Understand the communication protocol of the semiconductor equipment field. For the development of GEM, it is part of the semiconductor equipment management/production/maintenance software.
SECS/GEM is a semiconductor device interface protocol for device-to-host data communication. In an automated factory, interfaces can start and stop equipment processing, collect measurement data, change variables and select recipes for products.
The SECS (SEMI Equipment Communication Standard)/GEM (Generic Equipment Model) standard does all of this in a deterministic way. Developed by SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International), this standard defines a common set of device behaviors and communication capabilities.
The Generic Model for Generic and Controlled Manufacturing Equipment (GEM) standards is maintained and published by the non-profit organization Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI).
In general, SECS/GEM standards define messages, state machines, and scenarios to enable factory software to control and monitor manufacturing equipment.
The GEM standard is formally specified and known as SEMI Standard E30, but is often referred to simply as GEM or SECS/GEM Standard. Providing functionality and flexibility to support semiconductor equipment manufacturers’ manufacturing automation programs, GEM is a standard implementation of SECS-II Standard SEMI Standard E5. Many devices in semiconductor (front-end and back-end), surface mount technology, electronic assemblies, photovoltaics, flat panel displays, and other manufacturing industries provide GEM/SECS interfaces on manufacturing equipment so that factory host software can communicate with machines for monitoring and/or control purposes. Because the GEM standard is written with very few semiconductor characteristics, it can be applied to almost any automated manufacturing equipment in any industry.