Management system and management method for semiconductor chip testing equipment

Abstract

The present application provides a kind of semiconductor chip test equipment management method, by a device time management module, multiple test equipment and an information agent module cooperation.Information agent module is respectively coupled with device time management module and multiple test equipment by a thing networking information transmission agreement and communication, and a test equipment client is installed in each test equipment.Management method includes the following steps: first, to device time management module, book uses one of multiple test equipment a time period, and generate a device use time information accordingly;Then, by device time management module, device use time information is published through information agent module by a theme;Then, one of multiple test equipment is a target test equipment, and receives device use time information;And in the time period of booking, a user logs in on target test equipment, and uses target test equipment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a management system and a management method, and more particularly to a management system and a management method applied to semiconductor chip testing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor industry, automated test equipment (ATE) is widely used for mass production testing of chips. Before a product enters the mass production stage, the chip must first be verified by engineers using engineering-grade ATE test equipment. To accomplish this critical task, most semiconductor companies either have their own laboratories or collaborate with third-party laboratories equipped with engineering-grade ATE test equipment to provide engineers with the necessary equipment resources for preliminary verification work.

[0003] In practice, engineers need to schedule the use of testing equipment in advance and conduct tests within the scheduled time. However, most laboratories still rely on manual management for processes such as equipment scheduling, usage control, usage tracking, and report generation, which presents numerous problems and limitations.

[0004] First, manually created reservation records (such as those using Excel spreadsheets) cannot effectively monitor the actual usage of testing equipment. For example, engineers can use the testing equipment directly even without a reservation; conversely, if an engineer makes a reservation but does not come to use it, the management cannot keep track of it in time, resulting in the equipment being idle.

[0005] Secondly, discrepancies may arise between actual usage and reservation records, leading to erroneous usage reports and inaccurate calculations of equipment utilization. Such inaccurate data hinders the effective planning and allocation of laboratory resources.

[0006] Furthermore, current appointment-based operations rely heavily on manual processing and interpersonal communication, which is not only time-consuming and labor-intensive but also reduces overall operational efficiency. Communication costs between engineers, managers, and the laboratory are high, and misunderstandings or omissions are easily generated.

[0007] Finally, these inaccurate and inefficient processes ultimately lead to a waste of testing equipment resources. Because ATE testing equipment is expensive, improper management not only affects project progress but also increases the company's operating costs.

[0008] Therefore, introducing a more automated and systematic mechanism for the reservation and use management of semiconductor chip testing equipment is indeed one of the important issues at present. Summary of the Invention

[0009] This invention provides a management system and method for semiconductor chip testing equipment, which can more effectively manage and utilize testing equipment resources, reduce waste, improve efficiency, and ensure that reserved equipment can be used and tracked correctly, ultimately improving the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the overall testing process.

[0010] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a management method for semiconductor chip testing equipment, comprising a device time management module, multiple testing devices, and an information proxy module. The information proxy module is communicatively coupled to the device time management module and the multiple testing devices via an Internet of Things (IoT) information transmission protocol, and each testing device has a testing device client installed. The management method includes the following steps: First, a time period for using one of the multiple testing devices is reserved with the device time management module, and device usage time information is generated accordingly; next, the device time management module publishes the device usage time information through the information proxy module via a topic; then, one of the multiple testing devices is designated as a target testing device and receives the device usage time information; and finally, during the reserved time period, a user logs in on the target testing device and uses the target testing device.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above-mentioned Internet of Things information transmission protocol is an information relay telemetry transmission protocol.

[0012] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above management method further includes: logging into the device time management module; registering a test device client installed on one of the plurality of test devices to be registered with the device time management module; and having a credential provided by the device time management module for downloading and installing on the test device to be registered, so as to be communicatively coupled with the information agent module.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present invention, before the device time management module publishes device usage time information through a topic, it further includes confirming whether the target test device is in a bookable state during the reserved time period.

[0014] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above management method further includes terminating the user's login status after the scheduled time period expires, and storing the usage information of that time as a login record in a designated storage medium.

[0015] In one embodiment of the present invention, the above management method further includes: monitoring login records on the test device by the test device client and generating a historical login record accordingly; publishing the historical login record by the test device client; receiving the historical login record by the device time management module through the information proxy module; and generating a usage report by the device time management module based on the historical login record of the test device.

