Semiconductor device fabrication equipment and method of using the same

Abstract

Semiconductor device fabrication equipment and a method of using the same minimize the total time that a wafer spends being transferred through the equipment and the number of times the wafer is transferred between respective parts of the equipment. The semiconductor fabrication equipment includes a first apparatus used for performing a first process on a wafer, a second apparatus linked in-line to the first apparatus and used for performing a second process consecutive to the first process with respect to the fabrication of a semiconductor device from the wafer, and a speed regulator connected to the first and second apparatuses. The speed regulator detects durations of the first and second processes, respectively, compares the durations, and makes a determination as to whether the duration of the first process is shorter than the duration of the second process. The speed regulator is also configured to adjust the speed at which the first process is executed when the duration of the first process is shorter than the duration of the second process.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.