Process development execution system: Difference between revisions

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A '''Process Development Execution System (PDES)''' is a [[system]], which is used by companies to perform development activities for [[high-tech]] [[manufacturing]] processes. A PDES is similar to a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) in several aspectsways. The centralkey distinguishing factor of a PDES is that PDESsit areis tailored for steering the development of a manufacturing process, while MES areis tailored for executing the volume production using the developed process. Therefore, the focustoolset and the toolsetfocus of a PDES is more on lower volume but higher flexibility and experimentation freedom. The tools of aan MES are more focused on less variance, higher volumes, tighter control, and logistics. Both types of [[application software]] have in common that they increase [[traceability]], [[productivity]], and [[quality]] (for PDESof the delivered result. For PDESs quality refers to the [[robustness]] of the developed manufacturing process. inFor contrastMESs quality refers to the quality of the manufactured [[good (economics and accounting)]]/commodity for MES). Additionally both software types share functions including [[equipment]] tracking, [[product]] genealogy, [[Work|laborlabour]] and item tracking, [[cost]]ing, [[electronic signature]] capture, [[defect]] and resolution monitoring, [[Executive Dashboard]]s, and other various reporting solutions.

PDESPDESs have many parts and can be deployed on various scales. From- from simple [[Work in Progress]] tracking, to a complex solution integrated throughout an enterprise development infrastructure. The laterlatter areconncets touchingwith other enterprise systems like [[Enterprise resource planning|Enterprise Resource and Planning System]]s (ERPs), Manufacturing Execution Systems (MESs), [[Product Lifecycle Management]] (PLMsPLM), [[SCADA|Supervisory, Control and Data Acquisition]] (SCADA) solutions and [[Automated planning and scheduling|Scheduling and Planning System]]s (both long-term and short-term tactical).

== Example: PDES usage during semiconductor device development ==

New ideas for manufacturing processes (for new goods/commodities or improved manufacturing) are often based on, or can at least benefit from, previous developments and existing recipes already in use. The same is true when developing new devices, e.g.for example, a [[MEMS]] [[sensor]] or actuator. A PDES offers an easy way to access these previous developments in a structured manner. Information can be retrieved faster, and previous results can be taken into account more efficiently. A PDES typically offers means to display and search for result data from different viewpoints, and to categorizecategorise the data according different aspects. These functionalities are applied to all result [[data]], such likeas materials, process steps, machines, experiments, documents, picturesand etcpictures. The PDES also provides a way to relate entities belonging to the same or similar context and to explore the resulting [[information]].

In the assembly phase of assemblingfrom process steps to process flows, a PDES can help to easily assemblebuild, store, print, and transfer new process flows. By providing access to previously assembled process flows the designer of process flows is able to use those as building blocks or modules in the newly developed flow. The usage of standard building blocks can dramatically reduce the design time and the probability of errors drastically.

A PDES showsdemonstrates its real advantagesbenefits in the verification phase. [[Knowledge]] (e.g.for example in the [[semiconductor device fabrication]]: Clean- clean before deposition; After polymer spin-on no temperature higher than 100°C until resist is removed) havetakes on a form that can be expressedinterpreted inby a computer readable way; they can be expressed in rules. If a ___domain expert enters the rules for his/her process steps, theyall engineers can belater usedrefer byto all engineersthem to check newly developed process flows. For a PDES, thatthis means it has to be able to (1) manage rules (2) connect rules with Boolean terms (and, or, not) and (3) to check process flows using these rules. This rule check verifies the principle manufacturability of a newly designed manufacturing flow.

The processing rule check gives no indication onabout the functionality or even the structure of the produced good or device. In the area of [[semiconductor device fabrication]], the techniques of [[semiconductor process simulation]] / [[Technology CAD|TCAD]] can provide at least an idea about the produced structures. To support this ’virtual fabrication’, a PDES is able to manage simulation models for process steps. Usually the simulation results are seen as standalone data., Toto rectify this situation PDESs' are also able to manage the resultresulting files in combination with the process flow, too. This enables the engineer to easily compare the expected results with the simulated outcome. The knowledge gained from the comparison can again be used to improve the simulation model.

After the virtual verification the device is produced in an experimental fabrication environment. A PDES allows toa transfer of the process flow to the fabrication environment (e.g.for example in semiconductor: [[Fab (semiconductors)|FAB]]). This can be done by simply printing out a runcard for the operator or by interfacing to the [[Manufacturing Execution System|MES]] of the facility. On the other hand a PDES is able to manage and document last minute changes to the flow like parameter adjustments during the fabrication.

During and after processing a lot of measurements are donetaken. The results of these measurements are often produced in the form of files likesuch picturesas images or simple text files containing rows and columns of data. The PDES is able to manage these files, to link related results together, and to manage different versions of certain files, (e.g.for example reports). Paired with flexible text, and graphical retrieval and search methods, a PDES provides the mechanism to view and assess the accumulated data, information, and knowledge from different perspectives. It provides insight into previousboth developments concerningthe information aspects as well as forthe time aspects of previous developments.

Finally more and moreIncreasingly development activities in thewithin industry are a collaborative effort. This leads to the need to exchange the information between the partners or to transfer process [[Intellectual property|IP]] from a vendor to a customer. The PDESs' support this transfer while being selective to protect the IPR of the company.

== References ==

D. Ortloff, J. Popp, T. Schmidt, and R. Brück. Process Development Support Environment: A tool SUITE TO ENGINEER MANUFACTURING SEQUENCES In International Journal of Nanomanufacturing, “Recent Developments and Innovations in NEMS/MEMS devices”, 2007