CN114675606A - Interlock condition detection method and semiconductor process equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide an interlock condition detection method and semiconductor process equipment, which are applied to the technical field of semiconductor equipment. The method includes: during the interlock condition detection process, in response to a start signal of an action device of the semiconductor process equipment, Acquire multiple interlock lists of the action device, each interlock list includes a category of interlock conditions and the target condition value of the interlock condition, where the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the acquired actual condition value In the case of , the error information of the interlock condition is stored according to the category to which the interlock condition belongs. The multiple interlocking conditions of the action device are divided into multiple categories. When storing the error information of the interlocking condition according to the category of the interlocking condition, in the troubleshooting stage, the scope of troubleshooting can be narrowed, the fault point can be quickly determined, and the efficiency of troubleshooting can be improved. .

Description

Interlock condition detection method and semiconductor process equipment

technical field

The invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor equipment, in particular to an interlock condition detection method and semiconductor process equipment.

Background technique

In the control of semiconductor process equipment, a plurality of interlock conditions are usually set for the active device. Before controlling the action of the action device, the lower computer in the semiconductor process equipment first detects whether the interlock conditions are satisfied. If there is an unsatisfied interlock condition, the interlock is triggered to prohibit the action of the action device, so as to improve the operation of the semiconductor process equipment. process safety and reliability.

Among them, when the lower computer detects that a certain interlock condition is not satisfied, it can not only trigger the interlock, prohibit the action of the action device, but also record the error information that the interlock condition is not satisfied. In the subsequent troubleshooting stage, the user can find the fault point based on the records. Since the processes involved in the semiconductor process equipment are relatively complex, there will be many types and numbers of interlocking conditions. In the prior art, when finding the fault point according to the records, the fault point cannot be quickly determined.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The technical problem to be solved by the embodiments of the present invention is the problem that the semiconductor process equipment cannot quickly determine the fault point in the troubleshooting stage.

In order to solve the above problems, the first aspect of the embodiments of the present invention discloses an interlock condition detection method, which is applied to semiconductor process equipment, including:

In response to an activation signal of an action device of the semiconductor process equipment, a plurality of interlock lists of the action device are obtained; each of the interlock lists respectively includes a class of interlock conditions and a target of the interlock conditions condition value;

If the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the acquired actual condition value, the error information of the interlock condition is stored according to the category to which the interlock condition belongs.

Optionally, in the case that the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the acquired actual condition value, according to the category to which the interlock condition belongs, the error information of the interlock condition is stored, including: :

Simultaneously obtain the actual condition value of each interlock condition included in the interlock list;

In the case that the target condition value of the target interlock condition does not match the actual condition value, generating an error message of the target interlock condition;

Error information of the target interlock condition is stored in a target storage area among the preset plurality of storage areas; the target storage area corresponds to the type of the target interlock condition.

Optionally, in the case that the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the acquired actual condition value, according to the category to which the interlock condition belongs, the error information of the interlock condition is stored, including: :

Acquiring in turn the actual condition values of the interlock conditions included in each of the interlock lists;

In the case that the target condition value of the target interlock condition does not match the actual condition value, generating an error message of the target interlock condition;

Error information of the target interlock condition is stored in a target storage area among the preset plurality of storage areas; the target storage area corresponds to the type of the target interlock condition.

Optionally, the method further includes:

An error flag is set in the flag bit of the target storage area to identify that the interlock condition in the category to which the target interlock condition belongs is not satisfied.

Optionally, the storage area includes a storage location for each interlock condition of the corresponding category; the target storage area in the preset multiple storage areas stores the error information of the target interlock condition, including:

A target storage location of the target interlock condition is determined in the target storage area, and error information of the target interlock condition is stored in the target storage location.

Optionally, the plurality of interlock lists include a first interlock list, a second interlock list, and a third interlock list; wherein, the interlock condition in the first interlock list is the semiconductor process The device identifier of at least one other action device associated with the action device in the device, the target condition value in the first interlock list is the target switch state of the other action device; the target condition value in the second interlock list The interlock condition is a parameter identifier of at least one process parameter of the semiconductor process equipment associated with the action device, and the target condition value in the second interlock list is the target parameter state of the process parameter; The interlock condition in the third interlock list is a state identifier of at least one system state in the semiconductor process equipment associated with the action device, and the target condition value in the third interlock list is all The target system state that describes the system state.

