Abstract: A system for auto defect screening using adaptive machine learning includes an adaptive model controller, a defect/nuisance library and a module for executing data modeling analytics. The adaptive model controller has a feed-forward path for receiving a plurality of defect candidates in wafer inspection, and a feedback path for receiving defects of interest already screened by one or more existing defect screening models after wafer inspection. The adaptive model controller selects data samples from the received data, interfaces with scanning electron microscope (SEM) review/inspection to acquire corresponding SEM results that validate if each data sample is a real defect or nuisance, and compiles model training and validation data. The module of executing data modeling analytics is adaptively controlled by the adaptive model controller to generate and validate one or more updated defect screening models using the model training and validation data according to a target specification.

Abstract: In some embodiments, systems and methods are provided to monitor and adjust perpetual inventory (PI). Some embodiments comprise multiple point of sale (POS) systems; an inventory system and a perpetual inventory (PI) engine control circuit that receives inventory information and is configured identify the occurrence of a plurality of different events each associated with a different product at a shopping facility and corresponding to a potential inconsistency in a determined inventory count; and for each of the events: identify a first set of inventory evaluation rules; apply the first set of inventory evaluation rules to determine a type of inventory count error; determine an inventory adjustment action to be implemented based on the first product and the determined error type; and cause the inventory adjustment action to be implemented in substantially real-time to adjust the determined inventory count of the first product at the first shopping facility.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for monitoring manufacturing of a product. An assembly task network for assembly tasks for assembling is searched by a computer system. The assembly task network defines dependencies between the assembly tasks. A probability of a group of downstream delays as a function of a state of assembly of components for the product being manufactured is calculated using a state of the assembly tasks, enabling modifying incomplete assembly tasks for the product that reduce the group of downstream delays.

Abstract: A computer-facilitated method and a computerized system for providing optimization or improvement measures for one or more buildings are disclosed. Based on asset data regarding the building and on corresponding performance data, improvement measures related to a consumable resource in the one or more buildings are determined using a computer system configured for analyzing the asset data and the respective corresponding performance data based on internal and/or external key performance indicators and rules provided by a database.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and method for forecasting and expanding software workload boundaries. The system includes a computer processor having a non-transitory memory containing program code for receiving a resource tree data set identifying a plurality of resources in a resource tree; receiving a sequence information set indicative of an order of resources for a request type; receiving a historical usage information set indicative of actual resource usage for the request type with respect resources in the resource tree; receiving a current throughput value for the request type; and determining, based at least in part upon the resource data tree set, the sequence information set and the current throughput values, a first additional potential throughput value corresponding to additional throughput with respect to the request type that can be performed by the resource tree in addition to its current throughput.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a production management apparatus includes a flow obtaining module configured to obtain a plurality of processing flows to process a wafer from a flow storage module. The apparatus further includes a route creating module configured to select a plurality of steps from the plurality of processing flows, and configured to create a processing route to execute the plurality of steps selected from the plurality of processing flows. The apparatus further includes a flow creating module configured to select a plurality of steps from the processing route, and configured to create a new processing flow including the plurality of steps selected from the processing route.

Abstract: A system and method of operating an assembly line for performing an assembly operation on an article. The method includes the steps of detecting an absence or presence of an abnormality in the article and classifying the abnormality as one of a plurality of types including a first type of abnormality and a second type of abnormality. Additionally, the method includes the step of determining that the article is eligible for the assembly operation if at least the abnormality is detected as present and the abnormality is the first type of abnormality. Moreover, the method includes the step of determining that the article is eligible for the assembly operation if at least the abnormality is detected as present, the abnormality is the second type of abnormality, and an override command is received. Furthermore, the method includes the step of providing an electronic output if the article is eligibility for assembly.

Abstract: An method of generating a featured scan pattern for test includes: providing a plurality of predetermined test patterns to perform test on a plurality of devices under test (DUT) under a stress condition to generate a plurality of test responses of each DUT; grouping a plurality of specific test responses of each DUT from the test responses of each DUT to determine a feature value corresponding to a failure feature for each DUT; and generating at least one featured test pattern according to the feature value of each DUT.

