JPH0629167A - Semiconductor device production method and system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent careless human mistake in setting of processing condition or forgetting of setting by worker by setting the processing condition to a dust particle inspection apparatus without manual intervention by the worker. CONSTITUTION:An identification code 8 is given in order to identify a wafer on the surface of the wafer 1 on which semiconductor devices are formed. Meanwhile, data about processing condition of wafer is stored in a memory 41 corresponding to the identification code 8 given to the wafer 1. For inspection processing of dust particles of the wafer 1 using a dust particle inspection apparatus 11, the identification code 8 previously given to the wafer 1 is read, this readout pellet identification code 8 is retrieved within the memory 41, a processing data stored corresponding to the identification code 8 is called previously and this processing condition data is automatically set to a controller 16 of the dust particle inspection apparatus 11.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention is effective when applied to a so-called pre-process of manufacturing a semiconductor device in a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) in a semiconductor device manufacturing technique, particularly in a manufacturing process of the semiconductor device. Regarding things.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In the process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, in a so-called pre-process in which the semiconductor device is formed on a wafer, C
Various manufacturing devices such as a VD device and an exposure device, and various inspection devices such as a foreign substance inspection device and an electrical characteristic inspection device (hereinafter, the manufacturing device and the inspection device may be referred to as a processing device) are used. ing.

The processing conditions for these processing devices are as follows:
It is customary for each semiconductor device to be produced (hereinafter sometimes referred to as a product) to differ. Therefore, when a wafer as a work in which this product is manufactured is processed by each processing apparatus, processing conditions are set in each processing apparatus for each product.

Conventionally, the setting operation of the processing condition for this processing apparatus is carried out by the operator as follows.

In advance, a plurality of wafers as works are grouped in a lot and stored in a carrier jig, and a card is attached to this jig for each lot. The card stores the processing conditions for each processing apparatus corresponding to each lot. Then, this card is moved together with the wafer group, which is a workpiece group.

Thereafter, when a predetermined process is carried out by various processing apparatuses, the operator reads the processing conditions of the card attached to the lot of the wafer group as the work.

The operator who has read the processing condition operates the data input terminal device to directly input the read processing condition to a predetermined processing device.

In order to simplify the operator's input operation and the recording on the card, the processing condition is replaced with the processing condition code consisting of numbers and symbols and recorded on the card.
It is also practiced that an operator reads the processing condition code recorded on this card and inputs the processing condition into the data input terminal device with the processing condition code.

In this case, the input processing condition code is collated by the computer with the data stored in advance, the processing condition corresponding to the input processing condition code is searched, and the searched processing is performed. The conditions will be automatically set in the processor.

Incidentally, as an example in which a production control method of a semiconductor device is described, JP-A-56-114650, JP-A-58-184604 and JP-A-55-16 are cited.
1701 publication.

Further, as a wafer data management method in which a computer is used, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-220513 has been proposed.
There is a gazette.

[0012]

However, in the above-mentioned method for setting the processing conditions, since the processing conditions are input to the processing apparatus through a human operator, a processing condition setting error is made. There is a possibility that you may forget to set the settings.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor device production technique capable of preventing setting mistakes or forgetting to set processing conditions.

The above and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be apparent from the description of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

[0015]

The typical ones of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be outlined below.

That is, an identification code for identifying the semiconductor wafer is attached to the surface of the semiconductor wafer in which the semiconductor device is built, and on the other hand, the processing conditions for the semiconductor wafer are related to each processing apparatus for performing a predetermined processing on the semiconductor wafer. The data is stored in the memory in correspondence with the identification code attached to the semiconductor wafer, and the identification code attached to the semiconductor wafer is read at the time of processing the semiconductor wafer in the processing apparatus, and the read identification code Are searched in the memory, and data relating to the processing condition corresponding to the searched identification code is automatically set in the processing device.

[0017]

According to the above-mentioned means, when the semiconductor wafer is processed in the processing apparatus, the identification code attached to the semiconductor wafer in advance is read, and the read identification code is searched in the memory to identify in advance. Since the data regarding the processing condition stored corresponding to the code is called and the processing condition data is automatically set in the processing device, the processing condition can be set in the processing device without the intervention of a human operator. You can

Therefore, it is possible to prevent the human from making a mistake in setting the processing conditions or forgetting to set the processing conditions.

[0019]

1 is a schematic view showing a semiconductor device production system according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a process diagram showing a semiconductor device production method according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a wafer. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a code reading device used in a semiconductor device production system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a foreign matter inspection apparatus which is an embodiment of the processing apparatus.

In this embodiment, in the method for producing a semiconductor device according to the present invention, the work identification is performed on the first main surface 2 on which the semiconductor integrated circuit of the wafer 1 which is the work is formed, as shown in FIG. The code and the product identification code are coded by a combination of English letters and numbers and attached in advance.

