creative tool
Process Functional Modeling (PFM) is an analytical tool to learn the process through modeling of different operations, solving problems, and defining ways to the improvement of any fabrication process. PFM is an extension of the System Functional Modeling (SFM) and it allows us to analyze the whole process vs one particular operation in the process.
Among many cases when Process Functional Modeling is useful for us as problem solvers and innovators, we want to highlight just a few:
Implementing PFM can lead to significant improvements in operational efficiency. By breaking down each operation within a process, organizations can pinpoint specific areas that require enhancement. This detailed understanding helps in reducing bottlenecks, improving throughput, and ultimately increasing overall productivity. Additionally, PFM facilitates better communication among team members as it establishes a clear and common understanding of the process, ensuring everyone is aligned with the goals and objectives.
As technology continues to evolve, the integration of advanced tools such as artificial intelligence and machine learning with PFM is becoming more prevalent. These technologies can enhance the analytical capabilities of PFM, allowing for real-time monitoring and more accurate predictions of process performance. Additionally, the increasing adoption of digital twins—a virtual replica of physical processes—enables organizations to simulate and test process changes in a risk-free environment before implementing them in the real world. These trends are set to further revolutionize the way businesses optimize their processes.
Flash heating of a wafer is widely used in microchip manufacturing. The purpose of the process is to prevent the diffusion of ions and atoms. During the flash process, a wafer breakage occurs. The project's purpose is to learn and understand the mechanism of the wafer breakage and propose the solutions to prevent the wafer breakage
Wet cleaning is widely used in microchip manufacturing. Single wafer equipment is working as follows. A wafer rotates, and chemistry is poured from a movable nozzle. Water rinsing is performed at the end of the process. Loading of a new batch of the chemistry resulted in excursion - a strongly increased amount of defects was observed on the wafer after the processing. The project is dedicated to the failure analysis and creation of innovative solutions.
This project showcases how functional modeling can drive innovation by analyzing and simulating various versions of a vacuum cleaner. By studying the functional model, you will experience firsthand how the Functional Modeling creative thinking tool helps identify opportunities for improvement and generate innovative ideas for the next generation of products. Through this example, you’ll learn how to dissect the functionality of a vacuum cleaner, revealing ways to enhance its performance, efficiency, and user experience—ultimately paving the way for future innovations.
The process is related to microelectronics - microchip manufacturing. The purpose of the process is to create a SiO2 layer on the surface of a Si wafer. Equipment: Vertical furnace to heat the wafers in the Q2 atmosphere and perform oxidation on the wafer surface. Process: The oxidation occurs on the front side and on the back side of the wafer Requirements: Create a SiO2 thin layer with a certain thickness and low sigma - low standard deviation of the thickness between the wafers and within the wafer Failure: Wafers from the lower zone have higher thickness and significantly higher within wafer sigma (standard deviation of the thickness within the wafer)
Copper electroplating is essential for forming advanced semiconductor interconnects, yet radial thickness non-uniformity remains a costly challenge. Thicker deposition at the wafer edge and thinner copper at the center force manufacturers to rely on overplating and CMP compensation, increasing material waste and process cost. Using the PRIZ Platform, this project reveals that the true amplification mechanism lies in operating within a kinetically controlled regime, where small voltage variations caused by seed-layer resistance produce large thickness deviations. By shifting the process closer to diffusion-controlled behavior and reducing sensitivity to voltage fluctuations, uniform deposition can be achieved intrinsically — enabling thinner seed layers, reduced overplating, lower CMP burden, and overall cost reduction.
The project addresses instability in the dissolution of tantalum (Ta) anodes in hydrofluoric acid (HF), where hydrogen gas generated during the reaction becomes trapped in the solution, forming foam that disrupts the process and creates safety risks. Using the PRIZ Platform, a Functional Model of the system was developed. The model revealed that the HF solution is both the most functional and the most problematic component, leading to a physical contradiction: HF must interact with Ta anodes to enable dissolution, but must not retain the hydrogen gas produced during the reaction. Applying the PRIZ principle of Separation in Space, two reactor concepts were proposed: a spray interaction reactor, where HF is pumped to spray onto anodes placed above the solution, and a surface wetting reactor, where anodes are positioned at the top of the solution, allowing natural circulation and easy hydrogen release. Both designs eliminate foam formation and provide a stable, controllable, and safer dissolution process.
Semiconductor devices are becoming more complex and expensive. But what exactly are we paying for when we buy a computer, cellphone, or any device containing a microchip? It’s not for radically new functions—the core components remain the same: transistors and interconnections. According to Moore’s law, transistors are getting smaller, with more interconnection layers added, making the manufacturing process longer and more costly. In reality, we’re paying for the inability of engineers to efficiently solve engineering challenges. This project leverages System Functional Modeling (SFM) to analyze the IC interconnection layer and Process Functional Modeling (PFM) to evaluate its manufacturing process. These analyses aim to deepen our understanding of both the device and the production process, generating innovative solutions for cost reduction and improved efficiency.
To reduce high turnover at the plant the managers propose different ideas, but it does not help. All proposed solutions are good, but there are some of them that are blocking the effectiveness of the rest of the solutions. The purpose of the project is to analyze the proposed solutions (perceptions) and define the blocked. The solutions with high blocking rank should be completed first to ensure the effectiveness of the rest of the ideas. The Perception Mapping (PMap) creative thinking tool was used for the blockers definition.
