Lam Analysis launches collaborative robots to optimize essential upkeep in chip factories

Chip gear producer Lam Search launched Dextro, the chip business’s first collaborative robotic (cobot) designed to optimize essential upkeep duties in chip factories.

The robots have been deployed in a number of superior wafer fabs all over the world. Dextro allows exact, high-precision upkeep to attenuate device downtime and manufacturing variability. It generates vital first-time outcomes (FTR) that may enhance throughput in wafer fabs.

If profitable, robots might make semiconductor manufacturing – which is the idea of billions and billions of income within the electronics business – way more environment friendly.

At this time’s wafer manufacturing gear makes use of superior physics, robotics, and chemistry to create nanoscale semiconductors. A typical manufacturing unit has lots of of course of instruments that every require common and complicated upkeep.

Dextro is designed to enhance the profitability of this gear by performing essential upkeep duties with repeatability with sub-micron accuracy.

“Dextro represents an thrilling development in semiconductor manufacturing gear upkeep. Designed to work side-by-side with manufacturing engineers, it performs complicated upkeep duties with precision and repeatability past human capabilities alone, enabling increased device availability and manufacturing throughput,” mentioned Chris Carter , vp of buyer help enterprise group. to Lam Analysis, in a press launch. “This can be a highly effective addition to Lam’s intensive portfolio of instruments and providers designed to assist chipmakers optimize their factories for price and productiveness.”

As manufacturing vegetation proceed to develop in dimension, geographic range, and gear complexity, chipmakers should optimize the effectivity of their manufacturing engineers by rising automation and enhancing effectivity. This turns into much more vital because the variety of semiconductor business positions worldwide continues to outstrip the supply of certified engineers.

Precision is essential in device upkeep, the place exact reassembly of subsystems leads to clear outcomes. Attaining FTR saves money and time. Repeatable upkeep additionally reduces waste related to consumable components, labor and manufacturing downtime, resulting in much less variability and better manufacturing yield.

“When manufacturing gear requires upkeep, the work have to be accomplished rapidly and effectively to keep away from prolonged device downtime and pointless prices,” mentioned Younger Ju Kim, vp and expertise workforce chief Reminiscence Etch at Samsung Electronics, in a press launch. “Dextro’s error-free upkeep helps enhance manufacturing variability and effectivity. That is an thrilling step in Samsung’s journey in the direction of the autonomous manufacturing unit.

Dextro is a cell unit with a robotic arm operated by a producing technician or engineer. It makes use of numerous finish effectors to deal with essential gear upkeep duties which can be time-consuming and error-prone when carried out manually.

For instance, it exactly installs and compresses consumable parts with greater than twice
the precision of handbook utility. Exact meeting permits etching efficiency to be managed on the fringe of the wafer, thereby enhancing yield.

Dextro torques high-precision vacuum-sealed bolts to precise specs, relieving manufacturing engineers of a repetitive process that has an error price of as much as 5% when carried out manually. Precisely assembly specs eliminates chamber temperature deviations that may put a device out of manufacturing and affect die efficiency.

Moreover, Dextro eliminates polymer buildup on the facet partitions of the chamber, with out having to disassemble the decrease chamber. Importantly, this poses a decrease danger to people who require heavy protecting respiratory gear to carry out this process manually.

Lam’s Flex G and H sequence dielectric etching instruments are presently supported by Dextro, increasing to
further instruments in 2025 and past.

“With the large improve in demand that AI brings to the semiconductor market, it’s important for chipmakers to function all of their manufacturing gear as effectively as potential to attenuate downtime ” famous Bob O’Donnell, president of TECHnalysis Analysis, in an announcement. . “Dextro can automate tedious, time-consuming and infrequently complicated cleansing and upkeep duties on chip manufacturing gear in order that manufacturing output might be maximized. It provides an enormous profit to companies that select to deploy it.

Dextro joins a portfolio of clever options from Lam that enhance effectivity and scale back the price of operation of semiconductor manufacturing vegetation. This consists of Lam Tools Intelligence course of instruments with autonomous calibration and self-adaptive upkeep capabilities, in addition to gear intelligence providers that use information, machine studying, synthetic intelligence and perception of the Lam area to realize higher productiveness outcomes.