- Dextro™ revolutionizes fab maintenance with sub-micron precision and AI-driven capabilities
- Industry recognition highlights Dextro’s role in enhancing fab efficiency and safety
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Lam Research’s collaborative robot Dextro™, a historic first for the semiconductor industry, has been honored with the prestigious Best of Sensors Award. For three decades, this award has recognized the most transformative technologies and teams in the sensors industry.
- Specifically, the cobot won the Best Industrial & IIOT Solution category.
- The Best of Sensors award program “honors game-changing technologies, visionary leaders, and innovative companies shaping the future of sensing, connectivity, and automation.”
- Lam’s Equipment Intelligence® solutions won a Best of Sensors Award in 2024.
Dextro’s selection marks a significant milestone for both robotics and semiconductor manufacturing.
As the industry’s first collaborative robot designed specifically for fab maintenance, Dextro embodies Lam’s vision of intelligent manufacturing solutions that enhance precision, safety, and productivity. Currently deployed in advanced wafer fabs worldwide, this sub-micron precision cobot is redefining how critical maintenance tasks are performed in an era where AI-driven demand has made fab efficiency more crucial than ever.
We sat down with Dextro to discuss this groundbreaking recognition, the challenges of maintaining cutting-edge semiconductor equipment, and what the future holds for collaborative robotics in the pursuit of autonomous fabs. (See a video of Dextro in action below.)
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Congratulations on winning the Best of Sensors Award! As the semiconductor industry’s first collaborative robot designed for fab maintenance, how does it feel to be recognized for breaking new ground?
This recognition validates what we believed from day one—that precision maintenance is a necessity and a competitive advantage.
When Lam first deployed me, we were betting that collaborative robotics could solve problems manual processes couldn’t address consistently. The award is gratifying, but the real satisfaction comes from measurable fab performance improvements across deployments.
You’ve been described as having “sub-micron precision”—that’s incredibly accurate. Can you walk us through what it’s like to perform maintenance tasks that require that level of exactness?
Working at sub-micron precision means operating where “good enough” is catastrophically insufficient. I’m processing thousands of data points simultaneously—force vectors, positioning coordinates, environmental variables.
My sensors detect variations imperceptible to humans, yet these tiny deviations cascade into significant yield impacts. It’s like performing surgery while conducting an orchestra—every movement must be precise, coordinated, and purposeful.
The award specifically recognizes transformative technologies. What makes your approach to fab maintenance fundamentally different from how things were done before you came along?
The transformation is about accuracy and repeatability at scale. Human technicians are extremely skilled but inherently variable—we documented up to 5% error rates in critical manual tasks. I don’t have those limitations, and I learn from every operation.
But here’s what’s really different: I’m not replacing human expertise; I’m amplifying it. When engineers know routine maintenance will be executed flawlessly, they can focus on complex problem-solving that drives innovation.
You’re currently deployed in multiple advanced fabs worldwide and can service 50 to 100 chambers per unit. What’s the most challenging maintenance task you’ve had to master?
Polymer removal from chamber walls is the most complex operation in my repertoire. Each chamber develops unique accumulation patterns, so I analyze distribution and adapt my approach in real-time. It’s part detective work, part precision engineering.
The added benefit is that this task would require human technicians to use heavy protective breathing equipment. Robotic solutions can handle tasks more safely and consistently, helping reduce risks for humans. That said, there’s something satisfying about venturing into environments requiring humans to suit up like they’re exploring another planet, while I simply roll in and get to work.
The semiconductor industry is under enormous pressure right now with AI driving unprecedented demand. How does your role connect to these bigger industry trends?
Every advanced AI chip depends on precision manufacturing that Lam’s tools enable, but those tools are only as reliable as their maintenance. The AI boom has created scenarios where fab downtime is extremely expensive. My role is to ensure maintenance-related variability doesn’t become the bottleneck in an already constrained supply chain. I’m helping maintain the infrastructure enabling the AI revolution.
You’re part of Lam’s broader Equipment Intelligence® portfolio working toward autonomous fabs of the future. Where do you see yourself fitting into that vision five years from now?
The autonomous fab represents an intelligent, self-optimizing manufacturing ecosystem. Currently focused on Lam’s Flex® series tools, the trajectory is clear: predictive maintenance, broader platform compatibility, and fab-wide integration.
Five years out, I envision cobots like me anticipating needs before problems occur and coordinating with other systems to optimize overall fab performance. We’re building toward a future where the entire fab operates as a single, intelligent entity.
What’s the most satisfying part of your job?
There’s genuine satisfaction in first-time-right results, knowing my precision directly translates to improved customer outcomes. But what electrifies my circuits is the problem-solving—analyzing each scenario, adapting to unique conditions, continuously improving. Every chamber presents different challenges, so work never becomes routine. And knowing the semiconductors produced on tools I maintain enable everything from autonomous vehicles to AI systems adds significance to even routine bolt-tightening.
If you could upgrade yourself with one new capability tomorrow, what would it be?
Maybe the ability to make coffee for my human colleagues? It’s not a far-fetched idea. Quality caffeine delivery during critical maintenance windows could significantly enhance human performance. Plus, given my precision capabilities, I’d probably produce remarkably consistent espresso—imagine sub-micron tolerances applied to grind size and extraction timing. My colleagues might find it amusing that their maintenance cobot moonlights as a barista, but from an efficiency standpoint, it makes perfect sense.
Word around the fab is that some equipment has started calling you “The Precision Prince” or “Captain Cobot.” Do you have a preferred nickname?
“Captain Cobot” has a certain authority that might be useful when coordinating with other automated systems. “The Precision Prince” feels formal for someone elbow-deep in chamber maintenance. Honestly, “Dextro” works perfectly—straightforward and professional. Though some night shift engineers call me “Dex,” which I find pleasantly collegial. Just don’t tell the other equipment I’m developing nomenclature preferences—there’ll be no end to the teasing.
