KR100468509B1 - Multi In-Put To Ethernet Converter - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a SECS data conversion device located between a semiconductor equipment device and an error monitoring control device (FDC) or a production execution device (MES) for the semiconductor equipment, and more particularly, a standard communication protocol of a semiconductor production equipment. The present invention relates to a data conversion device or method for converting data received from a semiconductor equipment device (EQP) that does not support SECS into SECS-type data and transmitting the data to an error monitoring control device (FDC) or a production execution device (MES). .

The apparatus for converting SECS data according to the present invention is a device for converting data between a semiconductor equipment and a control device for the semiconductor equipment, wherein at least a part of the data from the semiconductor equipment is non-SECS. A data collection unit collecting a set; A data converter configured to generate a second data set having an SECS form based on the collected first data set; And a data transmitter for transmitting the converted second data set to the control device.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a standardized protocol for error monitoring control device (FDC) or production execution device (MES) for managing and maintaining semiconductor equipment (EQP) and semiconductor equipment (EQP), thereby reducing costs and It can improve the efficiency of the equipment and implement a stable operation of the entire system including the semiconductor equipment.

Description

SCS data converter {Multi In-Put To Ethernet Converter}

The present invention relates to a SECS data conversion device located between a semiconductor equipment device and an error monitoring control device (FDC) or a production execution device (MES) for the semiconductor equipment, and more particularly, a standard communication protocol of a semiconductor production equipment. The present invention relates to a data conversion device or method for converting data received from a semiconductor equipment device (EQP) that does not support SECS into SECS-type data and transmitting the data to an error monitoring control device (FDC) or a production execution device (MES). .

The rapid development of today's information and communication (IT) industry is transforming our daily lives by developing and developing numerous electrical and electronic products. Electrical and electronic products, including home appliances such as mobile phones, TVs, refrigerators, and video, wired and wireless communication facility devices, and various industrial control devices, contain numerous semiconductor IC devices such as microprocessors, memory, graphics cards, and modems. It is possible to perform a desired function of the device by the smooth operation between these elements.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process, which has emerged as a key component of the IT industry, the entire process must be brought online and systematically maintained. Moreover, as the integration of semiconductor devices increases, the demand for automation of manufacturing processes to maintain a high degree of cleanliness and improve the reliability of products in manufacturing sites is increasing day by day. Therefore, many semiconductor factories have already made much progress for unmanned production sites using automatic transfer devices, AGVs, robots, etc., and are making efforts to improve productivity through related technology development.

In accordance with these internal and external requirements, the Standards of Data Communication for Interfaces between Semiconductor Equipment (EQP) and External Computers in the Equipment Automation Division of the SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International) for the standardization of related technologies. A new SEC Equipment Communications Standard (SECS) protocol has been proposed.

In recent years, by requiring semiconductor equipment manufacturers to apply SECS as an option, most semiconductor production equipment has followed this standard in the interface area. The SECS standard is a protocol specification that is applied to online operation of all processes including logistics, management as well as production and manufacturing processes for most semiconductor and LCD production equipments at home and abroad. The equipment is almost required to support the SECS communication specification.

However, semiconductor devices that have been developed long ago and are still in use at production sites still do not support, or only partially support, the SECS communication standard. Upgrading these devices to SECS standard equipment is enormously costly and difficult to replace, making it an obstacle to online automation of SECS-based semiconductor processes.

In order to connect these devices (hereinafter referred to as "Non-SECS equipment") that do not support the SECS standard with the factory automation system (MES / FDC) to perform management and maintenance, conventionally, Serial To Ethernet is a temporary measure. Several converters such as Converters or Analog To Ethernet Converters have been used to build a dual complex relay system that implements the data interface to the host system and implements data synchronization at the upper system level separately. Therefore, due to this dual communication structure, the user's operational complexity, difficulty in management and maintenance has become a problem.

In addition, since the conventional converters support only simple protocol conversion methods, when additional control is required on the communication module, the expansion purpose and processing are different so that the Interpret Module must be performed at the host level. Had a hassle to do.

Accordingly, there is an urgent need for the development of a new type of SECS data conversion device that is simpler, easier and more efficient in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to improve the prior art as described above, and receives and integrates various types of signals acquired or extracted from a semiconductor equipment (EQP) and processes them into a single Ethernet output, if necessary, to control logic. An object of the present invention is to provide a commercialized technology that can be implemented.

