A Hybrid Approach Combining Fuzzy c-Means-Based Genetic Algorithm and Machine Learning for Predicting Job Cycle Times for Semiconductor Manufacturing

Abstract

Job cycle time is the cycle time of a job or the time required to complete a job. Prediction of job cycle time is a critical task for a semiconductor fabrication factory. A predictive model must forecast job cycle time to pursue sustainable development, meet customer requirements, and promote downstream operations. To effectively predict job cycle time in semiconductor fabrication factories, we propose an effective hybrid approach combining the fuzzy c-means (FCM)-based genetic algorithm (GA) and a backpropagation network (BPN) to predict job cycle time. All job records are divided into two datasets: the first dataset is for clustering and training, and the other is for testing. An FCM-based GA classification method is developed to pre-classify the first dataset of job records into several clusters. The classification results are then fed into a BPN predictor. The BPN predictor can predict the cycle time and compare it with the second dataset. Finally, we present a case study using the actual dataset obtained from a semiconductor fabrication factory to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach.