具有清洗工艺的单臂组合设备终止暂态调度

随着多品种小批量生产模式的普及,导致了组合设备频繁的暂态加工过程.为了提高组合设备的生产柔性,同时考虑晶圆驻留时间约束和腔室清洗时间约束,研究了单臂组合设备的终止暂态调度问题.首先,提出了 1-周期清洗工艺的暂态调度规则,并采用了面向资源的Petri网对单臂组合设备的终止暂态过程进行建模,引入避免死锁的变迁触发规则;其次,根据系统的终止暂态时间特性并考虑不同的调度情形,建立了终止暂态调度的线性规划模型;最后,通过实例验证了该方法的可行性.实验结果表明,与运用改进拉式策略的虚拟晶圆方案相比,该调度方案可有效地减少组合设备终止暂态的完工时间,并满足晶圆制造的工艺要求.     

具有多品种晶圆混合加工的单臂组合设备调度

为了提高晶圆制造中组合设备的生产效率,在考虑晶圆驻留时间约束条件下,研究没有共享加工模块的多品种晶圆混合加工的单臂组合设备调度问题.首先,采用面向资源的Petri网模型描述多种晶圆产品的混合加工过程,引入控制变迁避免模型的死锁,采用赋时库所和赋时变迁模拟系统资源的活动时间.其次,通过虚拟加工的方法平衡工序的负载,基于系统Petri网模型和拉式调度策略,推导出单臂组合设备在多品种晶圆混合加工情形下的可调度性判定条件,并以解析形式描述.最后,提出了系统稳态调度求解算法并以实例验证了算法的有效性和可行性.     

Scheduling cluster tools in wafer fabrication using candidate list and simulated annealing

This paper presents a new method for scheduling cluster tools in semiconductor fabrication. A cluster tool consists of a group of single-wafer chambers organized around a wafer transport device, or robot. Cluster fabrication system considered in this paper consists of serial cluster tools. Due to constraints imposed by multiple routes of each wafer type and machines with no buffer, it is difficult to find an optimal or near-optimal schedule. In order to determine the sequence of the operations to be released and the assignment of the machine to each operation, the proposed method uses a job requirement table with random keys as a solution representation. Simulated annealing seeks the optimal or near-optimal sequence and machine assignment of the operations. In this paper, the scheduling objective is to find a schedule with minimum makespan. A Gantt chart is obtained as the final schedule. To handle the constraints, the proposed method uses a candidate list. To determine which operation can be scheduled in considering the constraints, a negotiation procedure between the operations in the candidate list and a current state of the system is introduced. To show the effectiveness of the proposed method, scheduling example of a real cluster fabrication system is presented. Scheduling results are compared with those obtained by using several dispatching rules. From the experimental results, it is shown that the proposed method is promising.     

晶圆重入加工的组合设备终止暂态的调度与分析

晶圆重入是半导体组合设备加工中典型的复杂加工工艺,分析和优化暂态加工过程对于晶圆重入加工具有重要意义.为了满足加工需求和提高组合设备的加工性能,基于稳态重入加工的双臂组合设备Petri网模型和1-晶圆周期调度策略,采用虚拟晶圆的加工模式分析了系统的终止暂态过程,讨论了系统终止暂态的加工时间分布,并给出相应的解析式进行描述.利用eM-Plant仿真平台建立了重入加工的双臂组合设备终止暂态的仿真模型,并用例子验证了1-晶圆周期调度的可行性及解析式的有效性,为研究晶圆重入加工过程的优化提供了有效方法和手段.     

Cycle time analysis for wafer revisiting process in scheduling of single-arm cluster tools

Some wafer fabrication processes performed by cluster tools require revisiting. With wafer revisiting, a cluster tool is very difficult to be scheduled due to a large number of possible schedules for the revisiting process. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is a typical process with wafer revisiting that should be performed by cluster tools. This paper discusses the scheduling problem of single-arm cluster tools for the ALD process. In scheduling such a system, the most difficult part is to schedule the revisit...     

