Download edition 2006 - Siemens

FabFocus
Solutions for the Electronic and Semiconductor Industry
Process Equipment
Siemens equips new
wafer fab for Siltronic
at Freiberg
Facility Automation
Building and process
automation concept
for Sunways solar cell
fab
Facility Automation
s
April 2006
USFilter
complements Siemens
Water Technologies

2 CONTENT EDITORIAL
2 EDITORIAL
FACILITY
AUTOMATION
3 Global solutions for
a universal solvent
USFilter acquisition offers
Siemens a promising water
platform
5 Flowing with
innovative ideas
Siemens water Technologies
offers clients tailored water
treatment solutions
6 Saving big on energy
Siemens Energy Management
systems help to optimize energy
cost savings potential
8 High-powered
solar performance
Integrated building and
process automation concept
at new Sunways solar cell fab
10 Pulling it all together
Siemens supplies comprehensive
solutions package for new
Infineon fab in Malaysia
12 Consistently successful
New wafer fab benefits from a
high degree of standardization
and an experienced project
management team
FabFocus
Publisher
Siemens Aktiengesellschaft,
Automation & Drives Division (A&D),
Nuremberg
Group Executive Management
Helmut Gierse, Hannes Apitzsch,
Dr. Peter Drexel, Anton S. Huber
Responsible for content
Peter Miodek
Responsible for technical content
Gerd Limmer
gerd.limmer@siemens.com
Andrea Lüdecke
andrea.luedecke@siemens.com
14 The joint work
of specialists
M+W Zander sets up an entire
factory in just two years
PROCESS
EQUIPMENT
15 Production cell integration
Simatic and Sinumerik
technology in etching tool
at Siltronic
16 Wafer handling with
the robotic touch
KUKA partners with Siemens to
optimize robot integration
18 Maximizing miniature
placement
ASE relies on Siplace placement
machines for its 0201
component production
20 Defining the
progressive edge
Siemens instrumental in
advancing new MVD technology
Publishing house
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Corporate Publishing
P.O. Box 3240, 91050 Erlangen
Phone +49 (0) 9131/91 92-5 21
Telefax +49 (0) 9131/91 92-5 94
Coordination: Sabine Zingelmann
Artwork and layout: Juergen Streitenberger
DTP
Doess, Nuremberg
Printed by
Stuertz AG, Wuerzburg
© 2006 by Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
Berlin and Munich.
21 NEWS/PRODUCTS
You can also visit us at the following trade shows:
• SEMICON Europa 2006 in Munich, Germany, April 4–6, 2006
• SEMICON West 2006 in San Francisco, USA, July 11–13, 2006
And this year for the first time:
• Hannover Messe Hanover, Germany, April 24–28, 2006
All rights reserved
by the publisher.
“FabFocus” is printed on
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Dear readers,
“Act today – focus on
tomorrow” is the
patented formula
which best sums up
our success. Engaging
in tomorrow’s global
trends and challenges
today already enables
us to provide our customers in the semiconductor
industry optimal support – now and in the future.
The creation of our Siemens Competence Center
for the semiconductor industry played a pivotal
role in helping us to analyze the requirements of
the market as well as the current demands of our
customers. These data in turn help us to coordinate
our activities in developing top-notch fab
industry solutions.
Take, for example, the issue of “energy management,”
rapidly gaining in importance particularly
in highly developed countries. Thanks to our
research, many of our customers are now very
interested in leveraging the benefits of the costefficient
energy solutions outlined in the article
on pages 6 and 7.
The examples provided by the other featured
articles in this edition of FabFocus also convincingly
underscore our continued dedication to
forward-oriented technologies. Apart from
innovative technological solutions, however,
“acting today and focusing on tomorrow” also
involves strategic acquisitions. Case in point:
the recent acquisition of USFilter (now Siemens
Water Technologies). While the economical water
treatment systems of the North American market
leader very logically compliment and expand the
Siemens industrial portfolio, they also position
us well for the budding global environmental
protection market – an industry which promises
to grow in leaps and bounds in the coming years,
as the cover story on pages 5 and 6 illustrates.
Resolute commitment to future technologies
through a well-balanced, coherent portfolio will
enable us to position ourselves well today and in
the future – together with our customers.
Gerd Limmer
Director Competence Center
Semiconductor Industry
Gerd Limmer, Siemens Nuremberg
E-mail: gerd.limmer@siemens.com
FabFocus 2006

FACILITY AUTOMATION
USFilter acquisition offers Siemens a promising
water platform
Global solutions
for a universal solvent
Water is undoubtedly one of the world’s most precious resources and an
integral part of every manufacturing process, including those of the electronics
industry. In 2004, Siemens purchased USFilter, a world leader in water and
wastewater treatment equipment and services. In the following interview,
Alan Knapp, director of the electronics market and strategic accounts at
USFilter (a.k.a. Siemens Water Technologies), offers his insights on the
importance of the acquisition and of water for the semiconductor industry.
Why is Siemens increasing its focus
on water?
Alan Knapp: The water industry will
spend approximately $400 billion dollars
this year purchasing equipment and services
for everything from municipal drinking
water systems to boiler feed water systems.
The industry continues to grow as
demands for purified water increase and
the available fresh water supply shrinks.
Many areas of the world are growing economically
but lack the infrastructure to deliver
clean water for municipalities or industrial
users. In addition to fresh water,
customers need waste treatment solutions
to protect the environment and existing
tributaries.
Who is USFilter/Siemens Water
Technologies?
Alan Knapp: USFilter was incorporated in
the early 1990s by a group of entrepreneurs
FabFocus 2006
with the vision of building a “one-stop
shop” for industrial, commercial and municipal
customers in the water and wastewater
treatment market. By assembling the
best technologies and service offerings
from small companies, USFilter was able
to bring a large portfolio to a varying customer
base.
Recognizing its opportunity to enter the
market, Siemens purchased USFilter in
2004, which will be known globally as
“Siemens Water
Technologies offers
a complete pure
water and
wastewater solution
to the industry”
Alan Knapp
Publicis CPZ
Siemens Water Technologies as of October
2006. With the product and service offerings
of USFilter in the water and wastewater
markets, Siemens is now able to offer the
technological expertise of both companies
to customers on an international level
through a worldwide network of sales.
How important is water?
Alan Knapp: Water is the world’s “universal
solvent” and, at the same time, the
“lifeblood” for the human race. The water
used in the critical manufacturing process,
however, whether for growing and cutting
a wafer or for producing a microprocessor,
requires process expertise which can
deliver water with extremely low impurity
levels – less than one part per trillion. There
is a major emphasis on delivering water of
the highest purity to their process, while
protecting the environment by treating
waste streams and conserving water used
within the manufacturing process.
What do you provide specifically for the
electronics industry?
Alan Knapp: Siemens Water Technologies
offers a complete pure water and wastewater
solution to the industry, providing
integrated treatment systems for the manufacturing
process, protecting the environment
and reclaiming wa-
ter through treatment
processes to conserve
this precious commodity.
Our core competency is
to provide technology,
quality equipment, services
and reliable process
solutions so that our customers
can focus on what
they do best.
3

