A layout and scheduling method of a multi-station production system

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of layout and scheduling method of multi-station production system, belong to computer aided design technical field.System includes at least two transfer warehouses and the transmission warehouse of adjacent transfer warehouse in series, forms multi-warehouse series architecture.Based on interface layout trichotomy, interface is divided into functional interface, interconnection interface and reserved interface;Through environment partition control, the front section wet method is separated in different transfer warehouse with the rear section vacuum process, to realize environment independent optimization by transmission warehouse pressure difference balance dynamics control.Central control system real-time acquisition each functional interface processing completion timestamp, calculates sliding window average tact to identify capacity bottleneck, and is dynamically scheduled according to parallel queuing theory, and parallel module is parallelly processed by substrate diversion to reserved interface mounting, or based on deterministic modular operation rule extraction substrate to experimental verification module.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of computer-aided design technology, specifically a layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the semiconductor industry, including semiconductor manufacturing, photovoltaic devices (such as perovskite solar cells and calcium-silicon tandem cells), and OLED displays, the requirements for the integration and flexibility of thin-film preparation and packaging processes are becoming increasingly stringent. The fabrication of modern complex devices often involves multiple distinct processes, such as the front-end wet process (extremely sensitive to water vapor concentration and typically performed in a slightly positive pressure high-purity nitrogen environment) and the back-end vacuum coating process (requiring a high vacuum or low-pressure inert atmosphere). To improve production efficiency, the industry widely adopts clustered equipment or continuous production line systems. However, existing equipment layouts and architectures still suffer from irreconcilable technical flaws when facing environmental conflicts and capacity bottlenecks.

[0003] Existing cluster-based equipment mostly adopts a single-center architecture. For example, utility model patent CN224450820U discloses a single-stage octagonal magnetron sputtering rig. This solution discloses a single-stage octagonal magnetron sputtering rig, including an octagonal transfer platform, multiple functional cavities, a first transfer cavity, and a second transfer cavity. The two adjacent ports of the transfer platform are connected to the first and second transfer cavities, respectively, and the remaining six ports are each connected to a functional cavity. The limitation of this single-stage architecture is that all functional cavities operate around a common central transfer platform. When the upstream wet process, which is extremely sensitive to water and oxygen, and the downstream high-vacuum process are integrated into the same single-stage rig, the single transfer environment can easily lead to cross-contamination between the atmospheres of different processes, making it impossible to physically isolate environmental conflicts. In addition, the interface layout of this rig is fixed and lacks flexible expansion capabilities. Once a certain process becomes a bottleneck in production capacity, it often requires shutdown or even disassembly and maintenance, making it impossible to achieve dynamic capacity expansion without shutting down the system.

[0004] On the other hand, while existing linear continuous production equipment has improved environmental isolation, its layout is rigid. For example, patent application CN108070841A discloses a continuous coating system and method. This system includes multiple coating chamber units, each comprising a first buffer chamber, a coating process chamber, and a second buffer chamber, with an isolation chamber between adjacent coating chamber units. This system, through the application of buffer chambers and isolation chambers, reduces the exchange of process atmospheres between adjacent coating process chambers and minimizes mutual interference between different process gases between adjacent coating chamber units. However, this linear series architecture strictly relies on unidirectional sequential transfer. Because the system controls the substrate flow according to a fixed production cycle, once the actual processing cycle of a certain coating process chamber slows down and becomes a bottleneck in capacity, the entire production line's transfer cycle is forced to decrease due to the "weakest link" effect. More importantly, such systems do not have standardized expansion interfaces. When the production line needs to add parallel modules to increase capacity, or needs to mount experimental verification modules to verify new processes online, the system must be shut down and the entire line must be physically modified. It has no ability to dynamically reconfigure or flexibly expand production online.

[0005] In summary, existing single-level cluster architectures cannot reconcile fundamental environmental conflicts between upstream and downstream processes, while traditional serial pipeline architectures lack interface expansion capabilities and the flexibility to dynamically resolve capacity bottlenecks. How to accommodate the entire process chain, achieve strict environmental zoning and isolation, and simultaneously endow equipment with plug-and-play dynamic expansion capabilities and parallel flexible scheduling mechanisms has become a key technical challenge that urgently needs to be solved in this field. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of this invention is to provide a layout and scheduling method for a multi-workstation production system, so as to solve the problems of functional uniformity, irreconcilable environmental conflicts, lack of cross-warehouse interconnection, and static rigidity in the existing cluster-type equipment interface layout mentioned in the background art.

