Industry News, Trends and Technology, and Standards Updates

Richard Howard, Director of Technical Operations, Cimetrix Connectivity Group (a part of PDF Solutions), along with other leaders of the SEMI Fab & Equipment Computing Device Security (CDS) Task Force, were awarded the SEMI International Standards Excellence Award, along with his co-leaders on the SEMI Fab & Equipment Computing Device Security (CDS) Task Force  (Leon Chang of TSMC, Ares Cho from ITRI and Ryan Bond of Intel). The award was announced at SEMICON West.

This award recognizes years of involvement and leadership by Richard Howard and the team in the development of new Semiconductor industry standards, in particular in the area of cybersecurity. Recognizing the urgent need for robust cybersecurity measures, SEMI's International Standards Information & Control Committees in Taiwan, Japan, and North America formed task forces in the fall of 2018 to investigate the feasibility and implementation of standards to address these threats. Over the years, the task forces worked diligently through regular meetings to coordinate efforts and eliminate redundancies.  As a direct result of this work, SEMI recently published its first two Cybersecurity Standards.

"I am very honored to be recognized with the other co-leaders of their respective task forces." said Richard Howard.  "I believe this award also truly recognizes the collaborative, international effort of the many task force members who have worked diligently to develop these initial standards. Our work is just beginning."

"We are extremely proud of the work of Richard Howard," said John Kibarian, PDF Solutions’ President and Chief Executive Officer. "These standards are a critical step toward safeguarding the semiconductor manufacturing infrastructure from the growing threat landscape. Through the dedicated efforts of the leadership of these task forces, and SEMI Standards members, there is a robust framework designed to enhance cybersecurity practices across the industry."

PDF Solutions and Cimetrix by PDF Solutions are exhibiting at SEMICON West 2023 in less than a week and we hope to see you there!

SEMI is the principal industry association that represents the global electronics manufacturing supply chain, and regularly brings industry leaders together to drive the future of electronics and advanced semiconductor manufacturing. SEMICON West is one of its premier annual industry events, and this year’s gathering will take place July 11-13, 2023 at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, California with the theme “Building a Path Forward.”

At SEMICON West 2023, The Cimetrix Connectivity Group (CCG) of PDF Solutions will exhibit our latest software solutions that are designed to improve manufacturing quality and productivity. You can find us at booth #344 as well as a variety of other places during the exhibition. Be sure to stop by any of the following activities:

• John Kibarian (CEO, PDF Solutions) will participate In DAC Research Panel "Why Is Curvy Design an Opportunity Now?" (July 11 at 1:30 pm)
• Greg Prewitt (Director, PDF Solutions) will speak at the Test Vision Symposium on "Enhanced Parametric Test Insights Through Dynamic Data-Driven Test Flow Execution" (July 12, 11:15 am)
• Ranjan Chatterjee (VP, Cimetrix Connectivity Group) will chair the AI/ML Enabled Manufacturing Operations Panel (July 12 at 2:00 pm @ Smart Manufacturing Theater)
• Alan Weber (VP, Cimetrix Connectivity Group) will present "Connecting the Dots: From KPIs to Smart Manufacturing Applications to Industry Standards" (July 13 at 10:35 am @ Meet the Experts Theater)
• Ming Zhang (VP, PDF Solutions ) will participate In a panel discussion "From Assembly Line to Field: The Future Semiconductor Testing" (July 13 at 3:40 pm @ Test Vision Symposium)
• PDF Solutions presentation at AWS booth #1841
• Exensio and proteanTecs daily demos - DAC booth #2449 at 2:30 pm and SEMICON booth #1834 at 11:30 am

At our booth (#344) we will showcase the latest versions of all our industry-leading solutions, as well as our Smart Factory platform, Cimetrix Sapience. Stop by to speak with an industry expert, or contact us by clicking the button below and let us answer all your questions!

Cimetrix CIMControlFramework^TM Software Enables First Delivery to a 300mm Factory

Press release from May 5, 2022

Click here for the PDF

May 5, 2022, Santa Clara, CA – PDF Solutions, Inc. (Nasdaq: PDFS), a leading provider of unified data and cloud analytics for the semiconductor ecosystem, today announced that Infinitesima, a European based equipment supplier for the semiconductor industry, has selected the Cimetrix CIMControlFramework software to meet its demanding needs for precision equipment control and the data connectivity requirements of its Metron3D metrology system incorporating its innovative Rapid Probe Microscope (RPM) technology.

