Method and apparatus for adjusting processing speeds based on work-in-process levels
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for adjusting tool processing speeds based on work-in-process levels. The method includes determining at least one work-in-process level associated with a first processing tool and modifying a processing speed associated with the first processing tool based on said at least one work-in-process level.
1. A method of operating a semiconductor fabrication facility, comprising:
determining at least one first work-in-process level associated with a first processing tool, said at least one first work-in-process level indicating a rate at which wafers are being provided to or processed by the first processing tool to form portions of semiconductor devices in or on the wafers; and
modifying a processing speed associated with the first processing tool based on said at least one first work-in-process level.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining said at least one first work-in-process level comprises accessing information indicative of said at least one first work-in-process level.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein accessing information indicative of said at least one first work-in-process level comprises accessing a queue associated with the first processing tool, the queue indicating one or more wafers that are waiting to be processed in the first processing tool.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining said at least one first work-in-process level associated with the first processing tool comprises determining at least one second work-in-process level associated with at least one second processing tool, sat least one second work-in-process level indicating a rate at which wafers are being to or processed by the second processing tool to form portions of semiconductor devices in or on the wafers.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein determining said at least one second work-in-process level comprises determining at least one second work-in-process level associated with at least one second processing tool in a process flow including the first processing tool.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining said at least one first work-in-process level comprises determining said at least one first work-in-process level based on an anticipated volume of wafers or wafer lots.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the processing speed associated with the first processing tool comprises modifying an operating recipe associated with the first processing tool.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein modifying the operating recipe comprises modifying at least one of a platen speed, an etching rate, an exposure time, a deposition rate, a dopant concentration, a light intensity, a process duration, and a tolerance.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the processing speed comprises determining whether said at least one first work-in-process level has increased or decreased.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein modifying the processing speed comprises increasing the processing speed in response to determining that said at least one first work-in-process level has increased.
11. The method of claim 9 , wherein modifying the processing speed comprises decreasing the processing speed in response to determining that said at least one first work-in-process level has been decreased.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein modifying the processing speed comprises modifying the processing speed based on at least one of a limit or a range associated with the processing speed.
13. The method of claim 1 , further comprising processing at least one wafer at the modified processing speed to form at least a portion of a semiconductor device in or on said at least one wafer.
14. An apparatus, comprising:
means for determining at least one first work-in-process level associated with a first processing tool said at least one first work-in-process level indicating a rate at which wafers are being provided to or processed by the first processing tool to form portions of semiconductor devices in or on the wafers; and
means for modifying a processing speed associated with the first processing tool based on said at least one first work-in-process level.
15. A semiconductor fabrication facility, comprising:
a first processing tool; and
a control unit configured to:
determine at least one first work-in-process level associated with the first processing tool said at least one first work-process level indicating a rate at which wafers are being provided to or processed by the first processing tool to form portions of semiconductor devices in or on the wafers; and
modify a processing speed associated with the first processing tool based on said at least one first work-in-process level.
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to access information indicative of said at least one first work-in-process level.
17. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising a queue associated with the first processing tool, wherein the control unit is configured to access the queue, and wherein the queue indicates one or more wafers that are waiting to be processed in the first processing tool.
18. The apparatus of claim 15 , further comprising at least one second processing tool, wherein the control unit is configured to determine at least one second work-in-process level associated with said at least one second processing tool, said at least one second work-in-process level indicating a rate at which wafers are being provided to or processed by the second processing tool to form portions of semiconductor devices in or on the wafers.
19. The apparatus of claim 18 , further comprising a processing flow that comprises the first processing tool and said at least one second processing tool.
20. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine said at least one first work-in-process level based on an anticipated volume of wafers or wafer lots.
21. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to modify an operating recipe associated with the first processing tool.
22. The apparatus of claim 21 , wherein the control unit is configured to modify at least one of a platen speed, an etching rate, an exposure time, a deposition rate, a dopant concentration, a light intensity, a process duration, and a tolerance.
23. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine whether said at least one first work-in-process level has increased or decreased.
24. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the control unit is configured to increase the processing speed in response to determining that said at least one first work-in-process level has increased.
25. The apparatus of claim 23 , wherein the control unit is configured to decrease the processing speed in response to determining that said at least one first work-in-process level has been decreased.
26. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to modify the processing speed based on at least one of a limit or a range associated with the processing speed.
27. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the control unit is configured to provide information indicative of the modified processing speed to the first processing tool.
28. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first processing tool is configured to process at least one wafer at the modified processing speed to form at least a portion of a semiconductor device in or on said at least one wafer.