[0016] Furthermore, to achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides a management system for semiconductor chip testing equipment, comprising an information proxy module, a device time management module, and multiple testing devices. The device time management module is coupled to the information proxy module via an Internet of Things (IoT) information transmission protocol, and generates device usage time information based on a reservation, which is then published through the information proxy module. The multiple testing devices are coupled to the information proxy module via the IoT information transmission protocol, and one of the multiple testing devices is a target testing device, receiving the device usage time information according to a subscribed topic. A user logs in on the target testing device during the time period specified in the device usage time information and uses the target testing device.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present invention, a test device client of the target test device stores the usage information of the device in a login record and then stores it in a designated storage medium based on the device usage time information.

[0018] In one embodiment of the present invention, the aforementioned test device client monitors the login records on the test device and generates and publishes a historical login record accordingly.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present invention, the device time management module receives the historical login records through the information proxy module and generates a usage report accordingly.

[0020] As described above, the management system and method for the semiconductor chip testing equipment of the present invention couple the equipment time management module and the testing equipment through an information proxy module. This enables the equipment time management module and the testing equipment to transmit information as subscribers and publishers, thereby ensuring that the testing equipment is regulated by equipment usage time information. This ensures that the testing equipment is only available to pre-booked users, and each testing device can generate login records based on usage. Furthermore, usage reports corresponding to each testing device can be generated based on historical login records for review and tracking. Through the aforementioned automated closed-loop process of time booking, actual use, and tracking reports, manual work can be saved, and the testing equipment can be utilized effectively.

[0021] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to better understand the technical means of the present invention and to implement it in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention more apparent and understandable, preferred embodiments are described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the architecture of the management system of a semiconductor chip testing equipment according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the operation method of registering the test equipment with the equipment time management module in the management method of the semiconductor chip test equipment according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 3 A flowchart illustrating the operation method for booking and using the testing equipment in a preferred embodiment of the semiconductor chip testing equipment management method of the present invention;

[0025] Figure 4 The flowchart illustrates the operation method for tracking test equipment usage records in a semiconductor chip test equipment management method according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0026] Please see Figure 1 As shown, the management system 10 of the semiconductor chip testing equipment in a preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a device time management module 111, multiple testing devices 121-12n, and an information proxy module 131. The information proxy module 131 is coupled to the device time management module 111 and the multiple testing devices 121-12n via an Internet of Things (IoT) information transmission protocol. The device time management module 111 and the information proxy module 131 can constitute a reservation management system, which can exist in a closed network domain, such as a company intranet or a school network.

[0027] In this embodiment, the message broker module 131 is an MQTT message broker module based on the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol. Test devices 121-12n are Automated Test Equipment (ATEs), which can be located in the same laboratory or in different laboratories. There is no limit to the number of test devices configured in each laboratory. This embodiment uses test devices 121-125 located in laboratory 15a, and test devices 126-12n located in laboratory 15n as an example. Each test device 121-12n has a test device client 141-14n installed. In this embodiment, the test device clients 141-14n can be used with either a Linux operating system or a Windows operating system. Furthermore, both the device time management module 111 and the test devices 121-12n have interfaces for MQTT message publishing and subscription, and they communicate using a secure MQTT protocol.

[0028] It is worth noting that MQTT communication involves the roles of publisher and subscriber. Publishers send messages to a topic, while subscribers receive corresponding information by subscribing to a specific topic. In this embodiment, the device time management module 111 and the test devices 121-12n can all act as both publishers and subscribers simultaneously. Furthermore, the symbol "n" used for quantities in this embodiment is a positive integer.

[0029] The management method for semiconductor chip testing equipment in a preferred embodiment of the present invention can be divided into operations of registering the testing equipment with the equipment time management module, reserving the use of the testing equipment with the equipment time management module, using the testing equipment within the reserved time, and tracking the usage records of the testing equipment.

[0030] Please also refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 As shown, the operation method for registering the test equipment with the equipment time management module in the management method of semiconductor chip test equipment includes steps S01 to S03.

[0031] Step S01 is to log in to the device time management module 111. The user can be a laboratory administrator or a specific person authorized by the device time management module 111. The user can log in to the device time management module 111 through any identifiable means, such as setting an account and password or an authorized access card.

