JPH0467211A - Transfer system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To reduce the load of a transfer controller and to reduce the scale of the overall system constitution by using plural information networks to secure the connection between a communication terminal equipment and a host computer. CONSTITUTION:The bar code of a work supplied to each station 21 is read by a BCR 23 and sent to a communication terminal equipment 14. The equipment 14 obtains the destination of the lot No of the work from a host computer 11 through a network 15 and sends the next process and the lot No of the work. The station 21 designates a transfer vehicle 34 to a transfer controller and prepares for output of the corresponding work. A drive controller 32 drives the vehicle 34 and stops it at the corresponding station 21. The vehicle 34 transfers the work to the designated station 21. Thus the controller 31 functions to smoothly drive plural vehicles 34 with high efficiency.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Industrial Application Field] The present invention provides a storage box for storing a plurality of semiconductor substrates in processing equipment that performs various processes on semiconductor substrates in order to form integrated circuits on the semiconductor substrates. Concerning a conveyance system for conveying.

[Conventional technology]

Normally, when forming a large number of integrated circuits on a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter referred to as a wafer), the wafer is subjected to various treatments,
For example, thin film formation, impurity diffusion, oxidation treatment, pattern formation, etc. were performed, and these series of treatments were repeated several thousand times.

For this reason, a large number of various types of wafer processing equipment were arranged side by side on one floor. In these facilities, the wafers are processed under predetermined conditions and procedures to form integrated circuits on the wafers.

On the other hand, in order to process this wafer in each processing equipment, after the processing is completed in the processing equipment of the - process, it is sent to the processing equipment of the next process, but the processing equipment of the next process is not necessarily used for the processing of the previous process. It is not necessarily located near the equipment.

Further, as described above, when a processing step is repeated, it becomes necessary to send the wafer back and forth through the same processing equipment. This requires a transport system that can efficiently transport the wafer and transport the wafer appropriately.

For example, in the case of the production process of 4M bit DRAM, the processing steps actually involve several hundred steps, and as mass production requires processing a large number of wafers, an efficient and inexpensive transport system is indispensable. Become something.

FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of the layout of processing equipment in a wafer processing factory. Inside this factory, there is a clean room 101 with extremely low dust.

Each processing facility is housed in a bay 104 with a partition wall 103 interposed therebetween. In addition, a separate conveyance control device is arranged in this clean room 101.

A host computer that controls the transport system is installed in a separate room.

-H, When maintaining these processing equipment (1-, the dust generated during maintenance comes out from the bay 104), maintenance is to be performed from the maintenance room 102 side located next to the bay 104. There is. Furthermore, a track 41 that crosses the clean room 101 is arranged between the processing devices, and a station 21 is provided in each processing bay 104. Although not shown in the drawings, a transport vehicle runs on this track 41 and transports the storage boxes to each station 21.

Examples of the transport vehicle include an automatic guided vehicle that uses electromagnetic induction or optical guidance, and a tracked transport vehicle that uses a linear motor.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the station of FIG. 3. This station is where wafer carriers, which are storage boxes for storing wafers processed in processing equipment in the bay, or wafer carriers sent from other stations (hereinafter referred to as "workpieces") come in and out.

In addition, at this station, a workpiece is placed on a transport vehicle 34.
a transfer machine 27 that transfers or takes out the workpiece, a storage tank 25 that temporarily stores and stores the workpiece 1 in a corner 26, and a storage tank 25 that transfers the workpiece 1 to the outflow opening 24 of the storage tank 25. There are a shifter 43, a barcode reader (hereinafter referred to as BCR) 23 for reading the barcode of the workpiece 1, and a station main body 21 to which an input/output device and an operation console 22 are attached.

