, bidding for the power, electrical and con
trol package. Contact Frank Wang, Siemens Shanghai [email protected] Christian Marks, Siemens Nuremberg [email protected]

Siemens earns high marks in Taiwan for its fab industry activities

The country of foundries With more and more US, European and Japanese multinationals outsourcing their operations to Asian firms in an effort to save costs and maximize profits, the Asia-Pacific region has quickly developed into the largest semiconductor manufacturing base in the world. The Taiwanese fab sector in particular has experienced massive growth within the past few years – thanks, in part, to the support provided by Siemens.

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ccording to one industry analyst, Taiwan presently ranks first with the most 300mm (12 inch) wafer foundries in the world. Chip manufacturers in Taiwan have been building 300mm foundries at a record pace. Already, the combined production of the currently eleven 300mm wafer foundries in Taiwan accounts for approximately 28 percent of the world’s total output.

Good reputation As surveys have indicated, Siemens enjoys a good reputation in Taiwan. Factors primarily cited by Taiwanese customers for choosing Siemens include the recognizable brand name, the quality of the products, as well as the company’s global reach in terms

FabFocus 2007

of know-how and service support. Mr. Yen, vice president of Chi Mei Optoelectronics Corp., confirms, “Together with effective service, the outstanding performance and quality of Siemens products and systems won the trust of Chi Mei.”

Track record of success Siemens has earned its stripes in Taiwan one customer at time with several successful semiconductor-related projects. In 2004, for example, Siemens A&D supplied Inotera, a joint venture between Quimonda and Nanya Technology Corporation, with a WinCC-based automation platform for its new 300mm DRAM production facility – complete with Siemens Simatic controllers and Micromaster drives. In the area of dis-

play technologies, Siemens was awarded the entire clean room automation contract at the TFT/LCD production facility of Lightsonic Optoelectronics Inc. (LOI) in Hsinchu, Taiwan. References also include the “Eagle” project of the Acer Display Technologies (ADT) production plant in Lung Tan, Taiwan, one of the leading manufacturers of thin film transistor (TFT) displays. Mr. Wong, director of the Facility Div., Manufacturing Group, at ProMOS Technologies, even goes so far as to say “Reliable products and efficient systems from Siemens help
us to reach our vision.” Contact: Harald Worsch, Siemens Taipei [email protected]

FACILITY AUTOMATION

Siemens AG

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CuCMP wastewater treatment solution for semiconductor

Selective, effective filtration As the industry leader for copper CMP slurry solutions, Siemens Water Technologies has developed a variety of treatment methods, including precipitation/clarification, solids removal through microfiltration followed by regenerable ion exchange, as well as the patented Copper SelectTM process. Siemens Water Technologies recently implemented an automated CMP and copper CMP (CuCMP) wastewater treatment system at the site of a California-based semiconductor tool manufacturer – with great success.

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s a result of recent advancements in semiconductor device technology such as 300mm wafers and the use of copper as an interconnect, many manufacturers find themselves facing increasing water demands, rising costs for water usage, as well as more stringent environmental regulations. Copper sludge is classified as hazardous waste in many parts of the world. Traditional technologies such as precipitation and electrowinning are not as cost effective for treating copper-bearing slurries. Concentrated wastes from precipitation treatment systems must be transported to hazardous waste facilities for treatment or disposal at great expense to the manufacturer.

