JP3340181B2 - Semiconductor manufacturing method and system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing method and a system for manufacturing a semiconductor device such as a thin film transistor liquid crystal substrate (TFT liquid crystal substrate) and a semiconductor memory.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Processes for manufacturing a semiconductor device such as a thin film transistor liquid crystal substrate (TFT array process, semiconductor wafer processing process) include cleaning, film formation, inspection, lithography, etching, resist peeling and inspection as shown in FIG. The TFT liquid crystal substrate is manufactured by repeating these processes according to the semiconductor manufacturing process.

In an actual semiconductor manufacturing process, each process is formed by a stand-alone device, and these devices are arranged at predetermined intervals. A semiconductor wafer as an object to be processed is stored in a cassette, and the cassette is transferred between stand-alone devices by a transfer robot or an operator according to a semiconductor manufacturing process.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process constructed by each stand-alone apparatus as described above, semiconductor wafers are transported and processed in cassette units, so that the lead time becomes long and a clean room for disposing each stand-alone apparatus is provided. Space must be widened.

In addition, the yield is reduced due to a change in the surface of the thin film, adhesion of particles, and the like due to the lot being retained or transported by an operator. The most common cause of the deterioration of the yield in the TFT array process is caused by particles. Particles are roughly classified into reaction products and the like generated inside and particles that enter from the outside. Of these, particles generated inside are often generated in a CVD or sputtering apparatus, and a self-cleaning method or process must be devised to minimize this effect.

[0006] At present, this problem is more closely understood in semiconductors, but in liquid crystals, particles from outside are more problematic. In order to prevent this, a cleaning apparatus is used to increase the degree of cleaning of the environment and to remove attached particles and contamination.

[0007] However, even if a clean environment equivalent to that of semiconductor manufacturing is secured or an expensive cleaning device is introduced, an expected result that the management of individual devices and persons is insufficient is not obtained.
As for daily cleanliness, it is good to be sure to address the following issues, but at present it is inadequate.

Points to be noted by managers / supervisors regarding cleanness (a) Management issues (education / training / appropriate instructions to operators, cleanliness management) (b) Equipment-specific issues (dust generation / residence / vortex) (C) Environmental problems (pressure difference between rooms, turbulence in airflow in the room,
(Contamination, periodic survey) As a type of particles, human waste is overwhelmingly dominant.
When a person walks or works near a device in a room, particles increase reliably near the device. Therefore, when the size of the liquid crystal substrate is increased, the sensitivity of dust is increased, and it is necessary to surely keep people away.
Solving this with ingenuity in the field is not a trivial matter.

On the other hand, a single-wafer-type fully automatic production system applying a multi-chamber has been proposed from the viewpoint of improving production efficiency ("Automation Technology for Cost Minimization" Survival Strategy for Next-Generation Memory, 3rd Realization Company Breakthrough Seminar: January 28, 1993).

However, in the single-wafer type fully automatic production system, since the reliability of each process device is low, the operation rate of the system is reduced, and it does not contribute to the improvement of the production efficiency as a whole.

[0011]

As described above, in the semiconductor manufacturing process constructed by each stand-alone apparatus, a clean room having a long lead time and a large space is required. In addition, the yield decreases due to changes in the surface of the thin film, adhesion of particles, and the like due to stagnation of the lot and transport by the worker.

Further, in a single-wafer type fully automatic production system, the operating rate of the system is reduced and does not contribute to an improvement in production efficiency. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor manufacturing method and a system thereof that can reduce the lead time, save space in a clean room, improve the yield, and can easily expand the process.

[0013]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, a plurality of modules, each of which is related to each other in a series of processes related to lithography and thin film formation in semiconductor manufacturing, which are connected to each other, are modularized. Unit processes are formed, of which unit processes linking the processes related to thin film formation are integrated into a vacuum integrated line,
And a plurality of units process, expansion along the transport path by the number of units corresponding to the whole process of semiconductor manufacturing, replaceable
To be processed and transported to the transport path
By connecting a plurality of unit processes, the entire semiconductor manufacturing process is constructed, and further via a transport path.
This is a semiconductor manufacturing method in which a plurality of objects to be processed in semiconductor manufacturing are batch-transported between a plurality of unit processes , and the semiconductor device functions as a buffer when the objects to be processed are transported between the unit processes by the batch transport.