It is another object of the present invention to unify and manage the conversion devices that have established the communication outputs of various sensors and devices of lower stages in the communication and monitoring systems of the semiconductor and general communication markets into one unified and unified conversion device. And to improve the efficiency of control.

Another object of the present invention is to design a product with a structure capable of implementing logic control, not just a protocol conversion function, thereby simplifying a dual management point of a high-level factory automation system (MES / FDC) system. The cost of building the system (MES / FDC) is reduced.

Another object of the present invention is to improve the real-time and minimize the error rate through data synchronization beyond the level of integrating data of various sensors and devices into one.

It is another object of the present invention to convert the SECS data into a standardized protocol to perform synchronization between each semiconductor device EQP or integrated management of the entire EQP.

1 is a diagram illustrating a network configuration of an apparatus for converting SECS data according to the present invention.

2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a SECS data conversion apparatus according to the present invention.

3A is a diagram for describing a first data set received by the data collector 210.

FIG. 3B illustrates an embodiment for acquiring a key parameter from data received from the semiconductor equipment (EQP) by the data collector 210 according to the present invention.

4 shows an example of a software functional block diagram operating within the SECS data conversion apparatus according to the present invention.

Fig. 5 shows an example of an SECS data conversion apparatus 500 in which the data processing structure of the present invention is configured in a double structure.

6A illustrates an example of how to obtain a first data set and thereby generate a second data set.

FIG. 6B shows a memory map of the PLC device according to FIG. 6A.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which a SECS data conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a photo facility.

FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating a simulation result of a SEC station data converter according to the present invention for a wet station.

FIG. 8B is a diagram showing a simulation result for a CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) device among semiconductor equipment.

8C is a graph illustrating the verification result in the FDC.

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of a method for converting data between a semiconductor equipment device and an error monitoring control device (FDC) or a production execution device (MES) for a semiconductor equipment device according to the present invention.

10 is an internal block diagram of a general purpose computer device that may be employed to perform the SECS data conversion method in accordance with the present invention.

<Explanation of symbols for the main parts of the drawings>

110: semiconductor equipment (EQP)

120: SECS data conversion device

130: fault detection & classification (FDC)

140: Ethernet (network)

In order to achieve the above object and solve the problems of the prior art, according to an aspect of the present invention, in the device for converting data between the semiconductor equipment and the control device for the semiconductor equipment, at least data from the semiconductor equipment A data collector configured to collect a first data set having a portion of the non-SECS type; A data converter configured to generate a second data set having an SECS form based on the collected first data set; And a data transmitter for transmitting the converted second data set to the control device.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a SECS data conversion device, comprising: collecting a first data set from a predetermined semiconductor equipment (EQP) in which at least a part of the data is of a non-SECS type; Generating a second data set of SECS type based on the collected first data set; And transmitting the converted second data set to an FDC.

Hereinafter, an apparatus and a method for converting SECS data according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram illustrating a network configuration of an apparatus for converting SECS data according to the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the SECS data conversion device 120 collects predetermined data from the semiconductor equipment (EQP) 110, converts the collected data into SECS data, and converts the collected data into an Ethernet communication network ( 140 to transmit to the upper factory automation system (MES / FDC) (130).

The semiconductor equipment (EQP) (110) in the present invention refers to the general devices required for the semiconductor manufacturing process, cleaning device, etching device, coating device, photo equipment, CMP device, etc. Of course, it is interpreted to include all the product inspection apparatus. Such an EQP device may include a controller, such as a controller, to perform each process, or may have various types of sensor devices capable of measuring the state within the device.

In addition, Fault Detection and Classification (FDC) in the present invention is a device for the purpose of management or maintenance of the semiconductor equipment (EQP), the semiconductor equipment (EQP) in real time By monitoring and receiving various plant, process data and parameter values, comparing and analyzing them or viewing information on events occurring in each device, diagnosing or post-healing problems occurring in EQP in advance It is broadly interpreted as including all types of devices that can be acted upon.

The Manufacturing Execution System (MES) in the present invention is a device based on a scheduling and execution point of view as a management device for grasping the production manufacturing site and accumulating results. In addition, the production execution device (MES) is broadly interpreted as including all the devices focused on real-time monitoring, control, logistics and job tracking management, status identification, defect management.

The higher factory automation system in the present invention means a device including at least one of the above-described error control monitoring device (FDC) or production execution device (MES).

