The design of key performance indicators on technology development of a wafer foundry

Abstract

Due to capital intensive characteristics, R&D departments always share production equipment with manufacturing departments in the wafer foundry industry. The goal of key performance indicators (KPIs) among these two departments is contradictory, a situation that results in longer R&D cycle times and delays in time-to-market. To solve the problem, this study has adapted the concepts of X-factor theory to construct an R&D engineering lot management model. There are two KPIs adapted in this model. The first KPI, the X-factor, is applied to trace on-time delivery performance of the new R&D technology. The second KPI, F-factor, is regarded as an index that reflects the holding cost and manufacturability of R&D lots, and simultaneously evaluates the maturity of the technology. Furthermore, a set of real data from the Fab is applied to examine the effectiveness of this model. The results reveal that this model successfully improves operational performance and shortens the R&D cycle time, which ultimately enables a factory to achieve a global optimization.

半導體的新製程技術開發是晶圓代工業的命脈 ， 在技術與成本競爭激烈的環境中 ， 縮短技術開發的時間並及時量產 ， 不但是獲利的要件 ， 更是攸關企業生存的工作。 而研發單位屬於源頭的管理 ， 因此 ， 本研究希望藉由探討晶圓代工廠研發單位在新製程開發、 技術移轉以及進入先期量產的過程中 ， 與工程及製造單位共用使同一Fab之資源衝突模式下 ， 期望化解研發及製造單位之間的資源衝突問題 ， 以達公司整體績效最佳化。

本研究所發展之半導體業降低生產週期模式 ， 係以研發專案實驗時程為基礎 ， 採用X-factor理論來建立研發批貨績效衡量指標 ， 依產業特性及數據資料 ， 嘗試來建構適合的降低研發生產週期模式、 達到及時量產(Time-To-Market)的目的。

本研究的貢獻在於找出研發實驗批貨生產週期的方法論、 設計出績效衡量指標 ， 依此來建構研發生產週期降低模式。 模式中以X-factor指標衡量製造單位在執行研發批貨上的準時達交程度 ， 同時以創新的F-factor指標評估研發單位是否及時解決製程上的問題 ， 並可做為研發技術移轉時的參考指標。 管制衡量指標以做持續性的改善 ， 期大幅縮短產品開發時間 ， 提高公司的營運績效及競爭優勢。

(*聯絡人: [email protected])

Keywords:

• key performance indicator
• R&D
• wafer foundry
• X-factor
• cycle time

Keywords:

• 關鍵詞 ： 關鍵績效指標 ， 研發 ， 晶圓代工 ， X-因子 ， 生產週期時間

Acknowledgments

The authors to thank Professor Rong-Kwei Li and Mr Chi-Wu Chou for providing technical support and the National Science Council of the Republic of China for financially supporting this research under contract no. NSC 97-2221-E-216-031-MY2.

Notes

(*聯絡人: [email protected])