腔室清洗的单臂组合设备初始暂态调度

为了提升腔室洁净度,晶圆厂需对组合设备腔室进行清洗操作,从而提高晶圆的加工质量.考虑腔室清洗时间和晶圆驻留时间的约束条件下,本文研究了单臂组合设备的初始暂态调度问题.首先,提出了机械手的初始暂态活动规则,并对机械手活动序列进行描述,实现了系统的初始暂态可调度性;其次,对机械手在初始暂态和稳态的活动时间进行了建模;然后,根据系统的时间特性,建立了初始暂态调度的线性规划模型;最后,通过实例验证了该方法的有效性.与已有的虚拟晶圆方法相比,该调度方法能有效减少初始暂态的完工时间,提高了组合设备的晶圆生产效率.     

基于Petri网的组合设备建模与调度综述

组合设备是半导体晶圆制造的核心装备, 其调度与控制优化是半导体制造领域极具挑战性的课题. Petri网因其强大的建模能力和简约的图形化表达优势, 被广泛地应用于组合设备的建模与调度. 对基于Petri网的组合设备建模与调度方法进行综述, 归纳总结了组合设备的结构类型、晶圆流模式、调度策略及Petri网建模方法, 并系统阐述组合设备的7类典型调度问题, 包括驻留时间约束、作业时间波动、晶圆重入加工、多品种晶圆加工、加工模块(Process module, PM)故障、PM清洗和组合设备群. 最后, 讨论了当前组合设备调度存在的挑战及后续可能的研究方向.     

应用离散事件系统控制理论求解生产调度的新方法

众所周知, 生产调度问题属组合优化问题, 一般来说不存在求得精确最优解的多项式算法. 因此, 对于大规 模调度问题, 人们应用启发式算法和元启发式算法以企求得满意解. 在实际的应用中, 许多工业过程需要满足严格 的工艺约束. 对于这类过程的调度问题, 很难应用启发式算法和元启发式算法, 因为这些方法难于保证所求得调度 的可行性. 为了解决这一问题, 本文以半导体芯片制造中组合设备的调度问题作为例子, 介绍了一种基于离散事件 系统控制理论的生产调度新方法. 利用Petri网建模, 任何违反约束的状态均被描述为非法状态, 而使非法状态出现 的调度则是不可行调度. 通过可行调度的存在性分析, 该方法获得可行解空间并将调度问题转化为连续优化问题, 从而可以有效求解. 并且指出, 该方法可以应用于其他应用领域.     

基于eM-Plant的虚拟晶圆制造自动组合装置

针对难以用解析法验证半导体加工装置的调度可行性问题,提出仿真建模研究的新方法。利用仿真软件eM-Plant建立晶圆制造中单臂自动组合装置的参数化仿真模型,构建一个虚拟的晶圆制造系统。该系统为研究自动组合装置控制问题提供有效手段,是验证半导体制造生产调度可行性的仿真平台。     

Post-Processing Time-Aware Optimal Scheduling of Single Robotic Cluster Tools

Integrated circuit chips are produced on silicon wafers. Robotic cluster tools are widely used since they provide a reconfigurable and efficient environment for most wafer fabrication processes. Recent advances in new semiconductor materials bring about new functionality for integrated circuits. After a wafer is processed in a processing chamber, the wafer should be removed from there as fast as possible to guarantee its high-quality integrated circuits. Meanwhile, maximization of the throughput of robotic cluster tools is desired. This work aims to perform post-processing time-aware scheduling for such tools subject to wafer residency time constraints. To do so, closed-form expression algorithms are derived to compute robot waiting time accurately upon the analysis of particular events of robot waiting for single-arm cluster tools. Examples are given to show the application and effectiveness of the proposed algorithms.      

稳态调度下单臂组合设备时间延迟分析与优化

在半导体晶圆制造过程中,驻留时间延迟过长对晶圆质量具有消极影响.本文研究单臂组合设备稳态调度中如何合理地分配机械手等待时间,抵消驻留时间延迟的问题.首先,采用Petri网模型描述晶圆制造过程,分析了单臂组合设备稳态调度的时间特性,获得了稳态下工序驻留时间延迟计算表达式.其次,通过解构机械手等待时间对驻留时间延迟的影响机理,提出了一种机械手等待时间分配优先级规则.进一步,将虚拟瓶颈工序用于辅助分配机械手等待时间,结合优先级规则,提出了一种单臂组合设备稳态调度启发式算法.最后,通过例子验证了算法的可行性与有效性.与传统拉式策略和尽早加工策略对比,该算法能有效地减少单臂组合设备稳态调度下的驻留时间延迟并能满足晶圆制造的严格要求.     

Intelligent scheduling approaches for a wafer fabrication factory

The production system of a wafer fabrication factory is a very complicated process. Job scheduling in a wafer fabrication factory is a very difficult task. To solve this problem, two intelligent scheduling rules are proposed in this study. The intelligent scheduling rules are modified from the well-known fluctuation smoothing rules with some innovative treatments. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed methodology, production simulation was also applied in this study. According to experimental results, the proposed methodology outperformed some existing approaches by reducing the average cycle time and cycle time standard deviation, the most important objectives of job scheduling in a wafer fabrication factory.     

Scheduling Dual-Arm Multi-Cluster Tools With Regulation of Post-Processing Time

As wafer circuit width shrinks down to less than ten nanometers in recent years, stringent quality control in the wafer manufacturing process is increasingly important. Thanks to the coupling of neighboring cluster tools and coordination of multiple robots in a multi-cluster tool, wafer production scheduling becomes rather complicated. After a wafer is processed, due to high-temperature chemical reactions in a chamber, the robot should be controlled to take it out of the processing chamber at the right time. In order to ensure the uniformity of integrated circuits on wafers, it is highly desirable to make the differences in wafer post-processing time among the individual tools in a multi-cluster tool as small as possible. To achieve this goal, for the first time, this work aims to find an optimal schedule for a dual-arm multi-cluster tool to regulate the wafer post-processing time. To do so, we propose polynomial-time algorithms to find an optimal schedule, which can achieve the highest throughput, and minimize the total post-processing time of the processing steps. We propose a linear program model and another algorithm to balance the differences in the post-processing time between any pair of adjacent cluster tools. Two industrial examples are given to illustrate the application and effectiveness of the proposed method.

     

基于圆片级阳极键合封装的高g_n值压阻式微加速度计

设计了一种适合于高gn值压阻式微加速度计圆片级封装的结构,解决了芯片制造工艺过程中电极通道建立、焊盘保护、精确划片等关键技术。采用玻璃—硅—玻璃三层阳极键合的方式进行圆片级封装,较好地解决了芯片密封性、小型化和批量化等生产难题。在4 in生产线上制作的高gn值压阻式微加速度计样品,尺寸仅为1 mm×1 mm×0.8 mm;对传感器进行的校准与抗冲击性能测试,结果表明:样品具备105gn的抗冲击能力、0.15μV/gn/V的灵敏度以及200 kHz的谐振频率。     

Scheduling a Single-Arm Multi-Cluster Tool With a Condition-Based Cleaning Operation

As wafer circuit widths shrink less than 10 nm, stringent quality control is imposed on the wafer fabrication processes. Therefore, wafer residency time constraints and chamber cleaning operations are widely required in chemical vapor deposition, coating processes, etc. They increase scheduling complexity in cluster tools. In this paper, we focus on scheduling single-arm multi-cluster tools with chamber cleaning operations subject to wafer residency time constraints. When a chamber is being cleaned, it can be viewed as processing a virtual wafer. In this way, chamber cleaning operations can be performed while wafer residency time constraints for real wafers are not violated. Based on such a method, we present the necessary and sufficient conditions to analytically check whether a single-arm multi-cluster tool can be scheduled with a chamber cleaning operation and wafer residency time constraints. An algorithm is proposed to adjust the cycle time for a cleaning operation that lasts a long cleaning time. Meanwhile, algorithms for a feasible schedule are also derived. And an algorithm is presented for operating a multi-cluster tool back to a steady state after the cleaning. Illustrative examples are given to show the application and effectiveness of the proposed method.

