This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chen, H. Articles by Wein, L. M. Search for Related Content

Empirical Evaluation of a Queueing Network Model for Semiconductor Wafer Fabrication

Stanford University, Stanford, California
Stanford University, Stanford, California
Stanford University, Stanford, California
Stanford University, Stanford, California
Stanford University, Stanford, California

This paper concerns performance modeling of semiconductor manufacturing operations. More specifically, it focuses on queueing network models for an analysis of wafer fabrication facilities. The congestion problems that plague wafer fabrication facilities are described in general terms, and several years' operating data from one particular facility are summarized. A simple queueing network model of that facility is constructed, and the model is used to predict certain key system performance measures. The values predicted by the model are found to be within about 10% of those actually observed. These results suggest that queueing network models can provide useful quantitative guidance to designers of wafer fabrication facilities, and we discuss refinements and extensions of our elementary model that are likely to be important in other settings. However, an even more important benefit to be gained from queueing theory is the simple qualitative point that congestion and delay in wafer fabrication are caused by variability in the operating environment. To significantly reduce manufacturing cycle times, one must reduce that variability.

Subject classifications: 683 queueing applications; 697 queueing networks.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				D. Armbruster, D. E. Marthaler, C. Ringhofer, K. Kempf, and T.-C. Jo A Continuum Model for a Re-entrant Factory Operations Research, September 1, 2006; 54(5): 933 - 950. [Abstract] [PDF]

				J. G. Dai and W. Lin Maximum Pressure Policies in Stochastic Processing Networks Operations Research, March 1, 2005; 53(2): 197 - 218. [Abstract] [PDF]

				D. D. Yao and S. Zheng Sequential Inspection Under Capacity Constraints Operations Research, May 1, 1999; 47(3): 410 - 421. [Abstract] [PDF]