Why Smart Fabrication is Trending

By Embedded Advisor | Tuesday, July 14, 2020

Smart fabrication promises a wide range of operational capabilities to the electronics device market.

FREMONT, CA: Automated factory systems are gradually becoming a norm in semiconductor manufacturing, especially in the current ultra-competitive markets. The growing use cases of semiconductors in new applications, the shorter product life-cycles, and the requirement to quickly set up advanced fabrication methods around applications is driving the semiconductor sector. The application of smart fabrication aids manufacturers to achieve significantly higher yields, cycle times, quality, throughputs, and flexibility. Such capabilities are being achieved by leveraging production assets more efficiently. Smart fabrications are also minimizing overall costs as compared to conventional fabrications, which were just partially automated.

As per Exyte, the smart fabrication concept points to an integrated approach of all fabrication operating systems such as facility monitoring and control (FMCS), enterprise resource planning (ERP), and manufacturing execution system (MES). The integration of such systems aids in the analysis of the interaction between process equipment manufacturing automation, supply chain management, and commercial management. Moreover, such an integrated platform promotes controlled access by a firm's major suppliers for quicker service response time and convenient ways of communication resulting in increased reliability, responsiveness, and quality.

The smart fabrication technology exceeds the modern approach of the optimization of time to market, capital expenses, and quality during manufacturing and design. The new fabrication technology also includes constant improvement of operational expenditure during the semiconductor's lifespan. Smart fabrications can realize the above capabilities by efficiently integrating the supply chain while also ensuring that the reliability and sustainability of the facility systems. The functional data from such integrated production lines can be utilized to analyze and optimize the total capital expenses. When it comes to operations, smart fabrications enable each component of the ability to communicate with other internal systems, thereby improving device performance as well as the overall system's visibility.