Patent ID: 6556881
Filing Date: 2003-04-29
Classification: G05B,H01L,Y02P

Abstract:
A method for providing fault detection in a manufacturing process, comprising:receiving operational data from a processing tool related to the manufacture of a processing piece at a first interface; sending the operational data from the first interface to a second interface and a process controller as the data is received at the first interface; sending the operational data from the second interface to a fault detection unit as the data is received at the second interface; determining if a fault condition exists with the processing tool at the fault detection unit; sending an alarm signal indicative of the fault condition to the process controller from the second interface providing that the fault condition was determined by the fault detection unit; performing a predetermined action to rectify the fault condition providing that the alarm signal is received by the process controller from the second interface; and sending a control signal by the process controller to the first interface reflective of the predetermined action.