SINGLE-WAFER CLUSTER TOOL PERFORMANCE - AN ANALYSIS OF THROUGHPUT

Cluster tools gained greater acceptance over the past several years, a lthough concerns still exist over the throughput these tools can achie ve. This paper presents an analysis of the relationship between proces s times, transport times, and maximum throughput in an individual clus ter tool. Theoretical models which quantify the time required to proce ss both an individual wafer and a lot in a cluster tool are developed. Three techniques for increasing throughput, based on these models, ar e also presented. These modifications require minimal modification of many existing designs and can yield significant increases in performan ce.