Flexible dispatching system and method for coordinating between a manual automated dispatching mode

A method of using a tool control system to control and manage a wafer fabrication process during an automated mode and during a manual mode, the method comprising the steps of

• using an operation management interface to dispatch wafers to an at least one piece of fabrication equipment upon occurrence of a triggering event, the triggering event occurring when a first load port tool for the piece of fabrication equipment becomes empty;
• checking the at least one piece of fabrication equipment's processing status;
• issuing a move in request to an operation job supervisor if the at least one piece of fabrication equipment having a first load port is ready to receive a FOUP;
• querying the at least one piece of fabrication equipment's processing status until the at least one piece of fabrication equipment signals that it is ready to receive a FOUP;
• determining if a pre-dispatch list is empty;
• collecting FOUP status information if the pre-dispatch list is not empty;
• selecting lots from a work in progress list to create a selected lots list in a selected lots configurable portion of the operation management interface if the pre-dispatch list is empty;
• transferring the selected lots list from the selected lots configurable portion of the operation management interface to the pre-dispatch portion to create a pre-dispatch list;
• determining if a FOUP containing the pre-dispatched lots identified at the top of the pre-dispatch list is available to be loaded onto an overhead transport system;
• waiting a predefined length of time if the FOUP containing the pre-dispatched lots identified at the top of the list is not available before verifying again that the FOUP identified at the top of the pre-dispatch list is available to be loaded onto the overhead transport system;
• identifying to a FOUP queue that the FOUP containing the pre-dispatched lots identified at the top of the pre-dispatch list will be assigned to the specific piece of fabrication equipment;
• identifying placement of the FOUP within the FOUP queue;
• removing the lots contained within the FOUP from the pre-dispatch list if the FOUP is available for loading onto the overhead transport system;
• issuing a transfer command to the MCS to load the FOUP onto the overhead transport system for transferring the FOUP to the at least one piece of fabrication equipment;
• identifying that the FOUP is loaded onto the first load port of the at least one piece of fabrication equipment;
• verifying the pre-dispatch lots listed in the FOUP are delivered to the at least one piece of fabrication equipment;
• and
• communicating the verification from the tool control system to the at least one piece of fabrication equipment so that the at least one piece of fabrication equipment selectively start an appropriate fabrication operation for the specific lots delivered.

A method of using a tool control system to control and manage a wafer fabrication process during an automated mode and during a manual mode, the method comprising the steps of:

• using an operation management interface to dispatch wafers to an at least one piece of fabrication equipment upon occurrence of a triggering event, the triggering event occurring when a first load port tool for the piece of fabrication equipment becomes empty;
• checking the at least one piece of fabrication equipment's processing status;
• issuing a move in request to an operation job supervisor if the at least one piece of fabrication equipment having a first load port is ready to receive a FOUP;
• querying the at least one piece of fabrication equipment's processing status until the at least one piece of fabrication equipment signals that it is ready to receive a FOUP;
• determining if a pre-dispatch list is empty;
• collecting FOUP status information if the pre-dispatch list is not empty;
• selecting lots from a work in progress list to create a selected lots list in a selected lots configurable portion of the operation management interface if the pre-dispatch list is empty;
• transferring the selected lots list from the selected lots configurable portion of the operation management interface to the pre-dispatch portion to create a pre-dispatch list;
• determining if a FOUP containing the pre-dispatched lots identified at the top of the pre-dispatch list is available to be loaded on to an overhead transport system;
• waiting three minutes if the FOUP containing the pre-dispatched lots identified at the top of the list is not available before verifying again that the FOUP identified at the top of the pre-dispatch list is available to be loaded onto the overhead transport system;
• identifying to a FOUP queue that the FOUP containing the pre-dispatched lots identified at the top of the pre-dispatch list will be assigned to the specific piece of fabrication equipment;
• identifying placement of the FOUP within the FOUP queue;
• removing the lots contained within the FOUP from the pre-dispatch list if the FOUP is available for loading onto the overhead transport system;
• issuing a transfer command to the MCS to load the FOUP onto the overhead transport system for transferring the FOUP to the at least one piece of fabrication equipment;
• identifying that the FOUP is loaded onto the first load port of the at least one piece of fabrication equipment;
• verifying the pre-dispatch lots listed in the FOUP are delivered to the at least one piece of fabrication equipment;
• communicating the verification from the tool control system to the at least one piece of fabrication equipment so that the at least one piece of fabrication equipment selectively start an appropriate fabrication operation for the specific lots delivered;
• and
• issuing a move-in-complete command to an operation job supervisor to signal to the operation job supervisor that the lots identified within the FOUP were delivered to the fabrication equipment and that the fabrication equipment successfully performed a fabrication operation on the lots identified within the FOUP.