JP2008277486A - Lot mixed loading control method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a lot mixed loading control method in a semiconductor exposure process capable of suppressing the deterioration of the device availability and the deterioration of the throughput of a semiconductor exposure device. <P>SOLUTION: For managed all lots and reticles, a reticle exchange judging unit 104 compares the reticle used by a stocked lot when the lot is stocked in the process of the exposure device with the reticle in the device, and when the duplication number is less than the maximum number capable of entering a reticle storing shelf, it is judged that reticle exchange is possible. When the exchange is possible, a reticle exchange executing unit 105 issues the reticle exchange instructions for carrying out the reticle which is not used by the stocked lot and carrying in the reticle which is used by it. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a lot mixed loading control method for performing mixed loading on a lot that can be processed from a reticle stored in an exposure apparatus in a semiconductor manufacturing process.

  As a conventional lot organization control method, for example, there is a method described in Patent Document 1.

  As described in Patent Document 1, the lot organization control method used in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus automatically performs lot organization and division work in a batch according to the processing conditions, equipment load, and priority of the next process. As shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 11, 12, and 13, the lot carried from the previous process is first placed on the station (S1) and placed on the lot identification device (S2). The lot number is read by the identification device, and information is transmitted to the control device (S3). From the information, the control device searches the data in the control device and determines a storage method in the stocker (S4). Thereafter, the lot is transported to the delivery position with the first transport robot that transports between the stockers by the third transport robot that transports between the stations (S5), and the lot is stored in the stockers (S6).

  First, the case where lots are organized when stored in a stocker will be described. If lots with the same conditions are stored in the stocker, they are stored in the same shelf (S7), the predetermined shelf of the stocker is rotated to the robot delivery position (S9), and the predetermined position of the stocker shelf is rotated by the first transport robot. (S10), and when the lot formation is completed under the conditions previously input to the same shelf of the stocker, it is taken out from the shelf of the stocker at a time by the first transport robot and carried onto the station (S19). If there is no stocker storing lots under the same conditions, they are stored in a new shelf (S8). Further, when the transport capability is insufficient with only the first transport robot, the second transport robot is used to store in the stocker.

As a result, when the batch processing unit of a lot changes in the preceding and following processes, lot organization with a variable number of lots corresponding to the production conditions can be automatically performed, thereby absorbing waste between processes with different processing forms. Thus, not only can the operating rate of the apparatus be improved, but also a short-term production line can be realized in which work in progress is leveled by lot organization without human error or long-term stagnation.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 7-22490

  In the conventional production control method for controlling the progress of a lot, in order to realize a production line with a short construction period in a lot process in a batch apparatus, a conveyance instruction is given so that lots of the same conditions are gathered in one stocker. When processing with the equipment, the processing under the same conditions is performed at once by transporting from the stocker, so the equipment capacity improvement measure is based on the premise that there are many wafers in one carrier .

  However, in practice, there are cases where only a small number of wafers are contained in one carrier. In that case, since there is a limit to the number of carriers that can be processed at one time, for a carrier that contains only a few wafers, all processing in the device is completed before replacing the processed carrier. Therefore, continuous processing cannot be performed and a loss occurs in the apparatus. That is, when a small number of wafers are contained in one carrier, a lot progress control method for improving the apparatus capability is not considered at all.

  Further, in the exposure apparatus, if the reticle used for lot processing does not exist on the reticle storage shelf in the exposure apparatus, processing cannot be performed. Therefore, when the number of wafers in the carrier is small, reticle replacement is frequently performed. However, there is a problem that the apparatus capacity is insufficient due to waiting for reticle replacement, and further, the carrier load and the transport loss are increased, and the product TAT is remarkably lowered.

  The present invention has been proposed to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and an object thereof is to provide a lot mixed loading control method capable of suppressing a decrease in throughput of a semiconductor exposure apparatus.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a lot progress monitoring system for managing the progress of a lot, a reticle status monitoring system for managing reticle information, and an apparatus status monitoring system for managing apparatus information to an exposure process. Processes and reticle information to be processed from lot information when a lot is in stock, reticle exchange and lot mixed loading according to the reticle existing in the exposure machine, and lot mixed processing not possible after processing , And a lot change determination function, a lot mixed determination function, and a lot division determination function.

  Further, in the reticle replacement determination process according to the present invention, by monitoring the availability of the reticle, the number of lots in the apparatus, and the reticle storage status in the apparatus, when the lot becomes the inventory of the process of the apparatus to be processed A reticle that is not processed or cannot be processed is removed from the apparatus and replaced with a processable reticle, thereby reducing the number of reticle replacements.

