Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-07-11
2002-12-03
Picard, Leo (Department: 2121)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S100000, C700S102000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06490494
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a method and apparatus for processing order control, and particularly to a method and apparatus by which optimization is achieved of a physical flow of lots each configured by a group of wafers in a semiconductor fabrication line.
2. Description of Related Art
First, descriptions will be given of constituents associated with a physical flow of lots (hereinafter referred to as a lot flow) and of workings of the constituents using
FIG. 32
, which is a schematic illustration of a semiconductor fabrication line. Following this, descriptions will be given of constituents of a production control system, which is an apparatus to control a lot flow, and of workings of the constituents using
FIGS. 33 and 34
. Finally, description will be given of a flow chart of a control method for a lot flow using FIG.
35
.
FIG. 32
shows a schematic illustration of a semiconductor fabrication line. In
FIG. 32
, a symbol
100
denotes a server computer of a production control system (hereinafter referred to as a server). The server means to receive a request and an instruction from a client computer (hereinafter referred to as a client) and basically to transmit neither a request nor an instruction to a client. A symbol
20
denotes communication cables connecting between the constituents, and symbols
30
a
to
30
e
client computers (hereinafter referred to as PCs; a digit or a letter
1
, i, l, k and l following the abbreviation PC denote serial numbers). Symbols
40
,
40
a
to
40
d
denote fabrication apparatuses for a semiconductor device, an inspection instrument or the like. For example, Stepper, CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing), CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) or Etcher are names directly showing features of semiconductor fabrication methods, respectively, which are adopted as names of a fabrication apparatus or an inspection instrument each without any modification. While there are available various other fabrication apparatuses, typical kinds among them are selected herein. Stepper m means the mth one among a plurality of steppers. This also applies to cases of CPMn, CVD
0
and Etcher p. Symbols
50
,
50
a
and
50
b
denote a lot A or/and a lot B, respectively, each of which lots includes a plurality of silicon wafers that serve as substrates of semiconductor products. The lot A (
50
a
) and lot B (
50
b
) denote that those are lots to which respective different fabrication methods are applied. In a case where the lots are subjected to the same fabrication method, those are different in fabrication position in the fabrication line in which fabrication methods are applied. A symbol
46
denotes a transport route running along the fabrication methods; a symbol
60
an operator carrying out transportation of a lot
50
or the like in the semiconductor fabrication line;
70
a carrier for a lot
50
, serving mainly for transportation over a short distance; and
80
an inter-bay transport system, serving mainly for transportation over a long distance. The term “bay” used here means a region where apparatuses
40
a
of the same kind form a group and for example, a bay is used in a way of expression such as a bay in which steppers reside.
Then, a flow of the lot A (
50
a
) will be described. The operator
60
or the lot carrier
70
transports the lot A (
50
a
) to Stepper m (
40
a
) and sets the lot A (
50
a
) at a processing position. After processing conditions are input to Stepper m (
40
a
) and the processing is completed, the operator
60
or the lot carrier
70
transfers the lot A (
50
a
) to the inter-bay transport system
80
. The inter-bay transport system
80
transports the lot A (
50
a
) to the bay of Etcher p (
40
d
). The operator
60
or the lot carrier
70
receives the lot A (
50
a
) from the inter-bay transport system
80
and transports the lot A (
50
a
) to Etcher p (
40
d
) to set the lot A (
50
a
) at a processing position. Thereafter, description is omitted since that of Stepper m is duplicated. Such processings and transportations are repeated till completion of all the fabrication process of the lot A (
50
a
). Description of a case of the lot B (
50
b
) is also omitted since description is repeated in the same way except for a transport pattern.
FIG. 33
shows internal constitution of the production management system of production control system (server)
100
, the client
30
and others of FIG.
32
. In
FIG. 33
, a symbol
110
denotes a data base in the server
100
and the interior is configured in the following way: A symbol
120
or
130
stores process flow data of respective lots
50
therein. The term “process flow” means data in which fabrication orders and processing conditions are defined and which includes the entire information and a plurality of process step groups. The entire information includes information on all of the lots
50
such as lot numbers. Other information such as product kind codes and delivery times is further included in the entire information, but details of the other information are omitted. A given process has a serial number showing a place in the order of processes, the name of an apparatus
40
or the like in which a processing is carried out and progress states of a process showing processing-completed, in-process or not-processed, respectively, wherein the term “in-process” means a state in which a work awaits its turn. In addition, the process has processing conditions, specified date and time for start or end of the process and so on, but the details are omitted. There are a plurality of process flow files: for example, a process flow file
120
used for the lot A and a process flow file
130
used for the lot B.
Symbols
140
and
150
denote in-process work management files in which data for in-process management for apparatuses
40
and so on is stored and the data for the in-process work management files include a plurality of lot numbers in process of the apparatuses
40
and the numbers of the lots in process thereof. Since the apparatuses
40
are present in plural number, for example, the in-process management files
140
and
150
are used for Etchers p and CVDo, respectively.
Symbols
160
and
170
denote processing history files in which data of processing histories of the lots
50
in the respective apparatuses
40
is stored and a data of one record is input in the file each time a lot
50
is processed in one of the apparatuses
40
. Items of a record include: specified dates and times (while there is also a specified date and time for start or end of a processing, only the date and time for end of a processing is shown for each lot in FIG.
32
); lot numbers; times (durations from start to end of processing) and others. Although the items of a record further include processing conditions and information on a person in charge of processing and so on, details of the items are omitted. Since the apparatuses
40
or the like are present in plural number, for example, the processing history files
160
and
170
are used for Etcher p and CVDo, respectively.
A symbol
180
denotes a computation section performing input/output processings of data with the data base
110
or processing/computation of data in the server
100
, a symbol
190
denotes a communication section,
30
e
1
a communication section in PC
1
(
30
d
), and
30
e
2
a computation section performing processing/computation of data in PC
1
(
30
d
). The communication sections
190
and
30
e
2
both control transmission/reception of data between the computation sections
180
and
30
e
2
. A symbol
30
e
3
is a display section in PC
1
(
30
d
) and displays a data processed/computed in the computation section
30
e
2
. The data to be displayed includes set-up information for Etcher p in a file
30
e
31
, a special command in a file
30
e
32
or the like, both to be described later. The set-up information of Etcher p
30
e
31
includes lot numbers, priority numbers each to determine the processing order, the number of wafers and so on. Although the set-up
Jarrett Ryan
Mitsubishi Denki & Kabushiki Kaisha
Picard Leo
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