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A leading domestic 12-inch wafer manufacturer with a monthly capacity exceeding 400,000 pieces, serving as a core supplier of semiconductor materials for integrated circuits, discrete devices, sensors, and more, holding a strategic position in China's semiconductor silicon wafer industry chain.

For industry leaders, capacity is not the bottleneck; extreme cycle time is. As 12-inch wafer production lines expand and product structures diversify, the company seeks higher-dimensional breakthroughs on its leading foundation: how to leverage more efficient and intelligent scheduling methods to further unleash production line potential and enhance overall operational resilience and synergy:
Scheduling efficiency upgrade: Although the manual scheduling system leads the industry average, there is still room for optimization in the 2-3 hours required for single scheduling amid high-mix, low-volume premium orders, with flexibility for ad-hoc adjustments needing further improvement;
Equipment potential deep dive: As a benchmark for equipment utilization, the company still aims for 'limit efficiency,' hoping to reduce machine switchover losses and idle time to elevate RUN rates from 'excellent' to 'outstanding';
Plan-execution synergy: The efficiency of information synchronization between master production plans and workshop execution needs to match the management precision of large-scale production to meet rapid response demands during emergencies;
WIP management refinement: While WIP turnover efficiency is already industry-leading, the company pursues 'extreme inventory turnover,' releasing storage resources through精细化管控 and further compressing flow cycles.

Based on deep understanding of semiconductor manufacturing scenarios, with the core goal of 'dynamically optimizing production plans and comprehensively enhancing factory competitiveness,' Getech has created the industry's first RTS (Real Time Scheduling) real-time intelligent scheduling system adapted to 12-inch wafer production characteristics. It formulates operational plans for each machine by considering constraints such as equipment process limitations, workshop WIP, real-time machine status, and optimization rules, while aligning with 12-inch fab scheduling and production dispatch needs, master planning requirements, and workshop capacity.

Three-tier technical architecture synergy enables dynamic scheduling

Data layer: Deep integration with MES, FDC, PM, and other systems,实时采集 equipment status, WIP location, process parameters, Q Time validity, and other core data, constructing a millisecond-update production line digital twin model.

Algorithm layer: Innovatively combines Backward/Forward bidirectional planning engines, equipped with solvers, heuristic algorithms, and discrete event simulation technology, completing scheduling calculations that traditionally take hours within minutes, supporting dynamic adjustments within 15 minutes.

Application layer: Develops nearly 60 functional modules, covering production scheduling Gantt charts (visual equipment operation plans), WIP level monitoring (real-time tracking of WIP distribution), batch flow management (ensuring batch consistency), and other core functions, achieving a 'plan-schedule-execute-feedback' closed loop.

Six core innovative capabilities break through production bottlenecks

Real-time dynamic intelligent scheduling: Based on equipment real-time status (e.g., PM plans, FDC warnings), WIP priority (delivery time, product grade), automatically matches intelligent rules like 'high-end products first' and 'continuous recipe production,' accurately allocating batches to optimal machines.

Full-process linkage control: Supports scheduling across all processes including grinding, edging, thinning, double-side polishing, final polishing, cleaning, epitaxy; comprehensively handles multi-dimensional constraints like Q Time windows, dedicated/shared equipment, auxiliary material lifespan, machine capability grading, equipment PM plans.

Equipment efficiency optimization: Through 'healthy equipment priority scheduling' and 'minimum changeover cost algorithms,' reduces machine无效等待; by optimizing batch sequence, improves equipment continuous operation rate.

Flexible manufacturing support: Supports high-mix, low-volume production, emergency order insertion response time (e.g., expedited production of special requirement wafers) shortened from hours to minutes, meeting customized delivery needs.

Batch flow optimization: Manages节奏 of key bottleneck processes (e.g., double-side polishing, final polishing, epitaxy) to prevent WIP堆积; combined with batch flow, reduces splitting and fragmentation, lowers Lot Hold, compresses product Cycle Time.

Capacity intelligent prediction: Through historical data modeling, predicts 7-day capacity gaps (e.g., capacity decline due to PM plans), provides resource allocation suggestions in advance (e.g., shift adjustments, coordinating backup equipment).

After two years of continuous development, the project has achieved intelligent scheduling across all processes and partial linkage dispatch, once again setting new industry standards for smart manufacturing:

1. Digital transformation sets a new benchmark

Building on the existing production system, the introduction of the RTS system further enhances lean management levels, providing strong support for long-term stable development and digital transformation.

Scheduling refinement: Minute-level intelligent scheduling brings higher response speed;

Global协同 optimization: Enhanced information linkage between master plans and workshop execution;

Lean management upgrade: Forms a more efficient, flexible, and robust production management system.

2. Production efficiency leads industry to new dimensions

Through minute-level real-time intelligent scheduling and global optimization, the RTS system continuously improves equipment utilization, shortens production cycles, and further enhances production efficiency.

Equipment utilization improvement: Non-production time like equipment waiting and rework significantly reduced, overall equipment operation efficiency steadily提升;

Production cycle shortening: Batch flow becomes smoother, capacity evaluation and plan adjustment responses faster, WIP quantity decreases, production节奏 stabilizes;

Personnel efficiency enhancement: System-assisted decision-making reduces manual repetitive operations, improves scheduling and workshop management efficiency, shortens new employee training cycles.

3. Economic benefits build a moat

The RTS system helps the company further optimize digital transformation, production efficiency, and cost structure, delivering significant comprehensive economic benefits.

Substantial新增产值: Steadily improved capacity utilization leads to considerable revenue increase;

Manufacturing cost reduction: Significant decrease in switchover losses, rework, re-cleaning, and resource occupancy, further lowering manufacturing costs;

Capital turnover optimization: Reduced WIP inventory, shortened turnover cycles, lower working capital occupancy.

The company's production head stated: 'As an industry pioneer, we always hold ourselves to 'higher standards.' Getech's RTS system not only解决了 our精细化 management challenges in large-scale production but also helped us establish new competitive barriers in key areas like equipment efficiency and flexible manufacturing. This leap from 'excellent to outstanding' is our core confidence in冲击 the global high-end wafer market.'