Abstract: An automation operating and management system consolidates and analyzes inputs from multiple machines within an automated enterprise to predict failures and provide instructions for counteractions to prevent failures during machine operation, and to identify opportunities for efficiency improvement, including actions for reduction in peak power consumption demand within a facility including multiple machines. A machine can include a machine controller and at least one base layer controller, where the base layer controller acts as a low level controller to directly control the motion of elements in communication with the base layer control, according to parameters set by the machine controller. The base layer controller collects timing data for the elements under its control, compares the timing data with the parameters and sets an alarm when the timing data is outside of tolerance limits defined by the parameters.

Abstract: The present invention relates to calibration and normalization systems and methods for ensuring the quality of radiopharmaceuticals during the synthesis thereof, such as radiopharmaceuticals used in Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT).

Abstract: A numerical controller drives motors for respective axes of a machine tool by using an NC program and table-format data that command positions of those axes with reference to a position of a reference axis. The numerical controller generates, based on a movement command commanded by the NC program, interpolation data for an axis to be controlled by the movement command, generates, based on the table-format data, interpolation data for an axis to be controlled by the table-format data, and further generates interpolation data obtained by selection from or superposition of these two pieces of interpolation data.

Abstract: There is provided a manufacturing supporting system for an electronic device including an inspection-data acquiring unit, a fluctuation-by-classification calculating unit, a data-by-factor acquiring unit, and a fluctuation-by-factor calculating unit is provided. The inspection-data acquiring unit acquires an inspection data of a target electronic device. The fluctuation-by-classification calculating unit is configured to calculate, on the basis of the inspection data, by classification including at least any one of positions among lots, among substrates, and in a substrate plane of the electronic device, fluctuation in dimensions of the target electronic device. The data-by-factor acquiring unit acquires an improvement history data of the target electronic device.

Abstract: The present invention is a system and predictive modeling method specially designed to improve process control and energy efficiency for a smelting process used to produce pure metal from an ore containing said metal. Data is collected from various sensor sources in the smeltering process to predict whether an increase or decrease is needed in controlling two variables comprising temperature and an additive that allows the reaction in the electrolytic process to proceed at a lower bath temperature. The invention provides a generalized framework to learn the complex heterogeneity embedded in the collected data, and employs a regularized non-negative matrix factorization problem, which simultaneously decomposes the instance-feature and instance-label matrices, while enforcing task relatedness, feature type consistency and label correlations on the collected data.

Abstract: Systems and methods for controlling manufacturing processes for microelectronic components are provided. In an exemplary embodiment, a method includes determining a specification range for a desired parameter. The microelectronic component is processed in a manufacturing tool, and a trace data set is recorded during the processing. An estimated trace data parameter is determined with the trace data set, and a first measured value of the microelectronic component is measured in a measurement tool. An estimated desired parameter is determined using the first measured value and the estimated trace data parameter, and the manufacturing process is adjusted when the estimated desired parameter is outside of the specification range.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided that may be implemented to produce customized integrated circuit (IC) device parts together from a common base IC device part that is customized with settings or code to build different unique IC device parts for different purposes that are processed and output together from the manufacturing process. Different individual devices of the common base part may be customized (e.g., programmed) with different settings and/or code to build respective uniquely configured parts for different purposes, e.g., such as according to different respective part orders.

Abstract: In a metrology sampling method, various index values that can detect various status changes of a process tool (such as maintenance operation, parts changing, parameter adjustment, etc.), and/or information abnormalities of the process tool (such as abnormal process data, parameter drift/shift, abnormal metrology data, etc.) appear in a manufacturing process are applied to develop an intelligent sampling decision (ISD) scheme for reducing sampling rate while VM accuracy is still sustained. The indices includes a reliance Index (RI), a global similarity index (GSI), a process data quality index (DQIX) and a metrology data quality index (DQIy).

Abstract: A system and method for tracing individual transactions on method call granularity is disclosed. The system uses instrumentation based transaction tracing mechanisms to enhance thread call stack sampling mechanisms by a) only sampling threads executing monitored transactions while execution is ongoing b) tagging sampled call stacks with a transaction identifier for correlation of sampled call stacks with instrumentation bases tracing data. The combination of instrumentation based tracing with thread call stack sampling reduces sampling generated overhead by only sampling relevant thread, and reduces instrumentation generated overhead because it allows reducing instrumentation.