Next, the procedure for transporting the workpiece at this station will be explained. First, the processed workpiece 21 is stored in the warehouse 24, where the barcode is read by the BCR 23.Then, this barcode is sent to the post computer via the input/output device 22, and the next process or destination of the workpiece 1 is transferred. and inquire about information such as loft number. This information is obtained from the host computer. Next, the work 1 is partially stored in the storage rack 25 by the transfer machine 27, and waits until the empty carrier 34 arrives at the station.Next, when the carrier 34 arrives, the transfer machine 27 The workpiece 1 is pulled out from the storage tank 25 and transferred to the transport vehicle 3.
4 will be loaded. The transport vehicle 34 travels toward a target station according to instructions from the host computer. When the workpiece 1 arrives at the destination station 91, it is removed from the transport vehicle 27 by the transfer machine 27 and temporarily stored in the storage shelf 25.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional transport system. As shown in the figure, this conveyance system has each processing stage! A transport vehicle 34 that runs on a track passing through the
A station 21 that has a CR 23 and an input/output device 22 and is attached to each processing equipment, a travel control device 31a that controls the travel of the transport vehicle 34, and a host computer 11 that exchange information between each station 21 and the travel I
The transport control device 31a controls the I control device.

In the operation of this conveyance system, first, the BCR 23 reads the barcode of the workpiece obtained at the station 21. Next, the read barcode is sent to the transport control device 31a via the input/output device 22, and is sent to the transport control device fi31.
A informs the host computer 11 of the next process or destination and the port number. The host computer 11 responds to the transport control device 31a with the process or destination and manufacturing loft, and the transport control device 31a instructs the travel control device 32 and the corresponding station 21 to accept or unload. Specify the transport vehicle and indicate the destination station. At the same time, the station in charge of receiving or delivering the goods performs preparation operations and waits until the transport vehicle 34 arrives.

Here, the host computer and the transport control device often use independent communication lines, such as modem lines or Japan Electronics Industry Association standard R5-232C communication lines. When using this R3-232C communication line,
Semiconductor manufacturing equipment communication standard procedures are followed.

[Problem to be solved by the invention]

However, in conventional conveyance systems, there is a problem in that information is frequently exchanged between the host computer and the conveyance control device, and between the conveyance control device and each station and the travel control device, which places an excessive load on the conveyance control device.

For example, in the example of 4M DRAM, this D
It is said that there are approximately 400 to 500 RAM production processes, and the amount of these processes reaches 15,000 to 30,000 wafers per month. When producing rice cakes in large quantities that involve many processes like this.

The amount of work carried out by the transport system actually reaches about 300 times per unit time. As the number of operations increases, the amount of information exchanged between the host computer and the transport control device increases. Furthermore, loads such as state management of each station, transport instructions from the travel control device, and interlocks between stations are concentrated on the transport control device.

For this reason, in order to increase the processing capacity of the transport control device,
It is necessary to add a minicomputer or a small computer, which not only increases cost, but also increases the area occupied by this transfer control device, which has the disadvantage of causing inconvenience in line layout. Furthermore, because the host computer, transport control device, and station are connected by one communication line, if an accident occurs at one station, the entire system must be stopped to recover.5. For two reasons, there is a drawback that the operating rate of the automated line decreases.

The object of the present invention is to provide a conveying system that eliminates these drawbacks.

[Means to solve the problem]

The transport system of the present invention includes a track that passes between stations of processing equipment arranged side by side, a transport carriage that runs on this track and transports storage boxes containing a plurality of semiconductor substrates to the stations, and a reading device that reads unique information of the storage box, a travel control device that controls travel of the transport vehicle, and a transport control device that issues a command to the correction travel control device;
The transport system includes a host computer that controls the system based on the unique information, and the communication terminal device is connected to each of the stations via a communication line, and this communication terminal device is connected to the Makiki host computer. It is characterized by exchanging information regarding transportation.

〔Example〕

Next, the present invention will be explained with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a conveyance system showing one embodiment of the present invention. This conveyance system, as shown in the same figure,
A communication terminal device 214 is provided between each station 21 and the host computer 11 via the communication line 18, and each station 21 issues a transfer command to the transfer control device 31. That is, the transport vehicle 34 traveling on the track is controlled by the travel control device W32, and the transport control device 31 instructs the travel of the transport vehicle 34, in other words, the destination, and also provides information such as the destination of the work to be transported. is sent from each station 21 to the transport control device 31, and the transport control device 31 plans a transport schedule according to the determined transport procedure.

