Virtual Tether for Semiconductor Tool Safety

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Remote control of semiconductor processing tools via mobile devices poses safety risks due to potential confusion and misuse, as current technologies do not adequately address the issue of ensuring correct tool association and user access.

Innovation Solution

Establishing a virtual tether between a mobile device and a semiconductor processing tool using a unique key for authentication and resource arbitration, which includes monitoring activity levels to prevent unauthorized access and ensure correct tool association.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If remote control of semiconductor processing tools is enabled via mobile devices, then ease of operation is improved, but safety risks increase due to potential confusion and misuse

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveease of operationVSAvoidsafety risks

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by establishing a unique pairing between mobile device and processing tool before allowing control operations. This pairing is created in advance through authentication protocols that verify the legitimacy of the connection, ensuring that only authorized devices can control specific tools.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements continuous feedback mechanisms including activity level monitoring that tracks user interactions and system states. This feedback loop allows the system to detect abnormal patterns, verify ongoing authentication, and respond to potential safety issues in real-time during operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Productivity

If wireless network control is implemented, then productivity is improved through remote access, but reliability deteriorates due to lack of physical connection verification

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveproductivityVSAvoidreliability

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Before enabling remote control for productivity purposes, the system performs preliminary authentication and pairing actions that create a reliable logical connection. This pre-establishment of trust relationships ensures that wireless control commands are genuinely from authorized users, maintaining reliability while enabling remote productivity.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent introduces an intermediary authentication system that mediates between the mobile device and processing tool. This intermediary layer verifies identities, manages pairing information, and validates control commands, thereby maintaining reliability even though the physical connection is removed in favor of wireless communication.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Object-affected harmful factors

If activity monitoring is continuously performed, then safety is improved through detection of unauthorized access, but energy consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:

ImprovesafetyVSAvoidenergy consumption

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Instead of continuous monitoring, the system employs periodic activity level checks at defined intervals during the control session. This periodic verification maintains safety by detecting unauthorized access attempts while consuming less energy than continuous monitoring would require.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #19Periodic action

Solution Approach 2:

The system applies partial monitoring by focusing activity detection on critical operations and threshold-based events rather than all system activities. This selective approach maintains adequate safety monitoring while reducing overall energy consumption compared to comprehensive continuous monitoring.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Data Source

PatentUS9736135B2Method, apparatus, and system for establishing a virtual tether between a mobile device and a semiconductor processing tool

Publication Date: 2017.08.15 LAM RES CORP

AI summary

A method for establishing a virtual tether between a mobile device and a semiconductor processing tool, the method including: obtaining, by a mobile device, a unique key associated with the semiconductor processing tool; establishing a unique pairing between the mobile device and the semiconductor processing tool based on the unique key that is obtained by the mobile device; in response to successfully establishing the unique pairing, authenticating a user of the mobile device for access to the semiconductor processing tool; in response to successfully authenticating the user, performing resource arbitration on the semiconductor processing tool which includes reserving one or more resources associated with the semiconductor processing tool based on a level of access granted to the user; monitoring an activity level of the mobile device over a period of time; and comparing the activity level to a predetermined activity level threshold.