Paul Trio

The SEMI Standards team hit the ground running in 2026, starting this year with an important milestone to our Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) standardization efforts. As FHE technology continues to evolve into a scalable and manufacturable class of systems, we’re excited to share the upcoming release of SEMI 7242, Guide for Reliability of Flexible Hybrid Electronics. This is the first time a comprehensive framework for reliability assurance in FHE systems has been created, closing a critical gap within the industry landscape. Published as SEMI FH5, the standard is now available online via the SEMI Store or through a SEMIViews license.We’d also like to highlight a pending revision for SEMI E142, Specification for Substrate Mapping. While SEMI E142 is currently designed to work with other SEMI data exchange Standards, SEMI Draft Document 7381 proposes a subordinate standard to define maps to and from non-E142 wafer coordinate systems. Meanwhile, the Information Control Japan Technical Committee (TC) announced its new Maintenance Robot Communication (MRC) Task Force for standardizing communications for robotic maintenance systems to improve production efficiency and workloads in fabs. This quarter also included key developments from both SEMICON Korea and SEMICON China. At SEMICON Korea, members of the Semiconductor Manufacturing Cybersecurity Consortium (SMCC) discussed a unified, standards-based approach for strengthening cybersecurity amidst evolving digital threats. A month later, SEMICON China served as the backdrop for the EHS TC Chapter Formation Group Meeting, where attendees discussed critical safety, material usage, and energy efficiency standards. The North America (NA) Winter Meetings, held virtually in February 2026, also brought several TCs together to revise standards for MEMS, advanced packaging, EH S, Facilities, Gases Liquid Chemicals, factory automation, and more. For more than 50 years, the SEMI Standards International Program has worked to advance manufacturing processes, lower costs, and support key industry growth markets. To get involved in future developments, become a member of the SEMI Standards Program. Membership is free.With so much underway in Q1, we look forward to an incredible year ahead. Q1 2026 Highlights A New Standard for Flexible Hybrid Electronics As the first consensus-driven framework for reliability assurance in FHE systems, SEMI 7242, Guide for Reliability of Flexible Hybrid Electronics, was created to ease roadblocks for transitioning and commercializing FHEs. It aims to speed design cycles, improve comparability of test results, reduce the risk of integrating FHE into operations, and instill confidence for scaling FHEs from prototypes to high-volume production. Document 7242 was drafted by the FHE Reliability and Testing Task Force, with added participation from industry, academia, and government laboratories.The elevation of Document 7242 to a formal SEMI Standard reflects the field’s progression to a stage where consistent approaches to reliability are both feasible and necessary. As FHE adoption grows across medical, industrial, consumer, and defense applications, Document 7242 will support systems that offer dependable performance and sustained durability over time. Document 7242 also joins the recently published SEMI FH6 Standard on FHE Terminology.Revisions to SEMI E142SEMI E142, Specification for Substrate Mapping, defines data items required for reporting, storing, and transmitting map data for substrates. It was developed to work alongside other SEMI Standards to exchange data through a SECS/GEM interface. Identifying failure points requires a two-dimensional XY coordinate map generated for substrates. However, because some steps in the semiconductor manufacturing process may use their own XY coordinate systems, a revision is currently needed to define an infrastructure for mapping a non-E142 wafer XY coordinate system to and from the E142 Standard XY coordinate system.The Advanced Backend Factory Integration (ABFI) Task Force will ballot this potential subordinate standard from August 19 to September 18. It will be adjudicated during SEMICON West from October 13-15, 2026 in San Francisco, California.Introducing the Maintenance Robot Communication Task Force As the industry moves toward smart manufacturing, integrating robot-based maintenance solutions is becoming increasingly important for enhancing production efficiency, reducing workload, and ensuring consistent work quality in automated environments. The Maintenance Robot Communication TF was formed to address the critical need to standardize operational communications for robotic maintenance systems. A dedicated community page is now available on the Connect@SEMI platform for members to exchange ideas. This activity joins the recently established Mobile Maintenance Robot Safety Task Force which aims to develop new safety guidelines that are deemed necessary to fill the gaps between existing industry standards including SEMI Safety Guidelines with regard to safe operation of mobile maintenance robots.Standards Activities from Europe Spring MeetingThe Compound Semiconductor Materials Europe TC Chapter held its annual virtual Spring Meeting on April 14, 2026. The meeting drew robust participation from China, Japan, Europe, North America, and other regions. The TC Chapter successfully adjudicated document 7111, Revision of SEMI M81-0418, Guide for Defects Found in Monocrystalline Silicon Carbide Substrates. The major update provides significant guidance on defects in silicon carbide substrates. This document has been forwarded to SEMI Publications for final processing. The Europe TC Chapter will reconvene November 10–13, 2026, during SEMICON Europa in Munich, Germany.Underscoring the Need for Cybersecurity Standards at SEMICON Korea SEMICON Korea featured more than 200 speakers who shared insights and presented solutions that are shaping the modern AI era. From February 11-13 in Seoul, the conference also served as a meeting point for the next generation of SEMI Standards. Most notably, leaders from the Semiconductor Manufacturing Cybersecurity Consortium (SMCC) highlighted the strategies and operational frameworks needed to modernize cybersecurity protocols. SEMICON Korea Highlights:Applied Materials’ Suk Won Kang discussed SMCC Working Group (WG) 9 – a new group for addressing cybersecurity challenges unique to South Korea’s semiconductor ecosystem. WG9 was formed to better understand Korean cybersecurity risks, align with global standards, and operationalize compliance with existing SEMI frameworks. Alan Weber from PDF Solutions presented on cybersecurity as it relates to industry standards. He offered an overview of today’s technical challenges, highlighting how independently developed and secure data exchange frameworks can complement existing standard interface capabilities. SEMICON China: EHS TC Chapter Formation Group Meeting Following SEMICON Korea, SEMICON China convened thousands of attendees from March 25-27 to discuss the most important technology trends driving innovation. Alongside the event, the EHS TC Chapter Formation Group Meeting took place on March 25 to review global EH S standards overview, SEMI Regulations for forming China TC Chapter, and issues including Safety Management System, Product Safety System, and Semiconductor RobotsProgress from SEMI Standards 2026 North America Winter Meetings The Standards team hosted its SEMI Standards NA Winter Meetings virtually from February 9-12. With a packed agenda, the meetings convened several TCs, including MEMS/NEMS, Facilities Gases, Liquid Chemicals, Information Controls, and more. Over a dozen new documents were submitted for approval.The NA 3D Packaging Integration Inspection Metrology TF proposed a new standard in Document 7331, Guide for Peel Testing of RDLs and Other Traces Used Within Advanced Packages and Structures. This document was approved by the 3DP I NA TC Chapter during the NA Winter