Abstract: A method for controlling at least one operational parameter of a plant (1) having a combustion unit (3) can include estimating a status of at least one operational variable of the plant to identify an estimated value for the operational variable. For each operational variable, the estimated value for the operational variable can be compared with a measured value of the operational variable to determine an uncertainty value based on a difference in value between the measured value and the estimated value for the operational variable. A control signal can be generated based on a reference signal, the measured value, and the deviation value for sending to at least one element of the plant (1) for controlling a process of the plant (1).

Abstract: Various disclosed embodiments include a method for assigning a refined material definition to a designed part, the method performed by a data processing system and including accessing the designed part through the data processing system. The method also includes assigning one or more nominal material definitions (NMDs) of one or more materials to the designed part. The method further includes selecting one or more functional material definition variations (FMDVs) associated with the assigned NMD for the designed part in order to generate a refined material definition (RMD) for the designed part. The method includes generating the refined material definition (RMD) based on the NMD and the one or more FMDVs.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to methods and apparatuses for controlling the relative placement of advancing substrates and discrete components in diaper converting lines. The diapers may each include a chassis connected with front and back elastic belts. In controlling the relative placement of these elements during the assembly process, a controller may change the machine direction speed and/or position of certain elements and cross direction speed and/or position of other elements such as the advancing substrates and components in order to help achieve proper placement and orientation. During the assembly process, the registration features are detected, and a controller may change the machine direction speeds of the advancing elastic laminates and/or chassis and/or may change the cross directional and/or machine direction position of the advancing elastic laminates and/or chassis.

Abstract: A system and/or a method based on a scalable requirement, compliance and resource management methodology for designing a product/service, optimizing relevant processes and enhancing real time and/or near real time collaboration between many users is disclosed. The requirement, compliance and resource management methodology is further integrated with a fuzzy/neuro-fuzzy logic algorithm module and/or statistical algorithm module and/or weighting logic algorithm module and enhanced with a graphical user interface.

Abstract: Delay in the allocation of resources can be measured for a set of sequential requests for the resources. A start time for the receipt of the first request of the set can be recorded, followed by the incrementing of a request start time counter, with the current time minus the recorded start time, for each subsequently received request. A total time counter can be incremented, with the current time minus recorded start time, for each request allocation, and a request counter can be incremented for each request allocation. When determining that all received requests have been allocated, and decrementing the total time counter by the request start time counter, it is possible to determine an average delay time from the total time counter value divided by the request counter value.

Abstract: Calibration of models for manufacturing processes that are subject to circuit layout proximity effects is performed, including optical proximity correction (OPC) model calibration. A target structure is produced using a layout and a manufacturing process. The target structure is illuminated and an electromagnetic scattering property is detected. A manufacturing process model for simulation of the manufacturing process is produced, which comprises at least one manufacturing process parameter determining a model electromagnetic scattering property using the manufacturing process model and the layout. The model electromagnetic scattering property is compared to the detected electromagnetic scattering property and based on the result of the comparison, calibrated manufacturing process parameters are output for calibrating the manufacturing process model.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring a primary Operating System (OS) and/or migrating data using an OS hypervisor. In some embodiments, an Information Handling System (IHS) includes a processor; and a memory coupled to the processor, the memory having program instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by the processor, cause the IHS to: provide an Operating System (OS) hypervisor configured to enable operation of a primary OS environment and a service OS environment concurrently, wherein the primary and service OS environments are distinct from each other; and allow the service OS, via the OS hypervisor, to monitor a state of the primary OS while forbidding the primary OS from monitoring a state of the service OS.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes the following elements. A selector selects, as a first item, an item disposed within a QFD chart. A first calculator calculates a correlation score between the first item and an item associated with an adjacent axis. A first extracting unit compares the correlation score with a predetermined value and extracts a second item related to the first item. A second calculator calculates a correlation score between the second item and an item associated with an adjacent axis and determines the calculated correlation score between the item associated with the adjacent axis and the first item. A second extracting unit compares the correlation score with a predetermined value and extracts a third item related to the first item. A display unit displays the first item, the second item, and the third item in a mode different from a mode of the other items.

