JP2010286880A - Defect factor estimation system and defect factor estimation method - Google Patents

Abstract

[PROBLEMS] To minimize the capital investment and shorten the startup period when constructing a new factory.
The manufacturing apparatuses 37 to 39 of the new factory 22 being started up are made substantially the same as the manufacturing apparatuses 23 to 25 of the existing factory 21 in a stable operation state. Further, the inspection device 40 of the new factory 22 is made substantially the same as the inspection device 26 of the existing factory 21. Further, the second factor analysis unit 42 of the new factory 22 is connected to the correlation database 28 of the existing factory 21 via the communication line 49. The correlation database 28 stores a lot of quality information, process information, and recovery work information that are associated with each other. Therefore, when optimizing the manufacturing apparatus of the new factory 22, the correlation database 28 can be used when the second factor analysis unit 42 estimates a failure factor. Therefore, it is not necessary to provide a correlation database in the new factory 22 and perform mass production trial production for accumulating a large amount of the above information, minimizing capital investment and shortening the startup period.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a manufacturing apparatus that causes a defective product, a defect factor estimation system that estimates process processing, and a defect factor estimation method with respect to a manufacturing line that manufactures manufactured products by executing process processing with sequential manufacturing apparatuses. .

  For example, a manufactured product of a semiconductor or a liquid crystal panel is manufactured by sequentially executing process processes on a substrate with a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses. Then, the quality of the manufactured product is inspected by an inspection device, and the manufactured product is classified as either a good product or a defective product as necessary. As a result, if it is found that the number of manufactured products classified as defective has increased and the yield has decreased, the cause of defective products in the production line that performs the above-mentioned multiple process processes should be investigated and countermeasures taken. It is necessary to do.

  As a system for investigating the cause of defective products in a production line, there is a “remote maintenance system for industrial equipment” disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 3919294 (Patent Document 1). In this remote maintenance system for industrial equipment, receiving means for receiving information representing an abnormal state of the industrial equipment from a monitoring device for monitoring the industrial equipment via the Internet or an intranet, and information on the abnormal state And a database that records information on how to deal with the normal state, and when a countermeasure method for an abnormality is registered in the database, the information on the countermeasure method is read from the database and stored in the monitoring device. I am trying to send it.

  FIG. 4 shows a configuration of a conventional remote maintenance system for industrial equipment disclosed in Patent Document 1. Hereinafter, the conventional remote maintenance system for industrial equipment will be described with reference to FIG.

  In FIG. 4, 1 is an office of a vendor (apparatus supply manufacturer) that supplies industrial equipment, and 2 to 4 are production plants of semiconductor manufacturers as users of industrial equipment. Each of the production factories 2 to 4 is provided with a plurality of industrial devices 6, a LAN (intranet) 9 connecting them, and a host computer 7 as a monitoring device for monitoring the operation status of each industrial device 6. ing. A host computer 7 provided in each of the production factories 2 to 4 is connected to a host computer 8 that is a management device on the vendor 1 side via the Internet 5.

  In the configuration shown in FIG. 4, when trouble occurs, status information (for example, if trouble occurs) from the monitoring device 7 of the production factory where the trouble has occurred via the Internet 5 indicates the operating status of each industrial device 6. The vendor 1 is notified of the symptoms of the industrial equipment that occurred. Then, the host computer 8 of the vendor 1 that has received the notification responds by performing the processing shown in the flowchart shown in FIG.

  That is, if it is determined in step S1 that there is a trouble report, the host computer 8 obtains the status information from the production factory where the trouble has occurred in step S2. In step S3, referring to the trouble database DB (not shown) for managing the maintenance of the industrial equipment in each production factory based on the acquired status information, the same symptom that has occurred in the past can be found. It is determined whether or not it is already registered in the trouble database DB. As a result, if it has been registered, it is determined in step S5 whether or not a countermeasure for the symptom has been registered in the trouble database DB. The countermeasure (response information) registered in the database DB (for example, a code or message indicating the countermeasure) is notified to the host computer 7 of the production factory where the trouble has occurred via the Internet 5.

  If it is determined in step S3 that the same symptom as the trouble is not registered in the trouble database DB, the symptom is newly registered in the trouble database DB in step S4, and the process proceeds to step S7. If it is determined in step S5 that the countermeasure is not registered in the trouble database DB, the process proceeds to step S7.

  In step S7, the person in charge of the vendor 1 is notified of the occurrence of trouble, the content of the trouble (status information), the presence / absence of a countermeasure (response information) notification, the current situation, and other related information. In step S8, the trouble database DB is updated and the process is terminated.

  As described above, in the conventional remote maintenance system for industrial equipment disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the manufacturing apparatus generates an abnormal signal, it is possible to quickly take measures.

  As another system for investigating the cause of defective product generation in a production line, there is a “defective factor estimation countermeasure output device” disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-327909 (Patent Document 2). In this failure factor estimation countermeasure output device, when a defect occurs in a production line for mounting electronic components on a circuit board, a countermeasure to be taken against the defect is output.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of the entire system to which the conventional failure factor estimation countermeasure output device 11 disclosed in Patent Document 2 is applied.

  In FIG. 6, the mounting apparatus 12 as the manufacturing apparatus of the manufacturing line outputs facility quality information 13 and trouble information 14 as process information when a trouble occurs in its own apparatus. The equipment quality information 13 is information indicating an operating condition as a processing status in the mounting apparatus 12, and is information such as pressure, temperature, component adsorption rate, and the like. The trouble information 14 is information indicating the content of the trouble that has occurred in the mounting apparatus 12. The contents of the trouble are, for example, a component cut, a substrate drop, a nozzle clogging, and the like.

  The inspection device 15 outputs the inspection result of a circuit board (not shown) as a manufactured product as mounting quality information 16. The mounting quality information 16 includes, for example, “the supply amount of the bonding material is insufficient”, “the positional displacement has occurred in the mounted component”, and “the soldering shape of the component is insufficient”. This is information indicating the inspection result.

  The equipment quality information 13 and the trouble information 14 output from the mounting device 12 and the mounting quality information 16 output from the inspection device 15 are recorded in the relationship recording unit 17 as a database of the failure factor estimation countermeasure output device 11. Is done.

  Further, when trouble occurs in the facility, or when a defect occurs in the manufactured product, the operator performs an operation for recovering the mounting apparatus 12 in which the trouble has occurred, cleans parts, or the like. Perform maintenance work. Then, the worker creates the recovery work information 18 indicating the content of the operation performed to recover the mounting apparatus 12 and the content of the maintenance work, and the equipment quality information 13 and the trouble that is the target of the recovery work or the maintenance work. The information 14 and the mounting quality information 16 are associated with each other and registered in the relationship recording unit 17.

