JP2003022958A - Aligner, method for fabricating device, factory for producing semiconductor and method for maintaining aligner - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To assist for taking an appropriate countermeasure quickly by recording variation of each physical quantity of an aligner upon occurrence of an abnormality, and to assist for taking a countermeasure depending on the situation by recording the environmental variation or the state change of the aligner. SOLUTION: Means for detecting the operating state of a section being driven by an actuator, a control section for delivering a drive command signal to the actuator in order to control operation at the section being driven, a memory for recording information including the detection results of operating state, and an abnormality/state judging unit for judging whether alteration is required in the control at the control section or not while taking account of the detection results of operating state, are provided in the motion mechanism system of an aligner.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus, a device manufacturing method, a semiconductor manufacturing factory, and an exposure apparatus maintenance method, and more particularly to a semiconductor having a highly accurate motion mechanism system such as a wafer stage, a reticle stage, and an active vibration isolator. The present invention relates to an exposure apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent semiconductor exposure apparatuses, it is required to improve the accuracy of a motion mechanism system mounted on the semiconductor exposure apparatus in order to perform finer and higher-speed exposure than ever before. The movement mechanism system of the semiconductor exposure apparatus adopting the scan exposure method includes a wafer stage that scans a wafer and a reticle stage that scans a reticle. In addition, in order to achieve high performance in the vibration isolation device that eliminates vibrations excited by the scanning operation of these stages and vibrations transmitted from the outside, in order to achieve high performance, active vibration isolation and position control that actively control the vibration isolation table and position are performed. Shaking devices have been put to practical use.

While these motion mechanism systems are required to have a high level of performance, a stable supply of semiconductor products, which is the backbone of the information industry, is required. The semiconductor exposure apparatus has an actual operating rate for improving productivity. Is required to improve.

[0004]

By the way, in the semiconductor exposure apparatus, when an abnormality occurs in the various movement mechanism systems described above, the abnormality is detected, the cause of the abnormality is identified, and appropriate measures are taken to remove it. Depending on the situation, it is necessary to return the device to a normal state.

In the conventional device, the abnormality of the device is detected by measuring the signals of the acceleration sensor, the displacement sensor, etc., which indicate the operating state of the motion mechanism system, and determining whether the respective values are normal. It was However, these measured values at the time of occurrence of abnormality are not necessarily recorded.

Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult to identify the cause of the abnormality when the phenomenon at the time of the abnormality is difficult to reproduce due to the condition of the abnormality. Further, even if the operation at the time of occurrence of abnormality is reproducible, it is necessary to measure the above-mentioned various physical quantities in order to identify the cause of the abnormality in response to the abnormality occurring at an arbitrary timing. However, the conventional device does not have such a function in the device itself. Also,
In some cases, the measuring / recording means itself of a predetermined physical quantity is not provided, and it is necessary to connect an external measuring device / recording means at the time of an abnormality investigation in such a case.

A first object of the present invention is to record a change in each physical quantity of the apparatus at the time of occurrence of such an abnormality, and to provide support for prompt and appropriate response.

Further, in a motion control system for controlling a motion mechanism system using a sensor and an actuator, the adjustment state of a controller, such as a control circuit, is optimally set to the place where the adjustment is made and the state of the exposure apparatus at that time. Adjusted to. However, even in this case, there is a problem that it is not always possible to cope with a change in the surrounding environment or a change in the state during operation of the device. In order to detect these long-term fluctuations and maintain the operating condition of the device optimally, the surrounding environmental changes during operation and the device condition changes are observed for a long period of time, and that condition is judged appropriately and if necessary. Need to be treated.

A second object of the present invention is to record such changes in the surrounding environment and changes in the state of the exposure apparatus, and to provide support for performing treatment in accordance with the situation.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, the exposure apparatus of the present invention has a state detecting means for detecting an operating state of a driven portion driven by an actuator, and an operation of the driven portion. Is it necessary to change the control of the controller in consideration of the control unit (controller) that outputs the drive command signal to the actuator, the memory for recording the information including the detection result of the operation state, and the detection result of the operation state? It is characterized by having a motion mechanism system including a judging means for judging whether or not there is.

With this configuration, when the determination means determines that the motion mechanism system is abnormal, the controller stops the drive of the actuator, and the state detection means detects the operating state even after the drive of the actuator is stopped. It is possible to continue recording the detection result. Further, if the set values of the control parameters for controlling the drive of the actuator are recorded in the memory in advance, the determination means needs to change the parameters based on the detection result of the operating state and the information recorded in the memory. It can be determined whether or not.

The controller usually includes a control circuit of a motion control system for controlling the motion mechanism system by using state detecting means such as various sensors and an actuator, but in addition to this, an exposure including the motion mechanism system. It may include functions such as a function of managing the operating state of the entire apparatus, a memory, and a determination unit. Conversely, these functions may be included in the host controller that manages the operating status of the entire exposure apparatus.