Optionally, the action device includes a valve, a chamber door and a pump in the semiconductor processing equipment.

A second aspect of the embodiments of the present invention discloses a semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment includes an action device and a lower computer, and the lower computer is configured to acquire the operation device in response to a start signal of the action device. a plurality of interlock lists; each of the interlock lists respectively includes a category of interlock conditions and a target condition value of the interlock condition; the lower computer is also used for the target condition value of the interlock condition If it does not match the acquired actual condition value, the error information of the interlock condition is stored according to the category to which the interlock condition belongs.

Optionally, the semiconductor process equipment further includes an upper computer connected to the lower computer; the lower computer is also used to send the error information to the upper computer, so that the upper computer displays the error. information.

Optionally, the action device includes a valve, a chamber door and a pump in the semiconductor processing equipment.

Compared with the background art, in the embodiment of the present invention, in the process of detecting the interlock condition, in response to the activation signal of the action device of the semiconductor process equipment, a plurality of interlock lists of the action device are obtained, and each interlock list is respectively It includes the interlock condition of a category and the target condition value of the interlock condition. If the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the acquired actual condition value, the interlock condition is stored according to the category to which the interlock condition belongs. error message. The multiple interlocking conditions of the action device are divided into multiple categories. When storing the error information of the interlocking condition according to the category of the interlocking condition, in the troubleshooting stage, the scope of troubleshooting can be narrowed, the fault point can be quickly determined, and the efficiency of troubleshooting can be improved. .

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 shows a flow chart of steps of an embodiment of an interlock condition detection method provided in this embodiment;

FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the execution of an interlock condition detection method provided by this embodiment;

FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a data storage provided by this embodiment;

FIG. 4 shows a schematic structural diagram of the furnace tube equipment provided in this embodiment;

FIG. 5 shows a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor process equipment provided in this embodiment.

Detailed ways

In order to make the above objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of the present invention more clearly understood, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in further detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific implementation manners.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a flow chart of steps of an embodiment of an interlock condition detection method provided in this embodiment. The method is applied to a semiconductor process equipment and may include:

Step 101: Acquire a plurality of interlock lists of the active devices in response to the activation signal of the active device of the semiconductor process equipment.

Wherein, each interlock list includes a category of interlock conditions and target condition values of the interlock conditions.

In this embodiment, the interlock condition detection method may be implemented by a lower computer in the semiconductor process equipment, such as a programmable logic controller (Programmable Logic Controller, PLC). The semiconductor process equipment includes a process chamber, and the process chamber is used to process the wafers placed in the process chamber, such as a deposition process, an etching process, an epitaxial growth process and an annealing process. Semiconductor process equipment also includes different types of devices, such as temperature sensors, pressure sensors, gas flow sensors, as well as valves, chamber doors, vacuum pumps, and gas composition analyzers. The action device is a device that can be actuated under the control of the lower computer, such as a valve, a chamber door, a vacuum pump and other devices. When the action device moves, the gas type of the process gas entering the process chamber and various process parameters in the process chamber will be changed. The mixture of different process gases may generate dangerous gases, threatening the safety of equipment, and the change of process parameters may It will damage the wafer in the process chamber, so multiple interlock conditions must be set for the action device to make the action device operate in a safe state. The start-up signal may be a start-up signal automatically generated when the lower computer controls the operation of the semiconductor process equipment according to a predetermined process flow and when a preset condition is reached, or may be a start-up signal input by an external device received. The method for obtaining the start signal may include, but is not limited to, the above examples.

Among them, for the action device in the semiconductor process equipment, the user can set multiple interlock conditions for the action device in advance, and determine the target condition value of each interlock condition. Further, multiple interlocking conditions can be divided into multiple categories according to certain rules, the interlocking conditions and corresponding target condition values of each category are stored in an interlocking list, and the interlocking list can be stored in the lower computer. the preset position in .

Optionally, the plurality of interlock lists include a first interlock list, a second interlock list, and a third interlock list; wherein, the interlock condition in the first interlock list is that the semiconductor process equipment is associated with an action device. The device identifier of at least one other action device, the target condition value in the first interlock list is the target switch state of the other action device; the interlock condition in the second interlock list is the semiconductor process equipment associated with the action device. The parameter identification of at least one process parameter, the target condition value in the second interlock list is the target parameter state of the process parameter; the interlock condition in the third interlock list is at least one of the semiconductor process equipment associated with the action device. A state identifier of a system state, and the target condition value in the third interlock list is the target system state of the system state.