  Thereafter, when a similar failure occurs, the countermeasure analysis unit 19 as a factor analysis unit refers to the relevance recording unit 17 to determine the content of the recovery work to be performed for the generated failure. Then, the countermeasure content determined by the countermeasure analysis unit 19 is output from the countermeasure content output unit 20.

  As described above, when an inspection process is provided for each process, a manufacturing apparatus is used when a quality abnormality occurs by using the conventional failure factor estimation countermeasure output device 11 disclosed in Patent Document 2. It is possible to take quick measures against this.

  By the way, manufactured products such as semiconductors and liquid crystal panels are produced through process processing in tens to hundreds of manufacturing apparatuses, and the status of each manufacturing process and manufacturing apparatus affects the quality of the final manufactured product. Even if each manufacturing apparatus does not generate an error, a problem may occur in the quality of the final product. For this reason, once a defect occurs in a final product such as a semiconductor or a liquid crystal panel produced through a manufacturing process using tens to hundreds of manufacturing apparatuses, it is generally very difficult to identify the cause of the defect. .

  In the conventional remote maintenance system for industrial equipment disclosed in Patent Document 1, the host computer 8 of the vendor 1 is not shown in FIG. 5 until the status information is notified from the monitoring device 7 of the production factory where the trouble has occurred. The countermeasure search notification process shown is performed. Therefore, as described above, there is a problem that it is impossible to cope with a case where a problem occurs in the quality of the final manufactured product even if each manufacturing apparatus does not generate an error.

  Further, in the conventional failure factor estimation countermeasure output device disclosed in Patent Document 2, an inspection process for inspecting a manufactured product after process processing in this manufacturing process is provided after the manufacturing process. When a decrease in yield is detected by the device 15, it can be easily understood that the manufacturing process executed immediately before the inspection process is a cause of failure.

  However, in an actual manufacturing factory for semiconductors, liquid crystal panels, etc., when an inspection process for specifying a defective product generation factor is provided for each sequentially executed manufacturing process, the manufacturing process that is the cause of defective product is specified. On the other hand, a large amount of capital investment is required by providing a large number of inspection devices. In addition, problems such as the occurrence of maintenance costs for a large number of inspection apparatuses and a long lead time occur. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a minimum number of inspection processes and inspection devices.

  A manufacturing line for manufactured products that require many manufacturing processes and manufacturing equipment, and when a characteristic defect of the manufactured product occurs in a manufacturing line where the minimum required inspection processes and inspection equipment are installed, the cause of the failure is prompt Therefore, it is necessary to store process information and recovery work information in association with inspection data obtained by many inspection apparatuses.

  As described above, a manufactured product manufactured by sequentially executing a plurality of process processes on a substrate, such as a semiconductor or a liquid crystal panel, is provided on the manufacturing line when the manufacturing line is in a mass production operation state. The quality of the manufactured product is inspected by the inspected apparatus, and classified as either a good product or a defective product as required. As a result, if it is found that the number of manufactured products classified as defective has increased and the yield has decreased, the cause of defective products in the manufacturing line that executes the above-mentioned multiple manufacturing processes should be investigated and countermeasures taken. It is important to do.

  On the other hand, when constructing a new factory or constructing a new production line, it is necessary to introduce a large number of production apparatuses, start up, and set conditions. However, it is necessary to improve the low-yield situation in which many defective products are generated before optimizing the state of all manufacturing apparatuses and completing the mass production operation state. Therefore, a defect factor estimation system is required only when such a new factory or a new production line is constructed.

  In the conventional remote maintenance system for industrial equipment disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the conventional failure factor estimation countermeasure output device disclosed in Patent Document 2, the trouble database DB is used to estimate the cause of failure. Alternatively, it is necessary that the relevance recording unit 17 stores inspection information from the inspection apparatus, process information from the manufacturing apparatus, recovery work information when a defect occurs, and the like. If the accumulation of these pieces of information is not sufficient, it is difficult to accurately estimate the cause of failure, and preparations for accumulating these pieces of information are necessary.

  Therefore, when constructing a new factory or a new production line as described above, first, many inspection products, process information, recovery work information, etc. Therefore, it takes a long time to optimize the state of all the manufacturing apparatuses and finish the mass production operation state.

  Thus, in the conventional remote maintenance system for industrial equipment disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the conventional failure factor estimation countermeasure output device disclosed in Patent Document 2, when a new factory and a new production line are constructed, There is a problem that the start-up period cannot be shortened. Also, the conventional industrial equipment remote maintenance system disclosed in Patent Document 1 and the conventional failure factor estimation countermeasure output device disclosed in Patent Document 2 or the trouble database DB or the relevance recording unit provided therein. New installation of 17 every time a new factory is constructed or every time a new production line is constructed is also a problem in terms of capital investment cost.

Japanese Patent No. 3919294 JP 2005-327909 A

  Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a failure factor estimation system and a failure factor estimation method capable of minimizing capital investment and shortening the start-up period when a new factory or a new production line is constructed.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problem, the failure factor estimation system of the first invention is
A first manufacturing line including a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses that sequentially process a substrate to manufacture a manufactured product, and at least one inspection device that inspects the quality of the manufactured product that has been subjected to the process process;
A second production line including a plurality of production devices substantially the same as the plurality of production devices of the first production line, and at least one inspection device substantially the same as the inspection device of the first production line;
A correlation database for registering process information from the manufacturing apparatus and inspection information from the inspection apparatus in the first production line in association with each manufactured product;
When it is determined that a defective product has occurred in the second production line based on the inspection result from the inspection device in the second production line, the registration information in the correlation database is referred to and the second production line A factor analysis unit that estimates a manufacturing device that is a cause of failure among a plurality of manufacturing devices;
And a result output unit for outputting a result of estimation of the cause of failure by the factor analysis unit.

  Here, the first production line is an existing production line (existing production line) in a stable operation state, and the second production line is constructed after the first production line enters a stable operation state. This is a new production line (new production line).

  According to the above configuration, the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses in the second manufacturing line, which is a new manufacturing line, is made substantially the same as the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses in the first manufacturing line, which is an existing manufacturing line, and the inspection apparatus is the first apparatus. It is substantially the same as the above-described inspection apparatus on the production line. Therefore, when the factor analysis unit estimates the cause of failure in the second production line, the accumulated data in the correlation database for the first production line can be used.

  Therefore, when optimizing the state of the manufacturing apparatus of the second production line and finishing to the mass production operation state, a large amount of process information and quality information are stored in the correlation database for the second production line. It is possible to quickly estimate the cause of failure of the second production line without performing a mass production trial, and it is possible to operate the second production line at a high yield from the beginning. Therefore, it is possible to quickly start up and achieve a high yield from the start-up without arranging a worker having high ability in the second production line.

  Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide a correlation database dedicated to the second production line in which a large amount of process information and quality information is accumulated. Therefore, the investment cost for the second production line can be suppressed.