2 is a block diagram showing an internal configuration of a SECS data conversion apparatus according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the SECS data conversion apparatus 200 according to the present invention includes a data collector 210, a data converter 220, and a data transmitter 230. Hereinafter, the function of each component will be described in detail.

The data collector 210 collects a first data set from the semiconductor equipment device EQP. All or part of the first data set is non-SECS-type data, and may include analog data or serial data.

A wet station widely used as a semiconductor device is a device for cleaning using various chemicals, for example, a cleaning liquid (eg, NH ₄ OH, H ₂ O ₂ , DI). Ultrasonic vibration may be applied to the water to remove foreign matters from the fine part to be cleaned. Alternatively, the cleaning device has a sliding door to prevent the diffusion of chemicals to the outside. In addition, a touch screen may be included in order to facilitate work of an operator. However, in the case of such a cleaning device, most of the data has a non-SECS type as a field in which SECS standardization is insufficient. Alternatively, in other semiconductor equipment, some of the data may have a non-SECS form.

The data converter 220 generates a second data set by performing a data conversion operation of the SECS type on the first data set collected from the data collector 210.

The data transmitter 230 transmits the second data set generated by the data converter 220 to the error monitoring control device FDC or the production execution device MES through Ethernet. To this end, the data transmitter 230 may include an Ethernet interface module.

3A is a diagram for describing a first data set received by the data collector 210. Hereinafter, the first data set will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3A.

As a first data set received from the semiconductor equipment, there are key parameters, sensor data, and configuration data.

First, the "key parameter" means data indicating the process progress of the semiconductor equipment. "Sensor data" is data indicating under what condition conditions the semiconductor equipment is placed, and displays the state that changes in real time such as temperature, pressure, flow rate, etc. in the device as data measured by the sensor. "Setting data" means various data values that are specified (set) by the user for the operation of the semiconductor equipment.

Among the above data, the most important data online of the semiconductor equipment is the key parameter. The first data set according to the present invention is a key parameter and includes at least one of an identifier of a process ID, a lot ID, a wafer ID, a wafer ID, a step ID, and a status ID. It may include one or more.

The process ID (Recipe ID) includes information on what process the semiconductor wafer currently goes through. Contains information about process recipes (eg, cleaning conditions and cleaning methods) for each process. Next, a lot ID (Lot ID) is a unique identifier that can distinguish a lot that is a bundle of wafers, the wafer ID (Wafer ID) is an identifier that can identify the number of wafers in the lot.

The step ID is a unique identifier that identifies which of the various steps in the process ID performed in the semiconductor equipment EQQ.

Finally, the Status ID is a unique identifier that indicates the process progress in the device. For example, the status identifier may indicate a status for a stop, stop, wait, progress, etc. of the wafer.

According to the present invention, all or some of the above-listed key parameters may be collected from the EQP for the online process of the semiconductor process.

FIG. 3B illustrates an embodiment for acquiring a key parameter from data received from the semiconductor equipment (EQP) by the data collector 210 according to the present invention. According to the present invention, it is shown that the key parameters can be collected through various embodiments, regardless of whether the key parameters exist internally in the device or in any form.

As shown in FIG. 3B, when the first data set obtained from the EQP is a mixture of SECS data and Non-SECS data (311), if the key parameters to be collected exist as SECS data types, SECS data and Non- Obtain key parameters through timing matching of SECS data. In addition, when the key parameter does not exist in the SECS data, it is checked whether the key parameter exists in the device (eg, PLC, sensor, etc.) inside the EQP (321). If a key parameter exists inside the EQP but is not automatically transferred (or easily revealed) outside of the EQP, the key parameters can be obtained by listing and acquiring the data that can be obtained within the EQP and performing various analysis among them. (More detailed description will be made later with PLC as an example.) Especially for older equipment (old equipment), there is a high likelihood that the interface via the SECS standard protocol will not be supported at all, in which case it will be necessary to actively find key parameters in the EQP internal device. Requires experience

If the key parameters cannot be obtained from the EQP (331), they must be obtained from the outside through the communication network. That is, a key parameter is obtained based on information obtained from a higher factory automation system (MES / FDC) such as FDC / MES connected through a communication network. To this end, the data collector 210 needs to install a flexible program that can interface with the FDC / MES.

As such, when the first data set is collected from the data collector 210 of FIG. 2, the data converter 220 of FIG. 2 merges the first data in consideration of the correlation between the collected first data. To generate a second data set in the form of SECS.