The present invention also provides a motion mechanism system for performing complicated drive control such as a feedback control system in which a controller performs appropriate compensation calculation processing using the detection result of the state detection means and outputs a drive command signal. It is suitable.

The determination means has a function of changing the operating states of other mechanisms of the motion mechanism system as necessary, or a function of notifying the operator of a change instruction when the operation state of the motion mechanism system is changed. You may have. This function is normally possessed by the controller when the controller and the judging means are separate bodies, and at this time, the judging means should be able to notify the controller that the operating state of the motion mechanism system has been changed.

As the information to be recorded in the memory, in addition to the above-mentioned detection result of the operating state and the set value of the control parameter,
Depending on the application, it is possible to record the drive command signal to the actuator, the operating state of other mechanisms of the motion mechanism system, etc., and it is usually output from each element in the form of a signal.
Further, it is preferable that the memory is a non-volatile memory that can continue to hold the record data even after the operation of the exposure apparatus is stopped.

As the motion mechanism system, the driven part is a vibration isolation table, and the actuator is a vibration isolation device for applying a damping force to the vibration isolation table, or the driven part is an original plate on which a pattern is drawn or exposure of a pattern. An example of the stage device is a stage on which a substrate to be transferred is mounted, and an actuator drives the stage.

Further, in the exposure apparatus of the present invention, by providing a display, a network interface, and a computer that executes network software, it is possible to carry out data communication of maintenance information of the exposure apparatus via a computer network. Become. This network software provides a user interface on the display for connecting to the external network of the factory where the exposure apparatus is installed and accessing the maintenance database provided by the exposure apparatus vendor or user, and then via the external network. Those that allow the information to be obtained from the database are preferred. At this time, if it is possible to output the information of the memory and the determination means to the outside of the exposure apparatus, it is possible to centrally manage the recording and determination information of the plurality of exposure apparatuses via the computer network. it can.

The device manufacturing method of the present invention includes the steps of installing a manufacturing apparatus group for various processes including an exposure apparatus in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, and manufacturing a semiconductor device by a plurality of processes using these manufacturing apparatus groups. Is characterized by. Furthermore, preferably, a step of connecting the manufacturing apparatus group with a local area network, and a step of performing data communication of information regarding at least one of the manufacturing apparatus group between the local area network and an external network outside the semiconductor manufacturing factory. Have more. According to the method of the present invention, a database provided by an exposure apparatus vendor or a user is accessed via an external network to obtain maintenance information of a manufacturing apparatus by data communication, or a semiconductor manufacturing factory different from a semiconductor manufacturing factory. It becomes possible to perform production management by performing data communication between them via an external network.

The semiconductor manufacturing factory of the present invention comprises a group of manufacturing apparatuses for various processes including the exposure apparatus of the present invention, a local area network connecting the groups of manufacturing apparatuses, and an external network outside the factory from the local area network. It has a gateway for making it possible to perform data communication of information regarding at least one of the manufacturing apparatus group.

The maintenance method of the present invention is the above-mentioned maintenance method for an exposure apparatus installed in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, wherein the vendor or user of the exposure apparatus is a maintenance database connected to an external network of the semiconductor manufacturing factory. And a step of permitting access to the maintenance database from the semiconductor manufacturing factory via an external network, and a step of transmitting the maintenance information accumulated in the maintenance database to the semiconductor manufacturing factory side via the external network. It is characterized by having.

[0021]

In order to achieve the above first object, in the exposure apparatus of the present invention, the operation state of the motion mechanism system is started to be detected by the state detecting means when the operation of the apparatus is started. The output signal from this detecting means is output to a memory for recording a signal indicating the operating state of the apparatus, a judging means for judging an abnormality of each signal, and the like. The memory is an output signal from the detection means,
According to the judgment value of the judgment means, the recording operation is performed for the drive command signal of the actuator which is drive-controlled and the signal indicating the operating state of the apparatus, which are set for each of the normal time and the abnormal time. The determination means determines whether the output signal from the detection means is abnormal, and outputs a determination value to a controller that manages the operating states of the memory and the entire semiconductor exposure apparatus. According to the determination value of the determination means, the controller performs processing such as operation stop of the device if there is an abnormality.

In the above-mentioned operation, the output signal from the detecting means is measured, and when the determining means determines that the measured value is normal, the output signal from the detecting means and the actuator drive command are given. A process of recording signals and the like in the memory is performed. After the recording process is completed, the next measurement is performed. The above operation is repeated unless an abnormality occurs during the operation of the semiconductor exposure apparatus.

On the other hand, when it is determined that the measured value is abnormal as a result of the abnormality determination by the determining means, the operation of the semiconductor exposure apparatus is stopped and the controller is notified of the occurrence of the abnormality.
The controller notifies other units of the semiconductor exposure apparatus and issues an operation stop command if necessary. If it is necessary to notify the operator, the information is displayed on the display device. Information on the operating status of the semiconductor exposure apparatus is received from the controller and recorded in the memory. Data measurement is continued even after an abnormality occurs, and the data is recorded in the memory. After a certain period of time, the data measurement is stopped and the recording operation is finished.

