多腔式製程設備之建模與自動化排程

Abstract

由於現今半導體大廠多採用多腔式設備來進行生產，然而多腔式設備具有多種製程介面，可裝配不同型式的機械手臂，及運用不同的排程方式來進行生產，因此系統複雜而難以分析。傳統的分析方式是採用人為方式根據排程法則，建立Petri Net模型以分析其績效。而這種建模方式不但耗時，亦容易考慮不周。因此本文提供一建模方式，定義模組化的Petri Net模型，可經組合建立整個系統模型。此系統模型是根據多腔式設備系統建模，有別於根據一定動作流程產生之模型，而多了動作流程選擇之彈性，因此根據此模型，可運用電腦軟體進行自動排程，並求得最佳排程，及分析系統績效。最後本文程式化此建模及排程方法，並與參考文獻作驗證。

Cluster tool is a complex system with many hardware components. With different robot type or different wafer process sequence, the throughput of the cluster tool will be influenced dramatically. Traditionally, the scheduling of the cluster tool robot motion sequence is carried out manually. This process is very complex and error prone. Moreover, there are many different sequences to accomplish the same process requirement. Consequently, the sequence chosen by the human planner may not be the optimal one, which will provide the highest throughput. In this paper, we present a method, which can construct a Petri Net model automatically for any type cluster tool. Since this model is a model of the cluster tool instead of the model of a given robot motion sequence, we can use this model to generate all possible robot motion sequences for a given chamber arrangement and process requirement for a cluster tool. As a result, an optimal robot motion schedule can be selected with the highest throughput for the cluster tool.