LAPSE:2024.1679
Published Article

LAPSE:2024.1679
Scheduling of Automated Wet-Etch Stations with One Robot in Semiconductor Manufacturing via Constraint Answer Set Programming
August 23, 2024
Scheduling and optimization have a central place in the research area of computing because it is increasingly important to achieve fully automated production processes to adjust manufacturing systems to the requirements of Industry 4.0. In this paper, we demonstrate how an automated wet-etch scheduling problem for the semiconductor industry can be solved by constraint answer set programming (CASP) and its solver called clingcon. A successful solution to this problem is achieved, and we found that for all tested problems, CASP is faster and obtains smaller makespan values for seven of the eight problems tested than the solutions based on mixed integer linear programming and constraint paradigms. The considered scheduling problem includes a robot for lot transfers between baths. CASP is a hybrid approach in automated reasoning that combines different research areas such as answer set programming, constraint processing, and Satisfiability Modulo Theories. For a long time, exact methods such as constraint programming have displayed difficulties in solving real large-scale problem instances. Currently, the performance of state-of-the-art constraint solvers is comparatively better than a decade ago, and some complex combinatorial problems can be better solved. These theoretical and technical achievements open new horizons for declarative programming applications such as logistics.
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Keywords
constraint answer set programming, knowledge representation and reasoning, Optimization, Scheduling, semiconductor manufacturing systems
Subject
Suggested Citation
García-Mata CL, Burtseva L, Werner F. Scheduling of Automated Wet-Etch Stations with One Robot in Semiconductor Manufacturing via Constraint Answer Set Programming. (2024). LAPSE:2024.1679
Author Affiliations
García-Mata CL: Tecnológico Nacional de México (TecNM)—IT Chihuahua, Tecnológico Ave 2909, Chihuahua C.P. 31310, Chihuahua, Mexico [ORCID]
Burtseva L: Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Calle de la Normal S/N, Col. Insurgentes Este, Mexicali C.P. 21280, Baja California, Mexico
Werner F: Faculty of Mathematics, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany [ORCID]
Burtseva L: Instituto de Ingeniería, Universidad Autónoma de Baja California, Calle de la Normal S/N, Col. Insurgentes Este, Mexicali C.P. 21280, Baja California, Mexico
Werner F: Faculty of Mathematics, Otto-von-Guericke University Magdeburg, Universitätsplatz 2, 39106 Magdeburg, Germany [ORCID]
Journal Name
Processes
Volume
12
Issue
7
First Page
1315
Year
2024
Publication Date
2024-06-25
ISSN
2227-9717
Version Comments
Original Submission
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PII: pr12071315, Publication Type: Journal Article
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LAPSE:2024.1679
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https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12071315
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[v1] (Original Submission)
Aug 23, 2024
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Aug 23, 2024
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