International Business Machines Corporation

Richard Gerard Burda

Sameer T Shikalgar

Robert J Milne

Patrick Ronald Varekamp

Brian Trevor Denton

Alfred Degbotse

Kenneth Jeffrey Fordyce

Aseem K Joshi

Susan Kangas Van Oss

Heath C Kent

Guogang Zuo

Sanjay R Hegde

John T Federico

Jonathan Levy

Karl E Gartland

Alan Dziedzic

Benjamin R Wheeler

Oliver Liao

Thomas D Stahlecker

Elizabeth L Williamson

Eric Ted Dickstein

A method and apparatus includes determining a number of planned starts of a product during a predetermined time period for future processing, averaging the number of planned starts for the predetermined time period, and setting a production rate for a first range based on the average number of planned starts.

Method and system for setting rates and targets in a range management system

Tools and/or resources which newly become available to a re-entrant flow manufacturing line, data processing pipeline or the like are allocated in substantially real time to processing operations independent of and consistent with a scheduling segment previously generated by dispatching items such as workpieces or data to tools and/or resources of a manufacturing line until the newly available tool or resource can be conveniently included in a subsequently generated schedule segment in order to avoid productivity loss due to schedule latency. Items can be dispatched in a priority order to accelerate completion of processing. A schedule segment including the newly available tool or resource can be facilitated by merging allocations of a real time dispatch list with allocations of a dispatch list corresponding to a previously generated schedule segment.

Method for minimizing productivity loss while using a manufacturing scheduler

A method identifies time sensitive processing sequences within a production environment using a computerized device. The processing sequences perform operations utilizing one or more tools. The method also identifies non-committed work in process items that are grouped in non-committed lots for release into one or more of the time sensitive processing sequences, and identifies committed work in process items that are being processed in committed lots within the time sensitive processing sequences, using the computerized device. The method sorts the non-committed lots by a predetermined priority, again using the computerized device. Starting with the highest priority non-committed lot (and continuing with others of the non-committed lots in priority order) the method determines whether there is available tool capacity to process a non-committed lot through each corresponding time sensitive processing sequence using the computerized device. If the tool capacity is available for the non-committed lot, the method releases the non-committed lot to begin the corresponding time sensitive processing sequences, using the computerized device.

Product release control into time-sensitive processing environments

A method and computer program product for scheduling product lots through operations of a manufacturing line. The method including: selecting a set of sequential operations required to manufacture the lots; partitioning the product lots into designated lots and non-designated lots; and generating a release schedule for each of the non-designated lots into one or more operations of the set of sequential operations; generating a release schedule for each of the designated lots into each operation of set of sequential operations such that for each designated lot a total amount of time measured from completion of a first operation of the set of sequential operations through start of a last operation of the set of sequential operations does not exceed a target amount of time for the designated lots.

Method of release and product flow management for a manufacturing facility

A method, system, and program storage device for implementing the method of controlling a manufacturing system, wherein the method comprises providing a plurality of workpieces to be processed on a processing tool, the plurality of workpieces located at processing stations prior to the processing tool, determining auxiliary equipment allocation needs for the processing tool based on characteristics associated with the plurality of workpieces prior to the workpieces arriving at the processing tool, and sending auxiliary equipment to the processing tool based on the allocation needs prior to the workpieces arriving at the processing tool. According to an embodiment of the invention, the processing tool comprises a photolithographic system, the auxiliary equipment comprises a reticle, and the plurality of workpieces comprise semiconductor substrates.

Method and system for intelligent automated reticle managment

A method and system for defining optimal range boundaries in a range management system. The method comprises assigning process routings to the flows, applying range break rules to the flows based on the input data regarding operations and toolsets, and outputting the results of the applying step to provide range break boundaries. The system comprises at least one device configured to receive input data, assign process routings to flows, determine range breaks by applying range break rules to the input data and the process routings, and output the results of the determining step.

System and method for creation of optimal range boundaries in a range management system

A system and method are disclosed for prioritizing a plurality of lots in a manufacturing process. Portions of a priority for each lot are created. The portions are combined to form a unique range priority for each lot. The range priorities may be used to equitable compare all of the active lots in a fabrication facility. The system and method may be implemented as part of a range management system.

Method and system of prioritization for managing manufacturing processes

A system and method for driving new technology WIP at a controlled speed side-by-side with production WIP using a common range management infrastructure. The system and method allow new technology WIP and production WIP to be driven together in the same fabricator with the same degree of speed and predictability. The system and method may include at least one device configured to create a target based on a sum of active WIP targets for at least one route, find all lots of active WIP on the at least one route, tag each of the lots until a first occurrence of a sum of WIP of the tagged lots exceeds or equals the target, and assign a priority to each of the tagged lots based on a predetermined criteria.

Method and system of controlled movement of dynamic-route WIP

A method and computer program product for scheduling product lots through operations of a manufacturing line. The method including: selecting a sequential subset of a set of sequential operations required to manufacture the lots; partitioning the product lots into designated lots and non-designated lots; and generating a release schedule for each of the non-designated lots into one or more operations of the sequential subset of the set of sequential operations; generating a release schedule for each of the designated lots into each operation of the sequential subset of the set of sequential operations such that for each designated lot a total amount of time measured from completion of a first operation of the sequential subset of the set of sequential operations through start of a last operation of the sequential subset of the set of sequential operations does not exceed a target amount of time for the designated lots.

A system for dispatching a plurality of semiconductor lots among a plurality of tools is provided. The system includes a dispatch server manager and a dispatch integrator and display device. The dispatch integrator and display device conveys a dispatch request to the manager and receives a dispatch list from the manager. The manager queries for a processing status of the plurality of semiconductor lots and displays a dispatch list in response to the processing status. The dispatch list includes an associated reason and/or code related to the processing status.

System for dispatching semiconductors lots

A system and method including identifying a stopped range, identifying at least one lot of WIP associated with the stopped range, and processing the at least one lot in at least one operation within the stopped range at a lower priority relative to other lots. The system and method may be implemented as part of a range management system.

Method and system for improved performance of manufacturing processes

The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for controlling the flow of material in a manufacturing facility using an extended zone of control. A method in accordance to an embodiment of the present invention comprises establishing an extended zone of control including a high impact tool set and at least one other tool set, analyzing projected job arrivals at the high impact tool set, and adjusting a flow of material between the high impact tool set and the at least one other tool set based on the analysis of projected job arrivals at the high impact tool set.

Method, system, and computer program product for controlling the flow of material in a manufacturing facility using an extended zone of control

The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for improved flow of development lots in a manufacturing facility. A method in accordance to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: establishing at least one target for processing of a set of development lots in the manufacturing facility; monitoring a progress of the set of development lots in the manufacturing facility; comparing the progress of the set of development lots against the at least one target; establishing at least one suggested action for the set of development lots if the progress of the set of development lots deviates from the at least one target; and deciding which development lots in the set of development lots to assign to at least one tool in the manufacturing facility, wherein the at least one suggested action is incorporated into the assignment decision.

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Pleasant Valley, NY, United States of America

Richard Gerard Burda