Modern manufacturing facilities rely on highly automated tools to implement the manufacturing process. For example, semiconductor fabrication (“fab”) facilities incorporate highly automated tool sets for the processing of semiconductor wafers. Process control and monitoring is mediated through a set of software methods which may be invoked to implement the processes and monitoring to be performed. The control and monitoring software run on a tool server which may be coupled to the tools via a plurality of ports, each of which interfaces the tool server with a particular tool, in point-to-point fashion. Alternatively, the tools in the tool server may reside on a Local Area Network (LAN). To control the manufacturing process, a user must be able to communicate with the tool server, either via a user system resident on the LAN, or otherwise in communication with the tool server. In particular, remote access to the tool server for control and monitoring of the status of a tool, to the extent that it exists at all, requires the development of specialized code implemented on each platform for which remote access is to be provided. Thus, there is a need in the art for methods and apparatus for providing remote tool management capabilities. In particular, there is a need in the art for apparatus and methods for providing remote tool management without the necessity for developing specialized, platform dependent software.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds