JP2002227924A - Vibration control damper and exposure apparatus with vibration control damper - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To aim at prevention of direct penetration of vibration energy into the objected equipment to be protected, even if a huge earthquake occurs. SOLUTION: This apparatus is provided with a pair of fixed plates 2 and 12, a vibration damper material 13 being inserted between both plates 12 and 12 and an another plate 15 being attached rigidly to a body 1 of exposure apparatus to be protected in order to make the vibration damper material 13 slide at contact surface of both plates 12 and 12. The vibration damper 13 is made of lead and restrains the swinging of the body 1 of the exposure apparatus by providing the plural protrusions 14 on the planes of both plate 12 and 12 and by unifying the another plate 15 being rushed into the vibration damper material 13 based on the excessive swing of the body 1 of the exposure apparatus.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vibration damper for preventing or reducing the input of vibration energy to an exposure apparatus main body or the like, which is a kind of equipment to be protected, in the event of a huge earthquake. Specifically, the present invention relates to an exposure apparatus and the like provided with a vibration damper for absorbing vibration energy when an earthquake occurs, and an exposure apparatus and the like provided with the vibration damper.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Taking measures against natural disasters that rarely occur in industrial production equipment causes an increase in cost. Therefore, disaster response is often not implemented. A semiconductor exposure apparatus or the like as an apparatus for producing a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) is no exception. Usually, no design action is taken to address a very small probability of occurrence, for example, to cope with a major earthquake. Even if a semiconductor earthquake exposure equipment was damaged due to a massive earthquake and IC production activities were stopped, it was accepted that it was inevitable.

[0003] However, once a disaster occurs and the semiconductor exposure apparatus is seriously damaged and industrial activities are actually stagnated, the probability of the occurrence of a large but small earthquake is reduced. It is regrettable that the countermeasures should have been taken in the semiconductor exposure apparatus. Semiconductor exposure equipment
This is an IC production device that is the driving force of all industries.
The production of lime cannot be done, which has a serious impact on economic activity.

It has not always been the case that there has been no countermeasure against a semiconductor exposure apparatus in preparation for an earthquake. In the unit constituting the apparatus, a metal fitting for preventing the unit from falling was attached to a unit having a high center of gravity. Further, the swing of the main body structure in the semiconductor exposure apparatus has been captured by using a vibration sensor or a position sensor, and the power of the exposure apparatus has been turned off. Turning off the power cuts off the energy supply to moving objects, at least before the earthquake, and avoids mechanical damage caused by runaway of these moving objects.

[0005] However, these measures were not measures capable of withstanding a huge earthquake. It was proved by a major earthquake in Taiwan in September 1999. That is,
Such a large earthquake caused enormous damage to the main body of the exposure apparatus as if laughing at the conventional earthquake countermeasures. If a large earthquake can prevent excessive seismic energy from entering the main body structure which is the heart of the exposure apparatus, the exposure apparatus should quickly return to production activities.

As described above, conventionally, the shake of the exposure apparatus main body due to the earthquake is detected using a vibration meter or a displacement meter, and the occurrence of an unacceptable shake is detected. Was. More specifically, measures after stopping the power supply to the active anti-vibration apparatus provided to suppress the swing of the exposure apparatus main body will be described. When the power supply is momentarily stopped by the earthquake detection, the supply of air to the air spring is stopped and the air is gradually discharged, so that the posture of the exposure apparatus main body becomes unstable due to mechanical collision or the like. Therefore, it has been practiced to shut off the air from the air spring by using an electromagnetic valve or the like to confine the air inside the air spring. In this case, since the exposure apparatus main body is supported by the air spring in a passive state, the exposure apparatus main body is safely supported without causing a mechanical collision in case of a slight earthquake.

However, it was obvious that this could not cope with the occurrence of a huge earthquake. This is because the exposure apparatus main body supported in a passive state is in a state in which position control and damping are not effective, and becomes very susceptible to a disturbance such as an earthquake. Due to the earthquake having huge energy, the exposure apparatus main body supported by the passive air spring repeatedly hits the machine repeatedly, causing enormous damage to the exposure apparatus main body and the reduced projection optical system and precision equipment mounted thereon. I will give it.

