How Advanced Packaging is Merging Semiconductor Manufacturing and Packaging

The semiconductor industry is witnessing a paradigm shift as advanced packaging technologies merge manufacturing and packaging processes into a seamless ecosystem. This integration not only streamlines production but also enables greater efficiency, performance, and reliability. At the heart of this transformation lies the SECS/GEM protocol, a critical enabler for communication between semiconductor equipment and host systems. By facilitating real-time data exchange and automation, SECS GEM is reshaping how advanced packaging and semiconductor manufacturing operate in harmony.

Introduction to Advanced Packaging and SECS/GEM

Advanced packaging has evolved beyond its traditional role of housing semiconductor devices. Today, it is an integral part of achieving enhanced device functionality. Techniques such as chiplet integration, fan-out wafer-level packaging, and 3D stacking have become the cornerstone of modern electronics. However, these intricate processes demand precise coordination, which is where the SECS/GEM communication protocol comes into play.

The SECS (SEMI Equipment Communication Standard)/GEM (Generic Equipment Model) protocol ensures seamless data transfer between equipment and host systems in semiconductor fabs. Its applications extend to advanced packaging lines, enabling manufacturers to synchronize equipment actions, monitor production in real-time, and minimize downtime. As advanced packaging blurs the lines between manufacturing and packaging, SECS/GEM integration becomes indispensable.

How SECS/GEM is Transforming Advanced Packaging

The advanced packaging process involves multiple steps, such as wafer handling, die attachment, and thermal management, each requiring high precision and repeatability. SECS/GEM software facilitates this by providing a robust communication framework that connects equipment and the central manufacturing execution system (MES). This integration enables advanced features such as recipe management, process control, and equipment monitoring, all of which are vital for modern packaging techniques.

Enabling Seamless Equipment Communication

The SECS/GEM interface ensures that all equipment within the advanced packaging line communicates efficiently. For instance, during chiplet integration, multiple machines must collaborate to achieve accurate alignment and bonding. The SECS/GEM communication protocol allows real-time status updates and error reporting, ensuring that any deviations are addressed promptly.

Streamlining Automation Through GEM300

GEM300, an extension of the SECS/GEM standard, brings added functionalities for high-volume semiconductor manufacturing. This standard is crucial for automating advanced packaging lines, enabling features such as carrier management and lot tracking. By leveraging GEM300 and SECS/GEM integration, manufacturers can achieve higher yields and reduced cycle times.

Enhanced Data Analysis for Process Optimization

SECS/GEM software collects a wealth of data during production, which can be analyzed to improve processes and detect inefficiencies. This is particularly beneficial in advanced packaging, where even minor inconsistencies can impact device performance. The protocol's ability to facilitate data exchange in real-time helps manufacturers optimize their processes continually.

Benefits of SECS/GEM Integration in Advanced Packaging

The integration of SECS/GEM communication into advanced packaging offers several advantages:

Improved Yield and Quality: With precise equipment coordination and real-time monitoring, SECS/GEM minimizes errors during critical packaging steps.

Reduced Operational Costs: By automating processes and reducing manual intervention, manufacturers can lower costs while maintaining high throughput.

Scalability: SECS/GEM's modular design allows it to adapt to different equipment configurations, making it ideal for diverse packaging requirements.

For example, during fan-out wafer-level packaging, precise placement of dies is essential. The SECS/GEM interface ensures that equipment operates within predefined parameters, reducing the likelihood of errors and improving overall efficiency.

Future Prospects of SECS/GEM in Semiconductor Manufacturing

As the semiconductor industry continues to push the boundaries of miniaturization and performance, the role of advanced packaging will grow in significance. SECS/GEM communication will remain pivotal in supporting this evolution. Innovations such as AI-driven process controls and predictive maintenance will further enhance the capabilities of SECS/GEM software, ensuring that semiconductor manufacturing and packaging remain tightly integrated.

The adoption of emerging technologies like 2.5D and 3D integration will also benefit from SECS/GEM communication protocols. These techniques demand an unprecedented level of equipment synchronization and data exchange, which SECS/GEM can readily provide.

Advanced packaging is not just a complementary step to semiconductor manufacturing—it is becoming an integral part of it. The SECS/GEM protocol plays a crucial role in merging these processes, offering a robust framework for equipment communication, automation, and optimization. By leveraging SECS/GEM communication and its extensions like GEM300, manufacturers can achieve new levels of efficiency and innovation.

