D-SIMCON Use Cases

stg

Sales Target Setting

dirtp

Determination of Investment Requirements for Tool Purchases

Sales Target Setting

Setting of sales targets works hand in hand with determining which products are to be selected for production. Based on committed customer orders, forecasted demand and capacity constraints at the various tools, the optimal product mix can be determined on a regular basis, depending on objectives set by the sales team – maximise output, revenue or margin.

Determination of Investment Requirements for Tool Purchases

A quick determination of tool capacity required for a particular product mix and long-term production plan is often needed without having to go through the iterative and lengthy process associated with the constraints of a dynamic simulation model.

Sales Target Setting

Setting of sales targets works hand in hand with determining which products are to be selected for production. Based on committed customer orders, forecasted demand and capacity constraints at the various tools, the optimal product mix can be determined on a regular basis, depending on objectives set by the sales team – maximise output, revenue or margin.

D-SIMCON Load Mix Optimiser

A quick determination of tool capacity required for a particular product mix and long-term production plan is often needed without having to go through the iterative and lengthy process associated with the constraints of a dynamic simulation model.

D-SIMCON Static Capacity Engine

mtc

Mid-Term Capacity Management in Lithography Area

apm

Analysis of Product Mix Change and Tool Ramp-up Planning

etd

Evaluation and Tuning of Dispatch Rules

aqt

Adjustment of Queue Time Constraint Parameters

tqd

Tool Qualification and Dedication Adjustment Planning

Mid-Term Capacity Management in Lithography Area

To maximise the capacity utilisation in the lithography area while keeping cycle time low, the number of tools dedicated to a particular product/layer can be re-adjusted on a regular basis.

Analysis of Product Mix Change and Tool Ramp-up Planning

Analysis of tool capacity required for a particular product mix, long-term production plans, including tool phase-in and phase-out schedules can be carried out on a regular basis to prioritise bottleneck elimination projects and to understand the interdependencies with cycle times that can be committed.

Evaluation and Tuning of Dispatch Rules

Dispatch rules and priorities can be reviewed on a regular basis to react to changed product mix or and/or a reduction/increase of fab load and make sure that fab capacity is not lost due to over-constraining the system with too many of such rules.

Adjustment of Queue Time Constraint Parameters

Parameters associated with queue time constraints in the production can be reviewed and adjusted on a regular basis in order to maximise capacity without losing yield.

Tool Qualification and Dedication Adjustment Planning

Tool qualifications and dedications to products/recipes need to be reviewed on a regular basis to make sure that sufficient tools are qualified for all products but at the same time qualification is not carried our unnecessarily.

Mid-Term Capacity Management in Lithography Area

To maximise the capacity utilisation in the lithography area while keeping cycle time low, the number of tools dedicated to a particular product/layer can be re-adjusted on a regular basis.

D-SIMCON Static Capacity Engine

D-SIMCON Photo Dedication Optimiser

Analysis of tool capacity required for a particular product mix, long-term production plans, including tool phase-in and phase-out schedules can be carried out on a regular basis to prioritise bottleneck elimination projects and to understand the interdependencies with cycle times that can be committed.

D-SIMCON Dynamic Capacity Planner

Dispatch rules and priorities can be reviewed on a regular basis to react to changed product mix or and/or a reduction/increase of fab load and make sure that fab capacity is not lost due to over-constraining the system with too many of such rules.

D-SIMCON Dynamic Capacity Planner

Parameters associated with queue time constraints in the production can be reviewed and adjusted on a regular basis in order to maximise capacity without losing yield.

D-SIMCON Dynamic Capacity Planner

Tool qualifications and dedications to products/recipes need to be reviewed on a regular basis to make sure that sufficient tools are qualified for all products but at the same time qualification is not carried our unnecessarily.

D-SIMCON Dynamic Capacity Planner

atp

Available to Promise

wof

Wafer Output Forecast

alp

Analysis of Lot Priorities and Due-Date Performance

Available to Promise

As the capacity available to be promised to one customer is dependent on the capacity promised to another, responses to customer order enquiries can be supported by an Available-To-Promise (ATP) function, taking into account resource availability, current load of the fab and forecasted demand, to make sure that committed due dates are in line with capacity available and the associated production cycle times.

Wafer Output Forecast

Line control and other departments in the fab can be supported with a fab wafer out forecast at the granularity of choice, for example total number or wafer out per product group level to help plan resources in downstream facilities such as wafer test.

Analysis of Lot Priorities and Due-Date Performance

Regular assessment of lot priorities can be accomplished to make sure that margins associated with higher-priority lots can be maximised while maintaining or even enhancing due-date performance.

Available to Promise

As the capacity available to be promised to one customer is dependent on the capacity promised to another, responses to customer order enquiries can be supported by an Available-To-Promise (ATP) function, taking into account resource availability, current load of the fab and forecasted demand, to make sure that committed due dates are in line with capacity available and the associated production cycle times.

