Real-time control of multiproduct bulk-service semiconductor manufacturing processes

• Published in: IEEE transactions on semiconductor manufacturing Vol. 5; no. 2; pp. 158 - 163
• Main Authors: Fowler, J.W., Phillips, D.T., Hogg, G.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY IEEE 01-05-1992; Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Control systems; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fabrication; Furnaces; Industrial engineering; Integrated circuit manufacture; Manufacturing processes; Microelectronic fabrication (materials and surfaces technology); Optimal control; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Size control; Steady-state; Timing; Improvement; Semiconductor materials; Control system; Integrated circuit; Strategy; Manufacturing; Real time
• DOI: 10.1109/66.136278
• EISSN: 1558-2345
• ISSN: 0894-6507

This work demonstrates how knowledge of future arrivals can be used to improve control of multiproduct bulk-service semiconductor manufacturing processes. The objective of the research reported is to reduce the average time that lots spend waiting to be processed. A review of the current literature reveals that several researchers have dealt with the control of bulk-service queuing systems; however, only one paper has addressed the use of knowledge of future arrivals and it only considered the single-product case. This research reexamines the single-product-single-tube case and then explores the multiple-products-single tube case. For both cases, a control strategy is devised and evaluated through the use of systems simulation. The steady-state performance of each control strategy is then compared to the steady-state performance of the theoretically optimal control strategy not considering the timing of any future arrivals (i.e., a minimum batch size strategy). The experimental results indicate that the control strategies developed in this work perform well under a wide variety of conditions.< >