Development of an e-Diagnostics/Maintenance framework for semiconductor factories with security considerations

In recent years, the concept of e-Diagnostics and e-Maintenance is proposed in the semiconductor industry. By using Internet and information technologies, e-Diagnostics and e-Maintenance intend to provide equipment specialists with the remote capabilities of connectivity, manipulation, configuration, performance monitoring, and data collection and analysis on equipment to achieve the goal of promptly diagnosing, repairing, and maintaining equipment. In this paper, new-generation information software technologies and object-oriented technologies, such as Web Services, XML signature, XML encryption, UML, etc. are used to develop an e-Diagnostics/Maintenance framework with security considerations. The proposed framework can achieve the automaton of diagnostic processes and the integration of diagnostics and maintenance information under a secure communication infrastructure.