Abstract: An abnormality monitoring process milt (2) divides sensor data collected from a monitoring-target apparatus (8) into sensor data for each of a plurality of condition modes based on a condition-mode transition point detected by a condition-mode transition point detecting process unit (21), and sorts the divided sensor data into a plurality of groups. Next, for each condition mode and each group, each piece of sensor data is compared with past statistic data, thereby detecting an abnormality. A causal diagnosis process unit (3) diagnoses an abnormality cause using link models before and after an abnormality is detected built based on a correlation coefficient between two pieces of sensor data in each group.

Abstract: Among other things, one or more systems and techniques for retuning a semiconductor fabrication component are provided. The semiconductor fabrication component, such as an advanced process control (APC) component, is configured to evaluate or adjust various fabrication parameters associated with semiconductor fabrication processing. Processing data associated with the semiconductor fabrication component is evaluated to formulate performance indices used to evaluate performance of parameters used by the semiconductor fabrication component. One or more fabrication process change simulations are performed to generate a component operating behavior data structure indicating how different values for the parameters result in improved or degraded performance by the semiconductor fabrication component. In this way, the component operating behavior data structure is evaluated to identify tuning values for the parameters that are used to retune the semiconductor fabrication component.

Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides managing component driver for an energy-management system that manages energy within a predominantly closed power system. The component driver includes a receiving mechanism configured to receive current status information for a component associated with the component driver, a model-construction mechanism configured to construct a performance model for the component, and a transmitting mechanism configured to transmit the performance model to an optimization and control module.

Abstract: A system and method, the method including determining a quality score for at least one feature of a product, the quality score being a function of a priority of the at least one feature to the product, a relationship between the at least one feature and at least one design element comprising the at least one feature, and a complexity of the at least one design element; determining an overall quality score for the product based on a summation of each determined quality score for each of the at least one feature; and producing a report including the overall quality score for the product.

Abstract: A device for checking the construction of an extruder screw having a shaft and screw elements that are to be pushed or have been pushed one after the other onto the shaft in a defined sequence. Each screw element has an element-specific external geometry. A recording device being provided for determining information concerning the sequence of the screw elements that are to be pushed on or have been pushed on and for comparing the information determined with target information, which directly or indirectly describes the target sequence.

Abstract: The present invention provides a modular system and method for real-time evaluation and monitoring of a machining production line overall performances, calculated from each given metal workpiece, consumable tool and machine. The present invention is configured for an iterative and incremental calculation and evaluation of the machining production-line overall performances, by incrementally evaluating individual workpiece's performances, consumable tools' performances and machine's performances, extracted from the data of a plurality of workpieces and machines. The present invention is further configured for comparing the workpiece's performances to a similar workpiece's best performance, extracted from the evaluation of a plurality of the data similar workpieces. The present invention is further configured for the identification of significant process faults and their cause.

Abstract: There is a provided manufacturing process management support device that has an input means for inputting information indicative of the fact that work related to a manufacturing process is performed, and is capable of increasing the reliability of result information. A handy terminal 10 is used to input relevant information at the start of work for adjusting a machine that processes a processing target, at the completion of such adjustment work, and at the completion of processing work. The results of these inputs are supplied to a support tool execution server 50 through a factory result collection PC 20 and a progress server 30. The support tool execution server 50 calculates the percentage of inputs actually made and causes a display 52 to display the calculated percentage, thereby making it viewable by factory workers.

Abstract: A computing device measures an object using images of the object. The computing device processes the images to obtain a focus of a lens of the CNC machine. A second image of the object is captured at a focus of the lens of the CNC machine. The computing device obtains measurement points according to the second image. The computing device calculates a difference between determined coordinates of each measurement point and reference coordinates of a reference point corresponding to each measurement point.

Abstract: This invention provides a system and method of Advanced Process Control for optimal operation of multi-unit plants in large scale processing and power generation industries. The invention framework includes the following components: continuous real time dynamic process simulation, automatic coefficient adjustment of dynamic and static process models, automatic construction of transfer functions, determination of globally optimal operating point specific to current conditions, provision of additional optimal operating scenarios through a variety of unit combinations, and calculation of operational forecasts in accordance with planned production.