As shown in FIG. 3, a wafer identification code (hereinafter, simply referred to as a work code) 4 as a work identification code is located at a position on the first main surface 2 of the wafer 1 opposite to the orientation flat 3. And is drawn by numbers and English letters with a concavo-convex structure by using a method such as an etching method or a laser engraving method.

In the present embodiment, the work code 4 is an identification code (hereinafter referred to as a lot code) 5 for displaying the lot number of the wafer 1 and an identification code (hereinafter, referred to as a lot code) for displaying each wafer number in the lot. Wafer code) 6.

The pellet identification code 8, which is a product identification code, is attached to each of a plurality of pellet portions 7 formed on the first main surface 2 of the wafer 1. The pellet identification code 8 is simultaneously drawn by the lithography processing step 21 when a circuit pattern forming a semiconductor device is formed in the pellet portion 7 of the wafer 1 as a work. Then, the pellet identification code 8 is drawn with numbers and English letters having a concavo-convex structure, and can be optically read by an identification code reading device described later.

Here, in the so-called pre-process in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor device, each pellet portion 7 is built in the first main surface 2 of the wafer 1 in which a plurality of semiconductor devices as products are regularly sectioned vertically and horizontally. In the wafer 1 as the work, each product part of the work is substantially formed.

In this embodiment, the pellet identification code 8 as a product identification code is encoded by the product name given to the semiconductor device to be built, for example, the model number.

Further, in the present embodiment, the identification code reader shown in FIG. 4 is used. The identification code reading device is attached to each processing device. FIG. 5 shows a foreign matter inspection device as an example of a processing device provided with this identification code reading device.

Now, the identification code reading device shown in FIG. 4 and the foreign substance inspection device shown in FIG. 5 will be described.

The foreign matter inspection apparatus 11 according to the present embodiment is provided with a machine frame 12 formed in a substantially box shape, and on the machine frame 12, a loading station 13 and an unloading station 14 and a carrier device. A robot (not shown) and an identification code reading device 30 are provided respectively. Loading station 1
3 is arranged at one side position in the central portion on the machine casing 12. The unloading station 14 is a machine frame 12
It is arranged side by side with the loading station 13 at an upper position.

By the way, each cassette 20 is provided with a large number of holding grooves (slots) arranged in a large number of rows (usually 25 steps), and a plurality of wafers are inserted into the holding grooves. Wafers (usually for one lot) are stored in a regularly aligned state.

By operating the arm controlled by the controller, the robot picks up one wafer 1 from the actual cassette 20 in the loading station 13 at the grip and conveys it to the identification code reading device 30, and further, the wafer 1 is identified by the identification code. Reader 3
It is configured to be conveyed from 0 to the processing chamber 15 of the foreign substance inspection apparatus 11 or the unloading station 14.

The identification code reading device 30 is arranged at a substantially central position in the rear portion of the machine frame 12. The identification code reading device 30 is equipped with a recognition stage 31. A lens barrel 32 and a television camera 35 as an image capturing device are supported by a stand (not shown) directly above the recognition stage 31.

A light source 34 is optically connected to the lens barrel 32 via an optical fiber 33, and the light from the light source 34 is dimmed by the lens barrel 32 toward the recognition stage 31 through the optical fiber 33. It is supposed to be irradiated.
The television camera 35 is configured to capture the identification codes 4 and 8 of the wafer 1 illuminated on the recognition stage 31.

An identification code recognizing device 36 is electrically connected to the television camera 35 via a cable 36a, and the identification code recognizing device 36 is composed of an image processing device or the like, and receives an image pickup signal from the television camera 35. Based on this, the pellet identification code 8 attached to the wafer 1 can be recognized. Further, the identification code recognition device 36
A monitor 37 is connected to the monitor 37, and the monitor 37 monitors the picture taking condition of the television camera 35.

Further, a data processing device 40 constructed from a computer or the like is connected to the identification code recognizing device 36, and the data processing device 40 executes data processing described later.

On the other hand, in the semiconductor device production system according to this embodiment, the memory 41 connected to the data processing device 40 is used.
Is equipped with. In the memory 41, data regarding the processing conditions for the wafer is stored in advance in association with the pellet identification code for each processing device that performs a predetermined process on the wafer 1 as a work.

The files stored in the memory 41 are shown in the following Table 1 and Table 2 for the foreign matter inspection apparatus 11. Here, Table 1 is a code correspondence file in which the pellet identification code 8 and the processing condition code are associated with each other. Table 2 is a processing condition data file in which processing condition codes and specific processing condition data are associated with each other.