That is, the first data collected from the data collection unit 210 may not serve as meaningful data in the online process for production management and maintenance as each individual data, and thus they are organically combined (merge) with each other to make more meaningful. Data can be formed.

As an example, to know what specific wafers the semiconductor equipment is currently processing in a certain process, and the environmental conditions such as temperature and pressure in the equipment, the process identifier, lot identifier, wafer identifier, By merging the step identifier and the sensor data with each other, "The 12th wafer in the 10th lot is currently being immersed in the 3rd batter in the cleaning apparatus. In addition, the pressure and temperature conditions in the current apparatus are OO atmosphere and celsius OO, respectively. New information can be created. After all, in the present invention, the term "data merge" may be interpreted as generating new SECS-type second data by matching valid and appropriate data with each other in consideration of correlation of first data (eg, timing matching). . Alternatively, data merge may be interpreted in the sense of data synchronization, taking into account the timing associated with each data.

As another embodiment according to the present invention, as shown in FIG. 2, in addition to converting the non-SECS type data included in the first data set into second data of the SECS type, the data converter 220 includes: The SECS-type data included in the first data set may be directly bypassed from the data collection unit 210 to the data transmitter 230 without passing through the data conversion unit 220 without a separate data conversion process (240). ). This can reduce the load of the data conversion apparatus according to the present invention and can also improve the real time of the online process.

As a result, the data conversion apparatus 200 according to the present invention transmits the second data set converted into the SECS form to the higher factory automation system (MES / FDC), thereby the higher factory automation system for the non-SECS equipment such as the cleaning device. It acts as a gateway to deliver the data required by (MES / FDC) in the form of data required by higher factory automation systems (MES / FDC). Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously perform the data generation function, the network load minimization, and the interoperability with the existing system in the effective form required by the upper factory automation system (MES / FDC) for each data. In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to promote online to enable stable management and maintenance of semiconductor equipment while minimizing the structural change of the upper factory automation system (MES / FDC).

4 shows an example of a software functional block diagram operating within the SECS data conversion apparatus according to the present invention. The first data set according to the present invention includes serial data collected from a digital controller device such as a PLC or analog data collected from various sensors. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the data converter may include a serial packet interpreter for converting the serial data and an analog converter (AD) for converting the analog data.

FIG. 5 illustrates another example of the SECS data conversion apparatus 500 in which a data processing structure is configured in a double structure, unlike the SECS data conversion apparatus 200 of FIG. 2 in another embodiment of the present invention. It is shown. As shown in FIG. 5, the data converter may be divided into a primary merger 510 and a secondary merger 520. In the primary merger, the data collector 210 of FIG. 2 is described above. Includes, the first merge of the non-SECS type of the first data set obtained from the EQP through the data collector 210, SECS through the secondary merge in the EAP (Equipment Application Processor) of the secondary merge The data is converted into form data and transmitted to the upper factory automation system (MES / FDC) through the data transmitter.

The first data set obtained from the EQP can be thought of as a combination of letters and numbers. Accordingly, the primary merger 510 performs data query and primary filtering at the gateway level for each semiconductor equipment characteristic, which is read by the upper factory (higher layer) automation system (MES / FDC). This is difficult. Therefore, the secondary merge unit 520 is a second data set that is easy to read in the upper factory automation system (MES / FDC) through the secondary merge based on the related information about the primary merge that the EAP has. Finally, it is processed into SECS data.

As such, by dividing the data conversion unit into the first merge unit 510 and the second merge unit 520, in order to obtain data required for merge, all types of data suitable for each layer can be easily taken. do. That is, the first merge unit 510 collects data that can be obtained at the facility level (eg, gateway device level as a lower layer), and the second merge unit can be obtained at the server side (higher layer) of the peripheral system. Collect data that you can. The collected data is merged and converted into SECS data. In addition, such a redundant structure distributes the data merge load and ultimately achieves the effect of network load distribution, compared to performing all data merging at one gateway device level.

The SECS data conversion apparatus 200 as shown in FIG. 2 adopts all the SECS data conversion functions as an integrated unit, and supports the bypass function for the portion where the existing SECS is supported. Build it. Therefore, there is an advantage that it is easy to manage in one centralized structure and the structure for the upper system can be simply and conveniently configured.