Abstract: A novel and non-obvious method, system and apparatus for tuning order configurator performance by dynamic integration of manufacturing and field feedback information. A method for dynamically tuning order configurator behavior by using product issue data can include collecting product issue data for a manufactured product, the product issue data including performance and attribute information of a part of the manufactured product, analyzing the collected product issue data to identify a problematic part, and, modifying the order configurator using the analyzed product issue data.

Abstract: A method for automatically detecting fault conditions and classifying the fault conditions during substrate processing is provided. The method includes collecting processing data by a set of sensors during the substrate processing. The method also includes sending the processing data to a fault detection/classification component. The method further includes performing data manipulation of the processing data by the fault detection/classification component. The method yet also includes executing a comparison between the processing data and a plurality of fault models stored within a fault library. Each fault model of the plurality of fault models represents a set of data characterizing a specific fault condition. Each fault model includes at least a fault signature, a fault boundary, and a set of principal component analysis (PCA) parameters.

Abstract: A manufacturing execution system (MES) with virtual-metrology capabilities and a manufacturing system including the MES are provided. The MES is built on a middleware architecture (such as an object request broker architecture), and includes an equipment manager, a virtual metrology system (VMS), a statistical process control (SPC) system, an alarm manager and a scheduler. The manufacturing system includes a first process tool, a second process tool, a metrology tool, the aforementioned MES, a first R2R (Run-to-Run) controller and a second R2R controller.

Abstract: Systems and processes herein may be configured to correlate manufacturing parameters and performance feedback parameters with individual absorbent articles manufactured by a converting apparatus. Embodiments of the systems herein may include inspection sensors configured to inspect substrates and/or component parts advancing along the converting line and communicate inspection parameters to a controller and historian. The systems may also include process sensors configured to monitor equipment on the converting line and communicate process parameters to the controller and historian. The systems herein may also be adapted to receive performance feedback parameters based on the packaged absorbent articles. The systems may correlate inspection parameters, process parameters, and/or performance feedback parameters with individual absorbent articles produced on the converting line. The controller may also be configured to perform various functions based on the performance feedback parameters.

Abstract: A system for generating a program used to direct the operation of a solder paste inspection machine is provided. The system includes a solder paste inspection system having a stencil mounting bracket located therein and configured to hold a solder paste printing stencil in position within an inspection region of the solder paste inspection system. An image sensor is mounted in the solder paste inspection system and is configured to acquire images of a stencil mounted on the stencil mounting bracket. A controller is coupled to the image sensor and is configured to generate a solder paste inspection program using the acquired images of the stencil.

Abstract: An apparatus and method of segmenting sensor data are provided. The apparatus includes a sensor, a first segmentation unit, a continuity evaluation unit, a second segmentation unit, and a segmentation determination unit. The sensor collects sensor data for a process of the semiconductor manufacturing facility. The first segmentation unit extracts a variation point of the sensor data to perform an abnormal difference (AD) segmentation on the sensor data based on the at least one variation point. The continuity evaluation unit evaluates a continuity ratio of the sensor data. The second segmentation unit performs a free-knot spline (FS) segmentation on the sensor data when the continuity ratio exceeds a reference ratio. The segmentation determination unit compares the AD segmentation result with the PS segmentation result and to select one of the results on the comparison result.

Abstract: A method is provided for inspecting a plurality of parts with an electronic measurement device and a processing system. The method includes a step of creating surface geometry maps of the parts utilizing the electronic measurement device, where each part was manufactured utilizing the manufacturing device. Geometric part models of the parts are generated from the surface geometry maps. The part models can subsequently be analyzed to determine whether a manufacturing device that manufactured the plurality of parts manufactures parts that comply with a part design specification.

Abstract: A method analyzes a quality control strategy. A quality control rule can define quality control events and specifying a control limit for determining whether a quality control event passes or fails. The quality control rule and a number of patient samples tested between quality control events can be received. A first expected number of correctible errors when a quality control event fails can be computed based on the quality control rule and the number of patient samples tested between quality control events. A second expected number of final errors that are not correctible when a quality control event fails can be computed based on the quality control rule and the number of patient samples tested between quality control events. An assessment of the quality control rule can include the first expected number of correctible errors and the second expected number of final errors as separate values.

