Abstract
This paper presents a new method for scheduling cluster tools in semiconductor fabrication. A cluster tool consists of a group of single-wafer chambers organized around a wafer transport device, or robot. Cluster fabrication considered in this paper consists of serial cluster tools. Due to constraints imposed by multiple routes of each type of wafer and machines with no buffer, it is very difficult to find an optimal or near-optimal schedule. The proposed method uses a job requirement table with random keys as a solution representation, and simulated annealing to find an optimal or near-optimal schedule. To determine which operation can be scheduled, a candidate list is used. To show the effectiveness of the proposed method, scheduling example of a cluster fabrication is presented. From the experimental results, it is shown that the proposed method is promising.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 2291-2296 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics |
| Volume | 3 |
| State | Published - 1998 |
| Event | Proceedings of the 1998 IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man, and Cybernetics. Part 3 (of 5) - San Diego, CA, USA Duration: 11 Oct 1998 → 14 Oct 1998 |