Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
1998-12-24
2002-06-04
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2858)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S080000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06401003
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an alarm system for a semiconductor device fabrication facility, and more particularly, to an alarm system to allow the operation state of a particular semiconductor device fabrication facility, such as an ion-implantation facility, to be easily checked by installing a lamp tower which is visually recognizable from a distance.
2) Description of the Related Art
Generally, semiconductor devices are manufactured via a plurality of processing steps, including diffusion, oxidation, photo-lithography, ion-implantation, and the like. These processing steps may be performed repeatedly and in a certain order. Each processing step may require a specific processing condition according to the process and its corresponding facility for the operation.
However, the processing condition and the operation state in the facility should be precisely checked every time in order to facilitate the efficient operation in the facility, and to prevent processing malfunction, which might cause a big accident in the fabrication facility.
Typically, the processing state or the operation state is checked via a monitoring system, and the monitored results can be visually viewed via an operation panel. However, the conventional monitoring system has a disadvantage, i.e., the processing state or the operation state can be checked and monitored on the operation panel, but an operator a short distance away from the spot cannot recognize the operation state easily and exactly.
Especially when an operation error occurs in the facility while the operator is located at a distance, the operator cannot recognize the operation error quickly, thereby causing a mass production of inferior products.
For the ends, sometimes an alarm sound can be used in case of a malfunction, but it cannot be heard easily because of the noise around, and the alarm sound was not an efficient method to monitor and recognize the various operation states.
Therefore, there has been a demand for an alarm system for allowing the operator to easily and visually recognize the operation state in the facility.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention is directed to provide an alarm system for allowing an operator to be able to visually and easily recognize each of the operation states of a specific process in its specific facility, or the state of the facility carrying out the specific process even a certain distance away from the operation panel in the facility.
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the present invention as embodied and broadly described is an alarm system for semiconductor device fabrication facility. The alarm system includes a logical-combination means for executing a logical-combination on receipt of at least one input signal for the respective operation states in a specific semiconductor device fabrication facility; a driving means for outputting at least one driving signal for driving a lamp on receipt of the result from the logical-combination means; and a lamp tower having lamps. The number of the lamps is identical to the number of driving signals outputted from the driving means, based on a one-to-one correspondence, and each of the lamps indicates its own particular result for the respective operation state in the semiconductor device fabrication facility by the respective driving signals.
The number of the output signals from the logical-combination means, the number of the driving signals from the driving means, and the number of the lamps of the lamp tower are all one-to-one corresponding. The lamps emit all different colors of light respectively.
Preferably, the input signals are inputted into the logical-combination means via a photocoupler for to provide electrical isolation between the input signals and the output signals in order to prevent signal interference by the fabrication facility and the alarm system.
Meanwhile, the semiconductor device fabrication facility employing an alarm system according to the present invention includes a supply chamber for supplying a cassette having wafers to be processed for a specific process, a process chamber for carrying out a specific process, and a load lock chamber displaced between the supply chamber and the process chamber in which the transferred cassette is held.
It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4962371 (1990-10-01), Repp et al.
patent: 5319353 (1994-06-01), Ohnishi et al.
patent: 5511005 (1996-04-01), Abbe et al.
patent: 5801634 (1998-09-01), Young et al.
patent: 5913978 (1999-06-01), Kato et al.
patent: 6207936 (2001-03-01), De Waard et al.
Bahta Kidest
Picard Leo P.
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