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
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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.
Claims44
A method of determining the effect, on a liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing parameter, of changing from a current distribution function test recipe to a new distribution function test recipe in an LCD manufacturing setup, wherein the current and new distribution function test recipes comprise driving signals for electrode array panels that generate pixel voltage distributions, the method comprising:
- applying the current distribution function test recipe to individual electrode array panels in a first group of electrode array panels;
- classifying the individual electrode array panels in the first group of electrode array panels as good or defective based on pixel voltage distributions generated by the current distribution function test recipe to yield a primary defect result;
- applying the new distribution function test recipe to the individual electrode array panels in the first group of electrode array panels;
- classifying the individual electrode array panels in the first group of electrode array panels as good or defective based on pixel voltage distributions generated by the new distribution function test recipe to yield a new defect result;
- inspecting individual electrode array panels that are classified as defective in both the primary and new defect results to yield panel inspection results;
- and
- determining the effect on the LCD manufacturing parameter of changing from the current distribution function test recipe to the new distribution function test recipe based on the primary defect result, the new defect result and the panel inspection results.
A system for determining the effect, on a liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing parameter, of changing from a current distribution function test recipe to a new distribution function test recipe in an LCD manufacturing setup, wherein the current and new distribution function test recipes comprise driving signals for electrode array panels that generate pixel voltage distributions, the method comprising:
- an array test stage for:
- applying the current distribution function test recipe to individual electrode array panels in a first group of electrode array panels,
- classifying the individual electrode array panels in the first group of electrode array panels as good or defective based on pixel voltage distributions generated by the current distribution function test recipe to yield a primary defect result,
- applying the new distribution function test recipe to the individual electrode array panels in the first group of electrode array panels, and
- classifying the individual electrode array panels in the first group of electrode array panels as good or defective based on pixel voltage distributions generated by the new distribution function test recipe to yield a new defect result;
- an array repair stage for inspecting individual electrode array panels that are classified as defective in both the primary and new defect results to yield panel inspection results, and for repairing those individual electrode array panels determined to be defective as a result of the inspection;
- and
- a processor for determining the effect on the LCD manufacturing parameter of changing from the current distribution function test recipe to the new distribution function test recipe based on the primary defect result, the new defect result and the panel inspection results.
An article of manufacture, comprising:
- a computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein for determining the effect, on a liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing parameter, of changing from a current distribution function test recipe to a new distribution function test recipe in an LCD manufacturing setup, wherein the current and new distribution function test recipes comprise driving signals for electrode array panels that generate pixel voltage distributions, the computer readable program code in the article of manufacture comprising:
- computer readable program code for causing a computer to classify individual electrode array panels in a first group of electrode array panels as good or defective based on pixel voltage distributions generated by the current distribution function test recipe to yield a primary defect result,
- computer readable program code for causing a computer to classify the individual electrode array panels in the first group of electrode array panels as good or defective based on pixel voltage distributions generated by the new distribution function test recipe to yield a new defect result,
- computer readable program code for causing a computer to record the results of an inspection of individual electrode array panels that are classified as defective in both the primary and new defect results as panel inspection results, and
- computer readable program code for causing a computer to determine the effect on the LCD manufacturing parameter of changing from the current distribution function test recipe to the new distribution function test recipe based on the primary defect result, the new defect result, and the panel inspection results.
A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform method steps for determining the effect, on a liquid crystal display (LCD) manufacturing parameter, of changing from a current distribution function test recipe to a new distribution function test recipe in an LCD manufacturing setup, wherein the current and new distribution function test recipes comprise driving signals for electrode array panels that generate pixel voltage distributions, the method steps comprising:
- classifying individual electrode array panels in a first group of electrode array panels as good or defective based on pixel voltage distributions generated by the current distribution function test recipe to yield a primary defect result;
- classifying the individual electrode array panels in the first group of electrode array panels as good or defective based on pixel voltage distributions generated by the new distribution function test recipe to yield a new defect result;
- recording the results of an inspection of individual electrode array panels that are classified as defective in both the primary and new defect results as panel inspection results;
- and
- determining the effect on the LCD manufacturing parameter of changing from the current distribution function test recipe to the new distribution function test recipe based on the primary defect result, the new defect result, and the panel inspection results.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.