US PATENT SUBCLASS 438 / 5
INCLUDING CONTROL RESPONSIVE TO SENSED CONDITION

Current as of: June, 1999
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438 /   HD   SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE MANUFACTURING: PROCESS

5INCLUDING CONTROL RESPONSIVE TO SENSED CONDITION {3}
6  DF  .~> Interconnecting plural devices on semiconductor substrate
7  DF  .~> Optical characteristic sensed {1}
10  DF  .~> Electrical characteristic sensed {3}

DEFINITION

Classification: 438/5

INCLUDING CONTROL RESPONSIVE TO SENSED CONDITION:

(under the class definition) Process including the step of regulating an operation by detecting a characteristic or a

change in a characteristic of the process or the semiconductor substrate acted upon and by implementing an action in the process based upon the detected characteristic or change therein.

(1) Note. There must be a positive action carried out in response to the detected characteristic or change therein which furthers the semiconductor substrate toward its subsequent indented utilization. Thus, the removal of defective devices or substrates from a manufacturing process flow (e.g., by sorting, etc.) or the identification of same (e.g., by inking, etc.) is not deemed to be a positive action proper for this subclass.

SEE OR SEARCH CLASS

209, Classifying, Separating, and Assorting Solids, especially

552+, for methods sensing a condition of an item and controlling the separation in accordance therewith.

340, Communications: Electrical, for control responsive indicating systems not having structural details, especially

653, for electronic circuit or component and subclasses 657+ for electrical characteristic. 364, Electrical Computers and Data Processing Systems,

184+, for testing of process control systems.

365, Static Information Storage and Retrieval,

201, for testing of memory systems.

377, Electrical Pulse Counters, Pulse Dividers or Shift Registers: Circuits and Systems,

28+, for error checking of pulse counters.

714, Error Detection/Correction and Fault Detection/Recovery, appropriate subclasses for diagnostic testing, per se, particularly

1+, for reliability and availability, fault recovery, locating and avoidance, diagnostic testing or monitoring of a digital processing system for reliability purpose.