Lot release control considering automated material handling system in semiconductor FAB

Abstract

Lot release control plays an important role to efficiently manage WIP and production cycle time in semiconductor FAB. Previous studies have dealt with lot release policies that only consider the characteristics of tool except for the automated material handling system(AMHS). However, in the characteristic of semiconductor FAB, waiting time and transportation time by AMHS account for most of the cycle time. As a result, lot release control was conducted that did not properly reflect the unique characteristics of FAB, such as the movement of job in actual semiconductor FAB. This study verifies various lot release policies proposed in previous studies based on the simulation environment reflecting the characteristics of tools and AMHS. In particular, we would like to present a new lot release policy in consideration of AMHS to show the possibility of improvement in lot release control research that considers movement of jobs in the FAB.