[0008]

The problems that have led to the completion of the present invention are summarized as follows. After a major earthquake, semiconductor exposure equipment was devastated and I
C production may be hindered. This is due to the fact that measures for assuming a large earthquake were not taken in the semiconductor exposure apparatus. In most cases, the product life of a semiconductor exposure system will be completed without being damaged by an earthquake.
No measures have been taken in semiconductor lithography equipment to prepare for a huge earthquake that rarely occurs. However, once a huge earthquake has occurred, the economic loss of a semiconductor lithography system that has been severely damaged is also enormous, and enormous costs and time are required to restore the system. It became. For this reason, it has been required to embed an inexpensive and simple structure for absorbing vibration energy into an apparatus currently in operation as well as a semiconductor exposure apparatus to be manufactured.

Therefore, the present invention can prevent the vibration energy from directly entering the device body to be protected even if a huge earthquake occurs, and damage the device body to be immovable. It is an object of the present invention to provide a vibration damper and an exposure apparatus having the same.

[0010]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems. A vibration damper according to the present invention includes a fixed member, a vibration absorbing member arranged in contact with the fixed member, and a rigid body attached to the device to be protected in order to slide the vibration absorbing member on a contact surface of the fixed member. And a vibration damping engagement member attached thereto, wherein the vibration damping engagement member rushes into the vibration absorbing material and becomes integral with the vibration absorbing material based on excessive vibration of the device body to be protected, thereby causing the vibration of the body device to be protected. Is suppressed. The fixing member may include a pair of plates, the vibration absorbing member may be interposed between the pair of plates, and the vibration damping engagement member may be another plate.

Here, more specifically, for example, lead is preferably used as the vibration absorbing material. It is desirable that a plurality of protrusions be provided on the contact surface of the fixing member. At least one of the fixed member and the vibration damping engagement member may be plate-shaped. The vibration-damping engagement member may have a projecting portion that projects into the vibration-absorbing material, and the projecting portion may include a plurality of vibration-damping engaging members that face in opposite directions.

Further, the vibration damper according to the present invention is characterized in that a vibration absorbing material is provided in a support leg for supporting a device body to be protected, in which a vibration absorbing material for absorbing and suppressing the shaking of the device body to be protected is provided. Is also good. This vibration damper can be applied to a case where the support leg for supporting the device body to be protected is an active support leg or a passive support leg.

The present invention is also applicable to an exposure apparatus that is damped by using any of the above-described damping dampers, and a group of manufacturing apparatuses for various processes including the exposure apparatus is installed in a semiconductor manufacturing factory. A semiconductor device manufacturing method characterized by having a step and a step of manufacturing a semiconductor device by a plurality of processes using the manufacturing apparatus group, and a step of connecting the manufacturing apparatus group by a local area network. Between the local area network and an external network outside the semiconductor manufacturing plant,
Data communication of information on at least one of the manufacturing apparatus group. The manufacturing apparatus is accessed by data communication by accessing a database provided by a vendor or a user of the exposure apparatus via the external network. It is preferable to perform the production management by obtaining the maintenance information described above, or performing data communication between the semiconductor manufacturing plant and another semiconductor manufacturing plant via the external network.

According to the present invention, a group of manufacturing apparatuses for various processes including the above-described exposure apparatus, a local area network connecting the group of manufacturing apparatuses, and an external network outside the factory can be accessed from the local area network. The present invention is also applicable to a semiconductor manufacturing factory having a gateway and capable of performing data communication of information on at least one of the manufacturing apparatus groups.

The present invention is the maintenance method for an exposure apparatus according to claim 8, which is installed in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, wherein a vendor or a user of the exposure apparatus is connected to an external network of the semiconductor manufacturing factory. Providing a maintenance database; allowing access to the maintenance database from within the semiconductor manufacturing plant via the external network; and storing the maintenance information stored in the maintenance database through the external network. The method may be a maintenance method for the exposure apparatus, which includes a step of transmitting to the factory.

