Method of and apparatus for extracting abnormal factors in a processing operation

An apparatus for extracting abnormal factors in a processing operation in a semiconductor manufacturing plant having producing apparatus, comprising:

• a memory unit for storing data on product quality including yield and processing operation data including producing apparatus histories which affect the product quality;
• and
• a multistage multivariate analysis unit for analyzing a causal relation between the data on product quality and the processing operation data which includes
• a data search unit for searching data from the memory unit based on inputted parameters to obtain object variables and explanation variables for conducting a multiple regression analysis to repeatedly extract a progressively limited number of abnormal factors;
• an analysis data preparation unit for processing the data retrieved from the memory unit and preparing the data in a suitable form for analysis;
• an automatic extraction processing unit for processing the data from the analysis data preparation unit at multiple stages by conducting a multivariate analysis to extract abnormal factors;
• an operational data memory unit for temporarily storing data being processed;
• and
• a central control unit for coordinating the extraction of abnormal factors by controlling the memory unit, the multistage multivariate analysis unit, data search unit, analysis data preparation unit and operational data memory unit.

A quality control system for monitoring a production line, which produces a plurality of products, comprising:

• means for measuring and storing variable operating condition data of the production line during operation;
• means for measuring and storing quality control characteristic data of each one of the plurality of products actually produced on the production line;
• means for storing a target production value relative to each one of the plurality of products;
• a computer system having a stored multivariate analysis program for determining a causal relationship between a quality control characteristic of each one of the plurality of products and the operating condition of the production line, including a data search unit for searching for stored operating condition data and stored quality control characteristic data to generate object variables and explanation variables, an automatic extraction processing unit for extracting abnormal factors by subjecting the operating condition data and the quality control characteristic data to a multivariate analysis procedure at multiple stages relative to the target production value, the object variables, and the explanation variables to extract a limited number of abnormal factors;
• and
• means for displaying an output of the determination of the causal relationship.

A quality control system for monitoring a semiconductor production line, which produces a plurality of products, comprising:

• means for measuring and storing variable operating condition data of the production line during operation including producing apparatus history data for each apparatus on the production line;
• means for measuring and storing quality control characteristic data of each one of the plurality of products actually produced on the production line including product yield data for each one of the plurality of products;
• means for storing a target production value relative to each one of the plurality of products;
• and
• a computer system having a stored multivariate analysis program for determining a causal relationship between a quality control characteristic of each one of the plurality of products and the operating condition of the production line, including
• a data search unit for searching for stored operating condition data and stored quality control characteristic data to generate object variables and explanation variables,
• a defective analysis data producing unit for determining when the production apparatus history data for each producing apparatus that is operated under the same conditions for other products is substituted for a product having a statistically inadequate amount of production information data and storing a corresponding corrected producing apparatus history data for that product;
• an explanation variable data preparation unit for extracting a predetermined number of production operations from the stored corrected producing apparatus history data to form a first group of a specific number and for forming a second group of the production operations of the production apparatus history data of apparatus having a statistically adequate amount of production history data;
• an automatic extraction processing unit for extracting abnormal factors by subjecting the operating condition data and the quality control characteristic data to a multivariate analysis procedure at multiple stages relative to the target production value, the object variables and the explanation variables;
• and
• means for producing an output of the determination of the causal relationship, wherein a first stage multivariate analysis procedure reads out data from the first and second groups of production operations using the yield data as the object variables and the producing apparatus history data as the explanation variables to extract a limited number of abnormal factors.