[0032] Step S02 involves registering the test device client installed on the test device to be registered with the device time management module 111, such as test device client 141 of test device 121. The test device client 141 can be software, such as, but not limited to, an application.

[0033] Step S03 involves the device time management module 111 providing credentials for the user to download and install on the test device 121. These credentials are used for authentication of the test device client 141 and for secure communication between the device time management module 111 and the test device client 141.

[0034] Next, please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, in the management method of semiconductor chip testing equipment, the operation method for reserving and using the testing equipment includes steps S11 to S16. In this embodiment, the use of reserved testing equipment 121 is used as an example for illustration.

[0035] Step S11 involves the user logging into the device time management module 111 and reserving a time period for using the test device. In this embodiment, the user can select and specify the desired test device as the target test device.

[0036] Step S12 is to confirm whether the test equipment is available for booking during the scheduled time period. In this embodiment, the confirmation action in this step can be performed by the equipment time management module 111, or by the laboratory manager where the test equipment 121, which is the target test equipment, is located.

[0037] Step S13 involves the device time management module 111 publishing device usage time information via a topic. This device usage time information includes, but is not limited to, the target test device, start time, end time, and user account, and is published as an MQTT message.

[0038] Step S14 involves the target test device receiving device usage time information. In this embodiment, the test device client 141 of the test device 121, which is the target test device, subscribes to the topic from the device time management module 111, and therefore will receive the device usage time information.

[0039] Step S15 involves the pre-booked user logging into and using the target test device during the pre-booked time period. In this embodiment, the test device 121 only allows pre-booked users to log in using the user login control function provided by the operating system on the test device 121, and to use the test device 121 during the pre-booked time period.

[0040] Step S16 is to terminate the user's login status after the scheduled time period expires, and store the usage information as a login record in the designated storage medium.

[0041] Next, please refer to the following: Figure 1 and Figure 4 As shown, the management method for semiconductor chip testing equipment includes an operation method for tracking the use records of the testing equipment, comprising steps S21 to S24.

[0042] Step S21 involves the test device client monitoring login records on the test device and generating historical login records accordingly. As described above, in this embodiment, the test device client 141 of the test device 121 records each login action of the user, continuously monitors these login records, and generates historical login records based on user needs or preset time.

[0043] Step S22 involves the test device client 141 publishing historical login record MQTT information through the information broker module 131.

[0044] Step S23 involves the device time management module 111 receiving historical login record MQTT information. In this embodiment, since the device time management module 111 subscribes to this topic from test device clients 141-14n, it can receive the historical login record MQTT information published by test device clients 141-14n for each test device 121-12n through the information broker module 131.

[0045] Step S24 involves the device time management module 111 generating a usage report based on the historical login record MQTT information of the test devices, according to requirements. In this embodiment, a laboratory administrator or authorized user can log in to the device time management module 111, and the device time management module 111 can generate a summary report of the test device time usage over a period of time based on the historical login record MQTT information received from each test device 121 to 12n.

[0046] The following is a summary of the tasks and functions of key components in the management system 10 of semiconductor chip testing equipment, including the equipment time management module 111 and the information agent module 131.

[0047] The information proxy module 131 in the test equipment management system 10 has the functions of message hub and forwarding center, decoupling communication parties and asynchronous communication, which are described in detail below:

[0048] Message Hub and Forwarding Center: The message broker module 131 serves as the central hub for information transmission between the time management module 111 and various test devices. It does not directly participate in the generation or consumption of information, but is responsible for receiving MQTT messages from publishers and forwarding these messages to all subscribers who have subscribed to the relevant topics according to the subscription relationship.

[0049] Decoupling the communicating parties: The device time management module 111 and the test device client do not need to know each other's existence or network address directly. They only need to connect to the information broker module 131 and publish or subscribe to specific topics. The information broker module 131 is responsible for handling the underlying information routing and transmission, thereby decoupling the communicating parties and improving the system's flexibility and scalability.

[0050] Asynchronous Communication: MQTT is a lightweight publish / subscribe messaging protocol that supports asynchronous communication. After sending a message, the publisher does not need to wait for a response from the receiver; the receiver is only notified when new messages arrive. The message broker module 131 is responsible for handling this asynchronous message flow.

