METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR EVALUATING A MACHINE TOOL OPERATING CHARACTERISTICS

• US 20130006406A1
• Filed: 09/10/2012
• Published: 01/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GlobalFoundries, Inc.
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Aharoni, Ehud, Baseman, Robert J., Kei, Ramona, Margalit, Oded, Mackey, Kevin, Rosen-Zvi, Michal, Singh, Raminderpal, Lin, Hong, Tipu, Fateh Ali, Ticknor, Adam Daniel, McCormack, Timothy M., Slomin, Noam
• Granted Patent: US 8,594,826 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/97
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32191 Real time statistical process monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32194 Quality prediction
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45031 Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/50065 Estimate trends from past measured values, correct before really out of tolerance
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0216 Human interface functionality, e.g. monitoring system providing help to the user in the selection of tests or in its configuration
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 23/0229 knowledge based, e.g. expert systems; genetic algorithms
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
• CPC Class Codes: Y02P 90/80 Management or planning
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 409/309408 with cutter holder

Abstract

A method, a system and a computer program product suitable for use in a manufacturing environment comprising a multiplicity of nominally identical independent tools. A computing device generates a multi dimensional array of process trace data derived from at least one of the independent tools, wherein, the array includes data representing a first dimension comprising a list of steps in a manufacturing recipe and data representing a second dimension comprising a list of a set of sensors generating measurements from at least one of the independent tools. The computing device conducts an analysis on at least one preselected subset of the multi dimensional array for the purpose of evaluating at least one operating characteristic of at least one of the independent tools. The computing device presents results of the analysis via a set of hierarchically linked and browseable graphics.

Claims

1. A method suitable for use in a manufacturing environment comprising a multiplicity of nominally identical independent tools, the method comprising the steps of:

configuring a computing device including a processor and a memory to generate a multi dimensional array of process trace data derived from at least one of the independent tools, wherein, said array including data representing a first dimension comprising a list of steps in a manufacturing recipe and data representing a second dimension comprising a list of a set of sensors generating measurements from at least one of the independent tools;

configuring said computing device including said processor and said memory to conduct an analysis on at least one preselected subset of said multi dimensional array for the purpose of evaluating at least one operating characteristic of at least one of the independent tools; and

configuring said computing device including said processor and said memory to present results of the analysis via a set of hierarchically linked and browseable graphics.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said multidimensional array further comprises data representing a third dimension comprising a specification of a set of nominally identical tools.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said multidimensional array further comprises data representing a third dimension comprising a specification of a time period data for process trace data collection.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said analysis comprises a step of conducting at least one statistical test on the process trace data.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein said multidimensional array further comprises data representing a third dimension comprising a specification of measurements of a product quality or performance.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein said analysis comprises a step of summarizing the results of multiple individual statistical tests.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the summarizing includes a step of averaging the results of the multiple individual statistical tests.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

selecting, by a user, a subset of the multidimensional array via a graphical user interface.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium embodying computer program instructions being executed by a processor for causing a computer to perform method steps for use in a manufacturing environment comprising a multiplicity of nominally identical independent tools, said method steps comprising the steps of claim 1.

9. A system suitable for use in a manufacturing environment comprising a multiplicity of nominally identical independent tools, the system comprising:

at least one memory device;

at least one processor coupled to the at least one memory device,

wherein the at least one processor is configured to;

generate a multi dimensional array of process trace data derived from at least one of the independent tools, wherein, said array including data representing a first dimension comprising a list of steps in a manufacturing recipe and data representing a second dimension comprising a list of a set of sensors generating measurements from at least one of the independent tools;

conduct an analysis on at least one preselected subset of said multi dimensional array for the purpose of evaluating at least one operating characteristic of at least one of the independent tools; and

present results of the analysis via a set of hierarchically linked and browseable graphics.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said multidimensional array further comprises data representing a third dimension comprising a specification of a set of nominally identical tools.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said multidimensional array further comprises data representing a third dimension comprising a specification of a time period data for process trace data collection.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein said analysis comprises a step of conducting at least one statistical test on the process trace data.

13. The system according to claim 9, wherein said multidimensional array further comprises data representing a third dimension comprising a specification of measurements of a product quality or performance.

14. The system according to claim 13, wherein said analysis comprises a step of summarizing the results of multiple individual statistical tests.

15. The system according to claim 14, wherein the summarizing includes a step of averaging the results of the multiple individual statistical tests.

16. The system according to claim 9, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:

enable a user to select a subset of the multidimensional array via a graphical user interface.