Collaboration brings wafer handler to market

Co-operation between Nyquist and Eindhoven-based Frencken Mechatronics has resulted in the completion of a large-wafer handling project for Leica Microsystems in the UK.

Co-operation between Nyquist and Eindhoven-based Frencken Mechatronics has resulted in the completion of a large-wafer handling project for Leica Microsystems in the UK.

The project called for a stand-alone system that would work in an ultrahigh vacuum and have the rigidity and accuracy to very high specifications.

"The rough specification showed that we were dealing with the requirement for a very accurate positioning system with respect to the size and scale of movement", says Jeroen Bresser, Frencken's Engineering Manager.

"Despite an extremely short lead time and the fact that the customer uses a different CAD system to our own, we were successful with our tender and immediately began working on a concept study based on the functional specification".

The complete control of the wafer handler and the vacuum and venting system was designed and implemented by Nyquist, in close co-operation with the mechanical and system engineers from Frencken.

Standard motion and I/O controllers where used as well as standard software components.

On top of the standard software components, the application software was written to control the process, the safety, the operator interface and the communication to the Leica system.

In view of the very costly wafers involved, the project called for full fail-safe and backup facility for the entire system in the event of a problem.

This and all other engineering considerations were included as part of the structured and professional joint-project approach.

Finally, in May 2005, the new wafer-handling system passed its acceptance trials to Leica's complete satisfaction.

"Thanks to a lot of interaction and excellent co-operation with Nyquist, we delivered without any major hitches, on schedule and to specification", says Theo Kok, Frencken Group Sales Manager.

Leica Microsystems is a leading global supplier of high precision optical solutions based on microscopes and related instruments.

Its comprehensive product portfolio is used in a wide variety of applications requiring vision, measurement, analysis or lithography, including applications in life and material sciences, industrial inspection and the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

When the company invited proposals in connection with a new automated wafer handling and storage system for an electron-beam writer (a machine that writes with electrons), Nyquist and Frencken were included among the potential suppliers.

Leica Microsystems, which is headquartered in Wetzlar, Germany, joins the growing list of companies benefiting from Nyquist's and Frencken's initiative in clustering developments, which is supported by the findings of an independent study that shows a clear market requirement for much closer collaboration by specialised companies.

Nyquist's and Frencken's activities fully complement each other and this latest project success is proof of the benefits of closer collaboration in the sales and engineering of high-quality mechatronic systems.

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