January 2005: Adventa Announces Development of Interface A product

Since 1993, Adventa Control Technologies has licensed ControlWORKS machine and process control software to semiconductor equipment manufacturers worldwide. In 2004, Adventa released GAMMA2, a hardware platform for real-time collection of tool and process data. In early 2005, Adventa plans to release a new product: Interface A, a suite of standards defining the interface between semiconductor process tools and the factory network. Interface A will support data collection for multiple clients, each with its own multiple data collection plans (DCPs). 

“In addition to software product development, system integration is a key business unit within Adventa,” said an Adventa representative. “Interface A, and its ability to put equipment and process data on the factory network in XML format, will enable much more standardized collection and use of data, as well as streamline the equipment integration effort in automated fabs."

Interface A will be available in three forms:

• an addition to Adventa's ControlWORKS machine control software product

• a software product that will run on GAMMA2 hardware

• a standalone software product that may be installed on a customer’s client and dedicated to a production tool

Interface A embodies four relatively new standards:

• E120-Common equipment Model

• E125-Equipment Self Description

• E132-Equipment Client Authentication and Authorization

• E134-Data Collection Management

In 200 and 300mm fabs, realtime data collection is the foundation for equipment tracking, equipment monitoring, fault detection, and run-to-run process control. Adventa looks forward to delivering Interface A capability to customers worldwide early next year.