Semiconductor Control Flow Editor for Flexible Root Cause Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current analysis tools for semiconductor manufacturing lack flexibility and customization options, requiring significant redevelopment for minor changes or new control flows, and do not support graphical visualization of control strategies, making them difficult for users to implement and extend.

Innovation Solution

A user interface and control strategy evaluation tool that allows users to design, configure, and edit control flows using a library of selectable control elements and a control flow editor, with a communication interface to a calculation engine for evaluation, enabling flexible and intuitive building of control strategies and visualization of control flows.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If pre-defined control strategies are used in analysis tools, then the manufacturing process can be optimized with existing tools, but the tools lack flexibility and require significant redevelopment for minor changes or new control flows

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveflexibility of control strategy implementationVSAvoidsoftware redevelopment effort

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control strategy is segmented into discrete, reusable control elements that can be independently selected and configured. Each control element represents a specific control function or operation, allowing users to build complex control strategies by combining these modular components without requiring software redevelopment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The analysis tool is designed with a library of universal control elements that can be applied across different control strategies and manufacturing scenarios. These elements serve multiple functions and can be configured for various purposes, eliminating the need for dedicated software development for each new control flow.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If traditional analysis tools are used, then existing manufacturing processes can be analyzed, but graphical visualization of control strategies is not supported making them difficult for users to implement and extend

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser-friendliness of control strategy implementationVSAvoidvisual representation of control flow

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The control strategy is represented as a graphical visualization that copies the logical structure of the control flow into a visual format. This graphical representation allows users to see, edit, and understand control strategies intuitively without losing any operational information, while also serving as a blueprint for implementation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If custom control strategies are implemented without a flexible tool, then specific manufacturing needs can be addressed, but extensive software engineering input is required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecustomization of control strategiesVSAvoidimplementation complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The control strategy implementation is made dynamic and adaptable through a configuration interface where users can select, add, remove, and configure control elements on-demand. This dynamic approach allows custom control strategies to be implemented without extensive software engineering, as the system adapts to user requirements through configuration rather than code modification.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS11796978B2Method for determining root causes of events of a semiconductor manufacturing process and for monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process

Publication Date: 2023.10.24 ASML NETHERLANDS BV

AI summary

A user interface for designing, configuring and/or editing a control flow representing a control strategy associated with a semiconductor manufacturing process, the user interface including: a library of control elements having at least a control element representing a task of simulation and each control element being selectable by a user; a control flow editor configured to organize the control elements into a control flow representing the control strategy; and a communication interface for communicating the control flow to a calculation engine configured to evaluate the control flow.