Paperless manufacturing-a challenge now and in the future

In 1988, VLSI San Antonio Wafer Fab was started with and continues to utilize a paperless CIM (computer-integrated manufacturing), engineering, and inventory system, including lot-based, time-event-based data tracking. The author describes the implementation of this paperless manufacturing system and the benefits derived in cycle time improvement, process improvement, wafer traceability, and real-time engineering information availability. In addition, problems and difficulties of implementation and maintenance of the system as well as future directions are described.<
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