Universal system, method and computer program product for collecting and processing process data including particle measurement data

A universal system for collecting a plurality of different types of process data from remote locations comprising:

• a plurality of particle measurement instruments distributed about a facility, each particle measurement instrument adapted to collect particle databased upon the particles in a medium to which a wafer is exposed;
• a programmable logic controller for providing process data other than particle data;
• a central computer located remote from said plurality of particle measurement instruments and said programmable logic controller;
• an Ethernet network interconnecting said plurality of particle measurement instruments and said programmable logic controller with said central computer;
• and
• a plurality of converters associated with respective particle measurement instruments, each converter adapted to convert particle data that is serially provided by the respective particle measurement instrument to TCP/IP for transmission via said Ethernet network to said remotely located central computer,
• wherein said programmable logic controller provides the process data other than particle data to said central computer via said Ethernet network in a manner independent of and without being routed through said plurality of particle measurement instruments, and
• wherein said Ethernet network is capable of buffering at least some of the particle data and the process data prior to receipt and processing by said central computer.

A method for collecting a plurality of different types of process data from remote locations comprising:

• collecting particle data with particle measurement instruments disposed at respective locations distributed about a facility, wherein the particle data that is collected is based upon the particles in a medium to which a wafer is exposed;
• collecting process data other than particle data;
• transmitting the particle data from the respective particle measurement instruments across a computer network;
• transmitting the process data across the computer network in a manner independent of the particle data and without being routed through the particle measurement instruments;
• receiving the particle data and the process data transmitted via the computer network at a central computer located remote from the respective locations at which particle data and the process data is collected;
• and
• processing the particle data and the process data at the central computer,
• wherein transmitting the particle data and the process data comprises at least one step selected from the group consisting of transmitting the particle data and the process data in response to polling conducted via the computer network and buffering at least some of the particle data and the process data prior to processing of the particle data and the process data at the central computer.

A computer program product for processing a plurality of different types of process data collected at a plurality of locations distributed about a facility, the computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code means embodied in said medium, said computer readable program code means comprising:
• first computer instruction means for sequentially receiving particle data from respective ports connected via a computer network to respective ones of a plurality of particle measurement instruments located at respective remote locations, wherein said first computer instruction means receives particle data based upon the particles in a medium to which a wafer is exposed;
• second computer instruction means for identifying the respective particle measurement instrument that provides the particle data that is received;
• and
• third computer instruction means for processing the particle data based upon the respective particle measurement instrument identified as providing the particle data;
• fourth computer instruction means for separately receiving process data other than particle data via the computer network from a process data collection device in a manner independent of and without requiring the particle data to be routed through the plurality of particle measurement instruments;
• and
• fifth computer instruction means for processing the process data.