Method and apparatus for retrofitting existing real time control systems for monitoring, controlling, and distributing chemicals during electroplating

摘要

Chemical treatment process control, including a virtual sensor based upon artificial intelligence that automatically computes and predicts additive concentrations in chemical baths used in manufacturing to compensate for the lag time in obtaining data from real-time analyzers (RTA). Once actual measurement data is obtained, bath concentrations can be further adjusted if necessary. Also disclosed is the retrofitting of a RTA with a controller where the data signal from the RTA has a proprietary communication protocol that is converted by hardware and/or software into a signal having an open communication protocol for transmission to the controller for controlling electrochemical bath concentration. Further disclosed is a method of controlling chemical concentration of electrochemical baths by predicting the depletion of chemicals during manufacture and causing dosing and/or draining of a portion of the bath during the time delay between RTA analyses. An algorithm written into program language and compiled into an executable format can be used in the controllers.