By applying the processing operation as described above, the output signal from the detection means indicating the operating state of the motion mechanism system before and after the occurrence of the abnormality is recorded inside the apparatus, so that the cause of the abnormality occurrence can be identified externally. It can be performed without using the measuring instruments of. This makes it possible to quickly restore the operating state of the device to normal.

In the exposure apparatus of the present invention to achieve the above second object, the operation state of the motion mechanism system is started to be detected by the state detection means when the operation of the apparatus is started. The output signal from the detection means is output to a memory that records a signal indicating the operating state of the apparatus, a determination means that determines the state of each signal, and the like. The memory performs a recording operation of a signal indicating an operating state of the device, such as an output signal from the detection means and a drive command signal for an actuator whose drive is controlled. The determination unit determines the state from the output signal from the detection unit and the signal recorded in the memory, and determines the determination value by a control unit (for example, a controller that manages the operating state of the entire semiconductor exposure apparatus).
Output to. The controller performs processing such as changing the setting of the device according to the judgment value of the judging means, if necessary.

In the above-mentioned operation, the output signal from the detecting means is measured, and if the determining means determines the state, and if the setting change is not necessary, the output signal from the detecting means, the actuator drive command signal, etc. are detected. Record in memory and perform next measurement. The above operation is repeated unless the setting of the device needs to be changed.

When it is judged by the judging means that the setting needs to be changed, the setting of the apparatus is changed if necessary. The determination means notifies the controller of the setting change. The controller changes the setting or instructs the operator. The determining means receives the information on the operating state of the device after the change processing from the controller, records the information in the memory, and performs the next measurement.

By applying the configuration and processing operation as described above and recording the state of the apparatus, changes in the surrounding environment,
It is possible to detect a long-term change such as a change with time, determine the operating state of the device from the detection result, and change to an optimum state. Thereby, it is possible to maintain the predetermined performance of the device.

[0029]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the exposure apparatus is roughly classified into an exposure mechanism system (exposure apparatus main body) and a vibration isolation mechanism system (vibration isolation apparatus). The exposure mechanism system includes a wafer stage on which a wafer is mounted and is driven in the tilt directions of XYZ and axes, a reticle stage on which a reticle is mounted and which is driven such as a scan drive.
The projection optical system for projecting the reticle pattern onto the wafer, the projection optical system for irradiating the reticle with light from the light source, and the like are mounted on the vibration isolation table. In addition, the vibration isolation mechanism system
It includes an anti-vibration table on which the main body of the exposure apparatus and the like are mounted, support means for supporting the anti-vibration table, and an actuator that actively drives the anti-vibration table. Further, the examples 1 and 2 can achieve the object of the present invention by combining them.

In the following embodiments, the vibration isolator will be described as an example, but the present invention can be similarly applied to various other motion control systems such as a wafer stage and a reticle stage. Further, it is similarly applicable to general motion mechanism systems that do not include control means such as feedback and feedforward. In this case, the operation state of the motion mechanism system may be recorded and determined by the memory and the abnormality / state determination device described below.

<Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the semiconductor exposure apparatus of this embodiment, focusing on the vibration isolator. As shown in FIG. 1, the apparatus according to the present embodiment is provided with a vibration isolation table 1 on which another unit 10 such as a semiconductor exposure mechanism system is mounted, a support means (not shown) for supporting the same, and a vibration isolation table 1. Vibration isolation mount 2 provided with an actuator (not shown) for applying vibration force, and vibration detection means 3 for detecting the vibration of the vibration isolation table 1.
A displacement detection means 4 for detecting the displacement amount of the vibration isolation table 1 with respect to the reference position, a vibration detection signal from the vibration detection means 3 for driving the actuator of the vibration isolation mount 2, and a displacement detection signal from the displacement detection means 4. A control circuit 5 that outputs a drive command signal for the actuator by performing an appropriate compensation calculation process on the above, a vibration detection signal from the vibration detection means 3, a displacement detection signal from the displacement detection means 4, and an actuator drive command signal from the control circuit 5. In addition to a signal indicating the operating state of the apparatus, a memory 6 for recording various signals, an abnormality determiner 7 for determining an abnormality of each signal, and a host controller 8 for managing the operating state of the entire semiconductor exposure apparatus. Have

The actuator provided in the vibration isolation mount 2 is an air pressure control type in which an electromagnetically driven linear motor such as a voice coil motor and an internal pressure of an air spring are controlled by a valve for adjusting air supply / exhaust to / from the air spring. An actuator or a combination thereof can be used. When an air pressure control type actuator using such an air spring is used, this actuator can also serve as the support means of the vibration isolation mount 2.

An acceleration sensor can be used as the vibration detecting means 3, and a displacement sensor can be used as the displacement detecting means 4. The memory 6 can retain the recorded data even after the operation of the device is stopped, and for example, a semiconductor memory or a magnetic disk type storage device can be used. Further, the abnormality determiner 7 has means for notifying the host controller 8 or the like of the determination result.

