A self‐tuning run‐by‐run process controller for processes subject to random disturbances

Abstract

In this paper a self‐tuning run‐by‐run process controller is presented. The controller has the capability of choosing a control parameter dynamically in response to the underlying process disturbances. There are two modules in this controller: a self‐tuning loop trigger module and a run‐by‐run feedback control module. In the self‐tuning loop trigger module, two EWMA control charts are used sequentially to determine if there is a large or medium shift in the process output and to trigger a new self‐tuning loop accordingly. In the run‐by‐run feedback control module, the control parameter and control model are re‐tuned sequentially and a new process recipe is generated, on a run‐by‐run basis, to compensate for the process output's deviation from the target. Monte Carlo simulation results show that the self‐tuning run‐by‐run process controller is superior to the current run‐by‐run process controller with a fixed control parameter.