4 FACILITY AUTOMATION
USFilter
Are there different demands in different
regions of the world?
Alan Knapp: Not for a given manufacturing
process. However, the feed water quality,
environmental conditions, regulatory
requirements and quantity of fresh water
available drive the need for a variety of different
treatment approaches. Environmental
protection agencies set minimum discharge
requirements for treating wastewater
effluent, and most companies treat to
a level that exceeds local regulations. The
cost and availability of water, as well as effluent
treatment restrictions, drive the
need for innovative technology. Now, for
example, wastewater that would normally
be discharged from the facility can be reclaimed
and re-injected into the process
water for manufacturing.
In detail, what does the Siemens Water
Technologies offering include?
Alan Knapp: Siemens Water Technologies
offers a full range of technologies and services
for all the needs within a facility’s central
utility building. We own, manufacture
and supply a wide variety of equipment and
products including filters, ion exchange
resin, continuous deionization units, membranes,
clarifiers, chemical feed units, biological
treatment systems, stripper/scrubber
units, and filter presses, to name just a few.
UV treatment is one of the solutions in the
Siemens Water Technologies portfolio
In addition to equipment solutions, we
offer experienced operations and preventative
maintenance service for our equipment
or that of other manufacturers. Outsourcing
with Siemens means no downtime!
We consider ourselves a part of the
customer’s factory team. This allows our
customers the ability to focus on the
manufacturing process and on improving
yields.
How will Siemens Water Technologies
benefit Siemens?
Alan Knapp: As part of the Siemens Industrial
Solutions and Services division,
Siemens Water Technologies is an integral
member of the Competence Center Semiconductor
Industry, providing an avenue to
market – equipping our customers with
many solutions in the manufacturing fab
and support facility as one company. Together
with Siemens Energy and Automation,
we can offer an integrated system
using Siemens-based controls and components,
reducing the number of vendors a
customer may have on a given system.
And what about the customers?
How will they benefit?
Alan Knapp: As the director of the electronics
market and strategic accounts, my
team and I are customer focused. Driving
USFilter
Bildhinweis
technology is what the electronics marketplace
is all about. In many instances, we
are aiding our customers by providing the
insight, process experience, testing and analytical
data to develop waste systems specific
to their waste requirements. An example
of that is our ammonia-treatment
design for a large US microchip manufacturer.
What does the future hold
for the industry?
Alan Knapp: In the past, the electronics industry
has been very cyclical. As we continue
down the path of digitalization, and
as more countries grow economic-dependent,
the demand for the microprocessor
will bring continued opportunities for
Siemens Water Technologies. The growth in
flash memory, sustained logic processors,
introduction of the photovoltaic and flat
panel display, has contributed to industry
growth. Manufacturers are better at managing
demand for their product while creating
new products. I believe we have the
platform for solid sustained growth in a
maturing market.
Mr. Knapp, thank you for taking the time
to speak with us.
With an increasing demand for purified water and shrinking
fresh water supplies, water treatment is a growth market
FabFocus 2006

FACILITY AUTOMATION
Siemens Water Technologies offers clients tailored
water treatment solutions
Flowing with
innovative ideas
Two case studies convincingly illustrate the benefits of the tailor-made water
treatment solutions of Siemens Water Technologies. In the first application,
the addition of several tools at the facility of a US manufacturer required an
increase in water consumption. This led the company to explore treatment
options that would increase water availability by using the existing equipment,
and to minimize capital cost and required floor space.
The system consisted of a conventional
makeup system using filtration, a
double pass reverse osmosis (RO)
membrane, ultraviolet light and mixed bed
equipment. Expanding the equipment would
have required a sizable capital equipment
investment and increased operating costs.
Moreover, there was no available floor space.
The original system process design included
ultra-filtration (UF) equipment where
5 percent of the UF reject is returned ahead
of the makeup RO. By installing a new reject
UF, 95 percent of the reject flow is sent
directly to the UPW tank, thereby reducing
the load on the makeup system. The remaining
reject stream continues to feed
back ahead of the makeup RO equipment
for a complete reclaim of the flow.
Now, 182 liters per minute of water are
reclaimed directly back to the UPW tank, increasing
makeup capacity also by the same
amount. This approach saved an additional
$200,000 over a conventional makeup system
expansion.
The system proved to be a very reliable,
simple and inexpensive way for the cus-
FabFocus 2006
tomer to increase makeup capacity by
approximately 10 percent. In addition to
increased quality and reliability, operating
costs were also lowered – what is more, at reduced
required floor space (only 1.4 square
meters).
Multistage ammonia wastewater
treatment
A large US semiconductor manufacturer required
an ammonia treatment system to
treat approximately 150 liters per minute of
ammonia bearing wastewater. Design criteria
included 24-hour per day operation and
a system uptime of 99.5 percent or greater
with the overall goal of reducing the
amount of waste trucked off site. Siemens
Water Technologies was selected to provide
a solution for this unique waste stream.
Because the waste stream contained a
number of contaminants in addition to ammonia
at substantial concentrations, the
customer preferred a modular approach
using multiple units with incremental flow
rates to treat to a low level of ammonia both
in the aqueous and gas phase effluents.
Tailor-made treatment solutions
frequently lead to substantial
process benefits
Siemens Water Technologies designed a
process capable of maintaining a steady pH
with varying flow rates and influent contaminant
concentrations. The pH adjusted
water is then treated using multiple skidmounted,
dual stage strippers and absorbers.
These modules were constructed as
a single FRP integrated system, with internal
walls separating the unit processes, and
can be brought online as needed to match
influent flow requirements. As a result, the
need for on-site construction was reduced
and the overall footprint required by the
modules kept to a minimum.
Offering system redundancy and very
high system availability without the need
for a duplicate standby treatment system,
the system exceeded the customer’s treatment
requirements and expectations. Use
of the multistage stripper allows a low profile
system while maintaining stripping efficiency.
�
Alan Knapp,
Siemens Water Technologies Portland
E-mail: alan.knapp@siemens.com
USFilter
5