Although the memory 6 and the abnormality determiner 7 are independently configured in this embodiment, they may be included in the control circuit 5 or the like of the vibration isolation device. Further, the memory 6 and the abnormality determiner 7 can output their signal information to the outside of the semiconductor exposure apparatus. As a result, it is possible to centrally manage the recording signals and determination information of a plurality of exposure apparatuses via the network.

Next, the operation of the vibration isolator according to this embodiment will be described. In the apparatus of this example, the vibration of the vibration isolation table 1 vibration-isolated and supported by the vibration isolation mount 2 is detected by the vibration detection means 3 such as an acceleration sensor, and the displacement amount of the vibration isolation table 1 with respect to the reference position is detected by the displacement sensor. It is detected by the displacement detecting means 4 such as. Then, the detection signals indicating these detection results are output to the control circuit 5 that performs compensation calculation processing. Further, the detection signal itself or a signal obtained by observing (for example, sampling) the detection signal is output to the memory 6 and the abnormality determiner 7. The control circuit 5 outputs the drive command signal subjected to the compensation calculation process to drive the actuator of the vibration isolation mount 2. At the same time, the control circuit 5 outputs the drive command signal itself to the memory 6 as needed. Memory 6
Are various signals output from the vibration detecting means 3 and the displacement detecting means 4, an actuator drive command signal from the control circuit 5, a signal indicating the operating state of the apparatus, etc. according to the judgment value of the abnormality judging device 7. The recording operation specified for each of normal and abnormal is performed. The abnormality determiner 7 makes an abnormality determination of the signals output from the vibration detecting means 3 and the displacement detecting means 4, and outputs a determination value to the memory 6 and the host controller 8. The host controller 8 is the abnormality determiner 7
If there is an abnormality, processing such as operation stop of the device is performed according to the judgment value of.

FIG. 2 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the vibration isolator in this embodiment. When the operation of the semiconductor exposure apparatus is started, the operation of the vibration isolation device is started in step S0,
In step S1, the observation of the detection signals, actuator drive command signals, etc. output from the vibration detection means 3 and the displacement detection means 4 is started, and these signals are output from the detection means 3, 4 and the control circuit 5. In step S2, a process of recording each signal input in the memory 6 is performed. In step S3, each of the signals observed in step S1 is input to the abnormality determiner 7 and compared with the allowable value range to determine abnormality. When it is determined in step S3 that all the signals input to the abnormality determiner 7 are normal, the process returns to step S1.
Perform the next measurement. Then, as long as no abnormality occurs during the operation of the device, each step of steps S1 to S3 is repeated.

On the other hand, if any of the signals is determined to be abnormal in step S3, the abnormality determiner 7 outputs the occurrence of abnormality to the control circuit 5, and the control circuit 5 stops the operation of the vibration isolator in step S4. Output a signal. As a result, the anti-vibration mount 2 is stopped. Further, the abnormality determiner 7 notifies the upper controller 8 of the occurrence of abnormality in step S5. If necessary, the host controller 8 outputs an operation stop command signal to another unit 10 of the semiconductor exposure apparatus. Further, the host controller 8 displays that an abnormality has occurred on a display device (not shown) if notification to the operator is required. In step S6, the abnormality determiner 7 acquires the information on the operating status of the device from the host controller 8, outputs the information, and records it in the memory 6. The information on the operating status at the time of the occurrence of the abnormality is useful for analyzing the cause of the occurrence of the abnormality.
On the other hand, the vibration detecting means 3, the displacement detecting means 4, etc. continue to observe the signal even after the occurrence of the abnormality (step S7), and output the signal or the like obtained by measuring the operation state of the vibration isolation table 1, This output signal is input to the memory 6 and recorded (step S8). In step S9, the observation of the signal is stopped after the elapse of a certain time, and the recording operation is ended. In this way, recording the observed signal even after the occurrence of an abnormality is effective in investigating the cause because the change in the operating state of the vibration isolation device before and after the occurrence of the abnormality can be known.

Next, a method of recording the observed signal in the memory 6 will be described with reference to FIG. When an observation signal is continuously recorded using the memory capacity of the maximum number n of storage of a certain observation signal, the observation signal is a signal n-1 before the latest signal (k) at a certain time point (ts = k). (K- (n-
The data up to the point 1)) is recorded in the memory 6. At the next time (ts = k + 1), to record the observed signal, the oldest recorded signal (k- (n-
1)) is deleted and a new signal (ts = k + 1) is recorded. In this way, the latest n signals can always be recorded.

In the memory 6, observation signals of various physical quantities such as a signal from the vibration detecting means 3, a signal from the displacement detecting means 4 and an actuator drive command signal are simultaneously recorded in parallel. By using these simultaneously observed signals, it is possible to analyze the behavior of the vibration isolation device when an abnormality occurs.

