SEMI Standards Overview
Discover how the standards create the foundation for reliability, efficiency and quality in the semiconductor, photovoltaic and electronics manufacturing industries.
What are SEMI standards and what is their purpose?
The global industry association SEMI is a network organization for semiconductor, photovoltaic, electronics and other high-tech industries. It aims for collaboration to enable efficient and high quality, addressing the top challenges together. One component to reach these goals are the SEMI Automation Standards. They provide guidelines for fabhost and equipment communication and behavior to ensure seamless efficient interoperability and fast integration. These standards, agreed upon by suppliers and customers within these technologically highly demanding industries, are refined and updated regularly, meeting new industry requirements.
Different standards deal with particular tasks. While the SECS/GEM (SEMI E5, SEMI E30, SEMI E37) and EDA standards deal the equipment-host-communication, GEM300 standards beyond that address Carrier handling (SEMI E84, SEMI E87), Job Management (SEMI E40, SEMI E94) as well as Substrate Management (SEMI E90) within the production equipment. In doing so, they enable an even higher level of automation than the SECS/GEM standards already do. Dedicated standards for equipment performance tracking (SEMI E116) and basic equipment reliability data (SEMI E10) can give OEMs and fabs information on equipment efficiency. Visualization design standards like SEMI E95 ensure clarity and fast reaction capabilities when operating with the GUI.
Complying with the right SEMI standards
When to apply which standard depends on the level of factory automation, a special goal or the industry itself. The SEMI standards can be segmented in detail as follows:
- SECS/GEM
- GEM300
- EDA (Interface A)
- Cybersecurity
- PV2
EDA (Interface A) – Sporting High-Volume Data to Improve Productivity and Quality
Equipment Data Acquisition (EDA) is an additional interface, co-existent to SECS/GEM. It allows real-time monitoring on the host’s side and enables prompt issue identification. By having timely access to accurate data, EDA/Interface A empowers decision-makers to implement data-driven strategies for process optimization, quality improvement and yield-enhancement.
Key Components of Equipment Data Acquisition
- Common Meta Data: EDA/Interface A defines a common set of metadata, including equipment model with Equipment Self-Description, status, parameters, and events. This standardized metadata structure ensures consistency in data representation across different equipment types and manufacturers.
- Data Collection Services: The protocol supports various data collection services, such as periodic data collection, event-driven data collection, and conditional data collection. The creation of customized Data Collection Plans (DCPs) is possible. This flexibility allows host systems to retrieve data based on predefined triggers or conditions, enabling proactive decision-making and process optimization.
- Event Notification: EDA/Interface A facilitates real-time event notification from equipment to host systems. Events such as equipment state changes, alarms, and process deviations are communicated instantly, enabling rapid response and minimizing production disruptions.
- Error Handling: The standards include mechanisms for error detection and recovery to ensure robust and reliable communication between equipment and host systems. Error codes and recovery procedures are defined to address communication failures and data inconsistencies effectively.
EDA/Interface A standards
Common Standards – applicable in SECS/GEM, GEM300 and EDA
General standards can be implemented, but are not decisive for compliance with SECS/GEM, GEM300 or EDA. For example, the SEMI E109 Specification for Reticle and Pod Management (RPMS) standard has a strong link to GEM300 as it uses the same mechanisms as Carrier Management (SEMI E87), but its implementation is not necessarily required.
The standards create added value in areas such as data quality (SEMI E160), uniform definition of key elements of an SECS interface (SEMI E172) for faster integration or a more comprehensive time synchronization approach (SEMI E148) than the basic requirements described in SEMI E30.
Standards
- SEMI E99 - Specification for Carrier ID Reader/Writer
- SEMI E109 – Specification for Reticle and Pod Management (RPMS)
- SEMI E142 - Specification for Substrate Mapping
- SEMI E148 - Specification for Time Synchronization and Definition of the TS-Clock Object
- SEMI E157 - Specification for Module Process Tracking
- SEMI E160 - Specification for Communication of Data Quality
- SEMI E172 – Specification for SECS Equipment Data Dictionary (SEDD)
- INACTIVE: SEMI E127 - Specification for Integrated Measurement Module Communications: Concepts, Behavior, and Services (IMMC)
Providing secure Production Equipment: Cybersecurity SEMI Standards
The Cybersecurity SEMI Standards play a vital role in ensuring the integrity and security of semiconductor manufacturing processes. These standards provide guidelines and best practices for safeguarding sensitive data, preventing cyber threats, and maintaining the reliability of semiconductor production facilities. By adhering to the SEMI Standards regarding cybersecurity, manufacturers can bolster their defense against evolving cyber risks and uphold the trust of customers in the semiconductor industry.
Cybersecurity Standards:
Easy Equipment Integration: SEMI Standards for Photovoltaic industry and Electronic Production
SEMI provides industry-specific standards for the PV industry and electronics manufacturing that are tailored to the respective requirements. This is a subset of the SEMI standards for the semiconductor industry. By standardizing practices and technologies from different manufacturers, they aim to improve efficiency, quality and interoperability.
PV and Electronics manufacturing Standards:
