A survey of problems, solution techniques, and future challenges in scheduling semiconductor manufacturing operations

In this paper, we discuss scheduling problems in semiconductor manufacturing. Starting from describing the manufacturing process, we identify typical scheduling problems found in semiconductor manufacturing systems. We describe batch scheduling problems, parallel machine scheduling problems, job shop scheduling problems, scheduling problems with auxiliary resources, multiple orders per job scheduling problems, and scheduling problems related to cluster tools. We also present important solution techniques that are used to solve these scheduling problems by means of specific examples, and report on known implementations. Finally, we summarize some of the challenges in scheduling semiconductor manufacturing operations.

[1]  S.J. Mason,et al.  Metaheuristic scheduling of 300-mm lots containing multiple orders , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing.

[2]  R. Driessel,et al.  An integrated scheduling and automated material handling approach for complex manufacturing systems , 2008, 2008 IEEE International Conference on Industrial Engineering and Engineering Management.

[3]  Byung Rae Cho,et al.  Industrial Engineering Research - Conference Proceedings , 1997 .

[4]  Scott J. Mason,et al.  Semiconductor manufacturing scheduling of jobs containing multiple orders on identical parallel machines , 2009 .

[5]  Christopher D. Geiger,et al.  Learning effective dispatching rules for batch processor scheduling , 2008 .

[6]  M. Mathirajan,et al.  Tabu Search methods for scheduling a burn-in oven with non-identical job sizes and secondary resource constraints , 2008 .

[7]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  Production scheduling algorithms for a semiconductor test facility , 1991 .

[8]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  A genetic algorithm for minimizing maximum lateness on parallel identical batch processing machines with dynamic job arrivals and incompatible job families , 2007, Comput. Oper. Res..

[9]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  Decomposition Methods for Complex Factory Scheduling Problems , 1996 .

[10]  Jonathan F. Bard,et al.  The use of upstream and downstream information in scheduling semiconductor batch operations , 1995 .

[11]  Stephen John Turner,et al.  Analysis of a borderless fab using interoperating AutoSched AP models , 2007 .

[12]  S. Dauzere-Peres,et al.  A BATCH OPTIMIZATION SOLVER FOR DIFFUSION AREA SCHEDULING IN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING , 2006 .

[13]  Lars Mönch,et al.  A parallel shifting bottleneck heuristic for scheduling complex job shops: Architecture and performance assessment , 2010, 2010 IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering.

[14]  Stéphane Dauzère-Pérès,et al.  Simulation results and formalism for global-local scheduling in semiconductor manufacturing facilities , 2007, 2007 Winter Simulation Conference.

[15]  H. Toba Segment-based approach for real-time reactive rescheduling for automatic manufacturing control , 2000 .

[16]  J. A. Hoogeveen,et al.  Scheduling a batching machine , 1998 .

[17]  Andreas Klemmt,et al.  Design and validation of heuristic algorithms for simulation-based scheduling of a semiconductor Backend facility , 2009 .

[18]  G.T. Mackulak,et al.  Levels of Capacity and Material Handling System Modeling for Factory Integration Decision Making in Semiconductor Wafer Fabs , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing.

[19]  Tae-Eog Lee,et al.  A review of scheduling theory and methods for semiconductor manufacturing cluster tools , 2008, 2008 Winter Simulation Conference.

[20]  Yang Song,et al.  Bottleneck Station Scheduling in Semiconductor Assembly and Test Manufacturing Using Ant Colony Optimization , 2007, IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering.

[21]  Yazid Mati,et al.  A genetic local search algorithm for minimizing total weighted tardiness in the job-shop scheduling problem , 2008, Comput. Oper. Res..

[22]  Sungmin Park,et al.  Assessment of potential gains in productivity due to proactive reticle management using discrete event simulation , 1999, WSC'99. 1999 Winter Simulation Conference Proceedings. 'Simulation - A Bridge to the Future' (Cat. No.99CH37038).

[23]  Appa Iyer Sivakumar,et al.  Job shop scheduling techniques in semiconductor manufacturing , 2006 .

[24]  N. R. Srinivasa Raghavan,et al.  Scheduling Parallel Batch Processors with Incompatible Job Families Using Ant Colony Optimization , 2006, 2006 IEEE International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering.

[25]  Erhan Kutanoglu,et al.  Scheduling with Advanced Process Control Constraints , 2009 .

