Services

Pathway Upgrades

Brooks offers a series of Pathway Upgrade Solutions designed to provide exceptional value and performance for automation and contamination control systems. These solutions fall into two categories: 1) Upgrades that extend product life span and improve serviceability; and 2) Upgrades that deliver targeted capability and productivity improvements to maximize tool utilization and performance.

All Pathway Upgrades are performed by certified Brooks Customer Service Engineers (CSEs) with extensive training and technical expertise in Brooks products and technology. You can count on our upgrade solutions to deliver a range of productivity, efficiency, and cost-saving benefits:

Achieve advanced monitoring and control during key process steps
Minimize unscheduled downtime for greater tool utilization
Increase process predictability for higher quality and throughput
Enable savings via green initiatives

Automation Upgrades

Pathway Spartan Substrate Management Upgrade

This comprehensive solution upgrades older, obsolete Spartan Sorters to a new configuration, enabling customers to realize improved tool reliability, serviceability, and longevity. It includes an upgrade to the latest Sorter Substrate Management System (SMS) II fab host integration software as well as API software with improved diagnostics and an enhanced interface that displays critical tool information in real time. Plus, the software is backed by Brooks’ knowledgeable, experienced software engineering team for rapid resolution that reduces costly downtime.

The upgrade also includes necessary hardware improvements to address most end-of-life (EOL) concerns. Replacement of EOL components significantly improves serviceability and increases lifecycle by expanding access to spare parts, repair options, and certified Customer Support Engineers who are trained on the equipment.

Several optional enhancements are available with the core upgrade. In addition, customizable upgrade packages can be tailored to each individual customer’s tool/configuration for increased flexibility.

Pathway Intelligent Robot Detection Upgrade

The Intelligent Robot Detection Upgrade helps prevent or reduce the severity of a robot crash. This smart solution detects when the robot on a PuroMaxx M80 or M800XP touches something with which it is not supposed to have contact, and instructs the robot sprints to slow for a faster stop. This helps prevent catastrophic equipment damage by stopping the robot before it crashes entirely into the chamber or load port. Because full robot crashes require complex repairs and re-teaching, the ability to minimize collision severity reduces repair costs, tool downtime, and lost fab productivity.

The upgrade is conducted by certified Brooks Customer Service Engineers with extensive training and expertise in the areas of setup sensitivities, adjustments, and robot testing. The solution’s intelligent functionality, installed by skilled, experienced professionals, enables customers to realize accelerated time to value.

Contamination Control Upgrades

Pathway Enhanced FOUP Integrity Check Upgrade

This upgrade provides integrated, real-time measurement of in-situ relative pressure drop inside the FOUP during the purge process — with no impact on throughput — on PuroMaxx 800 XP and G2 tools. The solution uses pressure drop measurements to check the integrity of processed FOUPs, thereby reducing product risk and increasing FOUP lifespan. Continuous monitoring of quality, cleanliness, and integrity helps customers identify and minimize the process impact of sub-par FOUPs. In-spec results of the FOUP rate-of-pressure-drop measurement help ensure a production-worthy FOUP mini-environment and minimize the risk of costly damage. The Enhanced FOUP Integrity Check upgrade is installed on the Overhead Hoist Transfer (OHT) system load port.

Pathway Humidity Check Upgrade

This upgrade provides an integrated, real-time humidity measurement solution to effectively monitor FOUP quality on PuroMaxx 800 XP ad G2 tools. The solution automatically measures humidity inside the FOUP during the purge process — with no impact on throughput — to help ensure cleanliness, low moisture content, and integrity of the FOUP mini-environment. The fab can communicate the humidity check results directly to its Fault Detection and Classification (FDC) system in order to control, monitor, and take action on suspect material.

The Humidity Check Upgrade provides continuous monitoring of quality and cleaning efficiencies to make sure FOUPs are production-worthy, thereby maximizing FOUP lifespan and minimizing both process and product risk.

Pathway Vacuum Pump Upgrade

This service offering provides an upgrade path for Brooks PuroMaxx 800 XP and G2 customers looking to achieve improved pump reliability, more consistent vacuum process conditions, and higher water vapor capacity for significant productivity gains and cost savings. In addition to pump replacement, the upgrade includes cabinet redesign to improve airflow and heat dissipation, resulting in lower moisture impact, better performance, and longer lifetime.

The pump upgrade delivers faster release to production because the new pumps do not require conditioning to reach minimum pressure. As a result, customers achieve rapid time to value through improved pump predictability, greater process stability, and consistent recipe performance.

Pathway Vacuum Chamber Lid Upgrade

The Pathway Vacuum Lid Upgrade enables Brooks PuroMaxx G2 customers to achieve more reliable, consistent vacuum chamber FOUP placement. The older AUD lid assemblies are replaced with a more robust design that significantly improves the robot placement window — minimizing the opportunity for crashes and limiting downtime and damage in the event a crash occurs. The new lid design features a more rigid vacuum chamber FOUP holder compared to the current cage-style with stainless-steel inserts that limits room for robot movement when loading and unloading a FOUP. The upgrade delivers larger clearance distances for improved FOUP placement reliability and minimized repair costs.

Pathway Intelligent Robot Detection Upgrade

The Intelligent Robot Detection Upgrade helps prevent or reduce the severity of a robot crash. This smart solution detects when the robot on a PuroMaxx M80 or M800XP tool touches something with which it is not supposed to have contact, and instructs the robot springs to slow for a faster stop. This helps prevent catastrophic equipment damage by stopping the robot before it crashes entirely into the chamber or load port. Because full robot crashes require complex repairs and re-teaching, the ability to minimize collision severity reduces repair costs, tool downtime, and lost fab productivity.

Additional upgrades to reduce idle DIW water flow will be available starting Q2’2021

The MagnaTran® 7 BiSymmetrik™ (MAG 7 B) robot incorporates all the technical advantages of the MagnaTran Product Family resulting in a demonstrated mean cycle between failure (MCBF) of > 11 million.

The MagnaTran® 7 Frogleg™ (MAG 7 F) robot incorporates all the technical advantages of the MagnaTran Product Family resulting in a demonstrated mean cycle between failures (MCBF) of > 11 million.

The MagnaTran® 7 Leapfrog® (MAG 7 X) robot retains all of the features and benefits of the MagnaTran Product Family while having the highest throughput available in demanding cluster tool applications.

The MagnaTran® 7 SCARA (MAG 7) robot incorporates all the technical advantages of the MagnaTran Product Family resulting in a demonstrated mean cycle between failures (MCBF) of > 11 million.

The MagnaTran® 8 QuadraFly robot leverages proven SCARA arm technology and reliable direct drive robotics to provide the simultaneous exchange of four wafers in vacuum within a small containment swing diameter.

The dual arm MagnaTran® 8 Radius™ robot extends the benefits of MagnaTran field-proven direct drive technology to a tri-axial drive. In addition, the MagnaTran leverages proven SCARA arm technology to provide sub 4 second fast swaps within a small containment diameter.

Available in four styles to suit your wafer fabrication environment, the VCE 6 Vacuum Cassette Elevator load lock provides cost-effective, state-of-the-art factory interfacing to enable safe, clean AGV, RGV, or human operator transfer of up to 200mm SEMI standard wafer cassettes.

Brooks advanced vacuum wafer transport technology is ideally suited for tool automation applications in semiconductor wafer processing and other complex manufacturing environments. We offer a range of systems—available in numerous configurations for 100mm to 450mm wafer transport—that meet specific manufacturing environment and process requirements.

The Marathon Express® is a modular, configurable Vacuum Transport System (VTS) optimized for superior vacuum performance and high throughput for 100mm, 125mm, 150mm, and 200mm wafer size applications.

