Efficient transfer of materials using automated guided vehicles in semiconductor manufacturing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9846415-B2
Application number	US-201313746280-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 21, 2013
Priority date	Jan 19, 2012
Publication date	Dec 19, 2017
Grant date	Dec 19, 2017

Abstract

Methods for manufacturing automation and a computer executed automated handling system for forming a device are presented. The method includes issuing a transfer request by a tool. The transfer request is processed by a production control system configured for tracking and controlling the flow of carriers. The processing of the transfer request includes selecting a carrier containing production material. A transport system having transport and load/unload (U/L) units in a production area to effect a transfer is controlled and the carrier is transferred by the transport system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for manufacturing automation comprising:
issuing a transfer request by a tool; and
processing the transfer request by a production control system configured for tracking and controlling a flow of wafer carriers used in forming semiconductor devices, the production control system includes a real time dispatcher (RTD) module comprising a dispatching lot list ranked by priority, wherein processing the transfer request comprises
selecting a carrier containing one a plurality of wafers, wherein the wafers form a lot of wafers, and
controlling a transport system comprising distinct transport units and load/unload (U/L) units in a production area to effect a transfer request from any first processing tool to any second processing tool, the distinct transport units and U/L units comprise autonomously operated automated guided vehicles (AGVs), wherein
an AGV includes a navigation system with an object detection module for autonomous operation in the production area,
a transport AGV unit includes a storage compartment for holding at least one carrier containing production material for forming a device, wherein the transport AGV unit is dedicated to transport carriers from one location to another location, and
a U/L AGV unit comprises a robotic system for automatically handling carriers, and wherein effecting the transfer from the first tool to the second tool comprises
unloading a first carrier from the first tool by a selected U/L AGV unit from available U/L AGV units,
loading the first carrier from the first tool by the selected U/L AGV unit onto a selected transport AGV unit from available transport AGV units for transferring the first carrier to the second tool if a distance of the second tool from the first tool is greater than a threshold distance, and
transferring the first carrier from the first tool to the second tool if the distance of the second tool from the first tool is less than or equal to the threshold distance.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein:
the transfer request comprises an unload request by the first tool; and
in response to the unload request, the selected U/L AGV unit unloads the first carrier from the first tool.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the threshold distance is 240 meters.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein:
the tools of the production area each comprises an equipment manager (EM) for controlling the operation of the tool; and
the production control system comprises
a manufacturing execution system (MES) configured to track carrier information and status of the tool,
an activity manager automation (AMA) module comprising an AMA database having tables to track information related to production facility and is configured to select the carrier and issue a dispatch request to effect the transfer,
an area server module configured to receive the transfer request from the EM and update the AMA database, and
an AGV manager module configured to instruct and control the transport system.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the transfer request is an unload request and the load request is issued by the EM to the area server module, and further comprising:
updating the AMA database with the load request;
performing an unload logic which includes obtaining a dispatch lot list from a real time dispatcher (RTD) module by the AMA module; and
issuing a job request to the AGV manager to transfer the first carrier to from the first tool issuing the unload request.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein when the first carrier is transferred to the second tool and comprises:
issuing a carrier state message by the EM to the area server module;
performing a validation logic by the area server module; and
updating the AMA database after performing the validation logic.

7. The method of claim 4 wherein the transfer request is a load request and the load request is issued by the EM to the area server module, and further comprising:
updating the AMA database with the unload request;
performing an unload logic by the AMA module; and
issuing a job request to the AGV manager to transfer the selected carrier having the processing material which the tool has completed processing from the tool issuing the unload request.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein when the first carrier is transferred out from the first tool and comprises:
issuing a carrier state message by the EM to the area server module; and
updating the AMA database after issuing the carrier state message.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the production material comprises material for forming the device or a processing material which the tool has completed processing.

10. A computer executed automated handling system for forming a device comprising:
a production control system configured for tracking and controlling a flow of wafer carriers used in forming semiconductor devices in a semiconductor production area, the production control system comprising
a manufacturing execution system (MES) configured to track carrier information and status of tools of the semiconductor production area,
an activity manager automation (AMA) module comprising an AMA database having tables to track information related to production facility and is configured to select a carrier and issue a dispatch request to effect a transfer of the selected carrier,
a real time dispatcher (RTD) module comprising a dispatching lot list ranked by priority,
an area server module configured to receive a transfer request from a requesting tool and update the AMA database,
an automated guided vehicles (AGV) manager module configured to instruct and control a transport system to effect the transfer of the selected carrier between a first the requesting tool and a second tool, wherein the transport system comprises distinct transport units and load/unload (U/L) units in a production area to effect the transfer, the distinct transport units and U/L units comprise autonomously operated automated guided vehicles (AGVs), wherein
an AGV includes a navigation system with an object detection module for autonomous operation in the production area,
a transport AGV unit includes a storage compartment for holding at least one carrier containing production material for forming the device, wherein the transport AGV unit is dedicated to transport carriers from one location to another location, and
a U/L AGV unit comprises a robotic system for automatically handling carriers, and

wherein the transfer of the selected carrier between the requesting tool and the second tool comprises
a selected U/L AGV unit of available U/L AGV units unloads the selected carrier from one of the requesting and second tools,
the selected U/L AGV unit loads the selected carrier onto a selected transport AGV unit from available transport units for transferring the selected carrier to other of the requesting and second tools if a distance between the first and second tools is greater than a threshold distance, and
the selected U/L AGV unit transfers the selected carrier by the to the other of the requesting and second tools if the distance between the requesting and second tools is less than or equal to the threshold distance.

11. The computer executed automated handling system of claim 10 further comprising:
an equipment manager (EM) for controlling operation of a tool in the production area, wherein the EM is communicatively coupled to the production control system; and
the threshold distance is 240 meters.

12. The computer executed automated handling system of claim 11 wherein the EM is communicatively coupled to the area server module.

13. A method of manufacturing devices compris

Assignees

• Globalfoundries Sg Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Choo Weng Cheong
• Bui Vei Tzee @ Kelvin
• Zhang Yuanfeng
• Tan Ting Lik Edmund
• Leong Chee Wai
• Hwang Jong Youn
• Lee Shin Yit
• Tey Wee Jin
• Ting Kah Hing
• Chua Ai Ling Nancy

Classifications

• Y02P90/285

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G05B2219/31002

  Computer controlled agv conveys workpieces between buffer and cell · CPC title

• Y02P90/28

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G05B19/4189 Primary

  characterised by the transport system · CPC title

• G05B11/01 Primary

  electric · CPC title