SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTOMATED CUSTOMIZABLE ERROR DIAGNOSTICS
First Claim
1. A method of semiconductor manufacturing, comprising:
- providing a reactor system having a system controller configured to control an external device controller, the external device controller configured to control an associated external device;
monitoring for an error condition signal from the external device;
automatically transmitting instructions from the system controller to the external device controller to execute diagnostic functions corresponding to the error condition upon detection of the error condition; and
automatically gathering diagnostic data from the external device after transmitting the instructions.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A system and method of automated customizable error diagnostics is provided for use with industrial apparatus, such as semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. An external device, such as a robot, is provided with its own low level controller and a high level controller is provided to send instructions to the low level controller. The high level controller is programmed to perform automated customizable error diagnostics to diagnose errors in the external device. The high level controller monitors the occurrence of error conditions in the external device and executes a list of diagnostic commands based upon a detected error condition. Data concerning the error condition is automatically gathered to diagnose the cause of the error, before the external device executes its own error handling routines. In some embodiments, an editor is provided to edit and customize the diagnostic commands and a viewer is provided to allow diagnostic data to be viewed.
35 Citations
25 Claims
-
1. A method of semiconductor manufacturing, comprising:
-
providing a reactor system having a system controller configured to control an external device controller, the external device controller configured to control an associated external device; monitoring for an error condition signal from the external device; automatically transmitting instructions from the system controller to the external device controller to execute diagnostic functions corresponding to the error condition upon detection of the error condition; and automatically gathering diagnostic data from the external device after transmitting the instructions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
-
-
11. A method for semiconductor manufacturing, comprising:
-
providing a semiconductor process tool with an associated controller, the associated controller programmed to execute error handling routines after detecting an error condition in the process tool; providing a higher level controller in communication with the associated controller, the higher level controller configured to control the process tool by transmitting instructions to the associated controller; providing diagnostic commands from the higher level controller to the associated controller after detecting an error condition in the process tool; collecting diagnostic data; and subsequently executing the error handling routines. - View Dependent Claims (12)
-
-
13. A reactor system for semiconductor manufacturing, comprising:
-
an external device and an associated controller configured to control the external device; and a system controller programmed to; control one or more lower level controllers including the associated controller; detect error condition signals from the associated controller; automatically transmit diagnostic commands to the associated controller after detecting an error condition signal; and automatically retrieve diagnostic data after automatically transmitting the diagnostic commands. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
-
Specification