“Optimising the Resist and Dedication Allocation for Capacity Maximisation in a Wafer Fabrication Plant” – D-SIMLAB’s novel, heuristic-based optimisation approach to automate the process of optimising layer to tool dedication and corresponding resist installations in the lithography area of a semiconductor wafer fab will be presented at the 20th European Advanced Process Control and Manufacturing Process (apc|m) Conference, to be held during 4-6 April 2022 in Toulon, France.

The optimisation approach achieves a trade-off between the risk of capacity loss and/or excessive cycle time increase caused by tool downs (in case too few tools are dedicated to a particular product/layer) and the probability of having to carry out additional pilot runs (in case more tools than necessary are dedicated to a particular product/layer) by considering four conflicting objectives:

(1) Balancing tool utilisation,

(2) Minimising the risk of no-run-path due to tool downs,

(3) Minimising number of pilot runs,

(4) Minimising resist installation and the associated cost,

thereby considering a wide range of factors that are critical to managing and optimising the lithography area of a fab.

The solution can be used not just to optimise the photo dedication in a high-load situation but also to determine which tools can be shut down temporarily in a lower fab-load situation to achieve cost saving without losing cycle time.

The implementation of the D-SIMCON Photo Optimiser has enabled to free up close to 5% additional photo capacity in the 200mm wafer fab operated by Tower Partners Semiconductor Company (TPSCo) in Japan.

For further details and registration information please click here.

https://www.apcm-europe.eu/home/

For further enquiries please contact:

Dr Peter Lendermann, Chief Business Development Officer, peter@d-simlab.com