Next, the processing operation when an abnormality occurs will be described with reference to FIG.
Will be explained. In FIG. 4, an acceleration sensor is used as the vibration detecting means 3 and a displacement sensor is used as the displacement detecting means 4,
The case where those signals are recorded is shown as an example. Of course, similar processing can be performed on detection signals of physical quantities other than this. As shown in the figure,
At a certain time t2, the detection signal of the displacement sensor shows the allowable value Vtol.
If the abnormality determiner 7 determines that the abnormality is exceeded, the device operating state at the abnormality determination time point (t2) is recorded in the memory 6.
Even after the occurrence of the abnormality, the observation signals of the displacement sensor and the acceleration sensor are recorded until the end time t3 of the recording process. When the recording up to the time t3 is completed, the recording operation to the memory 6 is finished. The observation signal from t1 to t2 recorded in the normal state and the observation signal from t2 to t3 after the occurrence of the abnormality are recorded together in the memory 6 from t1 to t3.

As described above, in the semiconductor exposure apparatus of this embodiment, the operating state of the vibration isolation device before and after the occurrence of the abnormality is recorded in the apparatus, so that the abnormality can be detected without using an external measuring instrument or the like. The cause of occurrence can be specified. This makes it possible to quickly restore the operating state of the device to normal.

<Second Embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the vibration isolator according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 5 is a conceptual diagram showing the vibration isolation device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the device disclosed in the present embodiment is the same as the device in the first embodiment except that a state determiner 9 is provided instead of the abnormality determiner 7, and the same reference numerals are given. They have at least the same function, and the vibration isolation mount 2, the vibration detection means 3, the displacement detection means 4, and the memory 6 may have the same configurations as those shown in the first embodiment.

The state determiner 9 determines the state of each signal, and can perform an operation of sequentially changing the settings such as control parameters of the vibration isolator according to the result of the state determination.

Also in this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the memory 6 and the state determiner 9 may be included inside the control circuit 5 of the vibration isolation device.

Also in the present embodiment, as in the first embodiment, the information of the memory 6 and the state determiner 9 can be output to the outside of the device. As a result, it is possible to centrally manage the records and determination information of a plurality of devices via the network.

Next, the operation of the vibration isolator according to this embodiment will be described. In the apparatus of the present example, the vibration detection means 3 detects the vibration of the vibration isolation table 1 that is vibration-supported by the vibration isolation mount 2, and the displacement detection means 4 detects the displacement amount of the vibration isolation table 1 with respect to the reference position. To do. Then, the detection signals indicating these detection results are output to the control circuit 5 that performs compensation calculation processing.
Further, this detection signal is stored in the memory 6 and the state determiner 9
Is output to. In the control circuit 5, the drive command signal that has been subjected to the compensation calculation processing using the input detection signal is used for the vibration isolation mount 2
To drive the actuator. At the same time, the drive command signal from the control circuit 5 is also output to the memory 6.
The memory 6 records various signals such as signals output from the vibration detecting means 3 and the displacement detecting means 4, an actuator drive command signal from the control circuit 5, and a signal indicating the operating state of the apparatus. The state determiner 9 determines the state using the signals output from the vibration detecting means 3 and the displacement detecting means 4 and the signal recorded in the memory 6, and appropriately determines the control parameters of the vibration isolator according to the determination result. Change the setting. At the same time, the judgment value is output to the memory 6 and the host controller 8. The host controller 8 performs processing such as setting change of the other unit 10 of the semiconductor exposure apparatus according to the determination value of the state determiner 9 if necessary.

FIG. 6 is a flow chart showing the operation procedure of the vibration isolator in this embodiment. In the figure, steps S10 to S12 perform the same operations as steps S0 to S2 of FIG. The signal observed in step S11 and the signal recorded in the memory 6 in step S12 are input to the state determiner 9 and used together for state determination. In step S13, the state determiner 9 determines whether or not it is necessary to change the setting of the vibration isolation device. As a result of this determination, if the setting change is not necessary, the process returns to step S11 and the next measurement is performed. Unless settings need to be changed while the device is operating, step S
The steps from 11 to S13 are repeated.

On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S13, if the setting needs to be changed, the process proceeds to step S14, in which the state determiner 9 outputs a command to the control circuit 5 to change the required setting of the vibration isolator. To do. The state determiner 9 also notifies the upper controller 8 of the setting change (step S15). The host controller 8 displays the fact that the setting has been changed on a display device (not shown) and, if necessary, instructs the operator to change the setting of the other unit 10. In step S16, the state determiner 9 receives the information of the exposure apparatus operating condition after the change processing from the host controller 8, outputs it, and records it in the memory 6. Then, after recording this information, the process returns to step S11 to perform measurement.

In step S15, the setting of the device can be changed automatically. At this time, the host controller 8 notifies another unit 10 of the semiconductor exposure apparatus of the setting change as necessary, and shifts the operating state of the exposure apparatus to the optimum setting.