Abstract: A vehicle welding quality inspection device for checking welding parts of a vehicle body transferred along a transferring line may include a welding part shooting unit fixed on an outside of the transfer line, shoots a welding inspection part of the vehicle body, and outputs the shot data to the controller, and a welding part vision sensor disposed on a front end of an arm of a robot, is moved thereby toward the welding point of the welding inspection part that is recognized by the controller, shoots the welding point, and the vision data to the controller.

Abstract: It is intended to provide an electronic component mounting device and an operation performing method for mounting electronic components so that both the operation quality and the productivity can be improved. In operation performing procedures, when an electronic component belongs to the first division, an operating head is made to move up and down based on an approximate operation position height derived from an approximate curved surface of the top surface of a board which is calculated by using the height measurement result obtained by measuring a plurality of height measuring points on the surface of the board, and when the electronic component belongs to the second division, the operating head is made to move up and down based on an individual operation position height obtained by individually measuring the board height at the operation position.

Abstract: A method of controlling polishing includes polishing a substrate having a second layer overlying a first layer, detecting exposure of the first layer with an in-situ monitoring system, receiving an identification of a selected spectral feature and a characteristic of the selected spectral feature to monitor during polishing, measuring a sequence of spectra of light from the substrate while the substrate is being polished, determining a first value for the characteristic of the feature at the time that the first in-situ monitoring technique detects exposure of the first layer, adding an offset to the first value to generate a second value, and monitoring the characteristic of the feature and halting polishing when the characteristic of the feature is determined to reach the second value.

Abstract: A method embodiment includes providing a reticle design data that specify a plurality of printable features that are formed on the wafer using the reticle and a plurality of nonprintable features that are not formed on the wafer using such reticle, wherein the reticle design data is usable to fabricate the reticle. A reduced design database is generated from the reticle design data and this reduced design database includes a description or map of the nonprintable features of the reticle, a description or map of a plurality of cell-to-cell regions of the reticle, and a grayscale reticle image that is rasterized from the reticle design data. The reduced design database, along with the reticle, is transferred to a fabrication facility so that the reduced design database is usable to periodically inspect the reticle in the fabrication facility.

Abstract: A robot system capable of accurately measuring assembly accuracy of a workpiece formed to include a rotation shaft is provided. To implement such a robot system, a robot system according to an aspect of the present embodiment includes a robot and an accuracy measurement device. The robot transfers a workpiece formed to include a rotation shaft. The accuracy measurement device holds the rotation shaft of the workpiece transferred by the robot to be substantially parallel to the vertical direction, and measures assembly accuracy of the workpiece while rotating the rotation shaft to rotate the whole of the workpiece.

Abstract: The disclosure describes a method for cutting a food product into slices for producing portions by taking into account the target weight thereof. Information about a remainder of the food product to be sliced is used to control corresponding actuators for a successive food product to be sliced.

Abstract: A machine for use in assembling a vehicle is described herein. The vehicle includes at least a first component and a second component adapted to be coupled to the first component to form a component assembly. The machine includes at least one component tooling apparatus that is configured to selectively adjust an orientation of the second component with respect to the first component. A control system is coupled to the at least one component tooling apparatus. The control system includes a processor that is configured to receive a unique vehicle identifier associated with the component assembly, and determine a design orientation of the second component with respect to the first component based at least in part on the received unique vehicle identifier.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and apparatus for spectrographic monitoring of a substrate during chemical mechanical polishing are described. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes storing a library having a plurality of reference spectra, each reference spectrum of the plurality of reference spectra having a stored associated index value, measuring a sequence of spectra in-situ during polishing to obtain measured spectra, for each measured spectrum of the sequence of spectra, finding a best matching reference spectrum to generate a sequence of best matching reference spectra, determining the associated index value for each best matching spectrum from the sequence of best matching reference spectra to generate a sequence of index values, fitting a linear function to the sequence of index values, and halting the polishing either when the linear function matches or exceeds a target index or when the associated index value from the determining step matches or exceeds the target index.