SEMI E30 – GEM (Generic Equipment Model)

This is the key standard for efficient host-equipment communication. It provides a common set of equipment behavior and communication capabilities offering the functionality and flexibility that semiconductor fabs expect as well as state models.

It covers typical behaviours and communication patterns of the equipment required by semiconductor factories, including State Models:

• Communication State Model: Defining equipment behavior in regard to connectivity status to host system
• Control State Model: Defines access rights für operator and host systems depending on the status (Online-Remote/Online-Local/Offline)
• Equipment Processing State Model: Defines Processing States (e.g. “Idle”, “Executing” or “Pause”) with the respective equipment behavior

Further State Models are limits monitoring and spooling:

• Remote control: The fabhost (MES) can initiate process and production control via commands and receives feedback on the results of commands or events.
• Parameterisation: The fabhost (MES) can parameterise the equipment via so-called equipment constants.
• Data: The fabhost (MES) can query non-transient data whenever necessary or receive transient data with events if this data is linked. The fabhost can link data with events.
• Process Program Management (recipes): Transfer of plant instructions (called "recipes") between host and production equipment
• Material movements: Material transfers between equipments, buffer stations or storage units are reported to the fabhost, including notification of the arrival or removal of materials. The material transfers are carried out by production employees, AGVs, robots, tracks or permanently installed material handling systems.
• Data collection: Various options for obtaining information and data as a host. Both event-controlled and time-controlled conversions are possible.
• Alarm Management: Capability of the equipment to inform the host about alarm messages regarding occurring alarms, their acknowledgement or clearing

With these functionalities, GEM utilizes the previously in SEMI E5 (SECS-II) specified messages, streams and functions. Furthermore the SECS/GEM standard requires that semiconductor equipment suppliers provide a GEM documentation including messages and a compliance statement.