ARTICLE IN PRESS

Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 23 (2007) 677–683

www.elsevier.com/locate/rcim

RFID-enabled automation in support of factory integration

Robin G. Qiua,b,
a
College of Economics and Management, Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, PR China
b
Division of Engineering, Penn State Great Valley, Malvern, PA 19426, USA

Abstract

In recognition of the need for more effective and efficient factory system integration solutions, this paper improves the method
proposed in our previous work, focusing on new mechanisms to bridge the gap between shop floor automation and factory information
systems. As one of the mainstream identification technologies, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology makes possible all
products uniquely identifiable across factories. By taking advantage of data capacity stored in an RFID tag, critical manufacturing
information on a product can be locally stored with the product. RFID technology provides a means for a product to rapidly retrieve its
needed information as it advances through shop floors. A corresponding framework to enable the instant delivery of pertinent data and
information on a uniquely identifiable job/product at point-of-need across factories is proposed. A small-scale manufacturing application
is presented to show how the proposed approach can be implemented on the shop floor.
r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Radio frequency technology (RFID); Automation; Factory integration; Control systems

1. Introduction pertinent information on parts should be available to the

To be worldwide competitive, factory systems must be
flexible, collaborative, and responsive to meet the changing
needs of customers so that quality products and services
can be delivered in a timely manner. System flexibility and
responsiveness are mainly characterized through the
capability of quick system adaptation to the fluctuations
in product demand and manufacturing functionality. The
delivery of the right data to the right user at the right time
through integrated factory systems is the key to entail
system flexibility and responsiveness. However, there is a
lack of well-established standard approach to the design
and development of factory integration projects [1].
In a distributed manufacturing environment, the trace of a
part advancing through an automated discrete manufactur-
ing system can be described by its part flow, which essentially
is a diagram showing the sequence of part processing states
in the system. As manufacturing systems are full of
concurrent, asynchronous, and interactive control issues,
Corresponding at: College of Economics and Management, Nanjing
University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Nanjing 210016, PR China.
E-mail address: robinqiu@psu.edu.
users (e.g., machine controllers, operators, inspectors, etc.) at
the point-of-need to ensure that parts are properly processed
across the shop floors. Based on [1], in a typical example, a
well-developed modular controller consists of up to five
primary modules: a planner, a scheduler, an executor, a task
list, and a system model (Fig. 1). We are now interested in
how these modules locally interact with the other modules in
the controller and how they globally interact with external
systems such as the supervisory and subordinate controllers,
or other factory information systems.
For the machine controller, the task list is the interface
between the scheduling module and the execution module.
The scheduler specifies which controller tasks are to be
performed by placing the tasks on the task list. The
execution module performs the tasks on the task list. The
purpose of the task list is to provide the connection
between the scheduling and execution modules, as well as
the machine controller and upper level information
systems. Apparently, a mechanism to have relevant
information embracing for parts from module to module
is useful and effective.
Parts states change as they advance through a manu-
facturing system. A part is processed on a machine based

