JP2005347371A - Error band automatic setting system - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem that a failure in setting an error band may happen despite of completing a new recipe because conventional techniques require the initial setting of the error band for detecting the abnormality of a semiconductor manufacturing device to be carried out manually, thus making human recognition and judgement necessity in grasping the register status of the recipe and setting the error band. <P>SOLUTION: An error band automatic setting system to be provided comprises a data collecting unit, a data abnormality judging unit, a data storing unit, a recipe monitoring unit, and an error band setting editing unit. The automatic setting system is capable of setting a proper error band according to a rule preset for each semiconductor manufacturing device as soon as a new recipe is created on the semiconductor manufacturing device. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a system that automatically sets an error band that is set to detect an abnormality in a process parameter of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in a semiconductor manufacturing process.

  As a system related to error band setting for detecting process parameter abnormalities in conventional semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the management value for managing process parameters, and the management range determined by the management upper limit value and the management lower limit value are based on past results. In addition, there is an automatic management value update device that automatically updates a management value and narrows the management width.

There exists patent document 1 as such a prior art. Each process data collected by the process data collection device is compared with the management value determined from the product specification value, the management upper limit value, and the management lower limit value by the collected data check device to determine whether they are within the management range. . At the same time, the average value and variation are calculated by sampling, the trend of these collected data is examined, and the management range is automatically reset by the management value automatic updating device according to the obtained value so that the management becomes strict. When the management width is exceeded or the condition is not met, an alarm is issued or the lot is automatically stopped. Since the management value is tightened according to the actual data, the quality can be further improved. Further, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of an abnormality due to a human error such as an oversight, and to prevent the generation of useless lots.
JP-A-8-202775

  However, in the conventional technique, the initial setting of the error band is manual. Further, since the behavior and output value of the process data are different for each recipe, it is inevitably necessary to set an error band for each recipe registered in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. However, the task of recognizing the registration status of the recipe and setting an error band is manual. Therefore, it is a situation where the possibility of unrecognized registration of a recipe can be predicted sufficiently, and this causes a problem that an error band is not set.

  In order to solve the above-described conventional problems, an error band automatic setting system of the present invention includes a data collection device that collects process data from a semiconductor manufacturing device, a process data abnormality determination device that determines abnormality of the process data, and a semiconductor manufacturing A recipe monitoring apparatus that constantly monitors the recipe registration status on the apparatus and an error band setting editing apparatus that determines an error band setting rule for each semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and automatically calculates an error band are provided.

  With this configuration, error bands can be set without omission for all recipes created on the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

  Since the recipe registration status is constantly monitored by the apparatus for monitoring the recipe registration status, it is possible to detect an abnormality in the processing status of all recipes without oversight.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a system for automatically setting an error band to be set for detecting an abnormality in a process parameter of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention. The data collection device 11 collects data from the semiconductor manufacturing device 10 and transfers the collected data to the data abnormality determination device 12. The data abnormality determination device 12 determines normality / abnormality based on the transferred data. The data storage device 13 stores the data collected by the data collection device 11 and the abnormality determination result information in the data abnormality determination device 12. The recipe monitoring device 14 monitors recipe registration of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10. The error band setting editing device 15 calculates an error band at the time of new recipe registration.

  Next, an operation flow of error band automatic setting will be described with reference to FIG. The recipe monitoring device 14 monitors the recipe registration status of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10. When a new recipe is registered in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 (A), the recipe monitoring apparatus 14 reads the contents of the new recipe (B ). Then, the contents of the new recipe and the ID of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 (chamber ID if necessary) are delivered to the error band setting editing apparatus 15 (C). The rule for calculating the error band needs to be created for each semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 by the error band setting / editing device 15, and how to determine this rule will be described later. The error band setting / editing device 15 calculates an error band for the newly registered recipe based on the defined rule (D). Then, the error band setting information is delivered to the data abnormality determination device 12 (E).

  Here, the concept of error band setting in the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. The error band in the present invention means a certain management width with respect to the process parameters of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. FIG. 3 shows a warning error band upper limit 31, a warning error band lower limit 32, a warning error band upper limit 33, and a warning error band lower limit 34 set for the source Rf traveling wave power and the Rf traveling wave power with respect to the process time of the dry etching apparatus. It is a conceptual diagram.

  The data collection device 11 collects process parameters, wafer identification parameters, and processing state parameters from each semiconductor manufacturing device. The process parameter is a parameter that affects the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, such as gas flow rate, temperature, and applied voltage, when processing the wafer, and means data of the apparatus when processing the wafer. The wafer identification parameter is a wafer ID assigned to a wafer, a lot ID, and a processing recipe ID in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in a semiconductor manufacturing factory, and means data for recognizing a wafer as a single wafer. The processing state parameter is an apparatus processing state and recipe step number of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and means data for determining the processing state of the wafer of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

  The data abnormality determination device 12 sets an error band for each combination of a semiconductor manufacturing device and a recipe, and performs abnormality determination for a process parameter delivered from the data collection device 11. When the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus has a plurality of process chambers, an error band is set for each combination of the process chamber and the recipe, and abnormality of the process parameter is determined. That is, the combination of the data collection device 11 and the data abnormality determination device 12 makes it possible to set a detailed error band for each process chamber with respect to the process parameters delivered from the data collection device 11, Production under the control of an error band becomes possible. The error band setting is automatically set by information delivered from an error band setting editing device 15 described later.