[0007] To solve the above-mentioned technical problems, the technical solution adopted by the present invention is as follows: A layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system includes the following steps: Construct a multi-warehouse serial architecture: Configure at least two transfer warehouses, including a first transfer warehouse and a second transfer warehouse. Adjacent transfer warehouses are connected in series through a transfer warehouse, and so on, which can be extended to N transfer warehouses in series to construct the overall process flow path. The interface is arranged in a three-part layout: multiple standardized interfaces on the side of the transfer chamber are configured into three types: functional interfaces, interconnection interfaces, and reserved interfaces. Among them, the functional interfaces are configured to connect the process modules or loading / unloading modules that perform the thin film preparation process, the interconnection interfaces are configured to connect the transfer chambers between adjacent transfer chambers, and the reserved interfaces are configured to detachably connect the backup process modules or experimental verification modules. Execution environment zoning layout: Each transfer chamber is divided into corresponding process zones, and the functional interfaces and reserved interfaces of each transfer chamber are limited to types that match the process zone it undertakes; specifically, the first transfer chamber is designated to undertake the front-end process, and its functional interfaces and reserved interfaces are limited to the front-end process type; the second transfer chamber is designated to undertake the back-end process, and its functional interfaces and reserved interfaces are limited to the back-end process type; for processes undertaken by at least two transfer chambers with significantly different atmosphere requirements, mutually isolated independent operating environments are configured in the corresponding transfer chambers. Define standardized layout parameters: unify the flange opening size and center height of all standardized interfaces to ensure plug-and-play physical compatibility when connecting to different process modules; Dynamic scheduling settings are implemented: The central control system unit monitors the processing cycle of the process modules connected to each functional interface in real time, and when a capacity bottleneck is identified, the substrate is diverted to the parallel process module mounted on the reserved interface by reconstructing the flow path; and / or, according to the preset sampling cycle, some substrates are diverted to the experimental verification module mounted on the reserved interface to perform process verification without interrupting the main process.

[0008] According to the above technical solution, in the step of constructing the dual-compartment serial architecture, both the first transfer compartment and the second transfer compartment are configured as regular polygonal transfer compartments, and there is a preset angle between the installation positions of two adjacent interfaces, so that multiple standardized interfaces are evenly distributed along the circumference of the transfer compartment. In the process of implementing the interface three-way layout, the number of functional interfaces, interconnect interfaces and reserved interfaces are configured according to the length of the production line process chain and expansion requirements.

[0009] According to the above technical solution, the specific steps for implementing environment partitioning layout include: Nitrogen microenvironment control parameters are set in the first transfer chamber. The chamber is maintained in a slightly positive pressure state by purging with high-flow-rate high-purity nitrogen and using a gas purifier. The water content and oxygen concentration are controlled below the preset first low concentration threshold. Vacuum and inert atmosphere control parameters are set in the second transfer chamber. By first evacuating the chamber and then filling it with inert gas, the working pressure inside the chamber is maintained at a preset vacuum level, and the water content and oxygen concentration are controlled below a preset second low concentration threshold.

[0010] According to the above technical solution, it also includes a step for setting the differential pressure balance for cross-warehouse transfer: Independent valves are installed at both ends of the transfer chamber, and a pressure difference safety threshold is set according to the vacuum displacement kinetic model of the transfer chamber. During cross-warehouse transfer, the absolute value of the pressure difference between the internal pressure of the transfer warehouse and the internal pressure of the target docking warehouse is monitored in real time. The independent control valve can only release the opening permission signal of the target side valve when the absolute value of the pressure difference is detected to be less than the set pressure difference safety threshold, so as to avoid turbulent cross-flow of gas between the two chambers.

[0011] According to the above technical solution, it also includes the docking and positioning setting steps for the standard vehicle unit: Configure standard vehicle units with uniform external dimensions and set reference positioning marks on their surfaces; During the docking process module, the pixel coordinates of the reference positioning mark are collected through the vision alignment system and converted to the actual physical coordinates based on the coordinate correction model; The translation vector and rotation angle compensation amount during robot docking are calculated in real time until the sum of squared residuals converges to within the preset positioning accuracy threshold before physical docking of the standardized interface is performed.

[0012] According to the above technical solution, the method for identifying capacity bottlenecks in the dynamic scheduling setting process specifically includes: Based on the sliding window algorithm, a preset number of substrates are collected with processing completion timestamps in the corresponding process modules; Calculate the average time interval between the completion of processing of adjacent substrates, and use this average value as the current actual processing cycle of the module; When the actual processing cycle time is greater than the product of the target cycle time of the entire line and the preset threshold coefficient, the process module is determined to be a capacity bottleneck, and a prompt signal indicating that the reserved interface is available is triggered.

