IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/spr/flsman/v37y2025i4d10.1007_s10696-024-09565-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Scheduling single-arm multi-cluster tools connected by one-space buffer modules beyond the schedulability assumption

Author

Listed:
  • Xin Li

    (The Education University of Hong Kong, Department of Mathematics and Information Technology)

  • Xiaohu Qian

    (Shenzhen University, College of Management)

Abstract

Multi-cluster tools are increasingly being adopted for wafer production in semiconductor fabrications. The current paper deals with single-armed linear multi-cluster tools connected by one-space buffer modules with residency time constraints. Due to the complexity of operations, previous research has primarily focused on scenarios with the schedulability assumption—where there is always a wafer in processing at each step—using the backward strategy or its extensions for single-arm tools. However, it is open and more challenging to schedule such tools under general conditions beyond the schedulability assumption. The current paper deals with these general conditions. Furthermore, an innovative K-unit cyclic scheduling approach is applied to achieve higher productivity. Based on detailed analysis of the operations in these tools, a mixed integer linear programming model is formulated. Both illustrative examples and randomly generated instances are used to test and validate the proposed model. The results demonstrate that the proposed approach is valid and effective. Additionally, the K-unit cyclic schedules significantly improve productivity, which is of great importance for a company’s profitability.

Suggested Citation

  • Xin Li & Xiaohu Qian, 2025. "Scheduling single-arm multi-cluster tools connected by one-space buffer modules beyond the schedulability assumption," Flexible Services and Manufacturing Journal, Springer, vol. 37(4), pages 1408-1432, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:flsman:v:37:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s10696-024-09565-7
    DOI: 10.1007/s10696-024-09565-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://link.springer.com/10.1007/s10696-024-09565-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1007/s10696-024-09565-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to

    for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Keywords

    ;
    ;
    ;
    ;

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:spr:flsman:v:37:y:2025:i:4:d:10.1007_s10696-024-09565-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.springer.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.