As the semiconductor landscape continues to evolve, the importance of SECS/GEM integration will only grow. Whether through enhanced data analysis, seamless equipment communication, or robust automation, the SECS/GEM interface is at the forefront of driving the future of advanced packaging.

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Implement SECS/GEM Communication Protocol to Your Equipment

 SECS/GEM (SEMI Equipment Communications Standard/Generic Equipment Model) is an industry-standard protocol for communication between semiconductor equipment and a factory host. It was developed by SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) to provide a common language for equipment and factory host communication.

Implementing SECS/GEM communication protocol can offer several benefits to equipment manufacturers and semiconductor factories. One of the key benefits is improved efficiency in communication between equipment and the factory host. The protocol provides a structured and standardized approach to data exchange, which eliminates the need for custom interfaces and reduces the risk of errors.

Another advantage of SECS/GEM is improved productivity. The protocol allows the equipment to share data with the factory host in real-time, providing the factory with accurate and up-to-date information about the equipment status, process status, and other critical parameters. This helps the factory to identify issues early, optimize equipment performance, and minimize downtime.

Implementing SECS/GEM can also help equipment manufacturers to stay competitive in the market. Many semiconductor factories now require equipment to support SECS/GEM communication protocol to ensure compatibility with their factory host systems. By implementing SECS/GEM, equipment manufacturers can expand their customer base, improve equipment performance and reliability, and offer a more comprehensive solution to their customers.

To implement SECS/GEM communication protocol to your equipment, you need to follow a series of steps. First, you need to develop a SECS/GEM interface that is compliant with the SEMI standards. This interface should be able to receive and send messages according to the SEMI SECS/GEM standards.

Once you have developed the SECS/GEM interface, you need to integrate it with your equipment control system. This can involve modifications to your equipment software and hardware to enable SECS/GEM communication. You also need to test the SECS/GEM interface to ensure that it is working correctly and meets the SEMI standards.

Implementing SECS/GEM communication protocol can be a complex and time-consuming process, but the benefits are significant. By implementing SECS/GEM, you can improve communication efficiency, increase productivity, and stay competitive in the market. If you are considering implementing SECS/GEM communication protocol to your equipment, it is recommended to consult with an experienced SECS/GEM implementation specialist to ensure a successful implementation.

Quickest Way to Implement SECS/GEM Communication Protocol to Your Equipment

 SECS (SEMI Equipment Communications Standard)/GEM (Generic Equipment Model) is correspondence interface conventions for correspondence between semiconductor gear and a fab host. Fab host is a product application that is controlling and screens hardware handling utilizing SECS/GEM convention. SECS/GEM consistent gear can speak with the fab host utilizing either TCP/IP (utilizing SEMI guidelines E37 and E37.1 – HSMS) or RS-232 (utilizing SEMI standard E4 – SECS-I). The SECS/GEM standard interface is utilized to begin just as stop hardware handling, gather estimation information, select plans for items, and change factors. With SECS/GEM, this can be acted in a standard way. SECS/GEM convention has been normalized by the non-benefit affiliation SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International). Actually, take a look at www.SEMI.org to find out about SEMI principles and SECS/GEM convention.

To comprehend the SECS/GEM guidelines you should buy the accompanying 3 fundamental principles from SEMI:

SEMI E30 GEM Standard

Specification for the Generic Model for Communications and Control of Manufacturing Equipment (GEM)

This specification defines a standard implementation framework of SECS-II messages for basic semiconductor manufacturing equipment. By defining a common set of equipment behavior and communications capabilities around data collection, alarm management, remote control, configuration, and control, this Standard allows equipment suppliers to develop a single SECS-II interface that provides a solid foundation for host automation. It also allows device manufacturers to implement unique automation solutions within a common industry framework. This standardization reduces the cost of software development for both equipment suppliers and device manufacturers, which would in turn allow device manufacturers to automate semiconductor factories more quickly and effectively.