[0051] On the other hand, the equipment time management module 111 in the test equipment management system 10 has functions such as centralized management and registration, security authentication and communication, time booking and allocation, information publishing, usage tracking and monitoring, and report generation, which are described below:

[0052] Centralized management and registration: The equipment time management module 111 serves as a central platform for laboratory administrators to register and manage the test equipment clients 141-14n on various test equipment 121-12n.

[0053] Security Authentication and Communication: Responsible for providing credentials to test device clients 141-14n to ensure authentication and communication with test device clients 141-14n via secure MQTT protocol.

[0054] Time Booking and Allocation: Allows users to book time slots for testing equipment, with these bookings confirmed by the lab administrator.

[0055] Information Release: Once the reservation is confirmed, the device usage time information will be released as an MQTT message.

[0056] Usage tracking and monitoring: The device time management module 111 subscribes to actual usage information (based on login records) from the test device client to track the actual usage of the test device.

[0057] Report generation: Based on the collected actual usage information, generate a summary report on the time usage of the test equipment for authorized users.

[0058] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention in any way. Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to preferred embodiments, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art can make some modifications or alterations to the methods and techniques disclosed above without departing from the scope of the present invention to create equivalent embodiments. Any simple modifications, equivalent changes and alterations made to the above embodiments based on the technical essence of the present invention without departing from the scope of the present invention shall still fall within the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A management method for semiconductor chip testing equipment, comprising a device time management module, multiple testing devices, and an information proxy module, wherein the information proxy module is communicatively coupled to the device time management module and the multiple testing devices via an Internet of Things (IoT) information transmission protocol, and each of the multiple testing devices is equipped with a testing device client, characterized in that... include: Reserve a time period for the use of one of the plurality of test devices with the device time management module, and generate device usage time information accordingly; The device time management module publishes the device usage time information through the information proxy module via a topic. One of the plurality of testing devices is designated as a target testing device, and the device usage time information is received. as well as During the specified time period, a user logs in to the target test device and uses the target test device.

2. The management method for semiconductor chip testing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The IoT information transmission protocol is an information relay telemetry transmission protocol.

3. The management method for semiconductor chip testing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Log in to the device's time management module; Register the test device client, which is installed on one of the plurality of test devices to be registered, with the device time management module; as well as The device time management module provides a credential for downloading and installing on the test device to be registered, in order to communicate with the information agent module.

4. The management method for semiconductor chip testing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Before the device time management module publishes the device usage time information through the topic, it also includes confirming whether the target test device is in a bookable state during the reserved time period.

5. The management method for semiconductor chip testing equipment as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: After the scheduled time period expires, the user's login status is terminated, and the usage information is recorded as a login record and stored in a designated storage medium.

6. The management method for semiconductor chip testing equipment as described in claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: The login records on the test device are monitored by the test device client, and a historical login record is generated accordingly. The historical login records are published by the client of the test device; The device time management module receives the historical login records through the information proxy module; as well as The device time management module generates a usage report based on the historical login records of the test device.

7. A management system for a semiconductor chip testing equipment, characterized in that, include: One information agent module; A device time management module is coupled to the information agent module through an Internet of Things information transmission protocol, and generates device usage time information according to the reservation and then publishes it through the information agent module; as well as Multiple test devices are coupled to the information proxy module through the IoT information transmission protocol. One of the multiple test devices is a target test device, and it receives the device usage time information according to the subscribed topic. In this scenario, a user logs in to the target test device during the time period specified in the device usage time information and uses the target test device.

8. The management system for the semiconductor chip testing equipment as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The IoT information transmission protocol is an information relay telemetry transmission protocol.

9. The management system for the semiconductor chip testing equipment as described in claim 7, characterized in that, The client of the target test device creates a login record based on the device usage time information and stores it in a designated storage medium.

10. The management system for the semiconductor chip testing equipment as described in claim 9, characterized in that, The test device client monitors the login records on the test device and generates and publishes a historical login record accordingly.

11. The management system for the semiconductor chip testing equipment as described in claim 10, characterized in that, The device time management module receives the historical login records through the information agent module and generates a usage report accordingly.

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