Hine Automation Delivers DLP-300 EFEM – Increases Throughput Capacity, Minimizes Downtime

Hine Automation Delivers DLP-300 EFEM – Increases Throughput Capacity, Minimizes Downtime

CHALLENGE

Custom Engineering to Address Heat Requirements and Substrate Size

Hine Automation consistently exceeds expectations for quality and versatility in design and manufacturing. Unlike other limited off-the-shelf solution providers, Hine challenges itself to develop customized solutions when required to optimize throughput and minimize downtime.

A market leader in Rapid Thermal Processing approached Hine Automation with a need to improve its current efficiencies, which included the handling of substrates processed at temperatures exceeding 1000 degrees Celsius. Wafers processed at extreme temperatures pose a variety of handling and throughput difficulties, Hine’s expertise was leveraged to maximize the customer’s substrate yield utilizing the Hine DLP-300.

The customer required two separate cooling stations to stage material coming out of their process chambers as the processed material was still too hot to be placed back in the Load Ports. Additionally, the customer requested a flexible solution that could move 150mm and 200mm substrates using the same Equipment Front End Module (EFEM).

To meet the needs of this global provider, Hine was challenged to customize its DLP-300 EFEM to maximize the throughput of up to two of the customer’s process chambers with a system that could align, load, unload and cool processed substrates of up to two sizes.

SOLUTION

A Highly Configurable Solution Capable of Meeting Expedited Timelines

Hine worked with its customer to integrate the DLP-300 EFEM with its current process tools. The DLP-300 EFEM can handle substrates up to 300mm and is designed to be controlled with the customer’s existing SECS/GEM based system. It can be configured to handle a variety of substrate sizes from a maximum of two load ports to two load docs. (In this application, the DLP-300 is specific to two Load Ports, the Hine EFEM product line comes in 4 sizes, 1, 2, 3 and 4 load port configurations.)

Unlike off-the-shelf solution providers, Hine worked to address the unique needs to handle wafers heated over 1000 C. The solution provided the customer with the ability to have two separate cooling stations within the EFEM to stage material coming out of the process chamber, still too hot to be placed back in the Load Ports. After dropping off processed substrates, the customer can immediately process new substrates maximizing process chamber uptime.

Additionally, Hine integrated the DLP-300 EFEM into its HALO control software with configurable robotic components within the software environment. This feature allows any customer to operate and cycle the EFEM as a fully integrated system. When utilized, HALO can significantly minimize the time needed to run initial testing and operation of the EFEM using different control software platforms when integrated with other robotic component manufacturers.

The DLP-300 EFEM features:

• Designed to interface with existing OEM SECS/GEM Controls
• Designed with an ultra-clean FFU (fan filter unit) to be compatible with ISO class 1 cleanroom requirements
• Capable of supporting:
  • Up to two load ports
  • Up to two load locks
  • An atmospheric robot with end effector
  • Up to two aligners
  • Single & dual angled transfer chambers or a direct interface to process chambers
  • Custom buffer stations such as active and passive cooling stations
• Front end interface capable of accepting open cassette, SMIF and FOUP load ports up to 300mm.

SUCCESS

Applicable Design Solutions Provide Meaningful Results

Ensuring a successful project comes down to partnering with the right team who can leverage their experience, listen to the needs of its customer and work together to ensure the best solution forward. Hine’s high-performance DLP-300 EFEM allowed for fast and robust integration, improved reliability, and significantly reduced downtime. Additionally, Hine met the customer’s expedited timeline despite the difficult supply chain conditions in 2022.

 FINAL THOUGHTS

The Right Relationship Determines the Success of the Project

As a results-driven partner, Hine continues to innovate and push the boundaries of technology. From flexible research and development to stringent manufacturing environments, Hine provides each customer with unsurpassed quality and reliability to meet their unique automation challenges.

For more information on Hine Automation, visit our website: https://hineautomation.com/.