Systems and methods for managing material storage vessels having information storage elements
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- communicating, from an information storage device attached to a material storage vessel adapted to contain a fluid, to a control device associated with a semiconductor manufacturing process tool, information indicative of any of;
(A) a fluid-specific utilization parameter, and (B) a process tool operating instruction, wherein the communicated information is configured to be used in one of setting and adjusting an operating parameter of the process tool in managing how the fluid is used;
employing the communicated information to set or adjust the operating parameter of the process tool to manage how the fluid is used in a fabrication process;
fabricating or processing a product article utilizing the process tool;
analyzing an attribute of the product article; and
responsive to the analyzing step, adjusting the operating parameter of the process tool.
9 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Material management systems and methods include material storage vessels with information (e.g., electronic information) storage. Information may be communicated from a storage device to a process tool controller and employed to set or adjust a process tool operating parameter. Material information may be determined by remote analysis and subsequently communicated to an electronic information storage device of a vessel containing such material. Location and movement of material storage vessels within a customer facility may be automatically tracked, with further transfer of material-specific information. Product information may be associatively stored with material-specific information utilized in product manufacture.
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Citations
27 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
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communicating, from an information storage device attached to a material storage vessel adapted to contain a fluid, to a control device associated with a semiconductor manufacturing process tool, information indicative of any of;
(A) a fluid-specific utilization parameter, and (B) a process tool operating instruction, wherein the communicated information is configured to be used in one of setting and adjusting an operating parameter of the process tool in managing how the fluid is used;employing the communicated information to set or adjust the operating parameter of the process tool to manage how the fluid is used in a fabrication process; fabricating or processing a product article utilizing the process tool; analyzing an attribute of the product article; and responsive to the analyzing step, adjusting the operating parameter of the process tool. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method comprising:
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receiving, from an information storage device attached to a material storage vessel adapted to contain a fluid, information indicative of any of;
(A) a fluid-specific utilization parameter, (B) a fluid property, and (C) a process tool operating instruction, wherein the received information is configured to be used in one of setting and adjusting an operating parameter of a semiconductor manufacturing process tool in managing how the fluid is used;employing the received information to set or adjust the operating parameter of the process tool to manage how the fluid is used in a fabrication process; processing or fabricating an article of manufacture utilizing the process tool to yield a processed or fabricated article; analyzing an attribute of the processed or fabricated article; and responsive to the analyzing step, adjusting the operating parameter of the process tool. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10)
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11. A method employing a plurality of wireless information reading devices for managing a plurality of material storage vessels each having an attached information storage device comprising associated electronic information and adapted to contain a fluid, the method comprising the steps of:
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detecting the entrance of a first material storage vessel in a fluid ingress functional area of a fluid end use process facility; automatically transferring to a data repository the information associated with the first material storage vessel and indicative of any of a batch-specific fluid property, a vessel-specific fluid property, a vessel-specific current or historical environmental condition, a process tool operating instruction, and a fluid-specific utilization parameter, wherein the transferred information is configured to be used in one of setting and adjusting an operating parameter of a process tool in managing how the fluid is used; fabricating or processing a product article utilizing the process tool; analyzing an attribute of the product article; and responsive to the analyzing step, adjusting the operating parameter of the process tool. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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19. A method comprising:
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receiving, from an information storage device attached to a material storage vessel adapted to contain a fluid, to a control device associated with a process tool, information indicative of any of;
(a) identity of said fluid, (b) composition of said fluid, (c) source of said fluid, (d) quantity of said fluid, (e) batch of said fluid, (f) a batch-specific property of said fluid, (g) a vessel-specific property of said fluid, (h) a vessel-specific current environmental condition, (i) a vessel-specific historical environmental condition, (j) a fluid-specific process tool utilization parameter, and (k) vessel identity,wherein the received information is configured to be used in one of setting and adjusting an operating parameter of a process tool in managing how the fluid is used; fabricating or processing a product with a process tool employing fluid received from the material storage vessel and using the received information to manage how the fluid is used in said product fabrication or processing, wherein the fabricated or processed product comprises any of a semiconductor substrate, a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor boule, and a semiconductor precursor structure; analyzing an attribute of the product; and responsive to the analyzing step, adjusting the operating parameter of the process tool; and associatively storing the received information with product information of the product fabricated or processed by the process tool indicative of any of (I) product identification, (II) product batch identification, and (III) at least one of date and time of said product fabrication or processing. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A material utilization system comprising:
- at least one material storage vessel adapted to contain a fluid and having an attached electronic information storage device having stored therein information indicative of any of;
(A) a fluid-specific utilization parameter, (B) a process tool operating instruction, (C) a fluid property, and (D) a vessel-specific current or historical environmental condition, wherein the information is configured to be used in one of setting and adjusting an operating parameter of a process tool in managing how the fluid is used;a semiconductor manufacturing process tool or semiconductor manufacturing process tool controller arranged to receive a signal representative of said information, and adapted to utilize said information to set or adjust the operating parameter of the process tool to manage how the fluid is used in a fabrication process; a fabrication unit configured to conduct the fabrication process to fabricate or process a product article utilizing the process tool; and an analysis unit configured to analyze an attribute of the product article and responsively adjust the operating parameter of the process tool. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27)
- at least one material storage vessel adapted to contain a fluid and having an attached electronic information storage device having stored therein information indicative of any of;
Specification