System for supporting data analysis in VLSI process

• US 5,768,144 A
• Filed: 12/09/1993
• Issued: 06/16/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/1992
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sharp Kabushiki Kaisha (Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Nagase, Keiji
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Application Number:
  US08/164,458
• Time in Patent Office: 1,650 Days
• Field of Search: 364/468, 364/488, 364/489, 364/490, 364/491, 395/600, 395/650
• US Class Current: 716/110
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4183 characterised by data acquisition, e.g. workpiece identification
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31288 Archive collected data into history file
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31318 Data analysis, using different formats like table, chart
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45026 Circuit board, pcb
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 30/00 Computer-aided design [CAD]
• 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: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

A system for supporting data analysis in a VLSI producing process is arranged to flexibly correspond to any data analysis requested by a system user. The system basically includes a registering unit for registering data in a database, an extracting unit for extracting necessary data from the registering unit, a processing unit for processing the extracted data, and a data statistical processing unit for producing statics from the extracted or processed data. In the registering unit, the data is stored as a collected data relation group for storing data and a common index information relation group for an index and a history of a processed wafer. Both of the relation groups are coupled through an index information key consisting of a process ID, a producing step ID, a lot ID and a wafer ID provided in both of the relation groups. In the extracting unit, two independent modules are provided so as to communicate one with another. In the working or statistical processing unit, the items to be selected are displayed on the screen in a hierarchical manner.

Claims

1. A system for supporting data analysis of a VLSI device production process comprising:

registering means for registering in a database process data descriptive of a production process, measured data relating to processed devices, and characteristic data descriptive of electric characteristics of the processed devices, the process, measured and characteristic data being collected as part of the VLSI device production process;

extracting means for extracting data used for the data analysis from said database;

data processing means for processing the extracted data;

statistical processing means for performing statistical processing of at least one of the processed data and the extracted data; and

formatting means for automatically converting a format of the extracted data into a format compatible with said data processing means and said statistical processing means before the data processing and the statistical processing,

said data processing means and said statistical processing means each comprising data managing means for relating a data entity with a corresponding data attribute when storing data.

2. The system for supporting data analysis of a VLSI device production process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said registering means registers in said database the process, measured and characteristic data in collected data relation groups and a common index information relation group including index information and a history of each processed device, the collected data relation groups and the common index relation group being coupled through an index information key consisting of a process identification, a producing step identification, a lot identification and a device identification provided in both the collected data and common index relation groups.

3. The system for supporting data analysis of a VLSI device production process as claimed in claim 2, wherein said extracting means comprises record selection means for dynamically creating a record selecting formula for extracting data from said database by using a retrieved data context variable table and a common index information context variable table.

4. A system for supporting data analysis in a VLSI process as claimed in claim 3, wherein said extracting means further includes means for extracting data in a manner to independently separate a client module for creating said record selecting formula and retrieve request information from a server module for creating a data retrieving program based on said retrieve request information and executing said data retrieving program and to communicate said client module with said server module.

5. The system for supporting data analysis of a VLSI device production process as claimed in claim 4, wherein said server module includes a data working server, a data retrieving server, and a statistical processing server.

6. The system for supporting data analysis of a VLSI device production process as claimed in claim 3, wherein the common index information context variable table includes specified retrieving data, a common index context variable and a retrieving data context variable.

7. The system for storing data analysis of a VLSI device production process as claimed in claim 1, wherein said data processing means and said data statistical processing means each comprise selection means for window selecting hierarchically grouped operational items.

8. A data analysis method for a VLSI device production process comprising the steps of:

a) registering in a database process data descriptive of a production process, measured data relating to processed devices, and characteristic data descriptive of electric characteristics of the processed devices, the process, measured and characteristic data being collected as part of the VLSI device production process;

b) extracting data used for the data analysis from the database;

c) processing the extracted data;

d) statistically processing at least one of the processed data and the extracted data; and

e) automatically converting a format of the extracted data into a format compatible with processing performed in said steps c) and d) prior to processing of the extracted data,

said steps e) and d) each comprising data managing for relating a data entity with a corresponding data attribute when storing data.

9. The data analysis method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said steps c) and d) each comprise window selecting hierarchically grouped operational items.

10. The data analysis method as claimed in claim 8, wherein said step a) comprises registering in the database the process, measured and characteristic data in collected data relation groups and a common index information relation group including index information and a history of each processed device, the collected data relation groups and the common index relation group being coupled through an index information key consisting of a process identification, a producing step identification, a lot identification and a device identification provided in both the collected data and common index relation groups.

11. The data analysis method as claimed in claim 10, wherein said step b) comprises dynamically creating a record selecting formula for extracting data from the database by using retrieved data context variables and a common index information context variable in the relation groups.

12. The data analysis method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the common index information context variables include specified retrieving data, a common index context variable and a retrieving data context variable.