In one embodiment, the action devices may include action devices such as valves, chamber doors, and pumps in semiconductor processing equipment. The valve is, for example, an inlet valve for introducing a specific process gas into the process chamber. The pump can be a vacuum pump and an exhaust pump provided in the semiconductor process equipment, and the action devices can include but are not limited to the above examples. Taking valves in semiconductor process equipment as an example, valves in semiconductor process equipment usually have multiple interlock conditions. Before the valve is opened, it is necessary to determine whether the actual condition value of each interlock condition matches the target condition value. Among them, all the interlocking conditions of the valve mainly include three categories, the first category is the interlocking condition between the valve and the valve, the second category is the interlocking condition between the valve and the process parameters, and the third category is Interlock condition between valve and system state. A first interlock list may be set for the interlock conditions of the first category, and the first interlock list stores the device identifiers of one or more other action devices associated with the action device, and the device identifiers of other action devices corresponding to the device identifiers. The target switch state, the device ID is used as the interlock condition, and the target switch state is used as the target condition value. A second interlock list is set for the interlock conditions of the second category, and the second interlock list stores the parameter identifiers of one or more process parameters of the semiconductor process equipment associated with the valve, and the process parameters corresponding to the parameter identifiers. The target parameter state of the parameter, the parameter ID is used as the interlock condition, and the target parameter state is used as the target condition value. A third interlock list can be set for the interlock conditions of the third category, and the third interlock list stores the state identifiers of one or more system states associated with the valve, as well as the target system state corresponding to the state identifier, and the state identifier As the interlock condition, the target system state serves as the target condition value.

Among them, the semiconductor process equipment includes a plurality of intake valves, and different intake valves are used to control the introduction of different types of process gases into the process chamber at different stages of the process. The same stage may need to pass a variety of process gases into the process chamber. The process gases between different stages cannot be mixed. Therefore, before an intake valve is opened, some of the intake valves associated with it need to be closed. Some intake valves need to be open. For example, if the intake valve to be opened is valve A, before valve A is opened, valve B needs to be open, and valve C needs to be closed. For valve A, interlock condition 1 corresponding to valve B can be set, and interlock condition 2 corresponding to valve C can be set. The target condition value of interlock condition 1 can be set to 1, and 1 indicates the open state, which is the target of valve B On-off state, which means that valve B needs to be in the open state when valve A is opened; the target condition value of interlock condition 2 can be set to 0, 0 means the closed state, which is the target switch state of valve C, which means that valve C needs to be in the open state when valve A is opened. Disabled. Interlock condition 1 can be set as the device ID of valve B, and interlock condition 2 can be set as the device ID of valve C. Therefore, for all the interlocking conditions that valve A has, the interlocking conditions between valve A and other valves can be divided into the interlocking conditions of the first category, and a first interlocking list is set, and the first interlocking list includes All interlock conditions of the first category and corresponding target condition values.

In the process of wafer processing, a number of process parameters will be involved. Each process parameter needs to reach the target range before the wafer can be processed. Process parameters such as the chamber pressure in the process chamber and the target process gas gas concentration, etc. Therefore, before the valve can be opened, the process parameters associated with it need to reach the target range. For example, for valve A, the interlock condition 3 corresponding to the chamber pressure can be set, and the interlock condition 4 corresponding to the gas concentration of the target process gas, the target condition value of the interlock condition 3 can be set to 1, 1 means the chamber The pressure is within the target pressure range, which is the target parameter state of the chamber pressure. The target condition value of the interlock condition 4 can be 1, 1 means that the gas concentration of the target process gas in the process chamber is within the target concentration range, which is the target gas concentration parameter status. The interlock condition 3 can be set as the parameter identification of the chamber pressure, and the interlock condition 4 can be set as the parameter identification of the gas concentration of the target process gas. Therefore, for all the interlocking conditions that valve A has, the interlocking conditions between valve A and related process parameters can be divided into a second category of interlocking conditions, and a second interlocking list is set. Include all the interlock conditions of the second category and the corresponding target condition values. It should be noted that the process parameters may include but are not limited to chamber pressure and gas concentration, and may also include other process parameters of the semiconductor process equipment.

