IBM bets 2.9 Billion on Linux for semiconductor manufacture
| An information technology company really believes in their technology when they use it themselves, in mission-critical applications. So when IBM invested 2.9 Billion in the worlds most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facility, it's telling that they |
Perry, first of all, I was wondering if you could tell us about the 300-millimeter fabrication facility. What is it and what does it do?
The new facility is a 300-millimeter (12 inch) semiconductor fabrication facility located in East Fishkill, New York. It?s a 140,000-square-foot state of the art facility, the most advanced semiconductor manufacturing facility in the world, and it's IBM?s first entry into fully automated semiconductor manufacturing. It represents a $2.9-billion investment by IBM, which is the largest single investment in IBM?s history, and the largest private investment in New York State's history as well.
About two-thirds of IBM's factory output is manufacturing, while the remaining third is dedicated to developing new technology.
Semiconductor fabrication is an extremely complicated and rigorous manufacturing process, and in order to deal with the process, the systems in 300-millimeter actually perform most of the jobs that were once performed by operators. The heart of this facility is the automated systems, which drive everything that takes place in manufacturing.
What does the architecture look like, and what sort of challenges did you face in implementing it?
First, there's SiView, the driving force behind the facility. SiView is the system that controls all of the process routings. It controls the how, where and when of product manufacturing. SiView is also the hub for all communications in the fab. If a tool needs sensor information from the automation system, for example, SiView ensures that the communications take place and that proper responses are received.
The most important requirement is 24 x 7 operation. Actually, we say "60 x 60 x 24 x 7" because the 300mm fab has to work every second, of every minute, of every hour, of every day -- seven days a week or our vision of "on-demand manufacturing" would not have been realized.
The most important physical aspect of the B/323 facility is the automation system. It is the lifeline of the facility, ensuring product moves seamlessly to and from the tools, as well as anything else required to process product correctly.
Semiconductor automation is at least a factor of ten more complicated than the automation in most any other industry. The systems have to constantly react to changes in the process, changes in the process flows, tool changes, even environmental changes within the facility. This necessitates a level of automation intelligence that most industries just don't require. Since this was a first for IBM and to a great extent, the semiconductor industry, there were a lot of architectural, functional and performance challenges. But through the hard work and careful planning of an incredible team that draws on IBM Microelectronics Division, as well as other parts of IBM, we have been very successful.
The biggest challenge, though, has been our requirement for availability and stability. There's no time for changes, maintenance, or upgrades, so the team has had to constantly think outside the box about how to run 60x60x24x7.
Read full article at - IBM.COM
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