[26]  Gabriel R. Bitran,et al.  OR Practice - Development and Implementation of a Scheduling System for a Wafer Fabrication Facility , 1988, Oper. Res..

[27]  Lars Mönch,et al.  A distributed shifting bottleneck heuristic for complex job shops , 2005, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[28]  Stéphane Dauzère-Pérès,et al.  A Batch Optimization Sofware for diffusion area scheduling in semiconductor manufacturing , 2008, ASMC 2008.

[29]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  Performance of decomposition procedures for job shop scheduling problems with bottleneck machines , 2000 .

[30]  Mary E. Kurz,et al.  A branch and bound algorithm to minimise total weighted tardiness on a single batch processing machine with ready times and incompatible job families , 2006 .

[31]  John W. Fowler,et al.  A multi-population genetic algorithm to solve multi-objective scheduling problems for parallel machines , 2003, Comput. Oper. Res..

[32]  Jen-Shiang Chen,et al.  Scheduling Jobs Containing Multiple Orders on the Identical Parallel Machine , 2013 .

[33]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  A genetic algorithm to minimize maximum lateness on a batch processing machine , 2002, Comput. Oper. Res..

[34]  Lars Mönch,et al.  Scheduling-Framework für Jobs auf parallelen Maschinen in komplexen Produktionssystemen , 2004, Wirtschaftsinf..

[35]  Scott J. Mason,et al.  Parallel machine scheduling subject to auxiliary resource constraints , 2007 .

[36]  Lili Liu,et al.  Minimizing Number of Tardy Jobs on a Batch Processing Machine with Incompatible Job Families , 2008, 2008 ISECS International Colloquium on Computing, Communication, Control, and Management.

[37]  A. Upasani,et al.  Integrating a decomposition procedure with problem reduction for factory scheduling with disruptions: a simulation study , 2008 .

[38]  V. Erramilli,et al.  Multiple Orders Per Job Compatible Batch Scheduling , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Electronics Packaging Manufacturing.

[39]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  Benchmarks for shop scheduling problems , 1998, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[40]  S. Mason,et al.  Using real options analysis to value reoptimization options in the shifting bottleneck heuristic , 2006 .

[41]  John W. Fowler,et al.  A hybridized genetic algorithm to solve parallel machine scheduling problems with sequence dependent setups , 2003 .

[42]  Jairo R. Montoya-Torres,et al.  A literature survey on the design approaches and operational issues of automated wafer-transport systems for wafer fabs , 2006 .

[43]  Larg Weiland,et al.  Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference , 2002, ASMC 2002.

[44]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  Rolling horizon procedures for dynamic parallel machine scheduling with sequence-dependent setup times. , 1995 .

[45]  John W. Fowler,et al.  Genetic algorithm based scheduling of parallel batch machines with incompatible job families to minimize total weighted tardiness , 2004 .

[46]  Erhan Kutanoglu,et al.  Heuristic based scheduling system for diffusion in semiconductor manufacturing , 2009, Proceedings of the 2009 Winter Simulation Conference (WSC).

[47]  John W. Fowler,et al.  A modified shifting bottleneck heuristic for minimizing total weighted tardiness in complex job shops , 2002 .

[48]  Dirk Reichelt,et al.  Multiobjective Scheduling of Jobs with Incompatible Families on Parallel Batch Machines , 2006, EvoCOP.

[49]  Stéphane Dauzère-Pérès,et al.  Flexibility measures for qualification management in wafer fabs , 2011 .

[50]  M. A. Dimmler Using simulation and genetic algorithms to improve cluster tool performance , 1999 .

[51]  J.W. Fowler,et al.  Heuristics for minimizing total weighted tardiness in complex job shops , 2005 .

[52]  R. Bixby,et al.  Short-Interval Detailed Production Scheduling in 300mm Semiconductor Manufacturing using Mixed Integer and Constraint Programming , 2006, The 17th Annual SEMI/IEEE ASMC 2006 Conference.

[53]  Mark S. Fox,et al.  Intelligent Scheduling , 1998 .

[54]  Stéphane Dauzère-Pérès,et al.  Impact of qualification management on scheduling in semiconductor manufacturing , 2008, 2008 Winter Simulation Conference.

[55]  Carl Johnzén,et al.  Modeling and optimizing flexible capacity allocation in semiconductor manufacturing , 2009 .

[56]  A. Barua,et al.  Implementing global factory schedules in the face of stochastic disruptions , 2005 .