0736-5845/$ - see front matter r 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.rcim.2007.02.002
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678 R.G. Qiu / Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 23 (2007) 677–683
Production
Requirements
Controller
I/O Channel
Planner Scheduler
System Physical
Status Configuration
System Model
Fig. 1. Machine controller component model [1].
on the assigned tasks, which are generated in accordance
with its designated process plan. For instance, a chip will
run through die attach, wire bonding, and plasma cleaning
(Fig. 2) on the shop floor, corresponding tasks should be
assigned to the corresponding machine controller as the
chip arrives at the machine. When the chip is completed in
a given manufacturing functional cell [2], it will advance to
next cell or a different manufacturing facility until it
completes its last designated process and become a quality
product.
Part states can also be used on the supply chain. By
knowing a part state, the part can be identified whether it is
in processing, transit, or retailing. The collaborative-type
supply chain management entails the best visibility of
cross-factory business operations. It requires full integra-
tion of information systems, decision-making systems, and
business processes across all the partners [3,4]. A variety of
strategic and tactical business plans must be formed and
executed collaboratively by all the participants (Fig. 3).
Ultimately, a high degree of business process automation
should be enabled, which relies on not only the deployment
of flexible and interoperable business processes but also an
effective mechanism to ensure the availability of pertinent
information on jobs/products at the point-of-need.
For example, no matter where parts are on the supply
chain or within a factory, all the parts should have their
identities. The current approaches typically use different
proprietary mechanisms implemented by individual players
on the supply chain. As a result, significant efforts will be
required for integrating the information systems through-
out the supply chain (factories) due to the lack of a
standard approach to exchanging pertinent information on
a given part. Therefore, there is a need for an open-system
mechanism to identify all the parts on the supply chain.
To have individual parts identifiable, an identity is
needed for each part. A typical standard identification
scheme for types of products is the universal product code
(UPC) or so-called ‘‘bar code’’. A bar code is created using
a 12-digit numeric sequence scheme. Bar codes require
‘‘line-of-sight’’; they can be scanned only when a scanner
Task
List I/O Channels
Executor Physical
System
Physical
Model
can ‘‘see’’ them. If one bar code is ripped, soiled or falls off,
the bar code cannot be scanned [5].
With the advances of semiconductor technologies, radio
frequency identification (RFID) as a promising identifica-
tion technology has advanced substantially recently. An
RFID tag can hold much richer information compared to a
bar code. More importantly, an RFID tag can be read-only
(i.e., passive tags) or read–write (i.e., active tags). The data
capability in light of volume is unceasingly increasing,
while the cost of an RFID tag continues to drop [2,6]. It is
the data capacity of an RFID tag that creates an
opportunity of identifying any single item in the physical
world, which makes possible a tagged product uniquely
identifiable throughout the supply chain.
As discussed earlier, a part going through processes
across factories is controlled by the factory manufacturing
information system. If an RFID tag is used to identify a
part, a part could have a standard identity. RFID
technology has the potentials to meet the needs of future
shop floor automation for factory system integration [5–7].
By expanding our previous work [1], this paper focuses on
a framework to enable the instant delivery of pertinent data
and information on a uniquely identifiable job/product at
point-of-need across factories. The remainder of the paper
will be organized as follows. Section 2 reviews the
previously proposed approach to implementing shop floor
automation from an integration perspective. Section 3
presents an enhanced framework for integration informa-
tion systems across factories on the supply chain, and
discusses a small scale-size application prototyped in this
investigation. Finally, Section 4 presents conclusions of this
investigation and highlights avenues for future research.
2. Review of previously proposed shop floor automation
Similar to our previous work [1], semiconductor
manufacturing systems are used in this presentation. As
well known, due to the complexity of semiconductor
manufacturing processes, process automation has been
employed in a variety of semiconductor equipment to
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R.G. Qiu / Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 23 (2007) 677–683 679

Entry D/A D/A D/A Exit

Plasma

Oven
Overhead
Track

Exception
3rd Opt

Wire Bonder Wire Bonder

Fig. 2. Schematic view of information flow on the shop floor [1].

Wafer Processing automation and information flow by providing better

(Cassette)
traceability and reliability on the shop floor [1].
Product A typical back-end manufacturing system consists of 30
Packaging
(Magazine)
(parts) processes. For a simplified back-end semiconductor man-
ufacturing system, processes could include wafer mount,
saw, die attach, cure, wire bonding, plasma cleaning, mark,
Consumer
(Chip) singulation, and inspection. Parts (i.e. chips) are different
in light of dimensions, consumable needs, and process
specifications. The needed information (e.g., processing
Information instruction) on a given part would be different from
process to process. RFID-tagged containers/products
$ Customer
create a hierarchy of physical identifiers (Fig. 4). When
Time
the proposed mechanism is used to deliver pertinent
information on the shop floor, the pertinent information
Fig. 3. Factory view of a collaborative semiconductor manufacturing on an RFID-tagged part can be made available in a real-
supply chain [1].
time manner at the point-of-need while being more
manageable across the shop floors [1].

