Abstract: The present invention provides an isothermal port and method for a microwave network analyzer and more particularly an isothermal port and method to control the temperature of microwave standards to 23″ 0.050° C. A test port adapter is used to adapt the test port connector to a DUT (device under test, which might be a standard connector). A thermoelectric cooler surrounds the test port adapter in order to precisely control its temperature. By controlling the temperature of the adapter, the temperature of the DUT is controlled since there is good heat conduction between the DUT and the test port adapter. The standards quickly attain the temperature of the test port adapter (less than 2 minutes, 1 minute typical). The system includes a computer, one or more thermoelectric coolers, a heatsink, a split thermal mass that has a through hole for the test port adapter, a power supply, a PRTD (Platinum Resistance Thermal Detector), and an ohmmeter capable of measuring using 4 wire Ohms.

Abstract: The present invention provides a manufacturing environment (110) for a wafer fab, and an SPC environment (112) for setting control limits and acquiring metrology data of production runs. A computation environment (114) processes the SPC data, which are then analyzed in an analysis environment (116). An MES environment (118) evaluates the analysis and automatically executes a process intervention if the process is outside the control limits. Additionally, the present invention provides for an electrical power management system, a spare parts inventory and scheduling system and a wafer fab efficiency system. These systems employ algorithms (735, 1135 and 1335).

Abstract: A process device couples to a process control loop. The process device receives process signals. A memory in the process device contains a nominal parameter value and a rule. Computing circuitry calculates a statistical parameter of the process signal and operates on the statistical parameter and the stored nominal value based upon the stored rule and responsively provides an event output based upon the operation.

Abstract: A method and structure for controlling a manufacturing tool includes measuring different manufacturing parameters of the tool, transforming a plurality of time series of the manufacturing parameters into intermediate variables based on restrictions and historical reference statistics, generating a surrogate variable based on the intermediate variables, if the surrogate variable exceeds a predetermined limit, identifying a first intermediate variable, of the intermediate variables, that caused the surrogate variable to exceed the predetermined limit and identifying a first manufacturing parameter associated with the first intermediate variable, and inhibiting further operation of the tool until the first manufacturing parameter has been modified to bring the surrogate value within the predetermined limit.

Abstract: Product data from a manufacturing process is analysed using techniques adapted from the study of chaos. Future values of a series of product data are predicted and an attractor structure is determined from the product data. This enables the manufacturing process to be monitored, controlled and analysed. Action can be taken to modify the manufacturing process using the results from the prediction and attractor structure to reduce costs and improve performance and efficiency.

Abstract: An autonomous controller, comprised of a state knowledge manager, a control executor, hardware proxies and a statistical estimator collaborates with a goal elaborator, with which it shares common models of the behavior of the system and the controller. The elaborator uses the common models to generate from temporally indeterminate sets of goals, executable goals to be executed by the controller. The controller may be updated to operate in a different system or environment than that for which it was originally designed by the replacement of shared statistical models and by the instantiation of a new set of state variable objects derived from a state variable class. The adaptation of the controller does not require substantial modification of the goal elaborator for its application to the new system or environment.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process and means for identifying opportunities for improvement in assembly line production that overcomes the problem of overlooking opportunities for improvement. Six sigma techniques are used to identify these opportunities. The process includes collecting time data accurately representing operations in an assembly line; conducting a capability analysis of the data collected to identify opportunities for improving operations; identifying changes in operations based on this analysis; and implementing such changes into operations to produce improved assembly line performance. Capability analysis of the data using statistical techniques is a more rigorous and thorough approach than traditional assembly line optimization techniques. The present invention targets opportunities for improvement that would otherwise be overlooked.

