A view to the future-a modular simulation kit for cost-efficient fab-wide planning and the simulation of automated material handling systems in the semiconductor industry

The mounting pressure of costs in the semiconductor industry has led to the use of increasingly complex production sequences, bigger substrates and shorter planning times. More and more, this also demands the fast, precisely-detailed planning of automation systems because the required transport and stocker tasks can no longer be carried out using conventional, often manual methods. This article describes a modular simulation kit for the semiconductor industry, representing a reasonably-priced experimentation field for planning and optimizing transport and stocker systems. Results from various projects will be presented illustrating this tool's range of performance for simulating complete semiconductor fabs and fab-wide automation systems.