Bridging SECS/GEM and OPC UA for seamless interoperability in Semiconductor manufacturing

In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, the drive for seamless automation has underscored the critical need for an operationally efficient communication protocol. In this context, SEMI E5 - Semiconductor Equipment Communication Standard/Generic Equipment Model (SECS/GEM) has emerged as a key communication technology, enabling robust data exchange and control capabilities between factory IT systems and equipment. Given the need for structured and organized data for various AI use cases, Open Platform Communications Unified Architecture (OPC UA) is increasingly being used in sub-fabs for its ability to provide a standardized, secure, and scalable communication framework that enhances interoperability and data integration across disparate systems and machines.
The lack of native interoperability between OPC UA and SECS/GEM poses a significant barrier to achieving a unified communication interface, crucial for the seamless integration of fab front-end equipment with sub-fab systems, thereby hindering operational efficiency and real-time data exchange in the semiconductor manufacturing process.
To address the interoperability challenges between OPC UA and SECS/GEM, our methodology involved the development of a comprehensive mapping architecture at three critical levels: protocol, data modeling, and semantics. These architectural mappings aimed to bridge the communication gap between OPC UA and SECS/GEM to ensure seamless data exchange and system integration. Subsequently, prototypes corresponding to each type of mapping were designed and implemented to evaluate their effectiveness and integration capabilities. This step-by-step approach allowed a detailed evaluation and comparison of the mappings at these different levels, shedding light on the nuances of inter-protocol communication in the semiconductor manufacturing sector.
Our research culminated in a real-world case study focused on AI at the edge, where we successfully demonstrated the collection and alignment of data from heterogeneous systems using the mapping architecture we developed. This effort not only validated the effectiveness of our interoperability solutions in real-world environments, but also highlighted the potential of such integrations to significantly improve operational efficiencies in semiconductor manufacturing. We intend to share valuable lessons learned from the comprehensive comparison of mapping architectures at different levels and discuss how these insights have been instrumental in leveraging this interoperability for advanced edge computing applications in the semiconductor manufacturing domain.
This research highlights the critical importance of developing interoperable solutions between OPC UA and SECS/GEM to improve communication and operational efficiency in semiconductor manufacturing. Through the proposed mapping architecture and subsequent case study, we pave the way for more integrated, efficient, and flexible manufacturing processes, particularly in the area of edge computing.