Semiconductor Apparatus Component Identification via Composite Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
In semiconductor fabrication apparatuses, identifying and managing numerous fluid control devices with similar configurations is challenging, leading to potential mistakes during maintenance and operation, as existing systems require careful attention to avoid misidentification.
Innovation Solution
A management system comprising a manager terminal and an information processor connected via a network, which captures images, identifies component positions using markers or labels, and displays composite images with component information, enabling intuitive identification and easy understanding of the components.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If fluid control devices are integrated in an array with the same or almost the same configurations, then the device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but it becomes difficult to identify and manage individual components, leading to potential mistakes during maintenance and operation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the gas box into multiple regions (first region, second region, third region) and assigns different types of fluid control devices to each region. This segmentation allows individual identification and management of components while maintaining the integrated array structure, resolving the contradiction between ease of manufacture and ease of operation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by giving different functional characteristics to different regions of the gas box. Each region contains fluid control devices with specific configurations suited for particular gas supply purposes, enabling both standardized manufacturing and differentiated identification during operation.
2Device complexity
If a large number of fluid control devices are integrated in an array, then the device complexity is reduced, but it requires careful attention and reference to diagrams to identify the correct device for maintenance, increasing the risk of mistakes
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the gas box into distinct regions with different device types, the patent reduces the overall complexity while enhancing reliability. Each region can be independently identified and managed, reducing the risk of selecting the wrong device during maintenance operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces region identifiers and structured organization as intermediaries between the integrated array of devices and the operator. This intermediary structure enables reliable identification of specific devices without requiring operators to carefully examine each component or refer to complex diagrams.
3Loss of information
If sensor data is collected from fluid control devices for maintenance prediction, then information on replacement needs is obtained, but it is difficult to associate the data with the correct device due to their similar configurations and array arrangement
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the gas box into regions and associates sensor data with specific regions rather than individual devices. This approach prevents information loss by maintaining clear associations between data and location, while avoiding the operational complexity of tracking individual device identifiers in a densely packed array.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the identification of multiple fluid control devices within the same region into a single regional identifier. This combining approach ensures that sensor data can be reliably associated with the correct group of devices without requiring complex individual device identification, thus preventing information loss while maintaining ease of operation.
Data Source
AI summary
In a semiconductor fabrication apparatus composed of a plurality of components, such as fluid control devices, a manager is to be enabled to identify components by intuition. Information on the identified component is to be provided to the manager in an easy-to-understand manner. In a system in which a manager terminal 3 and an information processor 2 are communicably configured via networks NW1 and NW2, the manager terminal 3 receives component information on a semiconductor fabrication apparatus 1 from the information processor 2. Upon the identification of the position of a component constituting the semiconductor fabrication apparatus 1 on the captured image of the semiconductor fabrication apparatus 1 using an identification processing unit 32, a compositing processing unit 33 creates a composite image in which component information is composited with the captured image at the position of the component identified, and an image display unit 34 displays the composite image. On the other hand, the information processor 2 makes reference to the component information storage unit 2A to extract the component information using an extraction processing unit 21, and transmits the component information to the manager terminal 3.