Leading Semiconductor Equipment Selects Datasweep For eQuality And Product Lifecycle Management

KLA-Tencor is a leading supplier of process control and yield management solutions for the semiconductor and related microelectronics industries with 1998 gross revenues of more than $1 billion and 4,800 employees worldwide. The company's comprehensive portfolio of products, software, analysis, services and expertise is designed to help IC manufacturers manage yield throughout the entire wafer fabrication process – from R&D to final yield analysis.

KLA-Tencor offers products and services that are used by every major semiconductor manufacturer in the world. To support its growing, global customer base, KLA-Tencor maintains a significant presence throughout the United States, Europe, and Asia, with local sales and applications engineers, customer and field service engineers and yield management consultants.

The Opportunity
KLA-Tencor wanted to leverage the Web to deliver the highest quality equipment and improve product lifecycle management. The company's vision was an "eQuality" system to track test results, non-conforming material, and SPC trends, and use this information to reduce customer defects and improve manufacturing quality. To achieve its goals, KLA-Tencor would need deep unit-level tracking capabilities and detailed "as-built" configuration information stored electronically. The company would also need visibility of this data online.

KLA-Tencor looked for a Web-based solution that was easy to use, had a GUI interface, and wizards for easy customization by the end user. They also wanted a solution that would integrate easily with their enterprise wide systems, including Oracle (ERP), Clarify (CRM application), Sherpa (PDM), and Firepond (Configurator). With an eQuality system in place, KLA-Tencor expected to improve quality control, improve process control, increase technical data collection, manage product configuration online, and improve corrective action capabilities.

Datasweep Delivers
KLA-Tencor partnered with Datasweep to achieve "eQuality", or a web based system for tracking quality information to resolve production and field issues faster, and to improve unit and product lifecycle management. The KLA-Tencor/Datasweep team targeted lines in the Wafer Inspection Group (WIG) and Reticle and Photomask Inspection Division (RAPID) divisions for the initial implementations, which took 12 weeks.

By implementing Datasweep Advantage, KLA-Tencor replaced the paper-based traveler, device history records, and several homegrown quality systems that were on their manufacturing floors. Datasweep integrated with the Oracle ERP system to pull information as needed. The "eQuality" system provides KLA-Tencor with the manufacturing information needed to improve customer and supplier quality and to decrease cycle time by reducing delays in production. The information collected by the Advantage system will also help KLA-Tencor when the company applies for ISO 9002 certification.

"Designing and constructing capital equipment for the semiconductor fab is a critical factor in semiconductor manufacturing. As such, the quality of that equipment – down to the smallest detail – is extremely vital," said Janet Gould, Vice President, Market Research and Analysis, Plant-Wide Research Group. "By implementing Datasweep Advantage and making effective use of Web-centric supply chain manufacturing, KLA-Tencor is ensuring that its products will measure up to the high standards of quality required in semiconductor production."

Datasweep also helps KLA-Tencor to better leverage knowledge workers such as product, manufacturing, and field service engineers. "A manufacturing engineer using a paper based shop floor system could spend days or weeks compiling and analyzing production information about a complex quality problem to decide whether to make a supplier, product or process change, and even more time to execute that change in the supply chain and the field," said William R. Bonnar, Vice President of Operations, Reticle and Photomask Inspection Division, KLA-Tencor. "With Datasweep, the production information is available online and the integrated data mart gives KLA-Tencor the capability to do the necessary complex analysis quickly to solve quality problems faster." Datasweep frees knowledge workers from tedious and inefficient time spent collecting paper, enabling them to concentrate on higher level tasks such as problem solving and improving product quality and performance.

Strategic Benefits
KLA-Tencor now has a Web-based eQuality system installed on two manufacturing lines of its complex semiconductor capital equipment. Moving from a paper-based system to a Web-centric supply chain manufacturing system provides many benefits to the entire corporation. Many of these benefits are listed below.

• ISO9002 Certification - By having an automated data collection system in place and online control of processes, procedures, and operators, Advantage will greatly simplify the effort needed to provide documentation for ISO9002 certification.
  
  
• Product and Product Line Lifecycle Management - Tracking the life history of units and product lines for manufacturing and warranty improvement efforts across functions and companies, provides invaluable information for managing products and product lines. This information comes from unit level tracking of "as-built" and "where used" information by serial numbers, lots, quality tests, operator, and machine.
  
  
• Return on Investment - Payback in Months
  
  
  • Implementation Cost - The Datasweep implementation was 15% under budget.
    
    
  • Cycle Time Reduction - Datasweep helped identify bottlenecks in the manufacturing process, resulting in a reduction of cycle time by 40%.
    
    
  • Administrative Cost - Administrative costs in sales and customer service were significantly reduced with online access to information.
    
    
  • Inventory Reduction - Inventory reduction of 15% has been achieved.
    
    
• Quality Control - Using Datasweep's analysis tools, KLA-Tencor looks to improve quality control through consistent process and material "nonconformance" tracking by 15%, replacing manual and cumbersome paper-based systems.
  
  
• Process Control - KLA-Tencor uses online checklists and procedures that help operators follow procedures correctly. Process engineers can quickly access and monitor the information in real time to improve process control.
  
  
• Technical Data Collection - Technical data collection through online input of test results automates the data collection process. Rather than spending time collecting data, engineers can now devote their time to analysis and problem solving. This saves several days of time spent gathering data.
  
  
• Speed - Online configuration of electronic travelers, rather than paper travelers, give manufacturing engineers the tools and flexibility to create travelers in minutes, having electronic versions to copy, store, and modify easily for future use.
  
  
• Collaboration - Advantage provides visibility and distributed application functionality via the Internet to customers, sales people, contract suppliers, field engineers, and other employees.
  
  
• Managing Contract Manufacturers - Production managers can see the delivery, quality and process capabilities of critical system providers or outsourcers who insert production information directly into their system around the world. Using online communication reduces administrative costs with manufacturing partners. New partners can be brought on quickly by distributing Advantage via a web browser. Performance between manufacturing partners can be easily compared to manage these relationships more effectively.
  
  
• Field Service - With sales and field services offices around the world, having online configuration records available 24/7 is invaluable to field service engineers. They can quickly identify key critical components built into the equipment using a web browser, so the task of problem solving can begin immediately.
  
  
• Corrective Action - Many facets of the Corrective Action Request (CAR) system have been automated with internal and external suppliers, reducing the process time by 50%.
  
  
• Delivery and Quality of Components - Online visibility will help drive improvement in the delivery and quality of components from contract manufacturers who will access KLA-Tencor's system via the web.
  
  
• Supply Forecast - By gaining real-time visibility, KLA-Tencor can more accurately forecast the demand for components, reducing component shortages by 25%.