As the global semiconductor and electronics industries race to transform manufacturing floors into “smart factories,” one critical aspect of this transformation is ensuring that the equipment in the factory is enabled with modern software architectures that fully support industry standards for data connectivity such as SEMI GEM, GEM 300 and EDA/Interface A. In order to mitigate the time-to-market risk associated with developing high-quality software in its overall equipment development cycle, Infinitesima turned to PDF Solutions to ensure its innovative RPM system would include the data connectivity and control capabilities that the market and Infinitesima’s customers require.

Before working with PDF Solutions, Infinitesima had sold RPM modules that were integrated into larger 3rd party machines. Driven by the growing need for 3D metrology, the company developed Metron^3D, a standalone platform they could sell directly to semiconductor 300mm factories. This required adding full automation to transport wafers throughout the equipment, as well as a control system supporting GEM300 communication, something that was not required when the RPM was integrated into a larger equipment solution. Infinitesima had limited experience working directly with 300mm factories and the testing and integration a standalone, fully-automated piece of equipment would require.

By selecting Cimetrix CIMControlFramework software for its control and connectivity needs, Infinitesima was able to take advantage of three key benefits: a single software solution that could support the Metron3D and future standalone products, robust and production-proven equipment control framework with built-in GEM300 testing capabilities that greatly reduced the time for completing the software development, and lastly, a team of industry experts that can assist and augment the Infinitesima internal software development team.

“Integrating the Cimetrix CIMControlFramework software for factory connectivity was what we needed to accomplish. However, the Cimetrix professional services team also took care of the supervisory and equipment control responsibilities of the project by integrating our metrology module (RPM) to the Cimetrix solution. This allowed our team to focus on our core competency, investing our time working on what we know best,” said Colin O’Brien, Engineering Director at Infinitesima. “We were able to get our Metron^3D product to market much faster because of the Cimetrix CIMControlFramework software and the professional services team.”

“We have extensive experience helping customers successfully deliver equipment to 300mm factories and this experience can be a vital asset in situations where a company may have limited or no familiarity with the 300mm factory requirements,” said Bob Reback, VP, and GM, Cimetrix products at PDF Solutions. “We seek to provide quality software products, backed by excellent service and support teams. By working closely with the Infinitesima team, the essential equipment control and connectivity needs of the Metron3D system were removed from the critical path of their time-to-market objectives.”

About Cimetrix CIMControlFramework

PDF Solutions’ Cimetrix CIMControlFramework software is an equipment automation framework based on Microsoft .NET technology and is designed to allow equipment manufacturers to meet the supervisory control, material handling, process control, user interface, and factory automation requirements of the factories. Equipment suppliers can leverage framework components or customize them when unique requirements are needed. For more information about Cimetrix CIMControlFramework visit www.pdf.com or contact us at cimetrix_sales@pdf.com.

About PDF Solutions

PDF Solutions (NASDAQ: PDFS) provides comprehensive cloud analytics platforms designed to empower organizations across the semiconductor ecosystem to improve the yield and quality of their products and operational efficiency for increased profitability. The Company’s products and services are used by Fortune 500 companies across the semiconductor ecosystem to impact business outcomes and achieve smart manufacturing goals by connecting and controlling equipment, collecting data generated during manufacturing and test operations, and performing advanced analytics and machine learning to enable profitable, high-volume manufacturing.

Founded in 1991, PDF Solutions is headquartered in Santa Clara, California, with operations across North America, Europe, and Asia. The Company (directly or through one or more subsidiaries) is an active member of SEMI, INEMI, TPCA, IPC, the OPC Foundation, and DMDII. For the latest news and information about PDF Solutions, visit https://www.pdf.com/.

PDF Solutions, the PDF Solutions logo, Cimetrix, and Cimetrix CIMControlFramework are trademarks or registered trademarks of PDF Solutions, Inc. or its subsidiaries. All other trademarks cited in this release are the property of their respective owners.

