From left to right, that's Rick Crowe, Brian Zustovich, Jeff Harper (me), Dave Tillett, and Tim Ferkel. Rick was my manager, Brian is the co-inventor, Dave was the Fab II program manager, and Tim was the EAS team leader. Of those five, only Brian and I still work for EDS, and Brian is the only one who remains on the Fujitsu project.
The first set of information shown below was printed just after the patent application was submitted.
The headline page in the online copy of EDS Connections appeared as follows:
Clicking on the headline brought up the following article:
Two EDS people, Brian Zustovich, an applied engineering specialist on the GMD account, and Jeff Harper, an engineering SE from the Hi-Tech/MSC Western Region Resource Center, say they invented the technique after unsuccessfully searching for a commercial solution. The technique provides dynamic process scalability within the cell controller applications that will run in GMD's new Fab II, an expansion of an existing facility in this Portland suburb. "It basically allocates the resources required to run those activities on the servers and provides more power to run them quickly," said Zustovich. "Using this technique, we can fully optimize operation for the equipment control system."
Created last year and submitted to the U.S. Patent Office on April 14, the EDS duo created the technique in about three months using CELLworks, a fourth-generation language similar to C but tailored for the semiconductor industry. Because of the unique nature of the core algorithm, Harper and Zustovich had to rely mostly on their own coding skills, although they were able to utilize some CELLworks tools. This technique can be used in other industries on projects using the CELLworks tool set.
"It was challenging in several ways, and coming up with a solution like the one we invented can be a little tricky," Harper said. "We were working with an unfamiliar product and dealing with a language that was new to us."
The algorithm is part of EDS' Equipment Automation System (EAS), a core part of the EDS/GMD Fab II project. EAS will control more than 400 pieces of automated equipment to make computer memory chips.
"This project will help GMD quickly improve the yield in their new fab," said David Tillett, EDS's Fab II program manager. "The normal industry average for fab construction is $1.2 billion, and it takes two years to ramp up a fab to full production capability and full profitability. EDS is helping GMD shorten the time required to achieve their production and profit goals."
The GMD account supplies facilities management for both GMD fabs. In addition to EAS, other EDS projects which are part of the Fab II program include online documentation, statistical process control, MES implementation and support, yield management, and material control. Fab II is scheduled to open this summer.
by Mike Harbour
Well, that's the article! For the record, I don't recall making that quote exactly as stated, but the meaning is about right. I just wish the article mentioned all the others that were involved. Rick Crowe helped with getting the contacts to file the patent application, without which this concept would still be in use, but it wouldn't have a patent pending. Not pictured, Eric Baker, Russ Denman, and Bob Young provided a great deal of input while Brian and I were gathering requirements for the scaleable server. Without their cooperation, the concept would never have become as complete, flexible, and practical. The concept is currently implemented in four units within the Equipment Automation System (one of which I wrote, the others were written by other team members). I am very proud of this concept, and I'm also proud of my coworkers for helping to make scaleability a reality.
The next article was in the online newsletter to announce the awarding of the patent.
This time, Eric, Russ, and Bob were mentioned for their contributions
to the success of the patent. I was glad that we managed to get their
names into it, as they are good friends, and were important to the development
of the patent.
A new semiconductor plant had all the high-tech bells and whistles you would expect, with one exception: Paper and pencil still played an important production role.
But an EDS team invented a better way, earning a U.S. patent for the innovation while helping the client increase efficiency and reduce costs.
It began when Fujitsu unveiled plans to expand its semiconductor facility in Gresham, Ore. The plant makes semiconductors -- used as memory chips for personal computers -- from 8-inch silicon wafers.
"The original facility used 'run cards' to indicate to which manufacturing station the wafers should be sent," said Jeff Harper, who invented the system with EDS teammate Brian Zustovich. "Employees marked each one off the list with a pencil."
It required special dust-free paper to avoid the contaminating "clean rooms," where the semiconductors are made.
Paperless system
"With the new facility, they wanted a cleaner environment," Harper
said. "Our job was to come up with a paperless system for guiding
wafers from one production station to another throughout the plant."
Harper and Zustovich -- who had help from EDS' Bob Young, Russ Denman and Eric Baker -- had tried unsuccessfully to find an off-the-shelf product for the client.
The team developed an automated system that tells plant workers where a load of wafers should go. And when it gets there, the batch can be scanned to make sure it's at the right production station.
"They can also download information that tells them what needs to be done and the status of each wafer during the manufacturing," said Harper, who now works on the General Motors account in Warren, Mich.
He said the new system also helps prevent errors.
"With the old run cards, it was possible to record erroneous information, causing wafers to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," Harper said. "They could be ruined after being in the manufacturing process for a month.
"Our system helps to prevent that from happening. It takes a fairly high-level employee to override our automated process."
The team created the technique in about three months using a computer language tailored for the semiconductor industry. But because of the unique nature of the project, they had to rely mostly on their own coding skills.
The group said the project was tricky because the members were working with an unfamiliar product and using a computer language new to them.
After putting the prototype into operation, they felt they had created something unique: The architecture of the system allows it to grow or shrink in response to the current needs of the devices being controlled. Because resources can be dynamically allocated, the system allows computing resources to be shared more efficiently.
The company applied for a patent in 1997. After an initial rejection, the employees successfully distinguished their invention from existing systems. The U.S. Patent Office issued Patent No. 5,997,168 in December. The patent is titled "Optimizing the Operation of an Equipment Control System."
"It's running fine," said Zustovich, who works on the Fujitsu account in Gresham. "We've made some enhancements to the system to increase its maintainability and scalability."
With the enhancements, he said, updated software can be loaded into a computer server during semiconductor production. Previously, a production machine had to be shut down before loading the new information.
By Paul Long, EDS Global Communications
Well, that's the article! Want to see the patent document?
Just browse to: http://www.patents.ibm.com/ibm.html
then type 5997168 under the "search by patent number" and you will find
it.