Online information source for semiconductor professionals

Product Briefing Outline: Crossing Automation has announced that it has improved its Spartan equipment front end module (EFEM) performance, enabling it to achieve 450 wafers per hour (wph) throughput. By upgrading Spartan’s production-proven software algorithms for wafer move paths, Crossing Automation now has the highest throughput capability of any commercially available EFEM, while maintaining Spartan’s established reliability and cleanliness performance. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: ExpressSolutions starts by identifying and understanding a customer’s requirements for a specific process and ends with the implementation of an optimized wafer transfer system. By using Crossing’s modular ‘ExpressConnect’ automation solutions, ExpressSolutions delivers custom configurations that reduce overall cost and time-to-market while maintaining OEM differentiation at the process level. As part of the offering, ExpressSolutions facilitates the design, system integration and documentation of a complete wafer automation platform and its ongoing support. This allows customers to leverage internal engineering resources and achieve reduced acquisition costs, reduced inventory build-up and benefit from low platform support costs. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Crossing Automation’s ‘ExpressConnect’ family of wafer-level automation components is designed to provide the industry with a standardized platform that delivers both high-reliability and high-throughput to vacuum wafer handling systems for semiconductor manufacturing. It uses a unique modular solution to wafer-level automation for semiconductor manufacturing that delivers a 20 to 70% smaller footprint; greater flexibility; lower cost; higher productivity; and throughput up to 250 wafers per hour. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Brooks Automation has introduced the vacuum process tool automation platform ‘Marathon 2 Nano,’ which is designed to enable smaller footprints for 300mm semiconductor processing equipment. Brooks has included many new features developed from interrelated components that are designed to offer improved process module architecture. Brooks Automation’s Marathon 2 Nano vacuum transfer platform with MagnaTran 9 vacuum robotics and Fusion controls enables a combination of layout flexibility, process module density and overall productivity improvement. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Pfeiffer Vacuum has broadened its line of ‘HiPace’ turbopumps to include four new sizes. They are characterized by their high pumping speeds for both light (H₂, He) and heavy gases (Ar, CF₄), achieving high throughputs for heavy gases. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Bosch Rexroth has developed a semiconductor wafer lift subassembly ready to install as a single component, helping tool builders lower costs, streamline their supply chain, and reduce engineering expenses. The lift subassembly has a stroke of 2.25 inches and a duty cycle time of one cycle per second. It carries a load of 12 pounds and is also exposed to a vacuum load of 108 pounds. Read more >>

One of the equipment suppliers that consistently brings out new products is KLA-Tencor. However, the metrology supplier rarely figures in the most popular rankings in any given year. That has changed in 2008 with its TeraFab tool. Although only released recently, the fifth most popular product was from TEL and Novellus for copper interconnects. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Swagelok has introduced the Swagelok ALD liquid injection valve. Featuring the ability to vaporize liquid precursors inside its valve body, the ALD liquid injection valve dispenses precursors and purge gases into ALD tool chambers in precisely measured, precisely timed pulses. The valve is one part of the ultrahigh-purity Swagelok ALD diaphragm valves. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum has introduced TURBOVAC SL, a line of high-reliability mechanical turbomolecular vacuum pumps for semiconductor manufacturing, analytical instrumentation, R&D and other demanding applications. The pumps feature extreme durability, ease of use and several innovations that simplify and improve incorporation into customer equipment. Read more >>

Product Briefing Outline: NEHP has utilized return on investment modeling developed in-house to better assess the cost of installation of major tools using a modular approach versus traditional stick-built methods and the timeline for tool installation from Dock to Signoff.  According to NEHP, its 3D or 2D P&ID pre-packaged modules have reduced costs by an estimated 14 – 49% (based on degree of modularity and tool complexity) and schedules by as much as 30 to 35% from start to finish (see Figure 1). Complete tool pre-facilitization techniques and solutions prior to tool arrival on the fab floor have been developed, resulting in significant cost savings that have been modeled by NEHP. Read more >>