Substrate Processing Data Collection Buffering
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional substrate processing systems face challenges in collecting high-precision and high-frequency data due to system load issues and delays, making it difficult to manage data occurrence order and adjust between data collected from various components.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing system with a collection unit that collects data indirectly through controllers and stores it in a buffer to absorb delays, matching the data with directly collected data and arranging it according to a predetermined time range to ensure proper data transmission.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If data are collected directly to an external storage medium using conventional methods, then data collection is simple, but data cannot be collected at high frequency required by semiconductor manufacturing factories
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the data collection system into multiple independent collection units, each dedicated to collecting data from specific components. This segmentation allows parallel data collection from multiple sources simultaneously, achieving high-frequency data collection without overwhelming a single collection point, thus resolving the contradiction between collection frequency and system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary data management structure that buffers and manages data from multiple collection units before external storage. This intermediary layer handles the complexity of high-frequency data collection, allowing individual collection units to operate independently at high frequency while the intermediary manages the overall data flow, thus achieving high productivity without proportional increase in overall system complexity.
2Measurement precision
If multiple components are controlled at high frequency, then control precision is improved, but system load increases making it difficult to output collected data at required frequency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the data collection workload into multiple independent collection units, each handling specific components. This segmentation distributes the system load across multiple lightweight units rather than one heavy centralized collector, allowing high-frequency precision data collection from each component while keeping individual unit loads manageable.
Solution Approach 2:
Each collection unit operates autonomously to collect and buffer data from its assigned components, performing self-service data collection without requiring centralized coordination for each data point. This self-service approach reduces the processing overhead and system load while maintaining high-frequency precision collection capabilities across all components.
3Ease of operation
If data are collected indirectly through controllers, then data collection is simplified, but delays occur making it difficult to manage data occurrence order
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary buffering of data at each collection unit before external transmission. Data are temporarily stored in buffers within each collection unit, preserving their occurrence order and timing information. This preliminary action allows the system to maintain simple indirect collection through controllers while eliminating delay-related ordering problems by pre-organizing data before transmission.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediary buffers within each collection unit that act as mediators between the controllers and external storage. These buffers temporarily hold data, preserving timing and occurrence order information while the simple indirect collection method continues to operate. The intermediary buffers resolve the timing/ordering issues without adding complexity to the collection mechanism itself.
4Speed
If data are transmitted to external storage without buffering, then transmission is fast, but data occurrence order cannot be properly managed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary organization of data in buffers at each collection unit, where data are stored with their occurrence order and timing information preserved. This preliminary buffering action happens locally and quickly, maintaining fast transmission speeds while ensuring that when data are transmitted, their occurrence order is already established and can be properly managed by external systems.
Data Source
AI summary
Provided is a substrate processing system configured to provide proper data. The substrate processing system comprises a substrate processing apparatus comprising a plurality of components, a controller configured to control the substrate processing apparatus by setting a sequence prescribing time and components, and a collection unit configured to collect data from the components. The collection unit is configured to match data collected from the components via the controller with data collected directly from the components.