SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MONITORING AND DIAGNOSING SYSTEM STATUS AND PERFORMANCE

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a system, as well as its method, that performs real-time monitoring and/or diagnosis of tools' performance as to system deterioration of a lithography apparatus before detecting defects at the end product stage. SOLUTION: This is a hierarchical data structure that includes elements monitored on the basis of its diagnosis dataset and key performance indexes, wherein the system hierarchy 200 has a process sequence 202 to be run during system operation and is composed of a plurality of process steps 210-218. A higher level of the hierarchy indicates major system functions, and a sub-function derives the major system functions, dispatching them to a lower level. The hierarchical key performance indexes 001KPI-039KPI actively monitor the system functions, the diagnosis dataset 280-286 passively monitor the system functions, and the data analyzer enables a root cause of a system deflection to be identified. COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT