A study to determine if Six Sigma methodologies improve semiconductor manufacturing cycle time

The focus of this study is to determine if implementing Six Sigma methodologies would improve semiconductor manufacturing cycle time. Today's environment is demanding shorter product cycle times and forces almost every industry to improve its cycle time performance. The relationship between implementing Six Sigma methodologies and cycle time reduction is not always clearly understood. This dissertation presents the findings from a simulation model study that addressed these factors in relation to Six Sigma process improvement methodologies. The attention and need for reduction in process variation has made improvement initiatives such as Six Sigma approaches attractive to many organizations. Ideally, Six Sigma initiatives are focused on investigating the causes of variability and developing processes and products with less variation. Batch processing, tool dedication, unreliable equipment, setups, reworks, and hot lots all conspire to increase semiconductor manufacturing cycle time. The base theory was tested by researching the effects of Six Sigma on individual process steps as well as the impact Six Sigma would have on the overall manufacturing process. This study will attempt to determine if Six Sigma can define and measure variation with the intent of discovering its causes, develop efficient operational means to control and reduce the variation, and redesign more efficient and capable manufacturing processes for continuous process improvement.