Advanced Micro Devices Corporation

Advance Micro Devices, Inc.

Micro Devices LLC

Patrick J Ryan

Michael R Conboy

Elfido Coss, Jr

Stephen P Hovestol

Management of multiple types of empty carriers in automated material handling systems. In one embodiment, an automated material handling system (AMHS) includes a plurality of material carriers including a plurality of empty carriers classified into two or more types and one or more stock areas, each including a plurality of bins for storing material carriers. Each stock area is associated with one or more thresholds for each empty carrier type. The AMHS further includes a control system coupled to a first one of the stock areas for computing an empty percentage for each empty carrier type. The empty percentage for a particular empty carrier type is the percentage of bins of the first one stock area which contain empty carriers of the particular type. The AMHS also includes a transportation system responsive to the control system for selectively moving an empty carrier of a certain carrier type between a staging area and the first stock area based on a comparison of the empty percentage for the certain carrier type to the one or more thresholds of the first stock area for the certain carrier type.

Management of multiple types of empty carriers in automated material handling systems

According to an example embodiment, the present invention is directed to a new and efficient method for bringing at least two items together from independent locations via separate paths in a computer controlled manufacturing environment. Using the computer, the probabilities for pickup and delivery of each of the two items are generated and used to determine an efficient manner in which to bring the items together via the separate paths.

Scheduling method for automated work-cell transfer system

A reticle sorter and a semiconductor fabrication facility employing one or more reticle sorters is provided. The reticle sorter(s) generally lies between a reticle storage system and a group of one or more photolithography exposure tools (e.g., steppers) and is configured for sorting reticles in one or more cassettes. The use of the reticle sorter provides sorting functionality apart from the reticle storage system and typically closer to the group of photolithography steppers with which it is associated. This can, for example, significantly increase the throughput of semiconductor wafers through the associated photolithography exposure tools as well as in the semiconductor fabrication plant as a whole.

Reticle sorter

Systems and methods for managing automated material handling systems, such as semiconductor fabrication facilities, using material item (e.g., wafer lot) attributes and cassette attributes are provided. A semiconductor fabrication facility typically includes multiple wafer lots and multiple cassettes for storing the wafer lots. A system and method, in one embodiment of the invention, includes setting one or more lot attributes for each wafer lot, setting one or more cassette attributes for each cassette, and selecting a particular cassette for holding a particular wafer lot based on the one or more wafer lot attributes of the particular wafer lot and the one or more cassette attributes of the particular cassette. The wafer lot and cassette attributes may, for example, include an attribute identifying a position in a fabrication sequence and one or more attributes indicative of one or more contaminants. By selecting cassettes in this manner, wafer lots and cassettes may, for example, be classified or logically zoned.

Managing a semiconductor fabrication facility using wafer lot and cassette attributes

Techniques for controlling the flow of wafer lots in a semiconductor fabrication facility having multiple storage locations and a fabrication facility employing such techniques are provided. A process and system for controlling the flow of wafer lots within a semiconductor fabrication facility, in accordance with one embodiment of the invention, includes determining a first storage location for a wafer lot, determining, prior to moving the wafer lot, an availability condition of the first storage location based on a condition level of the first storage location and a priority of the wafer lot, and storing the wafer lot in the storage location if the location is available and storing the wafer lot in an alternate location if the storage location is unavailable. The storage location may, for example, be a stocker. In this manner, the invention may, for example, advantageously anticipate or sense bubbles or log jams of wafer lots in a fabrication facility and redirect wafer lots in order to avoid or reduce any bubble effect. This can, for example, significantly increase the throughput of wafers through the fabrication facility.

Flow control in a semiconductor fabrication facility

A computer controlled manufacturing arrangement and method for selecting between multiple paths for transporting cassettes between processing locations. The manufacturing arrangement includes a plurality of stockers interconnected with tracks on which cassettes are carried on vehicles. A first and second stocker are interconnected by at least a first path and a second path formed by the tracks, and a cassette can be transported from the first to the second stocker via either of the two paths. A plurality of robotic arrangements are configured to transfer cassettes between the stockers and the vehicles. A data processing system is coupled to the robotic arrangements and configured and arranged to maintain an historical record of codes indicative of periods of time expended in transporting cassettes from the first stocker to the second stocker via the first path and second path, respectively. When a cassette is to be transported from the first stocker to the second stocker, the data processing system determines, as a function of the historical record of codes associated with the paths, which of the first or second paths is more likely to result in a lesser period of time in transporting the cassette, and selects one of the first or second paths according to which path is more likely to result in a lesser period of time in transporting the cassette. The robotic arrangement is then instructed to load the cassette on the vehicle of the selected path.

Automated material handling system method and arrangement

Methods and systems for managing test wafers an automated material handling system are provided. Test material is classified into a plurality of classes. A time profile for each class of test material for a time period is determined and the test material is placed into cassettes based on the determined time profile for each class. When a request to pick up a particular group of a test material class is received, a cassette is identifying for picking up the particular group based on the contents of the cassette.

Managing test material in an automated material handling system

A method for pre-positioning routed material in a computer controlled manufacturing arrangement having alternate locations for predetermined ones of a plurality of manufacturing process steps and predetermined types of materials to be routed into alternate locations. The method includes establishing a distribution of events indicative of the alternate locations at which material is processed for a manufacturing process step with respect to the materials to be routed and documenting the distribution of events in a database with respect to the type of materials to be routed and the alternate locations in terms of routing times, therein establishing a historical routing time for the type of material to be routed. In addition, there is established the actual mix of materials to be routed to the alternate locations and their historical routing time and actual routing time for the type of routed material are compared. Further, one of a plurality of substates is selected that include: pre-position routed material when historical and actual times are substantially the same, hold routed material when the times are different and re-route material when time comparison is not available. Finally, one of a plurality of alternate locations is selected to which to route the material for the next manufacturing process step as a function of a one of the substates.

Realtime decision making system for reduction of time delays in an automated material handling system

A probabilistic dispatching method and arrangement for directing the movement of wafers in a manufacturing process. In a manufacturing process, some process steps may be performed by tools at alternate locations. Delivery of the material from one manufacturing process step to the next occurs via a rail for transporting the material and stockers for holding the material until the processing can commence. While awaiting processing, material may be moved from one stocker to a stocker at an alternate location and then removed for processing. A distribution of removal events is maintained for process steps having alternate locations, wherein a removal event refers to removal of material from a stocker for processing. When material is returned to a stocker for delivery to another stocker to await a subsequent processing step, the other stocker is identified as a function of the distribution of removal events for the subsequent processing step.

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Kyle, TX, United States of America

Patrick J Ryan