Mks Instruments, Inc.

Uzi Josef Lev-Ami

Guenter Sifnatsch

Mark Attwood

Ron Hadar

Lawrence Hendler

Yossef Llan Reich

Nidal Khalil

A method and apparatus for process monitoring are provided. Process monitoring includes (i) generating a multivariate analysis reference model of a process environment from data corresponding to monitored parameters of the process environment; (ii) designating at least one of the monitored parameters as being correlated to maturation of the process environment; (iii) collecting current process data corresponding to the monitored parameters, including the at least one designated parameter; and (iv) scaling the multivariate reference model based on the current process data of the at least one designated parameter to account for maturation of the process environment. The method further includes generating one or more current multivariate analysis process metrics that represent a current state of the process environment from the current process data; and comparing the current process metrics to the scaled reference model to determine whether the current state of the process environment is acceptable.

Self-correcting multivariate analysis for use in monitoring dynamic parameters in process environments

The present invention relates to control of and data collection from sensors associated with tools. In particular, it relates to using a controller to mediate communications among a tool, sensors associated with the tool and data users, such as a host system or distributed processors. Particular aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.

Controller and method to mediate data collection from smart sensors for fab applications

An aspect of the present invention includes a method and device for listening to communications between processes and tools, recording report and report trigger definitions, matching reports from tools with the recorded definitions, and translating messages into a context-insensitive format. Other aspects of the present invention include dynamically enhancing tool status reports, migrating processes form tool control hosts to distributed processors, and screening requests for tool status information from hosts and distributed processors. More detailed descriptions of aspects of the present invention are described in the claims, specification and drawings.

Method and apparatus for monitoring host to tool communications

Failsafe switching of intelligent controller method and device

A graphical user interface for enabling a user to graphically observe on a displaying mechanism a statistical measure of the process quality of a manufacturing process provides for the display of an icon representing a workpiece. The location and color of the icon on the displaying mechanism indicates the process quality of the manufacturing process for the represented workpiece.

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Mountain View, CA, United States of America

Uzi Josef Lev-Ami