The present invention also provides the above exposure apparatus,
A display, a network interface, and a computer that executes network software, and is applicable to an exposure apparatus that enables data communication of maintenance information of the exposure apparatus via a computer network. Software is connected to an external network of a factory where the exposure apparatus is installed, provides a user interface on the display for accessing a maintenance database provided by a vendor or a user of the exposure apparatus, on the display, and via the external network. Preferably, the information can be obtained from the database.

[0017]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings, taking as an example a case where an object to be protected is an exposure apparatus. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing a mechanical structure around an active support leg in a semiconductor exposure apparatus having a vibration damper according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, an exposure apparatus main body 1 to be protected in the case of the present embodiment is shown.
Is supported by a plurality of active support legs 3 via a fastening member 2, which provides the active support legs 3 and a mechanical cross-sectional structure around the active support legs 3. The exposure apparatus includes a sensor and an actuator for each axis in the active support leg 3, for example, in order to generate a driving force in the vertical and horizontal directions.

Specifically, 4V is a vertical air spring, 4H is a horizontal air spring, 5V is a vertical position sensor, 5H is a horizontal position sensor, 6V is a vertical vibration sensor.
Is a horizontal vibration sensor, 7V is a servo valve for moving air in and out of the vertical air spring 4V, and 7H is a servo valve for moving air in and out of the horizontal air spring 4H. Reference numeral 8 denotes a laminated rubber, 9 denotes a mechanical spring for preload, and 10 denotes a casing. Here, as the vibration sensor, an acceleration sensor is mentioned as a typical example, but a speed sensor may be used.

The exposure apparatus main body 1 is supported on an upward receiving surface 18a of a support 18 fixed to the upper surface of the surface plate 17 via a laminated rubber 8, a vertical air spring 4V and a fastening member 2. . The support base 18 has a lateral receiving surface 18b.
One side of a horizontal air spring 4H abuts on the lateral receiving surface 18b, and receives a horizontal force accompanying horizontal vibration of the casing 10 via a rod 19 attached to a side plate of the casing 10. .

Normally, the outputs of the vibration sensors 6V, 6H are fed back with appropriate compensation to drive the air springs 4V, 4H in the active support leg 3, thereby damping the support mechanism by the active support leg 3. Is multiplied. Further, after the outputs of the position sensors 5V and 5H are fed back, an appropriate compensation is performed and the vibration sensors 6V and 6H described above are applied.
A driver that opens and closes the servo valves 7V and 7H, which controls the supply and exhaust of air to and from the air springs 4V and 4H, is excited by a signal obtained by adding the negative feedback signal based on the output of the air springs 4V and 4H to reduce the pressure in the air springs 4V and 4H. By performing the adjustment, the exposure apparatus main body 1 is stably supported at a predetermined position.

Now, in a vibration environment of a clean room in which the exposure apparatus main body 1 is installed, the minute vibration transmitted through the mechanism of the active support leg 3 is an operation within the linear range of the feedback system described above. Is suppressed. Further, the swing caused by the reaction force caused by driving the stage (not shown) mounted on the exposure apparatus main body 1 at high speed can be suppressed by the driving force of the air springs 4V and 4H within the substantially linear operation.

However, the situation is different when an earthquake having a huge vibration energy occurs. The power supply to the exposure apparatus is stopped by the detection of the occurrence of the earthquake, so that the power supply to the inside of the active support leg 3 is also stopped. At this time, although the air in the air springs 4V and 4H is not immediately exhausted, it gradually escapes and the exposure apparatus main body 1 finally sits. However, the position control is not effective, and the seating position is undefined. In the worst case, an abnormal stress is applied to the exposure apparatus main body 1 due to improper seating. Therefore, at the moment when the earthquake is detected, a valve (not shown, for example, an electromagnetic valve) for stopping the supply and exhaust of air to and from the air springs 4V and 4H is operated to confine the air in the air springs 4V and 4H. . Then, feedback using the outputs of the vibration sensors 6V and 6H and the position sensors 5V and 5H is not applied, but the air spring is not mechanically collided with the exposure apparatus main body 1 until the shaking due to the small-scale earthquake subsides. 4
Support via V, 4H. However, when a huge earthquake occurs, the exposure apparatus main body 1 is not stably supported by the air springs 4V and 4H. That is, the exposure apparatus main body 1 is violently shaken and suffers mechanical damage. This is because the exposure apparatus main body 1 is supported by passive air springs 4V and 4H which are not damped and have no ability to localize the attitude of the exposure apparatus main body.

