Job configuration for semiconductor manufacturing
First Claim
1. A method of manufacturing a demanded quantity of chip sets at a desired serviceability level, each of the chip sets comprising a demanded quantity of chips of each of a plurality of chip types, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) constructing an initial optimization program having;
(i) decision variable values,(ii) an objective of minimizing a quantity of wafers used, and(iii) an initial constraint of producing the demanded quantity of chip sets at the desired serviceability level;
(b) replacing said initial constraint with a lower bound so as to generate a reformulated optimization program, said lower bound being a constraint that is equal to a product of chip type probabilities, each of said chip type probabilities being equal to a probability that a quantity of chips of one of said chip types will be successfully manufactured when jobs are released into a semiconductor manufacturing line according to said decision variable values, each of said chip type probabilities being not less than respective chip demands associated with respective chip types;
(c) determining said decision variable values by solving said reformulated optimization program; and
(d) utilizing said solution of said reformulated optimization program to control a semiconductor manufacturing line by releasing jobs into said semiconductor manufacturing line as indicated by said decision variable values.
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Abstract
An apparatus and method for configuring semiconductor jobs to achieve a desired level of set serviceability, in either probability or expectation, using a minimal number of wafers. The configuration problem is formulated as a mathematical optimization, where the serviceability level and yield losses, at chip, wafer and job levels, are explicitly considered. The problem is then reformulated by replacing the mathematically intractable service level constraints with tractable lower bounds. The reformulated mathematical optimization is efficiently solved using marginal allocation, giving good, feasible solutions to the original configuration program.
21 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of manufacturing a demanded quantity of chip sets at a desired serviceability level, each of the chip sets comprising a demanded quantity of chips of each of a plurality of chip types, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) constructing an initial optimization program having; (i) decision variable values, (ii) an objective of minimizing a quantity of wafers used, and (iii) an initial constraint of producing the demanded quantity of chip sets at the desired serviceability level; (b) replacing said initial constraint with a lower bound so as to generate a reformulated optimization program, said lower bound being a constraint that is equal to a product of chip type probabilities, each of said chip type probabilities being equal to a probability that a quantity of chips of one of said chip types will be successfully manufactured when jobs are released into a semiconductor manufacturing line according to said decision variable values, each of said chip type probabilities being not less than respective chip demands associated with respective chip types; (c) determining said decision variable values by solving said reformulated optimization program; and (d) utilizing said solution of said reformulated optimization program to control a semiconductor manufacturing line by releasing jobs into said semiconductor manufacturing line as indicated by said decision variable values. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An apparatus for manufacturing a demanded quantity of chip sets at a desired serviceability level, each of the chip sets comprising a demanded quantity of chips of each of a plurality of chip types, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) means for constructing an initial optimization program having; (i) decision variable values, (ii) an objective of minimizing a quantity of wafers used, and (iii) an initial constraint of producing the demanded quantity of chip sets at the desired serviceability level; (b) means for replacing said initial constraint with a lower bound so as to generate a reformulated optimization program, said lower bound being a constraint that is equal to a product of chip type probabilities, each of said chip type probabilities being equal to a probability that a quantity of chips of one of said chip types will be successfully manufactured when jobs are released into a semiconductor manufacturing line according to said decision variable values, each of said chip type probabilities being not less than respective chip demands associated with respective chip types; (c) means for determining said decision variable values by solving said reformulated optimization program; and (d) means for utilizing said solution of said reformulated optimization program to control a semiconductor manufacturing line by releasing jobs into said semiconductor manufacturing line as indicated by said decision variable values. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method of manufacturing a demanded quantity of chip sets at a desired serviceability level, each of the chip sets comprising a demanded quantity of chips of each of a plurality of chip types, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) constructing an initial optimization program that operates in accordance input parameters, including wafer yield data and job yield data, said initial optimization program defining; (i) decision variable values, (ii) an objective of minimizing a quantity of wafers used, (iii) a wafer loss model for modeling yield loss using said wafer yield data (iv) a job loss model for modeling yield loss using said job yield data, and (v) a procedure of using said wafer loss model and said job loss model to satisfy an initial constraint of producing the demanded quantity of chip sets at the desired serviceability level; (b) replacing said initial constraint with a lower bound so as to generate a reformulated optimization program; (c) determining said decision variable values by solving said reformulated optimization program; and (d) using said solution of said reformulated optimization program to control a semiconductor manufacturing line by releasing jobs into said semiconductor manufacturing line as indicated by said decision variable values.
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28. An apparatus for manufacturing a demanded quantity of chip sets at a desired serviceability level, each of the chip sets comprising a demanded quantity of chips of each of a plurality of chip types, the apparatus comprising:
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(a) means for constructing an initial optimization program that operates in accordance with input parameters, including wafer yield data and job yield data, said initial optimization program defining; (i) decision variable values, (ii) an objective of minimizing a quantity of wafers used, (iii) a wafer loss model for modeling yield loss using said wafer yield data (iv) a job loss model for modeling yield loss using said job yield data, and (v) (iv) a procedure of using said wafer loss model and said job loss model to satisfy an initial constraint of producing the demanded quantity of chip sets at the desired serviceability level; (b) means for replacing said initial constraint with a lower bound so as to generate a reformulated optimization program; (c) means for determining said decision variable values by solving said reformulated optimization program; and (d) means for using said solution of said reformulated optimization program to control a semiconductor manufacturing line by releasing jobs into said semiconductor manufacturing line as indicated by said decision variable values.
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Specification