Method and system for determining operator staffing

• US 6,459,946 B1
• Filed: 11/12/1999
• Issued: 10/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Bell Semiconductor, LLC (Hilco Inc. (d/b/a Hilco Global)), Lucent Technologies, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Agere Systems Guardian Corp. (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Villanova, Francisco Javier Bonal, Romero, Manuel Fernandez
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): CABRERA, ZOILA E
• Application Number:
  US09/439,048
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 700/121, 700/97, 700/99-104, 700/111, 700/106, 700/107, 700/108, 702/182
• US Class Current: 700/111
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41865 characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31425 Plan availability of operator for cell as function of time and operation calendar
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32262 Work manhours, number of operators and work place
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45031 Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A method and system for determining a total number of operators needed at a semiconductor wafer work center to achieve a wafer manufacturing goal is provided. The work center includes a wafer lot tracking system and a plurality of processing stations for processing a plurality of lots of semiconductor wafers to be manufactured. A highest operator throughput as a maximum rate of wafers that can be processed per operator based on data from the lot tracking system is determined, and a minimum number of operators that are needed to process wafers in the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal based on the wafer manufacturing goal and the highest operator throughput is determined. Furthermore, a determination is made of a number of working operators needed to process wafers in the semiconductor wafer work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal by increasing the minimum number of operators based on characteristics of the processing stations. An operator availability based on an average number of working operators and a number of all operators at the work center is also determined. The total number of operators needed at the semiconductor wafer work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal is then determined based on the operator availability and the number of working operators.

Claims

1. A method of determining a total number of operators needed at a semiconductor wafer work center to achieve a wafer manufacturing goal, the work center including a wafer lot tracking system and a plurality of processing stations for processing a plurality of lots of semiconductor wafers to be manufactured, the method comprising the steps of:

setting the wafer manufacturing goal;

determining a highest operator throughput as a maximum rate of wafers that can be processed per operator based on data from the lot tracking system;

determining a minimum number of operators that are needed to process wafers in the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal based on the wafer manufacturing goal and the highest operator throughput;

determining a number of working operators needed to process wafers in the semiconductor wafer work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal by increasing the minimum number of operators based on characteristics of the processing stations;

determining an operator availability based on an average number of working operators and a number of all operators at the work center; and

determining the total number of operators needed at the semiconductor wafer work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal based on the operator availability and the number of working operators.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the total number of operators needed at the semiconductor wafer work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal is also based on a work center operating time and a working time per operator.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining the total number of operators needed at the semiconductor wafer work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal comprises multiplying the quotient of the number of working operators needed divided by the operator availability, by the quotient of the work center operating time divided by the working time per operator.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of setting the wafer manufacturing goal is based on a rate of wafers that can be started in a product flow and a number of process steps in the product flow.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the number of working operators comprises dividing the minimum number of operators by an operator cushion.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the operator cushion is between 0 and 1.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein. the operator cushion is a historical factor.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the minimum number of operators comprises dividing the wafer manufacturing goal by the highest operator throughput.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the step of determining the operator availability comprises dividing the average number of working operators by the number of all operators at the work center.

10. A method of determining a total number of operators needed at a semiconductor wafer work center to achieve a wafer manufacturing goal, the work center including a wafer lot tracking system and a plurality of processing stations for processing a plurality of lots of semiconductor wafers to be manufactured, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a highest operator throughput as a maximum rate of wafers that can be processed per operator based on data from the lot tracking system;

determining a minimum number of operators that are needed to process wafers in the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal based on the wafer manufacturing goal and the highest operator throughput;

determining a number of working operators that are needed to process wafers in the work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal by increasing the minimum number of operators based on characteristics of the processing stations;

determining an operator availability based on an average number of working operators processing wafers and a number of all operators at the work center; and

determining the total number of operators needed at the semiconductor wafer work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal based on the operator availability, the number of working operators, a work center operating time and a working time per operator.

11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of setting the wafer manufacturing goal based on a rate of wafers that can be started in a product flow and a number of process steps in the product flow.

12. A method according to claim 10, wherein the step of determining the number of working operators comprises dividing the minimum number of operators by an operator cushion which is between 0 and 1.

13. A method of determining a total number of operators needed at a work center to achieve a manufacturing goal, the work center including a product tracking system and a plurality of processing stations for processing products to be manufactured, the method comprising the steps of:

setting the manufacturing goal;

determining a highest operator throughput as a maximum rate of products that can be processed per operator based on data from the product tracking system;

determining a minimum number of operators that are needed to process products in the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal based on the manufacturing goal and the highest operator throughput;

determining a number of working operators that are needed to process products in the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal by increasing the minimum number of operators based on characteristics of the processing stations;

determining an operator availability based on an average number of working operators processing products and a number of all operators at the work center; and

determining the total number of operators needed at the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal based on the operator availability and the number of working operators.

