PicoTech offers a wide range of Cassette-to-Cassette Vacuum Transfer Systems and Equipment Front-End Modules (EFEM) by Hine Automation. Both atmospheric and vacuum systems are presented in this section.
Cassette-to-Cassette Vacuum Transfer Systems
Cassette-To-Cassette Vacuum Transfer Systems integrate the reliability of Hine Vacuum Robotics and the latest system integration technology into a functional design with a small system footprint. These Systems can be customized to many process applications including Atomic Layer Deposition, Physical Vapor Deposition, Chemical Vapor Deposition, Metal and Oxide Etch, MR Head Deposition, MEMS, and compound semiconductor applications.
Equipment Front End Module (EFEM)
An Equipment Front End Module (EFEM), a mainstay of semiconductor automation, transports product (silicon wafers or quartz photomasks) between ultra-clean storage carriers and a variety of processing, measurement, and testing systems. The EFEM contains the key components needed to unload product, deliver it to the parent tool for processing and return the product to its carrier upon completion.
The EFEM is designed to be used with an existing OEM GEM base system and can be configured to handle a variety of wafers sizes from a maximum of 2 load ports to 2 load locks. In addition, Angled Transfer Chambers or process modules connect directly to the rear of the Equipment Front End Module (EFEM).
The EFEM hardware supports up to two load ports, an atmospheric robot with an end effector, a power system with safety circuits, a fan filter unit, a user interface, an aligner, a frame, and skins.
The base configuration accepts open cassette load ports for 150mm and 200mm wafers, SMIF load ports for 200mm wafers, and FOUPs for 300mm wafers. These load ports are designed to automatically detect the loaded transport wafer carrier size with its presence sensors or Infopad.
The system implements unit-level software that communicates with the components within the DLP-300 (robots, load ports, aligners, valves, fans, etc.) However, the OEM is responsible for integrating communication with their platform.