In the defect factor estimation system of one embodiment,
Between the correlation database and the factor analysis unit, an information transmission / reception unit that transmits and receives registration information of the correlation database via a communication line,
The factor analysis unit, through the communication line and the information transmission / reception unit, from the correlation database, the inspection result determined to be defective and the process information from the manufacturing apparatus corresponding to the inspection result, The registered information having a value similar to the above is retrieved, and the cause of failure occurrence in the second production line is estimated by referring to the retrieved registered information.

  According to this embodiment, the information transmission / reception unit transmits / receives registration information of the correlation database between the correlation database and the factor analysis unit via the communication line. Therefore, even when the second production line, the factor analysis unit, and the result output unit are constructed at positions far away from the first production line and the correlation database, the second production line can be quickly The start-up and the high yield from the start-up can be made possible.

  Further, the factor analysis unit searches the correlation database for registration information having a value similar to the inspection result determined to be defective and the process information corresponding to the inspection result. In addition, by referring to the registered information, the cause of the failure in the second production line is estimated. Therefore, from the correlation database in which a lot of process information and quality information associated with each other are accumulated, it is possible to accurately search only the registration information necessary for estimating the cause of failure of the second production line, The defect factor can be estimated more quickly.

In the defect factor estimation system of one embodiment,
The process information from the manufacturing apparatus and the inspection information from the inspection apparatus in the second production line are acquired, and the acquired process information and inspection information are communicated with the factor analysis unit via a communication line. And an information transmission / reception unit that performs transmission / reception with the estimation result of the cause of failure occurrence related to the second production line by the factor analysis unit,
When the factor analysis unit receives the process information and the inspection information related to the second production line from the information transmitting / receiving unit, whether or not a defective product has occurred in the second production line based on the inspection information. If it is determined that a defective product has occurred, the correlation database has a value similar to the inspection information determined to have occurred and the process information corresponding to the inspection information. Searching for registration information, referring to the searched registration information, estimating the cause of failure in the second production line, and sending the estimation result to the information transmitting and receiving unit,
The result output unit is configured to receive an estimation result of a failure occurrence factor to be output from the information transmitting / receiving unit.

  According to this embodiment, the information transmission / reception unit communicates with the factor analysis unit via the communication line, the process information and the inspection information in the second production line, and the factor analysis unit performs the first process. (2) Transmission / reception with the estimation result of the cause of occurrence of defects related to the production line is performed. Accordingly, even when the second production line and the result output unit are constructed at positions far away from the first production line, the factor analysis unit, and the correlation database, the second production line can be quickly The start-up and the high yield from the start-up can be made possible.

  Further, the factor analysis unit searches the correlation database for registration information having a value similar to the inspection result determined to be defective and the process information corresponding to the inspection result. In addition, by referring to the registered information, the cause of the failure in the second production line is estimated. Therefore, from the correlation database in which a lot of process information and quality information associated with each other are accumulated, it is possible to accurately search only the registration information necessary for estimating the cause of failure of the second production line, The defect factor can be estimated more quickly.

In the defect factor estimation system of one embodiment,
When it is determined that a defective product has occurred in the first production line based on the inspection result from the inspection device in the first production line, the registration information in the correlation database is referred to and the first production line A factor analysis unit for a first production line that estimates a production device that is a cause of occurrence of defects among a plurality of production devices;
The first production line factor analysis unit is used as the factor analysis unit.

  According to this embodiment, as the factor analysis unit, a factor analysis unit for first production line that estimates a factor causing defects in the first production line is used. Therefore, in addition to the correlation database for estimating the cause of failure in the second production line, it is not necessary to provide a dedicated factor analysis unit for estimating the cause of failure in the second production line. Therefore, the investment cost for the second production line can be further suppressed.

In the defect factor estimation system of one embodiment,
In the correlation database, in addition to the process information from the manufacturing apparatus and the inspection information from the inspection apparatus that are associated with each manufactured product, the recovery work information that is executed when a defect occurs is also associated and registered. Yes.

  According to this embodiment, since the recovery database is registered in the correlation database in addition to the process information and the inspection information, in addition to the estimation result of the cause of failure in the second production line, It is also possible to obtain past recovery work information. Therefore, in the case of a recovery operation associated with the occurrence of a defective product, past recovery operation information can be referred to, and the recovery operation can be shortened.

In the defect factor estimation system of one embodiment,
In the correlation database, in addition to the process information and the inspection information in the first production line, process information from the manufacturing apparatus and inspection information from the inspection apparatus in the second production line are stored for each manufactured product. It is associated and registered.

  According to this embodiment, in addition to the process information and the inspection information in the first production line, the process information and the inspection information in the second production line are registered in the correlation database. Therefore, when estimating the cause of failure in the second production line, the process information and the inspection information of the second production line can be referred to, and the estimation accuracy of the cause of failure in the second production line can be increased. Can be increased.

Further, the failure factor estimation method of the second invention is:
A first manufacturing line including a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses that sequentially process a substrate to manufacture a manufactured product, and at least one inspection device that inspects the quality of the manufactured product that has been subjected to the process process;
A second manufacturing line including a plurality of manufacturing devices substantially the same as the plurality of manufacturing devices of the first manufacturing line, and at least one inspection device substantially the same as the inspection device of the first manufacturing line;
When the factor analysis unit determines that a defective product has occurred in the second production line based on the inspection result from the inspection device in the second production line, the process from the manufacturing device in the first production line Manufacturing that is a cause of failure among a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses in the second manufacturing line with reference to registration information in a correlation database in which information and inspection information from the inspection apparatus are registered in association with each manufactured product Estimate the device,
The result output unit outputs the estimation result of the cause of failure by the factor analysis unit.

  Here, the first production line is an existing production line (existing production line) in a stable operation state, and the second production line is constructed after the first production line enters a stable operation state. This is a new production line (new production line).

  According to the above configuration, the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses in the second manufacturing line, which is a new manufacturing line, is made substantially the same as the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses in the first manufacturing line, which is an existing manufacturing line, and the inspection apparatus is the first apparatus. It is substantially the same as the above-described inspection apparatus on the production line. Therefore, when estimating the cause of occurrence of a defect in the second production line, the accumulated data in the correlation database for the first production line can be used.

  Therefore, when optimizing the state of the manufacturing apparatus of the second production line and finishing to the mass production operation state, a large amount of process information and quality information are stored in the correlation database for the second production line. It is possible to quickly estimate the cause of failure of the second production line without performing a mass production trial, and it is possible to operate the second production line at a high yield from the beginning. Therefore, it is possible to quickly start up and achieve a high yield from the start-up without arranging a worker having high ability in the second production line.

  Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide a correlation database dedicated to the second production line in which a large amount of process information and quality information is accumulated. Therefore, the investment cost for the second production line can be suppressed.

