Lam Analysis Corp. this week launched Dextro, its first collaborative robotic arm designed to optimize essential upkeep duties on semiconductor wafer fabrication tools. The Fremont, Calif.-based firm introduced that a number of superior wafer fabs world wide have deployed Dextro.
As fabs proceed to develop in dimension, geographic range, and tools complexity, chipmakers must optimize the effectiveness of their human engineers by growing automation, famous Lam Analysis. That is changing into much more essential because the variety of semiconductor positions worldwide continues to outpace the provision of expert engineers.
Precision is essential in software upkeep, the place the correct reassembly of subsystems interprets to the underside line, the firm stated. Reaching first-time proper (FTR) saves time and value, it asserted. Repeatable upkeep can even scale back waste related to consumable elements, labor and manufacturing downtime, resulting in much less variability and better yield in manufacturing.
“When manufacturing tools requires upkeep, the work have to be achieved rapidly and effectively to keep away from prolonged software downtime and wasted value,” stated Younger Ju Kim, vice chairman and head of the Reminiscence Etch Know-how Group at Samsung Electronics. “Error-free upkeep by Dextro helps drive enhancements in manufacturing variability and yield. That is an thrilling milestone in Samsung’s journey to the autonomous fab.”
Lam Analysis helps semiconductor accuracy
Practically each superior chip in the present day is constructed with Lam expertise, claimed the corporate. It stated it designed Dextro to attenuate software downtime and manufacturing variability.
Inside a fab, accuracy issues. Semiconductor manufacturing operates with nanoscale accuracy, and whereas Dextro doesn’t have that stage of accuracy, Lam Analysis stated its activity is to keep up the instruments to persistently produce at nanoscale. The result’s important FTR outcomes that may improve yield.
Lam stated it designed Dextro to handle a whole bunch of course of instruments, every requiring common, advanced upkeep. These essential duties require repeatability with sub-micron precision. There isn’t any financial use case for a devoted cobot at every course of software. As a substitute, the new system could be repositioned across the fab as the method instruments are taken offline for upkeep.
“Dextro is a cell cart that’s guided and docked to a chunk of kit, then operated remotely by a fab engineer or technician,” defined Russel Dover, common supervisor of the Buyer Assist Enterprise Group at Lam Analysis. “The cart comprises the cobot’s management techniques and comprises a lot of the core expertise.”
When requested concerning the typical upkeep cycle, Dover replied, “The size of time varies relying on the applying. A single software may take as much as half-hour together with docking and undocking time. Completed manually, it could usually take two to 4 instances longer. A single Dextro unit can service as much as 100 Lam Flex chambers at a upkeep frequency of 1 time monthly.”
UR5e cobot on the heart of Dextro
On the coronary heart of Dextro is aUR5e cobot arm from Common Robots. The UR5e has a attain of 850 mm (33.5 in.) and a payload of 5 kg (11 lb.). Geared up with a fast change end-of-arm wrist, Dextro can rapidly choose the suitable finish effector for the particular upkeep ask, akin to:
- It exactly installs and compresses consumable parts with greater than two instances the accuracy of handbook software. Exact meeting helps management etch efficiency on the wafer edge, enhancing yield.
- Dextro tightens vacuum-sealing, high-precision bolts to precise specs, relieving fab engineers of a repetitive activity with as much as a 5% error price when achieved manually. Precisely assembly specs get rid of chamber temperature deviations which will take a software out of manufacturing and influence die yield, stated Lam Analysis.
- Utilizing automation and cleansing expertise, Dextro removes side-wall polymer build-up inside the chamber, with out the burden of disassembly of the decrease chamber. Importantly, it does this at decrease danger to people who require heavy protecting respiration tools to carry out the duty manually.
Automation guarantees to cut back downtime
“With the big enhance in demand that AI is bringing to the semiconductor market, it’s essential for chipmakers to maintain all their manufacturing tools working as effectively as potential to attenuate downtime,” famous Bob O’Donnell, president of TECHnalysis Analysis. “Dextro can automate tedious, time-consuming, and sometimes intricate cleansing and upkeep duties on chip fabrication tools in order that manufacturing output could be maximized. It provides an enormous profit for corporations that select to deploy it.”
“Dextro is an thrilling leap ahead in semiconductor manufacturing tools upkeep” stated Chris Carter, group vice chairman of the Buyer Assist Enterprise Group at Lam Analysis.
“Constructed to work aspect by aspect with fab engineers, it executes advanced upkeep duties with precision and repeatability which can be past human functionality alone, enabling larger software uptime and manufacturing yield,” he defined. “It’s a highly effective addition to Lam’s intensive portfolio of instruments and companies designed to assist chipmakers optimize their fabs for value and productiveness.”
Lam’s Flex G and H collection dielectric etch instruments are supported by Dextro, which is able to increase to extra instruments in 2025 and past.
Dextro joins a portfolio of Lam techniques meant to reinforce effectivity and scale back the price of operations for semiconductor fabs. It consists of the Lam Gear Intelligence course of instruments with autonomous calibration and self-adapting upkeep capabilities.
The portfolio additionally consists of Lam’s Gear Intelligence Companies, which use knowledge, machine studying, synthetic intelligence, and Lam area data to realize higher productiveness outcomes.
Dextro cobot in a semiconductor fab workcell. Supply: Lam Analysis