Improving direct labour productivity through minimizing time wastage approach

As today, most IC supplies are still from 200 mm fab. When most 200 mm fab completed the tool depreciation cycle, the ratio of human cost in total wafer cost increased. The human productivity improvement would further improve wafer fabrication cost reduction. Compared to 300 mm fab, a 200 mm fab is more labour intensive in that human intervention is required. Hence, direct labour productivity may be impacted by non-value added tasks that are associated with the routine activities of an operator. In this paper, we take the unconventional way of improving labour productivity by minimizing time wastages caused by non-value added activities. This study with improvement action focuses on time wastage in queuing for metrology tools and handling of control wafers. By creating usage schedule of metrology tools across the fabs, and having dispatching rules for highly utilized metrology tools, this study aims to reduce waiting time in front of metrology tools and thereby improving direct labour productivity and improving a certain level of fab OEE.