6 FACILITY AUTOMATION
David Parker, Science Photo Library
Siemens Energy Management systems help to optimize
energy cost savings potential
Saving big on energy
Energy conservation plays an important role in safeguarding the environment
for future generations – an awareness which is also rapidly gaining in popularity
within the semiconductor industry. Prompted in part by stiffer regulatory
guidelines within the industry, fab operators are also increasingly discovering
that energy cost management solutions such as those provided by Siemens
really pay off.
While, on the one hand, the liberalization
of the energy market
in Europe has significantly extended
the options of semiconductor fab
operators for negotiating favorable condi-
tions with respect to energy supply, power
distribution equipment such as circuit
breakers or protection relays now enable
energy consumption values to be continuously
monitored. This increased energy
Siemens Energy
Management
services at a glance
Operating and monitoring: Displays
the current plant status, allows for
operation of the actors (switchgear),
concisely presents historic load curves
Reports: Clear, configurable output of
load curves and indication lists
Archive: Stores historical load curves
over long periods of time and possesses
configurable data consolidation
functions
Load shedding: Conducts short-term
supervision of energy consumption
(typically 15 minutes)
Load forecasting: Delivers energy
consumption forecasts based on the
production schedule (anywhere from
several hours to several days)
Cost center allocation: Calculates the
cost of the energy consumed and
assigns it to cost centers
Power quality: Power quality data
collection
Maintenance: Supports scheduled
maintenance and provides fast notification
in the event of a breakdown
transparency brings with it the potential
for significantly improved energy management
– and cost savings.
Siemens Energy Management systems
offer customers solutions to precisely analyze
and forecast energy costs, including
monitoring, data collection and evaluation,
as well as load forecasting and load shedding
services.
Technical building blocks
An Ethernet/IP network forms the backbone
of the Siemens Energy Management systems
as the common communications platform.
At the field level, Profinet and IEC
61850 devices can be directly connected to
the network. For devices with other physical
interfaces, gateways are provided.
A Simatic S7 PLC and a Windows PC
server to run the archiving and evaluation
FabFocus 2006

functions generally handle the data collection
of the Siemens Energy Management
system. For moderate requirements (e.g.,
data collection only) a soft PLC such as
Simatic WinAC is sufficient and can physically
run on the server PC. Several data collection
PLCs, on the other hand, can be used
for large configurations. Field devices deliver
their information to the PLC, which
buffers and archives them in a database on
the PC server.
Monitoring and reports
Monitoring and report services provide a
concise overview of the fab’s energy flow.
Recorded load data is displayed in a clear
layout, revealing major consumers and indicating
priorities for energy optimization.
Monitoring and report services also signal
high-load events as well as situations
which typically cause such load peaks.
This information can in turn be used to develop
strategies to avoid such critical situations.
Load shedding
Load measurements are generally taken as
mean values over a short period of time. To
keep demand below a predefined threshold,
it is important to determine the amount
Power Transmission
and Distribution
Siemens Power Transmission and
Distribution (PTD) offers complete electrical
energy supply solutions on a global
scale ranging from 72.5 to 800kilovolts,
as well as life-cycle services covering
everything from the power feed to energy
network consumers as well as emergency,
safety and communications networks.
The portfolio includes solutions
competence and country-specific knowhow
for the planning and implementation
of both national and international projects,
turnkey expertise, project management,
export management and the
integration of local suppliers as part of
a comprehensive solutions package.
More information:
www.siemens.com/energy
FabFocus 2006
Siemens AG
of energy consumed at the end of the current
interval as quickly as possible.
It may be necessary to throttle down or
turn off some consumers at short notice.
Such drastic actions should not be implemented
spontaneously. Load shedding
modules in the Siemens Energy Management
systems offer the possibility of specifying
a “turn-off strategy” precisely designating
which consumers to turn off and in
which order.
Load forecasting
Load forecasting provides a preview of a
fab’s load curve over a similar time frame
as the production schedule – anywhere from
several hours to several days in advance.
The load forecasting system generally
records data on production process behavior
in typical production situations. When
a fab is given a production schedule, production
is performed based on a characteristic
energy consumption pattern. These
data are metered as a load curve. The combination
of the production schedule and
the resulting load curve is stored in the
load curve database.
Once enough information is collected,
load forecasts are made. Based on the collected
load curve data, and combined with
data on the future production schedule,
the forecasting system selects those load
curves which were produced for similar
schedules.
The benefits of energy transparency
Siemens Energy Management employs
state-of-the-art tools such as monitoring,
load shedding and load forecasting to
allow customers to detect and more efficiently
manage their energy consumption.
The benefits of the increased energy
consumption transparency are numerous.
Monitoring reports provide an overview
of energy usage, signaling load peaks and
potential areas for significant energy reduction.
Load shedding is designed to
avoid load peaks by temporarily turning
off consumers and, as a result, postponing
energy consumption. The load curve is
smoothed and the level of demand cost
lowered. Load forecasting signals load
peaks several hours or even days in advance,
allowing for ample time to adjust
the production schedule.
�
Dr. Norbert Ploett, Siemens Nuremberg
E-mail: norbert.ploett@siemens.com
7

8 FACILITY AUTOMATION
One facade of the
TüArena sports
complex in Tübingen,
Germany, was
covered with
Sunways solar cells

Integrated building and process automation concept at new Sunways fab
High-powered
solar performance
For its new 30-megawatt mono- and multicrystalline solar cell production fab in Arnstadt, Germany,
the high-performance solar cell supplier Sunways commissioned M+W Zander to handle the entire
project, including the automation. Based on positive experiences on other projects, M+W Zander also
here opted for Siemens as a platform for automation of the fab.
Just as in the semiconductor
industry, solar
cell production occurs
under cleanroom conditions.
Ultra-pure water as well as
various gases and chemicals
are also needed.
Sunways awarded M+W
Zander with the general contract
to install the buildings,
facilities, utilities, etc. for
the fab in Arnstadt. Official
inauguration of the 3,200
square meter fab occurred on
September 9, 2005. To meet
the strong demand, a production
expansion to 80 megawatts
per year is already
planned.
The automation concept of
Siemens brings with it several
advantages for M+W Zander,
especially with respect to
its ability to exploit synergies
for other projects. The developed
standards for the chemical
cabinets, for example, can be used in
the same or slightly modified form for
other customers in the industry.
Simatic as platform for factory-wide
automation
Both the automation system of the cleanroom
as well as the one required for producing
ultra-pure water, for sewage treat-
FabFocus 2006
Photovoltaic
technology –
a growth industry
The photovoltaic industry is booming.
According to the Solar Industry
Association (USV), the German solar
industry is growing more rapidly
than expected. For 2005, the USV
forecasts the market to double to
approx. 300 megawatts at a sales
volume of some 1.5 billion euros,
and with about 25,000 employees in
the industry. Improved governmental
regulation in particular contribute
to this increased demand.
ment and for the chemicals supply system
with eight redundant chemical cabinets is
performed with components from the
Simatic family.
All technical supply and disposal systems
have local control and are integrated
in the central building control system via
bus links. Simatic S7-300 controllers with
Simatic OP270 operator panels are used for
the local HMI in the water section.
The chemical cabinets
each contain a Simatic S7-224
with Profibus module and a
Simatic OP177 micro operator
panel. All systems can be
operated completely independently,
and also feature
central visualization integrated
into the alarm system
via the Profibus network.
The decision in favor of a
Simatic-based integrated, factory-wide
automation platform
for the semiconductor
industry as recommended by
Siemens is already the standard
in many projects today.
This integration minimizes
the planning risk and integration
time while optimizing
the operation of facility
packets in critical system
states. For maintenance staff,
failure diagnostics, maintenance
and extension are simplified.
The variable communication possibilities,
high availability of components
and services throughout Europe as well
as the positive experiences made with
Siemens on other projects also spoke for
Siemens.
�
All pictures: Sunways, Ferit Kuyas
Johannes Schuchart, Siemens Nuremberg
E-mail: johannes.schuchart@siemens.com
9

