Wafer-Centric Database and Neural Network Scheduler for Semiconductor Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor manufacturing systems face challenges in real-time control and scheduling due to proprietary software and the need for comprehensive data search across various log files, leading to inefficiencies in processing and monitoring.
Innovation Solution
A wafer-centric database combined with a real-time scheduler using a neural network and a graphical user interface for a three-dimensional simulation, enabling improved usability and computational efficiency for real-time control and monitoring, particularly in heterogeneous systems with hardware from multiple vendors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If proprietary software from various manufacturers is used for hardware control, then each hardware item can be controlled with manufacturer-specific functionality, but the overall system complexity increases and integration becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal controller that can interface with multiple different hardware vendors' equipment through standardized communication protocols. The controller is designed to accommodate various hardware types (robots, handlers, process modules) from different manufacturers, providing a single unified control interface that replaces multiple proprietary software systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller serves as an intermediary layer between the user interface and the diverse hardware components. It translates between standardized control commands and vendor-specific hardware protocols, mediating the interaction between the control system and heterogeneous equipment without requiring direct integration between each hardware vendor's proprietary system.
2Loss of information
If comprehensive data search across all log files is performed to find handler or wafer-specific processing information, then complete information can be obtained, but the processing time increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the control and data management functions into modular components. The controller is divided into distinct modules that handle different aspects of process control, data logging, and information retrieval. This segmentation allows specific data to be accessed directly from relevant modules without searching through all log files, reducing retrieval time while maintaining data completeness.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary organization and indexing of process data as it is generated during manufacturing operations. Data is pre-structured and stored in an accessible format with metadata that enables quick retrieval of handler or wafer-specific information without requiring comprehensive searches of all log files when information is needed.
3Ease of manufacture
If simple chronological logs are used to record process data, then data storage is straightforward, but finding and processing relevant information requires searching all log files
Solution Approach 1:
The system pre-organizes chronological log data with embedded metadata tags and indices that identify the content and relevance of each log entry. This preliminary structuring maintains the chronological storage simplicity while enabling rapid retrieval of specific handler or wafer information through the indexed metadata without searching entire log files.
Data Source
AI summary
Software for controlling processes in a heterogeneous semiconductor manufacturing environment may include a wafer-centric database, a real-time scheduler using a neural network, and a graphical user interface displaying simulated operation of the system. These features may be employed alone or in combination to offer improved usability and computational efficiency for real time control and monitoring of a semiconductor manufacturing process. More generally, these techniques may be usefully employed in a variety of real time control systems, particularly systems requiring complex scheduling decisions or heterogeneous systems constructed of hardware from numerous independent vendors.