Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Robot control
Reexamination Certificate
1998-09-04
2001-10-23
Cuchlinski, Jr., William A. (Department: 2786)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Robot control
C700S015000, C700S018000, C700S019000, C700S121000, C700S028000, C700S031000, C700S084000, C700S181000, C712S244000, C382S149000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06308112
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for controlling equipment arranged in a semiconductor fabrication processing line with an on-line management system and, more particularly, to a method for automatically responding to emergency states of semiconductor fabricating equipment after an interruption in the on-line communication has been restored, through an emergency state monitoring module.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, the fabrication of semiconductor devices involves highly precise processes that require finely tuned precision equipment. Several pieces of precision equipment are typically employed in sequence and arranged on a semiconductor processing line. The operation of each piece of precision equipment on the line is closely monitored by operators to maintain and enhance the efficiency of the processing line.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, conventional fabrication equipment
3
are disposed on a conventional processing line. When a lot
10
of workpieces, such as wafers, are introduced into the equipment
3
, the equipment
3
performs a fabrication process on the lot. The equipment
3
is connected on-line to a host computer
1
through an equipment server (not shown). An operator interface (O/I)
2
, for example an operator interface personal computer (O/I PC), is also connected on-line to the host computer
1
. Through the O/I
2
, an operator informs the host computer
1
that a process using the equipment
3
is about to commence. The operator inputs basic manufacture data, e.g., the identification number (ID) of the lot to be processed in the equipment
3
and the ID of the equipment
3
for performing the process with the lot, into the host computer
1
.
Then, based on the input basic manufacture data, the host computer
1
searches its data base for the process condition data to be applied to the process on the lot. The host computer
1
immediately downloads these process condition data, including preset process settings, to the equipment. Process settings may include, for example, a desired process time duration or a desired process temperature.
Thereafter, the operator checks the process condition data and inputs a process commencing command or a process terminating command. The lot is then automatically and rapidly routed into and out of the equipment
3
. In this manner, the process equipment
3
performs on the workpieces of each lot based on the process settings received.
If any emergency situation, such as operation troubles, occurs in the equipment
3
during the process with the lots
10
, the equipment
3
immediately reports the emergency occurrence therein to the host computer
1
. The host computer
1
then immediately informs the operator through the O/I
2
that the equipment
3
is in the emergency state. As a result, the operator can take action to handle the emergency and to restore the equipment
3
to the normal state.
However, such a conventional management system suffers from several problems. First, in the event that the on-line communication between the host computer
1
and the equipment
3
is interrupted for more than a certain amount of time, data transmissions between the host computer
1
and the equipment
3
are cut off, and equipment emergency states sent to the host computer
1
during this interval will not be received. Consequently, the emergency state of the equipment
3
recognized by the host computer
1
is the emergency state before the on-line communication was interrupted. After the on-line communication is restored, the emergency state recognized by the host computer
1
can not be considered accurate.
Secondly, in the event that an inaccurate emergency state is transmitted to the operator through the O/I
2
, operational problems may occur that the operator can not foresee.
Thirdly, because the emergency state is not reliably accurate after the on-line communication is restored, the operator must check all the equipment one by one to accurately recognize whether any emergency situation has occurred. This results in increased work load for the operator and efforts diverted from other necessary duties.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to prevent unforeseen operational problems in advance by accurately recognizing emergency states of equipment in real time after the on-line communication between a host computer and the equipment is interrupted for a certain amount of time and then restored.
It is another object of the present invention to considerably reduce the work load of the operator by automatically controlling the emergency states of the equipment without special equipment-checking tasks performed by the operator after the on-line communication between a host computer and the equipment is interrupted for a certain amount of time and then restored.
To achieve the above objects and other objects and advantages of the present invention, the method for controlling equipment in a semiconductor fabrication system includes determining whether on-line communication has been restored between a host computer and semiconductor fabrication equipment after an interruption in communication. If on-line communication has been restored, post-restoration emergency state data from the equipment are received automatically. It is then determined whether the post-restoration emergency state data indicate the equipment is in a warning state. If the post-restoration emergency state data indicate the warning state, it is determined whether the warning state is a critical state. If the warning state is the critical state, a key value of a variable ID corresponding to the equipment is changed to a value indicative of shutting down the equipment, and the equipment is shut down by inserting the variable ID into an equipment control message and downloading the equipment control message to the equipment.
In another aspect of the invention, the method also includes determining whether an introduction signal for introducing a lot into the equipment has been input, if the warning state is not the critical state. If the introduction signal has been input, a warning message is downloaded onto an on-line operator interface.
Therefore, the emergency states of the equipment arranged in a semiconductor fabrication, on-line management system can be controlled accurately even after the on-line communication between the host computer and the equipment is interrupted for a certain amount of time and then restored.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4438492 (1984-03-01), Harmon, Jr. et al.
patent: 4829445 (1989-05-01), Burney
patent: 5162986 (1992-11-01), Graber et al.
patent: 5469361 (1995-11-01), Moyne
patent: 5862054 (1999-01-01), Li
patent: 5923553 (1999-07-01), Yi
patent: 6000830 (1999-12-01), Asano et al.
Mozumder et al., “Statistical control of a plasma etch process” Semiconductor Manufacturing, IEEE Transactions on vol.: 7 1, pp. 1-11, 1994.
Kim Sung-geun
Park Jong-Hwa
Cuchlinski Jr. William A.
Jones Volentine, P.L.L.C.
Marc McDieunel
Samsung Electronics Co,. Ltd.
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