Method and system for collection, analysis, and display of semiconductor manufacturing information

• US 7,580,924 B1
• Filed: 11/08/2005
• Issued: 08/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Xilinx, Inc. (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Xilinx, Inc. (Advanced Micro Devices, Inc.)
• Inventors: Manicle, Noel John, Flynn, Andrew John, Ling, Christopher Lanseng, Simmons, Michael Leonard
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong; Don
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Kim T
• Application Number:
  US11/268,833
• Time in Patent Office: 1,386 Days
• Field of Search: 707/3, 707/104.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 16/2428 Query predicate definition using graphical user interfaces, including menus and forms G06F16/2423 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

A server system for receiving and processing manufacturing data from a plurality of semi-conductor manufacturers is disclosed. The server system includes: a file capture module for receiving the manufacturing data from the plurality of semi-conductor manufacturers; a format conversion module coupled to the file capture module, the format conversion module converting the manufacturing data to a standard database format for storage in a database; a query builder module coupled to a client web browser for interactively changing contents of the client web browser depending upon a plurality of client selections on the client web browser, the query builder module configured to build a final query based on the plurality of client selections; and a report generation module coupled to the database and the query builder module, the report generation module generating a report based on the final query.

Claims

1. A method for processing semi-conductor manufacturing data comprising:

capturing files from a plurality of manufacturing data sites having semi-conductor manufacturing data;

the semi-conductor manufacturing data including test data;

the test data indicating electrical characteristics;

converting the files into a standard format for storage in a database;

building a query from a client device using a plurality of sets of selections, wherein when a first selection is made by the client device in a first set of the sets of selections, a second set of the sets of selections is dynamically changed to only display a displayed set of selections on the client device limited to selections associated with the first selection;

checking limits of the test data of the semi-conductor manufacturing data by accessing the database and comparing the test data of the semi-conductor manufacturing data stored in the database with limits therefor;

a portion of the limits being user defined limits including a parameter limit associated with the electrical characteristics, the parameter limit being for threshold voltage;

alerting the client device, when any stored semi-conductor manufacturing data exceeds one or more limit of the portion of the limits; and

generating a report for the client device based on the built query and the converted files stored in the database.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the capturing the files, converting the files, building the query and generating the report are performed on a Web server and the client device comprises a web browser for displaying the displayed set of selections.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the altering includes sending an email to an email client on the client device.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the checking limits and alerting the client device are performed on the Web server and the client device comprises a web browser for displaying the displayed set of selections.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

scheduling when capturing files and checking limits occurs based on a predefined criteria.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of sets of selections comprises:

a fabrication set, a family set, a device set, and a lot set.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the plurality of sets of selections further comprises:

a time range set, and a wafer group set.

8. The method of claim 6 wherein when a lot selection is made from a lot set and a time selection is made from time range set, the time selection is overridden when a wafer in the lot selection has data collected outside of the time selection.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a report for the client device is further based upon a report selection by the client device.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the report includes a chart with an overlay graph.

11. A server system, including a processor, for receiving and processing manufacturing data from a plurality of semi-conductor manufacturers, comprising:

a file capture module for receiving the manufacturing data from the plurality of semi-conductor manufacturers;

the manufacturing data including test data;

the test data indicating electrical characteristics;

a format conversion module coupled to the file capture module, the format conversion module converting the manufacturing data to a standard database format for storage in a database;

a query builder module coupled to a client web browser for interactively changing contents of the client web browser depending upon a plurality of client selections on the client web browser, the query builder module configured to build a final query based on the plurality of client selections;

a limit checker and alert module configured to check a predetermined limit of at least some of the test data of the manufacturing data stored in the database;

the predetermined limit being a user defined limit for a parameter associated with the electrical characteristics, the parameter being for threshold voltage; and

a report generation module coupled to the database and the query builder module, the report generation module generating a report based on the final query.

12. The server system of claim 11 further comprising:

a scheduler module configured to schedule times when the manufacturing data is to be retrieved from one or more manufacturers of the plurality of semi-conductor manufacturers.

13. The server system of claim 12 wherein the limit checker and alert module is coupled via a network to an email client, the limit checker and alert module further configured to send an email to the email client, when a checked part of the manufacturing data exceeds the predetermined limit.

14. The server system of claim 11 wherein the query builder module builds the final query from client web browser using a plurality of sets of selections, wherein when a first selection is made by the client web browser in a first set of the sets of selections, a second set of the sets of selections has a displayed set of selections on the client web browser limited to selections associated with the first selection.

15. The server system of claim 14 wherein the plurality of sets of selections comprises:

a fabrication set, a family set, a device set, and a lot set.

16. The server system of claim 15 wherein the fabrication set and the family set have a many-to-many relationship.

17. The server system of claim 16 wherein a family of the family set and corresponding device set form a parent-child relationship, respectively and a device of the device set and corresponding lot set form another parent-child relationship, respectively.

18. A computer program stored in a computer readable storage medium, the computer program comprising;

code for capturing files from a plurality of manufacturers having programmable logic device (“

PLD”

) manufacturing data;

the PLD manufacturing data including test data;

the test data indicating electrical characteristics;

code for converting the files into a standard format for storage in a database;

code for building a query from a client web browser using a plurality of sets of selections, wherein when a first selection is made by the client device in a first set of the sets of selections, a second set of the sets of selections has a displayed set of selections on the web browser limited to selections associated with the first selection;

code for generating a report for the client web browser based on the built query and the converted files stored in the database;

code for checking limits of the PLD manufacturing data by accessing the database;

code for comparing the test data of the PLD manufacturing data stored in the database with limits therefor, the limits being user defined limits including a parameter limit associated with the electrical characteristics, the parameter limit being for threshold voltage; and

code for alerting the client device, when any stored PLD manufacturing data exceeds the limits during the comparing.