Automating PV manufacture
Cimetrix has a secured design win for its CIMConnect product from Centrotherm, a leading supplier of technology and production equipment for the semiconductor and photovoltaic industries. Centrotherm selected CIMConnect for use on a number of tools, including horizontal and vertical furnaces for semiconductor production as well as PECVD and diffusion furnaces for solar cell production.
Its first implementation of the product was executed successfully within three weeks. This order and design win further strengthens Cimetrix's position as the leader in connectivity software and solutions for the semiconductor and related industries. Cimetrix's PC-based motion control software is used by leading equipment manufacturers for demanding robotic applications.
CIMConnect is an object oriented software development kit for quickly developing host connectivity interfaces on manufacturing equipment. CIMConnect is specifically designed for easy and fast implementation of the SEMI SECS/GEM standards, but also allows customisation of the protocol and message format.
CIMConnect supports multiple host connections at the same time, allowing users to simultaneously support any legacy interfaces and communicate with more than one GEM host. The GEM interface is available to multiple hosts with a SECS-I or HSMS-SS connection.
Centrotherm compared several connectivity solutions against a set of intelligent criteria and requirements, before selecting the CIMConnect solution. Hans-Peter Jakob, head of software development for centrotherm, contributes Cimetrix's design win to the length of time the product has been in the market and its widespread use on tools worldwide.
"Centrotherm chose CIMConnect primarily based on its robust functionality as well as the decreased integration time and developer learning curve necessary compared to other options considered," states Jakob. "Since the 300mm development kit builds on the 200mm one, upgrading a 200mm tool to 300mm is an easy, streamlined process."
Dave Faulkner, executive VP of sales & marketing for Cimetrix. "The SECS/GEM standard has been widely used by the semiconductor industry for many years, maturing and growing into the best connectivity interface for automated control in today's fabs. However, its generic and dynamic nature (Status Variables, Events, Reports, Alarms) makes it applicable to a wider range of industrial applications such as the photovoltaic (PV) market. Cimetrix has been working with industry committees and leading companies such as Centrotherm to identify and address the specific needs of PV manufacturing."
Source: http://www.cimetrix.com/
Web:http://www.centrotherm.de/10.index.htm