Meetings in February and recently passed procedural review by the ISC Audit Review Subcommittee. Current peel testing test methods are designed for and limited to 10 mm and wider traces, which are mainly used for PCBs.iNEMI has been investigating potential re-distribution layers (RDLs) adhesion measurement methods for RDL trace widths 20 microns and smaller to determine the actual adhesion properties associated with these smaller structures. The adhesion properties of the smaller structures are important for HDI, WLP and PLP designs, and modeling. This standard provides guidance for peel testing of small trace structures used in WLPs, PLPs, and other advanced packages based on knowledge gained during the iNEMI RDL Adhesion project. Available soon at the SEMI store, this Standard can be used to determine the adhesion properties of the structure (trace bond to substrate).Other key developments from the NA Winter Meetings include:Document 7370 – Reapproval of SEMI MS13-0221, Guide for Use of Test Patterns for Characterizing a Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE) Process, introduced by the MEMS/NEMS TC. Document 7436 - Reapproval of SEMI E180-1220, Test Method for Measuring Surface Metal Contamination Through ICP-MS of Critical Chamber Components Used in Semiconductor Wafer Processing, introduced by the Metrics TC. Document 7428 - Revision to add a new subordinate Standard, Specification for Secure High-Speed SECS Message Service, to SEMI E37-0222 Specification for High-Speed SECS Message Services (HSMS) Generic Services. This was introduced by the Information Control TC. Document 7371A – Revision of SEMI S1-0824, Safety Guideline for Equipment Safety Labels. The revision was intended to add numerous safety symbols including finger pinch, entrapment, shear hazard, inhalation hazard and many others.Document R67346C - Revision to SEMI E95-1101, Specification for Human Interface for Semiconductor Manufacturing Equipment. This was introduced by the Information Control TC.New and Revised Standards Released in Q1January 2026February 2026 March 2026 Get InvolvedSEMI Standards development activities take place throughout the year in all major manufacturing regions. To participate, join the SEMI International Standards Program.SEMI Standards are available through individual download purchases or online via SEMIViews. Watch this video to learn more about how SEMIViews offers a cost-effective and streamlined way to access 1,110+ SEMI Standards. Sign up for a 30-day SEMIViews trial.For more information, please visit the Standards website and events page. For any questions regarding SEMI Standards activities, please contact your local SEMI Standards staff.Paul Trio is Director of Standards at SEMI.

Q3 2025 was packed with activity. From finalizing the Standards program for SEMICON West, to organizing the event’s corresponding Global Standards Summit (GSS), the Standards team is excited to share its most recent quarterly developments.On Tuesday, October 7, leaders from across the industry convened in Phoenix, Arizona, for the second annual GSS. This half-day summit focused on future standardization needs for supply chain traceability and environmental sustainability. In addition, the Standards team conducted two workshops at SEMICON West. The first, SEMI Liquid Chemicals Analytical Workshop, detailed recent advances in analytical methodology and instrumentation related to particle measurement, trace metals, and organics in liquid chemicals. The second, Enhancing Voltage Sag Immunity: SEMI F47 Standards Updates Insights Workshop, offered a forum for sharing improvements to SEMI Standard F47 to further enhance tool performance and reliability. Finally, Q3 saw the official introduction of SEMI Standards T26 and E195. SEMI T26-0925, Specification for Electronic Supply Chain Traceability Using Distributed Ledger Technology, will be crucial for improving security and transparency for the industry’s supply chain. Additionally, SEMI E195-0925 is now available for purchase. This standard, Test Method Using Adhesive Replacement Substrates to Assess Particulate Surface Contamination on Critical Chamber Components, offers a testing approach for measuring the ISO 14644-9 cleanliness of a critical chamber component.To participate in upcoming standard developments, learn more about becoming a member of the SEMI International Standards Program. Global Standards Summit The SEMI GSS made its North American debut at this year’s SEMICON West in Phoenix. Building on its inaugural event at SEMICON Japan 2024, GSS is a strategic forum dedicated to creating an industry-wide standardization roadmap for the next three and seven-year benchmarks. The 2025 GSS continued conversations from SEMICON Japan on environmental sustainability, while expanding its program to include supply chain traceability. As geopolitical tensions, mounting cybersecurity threats, and rising technological demands continue testing the limits of the industry’s supply chain, the need for global standardization is becoming increasingly apparent. The 2025 GSS program addressed these concerns and others across multiple sessions, offering insight on how these challenges are being addressed in the industry while highlighting critical areas still in need for standards development. Key outcomes from the GSS program include: Addressing data sharing across multiple supply chain tiers while protecting IP rights and a call for harmonization across standards. The presentation by Randy Hall from the Provenance Chain Network, offered approaches on how data owners can share information with authorized users without compromising sensitive manufacturing details. While there are standards gaps that hinder broader adoption, there is opportunity to address insufficient visibility across the industry’s supply chain amid ongoing cybersecurity threats by harmonizing across existing standards implementations. An integrated modeling framework for informing energy efficiency and carbon reduction approaches. Developed by the International Roadmap for Devices and Systems (IRDS) Environmental Sustainability for Semiconductor Facilities (ESSF) team, this effort helps address demands for maintaining rapid technological progress while still meeting the industry’s ambitious sustainability goals.Standardization opportunities for improving sustainability within manufacturing facilities. Nate Monosoff from Jacobs offered insight into the decision-making tradeoffs that balance sustainability with other facility performance areas, focusing on standard methods for calculating ESG performance. GSS concluded with a panel discussion that featured leaders from AMD, FTD Solutions, Intel, The Provenance Chain Network, Jacobs, Qualcomm, and Tokyo Electron. In this session, our thought leaders discussed the fundamental importance of standardization for our industry, standards adoption, incentivizing stakeholders, and how standards can be designed to remain flexible and adaptive as technologies and regulatory landscapes evolve. SEMI Standard T26In line with the 2025 GSS theme of supply chain traceability, the Standards team is pleased to introduce SEMI T26, Specification for Electronic Supply Chain Traceability Using Distributed Ledger Technology. This standard was published in September to define a secure and decentralized traceability system that all members of the electronics supply chain can safely share. This system is based on distributed ledger technology to improve industry-wide reliability assurance.Update on Document 7130CIn February, Document 7130C was approved during the North America Metrics Technical Committee Chapter Meeting. The document officially became SEMI E195 - Test Method Using Adhesive Replacement Substrates to Assess Particulate Surface Contamination of Critical Chamber Components in September.SEMI E195 describes a quantitative method for measuring the ISO 14644-9 surface cleanliness for particle concentration of a critical chamber component (CCC), by means of an adhesive