Automated stepper load balance allocation system

Author

Miwa, Toshiharu ; Nishihara, Nobuaki ; Yamamoto, Koji

Author_Institution

Production Eng. Res. Lab., Hitachi Ltd., Kanagawa, Japan

Volume

18

Issue

4

fYear

2005

Firstpage

510

Lastpage

516

Abstract

In order to improve productivity in the photolithography process of high-product mix/low-volume factories, an automated stepper load balance allocation system was developed. The system enables us to maintain a balanced load distribution of tool constraint layers among all steppers. We developed a processing time estimation function and a load balance allocation function. The processing time estimation function calculates accurate loads based on the processing times related to the product, the process layer, and the stepper. The load balance allocation function was realized by applying a dynamic programming method. The system has decreased the deviation in the total processing time among all steppers by 10%, compared to the conventional manual allocation method.

Keywords

dynamic programming; electron device manufacture; electronics industry; optimised production technology; photolithography; process control; automated stepper load balance allocation system; dynamic programming method; electron device manufacture; electronics industry; load balance allocation function; load distribution; optimised production technology; photolithography process; processing time estimation function; tool constraint layers; Dispatching; Electronic equipment manufacture; Job shop scheduling; Lithography; Manufacturing processes; Mathematical model; Production facilities; Production planning; Productivity; Semiconductor device manufacture; Dynamic programming; processing time estimation; semiconductor manufacturing; stepper allocation; tool constraint;

fLanguage

English

Journal_Title

Semiconductor Manufacturing, IEEE Transactions on

Publisher

ieee

ISSN

0894-6507

Type

jour

DOI

10.1109/TSM.2005.858472

Filename

1528562