ensure the completion of each manufacturing process while
improving productivity including better yield, labor reduc-
tion, minimizing floor space, production cycle reduction,
and satisfactory production visibility. As the size and
weight of wafer cassettes continue to increase, it becomes a
difficulty for operators to manually transport, load, and
unload materials. As a matter of fact, process automation
integration has become essential for realizing all the
benefits derived from the advanced material, design
automation, and process technologies in 300 mm wafers.
For instance, automated material handling systems in-
corporating with a material control system are very
popular approach to deploying process automation inte-
gration in wafer factories, where a method based on RFID
can be more cost effectively used to bridge the gap between
3. Framework for factory system integration across the
supply chain
Nowadays, it is more cost effective that products, either
individual or bundled, along with their appropriate
information can simultaneously travel through the supply
chain [7]. For better competitive advantage, intelligent
assistant services should be available at the point-of-need.
An integrated system across the supply chain is mainly an
application managing and controlling the movement aimed
at maximizing the profits and satisfaction for all the
participants throughout the chain. A mechanism to locate
the moving products and have their proper information
updated promptly is fundamental to enable the real-time
visibility of product movement on the value network.
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680 R.G. Qiu / Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 23 (2007) 677–683

P1 InStage Wafers in
cassette. Physical Identifier:
wafer cassette
WaferSaw

Cassette
DieAttach
RFID Tag
DieAttach
Cure
Magazine Magazine
WireBond
Strip in magazine.
(Typically each strip Physical Identifier:
Optical strip magazine
holds 6 ~ 10 dies and
Inspection
each magazine stores 20
Mark ~ 30 strips.)
Chip Chip
Chi p Chi p
Singulation Chi p Chi p
Each process has its
own specification
Inspection defining requirements
Chips in on set up, tools, Physical Identifier: RFID Tag
tray. consumables, etc. individual chip
Pn OutStage

Fig. 4. A simplified process flow and identify hierarchy.

Part state (Delivery

In, Move In,
Processing, Move
Out, or Delivery
Out), and other
pertinent product
and process
1
information can be 5
4
stored in an RFID
tag. More 2
information can be 2 4
3 3
retrieved from its
host application 1 5
using the GIC
technology.

Fig. 5. A generic process model [1].