[0037]

[0038]

Next, an embodiment of a semiconductor device production method according to the present invention by the semiconductor device production system constructed as described above will be described by taking foreign matter inspection processing as an example.

A plurality of wafers 1, which are works in the method for producing a semiconductor device, are supplied to the loading station 13 of the foreign matter inspection apparatus 11 in a state where a plurality of wafers 1 are stored in the cassette 20. One wafer 1 supplied to the loading station 13 is delivered from the cassette 20 and set on the recognition table 31 of the identification code reading device 30.

The pellet identification code 8 of the first wafer 1 set on the identification table 31 is read by the identification code reading device 30. Here, the identification code reading operation of the identification code reading device 30 will be described.

On the recognition stage 31, as shown in FIG. 4, the wafer 1 is supported horizontally, and
The lens barrel 32 of the identification code reading device 30 and the television camera 35 are directly faced. When the wafer 1 is faced to the television camera 35, the identification code recognizing device 36 executes the operation of reading the pellet identification code 8.

The identification code 8 read in this way
Is transmitted to the data processing device 40 connected to the identification code recognition device 36. Then, as described later, the data processing device 40 executes the setting work of the processing condition for the foreign substance inspection device 11.

When the identification code 8 is read,
The wafer 1, which is a workpiece, is transferred to the processing chamber 15 by a robot and set on an XY table (not shown) that is an inspection stage.

On the other hand, the data processing device 40, which has received the pellet identification code 8 from the identification code recognition device 36, carries out the work of setting the processing conditions for the foreign substance inspection device 11 by the following data processing.

First, the pellet identification code 8 read by the identification code recognition device 36 is searched in the code corresponding file of Table 1 stored in the memory 41. When the corresponding pellet identification code 8 is searched, the processing condition code corresponding to the pellet identification code 8 is called.

For example, the pellet identification code 8 is "ROM
If it is "001", the processing condition code of "001" is called.

Subsequently, the called processing condition code is
The processing condition data file of Table 2 stored in the memory 41 is searched. When the corresponding processing condition code is retrieved, the processing condition data corresponding to the processing condition code is called.

For example, as the processing condition data corresponding to the processing condition code “001”, the diameter of the inspection light is 0.1 μm.
m, the size of the foreign matter to be inspected is 1 μm, and the scanning speed of the inspection light is 1 m / s.

Then, the called processing condition data is
The data processing device 40 transmits the data to the controller 16 of the foreign matter inspection device 11 and automatically inputs the processing conditions to the controller 16.

The foreign matter inspection device 11 whose processing conditions are automatically set by the data processing device 40 as described above.
Performs the foreign substance inspection processing according to the set processing conditions. Then, the foreign matter inspection is carried out under these processing conditions in the processing chamber 15 of the foreign matter inspection apparatus 11.
The wafer 1 has the pellet identification code 8 read by the identification code reading device 30 immediately before being loaded into the wafer 1.

When the foreign matter inspection is completed for the wafer 1 loaded into the processing chamber 15 of the foreign matter inspection apparatus 11 under the automatically set processing conditions, the wafer 1 is unloaded from the processing chamber 15 and an empty cassette in the unloading station 14. It is stored in 20.

Subsequently, the next wafer 1 whose pellet identification code 8 has been read by the identification code reading device 30 is loaded into the processing chamber 15 of the foreign substance inspection device 11. By the way, the identification code reading operation for the next wafer 1 can be simultaneously performed during the foreign substance inspection operation for the previous wafer 1.

Then, when the pellet identification code 8 read for the next wafer 1 and the pellet identification code 8 read for the previous wafer 1 match, the data processing apparatus 40 performs the above-mentioned processing condition setting operation. Can be omitted, and the processing condition set last time can be maintained in the controller 16.

When the pellet identification code 8 read for the next wafer 1 and the pellet identification code 8 read for the previous wafer 1 are different, the data processing device 40 performs the processing condition setting operation described above. The processing condition is set again for the controller 16.

By repeating the above operation, in the foreign substance inspection device 11 which is an example of a processing device, a foreign substance inspection which is an example of a production process of a semiconductor device is sequentially performed on each wafer 1 which is a work.

According to the above embodiment, the following effects can be obtained. During the foreign substance inspection process for the wafer 1 in the foreign substance inspection device 11 which is an example of a semiconductor device production processing device, the pellet identification code 8 previously attached to the wafer 1 is read, and the read pellet identification code 8 is stored in the memory 41. Search for the pellet identification code 8 in advance
The processing condition data stored corresponding to the above is called, and this processing condition data is used by the controller 1 of the foreign matter inspection apparatus 11.
By automatically setting to 6, the processing condition can be set in the foreign matter inspection device 11 without the intervention of a human operator, so that a human setting error or forgetting to set the processing condition may occur. Can be prevented.

