Overview
ISO/TR 23247-100:2025 provides a technical report on leveraging a digital twin framework to manage the semiconductor ingot growth process in manufacturing environments. Developed by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), this document applies the ISO 23247 series to analyze and design a comprehensive digital twin use case that enables real-time monitoring, control, and optimization of semiconductor ingot growth. The standard delivers a systematic overview of the use case implementation and details a high-level design for digital twins that can be executed using commonly available tools and standards-compliant languages.
The semiconductor ingot growth process is a pivotal step in producing the high-quality wafers required in the manufacturing of electronic devices such as integrated circuits and solar cells. Traditional approaches to ingot formation have relied heavily on operator expertise, resulting in inconsistencies, quality variations, and elevated operational costs. This document demonstrates how digital twin technology, applied through the standardized ISO 23247 framework, can overcome such challenges to significantly enhance precision, efficiency, and traceability in semiconductor manufacturing.
Key Topics
- Digital Twin Integration: Describes how to create, deploy, and synchronize digital twins for ingot material, growth equipment, and processes using ISO 23247 methodologies.
- Process Monitoring and Control: Outlines high-level sequences for monitoring real-time parameters such as temperature, pulling rates, dopant concentration, and crystal quality, enabling proactive corrective actions and stable operations.
- Process Optimization: Explains how data from digital twins facilitates trend analysis and process optimization, improving ingot yield and wafer quality through predictive analytics.
- Predictive Maintenance: Shows how digital twins help forecast maintenance requirements by tracking equipment performance, identifying anomalies, and reducing unplanned downtime.
- Operator Training and Simulation: Details the use of virtual environments powered by digital twin models for skill enhancement and testing operational strategies without physical risk or equipment downtime.
Applications
ISO/TR 23247-100:2025 is applicable across the smart manufacturing and semiconductor industries seeking to digitally transform their ingot growth operations. Key applications include:
- Real-time quality control: Automated monitoring ensures critical process parameters remain within designed specifications, catching deviations early to minimize defects in finished wafers.
- Consistent process execution: Reduces dependence on manual intervention, standardizing outcomes and reducing the variability that can affect downstream production stages.
- Data-driven decision-making: Comprehensive data collection and analytics from digital twins inform process refinements, enabling continuous improvement and adherence to best practices.
- Documentation and traceability: All process and testing data is compiled and linked with the digital twin, ensuring transparent quality records for regulatory compliance and audit readiness.
- Enhanced training: Virtual platforms provide controlled simulations of the ingot growth environment, helping operators build expertise and adapt to new technologies more efficiently.
Related Standards
ISO/TR 23247-100:2025 references and aligns with related standards to ensure broad interoperability and industry best practices, including:
- ISO 23247 Series:
- Part 1: Overview and general principles
- Part 2: Reference architecture
- Part 3: Digital representation of manufacturing elements
- Part 4: Information exchange
- IEC 61512 Series: Batch control frameworks for models, terminology, data structures, and production records, critical for procedural integration and control in ingot growth.
- OPC-UA: For secure and standardized industrial communication and data exchange.
- PLM Integration Standards: For lifecycle management and record keeping in digital manufacturing environments.
By adopting ISO/TR 23247-100:2025, manufacturing organizations can accelerate their transition to a fully digitized, optimized, and resilient semiconductor ingot growth process using internationally recognized best practices and digital twin technology.