A global identification code (GIC) used to identify a part
consists of two essential parts: one is the unique identifica-
tion of the tagged product; another is the Internet Protocol
(IP) address of a designated server hosting the needed
information on the product. The proposed GIC-based
mechanism realizes two integrated fundamental functions.
On one hand, a part assigned with a GIC code can be
uniquely identifiable on its supply chain. On the other
hand, through the well-established communication infra-
structure, the information on the GIC-tagged part can be
straightforwardly accessed and retrieved from the desig-
nated host application [8,9].
Based on [1,8], a GIC code is defined as a combination of
Enterprise, Product, Serial Number, IP Address, and
Optional Parameters (e.g., 0006A66.56271F.0003476AB.I-
P.OptionalParameters). On the shop floor, no matter
whether automated material handling systems are de-
ployed, data stored in RFID tags can be promptly read/
rewritten as the material advances process by process. It is
the rich information stored in RFID tags that makes
possible that machines can confirm the correct settings
timely and reliably. For instance, an RFID tag stores data
about the contained material (e.g., order, product, and
consumables) and its process status (e.g., routings, current
state, and next process). As a part advances a sequence of
processes, the data can be read or rewritten as the part state
changes. Fig. 5 illustrates some basic shop floor operations
for a typical process machine. On a given process machine
at a given time, for a part some information concerned with
the material arrival, loaded, in process, unloaded, in
inspection, or under transportation can be stored in the
attached RFID tag.
To ensure the availability of real-time data of production
status that are vital for effective synchronization among
production control systems, operators, material handling
systems, and machines, RFID readers are amounted in
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R.G. Qiu / Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 23 (2007) 677–683
locations as needed. A typical advanced semiconductor
manufacturing control and management system are of a
heterarchical nature (Fig. 6). A shop floor information
system provides floor production control, work-in-process
control and management, and floor-accounting functions,
and acts as the interface between enterprise planning (i.e.,
office-level information systems) and shop floor execution
(e.g., machine controllers, cell control system, material
control application, etc.). Office-level applications ensure
that pertinent data, information, and knowledge can be
delivered to the privileged users within and across factories
(including partners throughout the whole supply chain).
In the back-end semiconductor manufacturing, one
severe pain point for tracking chip flows is the change of
magazines when chips are wire bonded (Fig. 6). A wire-
bonding process indexes strips of chips from one magazine
to another when chips are wire bonded. As the process is
completed (Fig. 6), the left magazine that was full becomes
empty, while the right magazine that was empty becomes
full. When an RFID tag is used, the information on the
chips in a magazine (i.e., customer, lot, sublot, etc.) can be
easily passed on to next magazine, i.e. GIC2 ¼ GIC1 and
GIC1 ¼ ‘empty’. GIC codes are assigned to all the parts.
Because of their uniqueness across their supply chains,
GIC codes then can be used as the key to exchange data,
information, and knowledge between all the information
systems on the supply chain. As a result, the precise and
pertinent information can be promptly delivered to the
right user (controller, operator, manager, or process
equipment) for the task on hand, ensuring a right operation
performed or well-informed decision made.
It is well known that workflow management technology
promotes the automation of enterprise business processes
[10,11]. Current workflow management systems have been
successfully applied inside many enterprises. However,
because of the lack of flexible mechanisms that deal with
Factory Information
System (IP) Information System
MC Cell
MC MC
2 4
3 parameters stored
1 5
GIC1
Fig. 6. Shop floor information systems in semiconductor manufacturing.
681
cross-enterprise business processes, workflow management
technology has had little success in achieving dynamic
coordination and interaction in applications such as supply
chain management. Software agents can be designed to
have the following attributes: autonomy, goal orientation,
persistence, reactivity, mobility, intelligence, and interac-
tivity [12]. Because of this, they have been used as a
popular mechanism for integrating disparate processes,
coordinating the effective use of information, and more
efficiently utilizing networking resources in task execution
and decision making.
The manufacturing business environment is currently
characterized by intense competition, entwined supply
chain relationships, and fluctuating demand for shortened
product lifecycles [2]. A manufacturer and its entire
network of business partners have to work collaboratively
in order to stay world class and competitive. So, when a
request on an order, for instance a new order of a product
or a change on an existing order, is processed on the supply
chain, the information should be timely populated across
the network and reflected in manufacturing planning. For a
make-to-order e-business model, the pertinent information
should be promptly delivered to factory information
systems on the shop floor; on the other hand, the real-
time material movement and consumption should also be
timely delivered to corresponding office-planning software
applications, internally and/or externally. Fig. 7 shows how
the interactivity between shop floor information systems
and the supply chain management system can be enabled
using agent and GIC technologies.
As discussed earlier, an RFID tag will be attached with a
part or bundled of parts depending on circumstances.
When it travels through the shop floors or across factories,
the tag contains critical information on the part (or
bundled parts). The carried information can be changed
from location to location by taking advantage of rewriting
Office-level Office-level
Information System
Internet
MCS Different factory,
facility or partner on the
supply chain
MCS: Material Control
System
MC: Machine Controller GICn (GICs’
relations can be
part of optional
in a tag or data
source managed by
GIC2 host applications)
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682 R.G. Qiu / Robotics and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing 23 (2007) 677–683