  The recipe monitoring device 14 constantly and automatically monitors the recipe registration status of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10. The recipe monitoring device 14 and the semiconductor manufacturing device 10 are connected via a network, and the recipe monitoring device 14 sets a recipe registration location for each semiconductor manufacturing device. Since the recipe registration contents and the format thereof are different for each semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the recipe monitoring apparatus 14 has an interface for each semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. The role of the interface is to convert the contents of the recipe body in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 10 into a format that can be read by the error band setting editing apparatus 15, and an interface is created for each semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

  In addition, when the recipe main body is managed by a recipe main body management system different from the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, an interface may be provided between the recipe main body management system and the recipe monitoring apparatus 14 for cooperation.

  The error band setting editing device 15 calculates an error band for each semiconductor manufacturing device 10 with respect to the process parameters of the semiconductor manufacturing device 10. By creating a rule for an error band setting method for each process parameter, the error band setting is automatically calculated based on the new registration information of the recipe from the recipe monitoring device 14. The calculated error band setting information is delivered to the data abnormality determination device. The error band automatic setting rule is that, in dry etching equipment, with regard to Rf traveling wave power, an error band is set at a specific ratio with respect to a setting value that gives a warning at ± 5% of the recipe setting value and a warning at ± 10%. The Rf reflected wave power is a rule that sets a certain threshold value (for example, 20 W and 30 W respectively for warning and warning) regardless of the recipe setting value. When a recipe called Rf traveling wave 2000 W is created on a dry etching apparatus as a new recipe, the warning upper limit value / lower limit value and the caution upper limit value / lower limit value are 2200 W / 1800 W, 2100 W / 1900 W for the Rf traveling wave, respectively. And the error band setting calculated for the RF reflected wave and the threshold value set for the RF reflected wave (attention and warning respectively 20 W and 30 W) are delivered to the data abnormality determination device 12.

  The error band settings calculated by the error band setting / editing device 15 are collectively held and managed by the data storage device 13.

  FIG. 4 shows a conventional error band setting management sheet. For each process chamber, the set values of warning upper limit value / lower limit value and caution upper limit value / lower limit value with respect to the process parameters were described. Conventionally, when an error band is set for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus as in the present invention, a management sheet is manually created for each semiconductor manufacturing apparatus or for each combination of a process chamber and a recipe possessed by the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. Although the band was managed, in the present invention, the data storage device 13 collectively holds and manages information. When changing the error band setting, conventionally, it is necessary to change the error band setting in the data abnormality determination device and change the management sheet. However, when the setting change is performed in the error band setting editing device 15, By adopting a mechanism in which the data in the data storage device 13 is automatically changed, it is possible to eliminate manual management of error band settings on the management sheet, and efficient management of error band settings becomes possible.

  With the system that automatically sets the error band that is set to detect abnormalities in the process parameters of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment in the semiconductor manufacturing process as described above, there is no omission for all recipes created on the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. An error band can be set, and the set error band can be efficiently managed. As a result, attention and warning alarms can be issued before abnormalities that have a significant impact on the product occur, semiconductor manufacturing equipment abnormalities can be quickly extracted, defective lots can be eliminated, and efficient production Is possible.

  The system for automatically setting an error band to be set for detecting an abnormality in the process parameters of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention is applicable not only to the semiconductor industry but also to an industry that uses an apparatus whose operation is defined by a recipe. Useful.

Configuration block diagram of a system that automatically sets error bands Error band automatic setting flowchart Diagram showing error band setting concept The figure which shows the management sheet of the conventional error band setting

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 11 Data collection apparatus 12 Data abnormality determination apparatus 13 Data storage apparatus 14 Recipe monitoring apparatus 15 Error band setting edit apparatus 31 Caution error band upper limit 32 Caution error band lower limit 33 Warning error band upper limit 34 Warning error band lower limit

Claims (4)

A data collection device for collecting process data from semiconductor manufacturing equipment;
A process data abnormality determination device for determining abnormality of process data;
A recipe monitoring device that constantly monitors the recipe registration status on the semiconductor manufacturing device;
An error band automatic setting system comprising: an error band setting editing device that automatically determines an error band by determining an error band setting rule for each semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. In the error band automatic setting system according to claim 1,
An automatic error band setting system that automatically recognizes new recipe registration and enables error band setting by constantly monitoring the recipe registration status on the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus with a recipe monitoring device. In the error band automatic setting system according to claim 1,
Error band automatic setting, characterized in that the error band setting rule is set for each semiconductor manufacturing device in advance, so that the error band is automatically set according to the rule set every time a new recipe is registered system. In the error band automatic setting system according to claim 1,
The data storage device collectively manages the error band setting information, which is an abnormality determination criterion in the process data abnormality determination device, and the rules for automatically calculating the error band in the error band setting editing device. A featured error band automatic setting system.

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