Learning About Wafer Front End and Motion Controllers

To understand the wafer front end, we need to know about the integrated circuit. An integrated circuit is a small device that performs several electronic functions. An IC is made up of two main parts: die- a small and very fragile silicon chip and a package that is meant for the protection of the internal silicon chip and helps users to handle the component without any issue.

The manufacturing phase of an integrated circuit can be divided into two steps. The first step is wafer fabrication; it is incredibly sophisticated and also a very complicated process of manufacturing the silicon chip. Assembly is the second step, and it is the extremely accurate and automated process of packaging the die. Those two phrases are termed as "Front-End" and "Back-End." They incorporate two test steps: wafer probing and final test. 

Motion controllers are called the brains of any motion control system. Motion controllers, in feedback-based systems, take input from the user, compare it with the motor's feedback signal, and then perform the corrective action to bring the input (or desired position) and output (or actual position) in line with one another.

 Trajectories are created by the motion controllers that are followed by the motors to meet the desired commands. Profiles are also called motion profiles; a profile is a series of position commands versus time. It informs the motor where to position the load and how fast it must do so. Trajectories created by the motion controller are used to generate the proper torque commands. These torque commands are forwarded to the drive which powers the motor.

There is a need for a large amount of signal processing for these actions; that's why motion controllers use digital signal processors (DSPs) for this job. DSPs are specially designed to complete mathematical operations efficiently as well as quickly, and they can manage the algorithmic processing better than standard microcontrollers, which are not designed to handle massive amounts of mathematical processing.

There are several common motion profiles, including triangular, trapezoidal, complex polynomial, and ramp profiles. Each one is utilized in certain situations and conditions where that type of motion is desired. For example, a trapezoidal profile is defined by constant velocity and acceleration and a graph of the velocity versus time profile is in the shape of a trapezoid.

 Stand-alone controllers are entire systems that are mostly mounted in one physical enclosure, which includes all of the necessary external connections, electronics, and power supply. These types of controllers can be made into a machine and are assigned to one motion control application that could involve controlling a single axis of motion or multiple axes.

PC-based controllers are fixed onto the motherboard of an industrial PC or a basic PC. These controllers are mainly processing boards that may generate and execute motion profiles. PC-based controllers are beneficial as they provide a ready-made graphical user interface that makes programming much easier.

Then there are individual microcontrollers. These are individual integrated circuits that are usually designed onto a printed circuit board along with feedback inputs and outputs to drivers for controlling a motor. 

Kensington Controller and M4000 Controller offer unique features and make the work easier. 

Kensington labs develop precision motion control stages and wafer handling robots, and it then supports them with outstanding service for a lifetime of productivity. The wafer handling robots and precision motion control stage Spares & Repairs programs help to maximize operating life and optimize capital investment in equipment.

In addition to a broad line-up of guaranteed precision automation solutions for an extensive range of applications, Kensington offers automation problem-solving to design and create customized stages and robotics for new or unique applications.