System and method of monitoring, predicting and optimizing production yields in a liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing process
AssigneeYieldBoost Tech, Inc.
InventorKyo Young Chung
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A system and method of monitoring LCD production yields, predicting the effects of different testing methodologies on LCD production yields, and optimizing production yields is provided that compares the effect of different testing methodologies on the yields at various stages in the LCD testing and assembly process. The present invention can also be used to predict the effect of different testing methodologies on user-defined parameters, such as profit.
Claims23
A method of determining thresholding parameters for a test recipe that will optimize a liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing parameter, wherein the test recipe comprises pixel driving signals applied to electrode array panels by an array test stage, and the thresholding parameters are used by the array test stage to identify good and defective pixels in the electrode array panels based on pixel voltage distributions generated in response to the pixel driving signals, the method comprising:
- (a) evaluating the LCD manufacturing parameter using thresholding parameters with current values;
- (b) evaluating the LCD manufacturing parameter while scanning the value of a thresholding parameter from its current value and holding the values of other thresholding parameters, if any, at current values;
- (c) identifying a new value for the scanned thresholding parameter that results in an optimized LCD manufacturing parameter, based on step (b);
- and
- (d) repeating steps (a)-(c) until all thresholding parameters have been scanned from their current values.
A system for determining thresholding parameters for a test recipe that will optimize a liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing parameter, wherein the test recipe comprises pixel driving signals applied to electrode array panels, comprising:
- an array test stage for applying the test recipe to the electrode array panels, and for identifying good and defective pixels in the electrode array panels based on the thresholding parameters and the pixel voltage distributions generated in response to the pixel driving signals;
- and
- a processor for:
- (a) evaluating the LCD manufacturing parameter using thresholding parameters with current values;
- (b) evaluating the LCD manufacturing parameter while scanning the value of a thresholding parameter from its current value and holding the values of other thresholding parameters, if any, at current values;
- (c) identifying a new value for the scanned thresholding parameter that results in an optimized LCD manufacturing parameter, based on step (b);
- and
- (d) repeating steps (a)-(c) until all thresholding parameters have been scanned from their current values.
An article of manufacture, comprising:
- a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for determining thresholding parameters for a test recipe that will optimize a liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing parameter, wherein the test recipe comprises pixel driving signals applied to electrode array panels by an array test stage, and the thresholding parameters are used by the array test stage to identify good and defective pixels in the electrode array panels based on pixel voltage distributions generated in response to the pixel driving signals, the computer readable program code in the article of manufacture causing a computer to:
- (a) evaluate the LCD manufacturing parameter using thresholding parameters with current values;
- (b) evaluate the LCD manufacturing parameter while scanning the value of a thresholding parameter from its current value and holding the values of other thresholding parameters, if any, at current values;
- and
- (c) identify a new value for the scanned thresholding parameter that results in an optimized LCD manufacturing parameter, based on step (b);
- and
- (d) repeat steps (a)-(c) until all thresholding parameters have been scanned from their current values.
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for determining thresholding parameters for a test recipe that will optimize a liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing parameter, wherein the test recipe comprises pixel driving signals applied to electrode array panels by an array test stage, and the thresholding parameters are used by the array test stage to identify good and defective pixels in the electrode array panels based on pixel voltage distributions generated in response to the pixel driving signals, the method comprising:
- (a) evaluating the LCD manufacturing parameter using thresholding parameters with current values;
- (b) evaluating the LCD manufacturing parameter while scanning the value of a thresholding parameter from its current value and holding the values of other thresholding parameters, if any, at current values;
- (c) identifying a new value for the scanned thresholding parameter that results in an optimized LCD manufacturing parameter, based on step (b));
- and
- (d) repeating steps (a)-(c) until all thresholding parameters have been scanned from their current values.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.