No longer economically suitable When the treatment system at the site of a California-based semiconductor tool manufacturer was evaluated for cost of owner-

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Copper Select™ ion exchange process

Effective on-site recycling As the name already implies, the Copper Select™ ion exchange process treats copper-bearing slurry by selectively removing the dissolved copper. Solids removal or chemical addition is not necessary; however, slight pH adjustments are made to maximize the efficiency of the treatment system. After pH adjustment, activated carbon is used to catalytically decompose hydrogen peroxide to water and oxygen. The oxygen generated during this process is vented to the atmosphere. The peroxide-free copper-bearing slurry is then treated with a copper-selective ion exchange (IX) resin, which binds the dissolved copper. There is no significant fouling of the IX resin from the solids present in the slurry. Once it has reached its copper-loading capacity, the spent ion exchange resin is sent offsite for regeneration. Following regeneration, the resin is returned for reuse in another service cycle. The system can be installed as a point-of-use system in the sub-fab area of the facility for treating a small number of tools or in the central utilities building for treating an entire line of copper CMP tools.

ship, it was found that the largest cost factor was removing the hazardous waste sludge produced by the existing precipitation/clarification system. The copper sludge produced by the treatment system was classified as a hazardous waste as mandated by the state of California.

digital vision

Effective copper removal The company approached Siemens Water Technologies, as they were looking for a way to remove the copper prior to particle flocculation and precipitation. Among the solutions considered was a patented ion exchange process marketed as Copper Select. The process removes copper from copper CMP wastewater without the need to remove the CMP solids in the water. This allows the copper-free wastewater, still bearing the CMP solids, to be sent to a traditional precipitation system for flocculation and coagulation.

FabFocus 2007

The treatment solution included a system with a multipurpose collection/pH adjustment tank in the lead position. This was followed by the Copper Select ion exchange copper removal system. Finally, the remaining solids were removed in a standard dualchamber continuous precipitation system, followed by dewatering using a filter press.

Positive impact After a few initial start-up adjustments, the 20-gallon-per-minute system effectively removed copper in the ion exchange process and solids in the dual-stage precipitation unit. Analysis of the dewatered solids showed copper levels of less than 1.0 parts per million, which met the requirements for non-hazardous landfill disposal in California. The copper that was bound to the ion exchange resin was recycled after the resin had reached capacity and was sent for regeneration to a Siemens Water Technolo-

CuCMP wastewater treatment benefits • copper removal from rinse waters, concentrates and slurries • removal of suspended solids • reclamation of up to 80% of the CMP wastewater

gies regeneration facility. Many state governments in the U.S. offer rewards to companies in the form of tax credits for their recycling efforts. With the new CuCMP wastewater treatment system at the California facility, all of the metals from the spent regenerant are recycled. Thus, Siemens Water Technologies was able to provide the customer with recycling certification as documentation for state and federal haz
ardous waste code compliance.

Contact: Alan Knapp, Siemens Portland [email protected]

Meyer Burger

PRODUCTS

ET 200S Compact used to control cutting systems at Meyer Burger

Precise slices The high-precision slicing machines of Meyer Burger need an automation system that offers high accuracy and speed along with a modular and versatile system design. With the Simatic ET 200S Compact remote I/O system, Meyer Burger found a solution that satisfies all these requirements.

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eyer Burger, headquartered in Steffisburg, Switzerland, is a manufacturer of high-precision slicing machines used for cutting and processing hard, brittle materials such as quartz, glass, ceramics, sapphire and silicon. With over 3,500 installed machines worldwide, the company’s customer base includes product manufacturers in the photovoltaic, optical, ceramics and semiconductor industries. In wafer manufacturing, for example, highlevel slicing accuracy is vital for separating materials. The first cut of the raw material is critical for avoiding subsequent processing – and, thus, also for reducing costs. To handle the periphery data control requirements of its cutting systems, Meyer Burger relies on the ET 200S Compact.