[0013] According to the above technical solution, the processing steps after identifying a capacity bottleneck in the dynamic scheduling settings include: A parallel module of the same type as the bottleneck module is mounted on the reserved interface of the corresponding transfer warehouse, and the environment recovery process is executed. After the environment is restored, based on the parallel queuing theory model, the equivalent cycle time of the entire line after the split is calculated according to the number of parallel modules and their actual cycle time. The system dynamically adjusts the substrate shunting ratio allocated to each parallel module so that the system's equivalent cycle time after shunting is less than or equal to the target cycle time of the entire line, and automatically updates the substrate flow scheduling path.

[0014] According to the above technical solution, the steps for executing dynamic scheduling settings also include control logic for the experimental verification mode: When an experimental verification module is attached to a reserved interface in any transfer compartment, a sampling allocation function is constructed based on the discrete control rules of deterministic modular arithmetic. In the substrate flow of the mainstream process line, a portion of the substrates are sampled at a preset fixed periodic sampling ratio and allocated to the experimental verification module to perform process verification, while the remaining substrates are controlled to continue to enter the original main process module for normal mass production flow.

[0015] According to the above technical solution, under normal production conditions and without triggering dynamic scheduling expansion, blind flanges are installed at the reserved interface to maintain the sealing of the silo.

[0016] Based on the above technical solution, after the layout planning is completed, the flow control logic of the clustered equipment meets the following rules: Confirm the physical layout of the front-end functional interfaces of the first transfer chamber, the rear-end functional interfaces of the second transfer chamber, the interconnection interfaces, and the reserved interfaces according to the formula. The standard carrier unit carrying the substrate is sent into the functional interface of the first transfer chamber to complete the front-end wet process and water content sensitive process in sequence. Through the interconnection interface and the transfer chamber, the standard carrier unit is transferred to the second transfer chamber under the pressure difference balance replacement control of the valves at both ends; The control board moves between the rear functional interfaces of the second transfer chamber, sequentially completing the rear vacuum process; The actual processing cycle time is statistically analyzed in real time throughout the entire process. When the bottleneck triggering condition or experimental verification condition is met, the flow path is dynamically reconstructed by attaching the module to the corresponding reserved interface.

[0017] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects: In terms of environmental zoning and isolation, the front-end wet process and the back-end vacuum process are respectively configured in independent first and second transfer chambers. Combined with the pressure differential dynamic balance control mechanism of the transfer chambers, the micro-positive pressure high-purity nitrogen environment required for the wet process and the low-pressure inert atmosphere required for the vacuum coating process are physically isolated, effectively solving the technical challenge of simultaneously meeting the diverse process requirements for water and oxygen concentrations in existing single-chamber integrated architectures. Furthermore, through a three-part layout unit with mandatory interface reservation, and combined with the bottleneck automatic identification algorithm and parallel queuing theory of the central control system... The scheduling logic enables plug-and-play expansion of bottleneck processes without downtime. When production line capacity fluctuates, the system can automatically and dynamically divert the substrate to parallel modules, quickly increasing the equivalent cycle time of the bottleneck process to the target cycle time level of the entire line, significantly improving the production line's anti-interference capability and flexible response speed. At the same time, by standardizing the flange opening size and center height of all standardized interfaces, the physical universality of different functional process modules is achieved. When upgrading or replacing processes, there is no need to perform secondary positioning or modification of the warehouse interface, which greatly shortens the module changeover time. Furthermore, the use of a vision alignment system ensures high-precision docking. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a flowchart of the interface layout method of the present invention; Figure 2 This is an overall layout diagram of the interface layout of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0019] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention. Example 1

[0020] like Figure 1 As shown, a layout and scheduling system for a multi-station production system includes a first transfer compartment and a second transfer compartment, a three-part layout unit, a zoned environment control unit, an interface standardization unit, a standard carrier unit, and a central control system unit. Both the first and second transfer compartments are polyhedral prism structures, with standardized interfaces on multiple sides of each compartment, forming multiple interface groups. The first and second transfer compartments are connected in series via a transfer compartment, forming a dual-compartment series architecture (e.g., ...). Figure 2 (As shown).

