Management of move requests from a factory system to an automated material handling system

• US 6,662,076 B1
• Filed: 02/10/1999
• Issued: 12/09/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.
• Inventors: Grover, Jason, Conboy, Michael R., Shirley, Russel
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hartman, Jr., Ronald D
• Application Number:
  US09/247,659
• Time in Patent Office: 1,763 Days
• Field of Search: 700/112, 700/214, 700/121, 700/213, 700/228, 700/229, 700/230, 700/218, 700/241, 414/935, 414/800, 414/940
• US Class Current: 700/214
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4189 characterised by the transport system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31274 Convey products, move equipment according to production plan in memory
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31277 Dispatching rules, shortest travel time or bidding based to reduce empty travel
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31376 MFL material flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/135 Associated with semiconductor wafer handling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/14 Wafer cassette transporting

Abstract

Management of move requests from a factory system to an automated handling system (AMHS) is provided. In one embodiment, a method and system is provided which includes receiving a move request from the factory system and selectively passing the move request to the AMHS based on a comparison of the move request with one or more conditions of the AMHS. The move request may be selectively passed to the AMHS by, for example, passing the move request to the AMHS without modification, changing a destination tool identified in the move request and/or delaying the move request, or canceling the move request. By selectively passing the move request based on conditions of the AMHS, move requests can more efficiently be managed and the throughput of the automated material handling system can be increased.

Claims

1. A method of managing move requests from a factory system to an automated material handling system (AMES), comprising:

receiving a move request, having a designated target, from the factory system; and

selectively passing the move request to the AMHS based on a comparison of the move request with one or more conditions of the AMHS, said one or more conditions of the AMHS including that the designated target does not have an excessive number of previously received move requests that are backlogged for the designated target, the excessive number defined by a threshold limit for the designated target.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively passing a move request includes passing the move request to the AMHS without modification.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively passing the move request includes modifying the move request and passing the modified move request to the AMHS.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the move request includes a destination tool and modifying the move request includes changing the destination tool identified in the move request.

5. The method of claim 4, further including storing an original move request and sending, after a period of time, the original move request to the AMHS for moving a lot identified in the original move request to the destination tool in the original move request.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein modifying the move request includes delaying the move request for a period of time and passing the modified move request includes passing the move request to the AMHS after the period of time.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively passing the move request includes canceling the move request without passing the move request to the AMHS.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the move request identifies a source tool and wherein selectively passing the move request includes storing the move request in a queue for the identified source tool.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selectively passing the move request including storing the move request in a pending queue and the method further includes reordering move requests within the pending queue in response to a change in a priority of a wafer lot identified by the move request.

10. The method of claim 1, further including associating a broker system with selected tools and bypassing the comparison with a move request to a selected tool.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the comparison includes a comparison of a tool identified in the move request against one or more conditions of the tool.

12. A method of managing move requests from a factory system to an automated material handling system (AMHS), comprising:

receiving a move request from the factory system the move request including a location; and

selectively passing the move request to the AMHS based on a comparison of the move request with one or more conditions of the AMHS, and including storing the move request in a queue for the identified location in the move request, and wherein storing the move request in the queue includes comparing a number of move requests in an active queue for a source tool against a threshold limit and storing the move request in the active queue only if the number of move requests in the active queue is equal to or less than the threshold limit.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein storing the move request in the queue includes storing the move request in a pending queue if the number of move requests in the active queue exceed the threshold limit.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein selectively passing the move request includes moving the move request from the pending queue to the active queue for the source tool when the number of move requests in the active queue falls below the threshold limit.

15. A manufacturing system for managing move requests in a factory, comprising:

an automated material handling system (AMHS) which moves material around the factory;

a factory system for generating move requests for moving material, each move request having a designated target; and

a broker system coupled to the factory system and the AMHS for receiving a move request from the factory system and selectively passing the move request to the AMHS based on a comparison of the move request with one or more conditions of the AMHS, said one or more conditions of the AMHS including that the designated target does not have an excessive number of previously received move requests that are backlogged for the designated target, the excessive number defined by a threshold limit for the designated target.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein broker system selectively passes the move request by passing the move request to the AMHS without modification.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the broker system selectively passes the move request by modifying the move request and passing the modified move request to the AMHS.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the move request includes a destination tool and the broker system modifies the move request by changing the destination tool identified in the move request.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the broker system stores an original move request and sends, after a period of time, the original move request to the AMHS for moving a lot identified in the original move request to the destination tool in the original move request.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the broker system modifies the move request by delaying the move request for a period of time and passing the modified move request includes passing the move request to the AMHS after the period of time.

21. The system of claim 15, wherein the broker system selectively passes the move request by canceling the move request without passing the move request to the AMHS.

22. The system of claim 15, wherein the move request includes a destination tool and wherein the broker system selectively passes the move request by storing the move request in a queue for the destination tool in the move request.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the broker system stores the move request in a pending queue if the number of move requests in the active queue exceed the threshold limit.