  In addition, in the lot mixed loading determination processing according to the present invention, the lot using the reticle stored in the apparatus, and the lot within the maximum number of sheets that can be stored in the carrier with respect to the stock lot of the exposure process that can be mixed lot mixed It is characterized by determining a combination that can be mixed and executing mixed lots.

  Further, in the lot division determination processing according to the present invention, it is operated after the execution of the lot mixed determination means to determine whether the lot in the carrier is in the lot mixed state after the lot processing and whether the apparatus in the next process can be mixed. If the monitoring is possible and the mixed loading process is possible, the lot progress is performed, and if the mixed loading process is not possible, the lot division is performed, and the process capable of the mixed loading is characterized by continuing the mixed loading.

  According to the lot mixed loading control method of the present invention, a reticle stored in an exposure apparatus and a reticle required for lot processing out of a reticle required for an exposure process stock lot do not exist in the apparatus and are not used. Is present in the apparatus, reticle exchange processing is performed. Furthermore, the lot mixed processing is executed only for the lot using the reticle stored in the exposure apparatus, and by increasing the number of wafers processed by one carrier, the apparatus capability can be utilized to the maximum. Further, since the waiting time for processing in the exposure apparatus is reduced by reducing the number of reticle exchanges, it is possible to suppress a decrease in throughput of the exposure apparatus.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, the present invention is embodied by an example of mixed lots in a semiconductor manufacturing process including a plurality of processing lots, reticle storage shelves, semiconductor exposure apparatuses, semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses, transfer control apparatuses, sorters, and lot storage shelves. ing.

  FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an embodiment of a lot mixed loading apparatus 100 of the present invention.

  The lot mixed loading apparatus 100 of this embodiment includes a reticle storage shelf 112, a semiconductor exposure apparatus 113, an exposure apparatus reticle storage shelf 114, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 115, a transfer control apparatus 116, and a sorter 117 in a semiconductor production line 119. The lot storage shelves 118 are connected to each other via a network line 120 so that information such as data and operations can be transmitted and received mutually. Note that a plurality of semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses usually exist, but the description thereof is omitted here.

  The lot mixed loading condition setting unit 106 manages the recipe ID used in each manufacturing apparatus, the availability of lot mixed loading processing, and the reticle ID mixed loading condition used in the recipe in the exposure apparatus. The lot progress monitoring unit 101 transmits to the later-described reticle state monitoring unit 102 and the later-described apparatus state monitoring unit 103 information on the progress of lots and wafers, recipes used in processing, and reticle ID used in the process. To do.

  Reticle state monitoring unit 102 transmits the reticle availability state and reticle location to reticle exchange determination unit 104, which will be described later. Further, the apparatus state monitoring unit 103 instructs the reticle replacement determination unit 104 (to be described later) on the reticle ID required by the exposure apparatus from the inventory information of lots in the exposure process, and the maximum number of reticles that can be stored in the exposure apparatus. Information on the number of empty shelves and the stored reticle ID is transmitted.

  The reticle replacement determination unit 104 compares the reticle required for lot processing in the exposure apparatus with the reticle stored in the apparatus based on the transmission information of the reticle state monitoring unit 102 and the apparatus state monitoring unit 103. When the number of reticles used by the lot in stock and the number of reticles stored in the apparatus are smaller than the maximum number that can be stored in the reticle storage shelf, it is determined that the reticle can be replaced. When the determination result of the reticle replacement determination unit 104 is replaceable, the reticle replacement execution unit 105 uses the stock lot in the reticle storage shelf 112, the semiconductor exposure device 113, the transport control device 116, and the host computer 121. A reticle replacement instruction is issued, such as unloading a reticle that is not to be used and a reticle to be used.

  The reticle state monitoring unit 102 transmits the reticle availability state and the reticle location to a lot mixed loading determination unit 107 described later. Further, the apparatus state monitoring unit 103 sends the information on the reticle ID required by the exposure apparatus and the reticle ID existing on the reticle storage shelf in the exposure apparatus from the lot inventory information to the lot mixed determination unit 107 described later. Send. The lot mixed loading determination unit 107 extracts a lot using a reticle existing on the reticle storage shelf in the exposure apparatus based on the transmission information of the reticle state monitoring unit 102 and the apparatus state monitoring unit 103, and the lot mixed loading condition setting unit 106 Compared with the information, if there is a combination of lots that can be mixed together and the number of empty slots is equal to or greater than the number of wafers in the mixed loading lot, it is determined that the mixed lots are possible.

