Researcher: Felipe Lopez
An approach for dynamic scheduling and dispatching (S/D) in wafer fabs was proposed as a dynamic programming problem. The approach – compatible with S/D solutions used in semiconductor manufacturing – was designed to incorporate quality control data in lot-to-tool assignments. The incorporation of quality control in S/D enables the alignment of high-value, high-precision wafer lots with high-capacity tools to minimize scrap and improve profit. Software-defined control can be used to improve dynamic S/D by leveraging the global view of the central controller to provide additional information for the optimization problem, which could include predictions of arrival/departure of wafer lots, equipment health, and expected system-wide performance.
Related Publications:
- Lopez, F. Moyne, J., Barton, K., and Tilbury, D. “Process-capability-aware scheduling/dispatching in wafer fabs.” In Advanced Process Control Conference XXIX Proceedings, Austin (2017), (available via http://www.apcconference.com)