[0021] The three-part layout unit configures multiple interfaces into three types: functional interfaces, interconnect interfaces, and reserved interfaces. Functional interfaces connect to process modules or loading / unloading modules performing thin film preparation steps; interconnect interfaces connect transfer chambers between adjacent transfer chambers; and reserved interfaces are used for detachable connection to backup process modules or experimental verification modules. The zoned environmental control unit configures the first transfer chamber to handle the upstream process, limiting its functional and reserved interfaces to the upstream process type; the second transfer chamber is configured to handle the downstream process, limiting its functional and reserved interfaces to the downstream process type; and the upstream and downstream processes have significantly different environmental atmosphere requirements. The interface standardization unit defines all standardized interfaces with flange openings of uniform size, and the center height of all flange openings is uniformly set to a predetermined value, enabling plug-and-play physical compatibility between different process modules. The standard carrier unit has uniform external dimensions and reference positioning marks, allowing seamless movement between the first transfer chamber, transfer chamber, second transfer chamber, and various process modules. The central control system unit communicates with the process modules and transmission mechanisms of each interface and is configured to schedule the flow path of the substrate between each interface according to the overall process formula and real-time production capacity status.

[0022] Specifically, the first and second transfer chambers are regular octagonal transfer chambers, each with 8 standardized interfaces, totaling 16 interfaces. At least 12 of these interfaces are functional interfaces, at least 2 are interconnection interfaces, and at least 2 are reserved interfaces. The eight sides of the octagonal transfer chamber correspond to the eight interface installation positions, with an angle of 45° between adjacent interface installation positions, ensuring the interfaces are evenly distributed along the circumference of the transfer chamber. This octagonal structure design ensures a sufficient number of interfaces while also accommodating the movement space and structural strength of the internal transmission mechanism.

[0023] In the three-part layout unit configuration, the six functional interfaces of the left compartment (the first transfer compartment) are respectively deployed as a feeding module, a laser scribing P1 module, a nickel oxide (NiOx) magnetron sputtering module, a self-assembled monolayer (SAM) inkjet printing module, a perovskite inkjet annealing module, and a laser scribing P2 module; the six functional interfaces of the right compartment (the second transfer compartment) are respectively deployed as fullerene (C 60The system includes a vapor deposition module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) - SnOx module, a laser scribing P3 module, a Cu electrode deposition module, a laser scribing P4 module, and a material unloading module. Each of the left and right compartments has one interconnection interface, preferably located on the side with the shortest straight-line distance to the conveyor compartment and no interference in the transmission path, enabling series connection of the two compartments via the conveyor compartment. The left compartment has a reserved interface A, and the right compartment has a reserved interface B. Under normal production conditions, blind flanges can be installed on these reserved interfaces to maintain compartment sealing; they can be disassembled and used to mount parallel or verification modules when needed.

[0024] In the specific implementation of the zoned environmental control unit, all eight interfaces of the left chamber (first transfer chamber) are limited to the front-end process type. This transfer chamber is equipped with a nitrogen microenvironment control system, which continuously purges with high-flow-rate high-purity nitrogen, and maintains a slightly positive pressure state with the gas purifier and chamber body, controlling the water content and oxygen concentration inside the chamber to below 5 ppm, and temperature fluctuations to within ±1℃. All eight interfaces of the right chamber (second transfer chamber) are limited to the back-end process type. This transfer chamber is equipped with a vacuum pump group and an inert atmosphere control system, which maintains the working pressure at 10 ppm by first evacuating the vacuum and then filling with inert gas. -3 The Pa level, water content, and oxygen concentration are all controlled below 10 ppm. This separate arrangement of upstream and downstream processes allows the wet-process sensitive process and the vacuum downstream process to operate in independent and optimized environments, effectively solving the technical problem of mutual interference in environmental control within the same transfer chamber.

[0025] In one optional implementation, the interface standardization unit defines the flange opening size of all 16 interfaces as 400mm × 300mm, with the flatness of the flange opening controlled within 0.20mm. After assembly, a re-inspection is required to ensure sealing reliability. The center height of all flange openings is standardized at 1050mm, with height deviation controlled within ±0.5mm to ensure the coaxial alignment accuracy between the transmission track and the interface. The sealing leakage rate of the interface is controlled within 1 × 10⁻⁶. -6 Pa·m 3 For speeds below a certain threshold, verification is performed using helium detection or equivalent testing methods to ensure effective environmental isolation between adjacent transfer chambers.

[0026] The standard carrier unit adopts a rectangular plate structure with external dimensions of 260mm × 180mm × 4mm, and is made of anodized aluminum alloy to meet the requirements of lightweight and corrosion resistance. The upper surface of the standard carrier unit is equipped with crosshair and circular reference marks for high-precision positioning in conjunction with a vision alignment system. The bearing surface size of the standard carrier unit is configured to be compatible with various substrate sizes, including 210mm × 105mm perovskite solar cell substrates and 120mm × 120mm wafer or small panel substrates. The repeatability of the standard carrier unit is controlled within ±0.10mm.