[57]  Kenneth Fordyce,et al.  Technology that upsets the social order — a paradigm shift in assigning lots to tools in a wafer fabricator — the transition from rules to optimization , 2008, 2008 Winter Simulation Conference.

[58]  Yeong-Dae Kim,et al.  Scheduling Wafer Lots on Diffusion Machines in a Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication Facility , 2010, IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing.

[59]  Peter Brucker,et al.  Complex Scheduling , 2006 .

[60]  Chris N. Potts,et al.  Scheduling with batching: A review , 2000, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[61]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  A review of production planning and scheduling models in the semiconductor industry , 1994 .

[62]  M. Mathirajan,et al.  A literature review, classification and simple meta-analysis on scheduling of batch processors in semiconductor , 2006 .

[63]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  Scheduling a single batch processing machine with secondary resource constraints , 1998 .

[64]  Subhash C. Sarin,et al.  A survey of dispatching rules for operational control in wafer fabrication , 2011 .

[65]  Oliver Rose,et al.  SOLUTION APPROACHES FOR THE CLUSTER TOOL SCHEDULING PROBLEM IN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING , 2004 .

[66]  J. Wesley Barnes,et al.  Modeling the reentrant job shop scheduling problem with setups for metaheuristic searches , 2005, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[67]  S. Sze Semiconductor Devices: Physics and Technology , 1985 .

[68]  Yiwei Cai,et al.  Single-machine scheduling with advanced process control constraints , 2012, J. Sched..

[69]  Jagadish Jampani,et al.  A column generation heuristic for complex job shop multiple orders per job scheduling , 2010, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[70]  Robert W. Atherton,et al.  Wafer Fabrication: Factory Performance and Analysis , 1995 .

[71]  Jeffrey W. Herrmann,et al.  Handbook of production scheduling , 2006 .

[72]  Chen-Fu Chien,et al.  A novel timetabling algorithm for a furnace process for semiconductor fabrication with constrained waiting and frequency-based setups , 2007, OR Spectr..

[73]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  A REVIEW OF PRODUCTION PLANNING AND SCHEDULING MODELS IN THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY PART I: SYSTEM CHARACTERISTICS, PERFORMANCE EVALUATION AND PRODUCTION PLANNING , 1992 .

[74]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  Hybrid decomposition heuristics for solving large-scale scheduling problems in semiconductor wafer fabrication , 2007, J. Sched..

[75]  Andreas Klemmt,et al.  Optimisation approaches for batch scheduling in semiconductor manufacturing , 2011 .

[76]  Lars Mönch,et al.  Ant Colony Optimization for Scheduling Jobs with Incompatible Families on Parallel Batch Machines , 2009 .

[77]  Lars Mönch,et al.  The FABMAS multi-agent-system prototype for production control of water fabs: design, implementation and performance assessment , 2006 .

[78]  Lars Mönch,et al.  Integrated heuristics for scheduling multiple order jobs in a complex job shop , 2010, Int. J. Metaheuristics.

[79]  Claude Yugma Scheduling Inspection Operations subject to a Fixed Production Schedule , 2009 .

[80]  Weiming Shen,et al.  A Multiagent-Based Decision-Making System for Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication With Hard Temporal Constraints , 2008, IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing.

[81]  Scott J. Mason,et al.  Multiple orders per job batch scheduling with incompatible jobs , 2008, Ann. Oper. Res..

[82]  John W. Fowler,et al.  Heuristic scheduling of jobs on parallel batch machines with incompatible job families and unequal ready times , 2005, Comput. Oper. Res..

[83]  J. Domaschke,et al.  Implementation of modeling and simulation in semiconductor wafer fabrication with time constraints between wet etch and furnace operations , 1999, 1999 IEEE International Symposium on Semiconductor Manufacturing Conference Proceedings (Cat No.99CH36314).

[84]  E.L. Lawler,et al.  Optimization and Approximation in Deterministic Sequencing and Scheduling: a Survey , 1977 .

[85]  Oliver Rose,et al.  Approximation of the Cycle Time of Cluster Tools in Semiconductor Manufacturing , 2004 .

[86]  Fei Qiao,et al.  ACO-Based Scheduling of Parallel Batch Processing Machines with Incompatible Job Families to Minimize Total Weighted Tardiness , 2008, ANTS Conference.

[87]  S. J. Mason,et al.  Rescheduling strategies for minimizing total weighted tardiness in complex job shops , 2004 .

