Modeling and analysis of dual-arm cluster tools for wafer fabrication with revisiting

Some wafer fabrication processes are repeated processes, e.g. atomic layer deposition (ALD) process. For such processes, the wafers need to visit some processing modules for a number of times, which complicates the cycle time analysis. This paper studies the cycle time analysis problem for such processes. With a Petri net model, it is found that such processes contain local cycles involving only the revisiting PMs and global cycles involving both revisiting and non-revisiting PMs. The process switches between these two types of cycles such that the process never reaches a steady state. Based on this finding, the mechanism underlying such processes is revealed and analytical expressions are given for the calculation of their cycle time. Illustrative examples are presented to show the application of the proposed approach.