Monitoring a process sector in a production facility

US8340800B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• International Business Machines Corporation · US

Inventors

• William J. Cote · Poughquag, US
• Michael P. Guse · Hopewell Junction, US
• Mark E. Lagus · Stanfordville, US
• James Rice · Danbury, US
• Yunsheng Song · Poughkeepsie, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 17, 2008
• Grant date: Dec 25, 2012
• Expiry date: Jul 3, 2030

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y02P90/02
• WIPO field: Control
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

Monitoring a process sector in a production facility includes establishing a tool defect index associated with a process sector in the production facility. The tool defect index includes a signal representing a defect factor associated with a tool in the process sector. Monitoring the process also requires determining whether the defect factor is a known defect factor or an unknown defect factor, and analyzing a unit from the tool if the defect factor is an unknown defect factor. Monitoring the process further requires identifying at least one defect on the unit from the tool, establishing that the at least one defect is a significant defect, determining cause of the significant defect, and creating an alert indicating that the tool associated with the process sector is producing units having significant defects.