Production line quality processes

A method of improving lot quality for semiconductor chip package product lots produced on a production line having a plurality of production steps, where at least some of the production steps utilize a plurality of individual tools, comprising:

• producing a plurality of semiconductor chip package product lots using different combinations of the tools;
• determining quality values for the produced product lots;
• establishing a quality benchmark for the product lots, including establishing a maximum acceptable failure rate for the product lots;
• identifying product lots that fail to meet the quality benchmark, including identifying product lots having a failure rate greater than the maximum acceptable failure rate;
• identifying a set of failing tools used in the production of identified failing product lots to create a listing of suspect tools;
• evaluating listed suspect tools for causes of semiconductor chip package failure;
• identifying product lots that meet the quality benchmark;
• identifying a set of quality tools used in the production of any identified quality product lots;
• and
• producing additional product lots by shifting at least a substantial production to the tools that are not comprised in an intersection of the identified set of quality tools and the identified set of failing tools.

A production system comprising:

• a production line for semiconductor chip package product lots, the production line having a plurality of production steps, and at least some of the production steps utilizing a plurality of individual tools;
• a processor, configured to direct each product lot to an individual tool at each production step, and to record each tool utilized to produce each product lot;
• a memory storage device coupled to the processor;
• a quality feedback input, configured to transmit a quality value for each completed product lot to the processor, wherein a quality benchmark for the product lots is established, and wherein the establishment of the quality benchmark includes establishing a maximum acceptable failure rate for the product lots;
• a program including plural instructions stored in the memory storage device and executable by the processor to:
• receive data identifying the individual tools used to produce each of a plurality of identified product lots;
• identify completed product lots that have a passing quality value, including instructions to identify product lots having a failure rate greater than the maximum acceptable failure rate;
• identify a set of quality tools used in the production of identified quality product lots;
• identify a set of failing tools used in the production of identified failing product lots to create a listing of suspect tools, and evaluate listed suspect tools for causes of semiconductor chip package failure;
• and
• direct a routing of subsequent product lots to individual tools at each production step that have been identified as quality tools of the identified set of quality tools.

A computer program product for improving lot quality for semiconductor chip package product lots produced on a production line having a plurality of production steps, where at least some of the production steps utilize a plurality of individual tools, the computer program product including a plurality of computer-executable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage device, and comprising instructions executable by a server to:

• receive data identifying the individual tools used to produce each of a plurality of identified semiconductor chip package product lots;
• receive data identifying the quality value of each identified product lot;
• compare the quality value of each identified product lot to a threshold quality value, wherein the threshold quality value comprises a maximum acceptable failure rate;
• identify all tools that were used to produce identified product lots having respective quality values exceeding the threshold quality value, and identify all tools that were used to produce identified product lots having quality values below the threshold quality value, wherein the tools that were used to produce identified product lots exceeding the threshold value are failing tools of a set of failing tools used in the production of identified failing product lots to create a listing of suspect tools, and wherein the tools that were used to produce identified product lots below the threshold value are quality tools of a set of quality tools used in the production of identified quality product lots;
• evaluate listed suspect tools for causes of semiconductor chip package failure;
• and
• direct the production of additional product lots, including shifting production at least substantially to the set of quality tools.