In order to avoid such a situation, the exposure apparatus according to the present embodiment uses a viscous material such as lead in the semiconductor exposure apparatus so as not to give a mechanical shock to the exposure apparatus body 1. A seismic damper 11 is provided. More specifically, the vibration damper 11 includes a lower plate 12 fixed to the upper surface of the surface plate 17, an upper plate 12 opposed thereto, and a vibration damper fixed to the lower surface of the exposure apparatus main body 1. Another plate 15 is provided as a composite member, and a vibration absorbing material 13 typified by lead is sandwiched between the two plates 12, 12. Both plates 12, 12 are connected and integrated by a side wall 12a therebetween.

The other plate 15 is located near the right side of the plates 12 and 12 and the vibration absorbing material 13 in FIG. 1, and has a leftwardly extending ridge 15a at the lower end, and is tapered to the tip of the ridge 15a. Is provided. Also. Another plate 15 is shown in FIG.
It may be disposed near the left side of both plates 12 and 12 and the vibration absorbing material 13 and may be provided with a right-right lateral vibration damping rush portion 15a at the lower end. You may.

Then, the vibration damper 11 is provided with the vibration absorbing material 1.
Protrusions 14 are provided at a plurality of locations on the contact surfaces inside the plates 12, 12 that are in contact with 3. This makes it possible to form a depression in the vibration absorbing material 13 typified by soft lead. In the case of the vibration damper 11 shown in FIG. 1, the vibration absorbing material 13 between the pair of plates 12, 12 is plastically deformed and flows by a predetermined load in the horizontal direction, and the vibration absorbing material 13 is horizontally moved between the plates 12, 12. It slides in the direction. Here, the load for sliding the vibration absorbing material 13 is given by another plate 15 as a vibration damping engagement member rigidly connected to the exposure apparatus main body 1. In the case of FIG. 1, since a gap exists between the other plate 15 and the vibration absorbing material 13, a load for sliding the vibration absorbing material 13 is not applied in this state. .
The vibration absorbing material 13 can be slid for the first time by the integration of the two by the insertion of another plate 15 into the vibration absorbing material 13. The predetermined gap between the other plate 15 and the vibration absorbing material 13 is, of course, matched to the stroke when the exposure apparatus main body 1 supported by the active support leg 3 is in a normal operation state. That is, the vibration is normally caused by two operations: vibration isolation for micro-vibration entering from the floor 20 on which the active support leg 3 is installed, and vibration suppression for suppressing oscillation of the exposure apparatus main body 1 due to driving reaction force of a stage or the like (not shown). In the range of shaking of the exposure apparatus main body 1 in the operating state, the tip of another plate 15 and the vibration absorbing material 13 do not come into contact with each other. If the exposure apparatus main body 1 swings beyond the allowable range due to a large earthquake or the like, the piercing portion 15a of another plate 15 penetrates the vibration absorbing material 13 to absorb vibration energy, and The vibration absorbing material 13 integrated with 15 further attenuates the vibration energy by sliding in a horizontal direction between the two plates 12, 12, whereby the vibration energy enters the exposure apparatus main body 1. Is prevented or suppressed.

In FIG. 1, a vibration damper 11 is provided to apply strong damping in the horizontal direction of the exposure apparatus body 1. Of course, although not shown, it is necessary to provide a vibration damper similar to the vibration damper 11 in the vertical direction. It goes without saying that a plurality of vibration dampers 11 are mounted in both the horizontal direction and the vertical direction as necessary. Also in the case of a vertical damping damper, another plate 15 can be provided in combination with a damping portion 15a having an inverting portion 15a facing in the opposite direction. Also, the plates 12, 12
Alternatively, a cylinder may be used, and the cross section of the cylinder may be rectangular or any other shape.

(Second Embodiment) In the first embodiment,
Before the excessive vibration energy due to the earthquake is directly input to the exposure apparatus main body, the excessive vibration energy is absorbed by an appropriate vibration absorbing material 13. For this purpose, a vibration damper 11 is provided around the active support leg 3. Damping damper 11
For example, lead can be used as the vibration absorbing material 13. When lead deforms plastically, it absorbs energy and functions as viscous resistance.

