Automation Software for Display

In complex manufacturing environments today, a need exists for providing a proactive fault detection and classification (FDC) system where equipment issues are detected before they can affect process output, as well as a unified platform to better facilitate the sharing of data between APC components.

The Applied E3 FDC module allows engineers to analyze sensor data from manufacturing equipment, such as PECVD or photolithography systems, detect out-of-norm conditions, and relate them to problems with tools. The result is higher system uptime and throughput, and higher return on investment.

Historical data from E3 FDC implementations at display sites have shown reductions in scrapped glass from 22 substrates per every 4 lots (approximately 25%), to less than 1 substrate, representing a scrap reduction of over 95%.

Air leaks in PECVD equipment, while uncommon, can be costly. Although relatively large air leaks are typically detected by on-board software, small leaks can be very difficult to detect and are usually detected only after a scrap event.

The Applied E3 Vacuum Integrity app improves throughput by detecting “micro leaks” before they affect process output. The app continuously monitors chamber pressure during the deposition process and alerts engineers to the existence, or even the beginning, of a pressure abnormality in an AKT PECVD tool. This early detection cuts maintenance time and reduces scrap for lower operating cost.

The majority of display factories today recognize the importance of controlling their advanced manufacturing processes. Disturbances may enter processes due to a variety of factors such as wear and tear on equipment, process drifts, and product changes.

By measuring variances, engineers can compensate for disturbances and adjust systems or processes to achieve required targets. Without control, processes would run unchecked, not controlled for target, and may produce out-of-spec product.

The Applied E3 R2R control module gives process engineers the ability to automatically make adjustments to a process in order to maintain specific properties of the product at a required target value. The module improves processing performance and reduces process variability by optimizing recipe parameters.

By selecting AMHS equipment from different vendors, display manufactures can leverage the unique strengths of such equipment and maximize the capabilities of their system.

However, it can be a monumental task to tightly integrate and optimize different AMHSs with an MES and other decision-support applications. Many AMHS vendors offer MCS solutions, but many of these have limited capability and sub-par production stability. In addition, customized or internal MCS solutions are more fragile in production, more expensive to support and more difficult to update—driving up fab costs.

Applied CLASS MCS 5 is a real-time, material control system that offers the ability to integrate multiple AMHS providers into a single solution. Based on advanced scheduling algorithms, and over 25 years’ experience with multiple AMHS vendors, CLASS MCS 5 offers 99.99% MCS production uptime, improved inventory control, and increased operator efficiency and throughput.

Unforeseen inventory, manpower and production issues can quickly invalidate scheduling plans and derail “delivery-to-promise” customer commitments. Most scheduling tools provide only basic reporting and dispatching functionality, which prevents production managers and operators from reacting in real time to scheduling changes.

Applied APF Real Time Dispatcher and Reporter provide operational predictability across an entire manufacturing environment with a consistent set of strategic dispatching decisions based on critical data collected from the factory’s systems. This increased predictability reduces cycle time distributions, lowers active WIP and results in increased throughput.

Applied Activity Manager is a visual development environment designed to deploy decision, execution and exception logic within a fully integrated workflow automation framework. It benefits customers by freeing up unrealized manufacturing capacity through improved “pull” scheduling (customer demand), shorter production lead-times and reduced work-in-process inventory.