replacement substrate. The purpose of this standard is to ensure measuring and reporting consistency across CCCs or processing equipment manufacturers. To help acquaint the industry with this standard, SEMI offered a combined, in-person course on SEMI E194 and SEMI E195 during SEMICON West. The course provided fundamental information on each standard, in addition to other process approaches for improving reliability and yield.Other SEMI Updates:SEMI Preventive Maintenance Automation White Paper SEMI Korea conducted a Global PM Automation Survey in August to better understand today’s preventive maintenance readiness issues for autonomous fabs. The results will be included in SEMI’s upcoming PM Automation Whitepaper and will ultimately guide future developments for related SEMI Standards. Standardized Semiconductor Cyber Assessment FrameworkIn Q3, the Semiconductor Manufacturing Cybersecurity Consortium (SMCC) released its Standardized Semiconductor Cyber Assessment (SSCA) framework. This document provides a detailed cybersecurity readiness plan for semiconductor companies across the supply chain. Its goals are to standardize industry-wide cybersecurity risk evaluations, establish and accelerate the adoption of best practices, and improve information sharing and collaboration. Download the SSCA framework for free.New Data Standard for Equipment Edge Governance In June, Document 6938C was approved during the Taiwan Information Control Technical Committee Chapter Meeting. The document officially became SEMI E196 - Guide for Equipment Edge Data Governance. SEMI E196 provides guidance for identifying equipment data supplied by manufacturers that can be used in equipment engineering or analysis applications.New Guide to Meet IRDS Yield Table RecommendationsAt the NA Summer Meetings, Document 6601B passed TC Chapter review with technical changes and a Ratification Ballot was issued in Cycle 7-2025. Pending final Procedural Review, Guide for Meeting IRDS Yield Table Recommendations for High Purity Polymer Materials and Components Used in Ultrapure Water, will cover areas that establish criteria for allowable contribution by critical components used for UPW treatment plant and distribution system. This document will be proactively updated to manage the risks associated with the high purity polymer materials used in the semiconductor process. The biggest challenges today are metals and particles and certain organics.Flex Standards Meeting at FLEX 2026Meet the leaders of the SEMI Standards Flexible Hybrid Electronics (FHE) Task Forces at Flex 2026, in Arizona, February 24-26, and learn about ongoing FHE standardization efforts!Standards Introduced in Q3 2025New and revised standards released in Q3. July 2025 StandardsAugust 2025 StandardsSeptember 2025 Standards Get InvolvedSEMI Standards development activities take place throughout the year in all major manufacturing regions. To participate, join the SEMI International Standards Program.SEMI Standards are available through individual download purchases or online via SEMIViews. Sign up for a 30-day SEMIViews trial.For more information, please visit the Standards website and events page. For any questions regarding SEMI Standards activities, please contact your local SEMI Standards staff. Paul Trio is Director of Standards at SEMI.

In Q2, the SEMI International Standards Program made progress on several emerging initiatives. Together, we reached a critical milestone for one of our data standards initiatives with Document 6938C recently passing Technical Committee review in mid-June 2025. Ballot 6938C, which provides guidance on how to identify manufacturing equipment data provided by the equipment supplier that can be used in equipment engineering or analysis applications, is slated to join SEMI E190 and E190.1 in providing industry-enabling data standardization.In addition, we began major revisions to SEMI Standards S2, S8, and S10. These standards govern environmental, health, and safety (EHS) considerations, equipment user fatigue and injury reduction, and equipment risk assessment and evaluation, respectively. In our recently concluded North America Standards Summer 2025 Meetings, the NA EHS Technical Committee Chapter approved a revision ballot to SEMI S10. The ballot (7169) proposed several major revisions to the SEMI S10 Safety Guideline on risk assessment which included changes to references to equipment to objects under consideration. Other changes also included the relocation of the assessment of the risk of harm to property other than the OUC to a Related Information section. Additional details are provided below.We’re eagerly preparing for this year’s SEMICON West event, taking place for the first time ever in Phoenix, Arizona. We are also pleased to announce the return of the SEMI Global Standards Summit taking place Tuesday afternoon, October 7 at SEMICON West. Our inaugural Summit was held last year at SEMICON Japan 2024 last December. The Summit aims to identify standards-critical areas and work towards an industry standardization strategy for the next 3- and 7-year time horizons. This year's Global Standards Summit will feature sessions on Supply Chain Traceability as well as Environmental Sustainability. Similarly, as cybersecurity considerations become more complex, SEMICON West will host a dedicated Cybersecurity Forum from October 7-9 to address today’s most pertinent challenges. More detailed program information will be available soon. Finally, we’re looking forward to our SEMI Standards + Award Ceremony Networking Event at SEMICON West. Following the International Standards Meeting and Standards Summit on Tuesday, October 7, join us for appetizers, drinks, and great conversation from 6-7:30 p.m. In the meantime, learn more about becoming a member of the SEMI International Standards Program.Balloting for Document 6938Document 6938C introduces a new potential standard – Guide for Equipment Edge Data Governance. Under development by the Equipment Edge Data Governance (EEDG) Task Force since 2021, Document 6938C was balloted in Cycle 3-2025 and approved during the Information Control Taiwan Technical Committee (TC) Chapter meeting held on June 12, 2025. It has since received approval by the International Standards Committee Audits and Reviews Subcommittee and is now undergoing final processing for publication by SEMI. As manufacturing equipment offers more accessible data than ever, poor communication, inconsistent expectations, and data security concerns continue to halt or slow factory integration efforts. If passed, this new standard will help organize the information that supports smart manufacturing efforts at the edge. In addition, the EEDG Guide will provide a comprehensive set of best practices to both users and suppliers to increase the value of existing equipment data. Update on Revisions to SEMI S2, S8, and S10 Safety GuidelinesOur 2025 Q1 Standards Watch newsletter announced a significant overhaul for SEMI Standards S2, S8, and S10.S2, SEMI’s standard for performance-based environmental, health, and safety (EHS) considerations for semiconductor manufacturing equipment, is undergoing discussions on redefining safety interlock systems. The S2 task force will issue an informal ballot to the general audience for feedback. The results then will be used to develop a formal letter ballot.First developed in 1995, SEMI Standard S8 works to reduce fatigue and injury by matching equipment to the user’s size, strength, and range of motion. Although this safety standard has been periodically updated since its inception, its last substantial revision was in 2018. The ballot to revise S8 ultimately failed the EH S TC Chapter review at this year’s Winter Meeting. With 214 comments and negatives to consider, the task force is revising the ballot and plans to reissue in Cycle 7 of August 2025.Finally, SEMI Standard S10 is moving through ballot 7169. This standard defines a consistent means of risk estimation that other SEMI Safety Guidelines can