300 mm full automation integration test methodology and experience

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company launched the first 300 mm fully automation foundry in 1999. The newly introduced technology will automate the 300 mm fab for better manufacturing control and less human labor. Based on the accumulated TSMC data from year 1999 to year 2000, it is found that to maintain is more difficult than to build up the system. It is a great challenge to integrate so many hardware and software components closely. In fact, few 300 mm foundries are successful from the maintenance point of view. TSMC is still continuing to improve the full fab automation by strict integration test methodology and refer to daily problem analysis system. TSMC enlarges the acceptance test scope to cover the process equipment, transportation, material control and manufacturing system. In order to make sure the integration is smooth and on the right track, TSMC has developed a methodology to execute hardware and software integration. Here TSMC exposes some of the critical issues and shares the experience for unmanned factory. TSMC believes these can help the 300 mm fab to speed up the system construction task and find out their own problems by TSMC´s methodology and experience.