SEMI E5 SECS-II

SEMI E5 - Specification for SEMI Equipment Communications Standard 2 Message Content (SECS-II)

This Standard, otherwise known as the Specification for SECS-II messages, works with the Protocol Layer to define how messages are communicated between equipment and host. The functions defined in this Standard support the most typical activities required for IC manufacturing. Together with other SECS/GEM Standards, SEMI E5 helps define a software interface for monitoring and controlling manufacturing equipment.

SEMI E37 HSMS

High-Speed SECS Message Services (HSMS) provide a means for independent manufacturers to produce implementations that can be connected and interoperate without requiring specific knowledge of one another.

HSMS is intended as an alternative to SEMI E4 (SECS-I) for applications where higher speed communication is needed or when a simple point-to-point topology is insufficient. SEMI E4 (SECS-I) can still be used in applications where these and other attributes of HSMS are not required.

SEMI E30 GEM STANDARD

SEMI E30 - Specification for the Generic Model for Communications and Control of Manufacturing Equipment (GEM)

This specification defines a standard implementation framework of SECS-II messages for basic semiconductor manufacturing equipment. By defining a common set of equipment behavior and communications capabilities around data collection, alarm management, remote control, configuration, and control, this Standard allows equipment suppliers to develop a single SECS-II interface that provides a solid foundation for host automation. It also allows device manufacturers to implement unique automation solutions within a common industry framework. This standardization reduces the cost of software development for both equipment suppliers and device manufacturers, which would in turn allow device manufacturers to automate semiconductor factories more quickly and effectively.

Communication

The COMMUNICATION state model defines the behavior of the equipment in relation to the existence or absence of a communication link with the host. It also defines how communication is established or re-established with S1F13/S1F14 when communication is broken

Control

The CONTROL state model defines the level of cooperation between the host and equipment. The CONTROL model provides the host with three basic levels of host control which determine the host's ability to control the equipment:

OFFLINE (Lowest Level): Operation of the equipment is performed manually by the operator at the operator console. Equipment will respond with an SxF0 to any primary message from the host other than S1F13 or S1F17.

ONLINE/LOCAL (Middle Level): In this state, the host is only allowed to perform "read-only" operations like data collection. The host shall be prohibited from modifying any equipment constants that affect processes, remote commands that cause physical movement or which initiate processing.

ONLINE/REMOTE (Highest Level): In this state, the host may operate the equipment to the full extent available through the communications interface ("read-write" operations).

Processing

The PROCESSING state model is highly dependent on the equipment process, technology, and style. However, there are expected to be common aspects to these models.

Remote Command

The host can send commands to instruct the equipment to perform an automatic operation. E.g.: START, STOP, PAUSE, etc. This is similar to the manual operation performed by the operator on the console.

Variables

The GEM standard defines three types of variables that are accessible by the Host:

Status Variable: This is a "read-only" global variable defined in the equipment. Whenever there is processing the equipment will update the respective status variable to reflect the latest data. E.g.: incremental of some counter, current/previous state, etc.

Equipment Constant: This is a "read-write" global variable defined in the equipment. The host can set or modify the equipment constant variable which may affect the setting that in turn change the way equipment's behaviors.

Data Variable: This is a "local" variable which only exists in collection events.

Data Collection

SECS/GEM a couple of avenues for Host to collect data or information from the equipment:

A set of status variable values can be requested at any time using the S1F3 command.

A set of equipment constant values can be requested at any time using S2F13

The host can define a report containing a status variable, equipment constants, and data variable then attaches it to a collection event. When equipment raises the event (using the S6F11 command), the report containing those variables' values will be sent together.

The host can define traces which will do a sampling of status variable data at a periodic basis.

Another way is to leverage alarm notifications to collect more data with collection events. By standard, whenever an occurrence or clearance of an alarm, an event (collection event) must be sent to the Host.

Alarm Notification

This feature allows the Equipment to notify the Host of every occurrence or clearance of an alarm/error on the equipment. Alarm refers to that occurrence that is abnormal, undesirable and endangers people, equipment, or physical material being processed.

Below are some of the characteristics of Alarm Management defined by GEM:

Each alarm has two associated state models. ALARM SET (occurrence) and ALARM CLEAR (clearance)

Each AlarmSet and AlarmClear has an associated Collection Event. This is to address the host's potential need for more extensive and flexible data reporting.

A host can request which Alarms to be enabled/disabled and Equipment will only notify the Host for the enabled Alarms.