[0027] To meet the positioning requirements of high-precision processes, the vision alignment system incorporates a coordinate correction mathematical model based on affine transformation. Let the theoretical coordinates of the crosshairs and circular reference marks on the standard carrier unit in the ideal physical coordinate system be... After camera intrinsic and extrinsic parameter calibration, the pixel coordinates of the marker points are transformed to their actual physical coordinates in the world coordinate system. The central control unit of the transmission mechanism calculates the transformation matrix in real time to derive the docking posture compensation amount of the robot arm (including the translation vector). With rotation angle Its matrix transformation formula is expressed as:

[0028] The system continuously iterates the matrix parameters using the least squares method. Physical docking of the standard interface can only be performed when the sum of squared residuals converges to within the preset positioning accuracy threshold (i.e., ±0.10mm), thereby ensuring reliable compatibility and plug-and-play functionality between modules of different specifications.

[0029] In the specific configuration of the transfer chamber, independent valves are installed at both ends. The response time of each valve is controlled within 0.8 seconds, and its opening and closing actions are driven by independent actuators. The valves are configured to open only after the transfer chamber and the target chamber have achieved pressure balance. During the opening process, since the pressure on both sides has been balanced, environmental cross-contamination will not occur. To accurately control the pressure difference balance, the valve opening logic is strictly constrained by the vacuum displacement kinetic model of the transfer chamber. Let the volume of the transfer chamber be... The effective pumping speed of the vacuum pump set is Real-time pressure inside the warehouse With the time of air extraction The function of change follows the equation:

[0030] in, This is the initial pressure before air removal and replacement. The target ultimate pressure. The system sets a differential pressure safety threshold. If and only if the pressure difference between the two sides is detected to satisfy Time (of which, (The control system can only release the valve opening permission signal after the working pressure setting of the transfer chamber on the docking side is reached, cutting off the physical path of gas turbulence. The design value for a single transfer time of the transfer chamber is no more than 18 seconds to ensure that cross-chamber transfer does not become a bottleneck for the overall line cycle time.)

[0031] The central control system unit includes an industrial computer, a programmable logic controller (PLC), and a communication interface module for the Manufacturing Execution System (MES), enabling centralized monitoring and scheduling of various process modules and transmission mechanisms. The system is configured to provide real-time statistics on the actual processing cycle time of each process module connected to its functional interfaces. The window length can be set according to the fluctuation range of the production line cycle time, preferably using processing data from 5 to 20 substrates. Taking the most recent 10 substrates as an example, the substrate index... Let the first The substrate in the first The processing completion timestamp of each process module is Then the current real-time processing cycle of this module Defined as this Substrate generation The average value of consecutive time intervals:

[0032] Based on the aforementioned real-time data, the system introduces a bottleneck detection trigger mechanism. Let the target cycle time of the entire line be... The bottleneck determination threshold coefficient is The system calculates the trigger function in real time. :

[0033] when When this happens, the system immediately identifies the module as a bottleneck and informs the operator that the reserved interface in the corresponding transfer compartment is available. After the operator attaches a parallel module of the same type to the reserved interface, the central control system unit automatically updates the circuit board's flow scheduling path, diverting some circuit boards to the parallel module for parallel processing.

[0034] After mounting the parallel module, the system calculates the overall line recovery status based on parallel queuing theory. Assuming the reserved interface mounts the same type of module, this process involves a total of... There are 1 parallel workstations, and the current actual cycle time of each module is recorded as . (in The equivalent cycle time of the system after the process is diverted. It is determined by the following formula for summing the reciprocals:

[0035] The central control system unit adjusts the shunt ratio of the baseboards distributed to each parallel module. Forced to calculate the result This eliminates the bottleneck in overall production capacity at the logical level. A scheduling cycle that is too short can easily cause scheduling oscillations; a 30-second update cycle strikes a balance between response speed and scheduling stability.

[0036] It should be clarified that the aforementioned "plug and play" mainly refers to the rapid physical connection between the mechanical flange interface and the electrical communication interface. For vacuum or inert atmosphere modules, a complete environmental restoration process is required after installation. For example, the workflow from system detection of a bottleneck alarm and triggering capacity expansion is as follows: the operator pushes in the spare parallel module within approximately 15 minutes (adjustable according to on-site conditions) and completes the physical locking of the 400mm×300mm standard flange and pipeline insertion / removal; subsequently, the system automatically initiates leak detection and environmental replacement procedures, completing vacuuming and inert atmosphere establishment within approximately 105 minutes using a large-displacement pump set, with a nominal time of 2 hours; after the environment meets the standards and is confirmed by sensors, the central control system unit smoothly initiates the parallel queuing and diversion logic. This workflow ensures a balance between the convenience of physical installation and the reliability of environmental restoration.