Moreover, in the defect factor estimation method of one embodiment,
Registration having a value similar to the inspection result determined by the factor analysis unit through the communication line from the correlation database that the defective product has occurred and the process information from the manufacturing apparatus corresponding to the inspection result Information is searched, and the cause of failure of the second production line is estimated with reference to the searched registration information.

  According to this embodiment, registration information of the correlation database is transmitted / received between the correlation database and the factor analysis unit via a communication line. Therefore, even when the second production line, the factor analysis unit, and the result output unit are constructed at positions far away from the first production line and the correlation database, the second production line can be quickly The start-up and the high yield from the start-up can be made possible.

  Further, the factor analysis unit searches the correlation database for registration information having a value similar to the inspection result determined to be defective and the process information corresponding to the inspection result. In addition, by referring to the registered information, the cause of the failure in the second production line is estimated. Therefore, from the correlation database in which a lot of process information and quality information associated with each other are accumulated, it is possible to accurately search only the registration information necessary for estimating the cause of failure of the second production line, The defect factor can be estimated more quickly.

Moreover, in the defect factor estimation method of one embodiment,
A first step of acquiring process information from the manufacturing apparatus and inspection information from the inspection apparatus in the second production line by an information transmission / reception unit and transmitting the process information to the factor analysis unit via a communication line;
When the factor analysis unit receives the process information and the inspection information related to the second production line from the information transmitting / receiving unit in the first step, the defective product is transferred to the second production line based on the inspection information. In the case where it is determined whether or not a defective product has occurred, the inspection database determines that a defective product has been generated and the process information corresponding to the inspection information from the correlation database. A second step of searching for registration information having a similar value, referring to the searched registration information, estimating a defect occurrence factor in the second production line, and sending an estimation result to the information transmitting / receiving unit. When,
A third step of sending, by the information transmission / reception unit, an estimation result of the failure occurrence factor in the second production line by the factor analysis unit to the result output unit via the communication line;
And a fourth step of outputting the estimation result of the defect occurrence factor by the factor analysis unit by the result output unit.

  According to this embodiment, the information transmitter / receiver causes the process information and the inspection information in the second production line to pass through the communication line between the second production line and the factor analysis unit, and Transmission / reception with the estimation result of the defect occurrence factor regarding the second production line by the factor analysis unit is performed. Accordingly, even when the second production line and the result output unit are constructed at positions far away from the first production line, the factor analysis unit, and the correlation database, the second production line can be quickly The start-up and the high yield from the start-up can be made possible.

  Further, the factor analysis unit searches the correlation database for registration information having a value similar to the inspection result determined to be defective and the process information corresponding to the inspection result. In addition, by referring to the registered information, the cause of the failure in the second production line is estimated. Therefore, from the correlation database in which a lot of process information and quality information associated with each other are accumulated, it is possible to accurately search only the registration information necessary for estimating the cause of failure of the second production line, The defect factor can be estimated more quickly.

  As apparent from the above, according to the present invention, the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses in the second manufacturing line (new manufacturing line) are made substantially the same as the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses in the first manufacturing line (existing manufacturing line), and the inspection is performed. The apparatus is made substantially the same as the inspection apparatus of the first production line. When the factor analysis unit determines that a defective product has occurred in the second production line, the process information from the manufacturing device and the inspection information from the inspection device in the first production line are used as the product. By referring to the registration information in the correlation database registered in association with each other, the cause of failure in the second production line is estimated.

  Therefore, when optimizing the state of the manufacturing apparatus of the second production line and finishing to the mass production operation state, a large amount of process information and quality information are stored in the correlation database for the second production line. It is possible to quickly estimate the cause of failure without performing a mass production trial, and the second production line can be operated at a high yield from the start. As a result, it is possible to quickly start up and achieve a high yield from the beginning of the start-up without arranging a worker with high ability in the second production line.

  Furthermore, it is not necessary to provide a correlation database for estimating the cause of failure in the second production line in which a large amount of process information and quality information is accumulated. Therefore, the investment cost for the second production line can be suppressed.

It is a figure which shows schematic structure in the defect factor estimation system of this invention. It is a figure which shows schematic structure of the existing factory and new factory when a new factory is constructed | assembled by the prior art. It is a figure which shows schematic structure in the defect factor estimation system different from FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the remote maintenance system of the conventional industrial apparatus. FIG. 5 is a flowchart of processing search notification processing executed by the vendor's host computer in FIG. 4. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the whole system to which the conventional defect factor estimation countermeasure output device was applied.

  Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the illustrated embodiments.

-1st Embodiment FIG. 1: shows the schematic structure in the defect factor estimation system of this Embodiment. In FIG. 1, the manufacturing factory and the manufacturing line which comprise the defect factor estimation system are shown typically. This failure factor estimation system is a manufacturing factory of, for example, a semiconductor or a liquid crystal panel that is manufactured by sequentially processing a substrate, and includes two manufacturing factories including a plurality of manufacturing processes. One of the manufacturing factories is an existing factory 21 that is already in production operation, and the other one is a new factory 22 that is currently being started up.

  The existing factory 21 includes a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,..., 25 and at least one inspection apparatus 26 in the existing manufacturing line which is the first manufacturing line. In addition, a first failure factor estimation device 27 is provided for quickly estimating a failure factor when a defective product occurs. In the first failure factor estimation device 27, a correlation database 28 that accumulates data necessary for factor analysis, a first factor analysis unit 29 that analyzes failure factors and countermeasures based on data accumulated in the correlation database 28, a first A first result output unit 30 for outputting a measure estimated as a result of analysis by the one-factor analysis unit 29, and a first information transmission / reception unit 31 for transmitting / receiving information stored in the correlation database 28 to the outside are provided. Yes.

  The manufactured product such as the semiconductor or the liquid crystal panel is completed by sequentially processing the substrate as the base material moving as indicated by the broken arrow by the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,. To do. The process performed by the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,..., 25 is, for example, a cleaning process, a film forming process, an etching / patterning process, and the like. The manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,..., 25 are, for example, cleaning apparatuses, coater developers, exposure apparatuses, sputtering apparatuses, CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) apparatuses, dry etching apparatuses, wet etching apparatuses, and printing apparatuses. Etc.

  After the final process is completed, the manufactured product is inspected by the inspection device 26, and it is determined whether the manufactured product is a good product or a defective product. In the existing factory 21, various kinds of measurements are performed by the inspection device 26 on the substrate subjected to each process. The quality information 32 such as each measurement item measured by the inspection device 26 is recorded and accumulated in the correlation database 28. Here, the quality information 32 is information representing the results of various electrical tests, the results of appearance tests for foreign matters, and the like when the manufactured product is a semiconductor, for example.

  Similarly, in each of the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,..., 25, process information 33, 34,..., 35, which is information related to the process processing performed on the substrate, is output and recorded and stored in the correlation database 28. Is done.