According to claim 2, the unit process includes:
A lithography step of concatenating lithography-related for each process of the resist coating and the like in semiconductor manufacturing, manufactured by semiconductor
It consists of a thin-film process linked each process relating to thin film formation such as etching in the forming, is intended for coupling in accordance with all the processes of these lithography process and thin film process semiconductor manufacturing.

According to the third aspect, the lithography step is a unit of a series of processes of resist processing, exposure processing, and development for the object to be processed. According to the fourth aspect, in the thin film process, a series of processes of an etching process, a resist stripping process, a cleaning process, and a film forming process for a target object are unitized.

According to the fifth aspect, an object to be processed in semiconductor manufacturing
Series of lithography related products such as resist coating for
Lithographic means united by connecting processes
Related to thin film formation such as etching of the workpiece
And a continuous vacuum line.
Structured and unitized thin film means and lithography means
And batch-transferring a plurality of workpieces to thin film means.
Transport path and lithography means by batch transport
Monitoring control means for monitoring a semiconductor device manufactured by an entire line of a semiconductor manufacturing process constructed by connecting a lithography means and a thin film means, and a cassette functioning as a buffer when transferring between the thin film means; Wherein the lithographic means and the thin film means comprise
Each unit is transported by the number of units according to the entire semiconductor manufacturing process.
This is a semiconductor manufacturing system that can be extended and replaced along a transmission path .

According to the sixth aspect, the lithography means unitizes a series of processes of resist processing, exposure processing, and development for the object to be processed. According to the seventh aspect, the thin film means unitizes a series of processes of etching processing, resist stripping processing, cleaning, and film formation on the object to be processed.

According to the eighth aspect, a transport path for transporting the semiconductor substrate and a series of lithography-related processes such as resist coating, exposure processing, and development on the semiconductor substrate transported to the transport path are performed. Lithography means that are connected and unitized and added and replaced along the transport path according to the semiconductor manufacturing process, and etching, resist peeling, inspection, cleaning, and film formation for the semiconductor substrate transported to the transport path , A series of processes related to thin film formation such as inspection, etc. are connected and configured into a united vacuum line, and a plurality of thin film means and semiconductor substrates are added and replaced along a transport path according to a semiconductor manufacturing process. A cassette for storing and carrying these semiconductor substrates in batches on a transport path, and loading the cassette and traveling on the transport path,
An automatic transfer robot that functions as a buffer when transferring a plurality of semiconductor substrates between units by batch transfer, and a thin film transistor manufacturing apparatus manufactured by an entire semiconductor manufacturing line constructed by connecting lithography means and thin film means. This is a semiconductor manufacturing system provided with monitoring control means for performing device management, production management, and the like.

[0019]

According to the first aspect, a plurality of modularized unit steps are formed by connecting respective processes related to each other among a series of processes related to lithography and thin film formation in semiconductor manufacturing, Of these, unit processes connecting the processes related to thin film formation are configured into a vacuum integrated line, and these unit processes are transported by the number of units according to the entire semiconductor manufacturing process.
The entire semiconductor manufacturing process is connected by batch-transferring multiple objects to be processed in the semiconductor manufacturing process to the transfer route , and the entire semiconductor manufacturing process is constructed. of function conveyance body as a buffer
To Ru.

According to claim 2, as a unit process,
Form a lithography step that links each lithography-related process such as resist coating, and a thin-film step that links each process related to thin-film formation such as etching.These lithography and thin-film steps are performed according to the entire semiconductor manufacturing process. A semiconductor is manufactured by coupling.

According to the third aspect, in the lithography step, the resist processing, exposure processing, and development for the object to be processed are performed as one cycle. According to the fourth aspect, in the thin film process, an etching process, a resist stripping process, a cleaning process, and a film forming process are performed as one cycle on the object.