[0037] In the specific decision-making logic of dynamic scheduling, the target cycle time for the entire line is set to 6.5 minutes / piece, and the bottleneck judgment threshold is set to trigger a bottleneck alarm when the actual cycle time is greater than 1.5 times the target cycle time, that is, when the actual cycle time is greater than 9.75 minutes / piece. After the parallel module is mounted, the system executes a 1:1 splitting strategy, which evenly distributes the substrates entering this process to the original module and the parallel module for simultaneous processing.

[0038] In Design of Experiments (DOE) verification mode, when a verification module is attached to a reserved interface, the system schedules data according to a 10:1 sampling strategy. That is, one out of every ten mainstream waterline substrates is assigned to the verification module for process verification, while the remaining nine continue to the original main module for normal mass production. The verification process does not affect the continuous operation of the mainstream waterline. This sampling process is controlled by a deterministic modular computation scheduling model. Let the sequence number of the mainstream waterline substrates entering this process segment be . ( The system defines the sampling allocation function. as follows:

[0039] The discrete control equations ensure the strict periodicity and determinism of the substrate shunting, allowing the operating parameters of the verification module to be set independently without interfering with the mass production line.

[0040] The reserved interface of the first transfer chamber is configured to mount a parallel module of the same type as the front-end wet process or a new wet process verification module. Specifically, it can mount a second perovskite inkjet annealing chamber for parallel production expansion, or mount a new SAM inkjet module for online DOE verification. The reserved interface of the second transfer chamber is configured to mount a parallel module of the same type as the back-end vacuum process or a new vacuum verification module. Specifically, it can mount a second ALD-SnOx chamber for parallel production expansion, or mount a space ALD upgrade module for online process verification.

[0041] To verify the technical effects of the present invention, a set of comparative data from embodiments and comparative examples are provided below. In this embodiment, the system configuration provided by the present invention is adopted, with a total of 16 interfaces in the dual-compartment configuration. The standard vehicle unit size is 260mm × 180mm × 4mm, and the flange opening size is 400mm × 300mm. The comparative example adopts the existing single-transfer compartment architecture, with the transfer compartment having a regular hexagonal structure and a total of 6 interfaces, all configured as functional interfaces, with no reserved interfaces.

[0042] Table 1. Performance Comparison of the Invention Solution and Existing Technical Solutions

[0043]

[0044] As shown in Table 1, the embodiments of this invention provide 16 interfaces, which is far more abundant than the comparative example. Regarding environmental control, the embodiments of this invention place the front-end wet process and the back-end vacuum process in independent transfer chambers, enabling independent optimal control of the two process environments. The comparative example uses a single transfer chamber architecture, attempting to meet the needs of both processes simultaneously with a unified nitrogen environment; in actual operation, the water content fluctuates between 15-30 ppm. All interfaces in the embodiments of this invention enable plug-and-play functionality for different process modules. Through the real-time cycle time statistics and bottleneck determination function of the central control system unit, production bottlenecks can be identified within a 30-second detection cycle, and operators are automatically prompted to activate reserved interfaces, resulting in excellent flexible response capability for the entire production line. Example 2

[0045] This embodiment, as an extended application embodiment, relies on the dual-compartment serial architecture, three-part layout unit, partitioned environment control unit and dynamic scheduling logic detailed in Embodiment 1. Through differentiated process module configuration and parameter variation, it adapts to a wider range of industrial scenarios such as semiconductor wafer-level packaging, OLED display device fabrication and multi-compartment serialization, further demonstrating the multi-domain process portability of the interface layout logic of this invention.

[0046] In semiconductor wafer-level packaging (WLP) scenarios, the system redefines and configures the front-end and back-end processes: the front-end transfer chamber's functional interfaces are equipped with wet process modules such as mounting, dispensing, and preheating; the back-end transfer chamber's functional interfaces are equipped with vacuum process modules such as vacuum evaporation, sputtering, and curing. Based on a zoned environmental control unit, the front-end transfer chamber is continuously purged with high-flow-rate high-purity nitrogen to control water content and oxygen concentration to meet the stringent requirements of the dispensing process; the back-end transfer chamber maintains a low-pressure inert atmosphere. Due to compatibility with semiconductor wafer specifications, the standard carrier unit's bearing surface dimensions are correspondingly modified to 300mm×300mm or larger, with surface roughness controlled below Ra0.8μm, while the standard 400mm×300mm flange opening size and center height remain consistent, ensuring the continuity of the basic platform.