In the exposure apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, a lead plug 16 is incorporated in the active support leg 3 as a vibration absorbing material. This figure is a diagram showing one structure of an active support leg using a lead plug 16 as a vibration absorbing material. The lead plugs 16 are interposed between the receiving surface 18a of the support base 18 and the air spring 4V, and are arranged at a plurality of locations around the laminated rubber 8 in parallel with the laminated rubber 8.

Referring to FIG. 2, it is assumed that a vibration due to a huge earthquake has entered. At this time, the supply of power is cut off, and the air springs 4V and 4H enter an uncontrolled state. As described above, the air springs 4V and 4H are in a state where the air is confined, and the exposure apparatus main body 1 is supported by the passive air springs 4V and 4H. The exposure apparatus main body 1 shakes violently due to excessive vibration energy,
Excessive expansion and contraction of the preloading mechanical spring 9 and the laminated rubber 8 causes the casing 10 and the member on the fixed side of the active support leg 3 to violently mechanically collide. This damages the exposure apparatus main body 1 and the compacting equipment and measuring equipment mounted thereon.
In the worst case, a force is applied to the illustrated laminated rubber 8 so as to shear it, leading to destruction of the active support leg 3. Therefore, in FIG. 2, the lead plug 16 receives a stress that causes the laminated rubber 8 to be sheared and broken. For this purpose, a plurality of lead plugs 16 are arranged in parallel with the laminated rubber 8. With this arrangement, the lead plug 16 functions as a vibration absorber. That is, vibration energy that causes the laminated rubber 8 to be sheared and broken can be absorbed. In the worst case, mechanical damage to both the active support leg 3 and the exposure apparatus main body 1 can be avoided only by breaking the lead plug 16.

The surface of the lead plug 16 can be covered with a soft film in order to prevent a substance inappropriate for exposure of the semiconductor exposure apparatus from escaping from the surface of the lead plug 16. Alternatively, an inappropriate substance can be sucked into a duct for exhausting heat in the active support leg 3.

Further, the vibration damper according to the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be applied to, for example, precision processing machines other than the exposure apparatus, in which the support legs are active or passive. Applicable regardless of target.

(Embodiment of Semiconductor Production System)
An example of a production system of a semiconductor device (a semiconductor chip such as an IC or an LSI, a liquid crystal panel, a CCD, a thin-film magnetic head, a micromachine, or the like) using an exposure apparatus having a vibration damper according to the present invention will be described. This is for troubleshooting and periodic maintenance of manufacturing equipment installed in semiconductor manufacturing plants,
Alternatively, maintenance services such as software provision are performed using a computer network outside the manufacturing factory.

FIG. 3 shows the whole system cut out from a certain angle. In the figure, reference numeral 101 denotes a business establishment of a vendor (apparatus supply maker) that provides a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus. As an example of a manufacturing apparatus, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for various processes used in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, for example,
Pre-process equipment (lithography equipment such as exposure equipment, resist processing equipment, etching equipment, heat treatment equipment, film formation equipment,
It is assumed that flattening equipment and the like and post-processing equipment (assembly equipment, inspection equipment, etc.) are used. In the business office 101, a host management system 10 for providing a maintenance database of manufacturing equipment
8. It has a plurality of operation terminal computers 110 and a local area network (LAN) 109 connecting these to construct an intranet or the like. Host management system 1
Reference numeral 08 includes a gateway for connecting the LAN 109 to the Internet 105, which is an external network of the business office, and a security function for restricting external access.

