Case Study
Quartz PCI : Advanced Network Applications
Using the Quartz PCI Network features to maximize return from your laboratory infrastructure investment.
Introduction
The Internet has redefined business for today’s enterprise, demanding unprecedented levels of agility to respond to rapidly changing conditions. In today’s competitive and challenging business environment, enterprises are required to support the rapid rollout of new products and services. It is increasingly important that an organization’s data handling infrastructure provide the ability to maximize the available resources no matter where they may be located.
Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation has utilized advanced web-based technology to develop a new system, linking all of the Hitachi electron microscope facilities around the world. The new system consists of multiple Quartz PCI Intranet Image servers to form a powerful image and information communication network. All images saved on the microscopes are searchable from any computer on the Internet using standard Internet browser software. The network opens up extra-ordinarily versatile demonstration and applications facilities for Hitachi.
The system can be used in collaborative mode, allowing anyone with Internet access (and the correct passwords!) to observe live operation of an electron microscope, from anywhere in the world.
For applications work, samples can be submitted directly to the laboratory. Once the images have been produced they are uploaded to a secure area on the network. This can then be accessed using a unique user name and password. This gives the customer the ability to view their images, reports and associated information, via the Internet, as the sample is being analyzed.
Since the system is web-based, participating in an instrument “session” is as simple as using a web browser. No special hardware is required to view the entire information data set.
Hitachi has been using the Quartz system for clients who want to evaluate electron microscopes, but who cannot travel to attend the live demonstration. The system is also used by industrial organizations where access to images may be required from a variety of locations.
The Quartz system need not be restricted to scanning electron microscopes. The system can interface to many other imaging tools such as STEMs, TEMs optical microscopes, video sources, TWAIN devices and CD SEMs. Almost any instrument, that generates an image, can be interfaced to the Quartz system.
Applications Microscopy
Many FA lab users begin the analytical process by submitting samples to the FA laboratory.
The Quartz system allows images of these samples, with full microscope operating conditions, to be accessed by the customer via the web; the data being held in a secure environment and accessible only with the appropriate passwords. A complete report can be produced containing thumbnail images recorded from the sample. Images may be downloaded in a variety of formats.
Images may be compressed for fast transmission or downloaded at a full- resolution, archive quality for final printing. This is illustrated in Figure 1.
The database architecture is not restricted to images. Any electronic document can be attached and included in the whole process. In addition to being a simple way of allowing prospective customers to view images of their samples, this means that the full data-set can be accessed from anywhere in the world.
Any number of users can have simultaneous access to the data, in a secure environment.
Collaboration Microscopy
Collaboration Microscopy is built into the architecture of the PCI Intranet Image Server and the PCI Database.
Collaboration Microscopy delivers real-time video from the microscope and up to three additional video sources. A laboratory camera, EDX display and chamber scope may be viewed from a web browser. The viewer can select the video source as shown from the TV rate viewing window.
The chamber scope is an infrared CCD camera and lens mounted inside the SEM specimen chamber. This provides continuous monitoring of the position of the sample with respect to the various detectors in the SEM specimen chamber.
The video signal is compressed to conserve network bandwidth and to ensure excellent refresh rates even on narrow bandwidth connections. Image quality is exceptionally good. Collaboration can also include duplex audio via the Internet.
Any number of viewers may participate in a single collaboration session. This feature enables the sharing of the analytical experience by those parties who cannot physically attend the process. Invited attendees can participate fully in the analysis process by helping the SEM operator to locate the area of interest on the sample. The operator remains in complete control of the session and can turn the video feeds on and off at will. PCI Database security ensures that only those with permission can gain access to a collaboration session. Figure 2 shows collaboration sessions for SEM, EDX and room monitoring.
Applications in Industry
In addition to their use within Hitachi, systems like this are already widely used in a number of organizations, both commercial and academic, where microscopy laboratories are remote from research or production facilities. Working in this way can provide improved communication of data, remote assistance and fault diagnosis. Web technology can bring a laboratory and its ‘clients’ together wherever they are located around the world, and ‘clients’ can interact with operators to ensure they are getting the images they actually need.
In addition, a complete suite of additional imaging tools can be linked in to make multiple imaging techniques available to the ‘client’. From a practical point of view, colleagues can work together to resolve engineering problems. The intellectual property of a whole group can be focused to solve challenging problems.
In an educational environment, students could observe practical microscopy sessions. A complete shared lecture can be “broadcast” to students in a variety of locations. Training new users can be made more efficient using this method.
In the event of an instrument failure, service personnel can view and often solve the problem without the need to travel to the site. Rapid diagnosis means more efficient utilization of the tool.
The Intranet Image Server also provides web-based access to all of the historical data contained in the PCI Database. While ‘clients’ are interacting with the laboratory, they can also be comparing current results with historical data. Once the collaboration session is finished, the ‘client’ can analyze the results at their own desktop. This allows maximum utilization of the imaging tool for generation of new data. A typical configuration for a system is shown below.
