Using ACTA to Extract the Cognitive Demands of Preventive Maintenance Activities in a Wafer Plant

摘要

Due to very high production volumes, wafer machines require frequent and regular preventive maintenance. At these times, ample opportunity exists for human error to occur. Because high electrical power and toxic gases are involved, the consequences of any human-error-induced machine failure have a very high impact on plant safety, production cost, and environment health. It is, therefore, necessary to analyze the preventive maintenance tasks so that the cognitive skills and mental demands imposed can be identified. The data from the task analyses can then be used in the design of task procedures and online support systems. The objective of this paper is to explore the use of ACTA (Applied Cognitive Task Analysis) -- an established framework for cognitive task analysis in supervisory control task -- for the preventive maintenance procedure of a plasma etch equipment. ACTA was used to extract the cognitive skills and mental demands of the preventive maintenance activities.