Reduced wiring, greater flexibility For the fast, precise slicing tasks of its cutting systems, Meyer Burger was in need of a compact, modular control solution that offered fast reaction time while also minimizing wiring overhead. The distributed

remote I/O system of the scalable ET 200S Compact range proved an ideal solution, one with several advantages. For one, it enabled the signals of the various sensors and circuit breakers to be bundled and evaluated by the Profibus network already in place. Thanks to the comprehensive (wiring) preassembly of the modules, final assembly proved very simple, requiring only the connection of the bus cable. Integration of the module also greatly reduced the module wiring complexity in the switching cabinet. “The use of the ET 200S Compact enables distributed data collection directly on our machines, which are then forwarded via Profibus to the control. That reduces the wiring complexity and considerably increases our flexibility,” as Dr. Urs Schönholzer, head of research and development
at Meyer Burger, notes. Contact: Christian Vierthaler, Siemens Zurich [email protected]

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Compact, modular, cost-efficient Available either as a pure digital input module 32DI standard or a combined digital I/O module 16DI/16DO version, the ET 200S Compact adds a new highdensity block style I/O option to the ET 200S range of remote I/O features. With its small footprint, ET 200S Compact requires very little cabinet space. Simple to connect, it is also a very cost-efficient solution for frequently needed simple I/Os.

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Simatic HawkEye 40T/45T decoders

SEMI F47 certification for 3RT1 contactors

Up to industry standards

Positive code identification

Siemens 3RT1 series 24VDC contactors recently passed tests conducted at EPRI Solutions Power Quality Laboratory in Knoxville, Tennessee for SEMI F47 compliance. SEMI F47, the “Specification for Semiconductor Processing Equipment Voltage Sag Immunity,” is an industry standard that defines to what extent semiconductor equipment must be able to tolerate voltage sags or dips on the control voltage supply. Semiconductor equipment is particularly susceptible to voltage sags, occurring about once a month in semiconductor fabs around the world. SEMI F47 specifies the minimum voltage sag ride-through capability design requirements for equipment used in the semiconductor industry. Equipment that complies with SEMI F47 is sim
ply more reliable and, consequently, also more productive.

Simatic HawkEye 40T/45T handheld readers utilize a high-performance Siemens image processing algorithm to provide enhanced reading stability for two-dimensional (2D) data matrix and one-dimensional (1D) bar codes. Equipped with a high-resolution reader head, the devices are particularly effective for deciphering difficult-to-read low-contrast and damaged codes, and also ideally suited for direct part mark (DPM) codes created by laser, dot peen or inkjet systems. Moreover, Simatic HawkEye 40T/45T devices are certified as “Department of Defense Unique Identifier (UID) string validator.” Depending on the version, the devices are capable of communicating with a host computer using various interfaces, including RS232, USB, PS2 or Bluetooth. Data is

Sirius protection for solar cell production

Solid solution products, who can supply much of what we need from a single source, and who has a proven record of reliability,” Steffen Ebert, group manager of electrical planning at Roth & Rau, explains. The successful integration at Roth & Rau offers an excellent example and proof of the fact that complex applications can benefit greatly from the use of modern low-voltage switchgear. This applies not only to machine and equipment
manufacturers, but also to users.

Siemens AG

Roth & Rau, a plasma technology company located near Chemnitz, Germany, uses Sirius solid-state contactors to control and monitor its PECVD (plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition) equipment. The company, generally regarded as the top supplier of anti-reflection coating equipment used in solar cell production, is pleased with the results. “We have chosen a systems partner who can supply the electrical and electronic equipment for our

Simatic HawkEye 40T/45T is used for a broad range of industrial and commercial parts identification and tracing applications

Siemens AG

displayed on an integrated screen, and also enables reader configuration with the HawkEye 45T model. Sturdy, reliable and cost-effective: Simatic HawkEye 40T/45T decoders are used for a broad range of industrial and commercial parts identification and tracing applications, including components utilized in the automotive, aerospace, medical, electronics as well as the semiconduc
tor industry.

FabFocus 2007

Contact: [email protected] www.siemens.com/simatic-sensors/mv

NEWS

Osram and Siemens team up for semiconductor shows

Joint offer for semiconductor Osram provides customers with cutting-edge lamp technology while keeping high quality aspects in mind

Osram

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In 2007, customers will notice a change in Osram’s presentation at most SEMICON shows. As Osram is now an addition to the Siemens booth, customers visiting just the one stand will benefit from a greater selection of facility and turnkey solutions.