On the other hand, reference numerals 102 to 104 denote manufacturing factories of a semiconductor manufacturer as users of the manufacturing apparatus. The manufacturing factories 102 to 104 may be factories belonging to different manufacturers or factories belonging to the same manufacturer (for example, a factory for a pre-process, a factory for a post-process, etc.). In each of the factories 102 to 104, a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses 106, a local area network (LAN) 111 connecting them to construct an intranet or the like, and a host as a monitoring apparatus for monitoring the operation status of each manufacturing apparatus 106 are provided. A management system 107 is provided. Each factory 1
Host management system 107 provided in the storage system 02 to 104
Has a gateway for connecting the LAN 111 in each factory to the Internet 105 which is an external network of the factory. As a result, access to the host management system 108 on the vendor 101 side from the LAN 111 of each factory via the Internet 105 is possible, and access is allowed only to limited users by the security function of the host management system 108. In particular,
Via the Internet 105, status information indicating the operation status of each manufacturing apparatus 106 (for example, the symptom of the manufacturing apparatus in which a trouble has occurred) is notified from the factory side to the vendor side, and response information corresponding to the notification (for example, (Information indicating how to cope with a trouble, software and data for coping), and maintenance information such as the latest software and help information can be received from the vendor. For data communication between each of the factories 102 to 104 and the vendor 101 and data communication with the LAN 111 in each of the factories, a communication protocol (T
CP / IP) is used. Instead of using the Internet as an external network outside the factory, it is also possible to use a dedicated line network (such as ISDN) that cannot be accessed by a third party and has high security. Further, the host management system is not limited to the one provided by the vendor, and a user may construct a database and place it on an external network, and permit access from a plurality of factories of the user to the database.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram showing the entire system according to the present embodiment cut out from a different angle from FIG. In the above example, a plurality of user factories each having a manufacturing device and a management system of a vendor of the manufacturing device are connected via an external network, and the production management of each factory and at least one device are connected via the external network. The data of the manufacturing apparatus was communicated. On the other hand, in this example, a factory equipped with manufacturing equipment of a plurality of vendors is connected to a management system of each of the plurality of manufacturing equipments via an external network outside the factory, and maintenance information of each manufacturing equipment is stored. It is for data communication. In the figure, reference numeral 201 denotes a manufacturing plant of a manufacturing apparatus user (semiconductor device manufacturer), and a manufacturing line for performing various processes, for example, an exposure apparatus 202, a resist processing apparatus 203;
A film forming apparatus 204 is introduced. Although FIG. 4 shows only one manufacturing factory 201, a plurality of factories are actually networked in the same manner. Each device in the factory is connected by LAN 206 to form an intranet,
The operation management of the production line is performed by the host management system 205.

On the other hand, each business establishment of a vendor (apparatus maker) such as an exposure apparatus maker 210, a resist processing apparatus maker 220, and a film forming apparatus maker 230 has a host management system 21 for remote maintenance of the supplied equipment.
1, 211, and 231 which include a maintenance database and an external network gateway as described above. A host management system 205 for managing each device in the user's manufacturing plant, and a vendor management system 2 for each device
11, 221, and 231 are connected by the Internet or a dedicated line network which is the external network 200. In this system, if a trouble occurs in any of a series of manufacturing equipment on the manufacturing line,
Although the operation of the production line is paused, quick response is possible by receiving remote maintenance via the Internet 200 from the vendor of the troubled device, and the suspension of the production line can be minimized. .

Each of the manufacturing apparatuses installed in the semiconductor manufacturing factory has a display, a network interface, and a computer that executes network access software and apparatus operation software stored in a storage device. The storage device is a built-in memory, a hard disk, a network file server, or the like. The network access software includes a dedicated or general-purpose web browser, and provides, for example, a user interface having a screen as shown in FIG. 5 on a display. The operator who manages the manufacturing equipment at each factory refers to the screen and refers to the manufacturing equipment model 401, the serial number 402, and the trouble subject 40.
3. Information such as date of occurrence 404, degree of urgency 405, symptom 406, coping method 407, progress 408, etc. is input to input items on the screen. The input information is transmitted to the maintenance database via the Internet, and the resulting appropriate maintenance information is returned from the maintenance database and presented on the display. The user interface provided by the web browser further includes hyperlink functions 410 to 4 as shown in the figure.
12 enables the operator to access more detailed information on each item, extract the latest version of software used for manufacturing equipment from the software library provided by the vendor, and provide an operation guide (help Information). Here, the maintenance information provided by the maintenance database includes the information on the present invention described above, and the software library also provides the latest software for realizing the present invention.

