Process equipment architecture definition using desktop throughput simulation

A method of determining wafer process equipment throughput to define system architecture is described. ProModel(R), a dynamic systems simulation software package, is used to understand a cluster-tool's dynamic wafer routing behavior and to study the throughput sensitivity of various system elements such as the wafer cooler, robot speeds, loadlocks, and wafer scheduler algorithms. These models not only drove subsystem designs, but also shaped our decision to abandon the original cluster-tool architecture in favor of a more cost-effective system design, verified using ProModel(R). This demonstrated the importance and effectiveness of dynamic throughput modeling to define process equipment architecture.