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

A method comprising:

• incorporating a small lot fabrication facility adapted to utilize small lot carriers within a large lot fabrication facility having a large lot facility controller and at least one large lot component, wherein small lot carriers are adapted to hold a maximum of less than 10 substrates;
• insulating the small lot fabrication facility such that it appears as a large lot component to the large lot facility controller, wherein insulating comprises establishing an interface between the large lot facility controller and the small lot fabrication facility;
• and
• independently operating the small lot fabrication facility as insulated by the interface using a separate controller.

A method comprising:

• incorporating a small lot fabrication facility adapted to utilize small lot carriers within a large lot fabrication facility having a large lot facility controller and at least one large lot component, wherein small lot carriers are adapted to hold a maximum of less than 10 substrates;
• insulating the small lot fabrication facility such that it appears as a large lot component to the large lot facility controller;
• and
• transferring substrates between large lot carriers suitable for the large lot fabrication facility and small lot carriers suitable for the small lot fabrication facility within the small lot fabrication facility.

A method of operating a large lot fabrication facility having at least one large lot component and a sub-system adapted to utilize small lot carriers, the method comprising:

• centrally controlling delivery of large lot carriers to the at least one large lot component and to the subsystem adapted to utilize small lot carriers using first computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) software;
• and
• locally controlling delivery of small lot carriers within the sub-system using second computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) software;
• wherein the sub-system is modeled as a large lot component using the first computer integrated manufacturing (CIM) software and wherein small lot carriers are adapted to hold a maximum of less than 13 substrates.