Next, the operation of this conveyance system will be explained. First, the barcode of the workpieces stocked at each station 21 is read by the BCR 23 . Next, the barcode is sent to the communication terminal device 14 via the input/output device. The communication terminal device 14 informs the host computer 11 of the work destination and lot number through the network 15.

The host computer 11 responds via the network 15 with the destination of the work and the lot number. Communication terminal device 1
4 transmits the next process of the work and the rod number to the station 21. Next, the station 21 specifies a transport vehicle to the transport control device 31 and prepares to take out the corresponding workpiece.

Next, the traveling control device 32 receives a command from the transportation control device W31, causes the transportation vehicle 34 to travel, and moves to the corresponding station 21.
Stop at. Next, the transport vehicle 34 picks up the workpiece and
The workpiece is transported to the designated station 21. In this way, the conveyance control device 31 obtains information sent from each station 31 and controls the plurality of conveyance carts 34 so that they run smoothly and efficiently and can convey.

Note that a branch type local area network is used for the network 15 connecting each communication terminal device 14 and the host computer 11.1. In the second network 15, a data server 13 is manufactured which stores the final loft information transmitted from the host computer 11. This data server 13 temporarily stores the latest information data of the transport system at the time the host computer stops, even if the host computer stops.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a conveyance system showing another embodiment of the present invention. In the transport system of the above embodiment, each station 21 had an independent communication terminal device 14, but in this embodiment, a plurality of stations 21 are provided for one communication terminal device 1114. .

This is because, depending on the station 21, workpieces are put in and taken out less frequently than other stations, and information is exchanged less frequently, so one communication terminal device 14 may be used for both stations.

Here, even if, for example, a 16-person personal computer is used as this communication terminal device, the channel boat of the R5-232 line described above usually has 2 to 4 times mi, so There is no problem with the hardware configuration.

Further, in this embodiment, compared to the above-mentioned embodiment, there is no one-to-one correspondence between communication terminal devices and stations, and the number of communication terminal devices is small compared to the number of stations. It has the advantage of being smaller and cheaper.

〔Effect of the invention〕

As explained above, the present invention provides distributed communication terminal devices connected to stations attached to each processing facility,
By connecting these communication terminal devices and host computers with multiple information networks, the load on the transport control device can be reduced, so the overall system configuration can be further downsized and redundant. This has the effect of providing an inexpensive conveyance system that is easy to maintain and increases the operating rate of automated lines.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a transfer system showing one embodiment of the present invention, Fig. 2 is a block diagram of a transfer system showing another embodiment of the invention, and Fig. 3 is a layout of processing equipment in a wafer processing factory. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example, FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the station of FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a conventional conveyance system. 1...Work, tl...Host computer, 13
...Data server, 14...Communication terminal device, 15.
...Network, 18...Communication line, 21...Station, 22...-I/O device, 23...BCR
524... Storage entrance, 25-... Storage shelf, 26...
Masumi, 27...Transfer machine, 31.3La...Transfer control device, 32--Traveling control device, 34...Transfer truck,
41... Orbit, 101... Clean room, 102
...Maintenance room, 103...Bulkhead, 104...-bay.

Claims (1)

[Claims] A track that passes between stations of processing equipment arranged side by side, a transport vehicle that runs on this track and transports a storage box containing a plurality of semiconductor substrates to the station, and a transport vehicle that is located at each station and that the storage box has. A reading device that reads the unique information, a travel control device that controls the travel of the transport vehicle, a transport control device that gives commands to the travel control device, and a host computer that controls the system based on the unique information. A transport system comprising a communication terminal device connected to each of the stations via a communication line, the communication terminal device exchanging information regarding transport with the host computer.