Tool-to-Tool Interface Standardization

The semiconductor industry has historically prioritized and defined a large number of standards for communication interfaces between the factory and the processing equipment, for equipment receipt of material from the fab, and for data transfer from the equipment to host systems [1]. With the introduction of 300 mm processing equipment, basic physical interface standards were defined and adopted with resulted in significant cost savings and simplification of equipment interface designs, and enabled the near-unilateral adoption of pervasive automated intrabay delivery of material to equipment Despite the benefits realized by the adoption of physical interfaces standards for carriers and loadports, very few standards exist to define mechanical interfaces between equipment and the factory (facilities, plumbing, supports etc.). Additionally, to date there has been minimal standardization of interfaces between wafer handling automation platforms and process chambers. Although SEMI standards exist which define the mechanical interfaces between the process chamber and the wafer handler (SEMI E21, E22, E26) to date existing standards have not been widely adopted by equipment manufacturers. It is presumed that existing cost savings and interoperability advantages can be realized through further standardization than what is currently pervasive in 300 mm equipment. This paper will discuss the potential merits for extending physical and logical interfaces beyond their current scope to comprehend interfaces between process equipment and facilities, and between process modules and wafer handling platforms.