Operator-free exception measurement logistics for a highly automated 200mm semiconductor manufacturing environment

Putting robotic automation to work in a mid-nineties vintage 8” wafer fab is without a doubt a challenging maneuver. Therefore it is not at all surprising that any rigorous project scope puts all its momentum into getting the robots automatically moving wafers based on the existing standard workflows - in other words - executing the non exceptional everyday workflows. In the case of manufacturing exceptions, however, wafer lots are set aside for human interaction, undermining the value of robotic automation. This paper will describe how we address exception workflows at our robotic metrology clusters under the strict rules of automotive device manufacturing. We will introduce our robotic automation environment and present different metrology clusters. The basic workflow to improve robotic tool utilization and the efforts to implement it will be presented. Benefits and prospects of the selected approach will be discussed.