In the vibration isolator according to the present embodiment, by applying the configuration and processing operation as described above, it is possible to record the state of the device so that a long-term fluctuation such as a change in the surrounding environment or a change over time can be achieved. It is possible to detect and determine the operating state of the device from the detection result, and change to the optimum state. Thereby, it is possible to maintain the predetermined performance of the device.

<Example of Semiconductor Production System> Next, an example of a production system of semiconductor devices (semiconductor chips such as IC and LSI, liquid crystal panels, CCDs, thin film magnetic heads, micromachines, etc.) will be described. This is for maintenance services such as troubleshooting and regular maintenance of manufacturing equipment installed in semiconductor manufacturing plants, or software provision.
This is done using a computer network outside the manufacturing plant.

FIG. 7 shows the entire system cut out from a certain angle. In the figure, 101 is a vendor (device supplier) that provides semiconductor device manufacturing equipment.
It is a business office of. As an example of the manufacturing apparatus, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for various processes used in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, for example, pre-process equipment (exposure apparatus, resist processing apparatus, lithography apparatus such as etching apparatus, heat treatment apparatus, film forming apparatus, planarization apparatus) Equipment) and post-process equipment (assembling equipment, inspection equipment, etc.). Within the business office 101, a host management system 1 that provides a maintenance database for manufacturing equipment
08, a plurality of operation terminal computers 110, and a local area network (LAN) 109 that connects these to construct an intranet. Host management system 1
08 is provided with a gateway for connecting the LAN 109 to the Internet 105, which is an external network of the office, and a security function for restricting access from the outside.

On the other hand, 102 to 104 are manufacturing factories of semiconductor manufacturers as users of manufacturing equipment. The manufacturing factories 102 to 104 may be factories belonging to different manufacturers or may be factories belonging to the same manufacturer (for example, a factory for a pre-process and a factory for a post-process). In each of the factories 102 to 104, a plurality of manufacturing apparatuses 106 and a local area network (LAN) 111 that connects them and constructs an intranet, respectively.
And a host management system 107 as a monitoring device for monitoring the operating status of each manufacturing device 106. Host management system 1 provided in each factory 102-104
07 includes a gateway for connecting the LAN 111 in each factory to the Internet 105, which is an external network of the factory. As a result, it becomes possible to access the host management system 108 on the vendor 101 side from the LAN 111 of each factory via the Internet 105, and only the limited user is permitted to access by the security function of the host management system 108. Specifically, each manufacturing apparatus 1 is connected via the Internet 105.
In addition to notifying the vendor of the status information indicating the operating status of 06 (for example, a symptom of a manufacturing apparatus in which a trouble has occurred) from the factory side, response information corresponding to the notification (for example,
It is possible to receive maintenance information such as information instructing how to deal with troubles, software and data for dealing with troubles, latest software, and help information from the vendor side. A communication protocol (TCP / IP) generally used on the Internet is used for data communication between the factories 102 to 104 and the vendor 101 and data communication on the LAN 111 in each factory. Instead of using the Internet as an external network outside the factory, it is also possible to use a leased line network (ISDN or the like) which is highly secure without being accessed by a third party. Further, the host management system is not limited to the one provided by the vendor, and a user may construct a database and place it on an external network so that the user can access the database from a plurality of factories.

Now, FIG. 8 is a conceptual view showing the entire system of this embodiment cut out from an angle different from that shown in FIG. In the above example, a plurality of user factories each provided with a manufacturing apparatus and a management system of the vendor of the manufacturing apparatus are connected by an external network, and production management of each factory or at least one unit of the factory is performed via the external network. The information of the manufacturing apparatus was data-communicated. On the other hand, in this example,
A factory equipped with manufacturing apparatuses of a plurality of vendors and a management system of a vendor of each of the plurality of manufacturing apparatuses are connected by an external network outside the factory, and maintenance information of each manufacturing apparatus is data-communicated. In the figure, reference numeral 201 denotes a manufacturing plant of a manufacturing device user (semiconductor device manufacturing maker), and a manufacturing device for performing various processes on a manufacturing line of the factory, here, as an example, an exposure device 202, a resist processing device 203, a film forming processing device. 204 has been introduced. Although only one manufacturing factory 201 is shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of factories are actually networked in the same manner. The respective devices in the factory are connected by a LAN 206 to form an intranet, and the host management system 205 manages the operation of the manufacturing line. Meanwhile, the exposure apparatus manufacturer 210,
Resist processing equipment manufacturer 220, film deposition equipment manufacturer 2
Each of the business establishments of vendors (device supply manufacturers) such as 30 is provided with host management systems 211, 221, and 231 for performing remote maintenance of the supplied equipment, respectively. These are maintenance databases and gateways of external networks as described above. Equipped with. The host management system 205 that manages each device in the user's manufacturing plant and the vendor management systems 211, 221, 231 of each device are
The external network 200 is connected to the Internet or a leased line network. In this system, if a trouble occurs in any of the series of manufacturing equipment on the manufacturing line, the operation of the manufacturing line is suspended, but the vendor of the equipment in trouble receives remote maintenance via the Internet 200. This enables quick response and minimizes production line downtime.

