System and method for corrective action tracking in semiconductor processing

A system for correcting out of control (OOC) semiconductor fabrication events which occur within a semiconductor processing environment, wherein said system comprises:

• a database, comprising:
• entries associated with OOC events apportioned to wafer lots or fabrication issues common among lots;
• and
• activity records that include measures to be taken for correcting the OOC events depending on the fabrication issues to which the OOC events are apportioned;
• and a tracking program adapted to selectively record or disregard an individual OOC event as am entry of the database.

A system for recording and addressing OOC events in a semiconductor processing line, comprising:

• (a) a plurality of computer systems comprising:
• a plurality of entry terminals for entering information on OOC events;
• (b) an OOC database coupled to said plurality of computer systems, wherein said OOC database is configured to store:
• (i) a plurality of OOC entries, wherein each OOC entry in said plurality of OOC entries comprises at least one of:
• a lot record that describes OOC events for a lot in the semiconductor processing line;
• and
• an issue record that comprises links to lot records that indicates an OOC trend, and
• (ii) a plurality of activity records, wherein each activity record said plurality of activity records is linked to one OOC entry, and wherein said activity records indicate measures for addressing OOC events in the linked OOC entry;
• and
• (c) an OOC interface executing on one or more of said entry terminals and coupled to said OOC database, wherein said OOC interface is operable to receive new OOC information, to receive measures for addressing OOC events, and to display information from said lot and issue records;
• and
• (d) an OOC tracking program executing on one or more of said computer systems and coupled to said OOC database and to said OOC interface,
• wherein said OOC tracking program is operable to open new OOC entries in said plurality of OOC entries, wherein opening one OOC entry comprises opening a lot or issue record in response to new OOC information from said OOC interface, and
• wherein said OOC tracking program is operable to modify lot records and issue records in said OOC database.

A computer-readable storage medium having program instructions recorded therein, wherein said program instructions are operable to implement steps for recording and addressing out of control (OOC) events in a semiconductor processing line, wherein said program instructions implement:

• (a) opening OOC entries, wherein the OOC entries comprise lot records and issue records, and wherein opening one OOC entry includes:
• (i) opening one lot record in an OOC database, wherein the lot record describes an OOC event for a lot in the semiconductor processing line;
• or
• (ii) if the OOC database comprises a plurality of lot records indicating an OOC trend, opening one issue record in the OOC database for the OOC trend, wherein the issue record comprises links to lot records indicating the OOC trend;
• and
• (b) working the OOC entries, wherein working one OOC entry comprises:
• (i) opening one or more activity records in the OOC database, wherein the activity records are each linked to the OOC entry,
• (ii) receiving user input, wherein the user input indicates measures for addressing one or more OOC events from the OOC entry, and
• (iii) recording the measures for addressing the one or more OOC events from the OOC entry in the one or more activity records;
• wherein each activity record indicates a status of the measures recorded in the activity record.