[0047] In the fabrication process of OLED display devices, OLED devices are extremely sensitive to water content and oxygen. The front-end transfer chamber is equipped with modules for substrate cleaning, drying, and passivation before organic thin film evaporation; the rear-end transfer chamber is equipped with core vacuum process modules for organic material evaporation, electrode deposition, and encapsulation. The dual-chamber physical isolation architecture of this invention provides an ultra-clean, dry environment for the front-end chamber and a high-purity, controllable inert atmosphere for the rear-end chamber in this scenario, effectively avoiding the risk of cleaning moisture diffusing into the evaporation chamber, as is common in traditional linear series equipment.

[0048] In the fabrication of calcium-silicon tandem solar cells, the front-end transfer chamber is equipped with wet process modules related to perovskite thin film fabrication (perovskite inkjet printing, post-annealing, interface passivation, etc.); the back-end transfer chamber is equipped with vacuum process modules related to crystalline silicon cell fabrication and tandem integration (crystalline silicon texturing, PECVD passivation layer deposition, tandem electrode evaporation, etc.). The two processes have significantly different requirements for environmental water, oxygen, and vacuum levels. The dual-chamber isolation and pressure difference kinetic balance mechanism of the transfer chambers can maximize the technological advantages.

[0049] In one optional implementation, for production lines requiring ultra-long process chains, the system of this invention supports an extended layout scheme of multi-compartment series connection (3 or more compartments). That is, after the interconnection interface of the second transfer compartment, a third regular octagonal transfer compartment is connected in series via the second set of transfer compartments. The parallel queuing theory scheduling algorithm and bottleneck triggering logic (Equations 3 to 5) in the central control system unit can be seamlessly extended to all reserved interface networks of the N series compartments. By flexibly mounting experimental verification modules (DOE modules) on the multi-compartment nodes, parameter optimization verification of the entire line's cross-section process can be achieved without affecting large-scale production.

[0050] It should be noted that, in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0051] Finally, it should be noted that the above descriptions are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the present invention. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system, characterized in that: Includes the following steps: Construct a multi-warehouse serial architecture: Configure at least two transfer warehouses, including a first transfer warehouse and a second transfer warehouse. Adjacent transfer warehouses are connected in series through a transfer warehouse, and so on, which can be extended to N transfer warehouses in series to construct the overall process flow path. The interface is arranged in a three-part layout: multiple standardized interfaces on the side of the transfer chamber are configured into three types: functional interfaces, interconnection interfaces, and reserved interfaces. Among them, the functional interfaces are configured to connect the process modules or loading / unloading modules that perform the thin film preparation process, the interconnection interfaces are configured to connect the transfer chambers between adjacent transfer chambers, and the reserved interfaces are configured to detachably connect the backup process modules or experimental verification modules. Execution environment zoning layout: Each transfer chamber is divided into corresponding process zones, and the functional interfaces and reserved interfaces of each transfer chamber are limited to types that match the process zone it undertakes; specifically, the first transfer chamber is designated to undertake the front-end process, and its functional interfaces and reserved interfaces are limited to the front-end process type; the second transfer chamber is designated to undertake the back-end process, and its functional interfaces and reserved interfaces are limited to the back-end process type; for processes undertaken by at least two transfer chambers with significantly different atmosphere requirements, mutually isolated independent operating environments are configured in the corresponding transfer chambers. Define standardized layout parameters: unify the flange opening size and center height of all standardized interfaces to ensure plug-and-play physical compatibility when connecting to different process modules; Dynamic scheduling settings are implemented: The central control system unit monitors the processing cycle of the process modules connected to each functional interface in real time, and when a capacity bottleneck is identified, the substrate is diverted to the parallel process module mounted on the reserved interface by reconstructing the flow path; and / or, according to the preset sampling cycle, some substrates are diverted to the experimental verification module mounted on the reserved interface to perform process verification without interrupting the main process.

2. The layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system according to claim 1, characterized in that: In the step of constructing the dual-compartment serial architecture, both the first and second transfer compartments are configured as regular polygonal transfer compartments, and there is a preset angle between the installation positions of two adjacent interfaces, so that multiple standardized interfaces are evenly distributed along the circumference of the transfer compartment. In the process of implementing the interface three-way layout, the number of functional interfaces, interconnect interfaces and reserved interfaces are configured according to the length of the production line process chain and expansion requirements.