invoke. Ballot 7169 will separate facility and building risk assessment to a non-normative portion of the document, ensure EHS risks are separately calculated from commercial object risks, and clarify risk assessment of observed events from risk assessment of foreseen events. Ballot 7169 results were reviewed on June 5 during the North America Standards Summer meetings. The document was approved and is being processed for publication by SEMI.Cybersecurity Forum at SEMICON West 2025This year’s SEMICON West will feature a dedicated Cybersecurity Forum to address the semiconductor industry’s rapidly-changing cybersecurity landscape. The SEMI Cybersecurity Forum will gather industry experts to share knowledge and experience on the following topics. The goal is to develop actionable strategies and a deeper understanding of current and future cybersecurity risks. Cybersecurity in Legacy Semiconductor ToolsEmerging and Existing Cybersecurity Legislation and ComplianceCybersecurity in Maintenance and ManufacturingImpact of Cybersecurity Events on Semiconductor Manufacturing OperationsSupply Chain SecurityThreat Landscape in Semiconductor ManufacturingThe 2025 call for abstracts is now closed. Speakers will be announced in Q3.SEMI E187 Compliance Guidance White PaperThe SEMI Semiconductor Manufacturing Cybersecurity Consortium (SMCC), in collaboration with industry experts, is pleased to announce the release of the SEMI E187 Compliance Guidance Whitepaper. This comprehensive resource is designed to support semiconductor equipment suppliers and device manufacturers as they work to meet the requirements of the SEMI E187 0122 Standard - The Specification of Cybersecurity of Fab Equipment.Professionals involved in tool development, manufacturing, operations, and security will find the guidance particularly relevant and actionable. It provides guidance to address all twelve SEMI E187 requirements and focuses on new to fab equipment.Download the Whitepaper for freeSEMI Standards North America Summer MeetingsThis year’s SEMI Standards North America Summer Meetings were held from June 2-5 at SEMI’s headquarters in Milpitas, California. The meetings convened 11 committees and 40 task forces to discuss topics ranging from EHS to facilities, 3D packaging, MEMS, and more. In addition to the results of ballot 7169, technical changes to ballot 6601B, New Standard: Guide for Meeting IRDS Yield Table Recommendations for High Purity Polymer Materials and Components Used in Ultrapure Water, was also approved by the Liquid Chemicals North America TC Chapter, since the activity began in 2019. A Ratification Ballot will be issued in Cycle 7-2025 to verify the changes. In total, over 15 activities, ranging from Auxiliary Information, Reapprovals, and Line-Item ballots, also recently passed Procedural Review by the International Standards Committee (ISC) Audits Reviews Subcommittee and will be forwarded to Publications for final processing. The next SEMI International Standards Meeting will be held at SEMICON West from October 7-9 at the Phoenix Convention Center. Some technical committees and task forces may meet virtually outside of this meeting set, so be sure to check the SEMI Standards calendar of events for updates. Standards Introduced in Q2 2025New and revised standards released in Q2. April 2025 standards: https://store-us.semi.org/collections/standards/stdpbc-0425May 2025 standards: https://store-us.semi.org/collections/standards/stdpbc-0525June 2025 standards: https://store-us.semi.org/collections/standards/stdpbc-0625Get InvolvedSEMI Standards development activities take place throughout the year in all major manufacturing regions. To participate, join the SEMI International Standards Program.SEMI Standards are available through individual download purchases or online via SEMIViews. Sign up for a 30-day SEMIViews trial.For more information, please visit the Standards website and events page. For any questions regarding SEMI Standards activities, please contact your local SEMI Standards staff. Paul Trio is Director of Standards at SEMI.

With microelectronics manufacturing increasing in complexity and facing more cybersecurity threats, the SEMI International Standards Program has made crucial progress on efforts to address these challenges and others, in the first quarter of 2025. MEMS manufacturing readiness and cybersecurity came into sharp focus with the introduction of SEMI Standard MS15 - Guide to MEMS Manufacturing Readiness Levels. In addition, this quarter saw the opening of the public commentary period for a SEMI-led semiconductor manufacturing cybersecurity profile, developed for the National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework (CSF) 2.0. Through collaborative efforts, we held a successful North America Standards Winter Meeting in February, co-hosted a MEMS webinar, and published over 15 new and revised standards in areas such as equipment automation software, facilities, materials, and more.With exciting developments still to come, we’re looking forward to a wonderful year ahead.MEMS Manufacturing Readiness This March, SEMI unveiled its new standard, SEMI MS15 – Guide to MEMS Manufacturing Readiness Levels. This standard offers readiness level definitions, processes, and practices for creating MEMS products that meet targeted specification performance, quality, cost, and time-to-market. This standard is broken into eight distinct levels that cover basic research, all the way through high-volume production. Prior to the official release of SEMI MS15, we held a webinar that previewed how MEMS Manufacturing Readiness Levels will facilitate efficient MEMS development. Led by co-chair, Michelle Bourke of Lam Research, the SEMI MEMS Sensors Industry Group (MSIG) hosted a webinar featuring MEMS experts from SoftMEMS, HP, Teledyne MEMS, and Polar Semiconductor. Speakers shared insight into creating a structured and balanced MEMS manufacturing approach to drive successful products to commercialization. Cybersecurity Resilience Like 2024, cybersecurity remains pertinent in 2025. Last October, SEMI introduced SEMI Standard E191 and its subordinate standard, SEMI E191.1 to help define cybersecurity status information reporting. SEMI E191 and E191.1 join SEMI’s existing cybersecurity standards, SEMI E187 and E188. Last year also saw the development of the NIST CSF 2.0 Semiconductor Manufacturing Profile under SEMI’s Semiconductor Manufacturing Cybersecurity Consortium (SMCC). In partnership with NIST, SMCC advanced a community profile for CSF 2.0 that will serve as a cybersecurity framework specific to semiconductor manufacturing. The profile opened for public commentary between February 27 and May 30, with the final version slated for official release in Q3 of this year.As the semiconductor industry becomes increasingly reliant on digital technologies, we will continue to prioritize cybersecurity standards and initiatives essential for safeguarding the global supply chain.North America SEMI Standards Winter MeetingsFrom February 24 to 27 at SEMI’s headquarters, leaders from 11 committees and over 40 task forces collaborated on new and revised standards and safety guidelines for environmental, health, and safety, equipment automation and software, liquid chemicals, traceability, and more. Three SEMI Standard draft documents that were reviewed at the North America SEMI Standards Fall Meetings last November have also been approved and published. In addition to SEMI MS15, SEMI F122 – Guide for Facilities Data Package for Manufacturing Equipment Installation and Building Information Modeling, and SEMI E193 – Specification for 300 mm Film Frame FOUP (FFF), have also been approved and published. SEMI F122 suggests formats for reporting facilities data required to plan, prepare, model, and optimize a facility for the installation of manufacturing equipment by fab owners and manufacturing equipment customers. SEMI E193 drives consistent implementation of interfaces for film frame carriers that are compact and