Read now in Korean or below in English.

저희 씨메트릭스는 Forward As One이라는 테마로 코엑스에서 2월 9일부터 11일까지 개최되는 세미콘 코리아 2022행사에서 여러분을 반갑게 맞을 준비를 하고 있습니다. 부스는 C홀에서 D홀로 넘어온 통로 앞에 위치한 DS37입니다.

잠시 들리셔서 귀사에서 활용할 수 있는 최신 기술도 파악하시고 업계동향도 듣고 가시기를 바랍니다.
씨메트릭스는 이번 세미콘 코리아에서 다음의 주제를 가지고 여러분을 기다리도록 하겠습니다.

• AI, 빅데이터, 인더스트리 4.0기술을 활용한 분석 및 솔루션 개발
• 후공정 차세대 장비소프트웨어를 위한 플랫폼
• 전공정 장비소프트웨어의 고도화
• SEMI 표준 (SECS/GEM, GEM300, EDA/Interface A)
• 납기 단축을 위한 테스터 & 문서화
  
  

특히, 국내뿐 아니라 해외 진출을 목표로 하는 고객들에게 최고의 파트너로서 최선을 다할 것을 약속드립니다.

아무쪼록 이번 행사에서 저희 부스를 방문해주시기를 부탁드리며, 아래 링크에 접속하시면 사전 미팅예약을 할 수도 있습니다.

After being canceled in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, SEMICON Korea is now back, with a hybrid event where the exhibition is live and in-person! Our Korea team will be exhibiting at the COEX in Seoul from February 9-11 at booth DS37. We look forward to the show and hope to see many of you there!

The theme for this year’s show is Forward as One and the exhibition will showcase the latest semiconductor materials, equipment, and related technologies. This is a great opportunity to meet with current clients, potential clients and see both the present and future of the global semiconductor industry.

If you want to find out more about EDA/Interface A, Equipment connectivity, and control or learn about our Smart Factory Platform, be sure to stop by our booth at DS37 to speak with our standards and product experts. We look forward to meeting backend OEMs as well as frontend OEMs as both are looking for the next-generation technology but in different ways.

We hope to see you at our booth, or you can request a meeting any time by clicking the button below.

SEMICON Japan 2021 is back and our team in Japan will be there! You can read about it now in Japanese or below in English.

セミコンジャパン2021が東京ビッグサイトで12月15日から17日の3日間開催されます。　「共に前進しよう」のスローガンの下、弊社Cimetrixも出展致します。

Cimetrix独自のブースを以て出展する2回目のセミコンジャパンとなります。今年はブース番号＃1608にて皆さまのご来場をお待ちしております。また共同出展を行って頂ける、ローツェ株式会社様（＃5411）、株式会社明電舎様（＃4941）にても、Cimetrixのご案内を差し上げております。

半導体産業における製造技術、装置、材料をはじめ、車やIoT機器などのSMARTアプリケーションまでをカバーするエレクトロニクス製造サプライチェーン唯一の国際展示会。東京ビッグサイトでのリアル展示会に加えて、リアルとオンラインセミナーも提供し、今年は「SEMICON Japan 2021 Hybrid」として開催されます。

Cimetrixは私共が誇る世界標準としてご利用いただいておりますGEM通信、装置制御ソリューション、またEDAなどのソフトウェア製品をご紹介させて頂きます。

また生産現場でご利用いただけるハイパフォーマンスデータ収集のプラットフォームであるサピエンスもご紹介しております。　CimetrixのSapienceはクラウドネイティブのデータ解析やマシーンラーニング等にご活用いただける装置データ収集のパイプラインプラットフォームシステムです。

では皆さまのご来場を楽しみにしております。

SEMICON Japan 2021, with the theme “Move Forward Together” will be held at Tokyo Big Sight from 15 December – 17 December, and Cimetrix Incorporated will be there!

We will exhibit for the second year at booth #1608 and welcome you to come and join us. You can also find information about Cimetrix at our partner Rorze Corporation (booth #5411).

