Patent Application
20080082190
Referring to
An engineering analysis application 12 may be utilized to analyze data from a variety of different domains indicated as 16a, 16b, 16c, and 16d. An engineering analysis application is a software product that enables analysis capabilities such as trending, commonality, or correlation on engineering data from a semiconductor manufacturing process. The number of data domains may expand over time, but may include at least the following data domain models. Statistical process control data primarily consists of metrology data in a matrix plotted on control charts and used to monitor the process. Run to run control data consists of metrology data, after sources other than the statistical process control data, and recommended or actual setting data. Fault detection and classification data consists primarily of trace data during running of process equipment and information on faults, such as detection alarms, classification information, and the like. Work-in-process history contains information on the flow of material through various processing and metro operations, entities, and sub-entities. Entity attributes are typically information on the state of a tool at a given time. The attributes may be developed by counters which indicate the number of wafers since the last preventive maintenance. Preventive maintenance data contains details on the maintenance activities such as the type and identifier of the part changed. The yield data gives inline and end-of-line yields and defect information. Bin test results has binning information that describes whether a die works and, if not, the type of failure. In addition, there may be various parametric test data. Electrical test data has results from various electrical tests, such as current voltage, capacitance voltage, and the like. Facilities data includes various environmental data, such as temperature, pressure, and the like. Assembly test data includes information on testing done after the die is packaged. Joining the raw data to the engineering application 12 may be an engineering analysis framework 14.
In one embodiment, the engineering analysis framework 14 includes a large number of components which are combinable in ways that enable selection of only those components that may be desired for any given situation. In addition, the modular nature of the components making up the engineering analysis framework ensures that those components may be used with different products in future technologies. Thus, by providing these components in a modular fashion, they may be available for use either alone or in combination with the other components as the need may arise. Generally, this means that interfaces between components must be clean and general, rather than specific, so that they may interface with any other components in combinations selected by those doing the engineering analysis. Dependencies between components must either be nonexistent or well understood so that those dependencies can be made known to those using the components individually or in novel combinations.
The engineering analysis framework 14 may, as shown in
Next comes the data services layer 26 which includes components that provide services that support data extraction and data preparation for analysis. The analysis services 24 may include components to provide statistical analysis capability and canned algorithms relevant for data analysis in the semiconductor processing domain. The visualization services 22 include components for user interface controls used to support user interactions with the engineering analysis applications. The workflow services layer 20 includes components to provide services that enable the execution of on-demand or time/event based scheduled jobs using a pipe and filter architecture style. Thus, processing by a series of analysis components or applications may be implemented. Finally, the integration services layer 18 includes components for integration of different engineering analysis framework subsystems and components with each other, as well as with other systems in an automation infrastructure.
Each of the layers 18-28 may include a large number of components. Each of these components may be reusable, in the same way that the layer itself is reusable, and interdependent, in the same way each of the layers are independent. Namely, each of the components may be selectively usable in various combinations that are too numerous to enumerate. Thus, a given engineer may decide to select components and configure a framework in a specific fashion. These components work together because that is the way they are configured. Thus, each of the components within a given layer may be dynamic link libraries, in one embodiment, installed separately from the engineering analysis application. The engineering analysis application may use those functionalities encapsulated within the dynamic link libraries for delivering the end user functionality. In one embodiment, the framework may be developed in the .net platform using C# programming language.
Moving on to
The business logic layer B may include an analysis subsystem 56 for basic statistics, filtering algorithms, and indicator calculations. It may also include an application configuration subsystem 40 that enables persisting and retrieval of user and application specific configurations. A data extractor subsystem 62 extracts and joins data for multiple data sources. The database adapter 52 handles translation of relational data formats into generic schema of the engineering analysis framework database 16d. The database gateway 72 of a data join cluster 66 includes data join solutions for query optimization over multiple databases. Logging and audit subsystems 36 enable logging and audit functionality. The model configuration subsystem 42 manages metadata for the engineering analysis framework and handles domain configurations for engineering analysis applications. This domain configuration may include query models and parameter models that are the configurations to dynamically generate a database query based on user selections from a user interface. The query model is the query specific configuration, while the parameter model refers to the parameters associated with the query. The security subsystem 34 enables authentication and authorization for the engineering analysis framework based applications. The standard data model subsystem 58 enables a consistent memory data format. The statistical software 46 is a commercial, off-the-shelf data mining component. Statistical Interop 60 is .net interop wrapper for a statistical software. Utility subsystems 38 provide utilities for encryption, registry access, and other capabilities for both engineering analysis framework and engineering analysis application components. The scheduler cluster 67 supports execution of batch jobs scheduled by the client.
The data layer C includes the various data domains already described herein. A framework approach to building of engineering analysis applications for semiconductor manufacturing may identify key functional services for engineering analysis software, comprehending weight requirements across pre-wafer, fabrication, sort, and electrical test domains. The framework may be built from the ground up and need not be put together with pre-built components, but, instead, may be designed and developed as framework components.
The engineering analysis framework has several subsystems, as shown in
References throughout this specification to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one implementation encompassed within the present invention. Thus, appearances of the phrase “one embodiment” or “in an embodiment” are not necessarily referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be instituted in other suitable forms other than the particular embodiment illustrated and all such forms may be encompassed within the claims of the present application.
While the present invention has been described with respect to a limited number of embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate numerous modifications and variations therefrom. It is intended that the appended claims cover all such modifications and variations as fall within the true spirit and scope of this present invention.
