Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2001-01-16
2004-11-30
Bahta, Kidest (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S100000, C705S028000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06826441
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a method and a system for management to manufacturing semiconductor devices, and more particularly to a manufacturing management method and a manufacturing management system provided in a manufacturing factory for managing manufacturing processes for manufacturing industrial products, wherein batch-processes in lot-units are implemented.
In a semiconductor manufacturing factory for manufacturing semiconductor devices, plural semiconductor wafers are accommodated as one lot in a carriage, and batch processes for the plural semiconductor wafers are made in the lot unit. Photo-lithography processes are typical processes for manufacturing the semiconductor devices. In accordance with the photo-lithography processes, a photo-resist film is applied on each of the semiconductor wafers, and an exposure process is carried out to the photo-resist film and a subsequent development is made to form a photo-resist pattern over each of the semiconductor wafers. Each of the semiconductor wafers is then subjected to a dry etching by use of the photo-resist pattern as a mask. The above sequential processes are single wafer processes for processing individual single semiconductor wafers sequentially. By contrast, the deposition processes such as the chemical vapor deposition processes and the heat treatment such as annealing for causing a diffusion of impurity ion-implanted are the batch processes for processing the plural semiconductor wafers concurrently. The manufacturing processes for the semiconductor devices include both the single wafer processes and the batch-processes. It is, therefore, possible that the plural semiconductor wafers are sequentially subjected to the single wafer processes before the sequentially processed semiconductor wafers are then concurrently subjected to the batch process. It is also possible that the plural semiconductor wafers are concurrently subjected to the batch process before the batch-processes plural semiconductor wafers are sequentially subjected to the single wafer processes. It is also possible that the same process such as the diffusion process is carried out in plural times on different steps in the sequential manufacturing processes. This means it possible that the plural semiconductor wafers of one lot and the other plural semiconductor wafers of different lot are concurrently subjected to the batch-process such as the diffusion process or the chemical vapor deposition process.
FIG. 1
is a schematic diagram illustrative of the conventional facilities on the semiconductor manufacturing line in the semiconductor manufacturing factory. The conventional facilities comprise a circulated carrier carriage rail
501
on which a plurality of carrier carriage
500
is moved, and a plurality of blocks BL
1
, BL
2
, BL
3
, BL
4
, BL
5
, BL
6
, BL
7
and BL
8
. Each of the blocks BL
1
, BL
2
, BL
3
, BL
4
, BL
5
, BL
6
, BL
7
and BL
8
has plural and various manufacturing apparatus
300
for performing predetermined manufacturing processes to the semiconductor wafers and two wafer stokers
200
for stocking the plural semiconductor wafers. Automatic carrier cars
400
are moved in each of the blocks BL
1
, BL
2
, BL
3
, BL
4
, BL
5
, BL
6
, BL
7
and BL
8
for carrying the plural semiconductor wafers in one or more lot units among the plural and various manufacturing apparatus
300
. The automatic carrier cars
400
picks up the one or more unprocessed wafer lots from the stoker
200
to carry the same to the individual manufacturing apparatus
300
for the individual processes. Further, the automatic carrier cars
400
picks up the one or more processed wafer lots from the individual manufacturing apparatus
300
to carry the same to the stoker
200
for accommodating the same therein. Each of the stokers
200
in each of the blocks BL
1
, BL
2
, BL
3
, BL
4
, BL
5
, BL
6
, BL
7
and BL
8
is connected with the circulated carrier carriage rail
501
on which the carrier carriages
500
are moved among the individual blocks BL
1
, BL
2
, BL
3
, BL
4
, BL
5
, BL
6
, BL
7
and BL
8
for carrying the wafer lots from the stokers of one block to other stokers of different block to allow the processed wafer lots in the one block to be further subjected to the different processes in the different blocks.
The above various semiconductor manufacturing apparatus are classified into two types, for example, the batch-processing apparatus and the single-wafer-processing apparatus. In each of the blocks BL
1
, BL
2
, BL
3
, BL
4
, BL
5
, BL
6
, BL
7
and BL
8
, the one or more wafer lots are picked up by the automatic carrier cars
400
from the stoker
200
and then carried into the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in the same block. It is necessary for the semiconductor manufacturing system to manage the processings of the wafer lots, for which purposes, a host computer is provided for controlling the stokers
200
, the individual manufacturing apparatuses
300
and the automatic carrier cars
400
. Namely, the management is made mainly by the host computer.
FIG. 2
is a schematic view illustrative of a conventional management method, in accordance with which the host computer controls the stokers, the individual manufacturing apparatuses and the automatic carrier cars.
FIG. 3
is a timing chart illustrative of operations of the conventional management method, in accordance with which the host computer controls the stokers, the individual manufacturing apparatuses and the automatic carrier cars. It is assumed that a manufacturing apparatus
301
(
300
) be the batch-processing apparatus which is capable of batch-processing the plural wafer lots. A maximum batch lot number is 4. Namely, the manufacturing apparatus
301
(
300
) is capable of batch-processing four wafer lots at its maximum. The manufacturing apparatus
301
(
300
) has an internal tray
30
which is divided into a first tray
31
for storing wafer lots and a second ray
32
for storing other wafer lots. The wafer lots stored in the first tray
31
and the other wafer lots stored in the second ray
32
are alternately subjected to the batch-process. Each of the first and second trays
31
and
32
has a capacity of storing the four wafer lots as the maximum lot number.
In a first step S
501
, after the current batch-process has been completed by the manufacturing apparatus
301
(
300
), then the processed wafer lots are returned to carriers of the second tray
32
and further the automatic carrier car
400
carries the processed wafer lots into the stoker
200
. The wafer lots stored in the first tray
31
are carried to a processor not illustrated, and then an loading request for carrying the wafer lots to be subjected to the batch-processing from the stoker
200
to the manufacturing apparatus
301
(
300
) is sent to the host computer
100
.
In a second step S
502
, the host computer
100
determines a single wafer lot in accordance with the dispatch rule. The host computer
100
further retrieves the determined single wafer lot and other wafer lots which are allowable to be batch-processed to form a single batch unit. If the number of the wafer lots in the batch unit is less than the maximum batch number, then the extent of the retrieval is expanded to the other stokers of the other blocks, so that the host computer
100
further retrieves the one or more wafer lots which are allowable to be batch-processed. The retrieved wafer lots are then carried by the carrier carriage to the subjected block to enable formation of the batch of the maximum number of the wafer lots. After the batch has been established, the host computer
100
sends the manufacturing apparatus
301
(
300
) a notice of the objected wafer lots to be batch-processed.
In a third step S
503
, upon receipt of the notice of the objected wafer lots to be batch-processed, the manufacturing apparatus
301
(
300
) sends the host computer
100
a load request for loading the wafer lots in the batch unit.
In a fourth step S
504
, upon receipt of the load request, the host computer
100
Bahta Kidest
NEC Electronics Corporation
Young & Thompson
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