On the other hand, the SECS data conversion apparatus 500 as shown in FIG. 5 has a separate structure in a method for dealing with non-SECS data. In other words, the gateway stage does not process everything, but processes only the matters that must be done at the lower layer, and the merge part is performed by the higher level program (EAP) after the first merge at the gateway (primary merge unit). After the second merge, the environment is as similar as possible to the SECS facility. According to FIG. 5, a function of distributing the load on the entire system may be obtained by distributing a functional part of the SECS data conversion process. In addition, it is possible to cope more flexibly by obtaining information from both the lower and upper data necessary for merge.

FIG. 6A illustrates an example of how to obtain a first data set and thereby generate a second data set in a semiconductor device of a wet station according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

As described above, the cleaning apparatus is the most non-SECSized equipment among the semiconductor equipment (EQP), and is one of the most difficult EQPs to transform the output data into the SECS type. If it is possible to output data in the form of SECS to the cleaning device, this may mean a great progress of SECS standardization in the semiconductor related facilities.

As shown in FIG. 6A, the cleaning apparatus includes a plurality of baths (bath # 1, bath # 2, ..., bath #n) containing different chemicals, and is suitable for use of a semiconductor to be manufactured. The cleaning process is completed while the wafer is quenched sequentially in these batts in accordance with a predetermined process determined by the above. The cleaning apparatus includes a PLC controller, which controls the input and output between each component in the apparatus so that the desired desired process can be achieved.

In order to manage or maintain the process of the cleaning apparatus as shown in FIG. 6A online, what lot is going to the bath under predetermined process conditions, the temperature value at this time, It is necessary to know the pressure value exactly. In many cases, however, these key parameter values are not easily output from the PLC to the outside, but only used and maintained inside the PLC. As an example, there is no way to find the storage area of the key parameter and read the values through a manual of a PLC or the like, but in most cases, the storage area is not likely to be easily found.

Accordingly, the present invention provides a method of collecting key parameters by continuously observing a memory map of a PLC and tracking a change state of data. That is, as the control operation of the PLC continues, the variation value of the key parameter occurring with the progress of the process will be continuously stored or updated in the memory value. Thus, while watching the progress of the lot and the battling occurring within the actual device, matching the variation (variation data) of the memory map to this progression, finally some values are stored in the area of the memory map and the values You can see how the function is related to the actual progress.

In general, the memory map includes not only the variation data but also fixed data values. In the present invention, the memory map includes all the data about the movement order of the lot (or wafer), the movement path, and the current state of the job through the variation data value read from the memory map. Alternatively, it is possible to obtain information on some key parameters. Ultimately, through this method, the data collector can collect the first data set from the memory map.

In addition, the cleaning apparatus includes a sensor, and thus can merge with the data previously read from the memory map by acquiring sensor data such as temperature and pressure through the sensor. For reference, when the cleaning apparatus does not have a sensor, sensor data may be arbitrarily installed to acquire sensor data.

As an example, the variation data may be continuously examined at a measurement time of one day (around 24 hours) to find the variation characteristic of the consistent data, thereby extracting some or all of the key parameters for the corresponding EQP.

Although FIG. 6A has been described using a cleaning device as an example, it is too obvious to those skilled in the art that the acquisition of key parameters through a PLC memory map can be applied to the cleaning device as well as other types of semiconductor equipment including a PLC. Do.

In addition, when most semiconductor equipment includes a PLC, but it is difficult to detect data variation from a device without a PLC or a PLC memory map, data exchange information between the display device and the controller showing the current process status of the corresponding EQP. It is also possible to extract the key parameters based on.

FIG. 6B shows a memory map of the PLC device according to FIG. 6A. Hereinafter, referring to FIG. 6B, a method of collecting and collecting a primary data set using variation data of a memory map will be described.

As shown in FIG. 6B, the structure of the memory map such as the upper end of the memory map of 6b can be identified by continually observing the fluctuation characteristics of the data to find out the region displaying the loader and the region displaying each bat among the regions of the memory map. Can be.

In addition, by determining the variation data of the memory map, it can be seen that wafer operation is currently being performed on bat # 3 in FIG. 6B. As a result of continuously observing the memory map of FIG. 6B and examining the data variation, it can be seen that the information of DATA1 and DATA2 indicates the position information of the bats to be advanced. In addition, at this time, the data value of '4567' was interpreted to mean that the bat to be moved next to the bat number 4.

The information of DATA4 and DATA5 indicates the location information of the bats that have passed so far, and the data value of '0023' means that the bats 2 and bats 3 have passed so far.

The data value '400' of DATA6 was interpreted as information about the process ID. The data value '2525' of DATA7 means the number of wafers.

