Services

FABNexus offers skilled software development and integration services for semiconductor manufacturing and testing, equipment control, and automation. The engineering resources available from FABNexus provide a readily available technical pool with an experienced leadership team, along with a suite of complimentary and customizable products. Our specialties, which include automation interface development, embedded control, firmware, device driver and network protocol stack development may be best used on an "as needed basis", freeing up your permanent staff to handle more pressing business requirements.  We offer in-depth expertise with SEMI (www.semi.org) SECS (E5) and GEM (E30) protocols.  Using the right resources, with the backing of a strong technical team, reduces risk and supports effective achievement of technical and business goals. Using FABNexus services as an extension of, or addition to, in-house software teams, can provide significant differentiable value to client projects, both in the deliverables and the time-to-market. Advantages include:

Unencumbered and readily available resource pool to draw from

• Access to a broader range and depth of expertise
• Ability to expand and reduce the team as needed (cost management)
• Complimentary software and hardware products
• Frees up internal resources for other on-going projects
• An assurance of long term support team availability

• Software development
• Automation
• Data acquisition
• Communications
• Equipment control
• Product porting
• Embedded network protocol engines
• Integration Services
• Transition assistance, to address the evolving software requirements
• Product roadmap and market requirements tracking
• Training
• Documentation services
• Testing services
• Consulting services
  

Equipment Control

The engineering staff at FABNexus has collectively greater than 75 years of experience in semiconductor equipment control and automation software development, and support. FABNexus offers software development and support services for the control and monitoring of single-chamber and clustered fabrication and metrology tools used in production as well as R&D environments.

The FABNexus team is ready to contribute with a wide-range of offerings in support of the client's project. From just a few days of consultation or advanced in-house training, to a complete off-the-shelf integration or custom-crafted software package tailored to the client's requirements, FABNexus is skilled in generating high-quality control systems with a world-class SECS/GEM and material handling interface.


Automation -Data acquisition and communications

The industry standard SECS/GEM interface provides data gathering, process control, and recipe management functionality. The SECS/GEM standard provides the framework for the development of manufacturing automation equipment interfaces.

In addition, the 300mm (E87) automation standard facilitates a factory-compliant object-oriented material handling interface.

FABNexus can provide clients with the products and services that will enable integration and implementation of the features needed to expand the basic data collection and communications capability to the levels necessary to meet the current and proposed requirements of factory automation, remote e-diagnostics, and APC

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Product Porting

A key engineering feature of all FABNexus' off-the-shelf software packages is target computer platform 'portability'. This capability allows FABNexus to offer its off-the-shelf automation packages to customers that utilize control systems based on operating systems other than MS-Windows or Debian Linux. The essential target platform requirements that permit platform support are (1) an available communication port(s), (2) adequate storage, (3) some form of multi-tasking, and (4) and an ANSI C or C++ compiler. Even if your project uses a non-Windows or non-Linux controller solution, please contact FABNexus.

Embedded Network Protocol Engines

In situations where additional communications and automation features are needed, but modifying existing equipment or a host interface is difficult or otherwise undesirable, FABNexus offers a variety of customization protocol conversion 'engines'. Custom protocol adapters can be built-to 'spec', using a standard industrial PC unit, or when space or power is constrained can be provided using a low-profile embedded SBC unit.

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Integration Services

FABNexus offers clients the needed services to integrate and implement equipment control, data collection and communications software. We will provide the integration and implementation for FABNexus software products as well as third party provided products, as requested by our clients

Transition Assistance

FABNexus offers long-term management of the inevitable evolution of the SEMI software standards and resulting requirements. As tool and fabrication-infrastructure requirements evolve, FABNexus will be available to assist with oversight, development, and support of required changes. FABNexus is focused on these areas of the semiconductor device manufacturing industry, and as such, is ideally suited to identify and offer the upgrades and continuous improvements needed by our clients. As the industry's requirements for equipment controls, data collection and communications evolve; FABNexus will provide the resources and deliverables needed by clients, to stay compliant and competitive, and continue to benefit from their technical investments.

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Product Roadmap and Market Requirements Tracking

As the needs and requirements for standardized communication increase in complexity, the industry is defining a set of standards to support new and enhanced capabilities. Flexible and data representation and organization is expected by end-users. FABNexus offers capabilities that enable and manage a reduced risk-transition to the next generation of communications capabilities. Those capabilities include:

Training

FABNexus offers training to clients on FABNexus products, and the industry standards on which they are based. FABNexus offers both host-side and equipment-side training.

Documentation Services

Product documentation and manuals are provided for all FABNexus standard products and FABNexus offers additional documentation services to clients, for the custom software that is developed for them.

Testing Services

Equipment and host automation interfaces require thorough, systematic testing whenever modifications are introduced. FABNexus offers the necessary resources, tools, and expertise to assist clients in interface testing, test documentation, as well as test-suite generation.

Consulting services

FABNexus offers consulting services which include, but are not limited to, project planning, identification of market and system requirements, product roadmaps, commercial issues, customer satisfaction initiatives, as well as the obvious software products and services, development, and support.

FABNexus offers services that provide the requested and needed software enabled capabilities to our clients

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