capability of the tag. As a group of parts are delivered from
location to location, a GIC hierarchy can be created. A
GIC hierarchical data structure is generic to the supply
chain; however, the contained data vary with a controlled
entity (i.e., part, container, or others tracked by informa-
tion systems), which can be either stored in tags or saved in
the data sources. When the structure is saved in a data
source, an IP defined in a given GIC will be used to
dynamically establish the needed connectivity [8,9]. There-
fore, the pertinent information can be retrieved from the
designated host applications across the whole supply chain.
Software applications unceasingly increase their com-
plexities and dependencies to meet the needs of today’s
business competition. Aiming to find a better approach to
managing complexities and dependencies within a software
system, the practice of software development has gone
through several methods (e.g., conventional structural
Supply Chain
Management (IP) Enterprise
DB
Shop floor Shop floor GIC based
DB Server (S) agent GICi1
interactivity
Instance (SI)
GICi11
Instance (SI)
Fig. 7. Synchronization using agents and GIC hierarchy.
programming, object-oriented method, interface-based
model, and component-based constructs). The emergence
of developing coarse-grained granularity constructs in a
computing service allows components to be defined at a
more abstract level. That is, a group of components can be
composed as coarse-grained services, while lower level and
finer-grained object functions, information, and implemen-
tation are hidden from the system level service.
A computing service at the system level essentially is the
function provided by a group of components that are
network addressable and interoperable, and might be
dynamically discovered and used. Service-oriented archi-
tecture (SOA) is concerned with designing and developing
integrated systems using heterogeneous network addressa-
ble and standard interface-based computing services. Over
the last few years, SOA and service-computing technology
has gained tremendous momentum with the introduction
of web services (a series of standard languages and tools for
the implementation, registration, and invocation of ser-
vices). System integration based on SOA ensures the
GIC
hierarchy interconnections among integrated applications in a loosely
coupled, asynchronous, and interoperable fashion.
GICi
By taking advantage of the fast advances in computing
science, a framework for the development of RFID-
enabled factory integration applications is presented
GICin
(Fig. 8). A business integration engine serves as a
connectivity backbone for a variety of heterogeneous
applications. A group of computing services, such as
GICi1m GICijk XML conversion, activity synchronization, GIC event
manager, GIC hierarchical referencing, are developed to
ensure that data and information can be delivered to the
right user at the right time [2].

Factory Planner, Material

Database Scheduler, control server
ωu (Server)
Dispatcher

XML XML
Business Integration Engine (BIE) –
Messaging-based Integration Middleware (XML conversion, synchronization algorithms, GIC
event manager, GIC reference services, etc.) : RFID-enabled Integration Backbone
XML

Cell Cell Cell

Controller Controller Controller

Process service
controller

Fig. 8. A framework for the implementation of RFID-enabled factory integration [2].

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A test-bed system consisting of 10 pieces of automated
packaging and test equipment was used to validate the
proposed framework. Processes include entry mounting,
die attach, cure, wire bonding, plasma cleaning, inspection,
exception, and exit marking. Eight Intermec RFID readers
and 60 tags were used in the conducted tests. Although the
prototype implemented quite limited functions, the test
essentially demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed
work. It is believed that its potentials are extremely high as
RFID technology is taking off and will become mature in
the very near future.
4. Conclusions
The paper presented certain preliminary improvement
from our previous work [1]. The new investigation
demonstrated the feasibility of utilizing standardized
mechanisms to promote shop floor automation and factory
system integration. A framework for factory system
integration using agent and RFID technologies was
proposed. By taking advantage of the RFID and GIC
technology, easy information exchange and better system
interoperability can be realized. Note that manufacturing is
a set of activities occurred on the shop floor in a logical
manner. To improve productivity on the shop floor relies
on efficient and accurate information flow from process to
process, from shop floor to shop floor, and from
manufacturer to manufacturer [12]. As the global competi-
tion intensifies, using RFID tags to carry certain critical
information (e.g., entity identity and connectivity data on
its source for more pertinent information) substantially
increase the flexibility and responsiveness of the value
chains for today and tomorrow manufacturing businesses.
Our future investigation will focus on how business process
management initiatives can be more effectively incorpo-
rated into the proposed framework. More implementations
are necessary for generating practical guidelines for the
potential industrial use.
683
Acknowledgments
This work was partially supported by Nanjing Uni-
versity of Aeronautics and Astronautics Endowed Profes-
sor Scholarship (1009-905346), Chinese NSF Grant
(70541007), Penn State Great Valley 2006 SRS Award,
and 2005 Penn State Great Valley Research Development
Grant.
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