According to claim 5, the semiconductor with respect to the transporting path for transporting the object to be processed in the manufacture, of a series related to lithography unit and a thin film formation unitized by connecting lithography-related set of each process A thin film means uniting each process and forming a united vacuum line is provided in accordance with the semiconductor manufacturing process. These lithography means and thin film means are respectively
Conveyance paths by the number of units according to all semiconductor manufacturing processes
Along with, it is arranged so as to be replaceable. In the transport path,
A plurality of workpieces are batch-conveyed by the cassette,
Functions as a buffer when transporting between units. Then, the production of the semiconductor device by the entire line of the semiconductor production process constructed by connecting the lithography means and the thin film means is monitored and the like.

According to the sixth aspect, a series of processes of resist processing, exposure processing, and development on the object to be processed are performed by the lithography means. According to the seventh aspect, a series of processes of etching, resist stripping, cleaning, and film formation are performed on the object to be processed in the thin film means.

According to the present invention, a series of lithography-related processes such as resist coating, exposure processing, and development are connected to the semiconductor substrate to form a unit with respect to the transport path for transporting the semiconductor substrate. Lithographic means;
Connects a series of processes related to thin film formation such as etching, resist stripping, inspection, cleaning, film formation, inspection, etc., and adds and exchanges thin film means configured as a united vacuum line in accordance with the semiconductor manufacturing process. Provided. An automatic transfer robot travels with a cassette containing a plurality of semiconductor substrates loaded on the transfer path, and batch-transfers a plurality of semiconductor substrates between units. The batch transfer functions as a buffer when a plurality of semiconductor substrates are transferred between the lithography unit and the thin film unit. Then, device management, production management, and the like of the thin film transistor manufacturing apparatus manufactured by the entire semiconductor manufacturing line constructed by connecting the lithography means and the thin film means are performed.

[0025]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a semiconductor manufacturing system applied to a manufacturing process of an array process of a TFT liquid crystal substrate.

An automatic transfer robot 2 runs on the transfer path 1. The automatic transport robot 2 transports (batch transports) a cassette 3 for accommodating a plurality of semiconductor wafers as objects to be processed by placing the cassette 3 thereon. The batch transfer is performed in consideration of both flexibility and reliability. Further, the automatic transfer robot 2 has a function of performing traveling control such as traveling speed and traveling direction in accordance with a wireless command from the control room 4.

The transport path 1 is provided with a plurality of lithography steps A1 to A7 and a plurality of thin film steps B1 to B8. In other words, the manufacturing process of the array process of the TFT liquid crystal substrate includes (1) cleaning, (2) film formation, (3) lithography,
(4) etching, (5) resist stripping, (6) inspection (evaluation)
Are repeated as one cycle. Therefore, a series of these processes is divided into lithography processes A1 to A7 and thin film processes B1 to B8, and each is clustered and connected by the automatic transfer robot 2.

Each of the lithography steps A1 to A7 is a unit in which a series of processes such as resist processing, exposure, development and the like are made as one cycle, and is clustered using a multi-chamber to be miniaturized.

Each of the thin film processes B1 to B8 is a unit of a series of processes such as an etching process, a resist stripping process, a cleaning process, and a film forming process. The wet process is mainly performed by film forming and etching. , Constitute a single-wafer integrated vacuum line connected by a multi-chamber. For example, in the thin film process B1, the film formation 5a, the cleaning 5b
Is provided.

As described above, the wet processing is mainly performed for film formation and etching, the inspection is automated, the connection is performed using a multi-chamber, the lithography process is clustered, and these are connected by the automatic transfer robot 2. One cycle of a manufacturing process (cleaning, film formation, lithography, etching, resist peeling, inspection) of the TFT liquid crystal substrate array process is standardized.

Therefore, for example, by adding and connecting the lithography process A1 and the thin film process B1 as a one-cycle standard module according to the manufacturing process, the entire manufacturing process of the array process of the TFT liquid crystal substrate is constructed. .

Here, the process chamber attached to the multi-chamber is standardized and has compatibility. Also, in the vacuum integration line and the lithography process,
Processing is performed in a single-wafer manner, and a cassette station is provided in the loading / unloading section to have a buffer function.

