A wafer reclaiming service company approached cutting edge-ineering looking for a custom tool where they could load a FOUP/FOSB and automatically read and record in a Microsoft Access database the etched identifying marks on the back of the wafers.  While there were commercial solutions available, the customer had limited physical space inside the Fab and needed the tool to be narrow with the HMI (Human Machine Interface) located on the narrow side of the tool.

cutting edge-ineering worked with Tetra Systems Solutions, and NAVIGIST|group to design a tool that used commercially available off the shelf (OTS) parts, which included:

• Kensington Laboratories Robot & Wafer Pre-Aligner
• Cognex In-Sight 1720 Series Wafer Reader & Software
• Advantech Industrial Personal Computer (IPC)
• ICP DAS PC Based I/O Board & Software
• Hope Industrial Systems Touch Screen
• Microsoft C# Development Environment

The customer received an on-time tool that met their physical space requirements and provided the following functionality:

• Unloaded each wafer from the FOUP/FOSB; moved it to an aligner which positioned the wafer so the optical system could view and capture the image of the ID mark; records the ID in a Microsoft Access database and then returned the wafer to the FOUP/FOSB.
• Read all SEMI Standard scribes such as T7, M12, etc.
• Custom HMI allows reading of multiple scribes at various locations based on a customer defined recipe.
• Integrated bar code reader allowed for input of FOUP/FOSB IDs, Operator IDs, Traveler sheet IDs, etc.
• Provided a minimum of 155 wafers per hour through put.
• Only required a single 15A standard 110V AC connection and a 21 in. Hg vacuum source.

NAVIGIST|group's CEO/President, Craig Michaelis, provided the following services to cutting edge-ineering:

• Product research for the tool's Control System, Wafer ID Reader, IPC, and Touch Screen
• Design of the application's UI (User Interface)
• Database architecture for captured wafer data