  In addition, when the estimation result of the failure factor is output from the first result output unit 30 of the first failure factor estimation device 27, the worker is defective with respect to any of the manufacturing devices 23, 24,. When a measure for removing the factor is taken, the recovery work information 36 is created by the worker, and is recorded and stored in the correlation database 28.

  At the time of these recordings, the process information 33, 34,..., 35 output from each of the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,... 25, the quality information 32 output from the inspection apparatus 26, and the operator input. The recovery work information 36 is recorded in association with each processing substrate. In this way, the process information 33, 34,..., 35, the quality information 32, and the recovery work information 36 recorded in association with each processing substrate are used for analyzing the causal relationship between the process processing and the quality of the manufactured product. used. Here, the process information 33, 34,..., 35 is, for example, the gas pressure, the gas flow rate, the substrate temperature, the input power, the reflected power, etc. when the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,. It is a measured value.

  In the existing factory 21, when the first factor analysis unit 29 of the first defect factor estimation device 27 determines that a defective product has occurred based on the quality information 32 from the inspection device 26, the correlation database 28. The value closest to the quality information 32 determined to be defective is stored in the data (data consisting of the process information 33, 34,..., 35, the quality information 32, and the recovery work information 36 associated with each other). By searching the data including the quality information to be presented (defective product data), the past defective product data thus searched is compared with the process information 33, 34,..., 35 and the quality information 32 currently generated. Then, the failure factor of the manufacturing apparatus causing the failure is estimated. The first result output unit 30 outputs the estimated failure factor and the countermeasure content when the recovery work information (measure information) 36 is registered in the retrieved past defective product data. The

  Then, based on the estimation result of the failure factor output from the first result output unit 30 and the content of the countermeasures taken in the past, the worker refers to the content of the countermeasures and the manufacturing apparatus in which the defect has occurred Take measures to eliminate the cause of defects. Then, after the countermeasure is completed, if the countermeasure taken is different from the countermeasure taken in the past, the recovery work information 36 is created as new countermeasure information and recorded in the correlation database 28.

  By repeating such a cycle, a lot of process information, quality information and recovery work information associated with each other are accumulated in the correlation database 28, and when the defect recurs, the first factor analysis unit 29 The estimation accuracy of the failure factor to be performed is improved, and the time required for taking countermeasures can be shortened.

  On the other hand, the new factory 22 being started up in FIG. 1 is a factory constructed after the existing factory 21 is in a stable operation state, and a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses 37, , 39, and at least one inspection device 40. Similarly to the case of the existing factory 21, the new factory 22 includes a second defect factor estimation device 41 for quickly estimating the defect factor when a defective product occurs. In the second failure factor estimation device 41, a second factor analysis unit 42 that analyzes failure factors and countermeasures, a second result output unit 43 that outputs countermeasures estimated as a result of analysis by the second factor analysis unit 42, and a A second information transmission / reception unit 44 is provided for transmitting / receiving the received information to / from the outside. However, there is no correlation database for accumulating data necessary for factor analysis.

  Here, the manufacturing apparatuses 37, 38,..., 39 of the new factory 22 are substantially the same as the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,. The inspection device 40 of the new factory 22 is substantially the same device as the inspection device 26 of the existing factory 21. And the process information 45, 46, ..., 47 similar to the case of the existing factory 21 is output from the manufacturing apparatuses 37, 38, ..., 39 of the new factory 22. The quality information 48 similar to that in the existing factory 21 is output from the inspection device 40. The process information 45, 46,..., 47 and the quality information 48 thus output are input to the second factor analysis unit.

  When a defective product occurs in the new factory 22, the second failure factor estimation device 41 estimates the failure factor as follows. That is, when the second factor analysis unit 42 determines that a defective product has occurred based on the quality information 48 from the inspection device 40, the second information transmission / reception unit 44, the communication line 49, and the first information transmission / reception unit , Data including quality information and process information having values closest to the quality information 48 determined to be defective and the process information 45, 46,. Search from the correlation database 28 on the existing factory 21 side. Then, by comparing and analyzing the retrieved past defective product data and the currently generated process information 45, 46,..., 47 and quality information 48, the failure factor of the manufacturing apparatus causing the failure. Is estimated.

  The manufacturing apparatuses 37, 38,..., 39 of the new factory 22 are the same as the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,. Therefore, the data stored in the correlation database 28 of the existing factory 21 can be used for the cause analysis of the defective product generation in the new factory 22.

  From the second result output unit 43, the failure factor estimated as described above and, if the restoration work information (measure information) 36 is registered in the retrieved past defective product data, the countermeasure contents are displayed. Is output.

  As described above, in the failure factor estimation system according to the present embodiment, each of the manufacturing apparatuses 37, 38,..., 39 of the new factory 22 that is currently set up is replaced with each of the manufacturing apparatuses of the existing factory 21 in a stable operation state. 23, 24,... Further, the inspection device 40 of the new factory 22 is made substantially the same as the inspection device 26 of the existing factory 21. The second factor analysis unit 42 of the new factory 22 connects to the correlation database 28 of the existing factory 21 via the communication line 49.

  In the existing factory 21 in the stable operation state, the process information 33, 34,..., 35 and the quality information 32 are recorded in the correlation database 28 and the first factor analysis unit 29 of the first defect factor estimation device 27. The estimation of the failure factor, the output from the first result output unit 30 of the estimated failure factor and the content of the countermeasure, and the recording of the recovery work information 36 by the operator in the correlation database 28 are repeated and associated with each other. Many pieces of quality information, process information, and restoration work information are stored in the correlation database 28. In this state, the state of the manufacturing apparatus of the new factory 22 is optimized, and finishing to a mass production operation state is performed.

  Therefore, in the new factory 22 in which the manufacturing apparatus and the inspection apparatus are the same as the existing factory 21, the second defect factor estimating device 41 estimates the defect factor when the state of the manufacturing apparatus is optimized and finished in a mass production operation state. In this case, the stored data in the correlation database 28 on the existing factory 21 side where a lot of quality information, process information and restoration work information associated with each other are stored can be used.

  That is, according to the present embodiment, when the state of the manufacturing apparatus of the new factory 22 is optimized and finishing to the mass production operation state, a lot of process information and quality are stored in the correlation database provided in the new factory 22. It is possible to quickly estimate the cause of failure without performing mass production trials for accumulating information, and it is possible to operate the new factory 22 at a high yield from the start.

  As a result, it is possible to quickly start up and achieve a high yield from the beginning of the start-up without arranging workers with high capabilities in the new factory 22.

  Further, it is not necessary to provide the new factory 22 with a correlation database that accumulates enormous process information and quality information. Therefore, the investment cost for the new factory 22 can be suppressed. When the correlation database is provided for each production factory, it is not necessary to provide the first information transmission / reception unit 31, the second information transmission / reception unit 44, and the communication line 49. However, since the Internet has recently become widespread and it is possible to construct a communication infrastructure at a very low cost, it is possible to reduce investment by providing the correlation database 28 on the existing factory 21 side rather than providing the correlation database for each production factory. The effect of can be obtained.

