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These excerpts taken from the ASYT 10-K filed Jun 12, 2008. Semiconductor
Manufacturing Automation
Advances in semiconductor production equipment and facilities
have supported the continuation of historical trends toward
production of more complex devices on ever larger wafers.
Although significant capacity is in place for producing chips on
200mm wafers, most of the industry’s incremental capacity
is being added for production of
Table of Contents
chips on 300mm wafers. Semiconductor devices are increasingly
complex, driving the need for more process steps. Line widths
for many advanced production chips have decreased to less than
65 nanometers and are expected to decrease further. In addition,
the increasing cost of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and
facilities, as well as the continuing trends toward decreasing
unit prices for many semiconductor devices, continues to push
semiconductor manufacturers to maximize manufacturing
productivity. Keeping pace with these trends presents
semiconductor manufacturers with a number of technical and
economic challenges.
In response to these challenges, many semiconductor
manufacturers use automation systems to maximize tool and
facility utilization, efficiency and yield, and to minimize
cycle times, investment in
work-in-process
inventory, mishandling, misprocessing and contamination. We
believe that semiconductor manufacturers will increase their
commitments to these solutions in their fabs, given trends
toward lower cost semiconductor devices, the increasing cost of
fabs, the increasing cost of
work-in-process
inventory, and the ergonomic issues introduced by the weight and
bulk of loaded 300mm wafer carriers.
As device dimensions decrease, the harmful effects of
microscopic contamination or abrasions during the manufacturing
process increase, heightening the need for isolation of wafers
throughout manufacturing and controlled environments around
tools. Isolation technology allows for control of the
environment in the immediate vicinity of the in-process wafers
and the tools. Wafers are enclosed in sealed carriers, which
provide additional environmental control during storage,
transport, and loading and unloading of the tools. The carrier
is docked with an automated system that typically includes a
load port or other door-opening device and a robotic transfer
arm to move the wafer from the carrier to the tool. An enclosure
with engineered airflows surrounds and encapsulates this system.
Because wafer carriers fully encapsulate the wafers during
transport between process steps and during tool loading and
unloading, these devices also help protect the wafers from
accidental damage due to mishandling.
Semiconductor manufacturers are also increasingly automating the
tracking, sorting, stocking and transport of wafers throughout
the fab, as well as wafer carrier loading and unloading at the
tool. In 200mm manufacturing, these technologies are employed to
reduce the risk of misprocessing, efficiently to track and
manage
work-in-process
inventory, and to speed the movement of wafers between
manufacturing steps. In 300mm manufacturing, these technologies
take on added importance because of the increased value of
typical 300mm wafer lots and the ergonomic issues associated
with human transport and loading of heavy, bulky 300mm wafer
carriers.
Semiconductor Manufacturing Automation Advances in semiconductor production equipment and facilities have supported the continuation of historical trends toward production of more complex devices on ever larger wafers. Although significant capacity is in place for producing chips on 200mm wafers, most of the industry’s incremental capacity is being added for production of
Table of Contentschips on 300mm wafers. Semiconductor devices are increasingly complex, driving the need for more process steps. Line widths for many advanced production chips have decreased to less than 65 nanometers and are expected to decrease further. In addition, the increasing cost of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and facilities, as well as the continuing trends toward decreasing unit prices for many semiconductor devices, continues to push semiconductor manufacturers to maximize manufacturing productivity. Keeping pace with these trends presents semiconductor manufacturers with a number of technical and economic challenges. In response to these challenges, many semiconductor manufacturers use automation systems to maximize tool and facility utilization, efficiency and yield, and to minimize cycle times, investment in work-in-process inventory, mishandling, misprocessing and contamination. We believe that semiconductor manufacturers will increase their commitments to these solutions in their fabs, given trends toward lower cost semiconductor devices, the increasing cost of fabs, the increasing cost of work-in-process inventory, and the ergonomic issues introduced by the weight and bulk of loaded 300mm wafer carriers. As