earticle

영어

A generic simulator and data-driven generic simulation are widely used to reduce modeling efforts. The concept of a generic simulator includes the extracting and storage of the common parts of a domain. The common parts in semiconductor manufacturing simulation can be the scheduling logic and the operation rules of automated material handling systems, such as auto-guided vehicles or overhead hoist transfers. The execution of a simulation instance with pre-programmed common parts is triggered by providing the required data. Simulation analysts do not need to create separate simulation models unless special logic or operation rules not included in the common parts are considered. Emerging requirements for a generic simulator can be summarized as follows. For the best decisions, it is necessary to study every aspect of alternatives thoroughly. However, the volume of data increases significantly as the number of alternatives and variables associated with the data increases. Because previously introduced generic simulators have difficulties in handling large volumes of data, simulation analyses are often limited and not satisfactory. In addition, the statistical functions of commercial simulation packages used in semiconductor line modeling leave something to be desired. That is, they are not easy to use and not particularly powerful. This paper demonstrates an improved generic simulation framework with enhanced features. It is capable of handling large volumes of data, utilizing abundant statistical functions, and reducing the data preparation time. With the proposed framework, simulation analysts can reduce the simulation modeling time while exploring many alternatives with a powerful statistical analyzer and a rapid visualization tool. These features are expected to contribute to more efficient decision making. This research is a case study of a leading electronics company in South Korea.