Autonomous Scheduler for Semiconductor Queue Time Violations
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current automated Manufacturing Execution Systems (MES) in semiconductor fabrication are passive, reliant on human technicians for scheduling and monitoring, leading to inefficiencies such as machine idle time, queue time violations, and difficulty in managing complex manufacturing processes.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous scheduling method and apparatus that autonomously schedules consumer manufacturing domain entities for services provided by provider entities, using a contract net negotiation protocol to constrain queue time violations and optimize resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If autonomous scheduling is implemented, then productivity and queue time compliance improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The scheduling system autonomously monitors queue times and automatically reschedules lots without human intervention. The scheduler service detects queue time violations and independently coordinates with process engine services to reschedule affected lots, enabling the system to self-correct scheduling deviations and maintain productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors actual queue times against maximum queue time constraints and uses this feedback to trigger automatic rescheduling actions. The scheduler service receives feedback about queue time violations from the monitoring mechanism and adjusts schedules accordingly to maintain compliance and improve manufacturing efficiency.
2Manufacturing precision
If maximum queue time constraints are enforced, then manufacturing precision improves, but loss of time increases due to rescheduling
Solution Approach 1:
The system proactively reschedules lots before queue time violations occur by continuously monitoring queue time projections against maximum constraints. When a potential violation is detected, the scheduler automatically adjusts the schedule in advance, preventing rework conditions and maintaining manufacturing precision without incurring actual queue time penalties.
Solution Approach 2:
The system prioritizes rescheduling critical lots with approaching queue time violations over non-critical scheduling tasks. By identifying and urgently rescheduling only the affected lots rather than进行全面 schedule revisions, the system maintains queue time compliance while minimizing overall scheduling disruption and time loss.
3Ease of operation
If autonomous rescheduling is performed, then ease of operation improves, but reliability may worsen due to system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The scheduling system is divided into independent scheduler services, each responsible for specific process engine services. This segmentation isolates failures to individual services rather than system-wide crashes, improving reliability while maintaining autonomous operation. Each scheduler service independently monitors and reschedules lots for its assigned process engines without affecting other parts of the system.
Solution Approach 2:
The scheduler service acts as an intermediary between the monitoring mechanism and the process engine services. It receives queue time violation notifications, processes rescheduling decisions, and coordinates with process engines to implement changes. This intermediary layer buffers potential errors and ensures reliable communication between monitoring and execution components.
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus for use in an automated manufacturing environment are disclosed. The method includes autonomously scheduling a consumer manufacturing domain entity for the consumption of services provided by a plurality of provider manufacturing domain entities in an automated process flow; and constraining the autonomous scheduling to lessen queue time violations in the process flow. The apparatus includes a program storage medium encoded with instructions that, when executed by a computing device, performs such a method; a computing apparatus programmed to perform such a method, and an automated process flow implementing such a method.