10 FACILITY AUTOMATION
Siemens supplies comprehensive solutions package for new Infineon fab in Malaysia
Pulling it all together
Construction on the new fab – which will employ some
1,700 individuals – got under way in spring 2005, with
commissioning slated for 2006. “The construction timeline
is relatively tight,” as Dr. Werner Reczek, COO Infineon
Technologies Austria AG and project head of the Kulim fab,
points out. “This is a fast track project, and the schedule
is definitely tighter than other projects.”
C
urrently, construction is in its final
stages and has already successfully
met the ready for equipment deadline
in March 2006. Designed for a maximum
capacity of 100,000 wafers per
month, the 200millimeter wafers manufactured
at the new plant are designated
for Power IC and Power discretes production.
With the first production plant
solely dedicated to producing wafers
for power applications, Infineon is
well positioned to meet the rising
demand of the automotive industry
and industrial applications.
“When we decided to
build the new fab in Malaysia,
we had the Asian market in
mind, which is one of our main
business areas,” Reczek adds.
“Malaysia was our first choice
FabFocus 2006

Siemens AG
also because we already have one successful
fab in operation at Malacca.”
Quality systems for quality products
Power ICs are used in critical applications,
which is why the plant must fulfill the most
stringent criteria. “When you have a chip
controlling a safety feature such as an antilock
braking system, defects are simply unacceptable,”
Reczek explains. To reduce
project risks, Infineon once again chose to
select a proven partner in M+W Zander as
the general contractor, which had already
built other plants for Infineon. With Infineon
assuming responsibility for production
equipment and, in cooperation with
its partners, all layouts including the detail
engineering, M+W Zander has contracted
out power supply and distribution, automation,
process control, and facility management
systems. Infineon chose to award
the installation of the fab facility and IT
Infineon in Malaysia
FabFocus 2006
infrastructure, including cabling, data
and voice communication, network components,
telephone systems as well as access
controls, to an outside supplier – Siemens.
Thanks to its proven systems and solutions,
Siemens managed to secure an order
for several packages at the new fab, including
the entire medium and low voltage distribution
system, the building and process
automation of all of the buildings and systems,
as well as the technical construction
systems and process supply. Siemens will
also supply the turnkey IT infrastructure
solution consisting of active and passive
network components as well as the telecommunications
system. Simatic controllers and
the Simatic PCS7 process control system
will be used as a plant-wide automation system
for all building and process automation
tasks – from the cleanroom to utilities such
as high-purity water, wastewater, chemicals
supply, and technical gases.
The Kulim site is Infineon’s second plant in Malaysia. A fab in Malacca, set up some
30 years ago, now produces more than eight billion components for various semiconductor
solutions in four high-technology product groups.
While seeking another Power IC production site, the company once again selected
Malaysia because of the country’s skilled labor force, attractive cost position and good
infrastructure. Certainly, the positive experiences made at Malacca also played a role.
The site of the new fab, the Kulim High Tech Park in the Kedah province of Malaysia, is
already home to production facilities of Intel, Fuji, Entegris, and AIC Semiconductors.
Infineon’s presence is expected to attract further multinationals, especially from Europe.
Siemens AG
The automation solution must ensure a
high degree of availability as well as constant
round-the-clock ambient conditions
and media supply for heating, cooling, air
conditioning and compressed air.
In addition, Siemens will supply the access
control and public address systems, a
walkie-talkie system, as well as a closed circuit
TV system. Fire alarm and protection
systems, building automation systems and
heating, ventilation and air conditioning
products from Siemens are also being considered.
Systematic fast-track project support
Siemens coordinated its activities in Malaysia
in late 2004 already to be able to optimally
support Infineon. Project planning
also involved a close cooperation with M+W
Zander in Germany and Malaysia to enable
Infineon to fully leverage Siemens entire
semiconductor specific expertise from its
local Malaysia office.
As a result, Infineon was not only able to
benefit from Siemens comprehensive solutions
portfolio, but also from its extensive
local know-how. Both of the project
heads of M+W Zander and Infineon stress
the importance of an integrated approach
for the project. Having just one point of
contact for various packages such as power
supply, automation and facility management
systems facilitates a fast and troublefree
project execution. To date, the project
has gone exceptionally well, and Werner
Reczek as well as the entire project team
at Infineon are very satisfied. With the
Kulim fab, Siemens has not only proven
that it can provide key support for largescale
global semiconductor projects with
its knowledge and expertise, but has also
left a very good impression in the growing
Asian semiconductor market, where several
similar projects are expected in the
coming years.
�
Burkhard Mueller, Siemens Munich
E-mail:
burkhard.bm.mueller@siemens.com
11
Picture: agefotostock

12 FACILITY AUTOMATION
New wafer fab benefits
from a high degree of
standardization and an
experienced project
management team
Consistently
successful
Siltronic’s new wafer fab in Freiberg,
Germany produces 300-millimeter
wafer discs for export all over the
world. With a high degree of standardization
and consistent use of
Simatic PCS 7 as a process control
system, as well as standardized
Siemens technology for the energy
supply and building technology,
Siltronic is poised to fully exploit
the rationalization potential of
the new fab.
The new production line for 300-millimeter
wafers includes a pulling
line on which the polycrystalline silicon
is melted and pulled into monocrystals;
a wafer fab in which the crystals are cut
into discs; and, of course, the supply installations
as well as the wastewater and
exhaust air treatment systems. One of the
most striking features of the new fab is the
new production line, which is located in a
building measuring 130 times 70 meters.
M+W Zander, which was commissioned
as the general contractor for the wafer
fab, placed an order with Siemens to supply
the automation technology, energy supply,
and building control technology. Tenders
for all of these packages were requested
and examined separately. As Helmut
Hoeller, production manager at Siltronic in
Freiberg, reports, “Siemens was able to win
many of the packages outright. Besides, we
had already made a basic decision at the beginning
of the project to use Simatic PCS 7
as a platform for the process automation.
The result is a high degree of standardization
in the fab because almost all units and
assemblies are equipped with Simatic technology.
This makes maintenance, spare
All pictures: Siltronic
parts storage, and spare parts procurement
cheaper and easier. Having the same technology
and the same look and feel also
“Of course, we also took
factors such as reliability,
service friendliness, and
so on into account, in
addition to the basic
costs of the
implemented
technology.”
Bernhard Schmidt, project manager
at Siltronic in Freiberg
In the pulling fab,
the polycrystalline
silicon
for producing
300-millimeter
wafers is melted
and pulled into
monocrystals
means that the fab can be operated more
easily and with less manpower – which directly
effects production costs.”
Reliable partners and technology
Cost was an important factor in favor of
choosing Siemens technology for most
of the packages. “Of course, we also took
factors such as reliability, service friendliness,
and so on into account, in addition to
the basic costs of the implemented technology,”
explains Bernhard Schmidt, project
manager at Siltronic in Freiberg. Moreover,
Siltronic had already had positive
experiences with Simatic technology – in
Singapore, for example, where Simatic PCS7
was used for the first time.
“One advantage of a long-standing partnership
is that you know what you are buy-
FabFocus 2006

