Semiconductor Industry: "Automation Will Take 8 Years... Process Robot Adoption Must Start with PM Standardization"

Adoption of Industrial Robots Accelerates Automation
Slow Progress in Semiconductor PM Process Automation
Industry: "Lack of Standards for Process Environment"

As automation and the application of robotic processes are accelerating across industrial sites, there is an analysis that the semiconductor process itself faces difficulties in automation due to a lack of standardization in equipment design and data structures. As semiconductor manufacturing processes evolve toward ultra-precise and ultra-fast production systems, automating equipment maintenance has emerged as a key factor for manufacturing competitiveness.

According to the "PM Automation White Paper" published the previous day by industry groups including the SEMI Korea, Korea Semiconductor Industry Association, and Korea Semiconductor Research Consortium, semiconductor companies still heavily rely on operator experience and manual work during preventive maintenance (PM) operations. Maintenance procedures and data systems differ for each equipment manufacturer, integrated device manufacturer (IDM), and partner company, and a significant portion of tasks are still recorded manually. This structure leads to increased operational costs and quality variance.

In the semiconductor industry, PM refers to the regular replacement, cleaning, and inspection of components to prevent equipment failures. The more advanced the process, the more essential these procedures become for improving yield and maintaining overall availability. Recently, PM automation has enabled real-time condition monitoring and the prediction of equipment failures. As a result, the industry is increasingly adopting systems that actively utilize robots to diagnose component abnormalities and perform replacements.

Semiconductor Process. Yonhap News.

However, it has been found that the industry is facing significant challenges in automating these processes. According to a survey conducted by the association from July 6 to August 31 of last year, targeting 79 representatives from relevant companies (including Intel, Samsung Electronics, and SK hynix), about half of the respondents estimated that it would take 10 years to achieve PM automation, with the average response being 8.23 years.

The slow adoption of robots stems from the lack of standards tailored to the semiconductor process environment. The structure of equipment and the process environment differ significantly for each piece of machinery, making it difficult to standardize factors such as robot load capacity, workspaces, and access methods. Safety verification standards are also not unified, according to industry officials.

The structure of data is also cited as a major obstacle to automation. The structure of equipment operation data (SVID) and component history information varies by equipment manufacturer, making it difficult to develop predictive maintenance algorithms and share data. Logistics and component management systems are also said to lag behind the level required for automation. For automated component transportation, packaging specifications, labeling systems, and component identification information must be standardized, but most semiconductor plants currently maintain manual packaging and transportation systems.

The association stated that a comprehensive "standardization roadmap" encompassing equipment design, data, communications, and logistics needs to be presented. To achieve this, it emphasized that discussions on global standards would be actively pursued through international cooperative bodies. An industry official commented, "The final challenge for autonomous fabs is not technology itself, but interoperability and standardization. Only when equipment, robots, data, and logistics are connected on a common structure and language can a truly autonomous fab be realized."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.