  In the present embodiment, when the cause of failure is estimated, quality information and process information having values closest to the quality information and process information determined to be defective are searched from the correlation database 28. Yes. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, all the quality information and process information whose difference between the quality information and the process information determined to be defective is a value within a predetermined range are searched to determine the cause of the failure. It can be used when estimating

  In the present embodiment, both the existing factory 21 and the new factory 22 have the inspection devices 26 and 40 installed only in one process following the final stage manufacturing apparatuses 25 and 39. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an inspection device may be installed in the middle of each of the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,..., 25; As described above, when a plurality of inspection apparatuses are installed and quality information in the middle of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses is also stored in the correlation database 28, the accuracy of estimation of the defect factor is improved.

  In the present embodiment, only the startup of the new factory 22 has been described as an example. However, the new factory 22 also estimates the cause of failure after the new factory 22 is in a stable operation state. However, since the existing factory 21 has a larger cumulative production amount, the existing factory 21 can accumulate more process information and quality information. And when estimating a failure factor, the accuracy of estimation improves when more process information and quality information are accumulated. Therefore, even after the new factory 22 is in a stable operation state, the new factory 22 is connected to the correlation database 28 of the existing factory 21, thereby improving the accuracy of the failure factor estimation by the second factor analysis unit 42 of the new factory 22. It can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, process information and quality information are not recorded in the correlation database on the new factory 22 side. However, process information 45, 46,..., 47 and quality information 48 acquired by the second factor analysis unit 42 of the new factory 22 via the second information transmission / reception unit 44, the communication line 49 and the first information transmission / reception unit 31. Are additionally stored in the correlation database 28 of the existing factory 21, the accuracy of the failure factor estimation by the second factor analysis unit 42 of the new factory 22 can be further improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which one new factory 22 is newly established with respect to the existing factory 21 has been described. However, even when a plurality of new factories are newly established, each new factory is assigned. By connecting to the existing factory 21 via the communication line 49, it is possible to achieve the same effect as when one new factory 22 is newly established. On the contrary, in terms of the human resource reduction effect and the investment reduction effect, the higher the number of new factories connected to the existing factory 21, the higher the effect.

<Comparative example>
Hereinafter, a case where a new factory is constructed by a conventional technique will be described as a comparative example and compared with the present embodiment.

  FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of an existing factory and a new factory when a new factory is constructed by a conventional technique. 2, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In this comparative example, the correlation database 51 is provided in the second failure factor estimation device 41 of the new factory 22 as in the case of the first failure factor estimation device 27 of the existing factory 21. On the new factory 22 side, the second factor analysis unit 42 of the second defect factor estimation device 41 analyzes the defect factors and countermeasures based on the data accumulated in the correlation database 51. Hereinafter, in order to distinguish the correlation database 28 of the existing factory 21 from the correlation database 51 of the new factory 22, the correlation database 28 of the existing factory 21 is referred to as a first correlation database 28, and the correlation database 51 of the new factory 22 is defined as a second. The correlation database 51 is used.

  Therefore, it is not necessary to transmit / receive the data via the communication line 49 between the existing factory 21 and the new factory 22. Therefore, the existing factory 21 is different from the existing factory 21 in the present embodiment in that the first defect factor estimating device 27 does not include the first information transmitting / receiving unit 31. Similarly, the new factory 22 is different from the new factory 22 in the present embodiment in that the second defect factor estimating device 41 does not include the second information transmitting / receiving unit 44.

  The existing factory 21 in this comparative example is in a stable operation state as in the case of the existing factory 21 in the present embodiment, and a lot of quality information, process information, and recovery work information associated with each other are first correlated. Accumulated in the database 28. As a result, when the failure recurs, the accuracy of estimation of the failure factor in the first factor analysis unit 29 is improved, and the time required to take a countermeasure can be shortened.

  On the other hand, the new factory 22 is a factory constructed after the existing factory 21 is in a stable operation state, and when the factory with the lowest yield is set up, the second correlation database 51 has many associated with each other. Process information 45, 46,..., 47 and quality information 48 are not accumulated. Therefore, when a failure occurs, the cause of the failure is specified or the process processing conditions are adjusted based on the experience of the worker, and the recovery work information 52 created by the worker is input. A lot of process information 45, 46,..., 47, quality information 48, and restoration work information 52 associated with each processing substrate are accumulated in the second correlation database 51. Hereinafter, in order to distinguish the restoration work information 36 of the existing factory 21 and the restoration work information 52 of the new factory 22, the restoration work information 36 of the existing factory 21 will be referred to as first restoration work information 36, and the restoration work information of the new factory 22 will be described. 52 is referred to as second restoration work information 52.

  Therefore, in the case of this comparative example, when the state of the manufacturing apparatus of the new factory 22 is optimized and finishing to the mass production operation state, many processes are added to the second correlation database 51 provided in the new factory 22. It is necessary to carry out a mass production trial for accumulating information, quality information and second restoration work information, and it takes time to start up the new factory 22.

  In this comparative example, it is necessary to construct a correlation database for each factory 21 and 22 as compared with the case of the first embodiment. Therefore, the investment cost is required.

Second Embodiment FIG. 3 shows a schematic configuration in the failure factor estimation system of the present embodiment. In FIG. 3, the manufacturing factory and the manufacturing line which comprise a defect factor estimation system are shown typically. In FIG. 3, the same components as those in FIG. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 1, and detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the second factor analysis unit 42 for quickly estimating a failure factor when a defective product occurs is not provided in the new factory 22 being started up. Then, when a defective product occurs on the new factory 22 side, the failure factor is estimated by the first factor analysis unit 29 of the first failure factor estimation device 27 on the existing factory 21 side that is stably operating. That is, in the first embodiment, while the second correlation database 51 of the second failure factor estimation device 41 is deleted from the configuration of the new factory 22 in the comparative example, the second factor analysis unit 42 is used. Is also deleted.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the process information and quality information from the new factory 22 and the first fault factor estimation device 27 of the existing factory 21 are connected to the first factor analysis unit 29 and the communication line 49. A first information transmission / reception unit 55 is provided for transmitting / receiving a failure factor estimation result on the new factory 22 side from the one-factor analysis unit 29. Similarly, process information 45, 46,..., 47 and quality information 48 are input to the new factory 22, and the communication line 49, process information and quality information, and the new factory 22 side from the first factor analysis unit 29 A second information transmitting / receiving unit 56 is provided for transmitting and receiving the failure factor estimation result.