work with existing 300 mm FOUP standards and BOLTS interfaces. These standards are now available for purchase. The North America SEMI Standards Summer Meetings will take place from June 2-5 at SEMI’s Milpitas, California headquarters. Some technical committees and task forces may meet virtually outside of this meeting set – check the SEMI Standards calendar of events for updates!Standards Introduced in Q1 2025New and revised standards released in Q1. January 2025 standards: https://store-us.semi.org/collections/standards/lang-english+stdpbc-0125February 2025 standards: https://store-us.semi.org/collections/standards/lang-english+stdpbc-0225March 2025 standards: https://store-us.semi.org/collections/standards/lang-english+stdpbc-0325TestimonialsHear from Doug Suerich, Director of Marketing at PEER Group, how his work is helping shape smart manufacturing standards and global cybersecurity policies through our powerful collaborative platform. Get InvolvedSEMI Standards development activities take place throughout the year in all major manufacturing regions. To participate, join the SEMI International Standards Program.SEMI Standards are available through Individual Download purchases or online via SEMIViews. Sign up for a 30-day SEMIViews trial.For more information, please visit the Standards website and events page. For any questions regarding SEMI Standards activities, please contact your local SEMI Standards staff. Paul Trio is Director of Standards at SEMI.

The semiconductor industry continues to push the envelope to meet demands of key applications such as advanced computing, consumer electronics, and defense, as well as environmental sustainability. There remain several critical challenges that our industry is working diligently to address, but how can these issues be tackled more effectively and at a pace that can keep up with this ever-evolving landscape?SEMI sat down with Supika Mashiro, Advisor at Tokyo Electron, where she shares her perspective on the importance of strengthening industry collaboration and what SEMI is doing through its first-ever SEMI Global Standards Summit – “Innovating Tomorrow: Standards for Future Factories” – of which she chairs the Planning Committee responsible for organizing this Summit.Trio: What is the SEMI Global Standards Summit and why is this event timely?Mashiro-san: Topics such as advanced packaging, cybersecurity, as well as supply chain and materials innovation (and their impact to the environment) are considered strategic areas requiring more industry collaboration. Many of these areas also greatly benefit from standards, and the next generation specifications and guidelines will need to be engineered to meet the technical challenges we face today and in the future. The magnitude of these standardization efforts will require engagement from all stakeholders in the design-to-manufacturing value chain as well as multiple Standards Developing Organizations (SDOs) coordinating and collaborating with each other.This is the driving force behind the Summit, and the need to bring together industry stakeholders to identify standards-critical areas and align on developing an industry standardization strategy for the next 3- and 7-year time horizons. We are excited to host this inaugural event on December 12, 2024, in conjunction with SEMICON Japan 2024. Trio: What is the focus of the Summit?Mashiro-san: The Global Standards Summit will cover three main themes: Smart Manufacturing for Future Factories, Packaging Architectures Materials, Environmental Sustainability.Factories are increasing their use of digital twins, predictive maintenance, and AI/ML to improve productivity and yield across the entire manufacturing environment. To take full advantage of these approaches, factories must reduce cybersecurity risks and secure the transfer of “smart” data across the entire supply chain while protecting IP. There is a need for standards to address these risk areas, as well as help diverse advanced analytics systems interoperate to assist personnel in increasing factory productivity. In the Smart Manufacturing for Future Factories session, we will be focusing on autonomous fabs, cybersecurity, and flow-oriented manufacturing.Similarly, packaging technologies have been progressing since the early stages of semiconductor device development more than 70 years ago. More recently, where packaging occurs in the semiconductor process has evolved, and some of the packaging processes are now done as an extension of front-end manufacturing. Moving forward, packaging architecture and materials are becoming increasingly important, driven by the adoption of heterogenous integration to address demands for more complex functionality and reduced power consumption as well as enabling chiplet integration. In the Packaging Architecture Materials session, we will discuss what kind of standardization our industry requires for copper-copper (Cu-Cu) direct interconnection, hybrid bonding, and panel-level packaging. We will also explore glass substrates as well as standards needed to enable semiconductor assembly and test automation.Our third session recognizes that the semiconductor industry is heading into an era of NetZero, in which quantification of environmental performance can have meaningful financial impact. The methods of measuring and accounting the environmental impact such as carbon emissions and the presence of substances of concern in manufacturing and products are not uniformly consistent across the industry. In order for the semiconductor industry to better navigate and make a positive impact in this arena, a consistent set of standards will be crucial. In the Environmental Sustainability session, thought leaders will present on communicating substance of concern (SOC), reporting of process emissions from factories, as well as lifecycle assessment of materials and substances used in semiconductor manufacturing, including equipment.Last but not the least, we will feature a panel session where we will explore all of these topics in a discussion with our panelists.Trio: Who should attend the Summit and why?Mashiro-san: The Summit is intended for leaders who are interested in these standardization topics to come and engage. Attendees will hear and learn about the issues critical to the future advancements of semiconductor manufacturing, what’s happening to address them, as well as new standards development. Attendee engagement is critical as we want our participants to influence and be able to contribute to the direction of standards development by providing valuable insights to help optimize future factories. To facilitate industry collaboration, we have organized networking events with other stakeholders from suppliers and solutions providers to end customers. The Summit is just one of many compelling reasons for industry stakeholders and thought leaders to come to SEMICON Japan. There are several sessions on many related topics that we are covering in the Global Standards Summit. Ultimately, at the conclusion of the Summit, we expect to have identified lists of critical standards areas, and we would like for those leaders to be able to assign and dedicate resources to these standardization efforts.For more information about the inaugural SEMI Global Standards Summit, please visit the SEMICON Japan 2024 site and register today!Supika Mashiro works as an Advisor for Strategic Planning of Industry Initiative Group at Tokyo Electron Limited.She has been involved in Factory Integration (FI) IFT of IRDS since its inauguration in 2016 and a co-chair since 2017. Her area of interest and involvement encompasses “smart” technology applications in manufacturing equipment, its co-optimization with Fab operation as well as ESH/S (Environment, Safety, and Health/ Sustainability) road-mapping and related industry standard development. For the latter, she has taken a couple of leadership roles in SEMI Standards Program as well as IEC TC/44.Paul Trio is Director of the SEMI Standards program.

The inaugural CHIPS Research and Development (R&D) Standards Summit will bring together thought leaders from industry and academia across the globe to help shape the future and drive innovation of semiconductor and microelectronics standards.

SCIS is a SEMI Technology Community that tackles critical component defectivity for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The organization develops test methods for measuring defects in these critical components. Originally, this SEMI community was looking at challenges surrounding sub-10nm process nodes, but our constituents – Integrated Device Manufacturers (IDMs), capital equipment OEMs, and (sub)component suppliers – felt that the immediate need was for standards that would apply to process nodes that are already being used for volume semiconductor device manufacturing.IDMs need ways to tell their supply chain how defects attributable to these critical components factor into the overall process-node defect budgets and wafer-contamination limits. Chipmakers and IDMs needed to start with a baseline: How problematic are existing critical components in the overall fab systems and how do these contaminants contribute to defects and how do they affect overall process yields?These questions must be answered for every component in the fab’s process line including the drums that hold the fab chemistries, fluid delivery systems, and components used in the wafer-processing chamber. All of these critical fab-line components come into contact with each manufactured wafer, in one way or another, and each is a suspect with respect to contamination, defects, and yield problems. SCIS develops test methods for these fab-line critical components testing that are used to identify the defects caused by these components and for establishing baselines.SCIS has seven working groups dealing with various critical components. Each is developing various test methods for many critical fab-line components. There are many facets with respect to testing each of these critical components.Take something as simple as a seal, such as an FFKM (perfluoroelastomer, made from polymers) seal. These seals are ubiquitous in fab lines. In harsher environments, such as inside of a processing chamber, these seals are exposed to high temperatures and harsh chemistries. Different FFKM seals will have different characteristics such as thermal resistivity and chemical resistance, depending on customer specifications, and can also vary from one manufacturer to another. In addition, these characteristics can change depending on environmental conditions – or just the passage of time.SCIS looks at defect traits from the perspective of each component in the fab line and decides which of the components’ parameters contribute most to process defects. Initially, the SCIS Seals Valves Group collected a list of seal-related issues or parameters. The working group then cross-checked these parameters against different manufacturing processes used in the fab including ALD (atomic layer deposition) and CVD (chemical vapor deposition). Some processes are harder on seals than others. Then the working group prioritized these various parameters according to their contribution to the overall process defect budget. IDMs provided important input during these steps because they work with these seals on a daily basis. At this point, the SCIS working group had a prioritized list of parameters, vetted by various stakeholders in the semiconductor manufacturing industry. The group then set to develop standardized measurement methods for these critical parameters.Based on this work, the SCIS Seals Valves Group has already published two documents. The first is a standard that specifies methods for testing seal-induced impurities such as ashing (analysis of metals content of the ash) and TOC (total organic content).The second document published by the Seals Valves Group is a guide that documents BKMs (best known methods) for handling seals – from the moment they’re cured in an oven to packaging, shipping, handling in a fab, and installation – to reduce contamination problems during use. For example, some seals are sensitive to light. Some polymer seals degrade when they come into contact with IPA (isopropyl alcohol), which is often used for prepping. A degraded seal can emit contamination particles during processing, which will cause yields to fall. (This latter bit of information came directly from a major IDM, which demonstrates the invaluable role that users of these components can play in the development of testing standards.)The Seals Valves Group’s current work focuses on developing a standard for measuring seal leak rates. This standard will define test methods for evaluating a seal’s ability to maintain pressure under vacuum. Although there are well-established standard for testing seal CSR (compressive stress relaxation) in the aerospace industry, there’s no such standard for the semiconductor industry. So originally, the Seals Valves Group tried to tackle that challenge by developing a similar standard for SEMI’s constituents. However, a more practical and immediate parametric challenge turned out to be seal leakage rates.Installed seals are exposed to high temperatures and harsh chemistries in the semiconductor fabrication process. The Seals Valves Group decided to develop a test method that would determine how well seals perform over time with respect to leakage rates as the seals are exposed to cyclic harsh conditions. The goal is to simulate the working conditions for these seals, as closely as possible and in a repeatable manner.There are, of course, some challenges associated with this work. For example, IDMs and equipment OEMs don’t want to reveal their exact process conditions as they are proprietary. So the Seals Valves Group took a step back and focused on developing a test method based solely on exposure to elevated temperatures.Development of this thermal test requires the design of a standardized test jig to help ensure consistent, repeatable tests, shown in Figure 1. Figure 1: Elastomer seal test jig developed by the SCIS Seals Valves Group.The seal under test, shown in red in Figure 1, sits at the center of the jig. A second seal, shown in green, is used to seal the actual test environment. Two thermocouples in the jig’s top and bottom monitor of the temperature inside of the jig. There are gas and purge lines for controlling the ambient pressures on either side of the seal under test.Figure 2 illustrates how the jig is connected to the gas sources. Figure 2: The Seals Test Jig is connected to helium and nitrogen gas sources and to a calibrated leak (vacuum) line. The seals leak test is based on a helium leak test. Helium is one of the smallest atoms so it will leak through just about any small gap and, with time, permeate through the material as well. In addition, helium is inert, and testing for helium using a mass spectrometer is a well-established technique for leak testing. Helium leak testing can be one thousand to one million times more sensitive than using mechanical, pressure-decay test techniques. The jig’s nitrogen lines serve to purge the test chambers of helium between leak tests.Developing just a test jig is not sufficient. The Seals Valves Group also developed a test sequence for using the jig. There were no existing standard, so the group needed to use its knowledge of the seals’ composition and operating conditions to develop certain test parameters. For example, the group elected to use 200°C as the maximum temperature for the high-temperature portion of the test because FFKM seals start to degrade at 250°C.At this point, the Seals Valves Group has gone through several iterations of a proposed test sequence. There was some initial reluctance to provide detailed inputs, but after a few iterations of the proposed method (and an understanding that this would become an industry standard to hold suppliers accountable), inputs have become more forthcoming.This is an excellent example that demonstrates why it’s so important for SCIS working groups to get chipmakers, IDMs, component vendors, and even feedstock materials vendors to participate in these standardization efforts. Standards are far more useful if they’re based on real-world conditions.Currently, the SCIS Seals Valves Group is working towards finalizing the seals-leak test sequence. The jig has been designed in AutoCAD and a prototype will soon be manufactured. Although the test and jig have been developed with significant industry participation, the validity of the test has yet to be determined. The validity will be verified though Alpha testing before the jig design and test method are incorporated into a standard.However, SEMI is not a test house. It’s a facilitator. The testing will therefore be performed by a neutral third party capable of carrying out the test under fab-like conditions. SEMI’s role is to work with different testing entities such as SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, New York or IMEC in Belgium.SEMI will solicit bids for this work through its SCIS Executive Advisory Committee, which consists of C-level executives from device makers, semiconductor capital equipment OEMs, and major critical component suppliers. This project has leveraged many of the relationships that SEMI has developed over the years and has broken new ground in standards making for SCIS and for SEMI.For those looking to learn more about SCIS or engage in ongoing efforts, please contact Paul Trio, senior manager of Strategic Initiatives at SEMI, at [email protected].

