Testing the robustness of two-boundary control policies in semiconductor manufacturing

A simulation model based on a real wafer fabrication is used to investigate the robustness of the two-boundary (TB) production control strategy to the existing uniform loading policy used in a semiconductor fab. Our findings confirm that the TB policy is the most robust of all when random interference, such as machine breakdowns and demand variations, exist. It is also observed that the performance of the wafer fabrication facility under investigation can be improved significantly in terms of reducing cycle time, decreasing work-in-progress (WIP), and cutting down inventory cost.