FACT. Data Management and Workflow Optimization in the Global Corporate Enterprise
Companies today usually have internal processes and systems that serve as a framework for organizing and running laboratory-service teams. An effective laboratory management solution should not require that companies adapt their business processes to take advantage of the features it offers. The FACT Solution for Laboratory data management offers workflow features that integrate seamlessly with existing processes and electronic network systems.
The FACT Solution for Failure Analysis Laboratory management was designed to help companies of all sizes reach customers more efficiently through electronic communication channels. It provides a complete turnkey solution that makes it easy for companies to manage the real value of their laboratory services in the corporate enterprise. In addition, the FACT Solution offers features and functionality to help build on the systems and technologies they already have in place, understand equipment needs better, and improve decision-making processes and workflow efficiency.
The FACT Solution includes integrated, tested software; comprehensive documentation; implementation service from our experienced technicians; and ongoing high quality support. The result is a solution that is scalable and easy to customize. Quartz/PCI creates and tests all components of the solution and provide a fully documented solution with the highest levels of reliability and functionality.
With the FACT solution, companies will see immediate benefits through:
- Increased revenue, enhanced efficiency, lower business costs, greater business agility, and improved customer service and satisfaction.
- Accurate tool utilization metrics that come from the ability to expose the full value of each tool and to predict where bottlenecks may arise. FACT provides accurate operating costs for each tool, and offers new avenues for increasing revenues to existing customers.
- Enhanced business processes that leverage existing information technology, such as Department Resource Planning, customer collaboration, and historical data management.
The FACT database platform delivers scalability, security and value, and enables organizations to design their working environments to take maximum advantage of the capital investments in hardware and people. The FACT platform has been designed to respond to the dynamic processing requirements demanded of today’s enterprise, regardless of where they happen to be located in the corporate architecture.
Today, many applications, including Electron Microscopy, are structured over a wide geographical area. Data gathered on individual tools often remains isolated and inaccessible to the corporate Enterprise.
The FACT system removes these limitations by providing the first true turnkey solution to Data Management in the Failure Analysis laboratory, in a global corporate enterprise. The key components of the system include:
- An SQL or Oracle database that provides a solid and secure foundation for the system.
- Complete job and task management software to help streamline and manage the sample entry process.
- Comprehensive report generation and data mining for true Business Intelligence.
- A system wide PCI client license.
FACT in the Failure Analysis Laboratory
Common FACT utilization scenarios are ones in which applications are designed for distributed processing. These scenarios may include:
- Web based presentation infrastructure with multiple facilities in widespread locations.
- Selected application centers of excellence.
- Large volumes of information that require central management of intellectual property.
Depending on the design of the FACT network, the ability to manage a collection of tools as a single data source, and to streamline application and tool deployment, reduces the complexity in managing a diverse Failure Analysis environment.
By distributing the workload across multiple sites, workflow optimization or load balancing can be achieved, with the ability to add or subtract services to increase or decrease capacity. Resources may be located at multiple sites, thus improving both performance and the availability of the overall service. The FACT platform supports scaling out, allowing optimized tool utilization and resource load balancing.
Workflow Description and Optimization
The FACT system can be customized to fit the needs of the most demanding work environment. A typical workflow scenario is illustrated in Figure 3. Dotted lines represent an optional routing for the request. This routing may be by-passed under the control of the FA Lab manager and staff.
Key Features and Technologies
FACT has been designed to take advantage of the latest web and Windows® technologies. Its architecture permits extensive customization without sacrificing the benefits in terms of reliability, timely delivery, ongoing development effort, easy upgradability and advanced design that are afforded by a commercial software package. There is no need to embark on a custom development project because FACT can be easily customized to suit the particular work patterns and data entry methods of individual laboratories.
FACT offers a highly flexible, powerful, and scalable distributed computing paradigm to Internet-enabled enterprises.
The system also provides the features and technology that enable the design of scale-out environments that are easy to deploy and manage. The following are key features and technologies, which have been implemented in the FACT platform:
- Unlimited client licenses for distribution within the Enterprise.
- SQL or Oracle server for secure multi-transaction services.
- Complete set up and deployment by our team of experts.
- Customization of data entry forms.
- Comprehensive real-time job status notification to inform clients of sample analysis progress.
- Customizable electronic reports. The FACT solution also generates Web-ready information, including images, descriptions, and links to additional information, in addition to appropriate classification data.
- Direct client or expert interaction from a distributed workforce. Experts can participate from any number of locations to expedite the analysis process.
- Full field and text search capability for data mining.
- Around the clock access to sample information as each task is completed.
Conclusion
The Quartz-PCI FACT system meets the needs of businesses today, providing the performance and scalability for data management, in the modern Failure analysis laboratory. With FACT, laboratories can extend their reach far beyond the traditional boundaries of the local area thereby creating a true electronic working environment that can build on systems already in place. FACT can be installed with minimal interruption to current work processes and systems and can be a major factor in improving the efficiency of the laboratory.