[88]  John W. Fowler,et al.  A genetic algorithm approach to manage ion implantation processes in wafer fabrication , 2000, Int. J. Manuf. Technol. Manag..

[89]  John W. Fowler,et al.  A multi-criteria approach for scheduling semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities , 2008, J. Sched..

[90]  John W. Fowler,et al.  Semiconductor manufacturing scheduling and dispatching: State of the art and survey of needs , 2006 .

[91]  Scott J. Mason,et al.  Minimizing total weighted tardiness on a batch-processing machine with incompatible job families and job ready times , 2008 .

[92]  Robin G. Qiu A service-oriented integration framework for semiconductor manufacturing systems , 2007, Int. J. Manuf. Technol. Manag..

[93]  Jagadish Jampani,et al.  Column generation heuristics for multiple machine, multiple orders per job scheduling problems , 2008, Ann. Oper. Res..

[94]  Andreas Klemmt,et al.  A comparison of MIP-based decomposition techniques and VNS approaches for batch scheduling problems , 2009, Proceedings of the 2009 Winter Simulation Conference (WSC).

[95]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  A Computational Study of Shifting Bottleneck Procedures for Shop Scheduling Problems , 1997, J. Heuristics.

[96]  Egon Balas,et al.  The Shifting Bottleneck Procedure for Job Shop Scheduling , 1988 .

[97]  E. Akcali,et al.  A sequential solution methodology for capacity allocation and lot scheduling problems for photolithography , 2000, Twenty Sixth IEEE/CPMT International Electronics Manufacturing Technology Symposium (Cat. No.00CH37146).

[98]  Doo Yong Lee,et al.  Scheduling cluster tools in wafer fabrication using candidate list and simulated annealing , 1998, J. Intell. Manuf..

[99]  Purushothaman Damodaran,et al.  A GRASP approach for makespan minimization on parallel batch processing machines , 2011, J. Intell. Manuf..

[100]  G.K. Agrawal,et al.  A survey of automated material handling systems in 300-mm SemiconductorFabs , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing.

[101]  R. Uzsoy,et al.  Cycle-time improvements for photolithography process in semiconductor manufacturing , 2001 .

[102]  Lars Mönch,et al.  Machine learning techniques for scheduling jobs with incompatible families and unequal ready times on parallel batch machines , 2006, Eng. Appl. Artif. Intell..

[103]  G.T. Mackulak,et al.  Evaluating the impacts of reticle requirements in semiconductor wafer fabrication , 2005, IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing.

[104]  van der,et al.  Proceedings of the 2012 winter simulation conference , 2001, WSC 2008.

[105]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  Decomposition methods for reentrant flow shops with sequence‐dependent setup times , 2000 .

[106]  John W. Fowler,et al.  Multi-Objective Semiconductor Manufacturing Scheduling: A Random Keys Implementation of NSGA-II , 2007, 2007 IEEE Symposium on Computational Intelligence in Scheduling.

[107]  Ahmet B. Keha,et al.  Minimizing makespan with multiple-orders-per-job in a two-machine flowshop , 2007, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[108]  Lawrence M. Wein,et al.  Scheduling semiconductor wafer fabrication , 1988 .

[109]  Simon Oechsner,et al.  Scheduling cluster tools using filtered beam search and recipe comparison , 2005, Proceedings of the Winter Simulation Conference, 2005..

[110]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  Performance of decomposition methods for complex workshops under multiple criteria , 1997 .

[111]  Li Li,et al.  ACO-based multi-objective scheduling of parallel batch processing machines with advanced process control constraints , 2009 .

[112]  Sooyoung Kim,et al.  Shift scheduling for steppers in the semiconductor wafer fabrication process , 2002 .

[113]  John W. Fowler,et al.  Genetic algorithm-based subproblem solution procedures for a modified shifting bottleneck heuristic for complex job shops , 2007, Eur. J. Oper. Res..

[114]  G. Rinaldi,et al.  Scheduling tasks with sequence-dependent processing times , 1988 .

[115]  R. Uzsoy,et al.  A problem reduction approach for scheduling semiconductor wafer fabrication facilities , 2006, IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing.

[116]  Reha Uzsoy,et al.  Minimizing total tardiness on a batch processing machine with incompatible job families , 1998 .

[117]  Lars Mönch,et al.  Minimizing earliness–tardiness on a single burn-in oven with a common due date and maximum allowable tardiness constraint , 2006, OR Spectr..