CONSTRUCTING PROCEDURES OF AN EFFECTIVE PRODUCTION ACTIVITY CONTROL TECHNIQUE FOR A WAFER FABRICATION ENVIRONMENT

This paper presents a flexible production activity control (PAC) techn ique for a wafer fabrication factory. To resolve PAC problems in extre mely complicated wafer fabrication processes, the proposed pull-based production control system (PPCS) integrates concepts of the convention al pull (kanban) system, push system, and drum-buffer-rope (DBR) sched uling technique. A kanban number calculating algorithm is also derived in which the kanban number calculated functions as an initial solutio n of the simulation run to obtain the optimal solution. Simulation res ults demonstrate that the PPCS yields a better performance than the co nventional pull system and push system. Significance: Wafer fabricatio n is the most important but complicated process in the semiconductor m anufacturing industry. The PPCS proposed herein simultaneously increas es key machine utilization and decreases the WIP inventory level of a wafer fabrication factory, thereby fulfilling the PAC task.