In the Semiconductor industry, smart manufacturing is focused on equipment and processes in the front-end with applications covering process monitoring, equipment workflow optimization, and yield analysis. While many smart manufacturing technologies heap attention on cleanroom operations, attention is also now turning to the sub fab, which can have a disruptive impact on the cleanroom operations. Keeping subfab equipment (such as vacuum and material delivery systems, abatement systems, and chillers) running smoothly has often taken a back seat to the cleanroom, though in many cases, the health of sub fab assets directly impact the company’s bottom line. For example, an abrupt and unexpected pressure change in a processing chamber during production can have the same impact as a processing tool going down. Both events can result in production stoppages, high wafer scrap, and loss of revenue.
In this presentation, Pfeiffer Vacuum Technologies together with Aidentyx will discuss how smart manufacturing can be applied to ensure the health of one of the most critical subfab equipment – the vacuum pump. Through an actual case study, we will illustrate how semiconductor manufacturers can use advanced subfab analytics to monitor vacuum pump health and performance to prevent unexpected failures to the asset and subsequently eliminate disruption in the sub fab and also in the cleanroom.