An integrated application framework for a cluster tool controller for semiconductor manufacturing

A cluster tool integrates several processing modules with a wafer handling module. Cluster tools are essential for semiconductor manufacturing automation. A CTC (cluster tool controller) is a complex distributed control application that monitors and coordinates the component modules and is also monitored and commanded by the MES (Manufacturing Execution System). Recently, SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) released two important CIM standards, CTMC (Cluster Tool Module Communication) and OBEM (Object-Based Equipment Model). CTMC defines high-level messaging and application-level communication service standards between a CTC and the module controllers, which are based on an object-oriented model of the CTC communication functions. OBEM specifies high-level application object models for equipment with which the objects of an MES application based CIM Framework Standard, a SEMI standard for an object-oriented MES application framework, communicate through distributed object invocation. We discuss issues and strategies for integrating the two object-oriented communication interface standards, CTMC and OBEM, into an object-oriented CTC application framework.