Modeling and simulation of a complete semiconductor manufacturing facility using Petri nets

Most studies employing Petri nets in semiconductor manufacturing model only one specific area (e.g. etching) in detail, and model the rest of the manufacturing process, e.g. by abstract input/output behavior. In our study, we show the feasibility of using Petri nets for modeling the complete production process. We use the first set of test data provided by the MASM-LAB, Arizona State University. It is a process of a two-product system making non-volatile memory chips. For modeling, we use our own tool PSim, which is based on a combined queuing and Petri net formalism. The integration of queues makes the modeling of parts waiting in front of a machine quite concise and intuitive. PSim offers a hierarchical and modular modeling approach, which is especially feasible for large and complex systems. We use the modular approach by once defining the structure of a machine as Petri net and then instantiating as many machines as needed. Then we model the operators, resources and the movement of parts between the machines as specified in the production plan. As a result, we can state that Petri nets are feasible for modeling a complete semiconductor manufacturing process.