Semiconductor track system simulator

Abstract

Presents a simulator of track systems in semiconductor fabrication. A track system is a clustered set of equipment for photolithographic processes with complex and diverse process flows, and its layout can be changed according to the production demand. Simulation is required to evaluate the performance of proposed track systems and their control policies. We have developed a virtual 3D dynamic simulator of track systems, which consists of four modules, viz. a simulation module, a scheduling module, a performance analysis module and a graphical user interface (GUI) module. The simulation module is constructed using a commercial discrete event system simulation software package called AutoMod. The scheduling module includes dispatching rules and input release rules. Users enter track parameters and empirical data via the GUI module. Based on the simulations, users can select the best-performing scheduling rule for the targeted track systems and reconfigure the layout. Users can also easily grasp the entire situation through such virtual 3D simulations.