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To: Justa Werkenstiff who wrote (14639)	7/6/1998 11:16:00 AM
From: Andrew Vance	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 17305

AV--I will try to explain in a concise fashion. This acquisition addresses the single wafer transfer issue for extending complete SMIF implementation solution. Even though many pieces of process equipment perform single wafer processing, the wafers are presented to the equipment using "batch" indexing of cassettes. For a great deal of the entire process, wafers are transferred from one piece of equipment to another using wafer cassettes that hold up to 25 silicon wafers at a time. These cassettes, in a SMIF fab, are contained within the Asyst POD (closed ultra clean portable cassette transfer unit with a removable port plate to allow access to the cassette of wafers). These PODS are carried from one processing location to another, where they are either loaded onto a SMIF ARM, ALU or Integrated indexer. These units will open the POD and either transfer the cassette, just index the wafers into the equipment OR allow for the hand removal of the cassette from the POD. Most of the processing operations are automated enough that allow for the use of either the automated indexer or the ARM. On certain operations like batch cleaning in an FSI system, you are required to remove the cassette of wafers from the POD and then hand place the cassette into a "rotory drum" type of equipment. All of these operations cover a vast majority of the "manufacturing operations" but does not address some of the "diagnostic, inspection or SPC" informational or data generation requirements to maintain good process control. These functions usually require 1-2 wafers [er cassette to be removed and run through some metrology tools like those supplied by KLAC and other companies. These operations include dopant concentration, film thickness, critical dimensions, defect inspection, resistivity, reflectance, etal., thus requiring these test wafers to be removed from the wafer cassette. A portion of the metrology or inpsection equipment are still single wafer "stage" units that are not capable of transferring a single wafer from a cassette to the wafer stage of these units. In order to accomplish this, it is desirable to have an "automated single wafer pick and place unit". For those of us that are old enough to remember Juke Boxes, I have a rather poor analogy. Today we have CD changers that allow you to load a "batch" of CDs into a magazine (The Pioneer 6 pak system) and the CD player is able to "index" the CDs out of the cassette for an automated solution. However, on the Sony Carousel model, you have the 5 CDs that are placed on the platter (BTW this type of unit resembles some of the ion impanters in uase today as far as using a wafer carousel) that require hand loading of the CDs each any everytime you want to change the type of music. This type of hand transfer is not as "clean" as constantly dealing with each self contained cassette of CDs. However, to improve the automation and cleanliness you might want to have the "arm mechanism" that took the records out of the long row of records in the jukebox and transferred it to the turntable in the jukebox. The HINE robotic arm provides this type of transfer. We know that ASYT has a "sort and merge system" that transfers single wafers or groups of wafers from one cassette to another to accomplish some of the "manual operations" mentioned above. I would not be surprised if the HINE system was integrated into those units. Furthermore, a more widespread implementation of this "single wafer" transfer unit could allow for an integrated transfer unit that would allow the POD to present the cassette and the HINE unit would then provide the automated transfer of any of the wafers to a stationary wafer stage. I hope this was not too confusing, but if it is, I will try to explain it again. I see this as ASYT filling in some minor voids in supplying 100% SMIF capability for the ENTIRE process as well as probably gobbling up one of its sub-component suppliers. I have had extensive hands on experience with ASYT and the HINE units, expecially in trying to address the single wafer "test wafer" processing through all the non process insepction operations. Therefore, I know what I am talking about. However, that does not mean I am able to explain it such that others understand. Comeback if the above doesn't make sense to you and I will try again.<GGG> Andrew