  In the existing factory 21, as in the case of the first embodiment, the process information output from the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,..., The quality information output from the inspection apparatus 26, and the worker And the restoration work information input by the above is recorded in the correlation database 28 in association with each processing substrate. When the first factor analysis unit 29 of the first defect factor estimation device 27 determines that a defective product has occurred based on the quality information 32 from the inspection device 26, the data stored in the correlation database 28 ( Based on the process information, quality information, and recovery work information associated with each other), a failure factor of the manufacturing apparatus that is defective is estimated. In this way, the correlation database 28 accumulates a lot of process information, quality information, and restoration work information associated with each processing substrate.

  On the other hand, the manufacturing apparatuses 37, 38, ..., 39 of the new factory 22 are substantially the same as the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24, ..., 25 of the existing factory 21, and the inspection apparatus 40 of the new factory 22 is the same as the existing factory 21. This is substantially the same as the inspection device 26 of FIG. Then, the process information 45, 46,..., 47 output from the manufacturing apparatuses 37, 38,..., 39 and the quality information 48 output from the inspection apparatus 40 are input to the second information transmitting / receiving unit 56, and the communication line 49 is connected. To the first failure factor estimation device 27 of the existing factory 21. Further, the process information 45, 46,..., 47 and the quality information 48 on the new factory 22 side received by the first information transmission / reception unit 55 of the first failure factor estimation device 27 are input to the first factor analysis unit 29. .

  Then, the first factor analysis unit 29 determines whether or not a defective product has occurred in the new factory 22 based on the quality information 48 from the new factory 22 side. If it is determined that a defective product has occurred, the data related to the existing factory 21 stored in the correlation database 28 of the existing factory 21 (data including process information, quality information, and recovery work information associated with each other) is stored. The data including the quality information and the process information having the closest values to the quality information 48 and the process information 45, 46,..., 47 from the new factory 22 determined to be defective is searched. In addition, by comparing and analyzing the past defective product data and the process information 45, 46,..., 47 and the quality information 48 of the new factory 22 currently generated, the new factory 22 side causing the defect is analyzed. The cause of failure of the manufacturing apparatus is estimated.

  As described above, the manufacturing apparatuses 37, 38,..., 39 of the new factory 22 are the same as the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,. In this case, the correlation data stored in the correlation database 28 of the existing factory 21 can be used.

  As described above, the information of the estimation result of the failure factor and the countermeasure content estimated by the first failure factor estimation device 27 of the existing factory 21 is sent from the first information transmission / reception unit 55 via the communication line 49 to the new factory. 22 is transmitted. Then, the information such as the estimation result of the failure factor and the content of the countermeasure received by the second information transmitting / receiving unit 56 of the new factory 22 is output from the second result output unit 43.

  As described above, in the present embodiment, each of the manufacturing apparatuses 37, 38,..., 39 of the new factory 22 that is currently set up is replaced with each of the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24 of the existing factory 21 that is in mass production operation. , ..., almost the same as 25. Further, the inspection device 40 of the new factory 22 is made substantially the same as the inspection device 26 of the existing factory 21. Further, the second information transmission / reception unit 56 to which the process information 45, 46,..., 47 from the manufacturing apparatuses 37, 38,. 49 and the first information transmitting / receiving unit 55 are connected to the first factor analyzing unit 29 of the existing factory 21.

  When the first factor analysis unit 29 of the existing factory 21 determines that a defective product has occurred in the new factory 22 based on the quality information 48 from the inspection device 40 of the new factory 22, the existing factory 21. Based on the correlation data relating to the existing factory 21 stored in the correlation database 28, the cause of failure of the manufacturing apparatus on the new factory 22 side that is the cause of the defect is estimated.

  Therefore, in the new factory 22 in which the manufacturing apparatus and the inspection apparatus are the same as the existing factory 21, when the state of the manufacturing apparatus is optimized and the mass production operation state is finished, the failure factor on the new factory 22 side is estimated. The accumulated data in the correlation database 28 on the existing factory 21 side where a lot of quality information, process information and recovery work information associated with each other are accumulated and the first factor analysis unit 29 can be used.

  That is, according to the present embodiment, when the state of the manufacturing apparatus of the new factory 22 is optimized and finishing to the mass production operation state, a lot of process information and quality are stored in the correlation database provided in the new factory 22. Even without performing mass production trials for accumulating information, it is possible to quickly estimate the cause of failure and to operate the new factory 22 at a high yield from the beginning.

  As a result, it is possible to quickly start up and achieve a high yield from the beginning of the start-up without arranging workers with high capabilities in the new factory 22.

  Further, it is not necessary to provide the new factory 22 with a failure factor estimation device including a correlation database that accumulates a large amount of process information and quality information and a factor analysis unit. Therefore, the investment cost for the new factory 22 can be suppressed. When the defect factor estimation device including the correlation database and the factor analysis unit is provided for each production factory, it is not necessary to provide the first information transmission / reception unit 55, the second information transmission / reception unit 56, and the communication line 49. However, since the Internet has recently become widespread and a communication infrastructure can be constructed at a very low cost, the first failure factor estimation device 27 including the correlation database 28 and the first factor analysis unit 29 is installed on the existing factory 21 side. It is possible to obtain the effect of reducing the investment by providing the defect factor estimation device including the correlation database and the factor analysis unit for each production factory.

  In the present embodiment, when the cause of failure is estimated, quality information and process information having values closest to the quality information and process information determined to be defective are searched from the correlation database 28. Yes. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, all the quality information and process information whose difference between the quality information and the process information determined to be defective is a value within a predetermined range are searched to determine the cause of the failure. It can be used when estimating

  In the present embodiment, in both the existing factory 21 and the new factory 22, the inspection apparatuses 26 and 40 are installed only in one process of the next stage of the final stage manufacturing apparatuses 25 and 39. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an inspection device may be installed in the middle of each of the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,..., 25; As described above, when a plurality of inspection apparatuses are installed and quality information in the middle of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses is also stored in the correlation database 28, the accuracy of estimation of the defect factor is improved.

  In the present embodiment, only the startup of the new factory 22 has been described as an example. However, the new factory 22 also estimates the cause of failure after the new factory 22 is in a stable operation state. However, since the existing factory 21 has a larger cumulative production amount, the existing factory 21 can accumulate more process information and quality information. And when estimating a failure factor, the accuracy of estimation improves when more process information and quality information are accumulated. Therefore, even after the new factory 22 is in a stable operation state, the new factory 22 is connected to the correlation database 28 of the existing factory 21 and the first failure factor estimating device 27 including the first factor analysis unit 29, so that the new factory 22 is connected. Therefore, the accuracy of the defect factor estimation in 22 can be improved.

  In the present embodiment, process information and quality information are not recorded in the correlation database on the new factory 22 side. However, the process information 45, 46,..., 47 and the quality information 48 of the new factory 22 are stored in the correlation database 28 of the existing factory 21 via the second information transmitting / receiving unit 56, the communication line 49, and the first information transmitting / receiving unit 55. By additionally accumulating, the accuracy of the defect factor estimation of the new factory 22 can be further improved.

  Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which one new factory 22 is newly established with respect to the existing factory 21 has been described. However, even when a plurality of new factories are newly established, each new factory is assigned. By connecting to the existing factory 21 via the communication line 49, it is possible to achieve the same effect as when one new factory 22 is newly established. On the contrary, in terms of the human resource reduction effect and the investment reduction effect, the higher the number of new factories connected to the existing factory 21, the higher the effect.

  Moreover, in each said embodiment, when the said existing factory 21 is a production operation state, this invention is demonstrated taking the case of constructing the new factory 22 as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and manufacturing apparatuses 37, 38,..., 39 for the existing manufacturing line in the production operation state including the manufacturing apparatuses 23, 24,. Even when a new production line including the inspection device 40 is constructed, the present invention can be applied.

21 ... Existing factory,
22 ... New factory,
23, 24, ..., 25, 37, 38, ..., 39 ... manufacturing equipment,
26, 40 ... inspection device,
27. First failure factor estimation device,
28 ... correlation database,
29 ... 1st factor analysis part,
30: First result output unit,
31, 55 ... 1st information transmission / reception part,
32,48 ... quality information,
33, 34, ~, 35, 45, 46, ~, 47 ... Process information,
36 ... Recovery work information,
41 ... second failure factor estimation device,
42. Second factor analysis section,
43 ... second result output unit,
44, 56 ... second information transmitting / receiving unit,
49: Communication line.

Claims (9)

A first manufacturing line including a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses that sequentially process a substrate to manufacture a manufactured product, and at least one inspection device that inspects the quality of the manufactured product that has been subjected to the process process;
A second production line including a plurality of production devices substantially the same as the plurality of production devices of the first production line, and at least one inspection device substantially the same as the inspection device of the first production line;
A correlation database for registering process information from the manufacturing apparatus and inspection information from the inspection apparatus in the first production line in association with each manufactured product;
When it is determined that a defective product has occurred in the second production line based on the inspection result from the inspection device in the second production line, the registration information in the correlation database is referred to and the second production line A factor analysis unit that estimates a manufacturing device that is a cause of failure among a plurality of manufacturing devices;
A failure factor estimation system comprising: a result output unit that outputs a result of estimation of a failure occurrence factor by the factor analysis unit. The failure factor estimation system according to claim 1,
Between the correlation database and the factor analysis unit, an information transmission / reception unit that transmits and receives registration information of the correlation database via a communication line,
The factor analysis unit, through the communication line and the information transmission / reception unit, from the correlation database, the inspection result determined to be defective and the process information from the manufacturing apparatus corresponding to the inspection result, The failure factor estimation system is characterized in that registration information having a value similar to the above is retrieved, and the failure occurrence factor of the second production line is estimated with reference to the retrieved registration information. . The failure factor estimation system according to claim 1,
The process information from the manufacturing apparatus and the inspection information from the inspection apparatus in the second production line are acquired, and the acquired process information and inspection information are communicated with the factor analysis unit via a communication line. And an information transmission / reception unit that performs transmission / reception with the estimation result of the cause of failure occurrence related to the second production line by the factor analysis unit,
When the factor analysis unit receives the process information and the inspection information related to the second production line from the information transmitting / receiving unit, whether or not a defective product has occurred in the second production line based on the inspection information. If it is determined that a defective product has occurred, the correlation database has a value similar to the inspection information determined to have occurred and the process information corresponding to the inspection information. Searching for registration information, referring to the searched registration information, estimating the cause of failure in the second production line, and sending the estimation result to the information transmitting and receiving unit,
The failure output estimation system, wherein the result output unit receives an estimation result of failure occurrence factors to be output from the information transmission / reception unit. In the defect factor estimation system according to claim 3,
When it is determined that a defective product has occurred in the first production line based on the inspection result from the inspection device in the first production line, the registration information in the correlation database is referred to and the first production line A factor analysis unit for a first production line that estimates a production device that is a cause of occurrence of defects among a plurality of production devices;
A defect factor estimation system, wherein the factor analysis unit is the factor analysis unit for the first production line. In the defect factor estimation system according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
In the correlation database, in addition to the process information from the manufacturing apparatus and the inspection information from the inspection apparatus that are associated with each manufactured product, the recovery work information that is executed when a defect occurs is also associated and registered. A failure factor estimation system characterized by In the defect factor estimation system according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
In the correlation database, in addition to the process information and the inspection information in the first production line, process information from the manufacturing apparatus and inspection information from the inspection apparatus in the second production line are stored for each manufactured product. A failure factor estimation system characterized by being associated and registered. A first manufacturing line including a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses that sequentially process a substrate to manufacture a manufactured product, and at least one inspection device that inspects the quality of the manufactured product that has been subjected to the process process;
A second manufacturing line including a plurality of manufacturing devices substantially the same as the plurality of manufacturing devices of the first manufacturing line, and at least one inspection device substantially the same as the inspection device of the first manufacturing line;
When the factor analysis unit determines that a defective product has occurred in the second production line based on the inspection result from the inspection device in the second production line, the process from the manufacturing device in the first production line Manufacturing that is a cause of failure among a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses in the second manufacturing line with reference to registration information in a correlation database in which information and inspection information from the inspection apparatus are registered in association with each manufactured product Estimate the device,
A failure factor estimation method characterized in that a result output unit outputs a result of estimation of a failure occurrence factor by the factor analysis unit. The defect factor estimation method according to claim 7,
Registration having a value similar to the inspection result determined by the factor analysis unit through the communication line from the correlation database that the defective product has occurred and the process information from the manufacturing apparatus corresponding to the inspection result A failure factor estimation method, wherein information is retrieved and a failure occurrence factor of the second production line is estimated with reference to the retrieved registration information. The defect factor estimation method according to claim 7,
A first step of acquiring process information from the manufacturing apparatus and inspection information from the inspection apparatus in the second production line by an information transmission / reception unit and transmitting the process information to the factor analysis unit via a communication line;
When the factor analysis unit receives the process information and the inspection information related to the second production line from the information transmitting / receiving unit in the first step, the defective product is transferred to the second production line based on the inspection information. In the case where it is determined whether or not a defective product has occurred, the inspection database determines that a defective product has been generated and the process information corresponding to the inspection information from the correlation database. A second step of searching for registration information having a similar value, referring to the searched registration information, estimating a defect occurrence factor in the second production line, and sending an estimation result to the information transmitting / receiving unit. When,
A third step of sending, by the information transmission / reception unit, an estimation result of the failure occurrence factor in the second production line by the factor analysis unit to the result output unit via the communication line;
A failure factor estimation method comprising: a fourth step of outputting a result of estimation of a defect occurrence factor by the factor analysis unit by the result output unit.

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