Scheduling cluster tools in semiconductor manufacturing: Recent advances and challenges

CR Pan, MC Zhou, Y Qiao… - IEEE transactions on …, 2017 - ieeexplore.ieee.org
Cluster tools are automated robotic manufacturing systems containing multiple computer-
controlled process modules. They have been increasingly used for wafer fabrication. This …

IoT-enabled real-time production performance analysis and exception diagnosis model

Y Zhang, W Wang, N Wu, C Qian - IEEE Transactions on …, 2015 - ieeexplore.ieee.org
The recent developments of technologies in Internet of Things (IoT) provide the opportunities
for smart manufacturing with real-time traceability, visibility, and interoperability in production …

Compact supervisory control of discrete event systems by Petri nets with data inhibitor arcs

YF Chen, ZW Li, K Barkaoui, NQ Wu… - IEEE Transactions on …, 2016 - ieeexplore.ieee.org
This work proposes a novel structure in Petri nets, namely data inhibitor arcs, and their
application to the optimal supervisory control of Petri nets. A data inhibitor arc is an arc from …

Optimal one-wafer cyclic scheduling and buffer space configuration for single-arm multicluster tools with linear topology

L Bai, N Wu, Z Li, MC Zhou - IEEE Transactions on Systems …, 2016 - ieeexplore.ieee.org
This work studies the scheduling problem of a single-arm multicluster tool with a linear
topology and process-bound bottleneck individual tool. The objective is to find a one-wafer …

Scheduling of single-arm cluster tools for an atomic layer deposition process with residency time constraints

FJ Yang, NQ Wu, Y Qiao, MC Zhou… - IEEE Transactions on …, 2016 - ieeexplore.ieee.org
In semiconductor manufacturing, there are wafer fabrication processes with wafer revisiting.
Some of them must meet wafer residency time constraints. Taking atomic layer deposition …

Polynomial approach to optimal one-wafer cyclic scheduling of treelike hybrid multi-cluster tools via Petri nets

F Yang, N Wu, Y Qiao, R Su - IEEE/CAA Journal of Automatica …, 2017 - ieeexplore.ieee.org
A treelike hybrid multi-cluster tool is composed of both single-arm and dual-arm cluster tools
with a treelike topology. Scheduling such a tool is challenging. For a hybrid treelike multi …

Petri net modeling and scheduling of a close-down process for time-constrained single-arm cluster tools

QH Zhu, MC Zhou, Y Qiao… - IEEE Transactions on …, 2016 - ieeexplore.ieee.org
In wafer fabrication, a robotic cluster tool is required to be closed down in order for
engineers to perform its on-demand and preventive maintenance and switch between …

[HTML][HTML] Scheduling robotic cells with fixed processing times or time windows: Classification, solution approaches, polynomial algorithms and complexity

J Feng, A Che, C Chu, E Levner, V Kats - European Journal of Operational …, 2024 - Elsevier
Robotic cell scheduling has received considerable attention from researchers. Several
existing review papers have presented then-existing studies on robotic cell scheduling and …

Noncyclic scheduling of cluster tools with a branch and bound algorithm

HJ Kim, JH Lee, TE Lee - IEEE Transactions on Automation …, 2013 - ieeexplore.ieee.org
Cluster tools, each of which consists of multiple processing modules, one material handling
robot, and loadlocks, are widely used for wafer fabrication processes, such as lithography …

E-net modeling and analysis of emergency response processes constrained by resources and uncertain durations

C Liu, Q Zeng, H Duan, MC Zhou, F Lu… - IEEE Transactions on …, 2014 - ieeexplore.ieee.org
Time and resource management and optimization are two important challenges for an
emergency response process, by which all individuals and groups manage hazards in an …