ing and are familiar with the strengths and
weaknesses of the technology,” adds Hoeller.
“In addition, we can continue to use our
own expertise that we have built up around
Simatic and other Siemens solutions.”
Simple integration
A network of many central plants and
smaller units is necessary to produce
wafers. However, semiconductor production
places very high demands on the
process control: all of the media and all environments
must remain absolutely clean,
because even the slightest contamination
can make the wafers useless. Siltronic
therefore keeps a batch record for every
disc, so that it is always possible to trace
which materials were used to make the
wafer, and under what conditions it was
processed – including all of the relevant
process and environment data.
Totally Integrated Automation and the
high degree of standardization simplify the
integration of the individual units into a
standardized automation and information
landscape. This also applies to the integra-
FabFocus 2006
“One advantage of a
long-standing
partnership is that you
know what you are
buying and are familiar
with the strengths and
weaknesses of the
technology.”
Helmut Hoeller, production
manager at Siltronic in Freiberg
tion of the energy supply and the building
technology, of course, which were delivered
and installed by Siemens as well.
Complex project completed
successfully
Just one year after laying the cornerstone in
October 2002, the wafer fab was ready for
equipment in November 2003, and the first
process machine went into operation only
Siltronic:
The silicon expert
Siltronic is one of the world’s largest
producers of wafers made of ultra-pure
silicon, and is a partner of many leading
chip manufacturers. The company
develops and produces wafers with
diameters of up to 300-millimeters at
locations in Europe, Asia, Japan, and the
United States. The largest of the
company’s three 300-millimeter
locations is Freiberg in Eastern Germany.
two weeks later. In June 2004, the fine-tuning
was completed and the first product delivered.
Hoeller and Schmidt are very
pleased with the way the project was executed.
“Of course, there were some difficulties,
but the great experience and expertise
of all of those involved helped us
avoid many problems altogether, and resolved
those that did crop up – thanks also
to the outstanding cooperation of the project
team,” says Schmidt.
The fab is now in the ramp-up phase,
on schedule, and will be producing 150,000
wafers a month in 2006. The implemented
technology performs well in routine operation,
as Hoeller confirms: “The fab is
running well and is stable. Minor problems
are easy to eliminate. I have to say that the
fab totally meets our expectations.” �
Hannspeter Pachel, Siemens Karlsruhe
E-mail: hannspeter.pachel@siemens.com
13

14 FACILITY AUTOMATION
M+W Zander sets up an entire fab in just two years
The joint work
of specialists
With its wide experience as a solutions provider for production fabs in the
semiconductor industry, as well as numerous references at home and abroad,
M+W Zander was a good choice to assume the role of general contractor
for the building of the new wafer manufacturing fab at Siltronic in Freiberg,
Germany. The well-designed process and the team of experienced partners,
including Siemens, ensured the successful completion of the project.
With some 8,000 people at 40 sites
worldwide, M+W Zander is a true
global player, and one of the world
market leaders in fab design for the microelectronics
industry.
The new Siltronic wafer production facility
at Freiberg was a typical turnkey order
for M+W Zander, which comprised
everything from the planning and design
to the operation commissioning of the
factory. M+W itself supplied the building
structure, including the cleanroom package
and all of the technical infrastructure
for the project. The production technology
and the associated peripheral systems were
outsourced, as was the facility monitoring
and control system from which all of the
factory functions are centrally monitored
and controlled.
Uniform solution
At the beginning of the project, Siltronic
stipulated the implementation of a uniform
control system architecture at Freiberg.
There were good reasons why the Simatic
PCS 7 process control system was chosen
early on, as Klaus Schuster, project
manager at M+W Zander
responsible for the entire electrical,
measuring, and control
technology of the Siltronic
project, explains: “Siemens
is the world market leader in
the field of industrial automation.
They already completed a
number of successful projects
together with M+W Zander.
Thus, the decision was a logical
one.”
Simatic PCS 7 controls all of the sections
at Freiberg that are crucial to the wafer production:
building technology, ultra-pure
water, chemicals, and sewage treatment.
“When you rely on a standardized system in
the process control technology from the
very start, most of the criteria can be defined
in advance. This has a positive effect
on the project running time, because much
less effort is required for integrating different
systems,” explains Schuster.
M+W Zander
Trouble-free upgrade
All of the information
converges at the new
PCS 7 control center
One unique aspect of the Siltronic project
was the preannounced version change of
PCS 7. The control system was converted to
the new version 6.0 during the engineering
work – a challenge that demanded a high
degree of interdisciplinary cooperation
from all of those involved, as Schuster confirms:
“I was afraid that this would cause
major problems, but, at the end of the day,
there were no significant problems, which
says a lot about Siemens and, especially,
about the maturity of the implemented
systems.”
�
Johannes Schuchart, Siemens Nuremberg
E-mail: johannes.schuchart@siemens.com
FabFocus 2006

