Remote automated customer support for manufacturing equipment
First Claim
1. A method of providing technical support to a service technician of semiconductor fabrication equipment, comprising the steps of:
- receiving an alarm condition in the form of an electronic message, the electronic message including at least one key value associated with the alarm condition;
extracting the key value from the received message;
querying a database containing electronic text files using the extracted key value;
retrieving an electronic text file associated with a matching key value, the electronic text file describing procedural steps to be taken by the service technician to service semiconductor manufacturing equipment; and
transmitting the electronic text file to the service technician.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system, methods, and computer readable medium for providing automated customer support of semiconductor manufacturing equipment is disclosed. Sensors attached to the semiconductor manufacturing equipment can be monitored by either an automated program or a service technician to detect alarm conditions. Upon detection of an alarm condition, a remotely located customer support system can be contacted and provided with key values indicating the nature of the alarm condition. The remotely located customer support system can use the key values to query a database for electronic text files containing instructions for a service technician to follow when taking corrective action to resolve the alarm condition. When an electronic text file is found to be associated with the key value in the database, the electronic text file is transmitted to a service technician who services the manufacturing equipment at the customer site. In the case that no matches are found, the alarm condition can be reported to a troubleshooting engineer who can resolve problem creating the alarm condition, draft a solution in the form of an electronic text file, and create an entry in the database linking the new text file with the key value.
-
Citations
20 Claims
-
1. A method of providing technical support to a service technician of semiconductor fabrication equipment, comprising the steps of:
-
receiving an alarm condition in the form of an electronic message, the electronic message including at least one key value associated with the alarm condition;
extracting the key value from the received message;
querying a database containing electronic text files using the extracted key value;
retrieving an electronic text file associated with a matching key value, the electronic text file describing procedural steps to be taken by the service technician to service semiconductor manufacturing equipment; and
transmitting the electronic text file to the service technician. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
-
-
9. A method of providing technical support to service technician who services semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the method comprising the steps of:
-
diagnosing a condition where service to the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is required;
drafting a written procedure for servicing the semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the form of an electronic text file;
storing the electronic text file in a database and associating the text file with at least one numeric key value, the associated key value representing the nature of the diagnosed condition;
receiving a request for service in the form of an electronic message sent over a public computer network from a service technician, the electronic message containing at least one key value that indicates the nature of the requested service;
extracting the key value from the electronic message;
querying the database using the extracted key value; and
if the extracted key value matches the associated key value then retrieving the electronic text file from the database and transmitting the electronic text message to the service technician over the public computer network. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 19, 20)
-
-
15. A method of providing technical support to a service technician who services semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the method comprising the steps of:
-
diagnosing a condition where service to the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is required;
drafting a written procedure for servicing the semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the form of an electronic text file;
storing the electronic text file in a database and associating the text file with at least one numeric key value, the associated key value representing the nature of the diagnosed condition;
receiving a request for service in the form of an electronic message automatically generated by a supervisory control and data acquisition system that controls the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the electronic message containing at least one key value that indicates the nature of the requested service;
extracting the key value from the electronic message;
querying the database using the extracted key value; and
if the extracted key value matches the associated key value then retrieving the electronic text file from the database and transmitting the electronic text file to the service technician over the public computer network.
-
-
16. A method of providing technical support to a service technician who services semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the method comprising the steps of:
-
diagnosing a condition where service to the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is required;
drafting a written procedure for servicing the semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the form of an electronic text file;
storing the electronic text file in a database and associating the text file with at least one numeric key value, the associated key value representing the nature of the diagnosed condition;
receiving a request for service in the form of an electronic message automatically generated by a supervisory control and data acquisition system that controls the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the electronic message containing at least one key value that indicates the nature of the requested service;
extracting the key value from the electronic message;
querying the database using the extracted key value; and
if the extracted key value matches the associated key value then retrieving the electronic text file from the database and transmitting the electronic text file to other service technicians over the public computer network.
-
-
17. A computer program product containing instructions which, when executed by a computer, provide technical support to a service technician, by:
-
receiving an alarm condition in the form of an electronic message, the electronic message including at least one key value associated with the alarm condition;
extracting the key value from the received message;
querying a database containing electronic text files using the extracted key value;
retrieving an electronic text file associated with a matching key value;
transmitting the electronic text file to the service technician in the form of an email message.
-
-
18. A customer support system for semiconductor fabrication facilities utilizing semiconductor fabrication equipment, the system comprising:
-
a communication medium for receiving an electronic message from a supervisory control and data acquisition system, the semiconductor fabrication equipment and supervisory control and data acquisition system monitoring a plurality of sensors on semiconductor fabrication equipment and generating electronic messages in response to data received from the sensors, the electronic message indicating an alarm condition, the alarm condition indicating a need for service in a particular piece of semiconductor fabrication equipment and providing at least one key that represents the alarm condition, the key comprising a numerical value that characterizes the nature of the service, the communication medium connecting a technical support system with the supervisory control and data acquisition system;
a connection to a public computer network capable of delivering email messages;
a database storing portions of a technical service manual in the form of electronic text files, the electronic text files containing instructions to perform specific physical tasks that, when rendered, provide service to semiconductor fabrication equipment, the written portions being associated with at least one key;
a database management system for performing queries on the database by performing searches using the keys and retrieving the written portions of the technical service manual responsive to the performed queries, attaching the electronic text files to an email message and transmitting the email message via the public computer network to a service technician that perform service on the semiconductor fabrication equipment.
-
Specification