D-SIMCON Dynamic Capacity Planner

Line control and other departments in the fab can be supported with a fab wafer out forecast at the granularity of choice, for example total number or wafer out per product group level to help plan resources in downstream facilities such as wafer test.

D-SIMCON WIP Forecaster

Regular assessment of lot priorities can be accomplished to make sure that margins associated with higher-priority lots can be maximised while maintaining or even enhancing due-date performance.

D-SIMCON Dynamic Capacity Planner

wipff

WIP Flow Forecast

ftp

Fine-Tuning of Preventive Maintenance Timing

ora

Operator Resource Allocation

wsp

Wafer Start Planning

sfmp

Sub Fab Material Planning

elf

Engineering Lot Forecast

WIP Flow Forecast

Visibility is required with regard to anticipated Work in Progress (WIP) movement in the production line to forecast WIP waves and plan countermeasures accordingly.

Fine-Tuning of Preventive Maintenance Timing

By regularly adjusting the timing for Preventive Maintenance (either within time constraints or based on number of wafers processed since last PM) synchronisation with material flow can be enhanced and cycle time variability reduced.

Operator Resource Allocation

This is a special instance of the WIP Flow Forecast use case to make sure that operator resources are always aligned with expected wafer arrivals/moves in each work center.

Wafer Start Planning

The optimal pattern to release wafers into the production line, taking into account the capacity and load mix, can be determined on a regular basis.

Sub Fab Material Planning

A per-product and per-tool granularity WIP flow forecast in the fab can also enable much more pro-active material planning in the sub-fab. For example, anticipated dates for the replacement of photo resist bottles at coating tools can be determined with high accuracy. As a result, throughput losses because of non-availability of material can be avoided.

Engineering Lot Forecast

This is a special instance of the WIP Flow Forecast use case to make sure that engineering lots do not get stuck in production because tool qualification has not been carried out or other resources have not been provided in time.

WIP Flow Forecast

Visibility is required with regard to anticipated Work in Progress (WIP) movement in the production line to forecast WIP waves and plan countermeasures accordingly.

D-SIMCON WIP Forecaster

By regularly adjusting the timing for Preventive Maintenance (either within time constraints or based on number of wafers processed since last PM) synchronisation with material flow can be enhanced and cycle time variability reduced.

D-SIMCON WIP Forecaster

This is a special instance of the WIP Flow Forecast use case to make sure that operator resources are always aligned with expected wafer arrivals/moves in each work center.

D-SIMCON WIP Forecaster

The optimal pattern to release wafers into the production line, taking into account the capacity and load mix, can be determined on a regular basis.

D-SIMCON WIP Forecaster

A per-product and per-tool granularity WIP flow forecast in the fab can also enable much more pro-active material planning in the sub-fab. For example, anticipated dates for the replacement of photo resist bottles at coating tools can be determined with high accuracy. As a result, throughput losses because of non-availability of material can be avoided.

D-SIMCON WIP Forecaster

This is a special instance of the WIP Flow Forecast use case to make sure that engineering lots do not get stuck in production because tool qualification has not been carried out or other resources have not been provided in time.

D-SIMCON WIP Forecaster

dlsg

Dispatch List/Schedule Generation

Dispatch List/Schedule Generation

This use case comprises regular determination of the optimal sequence (schedule) of production lots to be processed at a group of tools with regard to maximising throughput, minimising queue time, minimising cycle time variability, or a combination of those.

Dispatch List/Schedule Generation

This use case comprises regular determination of the optimal sequence (schedule) of production lots to be processed at a group of tools with regard to maximising throughput, minimising queue time, minimising cycle time variability, or a combination of those.

D-SIMCON Scheduler and Dispatcher

fir

Fab Incident Recovery

Fab Incident Recovery

After a major fab incident (such as a breakdown of a bottleneck tool) the best sequence of recovery actions can be determined to make sure that WIP bubbles can be depleted as quickly as possible. Such recovery actions can comprise activation of backup tools, temporary adaptation of dispatch policies, adjustment of wafer start plan, alteration of Preventive Maintenance timing, adjustment of sampling rate for inspection and measurement, etc.

Fab Incident Recovery

After a major fab incident (such as a breakdown of a bottleneck tool) the best sequence of recovery actions can be determined to make sure that WIP bubbles can be depleted as quickly as possible. Such recovery actions can comprise activation of backup tools, temporary adaptation of dispatch policies, adjustment of wafer start plan, alteration of Preventive Maintenance timing, adjustment of sampling rate for inspection and measurement, etc.

D-SIMCON WIP Forecaster

Use Cases Enabled by Highlighted Products

D-SIMCON Load Mix Optimiser

View Product

D-SIMCON Static Capacity Engine

View Product

D-SIMCON Dynamic Capacity Planner

View Product

D-SIMCON Photo Dedication Optimiser

View Product

D-SIMCON WIP Forecaster

View Product

D-SIMCON Scheduler and Dispatcher

View Product

D-SIMCON AI Evaluation Platform

View Product