SEMICON Japan will be a hybrid show this year that offers both an in-person exhibition as well as programs and seminars online. It is a must-attend event that connects technologies in the digital transformation era, bringing together the entire semiconductor manufacturing supply chain as well as the “SMART” applications powered by semiconductor technology such as IoT.

Cimetrix will be showing all our world-class GEM equipment connectivity and control software solutions, as well as our EDA/Interface A products. These factory automation software products all leverage open-architecture designs and industry standards.

Cimetrix Sapience will also be available for a demo at our booth. Sapience is a scalable, distributed platform for managing high-performance data pipelines. This cloud-native platform is ideal for streaming analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence applications requiring massive amounts of data directly from the production equipment.

We encourage you to stop by booth #1608 and speak with an expert for your Smart Equipment and Smart Factory software needs. You can also book a meeting with us in advance by clicking the button below. We hope to see you soon!

After missing the live and in-person event last year due to the pandemic, SEMICON West is once again opening its doors to connect the entire electronics supply chain, and Cimetrix Incorporated will be exhibiting. Our booth is #345 and we hope you'll stop by and see us!

SEMICON West will be held December 5-7 in the Moscone Center in San Francisco, CA, USA – the theme for this hybrid event is "Explore, Network, Interact." After almost two years of restricted travel and virtual events, SEMICON West is a great place to reconnect with contacts, customers, and partners to drive your business forward. We couldn’t be more excited about finally meeting in person for the first time since 2019!

Cimetrix expert Alan Weber will participate in the "Optimizing Your Manufacturing—Connecting the Smart Way" track in the Smart Manufacturing Pavilion on Tuesday, December 7 at 2:45 PST. His presentation is titled “Accelerating Advanced Backend Automation Through Smart Application of Frontend 300mm Standards" and we invite you to join us at the Smart Manufacturing Pavilion to learn about this important topic firsthand.

Stop by our booth any time to visit with our team of experts and discuss our standards, connectivity, and control solutions. We will also feature our Smart Manufacturing cloud-native connectivity and application platform Cimetrix Sapience®. You can visit with us in our booth any time during the show or make an appointment ahead of time by clicking the link below.

Next week, the world will once again gather at the industry’s leading trade fair for electronics development and production. The 2021 productronica and SEMICON Europa shows are open for in-person attendance and Cimetrix Incorporated will definitely be there. We hope to see many of you there as well!

The 2021 productronica show is co-located once again with SEMICON Europa in Munich, Germany from November 16-19 at the Messe München expo center. With safety protocols in place, Messe München is opening its doors to welcome the decision-makers and thought leaders from the industry to participate in showing new and innovative products and solutions spanning the entire value chain.

The Cimetrix booth will be in Productronica halls, where we will demonstrate our Smart Factory platform Cimetrix Sapience, to show how we can help with your smart manufacturing connectivity and application needs. Sapience, a cloud-native platform, features a distributed, scalable architecture for managing high-performance data pipelines from electronics equipment. As such, it is ideal for streaming analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence applications requiring data directly from the production equipment.

We are also highlighting an open position for a Munich-based Field Applications Engineer at the productronica career center and here on cimetrix.com.

We invite you to drop by our booth at productronica #437 in Hall A3, or you can make an appointment ahead of time by clicking the button below. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Read the pre-show blog of the SEMICON China 2021 show today. Read it now in Chinese or below in English.

SEMICON China 2021将于2021年3月17日至19日在上海新国际博览中心举办。矽美科公司将一如既往的参加，希望在展会上和你们相遇！

如果您也在此展会，欢迎您光临我们位于N3-3157号展位。我们将展出GEM和EDA/Interface A产品以及我们的智能工厂平台。

SEMICON China将我们和世界上发展最快、最具活力的微电子市场联系在一起，并为参展商提供了一个为中国最专业的人士展示我们的产品和技术的平台。

在我们为展会做准备的过程中，我们欢迎任何会议邀约，无论是在线的还是具体地点面对面的，请单击下面的按钮预约。如果您也参与展会，我们随时恭候您光临我们的展位。希望我们很快能见面！

SEMICON China 2021, an in-person, is taking place March 17-19, 2021 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center. Cimetrix Incorporated will be exhibiting and we hope to see many of you there!