During the operation of the semiconductor process equipment, a number of system states are also set. When the system state reaches the target state, it means that the semiconductor process equipment is in a stable state, and the wafer can be processed. When the semiconductor process equipment is in a non-target state, Indicates that the semiconductor process equipment is not in a stable state and the wafer cannot be processed. The system state can be the system alarm state of the semiconductor process equipment, such as the pipeline pressure state and the working state of the vacuum pump. If the pipeline pressure value is below the safe pressure value, the pipeline pressure state is in the target state, indicating that the semiconductor process equipment is in a stable state. If the working state of the vacuum pump is in the running state, it means that the semiconductor processing equipment can process the wafer. For valve A, interlock condition 5 and interlock condition 6 can be set. The target condition value of interlock condition 5 can be set to 1. 1 means that the line pressure value is below the safe pressure value, which is the target system state of the line pressure state. ; The target condition value of the interlock condition 6 can be set to 1, which means that the vacuum pump is in the running state, which is the target system state of the vacuum pump. The interlock condition 5 can be set as the status flag of the pipeline pressure state, and the interlock condition 6 is the status flag of the vacuum pump. Therefore, for all the interlocking conditions that valve A has, the interlocking conditions between valve A and the system states associated with each item can be divided into a third category of interlocking conditions, and a third interlocking list is set. The interlock list includes all third category interlock conditions and corresponding target condition values. It should be noted that the system state may include, but is not limited to, the system alarm state in the above example, and may also include other system states of the semiconductor process equipment.

Combining the above examples, the multiple interlocking conditions of valve A can be divided into a first category, a second category and a third category. The first category includes interlocking condition 1 and interlocking condition 2, and the second category includes interlocking condition 3. and Interlock Condition 4, the third category includes Interlock Condition 5 and Interlock Condition 6. For the three types of interlocking conditions, the user can set three interlocking lists respectively, and store the three interlocking lists in three different preset positions in the lower computer in advance.

In this embodiment, after acquiring the activation signal of the action device, the lower computer may acquire a plurality of interlock lists of the action device from a preset position in response to the activation signal. In combination with the above example, after the start signal of valve A is obtained, the first interlock list, the second interlock list and the third interlock list of valve A can be obtained from three different preset positions respectively in response to the start signal.

In practical applications, other types of interlocking conditions can also be added according to requirements. For example, the fourth type of interlocking conditions can be added, and the corresponding fourth interlocking list can be set. The fourth type of interlocking conditions are valves and semiconductor process equipment. Interlock conditions between the associated sensors. The above is only an exemplary example, and other principles may also be adopted for the classification of the interlocking conditions. The specific form of the interlock list, and the specific storage manner of the interlock condition and target condition values may include, but are not limited to, the above examples.

Step 102: If the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the acquired actual condition value, store the error information of the interlock condition according to the category to which the interlock condition belongs.

In this embodiment, after acquiring the interlock list of the action device, the lower computer can acquire the interlock condition and the target condition value of the interlock condition from the interlock list. At the same time, the lower computer can obtain the actual condition value of the interlock condition, compare and determine whether the actual condition value matches the target condition value, and when the actual condition value does not match the target condition value, generate an error message of the interlock condition, and press the interlock condition value. The class of lock conditions stores error information.

Combining the above example, after obtaining the three interlock lists of valve A, for the interlock condition 1 in the first interlock list, the lower computer can, according to the device identifier of the interlock condition 1 (that is, the device identifier of valve B), Obtain the on-off state of valve B. The on-off state of valve B is the actual condition value of interlock condition 1. If valve B is in the open state, it is determined that the actual condition value of valve B matches the target condition value; otherwise, if valve B is closed state, it is determined that the actual condition value of valve B does not match the target condition value, and the first error information corresponding to the interlock condition 1 can be generated, and the first error information can be the actual state of the valve. For the interlock condition 3 in the second interlock list, the lower computer can obtain the chamber pressure of the process chamber according to the parameter identifier of the interlock condition 3 (that is, the parameter identifier of the chamber pressure), if the chamber pressure is at the target pressure Within the range, the actual condition value of the interlock condition 3 is determined to be 1, which matches the target condition value 1; otherwise, if the chamber pressure is outside the target pressure range, the actual condition value of the interlock condition 3 is determined to be 0, and If the target condition value 1 does not match, a second error message corresponding to the interlock condition 3 may be generated, and the second sequence error message may be the actual pressure value of the chamber pressure. Similarly, for the interlock condition 5 in the third interlock list, the lower computer can obtain the pipeline pressure state according to the state identifier of the interlock condition 5 (that is, the state identifier of the pipeline pressure state). Below the safety pressure, the actual condition value of the interlock condition 5 is determined to be 1, which matches the target condition value of 1; on the contrary, if the pipeline pressure state is above the safety pressure, the actual condition value of the interlock condition 5 is determined to be 0 and the target condition value. If the condition value 1 does not match, a third error message corresponding to the interlock condition 5 may be generated, and the third error message may be the actual line pressure value.

