A software mechanism is provided for inter-fab mask process management. The mechanism
is used for tracking and managing a plurality of lithographic masks through a semiconductor
manufacturing environment. A virtual fab is established with a plurality of entities,
each entity associated with an internal process to a semiconductor fab or an external
process to the semiconductor fab. A state diagram tracks the plurality of lithographic
masks through the plurality of entities of the virtual fab. Each of the plurality
of lithographic masks is placed at a pre-determined state of the state diagram
and a future location for each of the masks in the virtual fab is determined via
the state diagram.