24. The system of claim 15, wherein the broker system includes a pending queue and selectively passing the move request includes storing the move request in a pending queue, wherein the broker reorders move requests within the pending queue in response to a change in a priority of a wafer lot identified by the move request.

25. The system of claim 15, wherein the move request includes a source tool and wherein the AMHS includes a plurality of tools including one or more particular tools not associated with the broker system, wherein if the source tool is one of the particular tools the move request bypasses the broker system.

26. The system of claim 15, wherein the comparison includes a comparison of a tool identified in the move request against one or more conditions of the tool.

27. A system for managing move requests in a factory, comprising:

an automated material handling system (AMHS) which moves material around the factory;

a factory system for generating move requests for moving material; and

a broker system coupled to the factory system and the AMHS for receiving a move request from the factory system and selectively passing the move request to the AMHS based a comparison of the move request with one or more conditions of the AMHS, wherein the move request includes a location and wherein the broker system selectively passes the move request by storing the move request in a queue for the identified location in the move request, wherein the broker system compares the number of move requests in an active queue for the location against a threshold limit and stores the move request in the active queue only if the number of move requests in the active queue are equal to or less than the threshold limit, and wherein the broker system compares a number of move requests in an active queue for a destination tool against a threshold limit and stores the move request in the active queue only if the number of move requests in the active queue is equal to or less than the threshold limit.

28. A system for managing move requests in a factory, comprising:

an automated material handling system (AMHS) which moves material around the factory;

a factory system for generating move requests for moving material; and

a broker system coupled to the factory system and the AMHS for receiving a move request from the factory system and selectively passing the move request to the AMHS based a comparison of the move request with one or more conditions of the AMHS, wherein the move request includes a location and wherein the broker system selectively passes the move request by storing the move request in a queue for the identified location in the move request, wherein the broker system compares the number of move requests in an active queue for the location against a threshold limit and stores the move request in the active queue only if the number of move requests in the active queue are equal to or less than the threshold limit, and wherein the broker system moves the move request from a pending queue to the active queue for a tool when the number of move requests in the active queue falls below the threshold limit.

29. A manufacturing system for managing move requests in a factory, comprising:

means for moving material around the factory;

means for generating move requests for moving material, each move request having a designated target; and

means coupled to the moving means and the generating means, for receiving a move request from the generating means and selectively passing the move request to the moving means based on a comparison of the move request with one or more conditions of the moving means, said one or more conditions including that the designated target does not have an excessive number of previously received move requests that are backlogged for the designated target, the excessive number defined by a threshold limit for the designated target.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the move request includes a destination tool and wherein receiving and passing means selectively passes the move request by storing the move request in a queue for the destination tool in the move request.

31. A manufacturing system for managing move requests in a factory, comprising:

means for moving material around the factory;

means for generating move requests for moving material; and

means coupled to the moving means and the generating means, for receiving a move request from the generating means and selectively passing the move request to the moving means based on a comparison of the move request with one or more conditions of the moving means, wherein the move request includes a destination tool, and wherein the receiving and passing means

selectively passes the move request by storing the move request in a queue for the destination tool in the move request, and

compares the number of move requests in an active queue for the destination tool against a threshold limit and stores the move request in the active queue only if a number of move requests in the active queue is equal to or less than the threshold limit.

32. A manufacturing system for managing move requests in a factory, comprising:

means for moving material around the factory;

means for generating move requests for moving material; and

means coupled to the moving means and the generating means, for receiving a move request from the generating means and selectively passing the move request to the moving means based on a comparison of the move request with one or more conditions of the moving means, wherein the move request includes a destination tool, and wherein the receiving and passing means

selectively passes the move request by storing the move request in a queue for the destination tool in the move request, and

stores the move request in a pending queue if a number of move requests in the active queue exceeds the threshold limit.

33. A manufacturing system for managing move requests in a factory, comprising:

means for moving material around the factory;

means for generating move requests for moving material; and

means coupled to the moving means and the generating means, for receiving a move request from the generating means and selectively passing the move request to the moving means based on a comparison of the move request with one or more conditions of the moving means, wherein the move request includes a destination tool, and wherein the receiving and passing means

selectively passes the move request by storing the move request in a queue for the destination tool in the move request, and

moves the move request from the pending queue to the active queue for the tool when a number of move requests in the active queue falls below the threshold limit.

34. A method of managing move requests from a factory system to an automated material handling system (AMHS), comprising:

receiving a move request from the factory system, the received move request including a designated target;

providing a queue for the designated target, the queue including a number of stored move requests;

comparing the number of stored move requests in the queue to a threshold limit;

storing the received move request in the queue only if the number of move requests in the queue does not exceed the threshold limit; and

using the queue, selectively passing the stored move requests to the AMHS.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the designated target is a particular location.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the designated target is a particular tool.