Optionally, the error information may include both the actual condition value and the target condition value of the interlock condition. For example, when the error message of interlock condition 1 is generated, the error message may include the target condition value and the actual condition value of valve B, where the target condition value is in the open state and the actual condition value is in the closed state.

Wherein, the first error information, the second error information and the third error information may be stored in different locations according to categories. When a certain interlock condition is not satisfied, that is, the actual condition value of the interlock condition does not match the target condition value, the semiconductor process equipment needs to be maintained, and the fault point in the semiconductor process equipment needs to be found. At this time, the lower computer can obtain error information from different positions, and can determine the category of the interlock condition according to the error information at different positions, and find the fault point according to the interlock conditions included in the category. For example, after acquiring the first error information, it may be determined that for valve A, other valves associated with valve A may be abnormal, and the valve associated with valve A may be checked. Similarly, after acquiring the second error information, it can be determined that for valve A, the process parameter associated with valve A is abnormal, and the device associated with the process parameter can be checked. Since the interlock conditions are divided into categories, when finding the fault point, it can be searched by category, so that the fault point can be quickly determined.

At the same time, due to the large number and types of devices included in the semiconductor process equipment, the same types of devices are generally arranged in the same position in the semiconductor process equipment, so when searching for fault points according to the type of interlocking conditions, the search range can be narrowed. , search at the same location, you can quickly determine the fault point.

To sum up, in the embodiment of the present invention, in the process of detecting the interlock condition, in response to the activation signal of the action device of the semiconductor process equipment, a plurality of interlock lists of the action device are obtained, and each interlock list includes a The interlock condition of the category and the target condition value of the interlock condition. If the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the acquired actual condition value, the error of the interlock condition is stored according to the category to which the interlock condition belongs. information. The multiple interlocking conditions of the action device are divided into multiple categories. When storing the error information of the interlocking condition according to the category of the interlocking condition, in the troubleshooting stage, the scope of troubleshooting can be narrowed, the fault point can be quickly determined, and the efficiency of troubleshooting can be improved. .

Optionally, step 102 may include:

Simultaneously obtain the actual condition values of the interlock conditions included in each interlock list;

In the case that the target condition value of the target interlock condition does not match the actual condition value, an error message of the target interlock condition is generated;

Error information of the target interlock condition is stored in a target storage area among the preset plurality of storage areas; the target storage area corresponds to the type of the target interlock condition.

In one embodiment, the user may set a corresponding storage area for each type of interlock condition, and the storage area is used to store error information of the corresponding type of interlock condition. As shown in FIG. 2, FIG. 2 shows a schematic diagram of the execution of an interlock condition detection method provided in this embodiment. Taking valve A as an example, the lower computer is pre-configured with a first storage area and a second storage area for valve A. and a third storage area, the first storage area corresponds to the first interlock list, the second storage area corresponds to the second interlock list, and the third storage area corresponds to the third interlock list. After obtaining the start signal of the valve, the lower computer can obtain the three interlock lists of valve A, and then start three detection subroutines at the same time. The interlock condition is detected in . For example, the first detection subroutine can read the target condition value of interlock condition 1 from the first interlock list, and obtain the actual condition value of interlock condition 1. If the actual condition value of interlock condition 1 is the same as the target condition If the values do not match, the interlock condition 1 is the target interlock condition, the error information of the interlock condition 1 is generated, and the error information of the interlock condition 1 is stored in the first storage area. At the same time, the second detection subroutine detects the interlock condition in the second interlock list, and detects that the actual condition value of an interlock condition in the second interlock list does not match the target condition value When the error information is generated, and the error information is stored in the second storage area; the third detection subroutine detects the interlock condition in the third interlock list, and detects an interlock condition in the third interlock list. When the actual condition value of the lock condition does not match the target condition value, an error message is generated, and the error message is stored in the third storage area.