Gas plasmas have become a fundamental building block in many semiconductor manufacturing processes. Plasma torches used to create these gas plasmas have three components: an induction coil, a plasma confinement tube, and a gas distributor or torch head that introduces multiple gases into the torch. RF generators supply the high-frequency electrical energy needed to transform the plasma-forming gases flowing through the torch, typically oxygen or a fluorine-bearing gas, into a plasma. The RF generators used for semiconductor manufacturing typically operate in the low megahertz or tens of megahertz frequency range and are expected to output high RF power at those frequencies for long periods. For example, ALD and CVD processes use RF generators with output powers on the order of a few kilowatts.About three years ago, a major semiconductor device maker experienced a recurring problem with its RF generators. The company found that more than half of the RF generators it deployed in its manufacturing lines were failing within the first two years of service. Further, the same model RF generators obtained from the same RF generator vendor simply were not behaving similarly when used for exactly the same processes under exactly the same conditions. Nor were these supposedly identical generators operating for consistent lengths of time before failing. Clearly there was variation from one generator to the next, even within the same model.A further complication occurred during procurement of these RF generators. Procurement people were acquiring generators using general specification requirements and these requirements were, at times, opaque to the intended process application. In some cases, equipment was being purchased in bulk quantities and then assigned to different processes on the semiconductor manufacturing lines. When these generators were deployed, they had not been designed or optimized for the specific task to which they were assigned, exacerbating the reliability problem.The RF generator suppliers felt that they would be able to supply more reliable generators if they could collaborate with their customers so that they could purpose-build their generators for the intended uses. However, the semiconductor makers preferred to keep the specifics of the manufacturing process applications for these generators proprietary, for obvious reasons. To make matters worse, customers did not always return failed units to RF generator vendors for analysis. Instead, the RF generators were sometimes sent out to be refurbished by third parties or repair depots, and then redeployed. As a result, failure analysis proved challenging to obtain.This is exactly the type of situation that SEMI’s Semiconductor Component, Instrument and Subsystem (SCIS) technical community exists to address. SCIS develops test methods aimed at measuring component defects for the greater semiconductor manufacturing community. SCIS tackled this RF generator problem and developed a standard test method for measuring specific RF generator characteristics. Using this test method, RF generator manufacturers can publish results for their generators in a standardized way that allows their customers to make fair, application-specific comparisons among models and vendors.Many aspects of an RF generator needed to be considered. A key aspect that interested integrated device makers (IDMs) and capital equipment OEMs was a transient-response test for RF generators.A transient-response test standard established by the SEMI-E135 standard did exist, but its tests were run only with 50-ohm RF output loads. SCIS decided to expand this transient-response test by adding high- and low-impedance load tests to the existing 50-ohm load test.The initial response to this plan was not enthusiastic. The semiconductor makers feared that this simple expansion of an existing test standard would not produce a test regimen that would help solve what they considered to be the real problem: RF generator reliability. However, a major semiconductor equipment OEM differed, and felt that the two additional load conditions would provide a much better understanding of an RF generator’s capabilities. A second major semiconductor equipment OEM also got involved by providing additional, valuable feedback on the developing RF generator testing standard.In the end, the general feeling in the community is that this newly revised standard levels the playing field and makes it easier for customers to compare RF generators from different generator vendors. Now that this revised SEMI-E135 standard with the additional output load resistances has been published, the SCIS technical community has gained broader support and is now digging into the creation of a reliability test standard for RF generators to meet the greater semiconductor manufacturing community’s strong need for such a standard.How SEMI Standards are MadeThis sequence of events illustrates how standards are developed at SEMI. The SCIS technical community (or some other technical community within SEMI) develops and incubates test methods until a document is ready for standardization. At that point, a SEMI Standards task force is created. Companies within SCIS work with the task force (or become the task force) to ready the document for standardization. For the SEMI-E135 revision, the list of participating companies encompassed the entire semiconductor manufacturing community including RF generator suppliers, semiconductor capital equipment OEMs, and IDMs. All stakeholders participate.Figure 1 illustrates the sequence of events that occurred during the revision of the SEMI-E135 standard, after the test methods had been developed by SCIS as discussed above. Figure 1: Timeline for SEMI-E135 RF generator test standard revision after SCIS had developed the new load tests. Balloting, as illustrated in Figure 1, is the main way that SEMI obtains global consensus in the standards-making process. To achieve this, SEMI sends out the standard ballot proposal, or in this case a major revision of an existing standard. The changes to SEMI-E135 were sufficiently extensive that it was treated as a complete rewrite to this standard.On first ballot, the revised SEMI-E135 standard received several rejection votes, which also included suggested modifications that would remove the objections. These ballot rejections caused the proposed standard to be further revised, with both technical as well as editorial changes, triggering a SEMI Standards process called a Ratification Ballot. This approach takes less time than starting the balloting process over again. The final revised standard was published in September 2018.Having all stakeholders participate in the early development of the revised standard helped move the standard through the balloting process immensely, but customer participation was especially important. In the end, the semiconductor device makers and equipment OEMs are the ultimate beneficiaries of a standard like SEMI-E135. When end customers help to drive a standard’s development, there’s added pressure to move the standard along in the standardization process and the standard is far more likely to be useful for their purposes.And that’s a very good thing.For those looking to learn more about SCIS or engage in ongoing efforts, please contact Paul Trio, senior manager of Strategic Initiatives at SEMI, at [email protected].