device dimensions decrease, the harmful effects of microscopic contamination or abrasions during the manufacturing process increase, heightening the need for isolation of wafers throughout manufacturing and controlled environments around tools. Isolation technology allows for control of the environment in the immediate vicinity of the in-process wafers and the tools. Wafers are enclosed in sealed carriers, which provide additional environmental control during storage, transport, and loading and unloading of the tools. The carrier is docked with an automated system that typically includes a load port or other door-opening device and a robotic transfer arm to move the wafer from the carrier to the tool. An enclosure with engineered airflows surrounds and encapsulates this system. Because wafer carriers fully encapsulate the wafers during transport between process steps and during tool loading and unloading, these devices also help protect the wafers from accidental damage due to mishandling. Semiconductor manufacturers are also increasingly automating the tracking, sorting, stocking and transport of wafers throughout the fab, as well as wafer carrier loading and unloading at the tool. In 200mm manufacturing, these technologies are employed to reduce the risk of misprocessing, efficiently to track and manage work-in-process inventory, and to speed the movement of wafers between manufacturing steps. In 300mm manufacturing, these technologies take on added importance because of the increased value of typical 300mm wafer lots and the ergonomic issues associated with human transport and loading of heavy, bulky 300mm wafer carriers. This excerpt taken from the ASYT 10-K filed Jun 12, 2007. Semiconductor
Manufacturing Automation
Advances in semiconductor production equipment and facilities
have supported the continuation of historical trends toward
production of more complex devices on ever larger wafers.
Although significant capacity is in place for producing chips on
200mm wafers, most of the industry’s incremental capacity
is being added for production of chips on 300mm wafers.
Semiconductor devices are increasingly complex, driving the need
for more process steps. Line widths for many advanced production
chips have decreased to less than 65 nanometers and are expected
to decrease further. In addition, the increasing cost of
semiconductor manufacturing equipment and facilities, as well as
the continuing trends toward decreasing unit prices for many
semiconductor devices, continues to push semiconductor
manufactures to maximize manufacturing productivity. Keeping
pace with these trends presents semiconductor manufacturers with
a number of technical and economic challenges.
In response to these challenges, many semiconductor
manufacturers use automation systems to maximize tool and
facility utilization, efficiency and yield, and to minimize
cycle times, investment in
work-in-process
inventory, mishandling, misprocessing and contamination. We
believe that semiconductor manufacturers will increase their
commitments to these solutions in their fabs, given trends
toward lower cost semiconductor devices, the increasing cost of
fabs, the increasing cost of
work-in-process
inventory, and the ergonomic issues introduced by the weight and
bulk of loaded 300mm wafer carriers.
As device dimensions decrease, the harmful effects of
microscopic contamination or abrasions during the manufacturing
process increase, heightening the need for isolation of wafers
throughout manufacturing and controlled environments around
tools. Isolation technology allows for control of the
environment in the immediate vicinity of the in-process wafers
and the tools. Wafers are enclosed in sealed carriers, which
provide additional environmental control during storage,
transport and loading and unloading of the tools. The carrier is
docked with an automated system that typically includes a load
port or other door-opening device and a robotic transfer arm to
Table of Contents
move the wafer from the carrier to the tool. An enclosure with
engineered airflows surrounds and encapsulates this system.
Because wafer carriers fully encapsulate the wafers during
transport between process steps and during tool loading and
unloading, these devices also help protect the wafers from
accidental damage due to mishandling.
Semiconductor manufacturers are also increasingly automating the
tracking, sorting, stocking and transport of wafers throughout
the fab, as well as wafer carrier loading and unloading at the
tool. In 200mm manufacturing, these technologies are employed to
reduce the risk of misprocessing, to efficiently track and
manage
work-in-process
inventory, and to speed the movement of wafers between
manufacturing steps. In 300mm manufacturing, these technologies
take on added importance because of the increased value of
typical 300mm wafer lots and the ergonomic issues associated
with human transport and loading of heavy, bulky 300mm wafer
carriers.
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