In the embodiment of the present invention, based on the multiple interlock lists, the interlock conditions included in the multiple interlock lists can be detected simultaneously, the interlock detection time can be shortened, and the efficiency of the interlock detection can be improved.

Optionally, step 102 may include:

Obtain the actual condition values of the interlock conditions included in each interlock list in turn;

When the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the actual condition value, an error message of the interlock condition is generated;

Error information of the interlock condition is stored in a target storage area among the preset multiple storage areas; the target storage area corresponds to the category to which the interlock condition belongs.

In another embodiment, after acquiring multiple interlock lists, the lower computer may sequentially detect the interlock conditions included in each interlock list. Combining the above example, after obtaining the three interlock lists of valve A, the lower computer can start a detection program. The detection program can first read the target condition value of each interlock condition from the first interlock list, and then The actual condition value of the interlock condition is acquired, and when it is determined that the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the actual condition value, corresponding error information is generated, and the error information is stored in the first storage area. After the detection of the interlock condition in the first interlock list is completed, the target condition value of each interlock condition can be read from the second interlock list, and then the actual condition value of the interlock condition can be obtained. When the target condition value does not match the actual condition value, corresponding error information is generated, and the error information is stored in the second storage area. Similarly, after the detection of the interlock condition in the second interlock list is completed, the target condition value of each interlock condition can be read from the third interlock list, and then the actual condition value of the interlock condition can be obtained. When the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the actual condition value, corresponding error information is generated, and the error information is stored in the third storage area.

Optionally, the method may also include:

An error flag is set in the flag bit of the target storage area to identify that the interlock condition in the category to which the target interlock condition belongs is not satisfied.

In one embodiment, after the error information of the target interlock condition is generated, while storing the error information, the lower computer may set an error flag in the flag bit of the target storage area, and the error flag is used to indicate the category of the interlock condition. The interlock condition is not satisfied, that is, the actual condition value of the interlock condition does not match the target condition value. As shown in FIG. 2 , a flag bit can be configured in each storage area, and the initial value stored in the flag bit is 0. When it is determined that the actual condition value of the interlock condition 1 does not match the target condition value, the interlock condition 1 is the target interlock condition, the first storage area is the target storage area, and an error flag can be stored in the flag bit of the first storage area , the error flag can be 1, for example. In the fault finding stage, the lower computer can only read the first storage area where the error flag is 1 to obtain the error information stored in the first storage area, so that it is convenient for the user to quickly determine which type of interlock condition is not satisfied.

Optionally, the storage area includes a storage location for each interlock condition of the corresponding category.

The step of storing the error information of the target interlock condition in the target storage area among the preset plurality of storage areas may include: determining a target storage location of the target interlock condition in the target storage area, and storing the target interlock condition in the target storage location Conditional error message.

In one embodiment, in each storage area, one storage location may be configured for all interlocking conditions of the corresponding category. As shown in FIG. 3, FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a data storage provided in this embodiment. The first column 301, the second column 302 and the third column 303 in the figure represent the interlock list of the valve A, and the first column is For the identification of valve A, the second column 302 contains three interlock lists from top to bottom, storing multiple interlock conditions in sequence, and the third column 303 is the target condition value corresponding to each interlock condition. The fourth column 304 represents multiple storage areas of the interlock list, the first storage area is 305, the second storage area is 306, the third storage area is 307, the symbol F1 represents the flag bit of the first storage area, and the symbol F2 represents the first storage area. The flag bit of the second storage area, the symbol F3 represents the flag bit of the third storage area. Combining the above examples, the first storage area 305 includes two storage locations of interlock condition 1 and interlock condition 2 . When it is determined that the target condition value of the interlock condition 1 is inconsistent with the actual condition value, the target storage location of the interlock condition 1 can be determined from the first storage area 305, and the error information of the interlock condition 1 can be stored in the target storage location. Similarly, when it is determined that the target condition value of the interlock condition 2 is inconsistent with the actual condition value, the target storage location of the interlock condition 2 can be determined from the first storage area, and the error information of the interlock condition 2 can be stored in the target storage location.

