A work cell manufacturing system for VLSI fabrication

The concepts behind the next-generation work cell semiconductor manufacturing system capable of achieving competitive advantages in product quality, variety, cost, and time to market are presented. The new system with modular work cells is targeted at high product variety and lean production. This contrasts with the traditional job shop system targeted at low product variety and mass production. In the new work cell system, each cell consists of different types of machines performing multiple and consecutive functions. It increases flexibility by decomposing operations into parallel lines, and streamlines the production flow by moving wafers in small lot sizes with minimum buffers. Other issues such as operational flow control, equipment selections, and people-centered improvement in the new system are addressed