Jet, the core atmospheric automation subsystem for all Brooks wafer handling systems, is the first EFEM designed at the system level, enabling customers to build process tools around a common core. Jet features a flexible, modular architecture based on industry standards to enable fast set-up, reduced cycle times, and seamless integration with existing fab equipment and processes.

This unified wafer management system uses the minimum scale and complexity required to accomplish its core job – to move wafers as cleanly and as quickly as possible. Offers improved reliability and maximized efficiency, while delivering industry-leading cleanliness with the lowest particle levels.

Highly configurable, automated wafer-handling solution easily integrates with any tool. Many advanced benefits for both equipment makers and chipmakers transitioning to 300mm wafers.

The Vision load port module is the latest generation of load port modules from Brooks. It is an intelligent and flexible factory interface module for 300mm and 450mm tool automation. Unlike LPMs that require substantial lead time for set-up and integration, the Vision load port module is designed for maximum interoperability, seamless interchangeability, and ease of configuration.

The Certon™ 450mm Load Port is compliant to 450mm FOUP, FOSB, and MAC (Multi Application Carrier) standards.

The Brooks M2 Reticle Changer is a reticle/mask exchange and inspection system. Individual I/O stations allow transfer of the reticle/mask between all scanner/stepper and shipping boxes, such as Canon, Nikon, ASML, Toppan, Hoya, DMS box etc.).

Improves effectiveness of reticle inventories. Protects reticles from various sources of particulate contamination and airborne molecular contamination, while providing a standard interface to photolithography tools.

Ergonomically designed SMIF-I/O that easily integrates SMIF-Pod cassette loading and unloading into a wide variety of 200 mm and 150 mm wafer processing and metrology tools.

Designed to supply wafer indexing for fixed Z-axis wafer handlers or cassette positioning to a fixed plan for Z-axis wafer handlers.

The industry’s most advanced 200mm standard mechanical interface (SMIF) I/O processing tool with its load port opener. While designed as a “bridge tool” for 200mm to 300mm transitions, the VersaPort 2200 also offers a solution for open cassette to SMIF I/O processing.

The M800 fully-automatic 300mm FOUP cleaner combines best particle and AMC cleaning performance and provides humidity control at the highest throughput.

The M330 Cleaner is a world-class fully-automatic FOUP-compatible system that provides superior washing and drying performance, operational ease and cost-efficiency.

The M600 fully-automatic central force cleaner is the perfect solution for the automatic cleaning of RSP150 or RSP200. In manual mode, all types of reticle or wafer carriers can be cleaned.

The M300 semi-automatic machine is a universal centrifugal force cleaner for all types of carrier (SMIF, open cassettes, FOUP, FOSB, RSP and Clamshell). It achieves unsurpassed cleaning and drying results.

The M1000 fully-automatic EUV pod cleaner provides maximum performance by individual cleaning of each EUV or RSP200 part.

The Brooks semi-automatic M1500 reticle box stocker stores up to 1,500 reticles in its cases. The reticle box ID is identified and the data file is logged in the database.

Four variations of M1900 Reticle Stockers: Fully-Automatic Semi-Bare, Fully-Automatic RSP150, Fully-Automatic EUV POD Stocker, Semi-Automatic.

The RPS-C is a fully automated standalone storage and inventory management system for reticle SMIF pods (RSP) with optional xCDA or N2 purge.

The RS family provides a fully automated reticle management system that combines a sorter with a stocker capacity up to 2900 reticles.

The RS-C is a fully automated, highly flexible standalone storage and inspection system for 6".

The RX family is an innovative combination of reticle stocker and carrier buffer for managing the reticles throughout the fab.

The RXi is a fully automated standalone inspection system for 6”.

Mega Optical Case
A Rapid
B Ultra
C Swift
D Twin
Customized

6" Wafer Carrier
8" Wafer Carrier

200mm Wafer Transport Box
200mm Single Wafer Transport Box

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