Client Profile Client: A leading semiconductor manufacturing company based in Singapore
Industry: Semiconductor Manufacturing
Challenges
The client operates a high-mix, high-throughput semiconductor fab where equipment interoperability and factory automation are essential. While the Innolas ILS 700P laser tool played a critical role in solar cell edge isolation, it lacked native support for SEMI-compliant communication. The absence of SECS/GEM protocol integration limited the tool’s ability to communicate with the host MES, monitor job execution, and transmit trace data for engineering analysis.
Specific challenges included:
- No SECS/GEM interface for host tool control and monitoring
- Manual recipe loading and result collection
- Limited visibility into equipment status and alarms
- Increased downtime due to reactive troubleshooting
With strict fab automation standards and growing traceability demands, the client needed a scalable, non-invasive solution that could bring the Innolas tool up to SECS/GEM compliance without costly retrofitting or long development cycles.
Solution
The client selected EIGEMBox by eInnosys—a compact, plug-and-play hardware gateway that enables SECS/GEM compliance on legacy and non-SEMI tools. EIGEMBox supports configurable I/O and PLC integration, making it ideal for tools like the ILS 700P that lack native GEM interfaces.
The integration process involved:
- Connecting EIGEMBox to the ILS 700P via digital I/O and serial communication
- Mapping tool events (e.g., job start/stop, recipe ID, alarm status) into GEM-compliant messages
- Configuring GEM state models, alarms, and variable reporting within the SECS GEM SDK
- Interfacing the EIGEMBox with the factory host using standard SECS-II over HSMS
The solution required no modification of the tool’s core software, ensuring business continuity and minimal downtime. Using the EIGEMBox console, tool engineers could easily configure, monitor, and log GEM events without writing custom code.
Testing & Validation
A phased validation plan was executed in coordination with the factory automation and tool qualification teams. Key focus areas included:
- SEMI E30 compliance testing using the fab’s host simulator
- Validation of critical SECS/GEM features such as S1F1 (Are You There), S2F41 (Remote Commands), and S6F11 (Event Reports)
- Alarm and status condition mapping with corresponding host acknowledgments
- Recipe name verification and job execution traceability
Factory acceptance testing confirmed seamless SECS/GEM protocol integration, with the tool now capable of supporting remote commands, recipe validation, equipment status polling, and historical data logging.
Results
Post-integration, the ILS 700P tool became fully GEM-compliant and connected to the fab-wide MES system. Measurable improvements included:
- 100% automation readiness, with host-side job control and alarm handling
- Faster troubleshooting, enabled by detailed event logs and status messaging
- Improved engineering analysis, thanks to real-time trace data and alarm context
- Reduced human error, as recipe management and result reporting were fully automated
- Standardized compliance, aligning the legacy tool with fab-wide automation protocols
With EIGEMBox, the client extended the lifecycle of its ILS 700P tool while bringing it into the smart manufacturing fold—no firmware rewrite or expensive upgrades required.