Next, a semiconductor device manufacturing process using the above-described production system will be described. FIG. 6 shows the flow of the whole semiconductor device manufacturing process. In step 1 (circuit design), the circuit of the semiconductor device is designed. Step 2 is a process for making a mask on the basis of the circuit pattern design. Step 3
In (wafer manufacture), a wafer is manufactured using a material such as silicon. Step 4 (wafer process) is called a pre-process, and an actual circuit is formed on the wafer by lithography using the prepared mask and wafer. The next step 5 (assembly) is called a post-process, and is a process of forming a semiconductor chip using the wafer produced in step 4, and assembly such as an assembly process (dicing and bonding) and a packaging process (chip encapsulation). Process. In step 6 (inspection), inspections such as an operation confirmation test and a durability test of the semiconductor device manufactured in step 5 are performed. Through these steps, a semiconductor device is completed and shipped (step 7). The pre-process and the post-process are performed in separate dedicated factories, and maintenance is performed for each of these factories by the above-described remote maintenance system. Further, information for production management and apparatus maintenance is also communicated between the pre-process factory and the post-process factory via the Internet or a dedicated line network.

FIG. 7 shows a detailed flow of the wafer process. Step 11 (oxidation) oxidizes the wafer's surface. Step 12 (CVD) forms an insulating film on the wafer surface. Step 13 (electrode formation) forms electrodes on the wafer by vapor deposition. In step 14 (ion implantation), ions are implanted into the wafer. Step 15
In (resist processing), a photosensitive agent is applied to the wafer. Step 16 (exposure) uses the above-described exposure apparatus to print and expose the circuit pattern of the mask onto the wafer. Step 17 (development) develops the exposed wafer. In step 18 (etching), portions other than the developed resist image are removed. In step 19 (resist stripping), unnecessary resist after etching is removed. By repeating these steps, multiple circuit patterns are formed on the wafer. Since the manufacturing equipment used in each process is maintained by the remote maintenance system described above, troubles can be prevented beforehand, and if troubles occur, quick recovery is possible. Can be improved in productivity.

[0040]

The effects of the present invention are as follows. (1) To cope with the occurrence of a huge earthquake, there is provided a damping damper around a supporting leg for supporting a device to be protected and an exposure apparatus including the damping damper. Therefore, the vibration energy of the earthquake can be almost absorbed here, and there is obtained an effect that at least no significant damage is given to the protection target device main body. (2) Even if a huge earthquake or the like occurs, it is possible to prevent the vibration energy from directly entering the device to be protected and prevent the device from being damaged. Since the exposure apparatus and the like do not suffer catastrophic damage, there is an effect that recovery from a disaster can be quickly performed. (3) Therefore, there is an effect that it is possible to quickly return to normal production activities while minimizing economic loss.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a mechanical structure around an active support leg in a semiconductor exposure apparatus including a vibration damper according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view showing one structure of an active support leg having a lead plug of the semiconductor exposure apparatus having the vibration damper according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual view of a semiconductor device production system using an apparatus provided with a vibration damper according to the present invention as viewed from a certain angle.

FIG. 4 is a conceptual diagram of a semiconductor device production system using an apparatus having a vibration damper according to the present invention, as viewed from another angle.

FIG. 5 is a specific example of a user interface.

FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a flow of a device manufacturing process.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating a wafer process.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: exposure apparatus main body, 2: fastening member, 3: active support leg,
4V: vertical air spring, 4H: horizontal air spring, 5V: vertical position sensor, 5H: horizontal position sensor, 6V: vertical vibration sensor, 6H: horizontal vibration sensor, 7V, 7H: servo valve, 8: laminated rubber, 9: mechanical spring for preload, 10: casing, 1
1: damping damper, 12: plate (fixing member), 13:
Vibration absorbing material represented by lead, 14: protrusion, 15: another plate (vibration damping engagement member), 15a: rush part, 1
6: lead plug, 17: base plate, 18: support base, 19: rod, 20: floor, 101: vendor's office, 102, 10
3,104: Manufacturing plant, 105: Internet, 10
6: manufacturing equipment, 107: factory host management system, 1
08: vendor-side host management system; 109: vendor-side local area network (LAN); 110:
Operation terminal computer, 111: factory local area network (LAN), 200: external network,
201: manufacturing apparatus user's manufacturing factory, 202: exposure apparatus, 203: resist processing apparatus, 204: film forming apparatus, 205: factory host management system, 206: factory local area network (LAN), 210: exposure apparatus Maker, 211: Host management system of the business of the exposure apparatus maker, 220: Resist processing apparatus maker, 2
21: Host management system of a business site of a resist processing apparatus maker, 230: Film forming apparatus maker, 231: Host management system of a business site of a film forming apparatus maker, 401: Model of manufacturing apparatus, 402: Serial number, 403: Trouble Subject, 404: date of occurrence, 405: urgency, 406: symptom, 407: remedy, 408: progress, 410, 411
412: Hyperlink function.