  The lot mixed loading execution unit 108 urges the conveyance control device 116, the sorter 117, the lot storage shelf 118, and the host computer 121 to issue a lot mixed loading instruction when the lot mixed determination unit 107 determines that the lot mixed loading is possible. . The apparatus state monitoring unit 103 transmits lot inventory information and mixed loading status information in the carrier to the lot division determination unit 110 described later. The lot division determination unit 110 determines whether lots are mixed based on the transmission information of the apparatus state monitoring unit 103, triggered by the fact that the lots are in stock of the process of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. Compared with the information in the setting unit 109, if lot mixed processing is not possible, it is determined that lot division is necessary. The lot division execution unit 111 instructs the conveyance control device 116, the sorter 117, the lot storage shelf 118, and the host computer 121 to perform lot division when the determination result of the lot division determination unit 110 requires lot division. Prompt.

  FIG. 2 is a flowchart of lot mixed loading control based on reticle information in the present embodiment, showing the processing of the reticle replacement determining unit 104 and the lot mixed loading determining unit 107. The lot is in stock in the process of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in the exposure process. As a result, the processes are executed in the order of the flowcharts. First, reticle exchange processing (S201) and target lot mixed loading processing (S202) are started.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart of reticle exchange processing showing the processing contents of step S201, and the processing is started when the processing lot is in stock in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in the exposure process. First, carrier ID, lot ID, wafer ID, recipe ID, and reticle information used in the exposure apparatus are sent from the host computer 111 via the lot progress monitoring unit 110 as reference information for the target lot existing in the carrier. And obtained from the apparatus state monitoring unit 109 (S301). Further, as reticle reference information, reticle information such as reticle ID, reticle availability status, and reticle location is obtained from the reticle status monitoring unit 102 from the host computer 121 via the lot progress monitoring unit 101 (S302). .

  FIG. 7 is a view showing an example of a lot progress monitoring list registered in the lot progress monitoring unit 101. This lot progress monitoring list is created as a lot ID, carrier ID, wafer ID, process ID, apparatus ID, recipe ID, and reticle ID used in the exposure apparatus as information related to the lot for each lot progress.・ Updated.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a device status monitoring list registered in the device status monitoring unit 103. This device status monitoring list includes device ID, device status, lot information in stock, carrier ID, lot ID, wafer ID, process ID, recipe ID as information related to the device for each lot progress. A list of reticle IDs used in the exposure apparatus and reticle IDs on the reticle storage shelf in the exposure apparatus is created and updated.

  FIG. 9 is a view showing an example of a reticle state monitoring list registered in the reticle state monitoring unit 102. In this reticle state monitoring list, a reticle ID, reticle state, and reticle location list are created and updated as reticle information for each lot progress.

  Next, in FIG. 3, it is determined based on the reticle status monitoring list acquired from the reticle status monitoring unit whether the reticle to be used is usable or not for the target lot acquired by the procedure (S303). If the target reticle cannot be used, the operator is notified (S304) so that the reticle can be used (S304). After waiting for m minutes (S308), the processing from S301 onward is performed again. If the target reticle is usable, it is confirmed whether the reticle to be used is present on the reticle storage shelf in the exposure apparatus (S305). If there is a reticle, the process ends.

  When there is no reticle, the number of use-determined reticles Ruse that overlap with the reticles present in the reticle storage shelves in the exposure apparatus, and the maximum number of reticles Rmax that enter the storage shelves in the reticles used in the exposure process. In step S306, it is calculated whether Rmax> Ruse is satisfied. The use confirmation reticle number Ruse is calculated from the number of overlapping reticle IDs in the reticle ID used by the stock lot in the exposure process and the reticle ID existing in the reticle storage shelf in the exposure apparatus. Next, when Rmax> Ruse does not hold, the process is terminated.

  When Rmax> Ruse is satisfied, the value of the number of reticles Rmax−Ruse that is not used by the lot in stock is obtained, and the reticle replacement determination unit 104 instructs the reticle replacement execution unit to replace the reticle that is not used and the reticle that is used. 105 is executed (S307). After executing reticle replacement, the process is terminated.

  Next, in FIG. 2, after executing the reticle exchange process in step S201, it is determined from the apparatus status monitoring list of FIG. 7 whether the target lot has progressed to the next process (S203). If the progress has not been completed in the process, the process after S201, 202 is performed again after waiting for m minutes (S204). As a result of the determination, if the progress is completed in the next process, the process is terminated.

  Similarly, the mixed loading process (S202) of the target lot is started when the lot is in stock in the process of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in the exposure process.

  FIG. 4 is a flow chart of the lot mixed loading process showing the contents of the lot mixed loading process in step S202.

