The Brooks M2 Reticle Changer is a reticle/mask exchange and inspection system. Individual I/O stations allow transfer of the reticle/mask between all scanner/stepper and shipping boxes, such as Canon, Nikon, ASML, Toppan, Hoya, DMS box etc.).

reticle handling and management products benefit fabs by improving the effectiveness of their reticle inventories. Brooks reticle solutions also benefit mask shops that produce and ship reticles. With industry shifts to sub 32nm linewidths and from 200mm to 300mm wafer diameters, reticles have become increasingly more expensive to produce, and the impact of not having the right reticle at the right place and time has become significant. These trends have made isolation and automation strategies essential to alleviate contamination and ESD damage.

The Brooks Auto ID System is the leading automated carrier ID system used in automated semiconductor fabs today. It combines the latest display, logic, and communication technologies and provides a versatile electronic run card. The system offers solutions to track, identify and manage Front-Opening-Unified-Pods (FOUPs), SMIF-Pods, cassettes, reticles, operators, and probe cards.

An identification tag is attached to the item to be tracked (200mm pod, 300mm FOUP, cassette, etc.) and a reader is integrated into process, metrology and material handling equipment. With readers integrated into SMIF load ports, stockers, and manual work-in-progress (WIP) storage shelves, there’s no need for paper lot travelers and run cards. The reader automatically communicates the lot ID upon arrival at a tool.