A Communication ProblemAs the industry ventures towards a more connected world, the semiconductor test community is facing increasingly stringent performance, quality and reliability targets, particularly in the high-stakes automotive, communications, and medical sectors. It is, therefore, important for device makers to know how their components will perform before their products hit the road, reach for the skies, or get placed inside the body. Access to test data is critical to mitigating failure risks. Yet many challenges are associated with accessing test and manufacturing data. One hurdle is that component suppliers are often reluctant to provide test data for fear of revealing sensitive information about their design and/or manufacturing IP. With customers sourcing their components from multiple vendors, IP leakage is a valid concern and, consequently, a barrier to access. Certainly, these issues can be negotiated contractually, but only after striking the delicate balance between access and cost. Beyond access, the quality of test data itself – which can be fragmented and even corrupted – is not always assured. As a device moves through the typical product flow (i.e., fab to sort to assembly to test), it inevitably changes hands (e.g., from foundry to OSATs). As a result, information about the device can become a patchwork of data where formats vary and certain fields, at times, may get overwritten. These potential gaps in test data flow underscore the need for consistent communications of manufacturing information from one process or stakeholder to the next. While standardization could help, it is currently lacking in many of these critical data-flow chains in the manufacturing, test, and assembly areas. An Industry Alliance Aimed at Solving Test Industry ProblemsEfforts to establish standardized solutions to these test industry issues are under way by the SEMI Collaborative Alliance for Semiconductor Test (CAST) Special Interest Group. CAST activities are currently structured around establishing standards on data formats, communication protocols, and chip traceability.Rich Interactive Test Database (RITdb)While Standard Test Data Format (STDF) is widely used in the semiconductor industry, it does not directly support the new use models in today’s test environment, such as real-time or pseudo real-time queries, adaptive test and streaming access. The STDF V4 record format is not extendible and, because the standard itself can be imprecise, it tends to result in many interpretations. These limitations become apparent when there is a need for more efficient and flexible format to manage “big test data.”The RITdb group has been working on the next-generation format following STDF to allow more flexibility in data types and support for adaptive test. The group aims to provide a standards-driven data environment for semiconductor test including simple standards-based data capture, transport and relationship model for eTest, probe, and final test data. Its work also seeks to support equipment configuration management and operational performance data. More importantly, RITdb enables a real-time streaming model that provides the ability to collect and monitor data/systems from sand to landfill.Real Time Adaptive Test (Courtesy HIR)Work by the RITdb group will ultimately be developed into SEMI Standards. The SEMI Standard spec will be in MS Word while the database itself in a different format. A spec editor will help ensure it is used correctly. The group also plans to expand the spec beyond probe and final test. Meanwhile, the group is working to streamline RITdb and implement different extensions (e.g., tester log, streaming). Additional work will be needed on probe maps and test cases (i.e., be able to run verifiers to validate the spec).Tester Event Messaging for Semiconductors (TEMS)Today, semiconductor testing continues to see a surging demand for real-time data analysis, real-time ATE input and control of the test flow to improve test yield, throughput, efficiency, and product quality. At the same time, test equipment and test operations around the world use a diverse range of data formats, specifications, and interface requirements that drive up customer service and application engineering costs for ATE vendors, OSAT companies, IDM test operations, software providers, and handler equipment. A common ATE hardware and software communications interface would help reduce the cost, time and complexity of integrating ATE equipment into data-intensive test operations.Overview of Test Cell CommunicationThe TEMS group was chartered to develop a standardized ATE data messaging system based on industry-standard internet communication protocols between a test cell host and a server. The standard will be limited to ATE data messaging, using RITdb entity types as applicable, standard data format, and control requirements. It will have no impact on other test communication interfaces such as those involving handlers, probers, test instrumentation, and other systems covered by existing standards (e.g., SEMI E30, E4, E5, STDF). The group is developing a set of standards to define a vendor-neutral way to collect test cell data. The primary spec defines the model while a subordinate spec defines the transport layer to maintain consistency with prior standards.Chip ID TraceabilityChip ID Traceability is the most recent group formed under CAST. The group’s formation came on the heels of the 2017 CAST Workshop that focused on Component System Level Test. SLT is widely considered a burden that most chip manufacturers prefer to avoid, but it is essential to achieving lower DPPM (Defective Parts Per Million) goals at system level. The cost to develop and maintain SLT equipment in-house and at OSATS is significant. SLT test engineering requires different skills than regular ATE test engineering. The engineers must understand the final application environment and the data flow that is subjected to the component. Defect causes need to be isolated and communicated back to the vendor or ATE test engineer for corrective action. Mapping such SLT failures back to the ATE production tests is a big, labor-intensive challenge.Component traceability is a big concern. Most newer technologies have ECID (Electronic Chip Identification). However, many product types representing significant volumes do not provide ID traceability. Without component-level traceability, it is extremely difficult to analyze failures and drive corrective action. Additionally, there is basic manufacturing data, including chip ID, that is needed across the supply chain, but this is often blocked and difficult to obtain from suppliers. Such data analysis is difficult across "silos" due to sharing/security barriers. Die-level Identification Traceability (I T) ModelThe Chip ID Traceability group was chartered to develop a standardized approach for enabling traceable die-level identification (ID) throughout the IC manufacturing, test, and assembly processes to the point of use in the final system. The approach defines the use of a simple, unique identifier that IC suppliers and board-level manufacturers can use to communicate about a specific device for the purposes of performance or failure analysis. The identifier will enable suppliers and customers to communicate specific component information and, with NDAs (non-disclosure agreements) in place, send manufacturing data back and forward through the supply chain for data analysis. The group is developing a standardized model focusing on key concepts, behaviors, and requirements for enabling die ID and traceability. The model defines minimum chip ID and traceability for new design and manufacturing implementation as well as for backwards compatibility with existing methods. The resulting standard would apply to different chip configurations ranging from single integrated circuits to multi-chip/3D structures. It can be adapted for use with a range of technologies, ranging from legacy systems to the latest in electronic chip identification (ECID). A copy of the draft proposal can be downloaded here. The Chip ID Traceability group is soliciting feedback to the document. Please contact Paul Trio at SEMI ([email protected]).