The data value '3462' of DATA9 is a count value of the lot put into the bat (bat # 3) and increases each time a lot is added to the bat (bat # 3).

The information '3731' of the DATA10 is the most important information of the bat (bat # 3), and identifies a pair of lots used for the work performed in the bat (in the example of FIG. 6B, two lots are divided in the lot information). Process as one piece of data).

In '3731' 3 'is about the first coming Lot' 4 'from' 4731 'represents the information about the second coming in the lot. Lots move in pairs of two, and it can be inferred that ' 4 731' is a lot moving like ' 3 471' from ' 3 471'. Furthermore, "7" in "37 31" is the number of cycle 1 to 9, a number for identifying the wafers in the lot with a 31 '' at '37.7 31. When the first lot comes in, the last 2 digits of the 4 digit data are assigned to each lot in each loader area.When you enter the numbers, the two lots are different data but the last two digits It is always the same number, and there is no overlap until the end of the process, so it is suitable for use as a merge point (which indicates what each lot is visible to the naked eye).

In accordance with the method described in FIG. 6B, FIG. 6C shows a memory map showing variation data representing the process situation occurring in each bat at each time. As shown in FIG. 6C, a lot first introduced into the device through a loader is processed over a series of batts over time, and this progress can be tracked sequentially from the variation data in the memory map. Able to know. 6C can easily check the movement path and the work progress time of the lot.

As such, it is possible to collect at least some or all of the key parameters for the EQP in the manner described in FIGS. 6A-6C.

FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an embodiment in which a SECS data conversion device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied to a photo facility.

The photo equipment includes a plurality of auxiliary equipment 720 and the like in addition to the main equipment 710 for printing a circuit pattern on a wafer. Photo equipment is one of the most expensive equipment of the semiconductor equipment, and recent equipment outputs almost 100% SECS data. However, most of the accessory equipment of the photo equipment still contains data in the form of Non-SECS.

Accordingly, the series of event data generated between the photo equipment and the auxiliary equipment includes information on the photo equipment process as a mixture of SECS data and non-SECS data. As an example of the event data, a particular wafer may be moved to an auxiliary device among the wafers that have been progressed in the main facility of the photo facility, and further processing may be performed. At this time, it is necessary to know when the number of wafers moved to the auxiliary equipment, and when the back to the main equipment after the further processing work is completed.

The SECS data conversion apparatus 700 of FIG. 7 collects a portion (key parameter) of the first data set in the form of SECS from the main equipment, and collects a portion of the first data set in the form of Non-SECS from the auxiliary equipment. By merging these correlations (including timing matching), the second data set can be generated.

In this way, SECS data conversion is possible in accordance with the present invention for the entire Photo equipment including the auxiliary equipment.

FIG. 8A is a diagram illustrating a simulation result of a wet staton by adding a SECS data conversion device according to the present invention. FIG.

As shown in FIG. 8A, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents process time. As an example, two lots of 7CB0914T and 7CB0883T enter the batt in the WET facility and the time required for the work is counted and the time required for the work disappears as the set time progresses. The graph of FIG. 8A is a graph showing that a lot entered into the bat is recognized by the PLC. The lot enters two batches into the batt, so that the lot IDs are paired into two batches. The simulation allowed us to accurately identify lots that match the progress of the actual processing time.

FIG. 8B is a diagram showing the results of simulation by adding a SECS data conversion device having a dual structure shown in FIG. 5 to a CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) device among semiconductor equipment.

Among the semiconductor equipments, the CMP device is a device for polishing the surface of the wafer, and is a device that polishes one side of the wafer to form a mirror surface to form a circuit pattern. As with the correlation between the photo equipment and the peripheral equipment, as in the example above, most of the data in the recent CMP apparatus generates the data in the form of SECS, but the supply of chemicals supplied to the CMP apparatus The flow rate and concentration sensors for monitoring in real time may be SECS data conversion according to the present invention as non-SECS type data. In other words, the flow and concentration sensors monitoring the chemical supply devices may collect non-SECS data from a PLC that monitors these analog sensors, depending on the configuration, or collect non-SECS data by connecting analog sensors directly to a gateway. have. Merge the collected non-SECS data and SECS data collected through EAP, and transfer the second data set required by the higher factory automation system (MES / FDC), and the data transfer from the CMP device to the EAP is in the form of a file. Can be passed as data.

