The EtherCAT Technology Group (ETG) recently held the 24th meeting of its Semiconductor Technical Working Group (Semi TWG), leading to the approval of four additional profile specifications. EtherCAT was accepted as a SEMI standard in 2007, and the ETG founded the Semiconductor TWG in 2011 to further develop the industrial Ethernet system’s standards for the semiconductor industry.
At the recent Semi TWG meeting, which was hosted virtually, the group successfully concluded several task groups, which included a variety of profiles for:
- liquid flow controllers
- temperature sensors for wafer processing chambers
- sensors for voltage and current frequency analysis
- special process control valves
The working group also launched a new task group aimed at developing the device profile for optical emission spectroscopy (OES) at this meeting. This profile will significantly benefit from the EtherCAT protocol’s highly efficient bandwidth utilization: up to 500 bytes of cyclical raw data must be transmitted to the controller per communication cycle. The series of EtherCAT device profiles for the semiconductor industry now totals 24 official specifications.
Continued EtherCAT development is critical, especially in high-tech, evolving industries like semiconductors. While the basic technology – that is, the “how” of communication – remains unchanged, the device profiles define the “what” for industry-specific devices such as mass flow controllers, high-vacuum pumps, plasma and high-frequency generators.
To accomplish this, the Semiconductor TWG meets for several days twice a year. The meetings have alternated between Silicon Valley and online since the pandemic, and up to 80 experts regularly attend. These include technology vendors, semiconductor machine builders and chip manufacturers. The working group covers the entire semiconductor supply chain and ensures the specifications developed meet the requirements of both suppliers and their customers.
The Semi TWG experts will meet again in person at the 25th anniversary meeting in Silicon Valley in May 2024. Two industry giants, Applied Materials and LAM Research, will host the working group. Regular face-to-face contact helps to maintain the trust and cooperation that has characterized the Semi TWG over many years.