Method and apparatus for routing wafer pods to allow parallel processing
AssigneeGlobalfoundries Inc.
InventorsDiwaskar Adhikari, Raymond G. Goss, Carmen A. Maxim, Jan Rothe
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method includes designating a plurality of wafers as members of a group. A first subset of the wafers is housed in a first wafer pod and a second subset of the wafers is housed in a second wafer pod. The first wafer pod is routed to a first tool, and at least a first operation is performed on the wafers in the first subset using the first tool. The second wafer pod is routed to a second tool, and the first operation is performed on the wafers in the second subset using the second tool. The wafers in the first and second subsets are consolidated following the performing of the first operation.
Claims16
A method, comprising:
- designating a plurality of wafers as members of a group, wherein a first subset of the wafers is housed in a first wafer pod and a second subset of the wafers is housed in a second wafer pod different from the first pod;
- routing the first wafer pod to a first tool;
- performing at least a first operation on the wafers in the first subset using the first tool;
- routing the second wafer pod to a second tool;
- performing the first operation on the wafers in the second subset using the second tool;
- consolidating the wafers in the first and second subsets in a third wafer pod following the performing of the first operation by:
- routing the third wafer pod to the first tool;
- loading the first subset into the third wafer pod;
- routing the third wafer pod to the second tool;
- and
- loading the second subset into the third wafer pod to consolidate the wafers in the first and second subsets in the third wafer pod;
- routing the third wafer pod to a third tool;
- performing a second operation on the plurality of wafers using the third tool;
- loading the group of wafers in a fourth wafer pod following completion of the second operation;
- routing the fourth wafer pod to a fourth tool;
- unloading a third subset of the plurality of wafers into the fourth tool;
- performing a third operation on the third subset of wafers;
- routing the fourth wafer pod to a fifth tool;
- unloading a fourth subset of the plurality of wafers into the fifth tool;
- performing the third operation on the fourth subset of wafers;
- and
- loading the third and fourth subsets into a fifth wafer pod.
A system for processing a plurality of wafers defined as members of a group, wherein a first subset of the wafers is housed in a first wafer pod and a second subset of the wafers is housed in a second wafer pod different from the first pod, comprising:
- a plurality of tools operable to process wafers;
- and
- a material handling controller operable to:
- route the first wafer pod to a first tool,
- route the second wafer pod to a second tool,
- direct consolidation of the wafers in the first and second subsets into a third wafer pod following a performing of the first operation using the first and second tools to assemble the plurality of wafers in the group by directing the loading of the first and second subsets into the third destination wafer pod after the processing in the first and second tools, wherein the first operation is a pre-process metrology operation,
- route the third wafer pod to a process tool,
- direct loading of the plurality of wafers into a fourth wafer pod following a performing of the process operation using the process tool,
- route the fourth wafer pod to a first post-process metrology tool,
- direct unloading of a third subset of the plurality of wafers into the first post-process metrology tool,
- route the fourth wafer pod to a second post-process metrology tool,
- direct unloading of a fourth subset of the plurality of wafers into the second post-process metrology tool, and
- direct loading of the third and fourth subsets into a fifth wafer pod after completion of a post-process metrology operation in the first and second post-process metrology tools.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.