By sequentially and automatically executing the processing condition setting for each processing device for each wafer which is a work in the semiconductor device production method, that is, in wafer units, the production process is performed in lot units. Since it is possible to alleviate the need to proceed, it is possible to realize mixed production of products without lowering productivity, and it is possible to cope with small-quantity multi-product production.

Further, according to the above, it is possible to completely automate the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device.

By configuring the identification code for identifying the wafer with the pellet identification code formed on the pellet portion of the wafer by the lithographic process, the identification code can be attached together with the formation of the circuit pattern on the wafer. At the same time, the identification code can be configured to be read by an optical means, so that an increase in man-hours and facility cost can be suppressed.

Since the memory for storing the processing condition data is provided with the code corresponding file in which the identification code and the processing condition code correspond, and the processing condition corresponding file in which the processing condition code and the processing condition data correspond. It is possible to reduce the work of adding a database to the memory when the types and specifications of semiconductor devices to be produced increase.

Although the invention made by the present inventor has been specifically described based on the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments and various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. Needless to say.

For example, the identification code for identifying the wafer is not limited to the pellet identification code, but a work identification code may be used.

The processing condition data stored in the memory is
The identification code is not limited to be associated with the processing condition code, but may be directly associated with the identification code.

In the above description, the case where the invention made by the present inventor is mainly applied to the foreign matter inspection technique which is the field of application which is the background of the invention has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the semiconductor device production process is not limited thereto. It can be applied to all.

[0066]

The effects obtained by the typical ones of the inventions disclosed in the present application will be briefly described as follows.

During the production process for the wafer, the identification code attached to the wafer is read, the read identification code is searched in the memory, and the processing data stored in advance corresponding to the identification code is called,
By automatically setting this processing condition data in the controller of the processing device, it is possible to set the processing condition in the processing device without the intervention of a human operator. It is possible to prevent forgetfulness and the like from occurring.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a semiconductor device production system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a process chart showing a method for producing a semiconductor device which is an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view showing a wafer.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing a code reading device used in a semiconductor device production system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing a foreign matter inspection apparatus that is an example of a processing apparatus.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Wafer, 2 ... First main surface, 3 ... Orientation flat, 4 ... Wafer identification code (work code), 5 ...
Identification code (lot code) that displays the lot number, 6
... Identification code (wafer code) that displays the wafer number,
7 ... Pellet part, 8 ... Pellet identification code, 11 ... Foreign matter inspection device, 12 ... Machine frame, 13 ... Loading station, 14 ... Unloading station, 15 ... Processing chamber, 16 ... Controller, 20 ... Cassette, 30 ... Identification code Reading device, 31 ... Recognition stage, 32 ... Lens barrel, 33 ... Optical fiber, 34 ... Light source, 35 ... Television camera, 36 ... Identification code recognition device, 36a ... Cable, 3
7 ... Monitor, 40 ... Data processing device, 41 ... Memory.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An identification code for identifying a semiconductor wafer is attached to the surface of a semiconductor wafer in which a semiconductor device is built, and, on the other hand, for each processing device that performs a predetermined process on the semiconductor wafer,
Data relating to the processing conditions for the semiconductor wafer is stored in the memory in association with the identification code attached to the semiconductor wafer, and during the processing of the semiconductor wafer in the processing apparatus, the identification code attached to the semiconductor wafer is read, A method for producing a semiconductor device, wherein the read identification code is retrieved in the memory, and data regarding processing conditions corresponding to the retrieved identification code is automatically set in the processing device. 2. The pellet identification code is formed by a pellet identification code formed on a pellet portion corresponding to each semiconductor device to be formed in plural numbers on the semiconductor wafer. A method for producing a semiconductor device according to 1. 3. The semiconductor device according to claim 1, wherein the identification code is formed on the surface of the semiconductor wafer by a lithographic process and is also read by optical means. Production method. 4. A means for attaching an identification code for identifying a semiconductor wafer on the surface of a semiconductor wafer in which a semiconductor device is built, and processing conditions for the semiconductor wafer for each processing device for performing a predetermined processing on the semiconductor wafer. A memory for storing data in association with the identification code attached to the semiconductor wafer; an identification code reading device for reading the identification code attached to the semiconductor wafer during processing of the semiconductor wafer in the processing device; A semiconductor device comprising: a controller that searches the memory for an identification code read by a code reading device and automatically sets data regarding processing conditions corresponding to the retrieved identification code in the processing device. Production system. 5. The memory comprises a code correspondence file in which an identification code and a processing condition code are associated with each other, and a processing condition in correspondence file in which a processing condition code and processing condition data are associated with each other. The semiconductor device production system according to claim 4.