PROCESS EQUIPMENT
Simatic and Sinumerik technology in etching tool at Siltronic
Production cell integration
A new wet process etching tool is another project where Totally Integrated Automation has been put to
practical use in the new 300-millimeter fab at the Siltronic site in Freiberg. Simatic and Sinumerik technology
control the individual process steps, and the interfacing between separate process cells facilitates process
optimization.
During wet process etching, the
wafers are being cleaned, etched
and undergo hydrophylization before
they are polished in the next processing
step. The new tool at the 300-millimeter
fab in Freiberg is the prototype of a new
series of etching tools and has reduced the
number of separate process steps. Moreover,
it offers new interfaces for networking
with other so-called production cells such
as polishing. These process cells consist of
the machine or unit and all related process
control and logistics functionalities. Networking
between process cells allows feedback
on process performance and process-
FabFocus 2006
ing results. For example, when a wafer is
found to be defective in the polishing cell,
the control system will trigger a message
back to etching in order to adjust processing
parameters.
Fine structures require exact processes
Processing of 300-millimeter wafers places
higher than usual requirements on the surface
treatment process and equipment because
the structures on these large wafers
are finer than those on 200-millimeter
wafers. Siltronic had specified that Simatic
technology and solutions from the Totally
Integrated Automation range should be
Pictures: W. Geyer
Hermos: the
automation and
data experts
Hermos is an international
active group of companies
in the field of automation
and IT processing. It offers
services for consulting, engineering,
software development,
commissioning and
service for the automation
and integration of machines,
plants and buildings as well
as IT solutions for business
processes and real estates.
used in all package units as far as possible,
so the new etching machine is equipped
with a Simatic S7-400 controller for process
control and a Sinumerik 840D numerical
control for handling tasks. The process visualization
is implemented with Simatic
WinCC. Hermos developed the database
and MES applications.
Fine-tuning standard products
“We have been using Siemens products for
some time, and the controllers especially
are high-performance systems that cover
most standard applications,” says Thomas
Wagner, who executed the software engineering
for the etching tool at Hermos. “Of
course, using these systems in a semiconductor
environment requires a certain
amount of fine-tuning specifications and
functionalities, but we were able to rely on
the expertise of our partners at Siemens to
support us in this.”
Integration supports process
improvements
The new etching tool has by now been successfully
commissioned at the Freiberg site.
Both Hermos and Siltronic are satisfied
with the etching tool’s performance, and
the process benefits from the tight integration
of all process steps – allowing for a
higher overall performance and a better
and more consistent quality. p
Wilhelm Schellenberger, Hermos Mistelgau
E-mail:
wilhelm.schellenberger@hermos.com
15

16 PROCESS EQUIPMENT
KUKA Roboter GmbH
FabFocus 2006

KUKA partners with Siemens to optimize robot integration
Wafer handling
with the robotic touch
The product portfolio of KUKA Roboter GmbH, one of the world’s leading manufacturers of industrial
robotic units, includes a series of cost-efficient cleanroom robots specifically designed for the
semiconductor and integrated circuit industries. At Supfina Semiconductor Technologies of Remscheid,
Germany, a KR 3 cleanroom robotic unit was successfully integrated into the modular wafer
grinding system with a twin tool spindle to handle wafers. Forming an integral part of the Simatic
Equipment Control System (ECS) at Supfina, the unit has performed to the company’s full satisfaction.
With its lineup of cleanroom robots,
KUKA Roboter GmbH of
Augsburg, Germany is able to offer
flexible standardized solutions for a variety
of applications which, until now, had
left customers with little choice but to implement
costly dedicated systems. KUKA’s
cleanroom robotic units primarily differ
from its other robots in that they feature
specifically ground and painted surfaces to
prevent build-up of particle deposits.
First cleanroom robot
Supfina Semiconductor Technologies was
one of the first companies in the semiconductor
field to utilize industrial robots in its
operations. Supfina ST, a division of the
Supfina Grieshaber GmbH & Co. KG group
and a market leader for Superfinish surface
treatment equipment for the auto-
KUKA Roboter GmbH
FabFocus 2006
motive and medical industries, developed a
modular wafer grinder with a twin tool
spindle for both back side and prime wafer
grinding. The first wafer handling robot
designed by KUKA, the KR 3, was successfully
integrated into the system. As a result,
Supfina was able to achieve one of the
highest throughput rates in the market.
“Our decision to go with KUKA was based
on the outstanding performance and reliability
of the units, combined with their
minimal maintenance requirements.
These are all key issues in the semiconductor
industry,” as Christoph Mueller
from Supfina Semiconductor Technologies
explains.
Simplified integration
To simplify integration of its robots into the
Simatic Equipment Control System (ECS),
With approximately 2,000 employees and some 20 subsidiaries worldwide, KUKA Roboter
GmbH, based in Augsburg, Germany, ranks among the world’s leading manufacturers of
industrial robots. In 2004, sales of the IWKA Aktiengesellschaft Group member totaled
425 million euros. Core competencies of the company include the development,
production and sale of industrial robots, controllers, software and linear units for a broad
range of markets, including the automotive, aerospace, consumer goods, logistics, food,
pharmaceutical, medical and plastics industries.
The company’s 5- and 6-axis robots feature payloads ranging from 3 kg to 570 kg and a
reach of between 635 mm and 3,700 mm. The tremendous maneuverability of the robotic
units enables objects to be handled from virtually any angle, making them particularly
attractive also for the semiconductor industry. KUKA’s cleanroom robotic units are
specially designed for semiconductor manufacturing, testing and handling applications.
the control hardware and software platform
utilized by Supfina in its semiconductor
operations, KUKA set up a joint partnership
with Siemens to develop software
components specially designed for semiconductor
applications. For use in the
Simatic ECS the KUKA robots are programmed
and controlled directly from the
customer’s equipment control platform.
With the help of the Siemens ECS designer,
modules, components and aggregates can
be organized into hierarchical modular
trees. The ready-to-use library components
are easily arranged on a worksheet
using drag and drop functions. Once the
desired arrangement has been defined,
the system automatically generates all of
the required automation functions such
as hardware configuration, GUI generation,
GUI tag management and database population,
standard object and screen design,
as well as all system messages in the
alarm logging system database.
Successful collaboration
Thanks to the partnership with Siemens,
KUKA Roboter GmbH is able to more easily
integrate its cleanroom robots into the
highly advanced and innovative Siemens
control hardware and software platform for
the semiconductor industry. �
Ralf Ziegler, KUKA Roboter GmbH
E-mail: ralfziegler@kuka-roboter.de
17
Siemens AG