  In FIG. 4, the processing is started when the lot is in stock in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in the exposure process. First, as reference information for an apparatus that processes a target lot, the apparatus ID, apparatus state, port ID, port state, inventory state carrier ID, lot ID, wafer ID, process ID, recipe ID, and exposure process are used. The reticle ID and the reticle ID on the reticle storage shelf in the exposure apparatus are acquired from the apparatus state monitoring unit 103 (S401). Further, reticle information such as reticle ID, reticle state, and reticle location is acquired from the reticle state monitoring unit 102 as reticle reference information (S402).

  Next, the availability of the port of the device to be processed is confirmed from the device status monitoring list shown in FIG. 8 for the target lot acquired by the above procedure (S403). Here, the availability of the port is confirmed by checking whether lot information exists in the port ID. If there is no available port, the total number of wafers CarsumAN stored in the carrier and the maximum number CarMAX that can be stored in the carrier are checked from the apparatus status monitoring list shown in FIG. From the above, CarMAX-CarsumAN is calculated, and the number of empty slots is confirmed (S405).

  If there is a vacant port, the device checks whether it can be processed from the device status monitoring list shown in FIG. 8 (S404). If it is in a processable state, the target lot is advanced to the next process (S409). In the case where processing is impossible, it is confirmed from the device status monitoring list shown in FIG. 8 whether there is an empty slot in the target carrier (S405). In the inventory of the apparatus that processes the target lot, whether there is a lot that can be mixed, such as there is an empty slot in the carrier and the reticle to be used exists in the apparatus, and the apparatus status monitoring list of FIG. Confirmation is made from the reticle status monitoring list of FIG. 9 (S406).

  When there is no lot that can be mixed, the processing from step S401 is repeated. If there is a lot that can be mixed, the number of empty slots CarMAX-CarsumAN determines whether the number of wafers in the mixed loading lot is larger than the number of wafers CarsumAN (S407). As a result of the determination, if the number of empty slots is smaller than the number of wafers in the mixed loading target lot, the processing from step S401 is repeated. As a result of the determination, if the number of empty slots is equal to or greater than the number of wafers of the mixed loading lot, the lot mixed loading determination unit 107 issues a mixed loading instruction for the lot that can be mixed with the target lot, and the lot mixed loading execution unit 108 performs the lot mixed loading process. Execute (S408). After executing the mixed lot processing, the target lot is advanced to the next process (S409), and the processing is terminated.

  Next, after execution of the mixed lot processing in step S202 shown in FIG. 2, it is determined from the device status monitoring list in FIG. 8 whether the target lot has progressed to the next process (S203). If the progress has not been completed, the process after steps S201 and S202 is performed again after waiting for m minutes (S204). As a result of the determination, if the progress is completed in the next process, the process is terminated.

  Next, the process of dividing the target lot (S501) is started in response to the fact that the lot is in stock in the process of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

  FIG. 5 shows a flowchart of the lot division control, which shows the processing of the lot division judgment unit 110, and is executed in the order of the flowcharts triggered by the fact that the lot has become a stock of the process of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. . First, lot division processing (S501) is started.

  FIG. 6 is a flow chart of lot division processing showing the processing contents of step S501. The processing is started when the lot is in stock in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. First, a carrier ID, a lot ID, a wafer ID, and a recipe ID are acquired from the apparatus state monitoring unit 103 as reference information of a target lot existing in the carrier (S601). Next, the lot division condition setting shown in FIG. 10, which is information on the lot division condition setting unit 109, indicates whether the device processed by the target lot with respect to the target lot acquired by the above procedure can be processed in the mixed lot state. Confirm from the list (S602). As a result of the confirmation, if the processing is possible in the lot mixed state, the processing is terminated. As a result of the confirmation, if the processing is impossible in the lot mixed state, it is determined from the apparatus state monitoring list of FIG. 8 whether there is an empty carrier necessary for the division (S603).

  Here, the empty carrier is determined based on whether the device ID is the lot storage shelf 118 and the lot ID exists in the carrier. If there is no empty carrier as a result of the determination, the operator is notified of the shortage of empty carriers (S604), and after waiting for m minutes (S605), the processing after S601 is performed again. As a result of the determination, if there is an empty carrier, the lot division determination unit 110 issues a lot division instruction to the target lot, the lot division execution unit 111 executes the lot division (S606), and the process ends. .

  Next, after the target lot in step S502 shown in FIG. 5 has progressed to the next process, it is determined from the device status monitoring list in FIG. 8 whether the target lot has progressed to the next process (S503). As a result, when the progress to the next process is not completed, the operator is notified (S504), and after waiting for m minutes (S505), the processing after S501 is performed again. As a result of the determination, if the progress is completed in the next process, the process is terminated.