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ne hundred years of innovation – this was the motto for Osram’s centennial celebrations in 2006. In fact Osram engineers developed the first mercury short arc lamps as early as the 1930s. Since then the technology has been further improved and today customers can choose from a product portfolio with power consumptions ranging from 200 watt up to an impressive 16,000 watt. This can only be done in close collaboration with our OEM partners. They have to be deeply involved right from the product development stage to assure that our extensively custom-built solutions will fit their applications. Mercury short arc lamps have played a big role in semiconductor manufacturing where a share of the lamps’ emission spectrum and selected spectral lines are used for wafer exposure. Originally optimized to the g-line (436nm) of mercury and a power consumption of up to 1,000 watt,

further miniaturization of wafer structures has required lamps that are I-line optimised (365nm) with power outputs of up to 5,000 watt. Osram provides customers with cuttingedge lamp technology while keeping high quality aspects in mind and is one of the major lamp suppliers for leading I-line system providers in Europe and Japan.

Powerful lamps for steppers and scanners As already mentioned, success in the semiconductor market is based on close collaboration with the system manufacturer during the early development stage. For many years Osram has been chosen as a major lamp supplier for ASML, a leading supplier of advanced technology systems for the semiconductor industry. This successful partnership started way back in the early nineties with the development of a 350 watts lamp for the first I-line systems and reached its current peak in 2006 when Osram provided a high-pressure 5,500 watt lamp for its latest Twinscan 450E release. As Marc Verdiesen ASML product manager for Twinscan states: “Our customers measure productivity in wafer throughput per hour and the lamp is one of the driving factors for achieving higher productivity through increased lamp intensity and lamp life. Osram’s HBO 5510PI was one of the

milestones in achieving our target of providing a system with the highest wafer throughput in the market.”

High wattage lamps for large surfaces Rather than developing microstructures for wafers, the production of LCD and PCB requires the illumination of large surfaces. The increasing size of LCD panels up to 2.4m x 2.7m requires high power lamps, whereby 50,000 watts lamps are now even being considered. With LCD lamps ranging from 4kW up to 16kW, Osram can support the growing demand for spare parts for LCD illumination systems and is well positioned to lead the market when it comes to improving performance by way of higher intensity, longer life products.

Customers are partners Osram has technical representatives in all countries in the world where semiconductors, LCDs or PCBs are manufactured and can therefore offer its customers in-time product availability and excellent customer
support whenever it is needed.

Contact: Guenther Feuereisen, Osram Berlin [email protected]

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Trade shows for the semiconductor industry For more information about the Siemens offerings for the semiconductor industry, we invite you to visit us at the following trade shows:

Semicon West July 17 – 19, 2007, Moscone Center, San Francisco, CA, USA South Hall, Booth 1530

Semicon Taiwan September 12 – 14, 2007, Taipei World Trade Center, Taipei, Taiwan Visit the exider dome at Semicon Taiwan www.siemens.com/exiderdome

Semicon Europa October 9 – 11, 2007, New Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre, Stuttgart, Germany, Hall 3, Booth 2668

Semicon China March 18 – 20, 2008, Shanghai New International Expo Centre, Shanghai, China

Find out more: www.semi.org

FabFocus 2007

… your Profit

Higher productivity – with integrated solutions for more flexibility and transparency

Maximize …

totally integrated

A company’s productivity curve should definitely show an upward trend – particularly in the semiconductor industry, where enormous competitive pressure rules. Siemens helps you thoroughly exhaust all available optimization potential. Thanks to our comprehensive product and system spectrum as well as our extensive sector and process know-how, we implement integrated solutions that are perfectly tailored to your needs. Complete integration of all functional areas allows us to create maximum transparency. All of this ensures a long-term rise in your competitive ability through Totally Integrated Automation.

www.siemens.de/semiconductor