System and method for scheduling the movement of wafers in a wafer-processing tool
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsKentaro Joma, Tatsuya Ogi
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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.
Claims31
A method for processing wafers in a wafer-processing tool, said method comprising:
- receiving wafers at a load module;
- transferring wafers between said load module and a process module;
- processing wafers in said process module;
- generating a schedule in a scheduler for the movement of wafers in the wafer-processing tool based on the duration of operations to be performed in transferring wafers between said load and process modules and in processing wafers in said process module;
- and executing said schedule.
A method of scheduling the movement of wafers in a wafer-processing tool having a wafer-transfer unit and a process module, said method comprising:
- determining a provide cycle that includes operations to be performed by the wafer-transfer unit, said provide cycle having a provide-cycle duration;
- determining a process cycle that includes operations to be performed by the process module, said process cycle having a process-cycle duration;
- determining a limitation duration based on said provide-cycle duration and said process-cycle duration;
- and
- generating a schedule for the movement of wafers in the wafer-processing tool based on said limitation duration.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.