The cassette 3 serves as a buffer between each of the lithography steps A1 to A7 and each of the thin film steps B1 to B8. That is, the buffer system includes a falling system and a pool system.

As shown in FIG. 2, when the thin film process B1 is stopped in a line where the thin film process B1 is shifted to the lithography process A1 as shown in FIG. A1 keeps running. Conversely, when the lithography step A1 stops, b-
Inventory accumulates during c, and the thin film process B1 can continue to operate.

In the pool method, when the thin film process B1 is stopped as shown in FIG.
1 keeps running. When the lithography process A1 is stopped, the thin film process B1 can continue to operate during the time when inventory is accumulated on d. Therefore, the return of each of the lithography steps A1 to A7 and each of the thin film steps B1 to B8 is set so as to be completed within the stock processing time.

The control room 4 contains the automatic transfer robot 2
In addition to performing the traveling control, each of the lithography processes A1 to A
7 and quality control and production control of the thin film transistor liquid crystal substrate manufactured by the manufacturing process constructed by the thin film processes B1 to B8, and processing time, failure frequency, restoration time at the time of failure, intermediate stock in each process. And the like.

Next, the operation of the device configured as described above will be described. According to one cycle of the manufacturing process of the array process of the TFT liquid crystal substrate, each lithography process A1
A7 and each of the thin film processes B1 to B8 are added and connected, whereby the manufacturing process is constructed.

A plurality of semiconductor wafers are stored in a cassette, and the entire cassette is placed on the automatic transfer robot 2. The automatic transfer robot 2 travels on the transfer path 1 in accordance with a wireless command from the control room 4 with the cassette 3 mounted thereon, and reaches the thin film process B1 first.

In the thin film process B1, the cassette 3
Loaded to the cassette station by the load / unload section. In the thin film process B1, each semiconductor wafer is processed in a single wafer process, and the processes of cleaning and film formation are performed in a vacuum integrated line. Each of the semiconductor wafers that have been subjected to these process processes is again stored in the cassette 3 and is unloaded to the automatic transfer robot 2 by the load / unload unit.

The automatic transfer robot 2 travels on the transfer path 1 in accordance with a wireless command from the control room 4 with the cassette 3 mounted again, and then reaches the lithography step A1.

In the lithography step A1, the cassette 3 is loaded into the cassette station by the loading / unloading section. This lithography step A1
Each semiconductor wafer is processed in a single-wafer manner, and a series of processes of resist processing, exposure, and development are performed. Each of the semiconductor wafers that have been subjected to these process processes is again stored in the cassette 3 and is unloaded to the automatic transfer robot 2 by the load / unload unit.

The automatic transfer robot 2 travels on the transfer path 1 in accordance with a wireless command from the control room 4 with the cassette 3 mounted thereon, and then reaches the thin film process B2. In this thin film step B3, the cassette 3 is loaded into the cassette station as described above. In the thin-film process B3, each semiconductor wafer is processed in a single-wafer manner, and the processes of etching, resist stripping, and inspection are performed in a vacuum integrated line. Each of the semiconductor wafers that have undergone these processes is again stored in the cassette 3 and unloaded to the automatic transfer robot 2 as described above.

Through each of the above processes, one cycle of a series of processes of cleaning, film formation, lithography, etching, resist peeling, and inspection in the manufacturing process of the TFT liquid crystal substrate array process is completed for the semiconductor wafer.

Here, the cassette 3 for storing semiconductors is
For example, when the thin film process B1 is conveyed from the thin film process B1 to the lithography process A1, when the thin film process B1 is stopped, the lithography process A1 continues to operate with the stock between cd processed in the thin film process B1 as shown in FIG. Also, the lithography process A
1 stops, the stock is accumulated between bc and the thin film process B
1 keeps running.

When the film is transferred from the thin film process B1 to the lithography process A1, the buffer function by the pool method shown in FIG. 3 is used as described above. When one cycle of the manufacturing process is completed as described above, the semiconductor wafers are transferred to the thin film process B2, the lithography process A2,... While being stored in the cassette 3, and each cycle of the manufacturing process is repeated. Done.