Each manufacturing apparatus installed in the semiconductor manufacturing factory is provided with a display, a network interface, and a computer for executing the network access software and the apparatus operating software stored in the storage device. The storage device is a built-in memory, a hard disk, or a network file server. The network access software includes a dedicated or general-purpose web browser, and provides a user interface with a screen, an example of which is shown in FIG. 9, on the display. The operator who manages the manufacturing apparatus at each factory refers to the screen, and the manufacturing apparatus model (401), serial number (402), trouble subject (403), date of occurrence (404), urgency (4)
05), symptom (406), coping method (407), progress (4)
08) etc. is input to the input items on the screen. The input information is transmitted to the maintenance database via the Internet, and the appropriate maintenance information as a result is returned from the maintenance database and presented on the display. The user interface provided by the web browser is a hyperlink function (410-412) as shown in the figure.
The operator can access more detailed information on each item, pull out the latest version of software used in the manufacturing equipment from the software library provided by the vendor, and use the operation guide (help information for the factory operator's reference). ) Can be withdrawn.
Here, the maintenance information provided by the maintenance database also includes information such as the allowable value of the detection signal and the set value of the parameter described above, and the software library realizes the features of the present invention. It also provides the latest software information.

Next, a semiconductor device manufacturing process using the above-described production system will be described. FIG. 10 shows a flow of the whole manufacturing process of the semiconductor device.
In step S21 (circuit design), a semiconductor device circuit is designed. In step S22 (mask manufacturing), a mask having the designed circuit pattern is manufactured. on the other hand,
In step S23 (wafer manufacturing), a wafer is manufactured using a material such as silicon. Step S24 (wafer process) is called a pre-process, and an actual circuit is formed on the wafer by lithography using the mask and wafer prepared above. The next step S25 (assembly) is called a post-process, which is a process of forming a semiconductor chip using the wafer manufactured in step S24, and includes an assembly process (dicing, bonding), a packaging process (chip encapsulation), and the like. Including steps. Step S2
In 6 (inspection), inspections such as an operation confirmation test and a durability test of the semiconductor device manufactured in step S25 are performed. A semiconductor device is completed through these processes and shipped (step S27). The front-end process and the back-end process are performed in separate dedicated factories, and maintenance is performed for each of these factories by the remote maintenance system described above. Information for production management and device maintenance is also data-communicated between the front-end factory and the back-end factory via the Internet or the leased line network.

FIG. 11 shows the detailed flow of the wafer process. In step S31 (oxidation), the surface of the wafer is oxidized. In step S32 (CVD), an insulating film is formed on the wafer surface. In step S33 (electrode formation), electrodes are formed on the wafer by vapor deposition. Step S3
In 4 (ion implantation), ions are implanted in the wafer. In step S35 (resist processing), a photosensitive agent is applied to the wafer. In step S36 (exposure), the circuit pattern of the mask is printed and exposed on the wafer by the exposure apparatus described above. In step S37 (development), the exposed wafer is developed. In step S38 (etching), parts other than the developed resist image are scraped off. In step S39 (resist stripping), the unnecessary resist after etching is removed. By repeating these steps, multiple circuit patterns are formed on the wafer.
Since the manufacturing equipment used in each process is maintained by the remote maintenance system described above, troubles can be prevented in advance, and even if troubles occur, quick recovery is possible, and Productivity can be improved.

[0058]

As described above, the exposure apparatus of the present invention includes an exposure apparatus such as a signal indicating the operating state of the motion mechanism system, a drive command signal to the actuator, and a signal indicating the setting state of the control parameter of the motion mechanism system. The signal indicating the operating state of the device can be continuously recorded in the memory while the device is operating. As a result, it is possible to appropriately analyze the state change during the operation of the device and take an appropriate and prompt response if necessary.

Further, the judging means judges the signal indicating the operating condition of the exposure apparatus, and when the signal is judged to be in an abnormal state, the operation of the motion mechanism system is stopped and the operating state of the exposure apparatus before and after the occurrence of the abnormality is determined. A record of the indicated signal can be kept inside the device. In this way, by recording the data when an abnormality occurs in the device inside the device, it is possible to specify the cause of the abnormality without using an external measuring device or the like. Thus, by specifying the cause, it is possible to quickly restore the operating state of the exposure apparatus to normal.

Further, it is possible to detect a long-term variation such as a change in the environment around the apparatus or a change over time by using the information indicating the operating state of the exposure apparatus which is continuously recorded during the operation of the motion mechanism system. The operating state of the device can be determined from this detection result, and the optimal state can be changed. Thereby, it is possible to maintain the predetermined performance of the device.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an exposure apparatus according to a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the apparatus of FIG.

