Accelerating Semiconductor Innovation with Expert Engineering Solutions
- Industry: Semiconductor Capital Equipment
- Consultants Placed: 6
- Obstacle: A global leader in atomic layer deposition, epitaxy, and other advanced Semiconductor processes needed engineering support for their Semiconductor equipment innovation.
For companies in the Semiconductor industry, and tech industry in general, it’s crucial to stay on the cutting-edge of equipment technology and software. Falling behind can be the difference between a sale and a customer opting for more modern solutions. In order to guarantee that Semiconductor software is always keeping pace with the current-generation standards, companies opt to bring in Software Engineers and Equipment Engineers who are experts in equipment control and system enhancements. With such lofty and specialized talent needs, ALKU is always ready to step in and get the right experts placed quickly and efficiently. The dedicated ALKU Semiconductor Team will always make it their primary focus to make the hiring process as easy as possible for any company looking for any specific Semiconductor-related professionals.
The Challenge:
Accelerated Innovation
A global leader in atomic layer deposition (ALD), epitaxy, and other advanced Semiconductor processes required specialized engineering talent to accelerate innovation in both equipment design and real-time software development. Their teams faced immediate needs to enhance and maintain real-time control software for their Semiconductor manufacturing tools, design and iterate next-generation equipment subsystems, and improve machine software integration with factory automation environments.
The plan:
High-Impact Consultants
The ALKU Semiconductor Team identified four core Engineering disciplines that would need consultants to fully meet the needs of the client: Real-Time Equipment Control Software Engineers, Mechanical and Systems Enhancement Equipment Engineers, Factor Integration Engineers, and UI Development Software Engineers. Once these disciplines are identified, ALKU always guarantees compiling industry-best professionals to secure the success of any client needs.
Real-Time Equipment Control Software Engineers with expertise in C++ and Pascal were deployed to support the client’s embedded systems. These professionals developed and maintained hardware-interfacing software for epitaxy and ALD platforms, enhanced motion control, vacuum, and sensor communication subsystems, and improved diagnostic logging and automation in production environments.
Mechanical and Systems Enhancement Equipment Engineers contributed to both new tool design and optimization of existing systems. Their responsibilities included designing critical chamber components to improve thermal uniformity, enhancing gas delivery and wafer transport mechanisms for increased throughput, and participating in DFM (Design for Manufacturability) and reliability reviews.
Lastly, the Factory Integration and UI Development Software Engineers supported higher-level software needs, including UI and control software for machine operation panels, SECS/GEM interface development for factory integration, and diagnostic scripting using Python and C# to automate system monitoring
Each consultant was expected to be a tenured professional in their field with hands-on experience in factory operations and the ability to work in a fast-paced high-tech environment.
The Result:
Immediate Impact and Enhancement
Together, these specialists were able to meet all of the needs of the client. The Real-Time Equipment Control Software Engineers delivered software improvements that reduced calibration and startup time on XP8 Epitaxy tools by 27 percent. The Mechanical and Systems Enhancements Equipment Engineers ended up recommending a vacuum seal redesign that improved uptime and reduced tool maintenance frequency in high-volume fabs. The Factory Integration and UI Development Software Engineers enabled successful factory integration for a memory fab in Korea by customizing host communication protocols under strict delivery timelines. For the project, the Consultant Team as a whole reduced deployment cycles for new tool features by 30%, increased production uptime through performance tuning and mechanical enhancements, and enhanced field service efficiency with factory-compatible software integrations.
The wrap up :
ALKU Semiconductor Team
The ALKU Semiconductor Team was tasked with gathering Semiconductor experts to advance the equipment and software of a global Semiconductor manufacturer. The expertise of these professionals would be the difference between a satisfied client with a project that crossed the finish line and a disaster. The team not only successfully introduced six different experts to aid the client, but did so quickly and efficiently with constant communication between ALKU and the client. Now, the client has fully modern equipment and software that can keep them ahead of their competition in the Semiconductor manufacturing industry. Discover how ALKU’s Semiconductor Consulting Services can support your semiconductor engineering and innovation goals, or contact our team to discuss your specific talent needs.