8C is a graph illustrating the verification result in the FDC. Accordingly, the graph of FIG. 8C is a graph observed after the time point at which the first data set is converted to the second data set, and may confirm accurate matching with respect to the sampling time point 810. The size of the vertical axis of FIG. 8c is an analog result measured by a sensor, and is converted into data in TCP / IP format through the A / D converter of the SECS data converter of the present invention and transmitted to the FDC via Ethernet.

In the embodiments of FIGS. 8A to 8C, the operation proceeds with a focus on lot movement for each batt for key parameter acquisition, among the parameters obtainable in the PLC, and corresponds to this in the memory area of the PLC. An area was obtained. In addition, the actual parameter selects only a part of the parameters owned by the PLC, and the selected actual parameter can be extended as long as possible only in the parameters owned by the PLC.

SECS data conversion apparatus according to the present invention has completed the test to obtain a maximum of 120 parameters for one second sampling within the 9600bps speed currently supported by the PLC. In addition, there was no influence on the main equipment during the simulation process using the SECS data conversion apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 9 shows a flowchart of a method for converting data between a semiconductor equipment device and an error monitoring control device (FDC) or a production execution device (MES) for the semiconductor equipment device according to the present invention. The data conversion method according to the present embodiment is performed by the above-described SECS data conversion apparatus. Hereinafter, a process performed at each step will be described in detail.

First, a first data set is collected from a sensor or a controller in a semiconductor equipment (EQP) such as key parameters for a process, a temperature value of a bath, a current position of a wafer, a process state, and the like (S910). The collected data is in the form of serial data or analog data. In addition, at least a portion of the first data set has a non-SECS form. That is, the degree of SECS standardization may vary depending on the semiconductor equipment.

The first data set collected in step S910 is merged in consideration of mutual correlation, and is converted into data in SECS form to generate a second data set (S920).

Next, the converted second data set is transmitted to the error monitoring control device (FDC) or the production execution device (MES) via Ethernet constituting the network (S930).

In the FDC, the process state of the semiconductor equipment connected to the network is determined by the received second data set, and management or maintenance is performed based on the process state (S940).

Since the details described in the above embodiments are applicable as they are in the steps related to FIG. 9, the contents not described in FIG. 9 will be referred to the above embodiments, and the detailed description will be omitted below.

The term “SECS” used in the embodiments of the present invention includes not only SECS but also semiconductor standard protocols including high-speed SECS message services (HSMS), generic model for communications and control of semi equipment (GEM), and the like. It should be interpreted as meaning.

In addition, the "semiconductor facility device" of the present invention can be interpreted as having a comprehensive meaning including both facility devices in the LCD and PDP field.

In addition, the technical concept of data synchronization and logic used in the data conversion process according to the present invention can be applied not only to SECS data conversion but also to a process of converting to a data format required by a higher host by Ethernet.

Embodiments of the invention include a computer readable medium containing program instructions for performing various computer-implemented operations. The computer readable medium may include program instructions, data files, data structures, etc. alone or in combination. The media may be those specially designed and constructed for the purposes of the present invention, or they may be of the kind well-known and available to those having skill in the computer software arts. Examples of computer-readable recording media include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tape, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, magnetic-optical media such as floppy disks, and ROM, RAM, flash memory, and the like. Hardware devices specifically configured to store and execute the same program instructions are included. The medium may be a transmission medium such as an optical or metal wire, a waveguide, or the like including a carrier wave for transmitting a signal specifying a program command, a data structure, or the like. Examples of program instructions include not only machine code generated by a compiler, but also high-level language code that can be executed by a computer using an interpreter or the like.

10 is an internal block diagram of a general purpose computer device that may be employed to perform the SECS data conversion method in accordance with the present invention.

The computer device 1000 includes one or more processors 1010 connected to a main memory device including a random access memory (RAM) 1020 and a read only memory (ROM) 1030. The processor 1010 is also called a central processing unit (CPU). As is well known in the art, the ROM 1030 serves to transfer data and instructions to the CPU unidirectionally, and the RAM 1020 typically transmits data and instructions bidirectionally. Used to. RAM 1020 and ROM 1030 may include any suitable form of computer readable media. Mass storage 1040 is bi-directionally coupled to processor 1010 to provide additional data storage capability, and may be any of the computer readable recording media described above. The mass storage device 1040 is used to store programs, data, and the like, and is a secondary memory device such as a hard disk which is generally slower than the main memory device. Certain mass storage devices such as CD ROM 1060 may be used. The processor 1010 may include one or more input / output interfaces, such as a video monitor, trackball, mouse, keyboard, microphone, touchscreen display, card reader, magnetic or paper tape reader, voice or handwriting reader, joystick, or other known computer input / output device. 1050 is connected. Finally, the processor 1010 may be connected to a wired or wireless communication network through the network interface 1070. Through this network connection, the procedure of the method described above can be performed. The apparatus and tools described above are well known to those skilled in the computer hardware and software arts.

