Method and system for managing semiconductor manufacturing equipment
First Claim
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1. A method of managing operation of semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprising:
- sampling a plurality of data of at least one parameter under a normal operating condition of said semiconductor manufacturing equipment;
generating a Mahalanobis space based on a group of sampled data;
calculating, based on said Mahalanobis space, a Mahalanobis distance from a group of measured values of said at least one parameter under an actual operating condition of said semiconductor manufacturing equipment; and
when a calculated Mahalanobis distance exceeds a predetermined value, making a decision that a malfunction occurred in said semiconductor manufacturing equipment.
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Abstract
A management method capable of making an accurate decision about a malfunction of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment includes sampling a plurality of data of at least one parameter under normal operating conditions of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment; generating a Mahalanobis space A from a group of sampled data; calculating a Mahalanobis distance D2 from measured values of the parameter under ordinary operating conditions of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment; and deciding that a malfunction occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment when the value of the Mahalanobis distance exceeds a predetermined value.
69 Citations
8 Claims
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1. A method of managing operation of semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprising:
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sampling a plurality of data of at least one parameter under a normal operating condition of said semiconductor manufacturing equipment;
generating a Mahalanobis space based on a group of sampled data;
calculating, based on said Mahalanobis space, a Mahalanobis distance from a group of measured values of said at least one parameter under an actual operating condition of said semiconductor manufacturing equipment; and
when a calculated Mahalanobis distance exceeds a predetermined value, making a decision that a malfunction occurred in said semiconductor manufacturing equipment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
sampling a plurality of data under abnormal conditions, each abnormal condition being generated by setting one parameter at an abnormal value and others of said at least one parameter at normal values;
generating Mahalanobis spaces under said abnormal conditions;
when, from a value of said Mahalanobis distance, a decision has been made that a malfunction occurred, calculating Mahalanobis distances corresponding to Mahalanobis spaces from said measured values, based on said Mahalanobis space under the abnormal condition; and
estimating that among said plurality of parameters, abnormality occurred in a parameter that gave a Mahalanobis space that has a Mahalanobis distance closest to 1.
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3. A management method according to claim 1, wherein said sampling comprises sampling a plurality of mutually different parameters that include said at least one parameter, said management method further comprising:
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generating Mahalanobis spaces at predetermined times from a data group of said plurality of mutually different parameters measured at predetermined times; and
calculating Mahalanobis distances at predetermined times from a group of measured values of said plurality of mutually different parameters, obtained from the actual operating condition of said semiconductor manufacturing equipment, by using said Mahalanobis spaces formed at predetermined times.
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4. A management system of semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprising:
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a memory unit that stores data on a Mahalanobis space obtained from a parameter showing a normal operating condition of semiconductor manufacturing equipment;
a detection mechanism that obtains data values of said parameter from said semiconductor manufacturing equipment during operation;
an arithmetic circuit that calculates a Mahalanobis distance from a data group of said parameter, obtained by said detection mechanism by using said Mahalanobis space stored in said memory unit; and
a circuit that decides whether or not a calculated value of said Mahalanobis distance by said arithmetic circuit exceeds a predetermined value, to determine occurrence of a malfunction of said semiconductor manufacturing equipment. - View Dependent Claims (5, 6, 7, 8)
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Specification