In the prior art, only one storage location is usually set for the action device. Therefore, when multiple interlock conditions of the action device are not satisfied, the error information of a certain interlock condition stored in the storage location earlier will be stored later. The error message of another interlock condition is overwritten. During the troubleshooting phase, only one error message can be obtained from the storage location, and comprehensive troubleshooting cannot be performed based on the error message. In this embodiment, a corresponding storage location is set for each interlocking condition in the storage area, which can avoid the problem of data overwriting, and can keep the error information of the interlocking condition in the storage location, which is convenient for the user to use the All error messages quickly find the point of failure.

It should be noted that in different semiconductor process equipment, the interlocking conditions of the actuating devices are different. Taking the furnace tube device in the semiconductor process device as an example, FIG. 4 shows a schematic structural diagram of the furnace tube device provided in this embodiment. The tube equipment includes an atmospheric pressure furnace tube device 401 and a low pressure furnace tube device 402. Compared with the atmospheric pressure furnace tube device 401, an exhaust pump 405 needs to be set at the exhaust port of the low pressure furnace tube device 402. During the process of processing the wafer , the process gas in the furnace tube equipment needs to be exhausted through the exhaust pump 405 . For the intake valve 404 in the low-pressure furnace tube device 402, when the intake valve 404 is opened, the exhaust pump 405 needs to be in a closed state. When setting interlock conditions for the intake valve 404, an interlock corresponding to the exhaust pump 405 can be set. condition, the target condition value of the interlock condition is the OFF state. For the intake valve 403 in the atmospheric pressure furnace tube device 401, it is not necessary to set corresponding interlocking conditions.

This embodiment also provides a semiconductor process equipment. The semiconductor process equipment includes a lower computer and an action device, and the lower computer is used to obtain a plurality of interlock lists of the action device in response to a start signal of the action device; each interlock list It includes a category of interlock conditions and the target condition value of the interlock condition respectively; the lower computer is also used for the target condition value of the interlock condition and the acquired actual condition value. Class that stores error information for interlock conditions.

Optionally, the lower computer is specifically used to obtain the actual condition value of the interlock condition included in each interlock list at the same time; when the target condition value of the target interlock condition does not match the actual condition value, generate the target interlock. The error information of the condition; the target storage area among the preset multiple storage areas stores the error information of the target interlock condition; the target storage area corresponds to the category of the target interlock condition.

Optionally, the lower computer is specifically used to obtain the actual condition value of the interlock condition included in each interlock list in turn; in the case that the target condition value of the target interlock condition does not match the actual condition value, generate the target interlock. The error information of the condition; the target storage area among the preset multiple storage areas stores the error information of the target interlock condition; the target storage area corresponds to the category of the target interlock condition.

Optionally, the lower computer is further configured to set an error flag in the flag bit of the target storage area to identify that the interlock condition in the category to which the target interlock condition belongs is not satisfied.

Optionally, the storage area includes the storage location of each interlocking condition of the corresponding category; the lower computer is specifically used to determine the target storage location of the target interlocking condition in the target storage area, and stores the target interlocking condition in the target storage location. error message.

Referring to FIG. 5 , a schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor process equipment provided in this embodiment is shown. The semiconductor process equipment includes an upper computer 501 and a lower computer 502 , and the lower computer 502 is connected to the upper computer 501 ; the lower computer 502 is also used for the upper computer 502 The computer 501 sends error information, so that the upper computer 501 displays the error information. The upper computer is such as a computer, the upper computer can send data requests to the lower computer at preset time intervals, and the lower computer can send stored error information to the upper computer in response to the data request sent by the upper computer. After the upper computer receives the error information, it can display the error information on the display included in the upper computer. The information interaction method between the upper computer and the lower computer and the display method of error information can be specifically set according to requirements, which are not limited in this embodiment.

The various embodiments in this specification are described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment focuses on the differences from other embodiments, and the same and similar parts between the various embodiments may be referred to each other.

