Controlling non-process of record (por) process limiting yield (ply) inspection work
AssigneeInternational Business Machines Corporation
InventorsRebekah M. Keyser, John A. Rudy, Brian J. Wazewski
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of controlling a quantity of non-process of record (POR) process limiting yield (PLY) inspections in wafer processing includes setting aside planned capacity for non-POR work, upon receipt of a request for non-POR work, estimating a time required for completion of the request and comparing the estimated time against a remainder of the set aside planned capacity, approving the request in an event the comparison indicates that the estimated time is available in the set aside planned capacity and rejecting the request in an event the comparison indicates that the estimated time is not available in the set aside planned capacity.
Claims24
A method of controlling a quantity of non-process of record (POR) process limiting yield (PLY) inspections in wafer processing, the method comprising:
- setting aside planned capacity for non-POR work;
- upon receipt of a request for non-POR work, estimating a time required for completion of the request and comparing the estimated time against a remainder of the set aside planned capacity;
- approving the request in an event the comparison indicates that the estimated time is available in the set aside planned capacity;
- and
- rejecting the request in an event the comparison indicates that the estimated time is not available in the set aside planned capacity.
A storage medium having executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed, cause a processing unit of a computing device to execute method of controlling a quantity of non-process of record (POR) process limiting yield (PLY) inspections in wafer processing, the method comprising:
- establishing a PLY capacity database in which information relating to POR and non-POR work is stored, the information including work group definitions, sub-group definitions, sample group size information, details of previous POR and non-POR requests and completion times for previous POR and non-POR requests;
- setting aside planned capacity for non-POR work, the set aside planned capacity including at least one of a time component and a sample size component;
- upon receipt of a request for non-POR work, estimating a time required for completion of the request and comparing the estimated time against a remainder of the set aside planned capacity;
- approving the request in an event the comparison indicates that the estimated time is available in the set aside planned capacity;
- and
- rejecting the request in an event the comparison indicates that the estimated time is not available in the set aside planned capacity.
A system to control a quantity of non-process of record (POR) process limiting yield (PLY) inspections in wafer processing, the system comprising:
- a plurality of wafers;
- a first system component to designate for POR work a predefined number of the plurality of the wafers;
- a second system component to set aside planned capacity for non-POR work, to designate for non-POR work a number of remaining ones of the plurality of the wafers in accordance with a non-POR work request and a determination that completion of the request is possible given a remainder of the set aside planned capacity for non-POR work subject to an override command issued by an authorized individual;
- and
- a plurality of tools for executing the POR and non-POR work.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.