JP2008118485A - Secs message data preparing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To enhance general versatility and availability in preparation of SECS message data. <P>SOLUTION: An SECS message data preparing device 3 for editing/extracting an SECS message for communication between a semiconductor manufacturing device 1 and a host computer 2 is provided. The message data preparing device has a definition format using a parameter to prepare a message definition file, imports the message definition file prepared, and compiles the message definition file imported to be converted into execution data. The message definition file preparation has a definition format described by XML, and the definition format is divided into a template definition portion and an object (parameter) definition portion. Also, the message data preparing device transmits/receives the message data prepared to/from a host computer, or provides the data as a packaged component. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a communication system between a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a host computer, and more particularly to an SECS message data creation apparatus that conforms to SECS (Semiconductor Equipment Communication Standard) communication standards.

  FIG. 5 shows a hierarchical configuration of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and the host computer based on SECS message data communication. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 and the host computer 2 have GEMs (Generic Equipment Models) 12 and 22 corresponding to SECS-II messages under the applications 11 and 21, respectively, and communication message formats SECS-II 13 and 23 under these. Further, SECS-I 14 and 24, which are serial communication interfaces / communication protocols, and HSMS (High Speed SECS Message Service) 15 and 25 for performing message transmission by TCP / IP are provided (for example, see Patent Document 1).

  In this system configuration, the host computer 2 can implement a function 26 for expanding / editing host communication data. When a host communication system equipped with this function is provided as package software, there are roughly two forms of provision for implementing the communication data expansion / editing function.

  (A) A general-purpose library for expanding or editing communication data into individual item data is provided, and individual implementation is performed by a user (application).

(B) With information that defines the message structure separately in advance, pattern matching is automatically performed at the time of reception, the result is notified to the user (application), and the message structure according to the separately defined information is edited at the time of transmission. Provides the ability to build data.
JP 2004-259942 A

  When the general-purpose host communication system is provided as package software, there is a problem in versatility and usefulness in the conventional method.

  A format called SECS-II is standardized for host communication in semiconductor manufacturing, and a function for expanding / editing communication message data according to the format is implemented. When actually implemented as a system, this message data expansion / editing function will be realized based on the communication data specifications. However, the conventional package providing form has the following problems in versatility and usefulness. is there.

  (1) With the conventional method (A), it is necessary to modify the user application every time the communication data specifications are changed, and the user application as a whole must be retested each time the modification is made. The cost also increases.

  (2) The conventional method (B) can be handled by changing only the data definition. However, if the current general definition method cannot handle all communication data specifications, the method (A) is adopted. I have no choice but to have enough versatility.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a device for creating SECS message data with improved versatility and usefulness.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, the present invention can provide a message editing / development function using a general-purpose definition format, and has the following configuration.

(1) In a system in which a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is operated by SECS message data communication conforming to the SECS communication standard between a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a host computer.
A SECS message data creation device having a computer configuration for editing / developing the SECS message;
The message data creation device includes:
Message definition file creation means for creating a message definition file having a definition format using parameters;
Definition file importing means for importing the created message definition file;
And a definition file compiling unit that compiles the imported message definition file and converts it into execution data.

  (2) The message definition file creation means has a definition format that can be described in XML, and the definition format is divided into a template definition section and an object (parameter) definition section.

  (3) The message data creation device provides the created message data as a component that is transmitted / received to / from the host computer or packaged.

  As described above, according to the present invention, by incorporating a message editing / development function using a general-purpose definition format, it is possible to cope with changes in communication data specifications by changing the contents of the definition format without modifying the user application. You will be able to

  The message editing / development function based on this definition format is provided as a component by a package, which has the effect of contributing to the improvement of the reliability of the user application.

  In addition, by being able to handle all message definitions, there is an effect that contributes to improvement in versatility and usability.

  FIG. 1 is a hierarchical configuration diagram in SECS message data communication showing an embodiment of the present invention, and an SECS message data creation device 3 is provided in the hierarchical configuration of FIG. The SECS message data creation device 3 uses, for example, a personal computer (PC), and as its software configuration, a message definition file creation function 31 that creates a message as a text file, and a definition file import function 32 that imports the created message definition file. In addition, the SECS message editing / developing function is realized by installing the definition file compiling function 33 that compiles the imported message definition file and converts it into execution data, and transmits / receives or packages this with the host computer 2 As a component.

  In this embodiment, a definition format using parameters is provided to create a SECS message, and the main points are as follows.

  (A) Generality is enhanced by a definition format adopting XML (eXtensible Markup Language).

  (B) By dividing the definition format into a template definition part and an object (parameter) definition part, all SECS message formats can be supported.

  Hereinafter, the definition format by the SECS message data creation device 3 will be described in detail.

  The user-defined message here refers to a SECS message transmitted / received between the apparatus (this system) and the host computer.

  In this system, a message definition file creation function 31 defines user-defined message data in a text format file, and a definition file import function 32 imports a text format message definition file by the development man machine of this system, and a definition file compilation function 33 compiles the definition data to register the message in the system.

  A message compiler (hereinafter referred to as this compiler), which is a part of the definition file compiling function, converts message data defined in text format into a code understood by the system. If a definition file is created, imported, and compiled according to the rules of this compiler, it can be handled as a message.

  The message definition file is created as a text (XML) format file.

  The following example shows how to describe the message definition file of this system.

  Example) Suppose that the following message is defined.

<Communication establishment request>
S1F13 (stream = 1, function = 13), reply, bidirectional structure (bidirectional message, structure varies depending on direction)
(Device → Host)
L, 2
1, <MDLN>
2, <SOFTREV>
(From host to device)
L, 0
When this is described in accordance with the rules of this system, it is as shown in FIG. In addition, the message header is described as shown in FIG.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of message definition from the device to the host using user-defined items and user-defined special items.

The hierarchical block diagram in SECS message data communication which shows embodiment of this invention. The message definition example in embodiment. The message header definition example in embodiment. The message definition example in embodiment. The hierarchical block diagram in the conventional SECS message data communication.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 2 Host computer 3 SECS message data creation apparatus 31 Message definition file creation part 32 Definition file import part 33 Definition file compilation part

Claims (3)

In a system for operating a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus by communication of SECS message data according to the SECS communication standard between a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a host computer,
A SECS message data creation device having a computer configuration for editing / developing the SECS message;
The message data creation device includes:
Message definition file creation means for creating a message definition file having a definition format using parameters;
Definition file importing means for importing the created message definition file;
A SECS message data creating apparatus comprising: definition file compiling means for compiling the imported message definition file and converting it into execution data.   2. The SECS message data creation according to claim 1, wherein the message definition file creation means has a definition format that can be described in XML, and the definition format is divided into a template definition part and an object (parameter) definition part. apparatus.   3. The SECS message data creation device according to claim 1, wherein the message data creation device provides the created message data as a component that is transmitted / received to / from the host computer or packaged.

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