Method and system for smart vehicle route selection

• US 7,356,378 B1
• Filed: 04/03/2007
• Issued: 04/08/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/03/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Huang, Chih-Wei, Yu, Ren-Chyi, Yu, Chuh-Yuan, Chen, Hui-Yi
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard; Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lee; Douglas S
• Application Number:
  US11/695,988
• Time in Patent Office: 371 Days
• Field of Search: 700/100, 700/112, 700/213, 700/223, 700/228, 701/201, 701/202, 701/209, 438/14
• US Class Current: 700/112
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41895 using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31002 Computer controlled agv conveys workpieces between buffer and cell
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31276 Transport a lot to stations, each with different types of manufacturing equipment
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45031 Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/047 Optimisation of routes or paths, e.g. travelling salesman problem
• 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: Y02P 90/60 Electric or hybrid propulsion means for production processes

Abstract

In one aspect a factory automation system for a wafer fab is provided. The factory automation system comprises: a manufacturing execution system (“MES”) for providing lot information; a material control system (“MCS”) for providing dynamic traffic information; an automated material handling system (“AMHS”) for providing static route information; and a real-time dispatching (“RTD”) system to select a destination and a route for a wafer carrier in response to a transfer request. In another aspect a method of transferring a wafer lot within a wafer fabrication facility (“fab”) using a factory automation system is provided. The method comprises: receiving a transfer request to move the wafer lot from a first position to a second position within the fab; obtaining lot information, dynamic traffic information, and static traffic information; using the information to select a route between the first position and the second position; and executing the transfer using the selected route.

Claims

1. A factory automation system for a wafer fabrication facility (“

fab”

) comprising a plurality of bays, wherein each of the bays comprise a plurality of equipment interconnected by an intrabay overhead transport (“

OHT”

) system, and at least one interbay OHT system for interconnecting the intrabay OHT systems, the factory automation system comprising;

a manufacturing execution system (“

MES”

) for providing lot information regarding wafers being processed in the fab;

a material control system (“

MCS”

) for providing dynamic traffic information regarding transportation of wafers in the fab;

an automated material handling system (“

AMHS”

) for providing static route information regarding transportation of wafers in the fab; and

a real-time dispatching (“

RTD”

) system for using the lot information from the MES, the dynamic traffic information from the MCS, and the static route information from the AMHS for selecting a destination and a route to the selected destination for a wafer carrier containing wafers in response to a transfer request.

2. The factory automation system of claim 1 wherein the RTD system is configured to send multiple micro commands to the MCS based on the selected destination and route.

3. The factory automation system of claim 2 wherein the RTD system includes a set of RTD rules for selecting the destination and the route.

4. The factory automation system of claim 1 wherein the lot information provided by the MES includes lot priority information.

5. The factory automation system of claim 1 wherein the lot information provided by the MES includes whether the lot is a super-hot lot, a regular lot, or a control lot.

6. A method of implementing a factory automation system for a wafer fabrication facility (“

fab”

) comprising a plurality of bays, wherein each of the bays comprise a plurality of equipment interconnected by an intrabay overhead transport (“

OHT”

) system, and at least one interbay OHT system for interconnecting the intrabay OHT systems, the method comprising;

receiving a transfer request to move a wafer lot;

obtaining lot information related to the transfer request from a manufacturing execution system (“

MES”

);

obtaining dynamic traffic information related to the transfer request from a material control system (“

MCS”

);

obtaining static traffic information related to the transfer request from an automated material handling system (“

AMHS”

);

using the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select a destination and a route to the selected destination to satisfy the transfer request; and

executing the transfer using the selected destination and route to the selected destination.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising sending a series of multiple micro commands to the MCS based on the selected destination and route.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein the dynamic traffic information includes substantially real-time traffic data.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein the using the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select a destination and a route to the selected destination comprises the steps of:

if the transfer request relates to transfer of a super hot lot or a regular lot, routing the transfer via a first route;

if the transfer request relates to transfer of a control wafer lot, routing the transfer via a second route longer than the first route.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the using the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select a destination and a route to the selected destination comprises the steps of:

if the transfer request relates to a transfer of a super hot lot or a regular lot to a tool, routing the transfer via a first route unless there is traffic on the first route;

if there is traffic on the first route, routing the transfer via a second route longer than the first route.

11. The method of claim 6 wherein the using the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select a destination and a route to the selected destination further comprises the steps of:

if there is traffic on the first route, routing the transfer via a second route longer than the first route unless there is traffic on the second route;

if there is traffic on the second route, routing the transfer via a third route longer than the first and second routes.

12. The method of claim 6 wherein the obtaining lot information related to the transfer request from a MES comprises obtaining lot priority information.

13. The method of claim 6 wherein the obtaining lot information related to the transfer request from a MES further comprises obtaining information regarding whether the lot is a super-hot lot, a regular lot, or a control lot.

14. The method of claim 6 wherein the using the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select a destination and a route to the selected destination comprises the steps of:

using a real-time dispatcher (“

RTD”

) system to analyze the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select a destination and a route to the selected destination.

15. The method of claim 14 where using the RTD system comprises applying a set of RTD rules to the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select a destination and a route to the selected destination.

16. The method of claim 6 wherein the using the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select a destination and a route to the selected destination further comprises the steps of:

if the transfer request relates to a transfer of a lot to a tool, routing the transfer via a high speed route; and

if the transfer request relates to a transfer of a lot to a stocker, routing the transfer via a low speed route.

17. A method of transferring a wafer lot within a wafer fabrication facility (“

fab”

) using a factory automation system, the method comprising;

receiving a transfer request to move the wafer lot from a first position to a second position within the fab;

obtaining lot information related to the transfer request from a manufacturing execution system (“

MES”

);

obtaining dynamic traffic information related to the transfer request from a material control system (“

MCS”

);

obtaining static traffic information related to the transfer request from an automated material handling system (“

AMHS”

);

using the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select a route between the first position and the second position; and

executing the transfer using the selected route.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein using the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select a route between the first position and the second position comprises the steps of:

determining a fastest available route;

if the transfer request relates to a transfer of a super hot lot or a regular lot to a tool, routing the transfer via a fastest available route.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein determining the fastest available route comprises the steps of:

determining a first route between the first position and the second position;

determining a second route between the first position and the second position;

utilizing the dynamic traffic information to determine whether the first route or the second route is the fastest available route.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein using the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select a route between the first position and the second position comprises the steps of:

using a real-time dispatcher (“

RTD”

) system in communication with the MES, MCS, and AMHS to analyze the lot information, the dynamic traffic information, and the static traffic information to select the route between the first and second positions.

21. The method of claim 20 wherein the RTD system selects the fastest available route when the wafer lot is a super hot lot or a regular lot.