Then, all the lithography steps A1 to A7
After the completion of each process in the thin film processes B1 to B8, a thin film transistor liquid crystal substrate is manufactured. On the other hand, the control room 4 performs device management, production management, and the like of the thin film transistor manufacturing apparatus, and also manages processing time, failure frequency, failure restoration time, intermediate stock, and the like in each process.

As described above, in the above-described embodiment, the lithography steps A1 to A7 in which the lithography-related processes such as resist coating in the production of the thin film transistor liquid crystal substrate are connected to the lithography steps A1 to A7 in which the processes related to thin-film formation such as etching are connected. Forming thin film steps B1 to B8,
Since these steps are added and connected in accordance with the entire semiconductor manufacturing process, it can be configured as an integrated line for single-wafer processing, and the lead time can be shortened as compared with a conventional production mode provided with a stand-alone device.

Further, since each process is integrated and clustered, it is possible to reduce the number of steps and to reduce the lead time, and further to contribute to the space saving of the clean room. This space saving also contributes to the fact that the units of each process are arranged so as to share the central transport path 1.

Further, since the film forming steps B1 to B8 form a vacuum integrated line, the thin film transistor liquid crystal substrate is not exposed to the air, the reliability and the adhesion of particles are eliminated, and the yield is improved.

Further, since the lithography process and the thin film process are clustered and the manufacturing process in which these processes are connected by the automatic transfer robot 2 is modularized, expansion, that is, expansion can be easily performed according to the manufacturing process. That is,
Since a multi-chamber is introduced, empty ports are prepared, and the mounting dimensions of the process chamber are standardized, it can be replaced or added arbitrarily. In this case, even when a new type of lithography process or thin film process is connected, it can be easily added by standardizing the interface of the transport path 1.

Since the cassette station is provided between the lithography process and the thin film process, a buffer function for the cassette 3 containing semiconductor wafers can be provided, and downtime due to system reliability can be reduced.

Here, the features of the above-mentioned device are summarized as follows. a. Capital investment is low ... The area of the clean room is small. Equipment cost is low. A cleaning device can be omitted. (Synergy of process) b. Flexibility in failure and process change ... Can be transferred to any process by a transfer robot between the integrated vacuum line and lithography.

C. A clean space environment ... completely isolated from humans. Prevents surface deterioration (improves yield and stabilizes characteristics) d. Short lead time ... Operates inline e. Running cost is low. Dry processing (chemicals,
Water), clean room area is small, and air conditioning maintenance costs are low.

F. Easy management: Easy maintenance due to standardization. Easy in-line production management. Note that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and may be modified without departing from the scope of the invention.

For example, the lithography process is not limited to a series of processes of a resist process, an exposure process, and a development process, but may be a resist process alone depending on the process.
Similarly, in the thin film process, etching, resist stripping,
The process is not limited to a series of cleaning and film forming processes, but may be etching and cleaning alone.

The present invention is not limited to the manufacturing process of the thin film transistor liquid crystal substrate, but can be applied to the manufacture of other semiconductor devices, for example, semiconductor memories. In this case, a series of processes in the lithography process and the thin film process are formed according to the manufacturing process as described above.

[0057]

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, a half
Related to lithography and thin film formation in conductor manufacturing
Processes that are related to each other in a series of processes
Processes that are modularized by connecting
Unit process, and these unit processes
Increase along the transport path by the number of units corresponding to all processes
Can be installed and replaced, and the semiconductor
By transporting the processing object, it is possible to
Linking to build the entire semiconductor manufacturing process
Process of semiconductor manufacturing between multiple unit processes via transmission path
Since multiple physical units are batch-transferred,
It can be easily added and replaced according to the entire process , shortening the lead time, saving space in the clean room, and eliminating the reliability of the semiconductor substrate and the adhesion of particles without exposing it to the atmosphere by the integrated vacuum line. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a semiconductor manufacturing method and a system capable of improving the yield and providing a buffer function for a cassette containing semiconductor substrates and reducing downtime due to the reliability of the system.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing one embodiment when a semiconductor manufacturing system according to the present invention is applied to a manufacturing process of an array process of a TFT liquid crystal substrate.

