Patent ID: 8983644
Filing Date: 2015-03-17
Classification: G05B,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A manufacturing execution system (MES) with virtual-metrology capabilities for assisting an enterprise to actively collect and monitor production data generated during fabrication procedures since receiving orders, production in process, process control unit product completion, the MES comprising: a middleware architecture; an equipment manager which is built on the middleware architecture and linked to a process tool for transmitting a plurality of sets of process data sent from the process tool and linked to a metrology tool for transmitting an actual measurement value of a sample workpiece measured at the metrology tool, wherein the sets of process data are used for respectively processing a plurality of workpieces in a cassette, and the sample workpiece is selected from one of the workpieces in the cassette, and the equipment manager is used for achieving shop floor tool management, automatically collecting and retrieving tool warning and error messages, uploading and downloading tool process programs, and remote monitoring tool statuses; a virtual metrology system (VMS) which is built on the middleware architecture for computing a first virtual metrology value of each of the workpieces based on the sets of process data and calculating a second virtual metrology value of each of the workpieces in the cassette based on the sets of process data and the actual measurement value; a statistical process control (SPC) system which is built on the middleware architecture for inspecting the quality of each of the workpieces according to the first virtual metrology value of each of the workpieces and detecting if there is at least one abnormality alarm occurring; an alarm manager which is built on the middleware architecture for receiving and displaying the abnormality alarm; and a scheduler which is built on the middleware architecture for issuing an instruction for dispatching the sample workpiece to the equipment manager, and selecting an optimal process route based on the actual measurement value of the sample workpiece and the second virtual metrology value of each of the workpieces; the equipment manager, the VMS, the SPC system, the alarm manager and the scheduler communicating with each other through the middleware architecture.