APM misunderstanding...
APM is nothing more than AMD copying Intel's Copy Exactly methodology
Actually, no... APM is the factory automation, data collection, and feedback system. It keeps track of every wafer, where it has been, when it was there, who did what to it, etc... It also keeps track of measured results from that wafer... CD's, yields, bin splits, etc...
It uses this information to steer product through the factory. Based on statistical results in may discover that whenever a wafer goes through implant step xx on machine yy, followed by a litho exposure at station pp the yields are a little higher. This gives the engineers some information to go on in terms of figuring out how to raise yields. It is my understanding that APM also uses this information to preferentially route material through the higher yielding paths.
All that said, I know of no public information regarding what Intel does in this respect. The one thing I have recently heard about APM is from the AMD "APM 3.0" release announcement which stated it upgrades the software to track at the "die level" and also allows tracking 300mm wafers. I do know that Intel has tracked at the die level for many, many years... and of course has used 300mm wafers for quite some time as well.
However, I will speculate... and keep in mind this is purely speculation and guesses on my part based on very little information. Doing the "preferential steering" that AMD does will increase factory TPT and probably reduce wafer output a bit. Investigating the root cause for each correlation on the other hand requires lots of engineering effort, but will enable overall higher yields once the change is implemented on all the equipment. I really don't think INTC does the preferential steering of material like AMD does... but not because they can't but because due to their high volume it makes more sense to spend the engineering to root cause everything rather than just route some of the material through the higher yielding paths.
One thing we can be certain of is that Intel has many, many more engineers working on this than AMD does. To believe that AMD has a better system is just wishful thinking.
--Alan
AI
