Method and apparatus for integrating large and small lot electronic device fabrication facilities

An electronic device fabrication facility comprising:

• a large lot fabrication facility including a plurality of large lot components;
• a manufacturing execution system adapted to control the large lot fabrication facility;
• and
• a small lot sub-fabrication facility disposed within the large lot fabrication facility and adapted to interact with the manufacturing execution system of the large lot fabrication facility as a large lot component,
• wherein the small lot sub-fabrication facility uses small lot carriers which can each hold a maximum number of substrates that is less than a maximum number of substrates that can be held in a large lot carrier used in the large lot fabrication facility.

An electronic device fabrication facility comprising:

• a large lot fabrication facility including a plurality of large lot components;
• a small lot sub-fabrication facility disposed within the large lot fabrication facility and including a plurality of small lot components;
• and
• a central manufacturing execution system including:
• a first module adapted to control the large lot fabrication facility, and
• a second module adapted to control the small lot sub-fabrication facility,
• wherein the small lot sub-fabrication facility uses small lot carriers which can hold a maximum number of substrates that is less than a maximum number of substrates that can be held in a large lot carrier used in the large lot fabrication facility.

A composite tool comprising:

• a plurality of small lot components;
• and
• a small lot manufacturing execution system adapted to control the plurality of small lot components,
• wherein the small lot manufacturing execution system is further adapted to communicate with a large lot manufacturing execution system such that the large lot manufacturing execution system interacts with the composite tool as if the composite tool is a large lot tool,
• wherein the small lot manufacturing execution system uses small lot carriers which can hold a maximum number of substrates that is less than a maximum number of substrates that can be held in a large lot carrier used in the large lot manufacturing execution system.

A computer-readable medium storing computer executable instructions for controlling operation of an electronic device fabrication facility comprising:

• a first module adapted to control at least one large lot carrier transport system of a fabrication facility operable to deliver large lot carriers to at least one large lot tool;
• a second module adapted to control at least one composite tool of the fabrication facility operable to receive large lot carriers from a large lot carrier transport system;
• a third module adapted to control at least one mechanism of the fabrication facility operable to transfer substrates from large lot carriers to small lot carriers,
• wherein small lot carriers can hold a maximum number of substrates that is less than a maximum number of substrates that can be held in a large lot carrier;
• and
• a fourth module adapted to control at least one small lot carrier transport system of the fabrication facility operable to deliver small lot carriers to at least one small lot tool.

A method comprising:

• partitioning computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) software for a electronic device fabrication facility (Fab) that allows the Fab to be modeled as a composite of:
• at least one large lot carrier transport system,
• at least a first tool adapted to receive at least one large lot carrier, and
• at least one composite tool adapted to receive at least one large lot carrier
• wherein the at least one composite tool includes:
• at least one small lot carrier transport system, and
• at least a second tool adapted to receive at least one small lot carrier,
• wherein small lot carriers hold a maximum number of substrates that is less than a maximum number of substrates that can be held in a large lot carrier;
• and
• executing the CIM software on a distributed platform.

A method comprising:

• partitioning computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) software for an electronic device fabrication facility (Fab) that allows the Fab to be modeled as a composite of:
• at least one large lot carrier transport system adapted to deliver large lot carriers to at least a first large lot tool;
• and
• at least one composite tool adapted to receive large lot carriers from a large lot carrier transport system, wherein the composite tool includes:
• a mechanism for transferring substrates from large lot carriers to small lot carriers;
• and
• a small lot carrier transport system adapted to deliver small lot carriers to at least a first small lot tool,
• wherein small lot carriers hold a maximum number of substrates that is less than a maximum number of substrates that can be held in a large lot carrier;
• and
• executing the CIM software on a distributed platform.