Abstract: A robot with multi-joint arms, wherein articulated first and second arms 9, 10 are movable in a horizontal plane as well as in a vertical direction, the second arm having a free end to which a supplementary unit A is removably connected, the supplementary unit A including a joint member 17 adjustably connected to the free end of the second arm 10 and a working member 18 removable connected to the joint member 17. The working member 18 has a predetermined length Lx which determines the effective length L2 of the second arm 10, and wherein the data representing the effective length L2 of the second arm is entered to renew the existing effective length of the second arm to produce new data representing the value of the newly entered effective length L2 of the second arm 10, the new data being employed to calculate out the value to control the operations of the first and second arms 9, 10.

Abstract: A statistical design method is provided for minimizing the impact of manufacturing variations on semiconductor manufacturing by statistical design which seeks to reduce the impact of variability on device behavior. The method is based upon a Markov representation of a process flow which captures the sequential and stochastic nature of semiconductor manufacturing and enables the separation of device and process models, statistical modeling of process modules from observable wafer states and approximations for statistical optimization over large design spaces. The statistical estimation component of this method results in extremely accurate predictions of the variability of transistor performance for all of the fabricated flows. Statistical optimization results in devices that achieve all transistor performance and reliability goals and reduces the variability of key transistor performances.

Abstract: A process change control apparatus that performs a control function based on information from a manufacturing process is provided in a manufacturing process control system. The change control apparatus includes a recorder which records a change item for which a manufacturing process change control is to be performed, information required for a making judgment, a judgment method, an for extracting date from a manufacturing process and recording required information before and after a change point for each change item recorded in the, a statistical comparison judging device which performs a statistical comparison judgment of the information extracted by the information extractor before and after the change point for each change item, and an output device which outputs the result of the comparison judging device.

Abstract: A device (1) has a processor (13) capable of controlling test equipment (2) to carry out repeatedly at least some of its steps, each time reducing the duration of at least one of the steps until satisfying a final criterion taking into account the distribution of the electric variables measured by the equipment for each reduced duration value, and to set a new duration value at most equal to its initial value, for which the measured electric variable distribution satisfies one selected dispersion condition. The device has a function generator (14) capable of providing a function applicable to at least one of the terms of a comparison executed during one of the steps, so that the function operates on a measurement executed after the new duration.

Abstract: A method for displaying a visual process signature for ready visual recognition and communication of otherwise complex manufacturing process information. Process data may be stored in a plurality of data stores, each data store holding a plurality of records containing process data, each record associated with at least one process component. A proxy virtual database is created from copies of records selected from the data stores. Statistical analysis operations are applied to the selected records within the proxy virtual database to identify process components or combinations of process components having a significant effect on characteristics of a product produced as well as the magnitude of that effect. At least three characteristics of the identified process components including the outcome of the statistical analysis operations are selected and visually displayed in a static or animated three-dimensional representation shown on a two-dimensional display.

Abstract: A computerized method and apparatus are disclosed for analyzing numerical data pertaining to a sample assay comprising at least one biological or chemical sample. The data include a set of data pertaining to each respective sample, with each set of data including a plurality of values each representing a condition of the sample at a given time. The method and apparatus assign a respective numerical value to each of the data values, mathematically combine the numerical values to generate a total value, compare the total value to a threshold value, and control the system to indicate whether the sample has a predetermined characteristic based on a result of the comparison. Prior to calculation of the sample value, filtering, normalizing and other correcting operations can be performed on the data to correct anomalous values in the data which could adversely affect the accuracy of the results.

Abstract: A process device couples to a process control loop. The process device receives a process signal. A memory in the process device contains a nominal parameter value. Computing circuitry provides an event output based upon the stored nominal value and the process signal. Output circuitry provides an output in response to the event output.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process diagnosis system and a method for the diagnosis of processes and states in a technical process, in particular for the diagnosis of a power station process. The invention is a structured multi-agent system which corresponds to the process and has a plurality of autonomous diagnostic agents. The diagnostic agents in each case contain a neural network, with whose aid a reference behavior of process components that are to be monitored can be learned. In addition, automatic adaptation to a new reference behavior is also possible by the diagnostic agents.