Claims (15)

[Claims] 1. A fixed member, a vibration absorbing member arranged in contact with the fixed member, and a vibration control member rigidly attached to the device body to be protected in order to slide the vibration absorbing member on a contact surface of the fixed member. And a vibration engagement member, wherein the vibration control engagement member enters the vibration absorbing material and becomes integral with the vibration absorbing material based on excessive vibration of the device to be protected, thereby suppressing the vibration of the device to be protected. A vibration damper characterized by the following. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the fixing member includes a pair of plates, the vibration absorbing member is sandwiched between the pair of plates, and the vibration damping engagement member is another plate. The damping damper according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The vibration damper according to claim 1, wherein the vibration absorbing material is lead. 4. The vibration damper according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of protrusions are provided on a contact surface of the fixing member. 5. The vibration control member according to claim 1, wherein said vibration damping engagement member has a protrusion which protrudes into said vibration absorbing member, and said protrusion includes a plurality of vibration damping engagement members having opposite directions. The vibration damper according to any one of Items 1 to 4, wherein 6. A vibration damper characterized in that a vibration absorbing material is provided in a support leg for supporting a device body to be protected, the vibration absorbing material absorbing and suppressing vibration of the device body to be protected. 7. The vibration damper according to claim 6, wherein said support leg is one of an active support leg and a passive support leg. 8. An exposure apparatus which is controlled by using the vibration damper according to claim 1. Description: 9. A step of installing a group of manufacturing apparatuses for various processes including the exposure apparatus according to claim 8 in a semiconductor manufacturing factory; and a step of manufacturing a semiconductor device by a plurality of processes using the group of manufacturing apparatuses. A semiconductor device manufacturing method, comprising: 10. A step of connecting said group of manufacturing apparatuses via a local area network, and data communication between said local area network and an external network outside said semiconductor manufacturing factory regarding at least one of said group of manufacturing apparatuses. 10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of: 11. A semiconductor manufacturing factory different from the semiconductor manufacturing factory by accessing a database provided by a vendor or a user of the exposure apparatus via the external network to obtain maintenance information of the manufacturing apparatus by data communication. 11. The production management is performed by performing data communication with the device via the external network.
3. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to item 1. 12. A manufacturing apparatus group for various processes including the exposure apparatus according to claim 8, a local area network connecting the manufacturing apparatus group, and an external network outside the factory can be accessed from the local area network. A semiconductor manufacturing plant, comprising: a gateway that performs data communication of information on at least one of the manufacturing apparatus groups. 13. The semiconductor device according to claim 8, which is installed in a semiconductor manufacturing plant.
The maintenance method of an exposure apparatus according to the above, wherein a vendor or a user of the exposure apparatus provides a maintenance database connected to an external network of a semiconductor manufacturing plant, and via the external network from within the semiconductor manufacturing plant A step of allowing access to the maintenance database by using an external network, and a step of transmitting maintenance information stored in the maintenance database to a semiconductor manufacturing factory via the external network. . 14. The exposure apparatus according to claim 8, wherein:
An exposure apparatus, further comprising a display, a network interface, and a computer executing network software, and capable of performing data communication of maintenance information of the exposure apparatus via a computer network. 15. The network software,
Provided on the display is a user interface for accessing a maintenance database provided by a vendor or a user of the exposure apparatus connected to an external network of a factory where the exposure apparatus is installed, and from the database via the external network. The exposure apparatus according to claim 14, wherein information can be obtained.