18 PROCESS EQUIPMENT
ASE relies on Siplace placement machines
for its 0201 component production
Maximizing miniature
placement
Korean electronics manufacturer ASE places high demands on the performance
and flexibility of the placement equipment it uses for its miniature 0201
component production. In Asia, it is particularly important to employ
placement equipment that is stable, easy to use and that, therefore, guarantees
high throughput rates and a high degree of flexibility. Within the past two
years, Siplace has fully met the company's hardware and software needs with
its comprehensive package of maintenance and consulting services.
Amember of the ASE Group, the Taiwanese
company, one of the large
global suppliers of high profile
semiconductors and home appliances,
provides turnkey semiconductor solutions
for such markets as the automotive, medical,
telecommunications as well as other
industries. With the continuing trend towards
miniaturization, ASE sees an increasing
need to process the smallest 0201
components – a high-tech task which the
old placement machines at ASE from a
Japanese company were unable to perform.
Teaming up with performance
For this reason, ASE teamed up with
Siemens to install Siplace placement machines
for its production of radio frequency
power modules at its plant in Paju, Korea.
From the start, ASE focused on the top-ofthe-line
Siplace HS. What initially started at
the end of 2001 with a single HS-50 machine
for placing 0201 components has
since grown into lines consisting of thirty
three machines. Siemens recently also received
additional orders for eight Siplace
HS-60 placement machines which with
their 12-nozzle heads place up to 60,000
components per hour, ranging in size from
0201 to 18.7 millimeters – all of this with a
precision of at least 90 micrometers at 4
sigma.
In order to test actual placement precision
and speed prior to installation, an
ASE line configuration was set up at the
Siemens Demonstration Center in Korea.
Thus, ASE could be certain that the machines
would perform to specifications.
When the machines were delivered and set
up some three weeks later, their actual inline
performance confirmed the test values,
and the company's economic efficiency
assessments underscored the reliability
and performance of the Siplace placement
machines.
True to its “Throughput Guaranteed”
seal of approval, reliably meeting specifications
over the long-term comes naturally
for Siplace. However, according to Tony
Kleinheinz, managing director for EA
Siemens Ltd. Seoul, not all competitors
share this philosophy: “Unfortunately, there
are some in our industry who promise
more than they can keep.”
As a result of their positive experience
with Siplace, ASE continues to migrate
from their previous Japanese equipment
supplier to Siplace. The remarkable performance
of the Siplace HS-50 in the Korean
Siplace Demo Center prompted ASE to
order Siplace placement machines as a first
investment, rather than playing competitors
off of one another.
According to the Korean electronics
manufacturer’s management, the ease of
use of the machines also weighed in favor
of Siplace. The modular design allows
setup and product changes to be performed
more quickly than before. In addition,
the clear and multilingual software,
including Korean, makes life easier
for machine operators and programmers.
The Siplace traceability tool, which ASE
also selected, was adapted to the customer’s
specifications by engineers from
both companies.
All pictures: Siemens AG
Since ASE operates in three shifts
around the clock, service was just as important
as hardware and software. Siplace's
service team is available 24 hours a day,
seven days a week. While most problems
can be solved over the phone, a technician
can, if necessary, be at the plant within 2
hours to get machines up and running
again.
�
More information:
Anton Kleinheinz, Siemens Seoul
E-mail: tony.kleinheinz@siemens.com
FabFocus 2006

FabFocus 2006
With their confocal
3D measurement
technology, Siscan
systems achieve
highly accurate
surface inspections
The world’s fastest confocal 3D measurement systems
High-speed surface
scrutiny
The Siscan product family comprises 3D confocal measurement systems for
applications in production lines and laboratory environments. Siscan systems
are successfully utilized for high-precision quality and process control purposes
in the most diverse production environments throughout the world.
Siemens AG
Siscan MC64 optical specifications
Measurement range: from 10 to 400 µm
Height resolution: 0.5 µm
Working distance: 8 mm
Spot diameter: 1 µm
Lateral resolution: 10 µm
Number of channels: 64
Sample rate (per channel): 8,000 per sec.
Accurately measuring topographies
in the micrometer-range, the 3D
measurement systems of the Siscan
family are in great demand particularly
for their high level of precision, large
throughput, flawless defect detection and
smallest dpm rates. The Siscan concept is
based on fully automatic 3D surface scanning
in real time and, as a result of its confocal
measurement method, offers highly
reliable and reproducible results even with
very critical optical properties.
Siscan sensor systems are successfully
employed in a wide variety of industries, including
the electronics, semiconductor,
metal/mechanics, automotive, medical, glass/
optical, paper and aerospace technologies,
for the inspection of three-dimensional
shapes, substrates, laser spot welding
and seams, as well as for surface measurements.
The optical 3D inspection systems
of the Siscan family are available in
three different configurations of 1, 64 or
128 measurement channels, depending on
the size of the surface to be inspected and
required throughput. If necessary, Siscan
sensors can also be parameterized and integrated
into in-line systems.
The strengths of the Siscan technology
are particularly evident in the technical
qualities of the Siscan MC64 topographer, a
stand-alone 3D measurement system which
is representative for all of the systems
within the family.
The excellent data acquisition speed and
accuracy of the Siscan technology is further
enhanced by its wide, flexibly adaptable
measurement range, high aspect ratio
for depth measurement, large numerical
aperture, independence of surface properties
and simple operation.
�
Hubert Herzberg, Siemens Munich
E-mail: hubert.herzberg@siemens.com
19

20 PROCESS EQUIPMENT
Siemens instrumental in advancing new MVD technology
Defining the
progressive edge
Applied MicroStructures Inc. (AMST) was formed in January 2003 based on
extensive experience in the semiconductor equipment industries. In November
2005, the Delaware-based company received one of the first annual Nano 50
Awards. This is a distinguished honor, since the award recognizes the Top 50
technologies, products, and innovators that have significantly impacted, or are
expected to significantly impact the field of nanotechnology.
The winners of this award are considered
the “best of the best” innovative
people and designs that will move
nanotechnology to key mainstream market.
AMST’s contribution was its excellence
in developing Molecular Vapor Deposition
(MVD) technology. MVD is an enhanced vapor
deposition process that incorporates
plasma surface cleaning and newly advanced
vapor delivery. One of AMST’s products,
called MVD-100, is able to create single
and multi-layer coatings using a low
temperature sequential deposition process.
This allows for improved film durability
and surface coverage over a wide variety of
substrates, including glass, plastics, polymers,
metals and semiconductor devices.
The MVD-100 was designed for automated
processing in manufacturing with high
throughput and process scalability. This results
in high productivity and reduced costs
for nano-scale device manufacturing.
In the past, PLCs did not meet AMST’s demand
for recipe remote upload/download,
local data storage, data portability, hardware
and software expandability, software
modularity and re-usability. Furthermore,
existing graphical user interfaces did not
meet AMST’s technical demands for remote
recipe configuration via Ethernet, recipe storage,
and external compact flash port access.
Highly scalable and automated
AMST’s new MVD-100 tool design is based
on a highly scalable and automated environment.
AMST chose to use the Simatic
S7-315-2DP programmable logic controller,
since it met all of its technical needs
and its modular design requirements. The
frontend of AMST’s MVD-100 is powered
by Simatic WinCC flexible engineering software,
while the high performance and expandability
of the Simatic MP 370 was exactly
what AMST was looking for as an HMI.
The MVD-100 is able to create single and
multi-layer coatings using a low temperature
sequential deposition process
“The decisive reason for a new PLC and
HMI solution was the reliability of Simatic
S7-300 and the flexible WinCC platform.
We wanted MVD to be modularly expandable,
and Siemens had the engineered solutions
and the wide range of products that
coincided with our company’s growth,” explains
Richard Yi, co-founder and vice president
of operations at Applied MicroStructures
Inc.
AMST’s business is expected to grow as
MVD applications gain ever-increasing traction
in the marketplace. Simple, fast, modular
and flexible – that is the new crop of
next generation MVD tools emerging on
the market. Siemens and its Simatic S7,
Profibus, ProfiNet and WinCC technology
are helping to enable this trend.
�
Richard Schuler, Siemens San Francisco
E-mail: schuler.richard@siemens.com
FabFocus 2006
AMST
Infineon

