Multi cluster tool system and a method of controlling a multi tool cluster system

A transport-bound multi cluster tool system comprising:

• a plurality of cluster tools positioned adjacent each other in a linear topology and a buffer module located between one or more respective pair of cluster tools;
• wherein each of the cluster tools include a plurality of processing modules and a single-arm robot with a single robotic arm for moving a semiconductor product between the respective buffer module and respective processing modules of the corresponding cluster tool,
• a user interface in electronic communication with a controller, the user interface configured to allow a user to communicate with the transport-bound multi cluster tool system, the controller being in electronic communication with each single-arm robot within the transport-bound multi cluster tool system, the controller being configured to execute a method of controlling the transport-bound multi cluster tool system, wherein the method comprises the steps of:
• receiving a plurality of system parameters from the user interface, the system parameters corresponding to one or more processing steps in a system cycle, wherein the system cycle is a one semiconductor product cycle that defines a plurality of processing cycles each of which is associated with a respective cluster tool and is to be executed only once,
• determining, based on the received system parameters, a processing cycle for each of the cluster tools, the processing cycle for each of the cluster tools comprises processing steps for the respective cluster tool, and each of the processing steps corresponds to processing at a processing module of the respective cluster tool, wherein the system cycle comprises a plurality of the determined processing cycles of the cluster tools,
• determining, based on the received processing cycles, a system schedule for defining the system cycle for processing the semiconductor product with minimum processing time from start to finish through the cluster tools,
• the system schedule providing single-arm robot waiting times for each single-arm robot of each of the cluster tools and defining the order of processing cycles to be performed, and
• controlling the operation of each single-arm robot of each of the cluster tools based on the determined schedule;
• wherein determining the system schedule includes:
• determining a fundamental period for each of the cluster tools within the transport-bound multi cluster tool system, the fundamental period being transport-bound;
• determining, from each of the cluster tools, a bottleneck cluster tool that operates in a transport bound region, wherein the bottleneck cluster tool is the cluster tool with the longest fundamental period;
• determining a processing cycle time for at least the bottleneck cluster tool based a polynomial algorithm;
• comparing the fundamental period of the other cluster tools with the processing cycle time of the bottleneck cluster tool, wherein the processing cycle time relates to time taken to complete processing in the bottleneck cluster tool;
• and
• determining a scheduling strategy based on the comparison.