System and method for scheduling the movement of wafers in a wafer-processing tool
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsKentaro Joma, Tatsuya Ogi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In a system and method for scheduling the movement of wafers in a wafer-processing tool, the wafer-processing tool can include a load module, a wafer-transfer unit, a process module, and a scheduler. The scheduler can be configured to generate a schedule for the movement of wafers in the wafer-processing tool based on the duration of the operations to be performed by the wafer-transfer unit and the process module in processing the wafers.
Claims60
A system for processing wafers in a wafer-processing tool, said system comprising:
- a load module that operates to receive wafers;
- a process module that operates to process wafers;
- a wafer-transfer unit that operates to transfer wafers between said load module and said process module;
- and
- a scheduler configured to generate a schedule for the movement of wafers in the wafer-processing tool, wherein said scheduler is configured to generate said schedule based on the duration of the operations to be performed by said process module and said wafer-transfer unit.
A computer-readable storage medium containing computer executable code to schedule the movement of wafers in a wafer-processing tool by instructing a computer to operate as follows:
- determine a provide cycle that includes operations to be performed by a wafer-transfer unit;
- determine a process cycle that includes operations to be performed by a process module;
- determine a duration for said provide cycle and a duration for said process cycle;
- and
- generate a schedule for the movement of wafers in the wafer-processing tool based on the duration of said provide cycle and said process cycle.
A system for processing wafers in a wafer-processing tool, said system comprising:
- a process module that operates to process wafers;
- a wafer-transfer unit that operates to transfer wafers;
- and
- a scheduler configured to generate a schedule based on the operations of the process module and the wafer-transfer unit.
A system for processing wafers in a wafer-processing tool, said system comprising:
- a process module that operates to process wafers;
- a wafer-transfer unit that operates to transfer wafers;
- and
- a scheduler configured to automatically generate a schedule for the movement of wafers in the wafer-processing tool based on the duration of the operations to be performed by said process module.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.