     

Wafer-level bonding and direct electrical interconnection of stacked 3D MEMS by a hybrid low temperature process

The presented fabrication technology enables the direct integration of electrical interconnects during low temperature wafer bonding of stacked 3D MEMS and wafer-level packaging. The low temperature fabrication process is based on hydrophilic direct bonding of plasma activated Si/SiO₂ surfaces and the simultaneous interconnection of two metallization layers by eutectic bonding of ultra-thin AuSn connects. This hybrid wafer-level bonding and interconnection technology allows for the integration of metal interconnects and multiple materials in stacked MEMS devices. The process flow is successfully validated by fabricating test structures made out of a two wafer stack and featuring multiple ohmic electrical interconnects.     

基于蚁群算法的半导体生产线调度方法研究

为了解决具有可重入特性的半导体生产线调度问题,提出基于蚁群算法的半导体生产线调度模型（ASWFSM）。在模型中,利用图论的方法把调度方案的寻优过程转换为蚂蚁对有向图的搜索,并且,引入专家系统作为推理机避免了寻优过程中对可行节点判断的复杂性。仿真试验证明,此模型具有良好的调度效果和稳定性。     

A combined dispatching criteria approach to scheduling semiconductor manufacturing systems

The scheduling problem of semiconductor manufacturing systems has multiple responses of interest. The objective is to simultaneously optimize these different responses or to find the best-compromised solution. Most previous research in the area of semiconductor manufacturing systems has focused on optimizing a single performance measure. Dabbas and Fowler proposed a modified dispatching approach that combines multiple dispatching criteria into a single rule with the objective of simultaneously optimizing multiple objectives. In this paper, we validate their proposed approach using two different fab models at different levels of complexity: a hypothetical six stage-five machines Mini-Fab model and a full scale wafer fab model adapted from an actual Motorola wafer fab. We also discuss the actual implementation of the proposed dispatching algorithm into a scheduler for daily operation at a Motorola wafer fabrication facility. Results show an average 20% improvement for all responses when using the proposed dispatching approach.     

Optimal Integrated Schedule of Entire Process of Dual-blade Multi-cluster Tools From Start-up to Close-down

Multi-cluster tools are widely used in majority of wafer fabrication processes in semiconductor industry. Smaller lot production, thinner circuit width in wafers, larger wafer size, and maintenance have resulted in a large quantity of their start-up and close-down transient periods. Yet, most of existing efforts have been concentrated on scheduling their steady states. Different from such efforts, this work schedules their transient and steady-state periods subject to wafer residency constraints. It gives the schedulability conditions for the steady-state scheduling of dual-blade robotic multi-cluster tools and a corresponding algorithm for finding an optimal schedule. Based on the robot synchronization conditions, a linear program is proposed to figure out an optimal schedule for a start-up period, which ensures a tool to enter the desired optimal steady state. Another linear program is proposed to find an optimal schedule for a close-down period that evolves from the steady state period. Finally, industrial cases are presented to illustrate how the provided method outperforms the existing approach in terms of system throughput improvement.      

Decomposition-based classified ant colony optimization algorithm for scheduling semiconductor wafer fabrication system

Due to its typical features, such as large-scale, multiple re-entrant flows, and hybrid machine types, the semiconductor wafer fabrication system (SWFS) is extremely difficult to schedule. In order to cope with this difficulty, the decomposition-based classified ant colony optimization (D-CACO) method is proposed and analyzed in this paper. The D-CACO method comprises decomposition procedure and classified ant colony optimization algorithm. In the decomposition procedure, a large and complicate scheduling problem is decomposed into several subproblems and these subproblems are scheduled in sequence. The classified ACO algorithm then groups all of the operations of the subproblems and schedules them according to machine type. To test the effect of the method, a set of simulations are conducted on a virtual fab simulation platform. The test results show that the proposed D-CACO algorithm works efficiently in scheduling SWFS.