Better dispatch application-a success story [IC manufacture]

Using priority rules, a project was conducted to implement a dispatching system in a high-volume semiconductor front-end production line. The specific goals of this project were to apply dispatch rules to reduce cycle time and balance the WIP in the line. This paper presents the project methodology, implemented dispatch policies and measurable results in different production areas, including furnace/wet etch, CMP, plasma etch, ion implantation, and lithography.