If you are able to be at the exhibition during this time, we encourage you to visit Cimetrix Incorporated at booth N3 3157. We will be featuring our GEM and EDA/Interface A products as well as our Smart Factory Platform.

SEMICON China connects people in the world’s fastest growing and most dynamic microelectronics market and gives exhibitors the platform to showcase our products and technologies in front of the most qualified audience of industry professionals in China.

As we prepare for the show, we welcome any meeting requests, both virtual or in-person depending on location, by clicking the button below. Or if you are able to be in Shanghai during SEMICON, we look forward to you dropping by our booth at any time. We hope to meet with you soon!

SEMI Europa is sponsoring a new event – Technologies Unite Global Summit – and we are excited to announce that Cimetrix Incorporated will have a virtual booth at this online event on 15-19 February, 2021. 

Technologies Unite Global Summit brings together the global microelectronics supply chain, manufacturers, and the end users for this digital experience that spotlights digital transformation and microelectronics industry innovation and growth. This summit will feature eight forums presenting the latest innovations, as well as seven pavilions from around the world where exhibitors and attendees can connect with the global SEMI community.

After a year of cancelled and postponed in-person events, we are happy to participate in these virtual events that gives all of a us a chance to re-connect with our global communities. Be sure to register for and attend this brand new event and be sure to stop by our booth!

Thomas Simon, the General Manager of our Europe office will be available during booth hours to host discussions about all of our products, and particularly our Cimetrix Sapience^® Smart Factory Platform.

We hope to see you there. You can contact our team any time to schedule a demo or make an appointment by clicking the button below.

SEMICON Japan 2020 is going virtual and we will be there! You can read about it now in Japanese or below in English.

今年のSEMICON JapanはCovid 19の世界的大流行の影響もあり、仮想環境での開催となりました。Cimetrix Incorporatedは12月14〜17日の4日間バーチャルブースに出展致しますので、皆様のご来訪を心よりお待ちしております。

日本では現在、半導体製造装置の3分の1と材料の半分以上を世界の半導体製造業界に供給しています。 世界がよりスマートになるにつれて、革新的なソリューションとテクノロジーがこのような大きな展示会で紹介され続けています。

Cimetrixは、GEM機器の接続と制御、およびEDA /interfaceA活用して装置データの収集、提供を行う事が出来ます。

Cimetrix Sapienceは、単一のイベント駆動型フレームワーク内でさまざまな工場設備をシームレスに接続するスマートファクトリープラットフォームです。 Sapienceプラットフォームにより、工場のITシステムは工場の機器に直接アクセスでき、その結果として生じる機器の通信、データ収集、およびプロセス制御により、インダストリー4.0、ビッグデータ、およびスマートファクトリーのイニシアチブの基盤が確立されます。

もし別途ご相談いただければ、デモンストレーションを行う事も出来ますので、お気軽にご連絡ください。

それでは2020年の最後のSEMICONショーにて皆様に会える事を心から楽しみにしています。

After Cancelling the show several months ago in Tokyo, due in part to the Covid 19 world-wide pandemic, SEMICON Japan reconsidered and decided to go forward with the Exposition in a virtual environment. Cimetrix Incorporated (now a part of PDF Solutions) is proud and excited to be participating with a virtual booth on the 14-17 of December and we hope to see many of you there!

Japan supplies one third of the equipment and more than half of all materials to the global semiconductor manufacturing industry. As the world gets smarter, innovative solutions and technologies continue to be introduced at big shows like this.

We will be able to schedule demos of our GEM equipment connectivity and control software solutions, as well as our EDA/Interface A products.

The Cimetrix Sapience platform will also be available for a demonstration by visiting our virtual booth to make an appointment with our team. Sapience is the Smart Factory Platform that seamlessly connects varying factory equipment within a single event-driven framework. The Sapience platform allows factory IT systems direct access to factory equipment, and the resulting equipment communication, data collection and process control establishes the foundation for Industry 4.0, Big Data and Smart Factory initiatives.

We encourage you to join the Cimetrix Japan team at our virtual booth at this last SEMICON show of 2020. We hope everyone is staying safe and healthy, and hope to see you soon!

To schedule a demo prior to the show, click the button below.