Development and Simulation Assessment of Semiconductor Production System Enhancements for Fast Cycle Times

Long cycle times in semiconductor manufacturing represent an increasing challenge for the industry and lead to a growing need of break-through approaches to reduce it. Small lot sizes and the conversion of batch processes to mini-batch or single-wafer processes are widely regarded as a promising means for a step-wise cycle time reduction. Our analysis with discrete-event simulation and queueing theory shows that small lot size and the replacement of batch tools with mini-batch or single wafer tools are beneficial but lot size reduction lacks persuasive effectiveness if reduced by more than half. Because the results are not completely convincing, we develop a new semiconductor tool type that further reduces cycle time by lot streaming leveraging the lot size reduction efforts. We show that this combined approach can lead to a cycle time reduction of more than 80%

Cycle Time Analysis For Photolithography Tools In Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry With Simulation Model : A Case Study [TR940. S618 2008 f rb].

Perkembangan industri semikonduktor dalam bidang fabrikasi biasanya melibatkan kos pelaburan yang tinggi terutamanya dalam alatan photolithography. The industry of semiconductor wafer fabrication (“fab”) has invested a huge amount of capital on the manufacturing equipments particular in photolithograph

A Distributed-Ledger, Edge-Computing Architecture for Automation and Computer Integration in Semiconductor Manufacturing

Contemporary 300mm semiconductor manufacturing systems have highly automated and digitalized cyber-physical integration. They suffer from the profound problems of integrating large, centralized legacy systems with small islands of automation. With the recent advances in disruptive technologies, semiconductor manufacturing has faced dramatic pressures to reengineer its automation and computer integrated systems. This paper proposes a Distributed- Ledger, Edge-Computing Architecture (DLECA) for automation and computer integration in semiconductor manufacturing. Based on distributed ledger and edge computing technologies, DLECA establishes a decentralized software framework where manufacturing data are stored in distributed ledgers and processed locally by executing smart contracts at the edge nodes. We adopt an important topic of automation and computer integration for semiconductor research & development (R&D) operations as the study vehicle to illustrate the operational structure and functionality, applications, and feasibility of the proposed DLECA software framewor

Cycle Time Analysis For Photolithography Tools In Semiconductor Manufacturing Industry With Simulation Model: A Case Study

Perkembangan industri semikonduktor dalam bidang fabrikasi biasanya melibatkan kos pelaburan yang tinggi terutamanya dalam alatan photolithography. Perkembangan pesat dalam bidang industri semikonduktor kini telah memerangsangkan teknik untuk mengoptimumkan penggunaan mesin-mesin dengan efektif setelah membelanjakan beribu juta dalam perlaburan. Tanpa penggunaan perisian komputer yang canggih dalam analisis, adalah sukar untuk menggunakan teknik purba dalam analisis pengiraan apabila menghadapi perkembangan produk yang semakin tinggi teknologinya. Dalam kajian ini, satu model simulasi telah dibina untuk menganalisis masa mendulu dalam alatan photolithography melalui teknik yang lebih sistematik dan efektif. Model simulasi ini telah dibina berasaskan perisian computer yang memerlukan informasi yang teliti seperti mas a memproses dan juga aliran proses dalam alatan photolithography. The industry of semiconductor wafer fabrication ("fab") has invested a huge amount of capital on the manufacturing equipments particular in photolithography area which has driven the needs to re-look at the most profitable way of utilizing and operating them efficiently. Traditional industrial engineering analysis techniques through mathematical models or static models for the studies of photolithography process are simply not adequate to analyze these complex environments. In this research, a more realistic representation of photolithography tools that can give a better prediction results and a more systematic methodology for minimizing photolithography cycle time is presented. The proposed method is to reduce waiting time and increase utilization of the photolithography process, which would result in an overall equipment cycle time reduction

A Simulation Study of Automated Material Handling Systems in Semiconductor Fabs

A critical aspect of semiconductor manufacturing is the design and analysis of material handling and production control polices to optimize fab performance. As wafer sizes have increased, semiconductor fabs have moved toward the use of automated material handling systems (AMHS). However, the behavior of AMHS and the effects of AMHS on fab productivity are not well understood. The first aspect of the research involves the development of a design and analysis methodology for evaluating the throughput capacity of AMHS. A set of simulation experiments is used to evaluate the throughput capacity of an AMHS and the effects on fab performance measures. This research utilizes two simulations of SEMATECH fab data of actual production fabs. The AMHS vehicle utilization point at which fab performance is degraded is studied. Results show a large increase in lot cycle time at a vehicle utilization of 75%, far below the maximum 100% utilization. These results stress the importance of using a performance indicator that takes into account the performance of the entire fab and not only the AMHS. The second aspect of this research involves the study of AMHS and tool dispatching rules. The hypothesis of this study is that fab performance is affected by both the choice of AMHS and tool dispatching rules as well as their interaction. A full factorial design experiment is conducted to test this hypothesis. Results show that for each fab tested the vehicle rules, machine rules, and their interactions are significant using an ANOVA test on average lot cycle time and other fab performance measures. Additional analyses are conducted to identify robust combinations of AMHS and tool dispatching rules among those tested. The overall results of this study indicate that AMHS and tool dispatching rules effect fab performance and must be considered together when trying to optimize fab performance

Simulation analysis of the connecting transport AMHS in a wafer fab

[[abstract]]This paper analyzes the performance of the connecting transport automated material handling system (AMHS) in a wafer fab. Discrete-event simulation models are developed in e-M Plant to study connecting transport in a simplified 300 mm wafer fab. A two-phase experimental approach evaluates the connecting transport. In phase I, the simulation results show that the connecting transport method has a significant effect on average travel time, throughput, and vehicle utilization. The relationship between vehicle quantity and the material flow rate is investigated in a simulation model for three connecting transport methods. The performance measures of these two factors can be predicted with a response surface method. However, none of the connecting transport methods outperforms the others in the different operating scenarios. In phase II, the connecting transport method is a mixture of the three existing methods. Thus, the optimum combination of these methods can be obtained with a mixture of experiment.[[fileno]]2020403010008[[department]]工工

Proceedings of the First ERDA Semiannual Solar Photovoltaic Conversion Program Conference

Organization, basic research and applied technology for the Solar Photovoltaic Conversion Program are outlined. The program aims to provide a technology base for low cost thin film solar cells and solar arrays

Solar power satellite system definition study. Part 2, volume 4: Microwave power transmission systems

A slotted waveguide planar array was established as the baseline design for the spaceborne transmitter antenna. Key aspects of efficient energy conversion at both ends of the power transfer link were analyzed and optimized alternate approaches in the areas of antenna and tube design are discussed. An integrated design concept was developed which meets design requirements, observes structural and thermal constraints, exhibits good performance and was developed in adequate depth to permit cost estimating at the subsystem/component level

Renewal of a linear electrical network simulator into Ada

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Engineering, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment Of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Engineering. Johannesburg, 1993Renewal is the extraction of the intellectual content (algorithms, data structures) from an existing program, and then puilding a new more maiatainable program using more modem progra1Tlming methods and languages. A survey of software structure on maintenance. highlighted the different hierarchies produced by functional and object-oriented design methods. Elecsim, a linear circuit sL~ulator written in Pascal, was chosen as the existing program to be renewed, The new version follows the approach of decoupling the user interface and introducing an explicit scheduler. The object-oriented design technique is used extensively. Other issues addressed include online-help and. documentation for the program. Conclusions are drawn which are generally applicable from the specificlessons learnt from the Elecsim/Elector case study.MT201