NEWS
FabFocus 2006
HyBrix documentation management system
Future-proof
management
As an open, universal framework for managing
the entire technical documentation of an
enterprise, the HyBrix IT solution enables easy
administration and maintenance of all document
information via one central hub: the HyBrix
Xportal.
With XML (extensible markup language) as a common
platform, standard document data such as
Word files and CAD drawings are easily imported
into HyBrix. Xportal manages access rights, supports
workflow and translation management, and
also offers an easy-to-use search engine. Moreover,
the HyBrix Xportal can be designed as either
a document management system or a content
management system, or both, and for all types of
output – whether e-learning modules, handbooks
or electronic parts catalogs.
Requiring very little customization on the customer
side, HyBrix superbly supports editorial processes
for the efficient creation, management and presentation
of integrated technological documentation,
also allowing for dynamic visualization of and
access to various company data. Moreover, HyBrix
provides tools for creating content in e-learning
environments and helps to consolidate heterogeneous
documents to form an integrated documentation
system with Web capability.
�
For more information, visit:
www.siemens.com/hybrix
White paper with example implementation
for mass flow controller
In support of SEMI E54
research
As the umbrella association for the semiconductor
industry, the Semiconductor Equipment
and Materials Institute (SEMI) defines standards
for the industry. One of these standards –
SEMI E54 – provides specifications for sensor/
actuator networks (SAN). The standard describes
common object device models and, based on
these specifications, also specific classes of object
device models (e.g. mass flow controllers or
vacuum pumps). Specifications for diagrams illustrating
how these device models should be
implemented together with the various fieldbus
systems are also contained in the standard, including
– as of April 2005 – a diagram of Profinet as a
SEMI E54.14 standard.
Siemens in cooperation with the Fachhochschule
Nürnberg (University of Applied Sciences in Nuremberg,
Germany) is currently lending its support
and expertise to two graduate students, whose
diploma theses focus on creating a prototype from
this particular diagram for a mass flow controller.
As the hardware platform of the project, the Development
Kit Ertec 400 PN IO of Simatic Net features
an evaluation board with an example implementation
program of the Profinet stack based on Ertec
400. The objective of the research studies is to
develop a better understanding of the E54.14
standard, to correct ambiguities, and to provide an
example implementation for how semiconductor
equipment suppliers can conveniently convert to
Profinet, as well as how the SEMI standard can
more easily be applied.
�
For more information, visit:
www.siemens.com/simatic-net
21

22 NEWS
Successfully tested for voltage sag immunity
Sirius contactors certified
for SEMI F47 standard
To ensure that our products satisfy all customer
requirements, the Sirius contactors are now certified
for the SEMI F47 standard (Sirius 3 RT 102/4
7/126 Contactor). Siemens thereby certifies that
the tested devices met or even exceeded all voltage
sag immunity requirements of SEMI F47-0200
when tested according to the procedures set forth
in SEMI F42-0600 without limitation.
�
For more information, visit:
www.siemens.com/sirius
Promoting electronics manufacturing skills
Inauguration of new
electronics
manufacturing center
Siemens and Tongji University hosted an opening
ceremony for the new Siplace Training
and Demonstration Center located at the Tongji
University Campus in Shanghai. The center is
designed to promote the education and training
of urgently needed electronics manufacturing
specialists in China.
�
For more information, visit:
www.siemens.com/siplace
High-performance image processing
Scalable PC-based
machine vision
Simatic Visionscape was specifically designed
for extremely high-speed applications involving
multiple cameras and extensive high-performance
vision processing capabilities. An extensive
collection of proven image processing tools
combine with a common application development
and deployment environment to support
easy and fast application design and commissioning.
The development of applications is performed
using a graphic PC user interface, and
requires no complex programming. Whether as
a stand-alone solution or as part of a control system,
the possibility to embed one or more
Simatic Visionscape boards in an industrial PC offers
the user the necessary flexibility and extensibility.
The components of Visionscape – the
framegrabber boards, vision accelerators and
vision processors – can be combined as needed
to meet required specifications.
In the semiconductor industry, high-resolution
cameras and special multi-light illumination are
widely used for inspecting chip arrangement
applications, including dimensional checks, error
detection, and detailed ball grid array (BGA) at up
to 10,000 balls/second.
Image processing systems control and secure the
material flow and quality within the industrial
production process. With automation applications
becoming increasingly more complex, conventional
inspection systems frequently very quickly
reach their technical limitations. Faster production
rates, the need to identify finer defects, to differentiate
between various shapes and sizes, as well
as the capability to inspect complex objects from
various perspectives place ever greater demands
on the image processing systems.
�
For more information, visit:
www.siemens.com/simatic-sensors/mv
FabFocus 2006

Siemens makes sensors market acquisition
Focus on image
processing
Siemens has completed the takeover of RVSI
Acuity CiMatrix, a division of Robotic Visions
Systems Inc. headquartered in Nashua, New
Hampshire, USA. Sensors used for identification
and inspection play an important role in production
automation. With the takeover of RVSI Acuity
CiMatrix, Siemens has further strengthened its
position in the sensors market for the production
industry. RVSI Acuity CiMatrix brings with it
detailed development knowledge for data matrix
code readers and image processing products. As
a leading company in industrial image processing,
Acuity CiMatrix provides products and solutions
for customers in the automotive, electronics,
pharmaceutical and packing industries. Combining
the Siemens product portfolio with the services
and solutions of RVSI Acuity CiMatrix has
resulted in a unique and complimentary product
range. Siemens also plans to set up a global Competence
Center for industrial image processing at
the Nashua site.
�
For more information, visit:
www.siemens.com/simatic-sensors/mv
FabFocus 2006
Portal to the world of electronics
Siemens industry suite
semiconductor
Alittle more than a year after its relaunch, the
Siemens portal to the world of semiconductors
enjoys ever increasing popularity. Serving as
an information platform for professionals interested
in latest industry developments, the semiconductor
suite also offers current updates on
upcoming events. Case in point: the SEMICON
Europa 2006, the largest semiconductor exhibition
in Europe, scheduled for April 3–6, 2006 at
the New Munich Trade Fair Centre in Munich,
Germany.
As such, the portal continues to provide informed
individuals with valuable topic-related news,
developments and success stories: from one of
the most important providers of electrical and
automation solutions for the semiconductor
industry.
�
For more information, visit:
www.siemens.com/semiconductor
23

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