The hardware device described above may be configured to operate as one or more software modules to perform the operations of the present invention.

While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described so far, various modifications are possible without departing from the scope of the present invention.

Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be limited to the described embodiments, but should be defined not only by the claims below, but also by the equivalents of the claims.

As described above, the present invention has been described by way of limited embodiments and drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, which can be variously modified and modified by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains. Modifications are possible. Accordingly, the spirit of the present invention should be understood only by the claims set forth below, and all equivalent or equivalent modifications thereof will belong to the scope of the present invention.

By using the SECS data conversion device including the above configuration, it provides a standardized protocol for the semiconductor factory equipment (EQP) and the higher factory automation system (MES / FDC) for managing and maintaining the semiconductor equipment (EQP). . That is, key parameters are extracted from a device such as a controller or a sensor in the EQP, or an analog data, serial data, or ethernet data type output that is obtained or extracted from the EQP is integrated into the data in the form of a semiconductor equipment communication standard (SECS). By converting to standardized protocol or data format of the type required by higher host, synchronization between each EQP or integrated management of the entire EQP can be saved to reduce costs and improve the efficiency of semiconductor equipment.

Another effect of the present invention is not to stop at the level of integrating the data of various sensors or other related devices into one, to minimize the real-time error rate or error rate for data synchronization, and to implement a logic control implementation, not just a simple protocol conversion function It is possible to realize stable operation of the entire system including semiconductor equipment by minimizing separate synchronization implementation in the upper factory automation system (MES / FDC).

Claims (11)

An apparatus for converting data transmitted from the semiconductor equipment to the higher factory automation system, wherein at least a portion is located between a semiconductor equipment device that does not support the SECS protocol and a higher factory automation system for the semiconductor equipment device. A data collection unit for collecting a first data set in which at least a part of the data is in a non-SECS form from the semiconductor equipment, the first data set including key parameters and sensor data; A data converter configured to generate a second data set having an SECS form based on the collected first data set; And Data transmission unit for transmitting the converted second data set to the higher factory automation system Including, The key parameter comprises at least one of a process identifier, a lot identifier, a wafer identifier, a step identifier, and a status identifier associated with the semiconductor equipment device, And the data converter generates the second data set by performing timing matching based on a correlation between the key parameter and the sensor data. delete The method of claim 1, The first data set includes at least one of serial data and analog data, The data conversion unit A serial packet analyzer for converting the serial data; And A / D converter for converting the analog data SECS data conversion apparatus comprising a. The method of claim 1, The semiconductor equipment device includes a PLC, And the data collecting unit collects the key parameters by observing a data change situation stored in the memory map of the PLC. The method of claim 4, wherein And the memory map includes wafer progress position information associated with the semiconductor equipment. delete The method of claim 1, The first data set includes SECS data, And the data transmitter directly transmits the SECS data to the upper factory automation system without passing through the data converter. The method of claim 1, The data converter has a dual structure including a first merge part and a second merge part, And the first merge part merges the first data collected from a lower layer of the semiconductor equipment, and the second merge part merges the first data collected from a higher layer of the semiconductor equipment. SECS data conversion device. The method of claim 4, wherein The semiconductor equipment includes a plurality of baths, And the variation data of the memory map includes lot movement information for each bat. A method of converting data transmitted from a semiconductor equipment to at least a portion that does not support the SECS protocol to a higher factory automation system for the semiconductor equipment, Collecting a first data set from the semiconductor equipment, wherein at least a portion of the data is in a non-SECS format, the first data set including key parameters and sensor data, the key parameters being the semiconductor equipment At least one of a process identifier, a lot identifier, a wafer identifier, a step identifier, a status identifier associated with a; Generating a second data set having an SECS form based on the collected first data set, and generating the second data set by performing timing matching based on a correlation between the key parameter and the sensor data; ; And Transmitting the converted second data set to the control device SECS data conversion method comprising a. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for executing the method of claim 10.