Study of the cycle time behavior for product scaling 0.16um and smaller in foundry

Abstract

This research is to study the cycle time behavior for 0.16um and smaller geometry for wafer product once its started in wafer manufacturing facility. The overall configuration of the process, product, manufacturing and equipment is based on actual wafer fabrication facilities systems. Deep dive to the product complexities include cycle time from 45 days to 90 days that might result from processing steps range of 300 to 900. The processes have re-entrance to 90% of the equipment with 30% re-entrance for 25 processing steps, than followed by re-entrance of range from 3 steps to 15 processing steps.The motivation to understand the behavioral is to understand the cycle time of the product from start to finish at final steps, where results can be used to guide the industries to deliver the product to its customer for next chip assembly processes. This analysis used equivalent industries software, AutoSched APTM, with intensive configurations that is equal to 95% exact equipment configurations, 90% product loading and almost 100% manufacturing operation like dispatching systems and material handling systems (AMHS). By maintaining the priorities, and allowing lot dispatching purely guided to meet the due date through Critical Ratio (CR), the results have been successfully developed into an exponential curve where queue time increases to infinite numbers after reach above 100% utilization. Further results of this study also summarized ranges of capacity utilization versus queue time that support overall product delivery. Other impacts are also discussed in the summary.