The correct level of model complexity in semiconductor fab simulation — Lessons learned from practice

It is well-known that semiconductor manufacturing is one of the most complex types of production. Consequently, making the right decisions in order to get the optimum output of a semiconductor fab is quite challenging. For that reason, sophisticated discrete event simulation studies may be seen as a kind of magic tool for fab managers to face the ever-increasing complexity. But building complex dynamic simulation models in order to solve complex problems is not always the best solution. This article gives an overview of the discussion about the correct level of complexity of discrete event simulation models and lists the main reasons for the creation of overcomplex models. To provide guidance for practitioners, lessons learned are derived from four "real world" use cases in which the correct level of complexity was a major issue.