Although preferred embodiments of the embodiments of the present invention have been described, additional changes and modifications to these embodiments may be made by those skilled in the art once the basic inventive concepts are known. Therefore, the appended claims are intended to be construed to include the preferred embodiments as well as all changes and modifications that fall within the scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

Finally, it should also be noted that in this document, relational terms such as first and second are used only to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply these entities or that there is any such actual relationship or sequence between operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising", "comprising" or any other variation thereof are intended to encompass non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article or mobile device that includes a list of elements includes not only those elements, but also a non-exclusive list of elements. or other elements that are inherent to such a process, method, article or mobile device. Without further limitation, an element defined by the phrase "comprising a..." does not preclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or mobile device that includes the element.

The method for detecting interlocking conditions and the semiconductor process equipment provided by the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail. In this paper, specific examples are used to illustrate the principles and implementations of the embodiments of the present invention. The descriptions of the above embodiments are only used for In order to help understand the method and the core idea of the embodiment of the present invention; at the same time, for those skilled in the art, according to the idea of the embodiment of the present invention, there will be changes in the specific implementation and application scope. As mentioned above, the contents of this specification should not be construed as limiting the embodiments of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. An interlock condition detection method is applied to semiconductor process equipment and is characterized by comprising the following steps:

responding to a starting signal of an action device of the semiconductor process equipment, and acquiring a plurality of interlocking lists of the action device; each interlock list comprises a class of interlock conditions and target condition values of the interlock conditions respectively;

and under the condition that the target condition value of the interlocking condition is not matched with the obtained actual condition value, storing error information of the interlocking condition according to the category to which the interlocking condition belongs.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the obtained actual condition value, storing the error information of the interlock condition by the category to which the interlock condition belongs includes:

simultaneously acquiring actual condition values of the interlocking conditions included in each interlocking list;

generating error information of a target interlock condition under the condition that a target condition value of the target interlock condition does not match an actual condition value;

storing error information of the target interlocking condition in a target storage area of a plurality of preset storage areas; the target storage area corresponds to a category of the target interlock condition.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in a case where the target condition value of the interlock condition does not match the obtained actual condition value, storing the error information of the interlock condition by the category to which the interlock condition belongs includes:

sequentially acquiring actual condition values of the interlocking conditions included in each interlocking list;

generating error information of a target interlock condition under the condition that a target condition value of the target interlock condition does not match an actual condition value;

Storing error information of the target interlocking condition in a target storage area of a plurality of preset storage areas; the target storage area corresponds to a category of the target interlock condition.

4. The method of claim 2 or 3, further comprising:

and setting an error identifier at a flag bit of the target storage area to identify that the interlocking condition in the category to which the target interlocking condition belongs is not met.

5. A method according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the storage area comprises a storage location for each interlock condition of the corresponding category; the storing of the error information of the target interlock condition in a target storage area among a plurality of storage areas set in advance includes:

and determining a target storage position of the target interlocking condition in the target storage area, and storing error information of the target interlocking condition in the target storage position.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of interlock lists comprises a first interlock list, a second interlock list, and a third interlock list;

wherein the interlock condition in the first interlock list is a device identifier of at least one other action device associated with the action device in the semiconductor process equipment, and the target condition value in the first interlock list is a target switch state of the other action device; the interlocking condition in the second interlocking list is a parameter identification of at least one process parameter of the semiconductor process equipment, which is associated with the action device, and the target condition value in the second interlocking list is a target parameter state of the process parameter; the interlock condition in the third interlock list is a state identification of at least one system state in the semiconductor process equipment associated with the action device, and the target condition value in the third interlock list is a target system state of the system state.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said action devices comprise valves, chamber doors and pumps in said semiconductor processing equipment.

8. The semiconductor process equipment is characterized by comprising an action device and a lower computer, wherein the lower computer is used for responding to a starting signal of the action device and acquiring a plurality of interlocking lists of the action device; each interlock list comprises a category of interlock conditions and target condition values of the interlock conditions respectively; and the lower computer is also used for storing the error information of the interlocking condition according to the category of the interlocking condition under the condition that the target condition value of the interlocking condition is not matched with the obtained actual condition value.

9. The semiconductor processing equipment according to claim 8, further comprising an upper computer connected to the lower computer; the lower computer is also used for sending the error information to the upper computer so that the upper computer displays the error information.

10. The semiconductor processing apparatus of claim 8 or 9, wherein the motion device comprises a valve, a chamber door, and a pump in the semiconductor processing apparatus.

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