secS

SECS, or the Semiconductor Equipment Communications Standard, is a family of standards that defines how semiconductor manufacturing equipment communicates with host systems such as process control software and manufacturing execution systems. The standards are maintained by SEMI, an industry association, and are widely used in fabs to enable automated data exchange, equipment control, and integrated manufacturing workflows.

The SECS family includes SECS-I, SECS-II, and SECS-GEM. SECS-I provides the transport layer for device-to-host communication, originally using HDLC framing; SECS-II defines the messages and data content exchanged between hosts and equipment; SECS-GEM, or the Generic Equipment Model, specifies standardized interfaces for equipment to participate in factory-wide data collection, alarming, and control. In modern practice, HSMS (High-Speed SECS Message Services) supplies a TCP/IP-based transport that is commonly used to replace or supplement older serial links.

Applications and impact: SECS standards enable automated data collection, real-time status monitoring, process control, and systematic maintenance planning within semiconductor production lines. They support interoperability among equipment from different vendors and facilitate integration with manufacturing execution systems and analytics platforms.

Implementation notes: Adopting SECS requires specialized knowledge and mapping to enterprise IT data models. Although still widely used, some facilities supplement SECS with newer interfaces or translate SECS data into modern protocols such as OPC UA or REST for broader IT compatibility.