Data processing: generic control systems or specific application – Specific application – apparatus or process – Product assembly or manufacturing
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-19
2003-09-16
Picard, Leo (Department: 2125)
Data processing: generic control systems or specific application
Specific application, apparatus or process
Product assembly or manufacturing
C700S112000, C700S228000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06622057
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a semiconductor factory automation (FA) system; and, more particularly, to a semiconductor FA system and method. For controlling an automatic guide vehicle (AGV)
DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Referring to
FIG. 1
, there is shown a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling an automatic guide vehicle (AGV) in a conventional semiconductor FA system. As shown, the conventional semiconductor FA system includes a process equipment (EQ)
100
, an server (EQS)
102
, a cell management server (CMS)
104
, an intrabay control server (ICS)
106
, an AGV controller (AGVC)
108
, an AGV
110
, a stocker control server (SCS)
112
and a stocker
114
. Further, the semiconductor FA system is employed in an operating mode. The operating mode includes a full automation mode, a semi-automation mode and a manual mode. Typically, the conventional semiconductor FA system is based on the full automation mode.
At step S
118
, when the EQ
100
, i.e., a furnace equipment for carrying out a semiconductor manufacturing process, i.e., a diffusion process, has completed the diffusion process, the EQ
100
issues a process completion signal to the EQS
102
.
At step S
120
, the EQS
102
sends a request message to the CMS
104
in response to the process completion signal, wherein the request message is defined as a message having a request for transporting a lot of semiconductor wafers from the EQ
100
to the stocker
114
. A glossary of the lot is defined as a predetermined number of semiconductor wafers processed in a unit process, i.e. the diffusion process.
At step S
122
, the EQ
100
informs the EQS
102
that a semiconductor wafer cassette can be unloaded from the EQ
100
, wherein the semiconductor wafer cassette is a container for containing the lot of semiconductor wafers transported from the EQ
100
to the stocker
114
by the AGV
110
.
At step S
124
, the scheduler
116
receives the request message from the CMS
104
so that the scheduler
116
can schedule a following semiconductor process of the lot of semiconductor wafers in response to the request message.
At step S
126
, the EQS
102
sends an unloading queue to the CMS
104
in response to the process completion signal. The unloading queue includes a semiconductor wafer cassette identifier, an EQ identifier representing origination information of the semiconductor wafer cassette and a stocker identifier representing destination information of the semiconductor wafer cassette.
At step S
128
, the CMS
104
sends the unloading queue to the ICS
106
.
At step S
130
, the EQS
102
sends a command to the EQ
100
so that the EQ
100
can put the lot of semiconductor wafers in the semiconductor wafer cassette in response to the command from the EQS
102
.
At step S
132
, the ICS
106
sends the unloading queue to the AGVC
108
.
At step S
134
, the AGVC
108
converts the unloading queue so that the unloading queue can be recognized in the AGVC
108
, thereby creating an AGV control command to be sent to the AGV
110
.
At step S
135
, the AGVC
108
sends the AGV control command to the AGV
110
by radio. At this time, the AGV
110
moves to the EQ
100
corresponding to the EQ identifier in order to unload the semiconductor wafer cassette from the EQ
100
.
At step S
136
, if the AGV
110
has moved to the EQ
100
corresponding to the EQ identifier, the AGVC
108
sends movement completion message to the ICS
106
.
At step S
138
, the ICS
106
sends the movement completion message to the CMS
104
.
At step S
140
, the ICS
106
sends the movement completion message to the EQS
102
.
At step S
142
, the EQS
102
sends an acknowledgment message to the ICS
106
in response to the movement completion message received from the ICS
106
.
At step S
144
, the ICS
106
sends the acknowledgment message to the AGVC
108
.
At step S
146
, the AGV
110
unloads the semiconductor wafer cassette from the EQ
100
corresponding to the EQ identifier.
At step S
148
, the AGV
110
loads the semiconductor wafer cassette to the stocker
114
corresponding to the stocker identifier.
At step S
150
, if the AGV
110
has loaded the semiconductor wafer cassette to the stocker
114
corresponding to the stocker identifier, the stocker
114
issues a loading completion signal to the SCS
112
.
At step S
152
, the SCS
112
sends the loading completion message to the CMS
104
in response to the loading completion signal.
At step S
154
, the CMS
104
updates location information related to the semiconductor wafer cassette.
At step S
156
, the CMS
104
sends the loading completion message to the EQS
102
.
At step S
158
, the EQS
102
flushes an EQ control file in response to the loading completion message.
After completing the semiconductor manufacturing process, i.e., the diffusion process carried out by a corresponding EQ
100
, the conventional semiconductor FA system needs too much time in order to transport the semiconductor wafer cassette from the corresponding EQ
100
to a corresponding stocker
114
. In order to reduce a time taken to transport the semiconductor wafer cassette from the corresponding EQ
100
to the corresponding stocker
114
, the conventional semiconductor FA system strongly needs an operator's intervention.
Where the operating mode is changed from the full automation mode to the semi-automation mode or the manual mode at a point “A” shown in
FIG. 1
by an operator, the operator can directly unload the semiconductor wafer cassette from the corresponding EQ
100
. Then, the operator can directly load the semiconductor wafer cassette to the corresponding stocker
114
. At this time, the AGVC
108
normally creates the AGV control command issued to the AGV
110
so as to unload the semiconductor wafer cassette from the corresponding EQ
100
, thus moving the AGV
110
to the corresponding EQ
100
. It is preferred that the AGV
110
is inactivated at the semi-automation or manual mode. However, there is a problem that the conventional semiconductor FA system can not inactivate the AGV at the semi-automation or manual mode.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor FA system and method for effectively controlling an automatic guide vehicle (AGV) by checking operating mode information stored in a real-time database in order to inactivate the AGV, when an operating mode is changed from a full automation mode to another mode by a system operator.
It is, therefore, another object of the present invention to provide a computer-readable media storing program instructions, the program instructions disposed on a computer to perform a method for effectively controlling an automatic guide vehicle (AGV) by checking operating mode information stored in a real-time database in order to inactivate the AGV in a semiconductor FA system, when an operating mode is changed from a full automation mode to another mode by a system operator.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor factory automation (FA) system, comprising: a common communication line; a plurality of semiconductor processing means coupled to said common communication each for carrying out a predetermined semiconductor process at an operating mode having a full automation mode and sending a process completion signal after the predetermined semiconductor process has been completed, wherein the predetermined semiconductor process is applied to a lot of semiconductor wafers; an operator interface means coupled to said common communication line for receiving operating mode information of each semiconductor processing means and the operating mode information changed by an operator; a storing means coupled to said common communication line for storing the operating mode information changed from said operator interface means; a creation means coupled to said common communication line for creating a queue in response to the process completion signal; a control means coupled to said common communication line and respons
Cho Young-Soo
Ko Myung-Jai
Garland Steven R.
Hyundai Electronics Industries Co,. Ltd.
Jacobson & Holman PLLC
Picard Leo
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