FIG. 2 is a view for explaining a drop-type buffer function provided in the system.

FIG. 3 is an exemplary view for explaining a buffer function of a pool system provided in the system.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a semiconductor manufacturing process.

[Description of Signs] 1 ... Conveying path, 2 ... Automatic conveying robot, 3 ... Cassette, 4
... control room, A1 to A7 ... lithography process, B
1 to B8: Thin film process.

Continuation of the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ identification code FI H01L 21/30 566 G02F 1/136 500 (58) Field surveyed (Int.Cl. ⁷ , DB name) H01L 21/027 H01L 21/68 B23Q 37/00-41/08 G05B 19/418

Claims (8)

(57) [Claims] 1. A series of processes related to lithography and thin film formation in semiconductor manufacturing, wherein the processes related to each other are connected to each other to form a module.
A plurality of unit processes, wherein the unit processes connecting the respective processes related to the thin film formation are configured as a vacuum integrated line, and the plurality of unit processes are all processes of the semiconductor manufacturing. Add or replace units along the transport path according to the number of units according to the process.
And the semiconductor manufacturing device is disposed on the transport path.
The plurality of units are transported by
Connecting the steps to build the entire semiconductor manufacturing process, further batch-transferring the object to be processed in the semiconductor manufacturing between the plurality of unit steps via the transfer path,
And a function as a buffer when transferring the object to be processed between the respective unit processes by the batch transfer. 2. The unit step includes a lithography step in which lithography-related processes such as resist coating in the semiconductor manufacturing are connected, and a thin-film step in which respective processes related to thin film formation such as etching in the semiconductor manufacturing are connected. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor according to claim 1, wherein the lithography step and the thin film step are connected in accordance with the entire semiconductor manufacturing process. 3. The lithography step includes: a resist process, an exposure process,
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein a series of development processes are unitized. 4. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein in the thin film process, a series of processes of an etching process, a resist stripping process, a cleaning process, and a film forming process for the object to be processed in the semiconductor manufacturing are unitized. Production method. 5. A resist for an object to be processed in semiconductor manufacturing.
Linking a series of lithography-related processes such as coating
Lithography means and a thin film forming method such as etching of the object to be processed.
And a continuous vacuum line.
The thin film means constituted and unitized, and the object to be processed is provided on the lithography means and the thin film means.
A plurality of transport paths for batch transport, the batch transport and the lithography unit and the
A cassette functioning as a buffer when transferring between thin film means, and monitoring control for monitoring semiconductor devices manufactured by the entire line of the semiconductor manufacturing process constructed by connecting the lithography means and the thin film means. Means
Wherein the lithography unit and the film unit is pre respectively
The number of units according to the entire semiconductor manufacturing process
A semiconductor manufacturing system, which is arranged so as to be extendable and replaceable along a transport path . 6. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 5, wherein said lithography means unitizes a series of processes of a resist process, an exposure process, and a development for said object. 7. The semiconductor manufacturing system according to claim 5, wherein said thin film means unitizes a series of processes of etching processing, resist stripping processing, cleaning, and film formation on said object to be processed. 8. A transport path for transporting a semiconductor substrate, and a series of lithography-related processes such as resist coating, exposure processing, and development performed on the semiconductor substrate transported on the transport path. Lithography means connected and unitized, and added and replaced along the transport path according to the semiconductor manufacturing process, and etching processing, resist peeling, inspection, cleaning, film formation on the semiconductor substrate transported on the transport path, A series of processes related to thin film formation such as inspection are connected and configured as a vacuum integrated line into a unit, and added along the transfer path according to the semiconductor manufacturing process, and replaced with thin film means. A cassette for accommodating a plurality of the semiconductor substrates and batch-transferring the semiconductor substrates to the transport path; An automatic transfer robot that travels and functions as a buffer when the plurality of semiconductor substrates are transferred between the units by the batch transfer, and an entire line of semiconductor manufacturing constructed by connecting the lithography unit and the thin film unit And a monitoring control unit for performing device management, production management, and the like of the manufactured thin film transistor manufacturing apparatus.