Abstract: By defining a section-related WIP limit or a throughput-related WIP limit, an efficient “look ahead” characteristic may be established to efficiently control the WIP in a complex manufacturing environment, such as a semiconductor facility. The respective critical WIP values may enable efficient reduction of priority of products moving towards an increased WIP queue, thereby reducing or substantially avoiding the release of products that are expected to run into the WIP queue. In this way, the efficiency of shared tools may be increased, since process capacity no longer required for the processing products running into WIP queues may be allocated for other operations.

Abstract: An automated throughput control system and method is provided. By gathering tool specific information of a plurality of process tools on entity level, appropriate throughput related performance characteristics may be calculated with high statistical significance during moderately short time intervals. Moreover, the performance characteristics obtained from tool information may be compared to reference data, for instance provided by dynamic simulation calculations, to identify high, as well as low, performing equipment on the basis of standard process control mechanisms.

Abstract: An automated throughput control system and method is provided. By gathering tool specific information of a plurality of process tools on entity level, appropriate throughput related performance characteristics may be calculated with high statistical significance during moderately short time intervals. Moreover, the performance characteristics obtained from tool information may be compared to reference data, for instance provided by dynamic simulation calculations, to identify high, as well as low, performing equipment on the basis of standard process control mechanisms.

Abstract: By defining a section-related WIP limit or a throughput-related WIP limit, an efficient “look ahead” characteristic may be established to efficiently control the WIP in a complex manufacturing environment, such as a semiconductor facility. The respective critical WIP values may enable efficient reduction of priority of products moving towards an increased WIP queue, thereby reducing or substantially avoiding the release of products that are expected to run into the WIP queue. In this way, the efficiency of shared tools may be increased, since process capacity no longer required for the processing products running into WIP queues may be allocated for other operations.

Abstract: By estimating the processing rate on the basis of capacity factors, which are classified with respect to process recipes, i.e., technology nodes, and process tool groups, a fast response to various conditions may be accomplished, thereby providing significantly enhanced flexibility in estimating the productivity and rentability of a manufacturing environment.

Abstract: By orienting substrates in a substantially vertical manner during the transport of substrates in automatic wafer transport systems of complex manufacturing environments for processing microstructure devices, a significant reduction of floor space consumption in the respective clean room environment may be achieved. In particular, for large diameter substrates, a significant reduction of the lateral dimensions of the corresponding transport system may be obtained, while an even further enhancement in this respect may be obtained for process strategies using standard lots of reduced size.

Abstract: By estimating the processing rate on the basis of capacity factors, which are classified with respect to process recipes, i.e., technology nodes, and process tool groups, a fast response to various conditions may be accomplished, thereby providing significantly enhanced flexibility in estimating the productivity and rentability of a manufacturing environment.

Abstract: An automated throughput control system and method is provided. By gathering tool specific information of a plurality of process tools on entity level, appropriate throughput related performance characteristics may be calculated with high statistical significance during moderately short time intervals. Moreover, the performance characteristics obtained from tool information may be compared to reference data, for instance provided by dynamic simulation calculations, to identify high, as well as low, performing equipment on the basis of standard process control mechanisms.