Robotic system control
AssigneesFSI International, Inc., The University of Texas at Dallas
InventorsSubodha Kumar, Natarajan Ramanan, Chelliah Sriskandarajah
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Abstract
In an automated processing system, a system controller uses a meta-heuristic technique for identifying an optimal or near-optimal control schedule for controlling movements and operations of a robot. In particular embodiments, the system controller uses a genetic algorithm to breed a control schedule for the robot. In particular embodiments, the system controller dynamically updates the control schedule based on system operation.
Claims30
A method for calculating a control schedule for a robot within a fabrication system, the method comprising:
- determining operating characteristics for steps in a fabrication process, the operating characteristics comprising a robot movement matrix for movements between a plurality of processing stations and processing times for each of the processing stations;
- identifying a plurality of control schedules each detailing a process for a robot to shuttle wafers between the processing stations;
- determining fitness for each of the control schedules using the operating characteristics;
- mating the control schedules according to the fitness determined for each control schedule to create a resulting generation of control schedules;
- iterating the fitness determining and the mating for a plurality of resulting generations;
- selecting a chosen control schedule from a final one of the resulting generations based on fitness;
- and
- operating the robot according to the chosen control schedule.
A wafer fabrication system comprising:
- a plurality of processing stations;
- a system controller operable to determine operating characteristics for steps in a fabrication process, the operating characteristics comprising a robot movement matrix for movements of a robot between the processing stations and processing times for each of the processing stations, to system controller further operable to identify a plurality of control schedules each detailing a process for the robot to shuttle wafers between the processing stations, to determine fitness for each of the control schedules using the operating characteristics, to mate the control schedules according to the fitness determined for each control schedule to create a resulting generation of control schedules, to iterate the fitness determining and the mating for a plurality of resulting generations, and to select a chosen control schedule from a final one of the resulting generations based on fitness;
- and
- the robot operable to service the processing stations according to the chosen control schedule.
Logic for calculating a control schedule for a robot within a fabrication system, the logic encoded in media and operable when executed to perform the steps of:
- determining operating characteristics for steps in a fabrication process, the operating characteristics comprising a robot movement matrix for movements between a plurality of processing stations and processing times for each of the processing stations;
- identifying a plurality of control schedules each detailing a process for a robot to shuttle wafers between the processing stations;
- determining fitness for each of the control schedules using the operating characteristics;
- mating the control schedules according to the fitness determined for each control schedule to create a resulting generation of control schedules;
- iterating the fitness determining and the mating for a plurality of resulting generations;
- selecting a chosen control schedule from a final one of the resulting generations based on fitness;
- and
- providing the chosen control schedule to the robot to control operation of the robot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.