ISMI News

ISMI Announces 300mm Next Generation Factory Program for Near-Term Gains

Chiba, Japan (5 December 2007) – Amid opening headlines at  SEMICON Japan 2007,  the International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI) today announced its 300mm Next Generation Factory (NGF) Program to answer the industry’s pressing need for lower costs and reduced cycle time in 300mm wafer manufacturing.

The 300mm NGF Program adds two projects and enhances three others in a strategy that focuses on global infrastructure for 300mm hardware and software. It includes 300mmPrime and is supported by ISMI’s four other programs in Continuous Improvement, 450mm Manufacturing, Metrology, and Environment, Safety and Health.

“The 300mm NGF Program offers a wider look at 300mm productivity with a broader set of initiatives – and it works for companies whose business plans don’t necessarily include a larger wafer size,” said Scott Kramer, ISMI Director. “Our priority is to extend productivity improvements to existing 300mm fabs in addition to supporting ‘green field’ facilities. Some of our work also will be transportable to older 200mm and 150mm factories.”

Kramer and other technologists will provide details on the new program at the ISMI Industry Briefing from 3:30‑5:30 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 6, at the International Conference Hall, room 101, in Makuhari Messe.

Projects comprising the 300mm NGF Program include:

  • First Wafer Delay/Setup Reduction, a new project whose goal is to reduce the time between the delivery of a lot to a process tool, and the time the first wafer begins processing
  • Small Lot Size, another new effort aimed at defining the equipment and manufacturing specifics needed to enable small lot sizes for factories engaging in high-mix or accelerated cycle time production
  • Predictive, Preventative Maintenance (PPM), refocused to establish member company requirements, guidelines, and feasibility for using data to improve equipment availability and productivity
  • Equipment Data Quality, an enhanced drive to establish member company requirements, guidelines, and best practices for the availability and delivery of high-quality data
  • Fab-wide EDA proliferation, aimed at enabling current and future analysis of large amounts of data transferred in real time. This widened project supports several others, including PPM, data quality, and equipment chamber matching.

Kramer said the 300mm NGF Program will be a proving ground for concepts relevant to chipmakers planning to engage in 450mm manufacturing. “Companies at all levels will be served by NGF,” he noted. “Current 300mm fab productivity is just as important as the eventual transition to 450mm manufacturing, and the NGF program is a critical enabler to the 450mm program.  Our aim is to achieve significantly higher manufacturing productivity for all of our member companies and the industry, in the near future and beyond.”