  As described above, the present invention has an effect of preventing throughput reduction and increase in the number of reticle exchanges in an exposure apparatus, and making it possible to make maximum use of the processing capability of the exposure apparatus. Useful as a device.

Lot mixed loading control device configuration diagram of semiconductor exposure process in an embodiment of the present invention Lot mixed loading control flowchart based on reticle information in the embodiment of the present invention Reticle exchange processing flowchart in an embodiment of the present invention Lot mixed processing flowchart in the embodiment of the present invention Lot division control flowchart in the embodiment of the present invention Lot division processing flowchart in the embodiment of the present invention Lot progress monitoring list in the embodiment of the present invention Device status monitoring list in the embodiment of the present invention Reticle status monitoring list in an embodiment of the present invention List of lot division condition settings in the embodiment of the present invention Lot organization control flowchart in a conventional production control method Lot organization control flowchart in a conventional production control method Lot organization control flowchart in a conventional production control method

Explanation of symbols

100 lot mixed loading device 101 lot progress monitoring unit 102 reticle state monitoring unit 103 device state monitoring unit 104 reticle replacement determination unit 105 reticle replacement execution unit 106 lot mixed loading condition setting unit 107 lot mixed loading determination unit 108 lot mixed loading execution unit 109 lot division condition setting Unit 110 Lot division determination unit 111 Lot division execution unit 112 Reticle storage shelf 113 Semiconductor exposure device 114 Reticle storage shelf 115 in exposure apparatus Semiconductor manufacturing device 116 Transport control device 117 Sorter 118 Lot storage shelf 119 Production line 120 Network line 121 Host computer S201 to S204 Processing steps S301 to S308 Processing steps S401 to S409 Processing steps S501 to S505 Processing steps S601 to S606 Processing steps

Claims (9)

In lot processing of semiconductor exposure equipment that manufactures semiconductors,
A reticle replacement processing execution step for determining and executing reticle replacement from the state and location of the reticle required by the lot processed by the exposure apparatus;
A lot mixed loading process execution step for increasing the number of processed sheets by selecting a lot using a reticle existing in the exposure apparatus and mounting the lot mixed;
A lot split processing execution step for splitting the mixed lot after processing,
A lot mixed loading control method for improving the processing capability of an exposure apparatus by lot mixed loading. In the reticle exchange process execution step of determining and executing reticle exchange in the exposure apparatus,
2. The lot mixed loading control method according to claim 1, wherein when the lot is in the stock of the exposure process, the reticle state and location required for processing and the state of the apparatus storing the reticle are monitored. In the reticle exchange process execution step of determining and executing reticle exchange in the exposure apparatus,
2. The lot mixed loading control method according to claim 1, wherein the reticle exchange is performed by monitoring the availability of the reticle, the number of lots in the exposure process, and the reticle storage status in the apparatus. In the reticle exchange process execution step of determining and executing reticle exchange in the exposure apparatus,
2. The lot mixed loading control method according to claim 1, wherein whether or not the reticle is unusable is monitored and a notice of unusable reticle is made. In the lot mixed loading process execution step for determining and executing lot mixed loading from the reticle in the apparatus in the exposure apparatus,
2. The lot mixed loading control method according to claim 1, wherein lot mixed loading or processing start is determined and executed from an empty state of a device port and a reticle state for a lot stocked in an exposure process. In the lot mixed loading process execution step of performing judgment and execution of lot mixed loading from reticle information in the apparatus in the exposure apparatus,
2. The lot mixed loading control method according to claim 1, wherein when the lot mixed loading is executed, the combination of the lots that can be mixed within the maximum number of sheets that can be stored in the carrier is determined and executed for the lot mixed loading. In the lot mixed loading process execution step of performing judgment and execution of lot mixed loading from reticle information in the apparatus in the exposure apparatus,
2. The lot mixed loading control method according to claim 1, wherein when the lot processing start is executed, the lot processing start is executed only for the number of carriers that can be processed from an empty port of the apparatus. In the lot division processing execution step of executing division after processing for the lot mixed in the exposure apparatus,
2. The lot mixed loading control method according to claim 1, wherein after the lot processing, it is monitored whether the lot in the carrier is in a mixed lot processing state and whether the next process apparatus can perform the mixed loading processing. . In the lot division processing execution step of executing division after processing for the lot mixed in the exposure apparatus,
The lot mixed loading control method according to claim 1, wherein the number of empty carriers necessary for lot division is monitored and if the number is insufficient, a lot division impossible notification is performed.

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