Patents by Inventor Stark Chen

Stark Chen has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Method of identifying bottlenecks and improving throughput in wafer processing equipment
    Patent number: 6856847
    Abstract: Throughput in a semiconductor wafer processing system, such as in-line photolithography equipment, is improved by identifying and correcting bottlenecks in the flow of wafers through multiple, associative segments of the equipment. Segmental rather than total processing times are monitored in order to identify the segments having the longest processing times. The theory of constraints is applied to identify the process segment representing a bottleneck in the process, and effect improvements in the bottleneck segment that provide greater overall throughput.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Date of Patent: February 15, 2005
    Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd
    Inventors: Tony Kao, Stark Chen
  • Method of identifying bottlenecks and improving throughput in wafer processing equipment
    Publication number: 20030236585
    Abstract: Throughput in a semiconductor wafer processing system, such as in-line photolithography equipment, is improved by identifying and correcting bottlenecks in the flow of wafers through multiple, associative segments of the equipment. Segmental rather than total processing times are monitored in order to identify the segments having the longest processing times. The theory of constraints is applied to identify the process segment representing a bottleneck in the process, and effect improvements in the bottleneck segment that provide greater overall throughput.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 19, 2002
    Publication date: December 25, 2003
    Applicant: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Tony Kao, Stark Chen