14. A method according to claim 13, wherein the step of determining the total number of operators needed at the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal is also based on a work center operating time and a working time per operator.

15. A method according to claim 14, wherein the step of determining the total number of operators needed at the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal comprises multiplying the quotient of the number of working operators needed divided by the operator availability, by the quotient of the work center operating time divided by the working time per operator.

16. A method according to claim 13, wherein the step of setting the manufacturing goal is based on a rate of products that can be started in a product flow and a number of process steps in the product flow.

17. A method according to claim 13, wherein the step of determining the number of working operators comprises dividing the minimum number of operators by an operator cushion.

18. A method according to claim 17, wherein the operator cushion is between 0 and 1.

19. A method according to claim 17, wherein the operator cushion is a historical factor.

20. A method according to claim 13, wherein the step of determining the minimum number of operators comprises dividing the manufacturing goal by the highest operator throughput.

21. A method according to claim 13, wherein the step of determining the operator availability comprises dividing the average number of working operators by the number of all operators at the work center.

22. A system for determining a total number of operators needed at a semiconductor wafer work center to achieve a wafer manufacturing goal, the work center including a wafer lot tracking system and a plurality of processing stations for processing a plurality of lots of semiconductor wafers to be manufactured, the system comprising:

means for determining a highest operator throughput as a maximum rate of wafers that can be processed per operator based on data from the lot tracking system;

means for determining a minimum number of operators that are needed to process wafers in the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal based on the wafer manufacturing goal and the highest operator throughput;

means for determining a number of working operators that are needed to process wafers in the work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal by increasing the minimum number of operators based on characteristics of the processing stations;

means for determining an operator availability based on an average number of working operators and a number of all operators at the work center; and

means for determining the total number of operators needed at the semiconductor wafer work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal based on the operator availability and the number of working operators.

23. A system according to claim 22, wherein the means for determining the total number of operators needed at the semiconductor work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal uses a work center operating time and a working time per operator.

24. A system according to claim 23, wherein the means for determining the total number of operators needed at the semiconductor work center to achieve the wafer manufacturing goal multiplies the quotient of the number of working operators needed divided by the operator availability, by the quotient of the work center operating time divided by the working time per operator.

25. A system according to claim 22, wherein the wafer manufacturing goal is based on a rate of wafers that can be started in a product flow and a number of process steps in the product flow.

26. A system according to claim 22, wherein the means for determining the number of working operators divides the minimum number of operators by an operator cushion.

27. A system according to claim 26, wherein the operator cushion is between 0 and 1.

28. A system according to claim 26, wherein the operator cushion is a historical factor.

29. A system according to claim 22, wherein the means for determining the minimum number of operators divides the wafer manufacturing goal by the highest operator throughput.

30. A system according to claim 22, wherein the means for determining the operator availability divides the average number of working operators by the number of all operators at the work center.

31. A system for determining a total number of operators needed at a work center to achieve a manufacturing goal, the work center including a product tracking system and a plurality of processing stations for processing products to be manufactured, the system comprising:

means for determining a highest operator throughput as a maximum rate of products that can be processed per operator based on data from the product tracking system;

means for determining a minimum number of operators that are needed to process products in the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal based on the manufacturing goal and the highest operator throughput;

means for determining a number of working operators that are needed to process products in the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal by increasing the minimum number of operators based on characteristics of the processing stations;

means for determining an operator availability based on an average number of working operators and a number of all operators at the work center; and

means for determining the total number of operators needed at the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal based on the operator availability and the number of working operators.

32. A system according to claim 31, wherein the means for determining the total number of operators needed at the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal uses a work center operating time and a working time per operator.

33. A system according to claim 32, wherein the means for determining the total number of operators needed at the work center to achieve the manufacturing goal multiplies the quotient of the number of working operators needed divided by the operator availability, by the quotient of the work center operating time divided by the working time per operator.

34. A system according to claim 31, wherein the manufacturing goal is based on a rate of products that can be started in a product flow and a number of process steps in the product flow.

35. A system according to claim 31, wherein the means for determining the number of working operators divides the minimum number of operators by an operator cushion.

36. A system according to claim 35, wherein the operator cushion is between 0 and 1.

37. A system according to claim 35, wherein the operator cushion is a historical factor.

38. A system according to claim 31, wherein the means for determining the minimum number of operators divides the manufacturing goal by the highest operator throughput.

39. A system according to claim 31, wherein the means for determining the operator availability divides the average number of working operators by the number of all operators at the work center.