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Automated tool recipe verification and correctionAutomated tool recipe verification and correction description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070179651, Automated tool recipe verification and correction. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001]1. Technical Field [0002]The invention relates generally to manufacturing control, and more particularly, to automated tool recipe verification and correction. [0003]2. Background Art [0004]Tool control in a manufacturing facility is important to maintain quality and efficiency. In many areas of manufacturing, tool control is achieved via computers which are in turn controlled by instructions commonly referred to as tool recipes. For example, in the semiconductor fabrication industry, various tools for processing product and/or measuring product are controlled by tool recipes. Each tool recipe may include thousands of parameters that instruct the tool on how to operate. In many cases, production tools can produce many different products by simply running a unique tool recipe, which gives the production tool flexibility. However, the use of tool recipes to achieve flexibility also creates a need to verify that the tool recipes used by the tools are written correctly. If the tool recipes are incorrect, products may be damaged or, in many cases, scrapped due to incorrect processing or measurement. [0005]In one approach, a tool recipe is audited by comparing the tool recipe to a pre-determined reference recipe. U.S. Pat. No. 6,650,958 and U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2004/0078107 disclose varieties of this approach. Shortcomings of this type of approach, however, include inapplicability to tool recipes that are downloaded from a recipe management system, and need for manual corrections to the tool recipes. [0006]In view of the foregoing, there is a need for a solution to verify tool recipes that does not suffer from the problems of the related art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0007]Automated tool recipe verification and correction are disclosed. A tool recipe is intercepted during uploading or downloading of the tool recipe. A determination whether an associated parameter verification set (PVS) template for the tool recipe exists is performed, and if it exists, a determination as to whether it includes an auditable corresponding parameter for a parameter in the tool recipe is made. If an auditable corresponding parameter exists, a determination whether to verify the tool recipe is performed. Each parameter of the tool recipe having an auditable corresponding parameter is compared to the auditable corresponding parameter of the associated PVS template. Where no non-matching parameter sets exist, the tool recipe is verified; otherwise, a determination as to whether all of the non-matching parameter sets are indicated as modifiable in the associated PVS template is made. If all of the parameters of the non-matching parameter sets are modifiable, then they are modified to match the respective auditable corresponding parameter and the tool recipe is verified, otherwise, the verification is inhibited. Hence, the tool recipe can be verified to be correct and automatically corrected before it is uploaded/downloaded or even used by the production tool. [0008]A first aspect of the invention provides a method of verifying a tool recipe, the method comprising the steps of: intercepting the tool recipe during an uploading of the tool recipe from a tool recipe creator or a downloading of the tool recipe from a recipe management system, wherein the tool recipe includes at least one parameter; determining whether an associated parameter verification set (PVS) template for the tool recipe exists; in the case that the associated PVS template exists, determining whether the PVS template includes an auditable corresponding parameter for at least one parameter of the tool recipe; in the case that the associated PVS template includes the auditable corresponding parameter, determining whether to verify the tool recipe by: comparing each parameter having an auditable corresponding parameter to the auditable corresponding parameter of the associated PVS template to determine whether any non-matching parameter sets exist, verifying the tool recipe in the case that no non-matching parameter sets exist, determining, in the case that at least one non-matching parameter set exists, whether the parameter of all of the non-matching parameter sets are indicated as modifiable in the associated PVS template, and in the case that not all of the parameters of the non-matching parameter sets are modifiable, inhibiting verification of the tool recipe, and modifying, in the case that all of the parameters of the non-matching parameter sets are modifiable, all the parameters of the non-matching parameter sets to match the auditable corresponding parameter and verifying the tool recipe. [0009]A second aspect of the invention provides a system for verifying a tool recipe, the method comprising the steps of: an interceptor for intercepting the tool recipe during an uploading of the tool recipe from a tool recipe creator or a downloading of the tool recipe from a recipe management system, wherein the tool recipe includes at least one parameter; a template determinator for determining whether an associated parameter verification set (PVS) template for the tool recipe exists; an audit determinator for determining, in the case that the associated PVS template exists, whether the associated PVS template includes at least one auditable corresponding parameter; and a verifier for determining whether to verify the tool recipe in the case that the associated PVS template includes the at least one auditable corresponding parameter, by: comparing each parameter having an auditable corresponding parameter to the auditable corresponding parameter of the associated PVS template to determine whether any non-matching parameter sets exist, verifying the tool recipe in the case that no non-matching parameter sets exist, determining, in the case that at least one non-matching parameter set exists, whether the parameter of all of the non-matching parameter sets are indicated as modifiable in the associated PVS template, and in the case that not all of the parameters of the non-matching parameter sets are modifiable, inhibiting verification of the tool recipe, and modifying, in the case that all of the parameters of the non-matching parameter sets are modifiable, all the parameters of the non-matching parameter sets to match the auditable corresponding parameter and verifying the tool recipe. [0010]A third aspect of the invention provides a program product stored on a computer-readable medium, which when executed, verifies a tool recipe, the program product comprising: program code for intercepting the tool recipe during an uploading of the tool recipe from a tool recipe creator or a downloading of the tool recipe from a recipe management system, wherein the tool recipe includes at least one parameter; program code for determining whether an associated parameter verification set (PVS) template for the tool recipe exists; program code for determining whether, in the case that the associated PVS template exists, the associated PVS template includes at least one auditable corresponding parameter; and program code for determining whether to verify the tool recipe in the case that the associated PVS template includes the at least one auditable corresponding parameter, by: comparing each parameter having an auditable corresponding parameter to the corresponding parameter of the associated PVS template to determine whether any non-matching parameter sets exist, verifying the tool recipe in the case that no non-matching parameter sets exist, determining, in the case that at least one non-matching parameter set exists, whether the parameter of all of the non-matching parameter sets are indicated as modifiable in the associated PVS template, and in the case that not all of the parameters of the non-matching parameter sets are modifiable, inhibiting verification of the tool recipe, and modifying, in the case that all of the parameters of the non-matching parameter sets are modifiable, all the parameters of the non-matching parameter sets to match the auditable corresponding parameter and verifying the tool recipe. [0011]A fourth aspect of the invention provides a computer-readable medium that includes computer program code to enable a computer infrastructure to verify a tool recipe, the computer-readable medium comprising computer program code for performing the method steps of the invention. [0012]An fifth aspect of the invention provides a business method for verifying a tool recipe, the business method comprising managing a computer infrastructure that performs each of the steps of the invention; and receiving payment based on the managing step. [0013]A sixth aspect of the invention provides a method of generating a system for verifying a tool recipe, the method comprising: obtaining a computer infrastructure; and deploying means for performing each of the steps of the invention to the computer infrastructure. [0014]The illustrative aspects of the present invention are designed to solve the problems herein described and/or other problems not discussed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0015]These and other features of this invention will be more readily understood from the following detailed description of the various aspects of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings that depict various embodiments of the invention, in which: [0016]FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of an environment and a verification system according to the invention. [0017]FIG. 2 shows a flow diagram of one embodiment of operational methodology according to the invention. [0018]FIG. 3 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of a tool recipe according to the invention. [0019]FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of one embodiment of an associated parameter verification set (PVS) template for the tool recipe of FIG. 3 according to the invention. [0020]It is noted that the drawings of the invention are not to scale. The drawings are intended to depict only typical aspects of the invention, and therefore should not be considered as limiting the scope of the invention. In the drawings, like numbering represents like elements between the drawings. DETAILED DESCRIPTION Continue reading about Automated tool recipe verification and correction... Full patent description for Automated tool recipe verification and correction Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Automated tool recipe verification and correction patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. 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