Abstract:
Computer-implemented dual phased manufacturing data processing methods and systems. A data analysis phase is established. Manufacturing data is collected from various sources and categorized as at least two predetermined category data types. Data of one of the two data types is analyzed and actions thereof generated in accordance with the analysis result. Actions of the other type of data are also generated.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    The present invention relates to manufacturing data management methods, and in particular to computer-implemented dual phase manufacturing data processing methods and systems. 
         [0002]    In integrated circuit (IC) related manufacturing foundries, such as semiconductor product foundries, communication between customers and manufacturers is important. Service systems are generally provided to customers for communication therebetween. The service systems may provide online functions, such as mask file viewing, manufacturing plan updating, or order changing such that data integrated thereby are utilized during manufacture. 
         [0003]    Service systems are maintained by supporting engineers according to information obtained from customers and detection systems. The detection systems can be, via hardware or software, connected to the service systems and manufacturing tools, such as detection programs in manufacturing tools, data filtering rules in databases, or security control modules in service systems. 
         [0004]    Manufacturing data can be generated by customers, service systems, detection systems, and engineers, and is generally classified as urgent and non-urgent. Urgent data requires immediate processing and operators take suitable action thereto. Non-urgent data is conventionally collected and stored, and may be integrated and analyzed for reference only when support operators seek to maintain service systems or assist customers. 
         [0005]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a conventional single phased manufacturing data processing system. Service systems  100  are provided by manufacturers to customers  102 . The customers  102  may access the service systems  100  through networks  104 , such as the Internet. Detection systems  106  are connected to the service systems  100 , customers  102 , and manufacturing tools  108 . After the detection systems  106  collected and compiled manufacturing data  110  from various sources, the manufacturing data  110  is categorized as urgent data  112  or non-urgent data  114 . Support operators  116  may take necessary action correspondingly to respond to data urgency. 
         [0006]    When a customer  102  encounters problems in service systems  100 , the customer  102  may communicate with service personnel  118 . The service personnel  118  reports the problems back to the support operators  116 . Here, the support operators  116  integrate and analyze the non-urgent data for problem solving of service systems  100 . 
         [0007]    Non-urgent data may comprise usable manufacturing information, and when integrated and analyzed systematically, services for customers, including security control, can be upgraded. For example, unusual secure events for customers can be identified beforehand, service potential issues can be improved, and optimal operations for customers can be provided. 
         [0008]    Therefore, a dual phased manufacturing data processing method is desirable. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0009]    An embodiment of the invention provides computer-implemented two-phase manufacturing data processing methods. The methods comprise data collection and data processing. Manufacturing data is collected from various sources, such as customers, engineers, services systems, and detection systems, and classified as urgent data and non-urgent data. The urgent data requires immediate processing and necessary action is generated correspondingly to data urgency. The non-urgent data is then analyzed. Corresponding action is generated according to the analysis result. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0010]    The invention can be more fully understood by reading the subsequent detailed description and examples with references made to the accompanying drawings, wherein: 
           [0011]      FIG. 1  is a diagram of a conventional single phased manufacturing data processing system. 
           [0012]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a computer-implemented dual phased manufacturing data processing method. 
           [0013]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of an embodiment of a dual phased manufacturing data processing system. 
           [0014]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of an exemplary implementation of a dual phased manufacturing data processing system. 
       
    
    
     DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]      FIG. 2  is a flowchart of an embodiment of a computer-implemented dual phased manufacturing data processing method. Manufacturing data is collected and classified as urgent data and non-urgent data (Step S 200 ). The manufacturing data may be collected from various sources, such as customers, engineers, detection systems of manufacturing tools, and service systems for the customers. The manufacturing data may be collected through networks, such as the Internet. The non-urgent data may comprise warning, status, and log data. Warning data indicate states which are unusual but not urgent. Status data implies the current statuses of systems, such as service systems or detection systems. Log data comprises entrance records for system users, such as customers, operators, or other systems. The urgent data from various sources indicates that the corresponding manufacturing situations require to be handled immediately. 
         [0016]    Suitable actions for the urgent data, such as terminating one manufacturing process or debugging an on-line controller, are generated (step S 202 ). The non-urgent data is then analyzed (step S 204 ). The analysis comprises data integration, data recalculation, historical data analysis, urgent data reference, and data conversion. 
         [0017]    Actions responding to the non-urgent data are generated according to the analysis results (step S 206 ). The actions comprise notification of customers and/or operators, updating databases of the detection systems, and establishing data filtering rules in the service systems. 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  is a diagram of an embodiment of a dual phased manufacturing data processing system. The dual phased manufacturing data processing system comprises a collection module  30 , an analysis module  32 , and a generation module  34 . 
         [0019]    The collection module  30  collects manufacturing data from various sources, such as customer systems, support operation systems, detection systems of manufacturing tools, and service systems for the customers. The manufacturing data is classified as urgent data and non-urgent data. The collection module  30  may collect the manufacturing data through networks, such as the Internet. Here, the non-urgent data may comprise warning, status, and log data. 
         [0020]    The analysis module  32  analyzes the non-urgent data by data integration, data recalculation, historical data analysis, urgent data reference, and data conversion. 
         [0021]    The generation module  34  generates actions to the non-urgent data according to the analysis result. The generation module  34  also generates actions of the urgent data. The actions comprise notification of customers and/or operators, updating databases of the detection systems, and establishing data filtering rules in the service systems. 
         [0022]      FIG. 4  is a diagram of an exemplary implementation of a dual phased manufacturing data processing system. Service systems  400  are provided by manufacturers to customer systems  402 . The customer systems  402  may access the service systems  400  through networks  404 , such as the Internet. Detection systems  406 , connected to the service systems  400 , customer systems  402 , and manufacturing tools  408 , are coupled to receive data from all resources and operated to generate manufacturing data  410 . After the detection systems  406  collected and compiled manufacturing data from various sources, the manufacturing data is categorized as urgent data  412  and non-urgent data  414 . The manufacturing data  410  is processed by an analysis module  420 , which conducts operations and analyses on manufacturing data  410  to generate analysis results. The data processing may comprise data integration, data recalculation, historical data analysis, urgent data reference, and data conversion. The analysis results and corresponding reactions are sent to a support operation system  416 . 
         [0023]    The operator attending to the support operation system  416  may provide instructions to the support operation system to take action corresponding to the urgent data  412  to respond to data urgency and take action of the non-urgent data  414  to maintain the service systems  400 . If the analysis result shows optimal operations for the customers  402 , corresponding information may be sent to service personnel  418 . The service personnel  418  can recommend or notify the customers  402  prior to problems occurring. 
         [0024]    An analysis module  420  appears in  FIG. 4 , unlike  FIG. 1 . The analysis module  420  analyzes manufacturing data and generates corresponding reactions. The analysis result can be utilized in the maintenance of the service systems or provide recommendations to the customers, improving service quality significantly. 
         [0025]    While the invention has been described by way of example and in terms of preferred embodiment, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. Those skilled in the technology can still make various alterations and modifications without departing from the scope and spirit of this invention. Therefore, the scope of the present invention shall be defined and protected by the following claims and their equivalents.