FabGuard Integrated Facilities Monitor (IFM)
Background
Due to additional requirements from cap and trade regulations and environmental reporting, device manufacturers are adding central monitoring and control platforms for sub-fab abatement and pumping systems. The objective is to minimize the use of consumables and the production of CO2 in the abatement of process exhaust when the production equipment is idle. Additionally, there are requirements to provide accurate usage metrics to environmental regulators.
Key Features
FabGuard IFM can be used to control the abatement systems and aggregate the required metrics. As an added cost savings benefit, the ability to control pumping equipment and other components reduces electricity consumption and extends the life of those systems.
As technologies push into more advanced production nodes, there is also an increased need to understand how sub-fab and facilities components impact process tool performance. Data from auxiliary equipment such as chillers, heater jackets, abatement systems, and pumps can be aggregated, conditioned, and merged with tool data to provide a holistic look at the process environment (Figure 1).
Figure 1: FabGuard IFM integrated with a factory FabGuard FDC solution.
Product Details
The IMS FabGuard team designed and developed a new FabGuard product to target facilities and sub-fab environments. Compared to the FabGuard IPM, FabGuard IFM has a modified feature set that is specifically configured for continuous facilities control and monitoring applications. While both software applications can connect to the process equipment and facilities systems, the FabGuard IFM is not designed to perform run-by-run process monitoring.
Each installation consists of a FabGuard IFM connected to each controlled tool and facilities systems. FabGuard IFM obtains equipment and facilities data to determine when to move the abatement and pumps into low power and low consumption states. This can be done using equipment data and data from scheduling systems like the INFICON FPS Scheduler.
Summary
FabGuard IFM provides sub-fab abatement control for cost reduction and aggregates the required metrics for regulators.