3 is a conceptual diagram showing a method of recording measurement data in a memory of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a graph showing detection results before and after the occurrence of an abnormality in the device of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing an exposure apparatus according to a second embodiment.

6 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the apparatus of FIG.

FIG. 7 is a conceptual view of the semiconductor device production system viewed from a certain angle.

FIG. 8 is a conceptual view of the semiconductor device production system viewed from another angle.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a specific example of a user interface.

FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a flow of a device manufacturing process.

FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating a wafer process.

[Explanation of symbols]

1: Vibration isolation table, 2: Vibration isolation mount, 3: Vibration detection means,
4: Displacement detecting means, 5: Control circuit of vibration isolation mount, 6:
Memory, 7: abnormality determiner, 8: controller, 9: state determiner.

Claims (22)

[Claims] 1. A state detection means for detecting an operating state of a driven part driven by an actuator, a control part for outputting a drive command signal to the actuator for controlling an operation of the driven part, A motion mechanism system including a memory for recording information including an operation state detection result, and a determination unit that determines whether or not the control of the control unit needs to be changed in consideration of the operation state detection result. An exposure apparatus comprising: 2. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit controls the operation of the driven unit based on the detection result of the state detecting unit. 3. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit has a function of managing an operating state of the entire exposure apparatus including the movement mechanism system. 4. The determination means has a function of changing the operating states of other mechanisms of the motion mechanism system as needed when the operating state of the motion mechanism system is changed. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1. 5. The determination means has a function of notifying an operator of an instruction to change an operating state of another mechanism of the exercise mechanism system, if necessary, when the operation state of the exercise mechanism system is changed. The exposure apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: 6. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the information recorded in the memory includes a drive command signal to the actuator. 7. The semiconductor exposure according to claim 1, wherein the memory is capable of holding the record data even after the operation of the exposure apparatus is stopped. apparatus. 8. The semiconductor exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit includes the memory and the determination unit. 9. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the driven portion is a vibration isolation table, and the actuator applies a damping force to the vibration isolation table. . 10. The driven part is a wafer stage on which a substrate on which a pattern is to be exposed and transferred is mounted, and the actuator drives the wafer stage. The exposure apparatus according to. 11. The driven part is a reticle stage on which an original plate on which a pattern is drawn is mounted, and the actuator drives the reticle stage. The exposure apparatus described. 12. The control unit stops driving of the actuator when the determination unit determines that the motion mechanism system is abnormal.
1. The exposure apparatus according to any one of 1. 13. The exposure apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the state detecting means detects the operation state even after the driving of the actuator is stopped, and continues recording the detection result. 14. A setting value of a control parameter for controlling the drive of the actuator is recorded in advance in the memory, and the determination means is configured to detect the operation state and the information recorded in the memory. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein it is determined whether or not the parameter needs to be changed based on the above. 15. A step of installing a manufacturing apparatus group for various processes including the exposure apparatus according to claim 1 in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, and a plurality of processes using these manufacturing apparatus groups. A method for manufacturing a device, comprising manufacturing a semiconductor device by the method. 16. Data communication of information relating to at least one of the manufacturing apparatus group between the step of connecting the manufacturing apparatus group by a local area network and the local network and an external network outside the semiconductor manufacturing factory. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising: 17. A database provided by a vendor or a user of the exposure apparatus is accessed through the external network to obtain maintenance information of the manufacturing apparatus by data communication, or a semiconductor manufacturing factory different from the semiconductor manufacturing factory. 16. The method according to claim 15, wherein production control is performed by performing data communication with the device via the external network. 18. A manufacturing apparatus group for various processes including the exposure apparatus according to claim 1, and a local area network connecting the manufacturing apparatus group.
A semiconductor manufacturing factory having a gateway that enables access from this local area network to an external network outside the factory and enabling data communication of information relating to at least one of the manufacturing apparatus groups. 19. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, which is installed in a semiconductor manufacturing factory.
15. The exposure apparatus maintenance method according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the exposure apparatus vendor or user provides a maintenance database connected to an external network of the semiconductor manufacturing factory, and the semiconductor manufacturing factory. A step of permitting access to the maintenance database from the inside via the external network; and a step of transmitting the maintenance information accumulated in the maintenance database to the semiconductor manufacturing factory side via the external network. Maintenance method for exposure equipment. 20. The exposure apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a display, a network interface, and a computer that executes network software, and maintenance information for the exposure apparatus is stored in a computer network. An exposure apparatus that enables data communication via the. 21. The network software comprises:
The exposure apparatus is connected to an external network of a factory and provides a user interface on the display for accessing a maintenance database provided by a vendor or a user of the exposure apparatus, and from the database via the external network. The exposure apparatus according to claim 20, which makes it possible to obtain information. 22. Information of the memory and the determination means can be output to the outside of the exposure apparatus, whereby recording and determination information of a plurality of exposure apparatuses can be centralized via the computer network. The exposure apparatus according to claim 20 or 21, which can be managed.