Development of on-line diagnosis system using intelligent devices for semiconductor equipment

To enable safe, profitable LSI manufacture, semiconductor equipment must be reliable. Equipment failure can cause serious problems, such as an explosion in the chamber, which can stop the fabrication line for a long time. Such problems arise because potential equipment failure cannot be detected in advance. To remedy this, we have developed an on-line detection system that incorporates intelligent devices, such as sensors and actuators, the CPU and communication interface of which enable on-line self-diagnosis.