A position sensing tool for enabling topographical measurements of a working surface is provided. The tool includes sensors for mapping the tool environment and for positioning of the tool within the environment. The tool enables tracking of tool activity within the environment. The tool enables design and fabrication collaboration with other computer systems. The tool enables user and tool environment safety using tool positional, user position and tool environment awareness. Certain embodiments of the tool permit automated guidance of tasks in the tool environment.

A geometric model fitting based calibration process determines offsets between the actual tool center point and theoretical tool center point of a numerically controlled machining system, thereby enabling the system to apply compensation to the offsets in order to align the actual and theoretical tool positions.

A position sensing tool for enabling topographical measurements of a working surface is provided. The tool includes sensors for mapping the tool environment and for positioning of the tool within the environment. The tool enables tracking of tool activity within the environment. The tool enables design and fabrication collaboration with other computer systems. The tool enables user and tool environment safety using tool positional, user position and tool environment awareness. Certain embodiments of the tool permit automated guidance of tasks in the tool environment.

A semiconductor process management system is provided. The semiconductor process management system includes a communicator that receives a process recipe from one or more process apparatuses and receives a measured value for each sampling point from one or more measuring apparatus, and a first determination unit that establishes a mutual influence model between the process recipe and the measured value for each sampling point based on the process recipe and the measured value for each sampling point.

A Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) system comprising a CMM, a rotary table, and a rotation arrangement, wherein the CMM system is configured to be calibrated by determining the 6 dof pose of a jig, and to a method for calibrating. The jig may be mounted such that a current pose of the jig is associated with a current pose of the rotary table with respect to the CMM. The rotary table may be moved into multiple poses, and the 6 dof pose of the jig is measured for each of the multiple poses of the rotary table. An error map is generated, based on the angles associated with the poses of the rotary table, and is used to generate a coordinate transformation from the CMM coordinate system to the part coordinate system, which is associated with the rotary table, based on the error map.

The invention relates to a method for identifying geometric deviations of a real motion guide from an ideal motion guide in a coordinate-measuring machine having a sensor for measuring a workpiece, or in a machine tool having a tool for processing a workpiece, wherein the coordinate-measuring machine or the machine tool has a movable part which is guided along the motion guide and by the motion guide.

Methods and systems for calibrating metrology tool offset values to match measurement results across a fleet of metrology tools are presented herein. The calibration of offset values is based on measurements of inline, production wafers and does not require the use of specially fabricated and characterized quality control (QC) wafers. In this manner, the entire process flow to calibrate metrology tool offset values is automated and fully integrated within a high volume semiconductor fabrication process flow. In a further aspect, the implementation of a new offset value is regulated by one or more predetermined control limit values. In another further aspect, the measured values of a parameter of interest are adjusted to compensate for the effects of measurement time on the wafer under measurement.

A controller includes a storage unit storing a plurality of sets of recommended setting values or recommended setting ranges regarding parameters for controlling an axis of a machine tool or an industrial machine or for controlling a motor, wherein set contents of the plurality of sets of recommended setting values or recommended setting ranges vary depending on a property of the machine tool, the industrial machine, or the motor; a comparing unit configured to compare input parameters with the recommended setting values or the recommended setting ranges corresponding to the property of a control target; and a comparison result presenting unit configured to present a warning when the input parameters differ from the recommended setting values or deviate from the recommended setting ranges corresponding to the property of the control target.

The invention relates to a grinding and/or erosion machine (10), as well as to a method for gauging and referencing the axis arrangement (11) comprising several machine axes (12), wherein each can be configured as a rotational or translational machine axis. To do so, a measuring disk (28) is inserted in a tool spindle (13) and a test mandrel (27) is inserted in a workpiece holding device (14). The test mandrel (27) is electrically connected to a reference potential, preferably ground (M). The measuring disk (28) is electrically connected to a supply voltage potential (UV). By forming a contact between the measuring disk (28) and the test mandrel (27), a measuring current (IM) flows between the supply voltage potential (UV) and the reference potential and, in accordance with the example, from the supply voltage potential (UV) to ground (M). The flow of this measuring current (IM) may be detected in a monitoring device (31), and the actual position of the machine axes (12) at the time of the start of the current flow of the measuring current (IM) can be determined. Via the axis arrangement (11), one or more contact locations (K) between the measuring disk (28) and the test mandrel (27) can be approached, and, as a result of this, referencing or gauging of the axis arrangement (11) and the machine, respectively, can take place.

A controller includes a storage unit storing a plurality of sets of recommended setting values or recommended setting ranges regarding parameters for controlling an axis of a machine tool or an industrial machine or for controlling a motor, wherein set contents of the plurality of sets of recommended setting values or recommended setting ranges vary depending on a property of the machine tool, the industrial machine, or the motor; a comparing unit configured to compare input parameters with the recommended setting values or the recommended setting ranges corresponding to the property of a control target; and a comparison result presenting unit configured to present a warning when the input parameters differ from the recommended setting values or deviate from the recommended setting ranges corresponding to the property of the control target.