Computer-aided process control (CAPC) for the semiconductor industry

Quality built-in computer aided process control (CAPC) is very important for the competitiveness of the semiconductor industry. Its purpose is to help to achieve and maintain the target of six sigma quality levels. So manufacturing must minimise the variability of the production process. A CAPC system was designed and implemented to centre the process at the target or nominal value of the required characteristic. This system permits us not only to identify the process variation problems affecting the quality of a product, with the six sigma process designs, but also the plant-specific solutions to these problems. The data, collected from seven integrated circuit operations through questionnaires, generally support the framework and are used to draw conclusions useful for industrial organisations and technological strategists.