Controller and Method to Mediate Data Collection from Smart Sensors for Fab Applications
First Claim
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1. A controller-aided method of monitoring processes or equipment performance in a semiconductor manufacturing operation, the method including:
- identifying in a controller a plurality of smart sensors that are configured to recognize a plurality of context descriptions and to adapt their sensing of data from one or more semiconductor manufacturing devices, responsive to the context descriptions;
recognizing in the controller a current context of operation of a particular semiconductor manufacturing device;
transmitting to one or more particular smart sensors associated with the particular semiconductor manufacturing device the current context; and
receiving from the particular smart sensors data sensed by the smart sensors, responsive to the transmitted current context.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to control of and data collection from sensors associated with tools. In particular, it relates to using a controller to mediate communications among a tool, sensors associated with the tool and data users, such as a host system or distributed processors. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.
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Citations
1 Claim
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1. A controller-aided method of monitoring processes or equipment performance in a semiconductor manufacturing operation, the method including:
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identifying in a controller a plurality of smart sensors that are configured to recognize a plurality of context descriptions and to adapt their sensing of data from one or more semiconductor manufacturing devices, responsive to the context descriptions;
recognizing in the controller a current context of operation of a particular semiconductor manufacturing device;
transmitting to one or more particular smart sensors associated with the particular semiconductor manufacturing device the current context; and
receiving from the particular smart sensors data sensed by the smart sensors, responsive to the transmitted current context.
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Specification