Automating complex wafer manufacturing - beyond lot to tool assignment

The complexities and costs of advanced semiconductor manufacturing dictate that the assignment of individual wafer lots to production equipment must take into consideration multiple variables in order to eliminate operational inefficiencies, exploit toolset capacity, and maintain material priority. Intel's automated lot:tool assignment solution has comprehended the operational complexities of a high volume, leading edge semiconductor factory and has demonstrated cycle time reductions, reduced departure rate variability, and improved effective equipment utilization. This paper discusses the operational complexities that were integrated into the automated solution and the key results achieved through its implementation