3. The layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The specific steps for performing environment partitioning layout include: Nitrogen microenvironment control parameters are set in the first transfer chamber. The chamber is maintained in a slightly positive pressure state by purging with high-flow-rate high-purity nitrogen and using a gas purifier. The water content and oxygen concentration are controlled below the preset first low concentration threshold. Vacuum and inert atmosphere control parameters are set in the second transfer chamber. By first evacuating the chamber and then filling it with inert gas, the working pressure inside the chamber is maintained at a preset vacuum level, and the water content and oxygen concentration are controlled below a preset second low concentration threshold.

4. The layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes the differential pressure balancing setting steps for inter-warehouse transfers: Independent valves are installed at both ends of the transfer chamber, and a pressure difference safety threshold is set according to the vacuum displacement kinetic model of the transfer chamber. During cross-warehouse transfer, the absolute value of the pressure difference between the internal pressure of the transfer warehouse and the internal pressure of the target docking warehouse is monitored in real time. The independent control valve can only release the opening permission signal of the target side valve when the absolute value of the pressure difference is detected to be less than the set pressure difference safety threshold, so as to avoid turbulent cross-flow of gas between the two chambers.

5. The layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes the docking and positioning setup steps for standard vehicle units: Configure standard vehicle units with uniform external dimensions and set reference positioning marks on their surfaces; During the docking process module, the pixel coordinates of the reference positioning mark are collected through the vision alignment system and converted to the actual physical coordinates based on the coordinate correction model; The translation vector and rotation angle compensation amount during robot docking are calculated in real time until the sum of squared residuals converges to within the preset positioning accuracy threshold before physical docking of the standardized interface is performed.

6. The layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The methods for identifying capacity bottlenecks during the dynamic scheduling process include: Based on the sliding window algorithm, a preset number of substrates are collected with processing completion timestamps in the corresponding process modules; Calculate the average time interval between the completion of processing of adjacent substrates, and use this average value as the current actual processing cycle of the module; When the actual processing cycle time is greater than the product of the target cycle time of the entire line and the preset threshold coefficient, the process module is determined to be a capacity bottleneck, and a prompt signal indicating that the reserved interface is available is triggered.

7. The layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The steps for handling capacity bottlenecks identified during the dynamic scheduling process include: A parallel module of the same type as the bottleneck module is mounted on the reserved interface of the corresponding transfer warehouse, and the environment recovery process is executed. After the environment is restored, based on the parallel queuing theory model, the equivalent cycle time of the entire line after the split is calculated according to the number of parallel modules and their actual cycle time. The system dynamically adjusts the substrate shunting ratio allocated to each parallel module so that the system's equivalent cycle time after shunting is less than or equal to the target cycle time of the entire line, and automatically updates the substrate flow scheduling path.

8. The layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The steps for executing dynamic scheduling settings also include the control logic for the experimental verification mode: When an experimental verification module is attached to a reserved interface in any transfer compartment, a sampling allocation function is constructed based on the discrete control rules of deterministic modular arithmetic. In the substrate flow of the mainstream process line, a portion of the substrates are sampled at a preset fixed periodic sampling ratio and allocated to the experimental verification module to perform process verification, while the remaining substrates are controlled to continue to enter the original main process module for normal mass production flow.

9. The layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system according to claim 1, characterized in that: During normal production and without triggering dynamic scheduling expansion, blind flanges are installed at the reserved interface to maintain the sealing of the silo.

10. The layout and scheduling method for a multi-station production system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that: After the layout planning is completed, the flow control logic of this clustered equipment meets the following rules: Confirm the physical layout of the front-end functional interfaces of the first transfer chamber, the rear-end functional interfaces of the second transfer chamber, the interconnection interfaces, and the reserved interfaces according to the formula. The standard carrier unit carrying the substrate is sent into the functional interface of the first transfer chamber to complete the front-end wet process and water content sensitive process in sequence. Through the interconnection interface and the transfer chamber, the standard carrier unit is transferred to the second transfer chamber under the pressure difference balance replacement control of the valves at both ends; The control board moves between the rear functional interfaces of the second transfer chamber, sequentially completing the rear vacuum process; The actual processing cycle time is statistically analyzed in real time throughout the entire process. When the bottleneck triggering condition or experimental verification condition is met, the flow path is dynamically reconstructed by attaching the module to the corresponding reserved interface.

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