Automation and fab concepts for 300 mm wafer manufactoring

The introduction of 300 mm wafers into integrated circuit manufacturing will affect the design of the fabs. This paper covers the expectations of IC manufacturers and the progress in technology with respect to the fab itself and automation systems. The fab design is affected by the future use of closed wafer carriers, a consequent automation strategy, new challenges in contamination control, and the increased importance of environmental aspects. It will be described how these factors influence the fab design and the status of the discussed technologies.