JPH096401A - Fault countermeasure system for semiconductor manufacturing device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To provide a semiconductor manufacturing device with high reliability and high production efficiency by continuing substrate processing even when an integrated controller has a fault. CONSTITUTION: A standby system integrated controller GC-R is provided in addition to an active system controller GC operated usually, a message is exchanged between the total controllers GC, GC-R to exchange information or the like with respect to an operating schedule of each module and the state of the standby system integrated controller GC-R is kept the same as a control state of the active system integrated controller GC. When the active system integrated controller GC has a fault, the standby system integrated controller GC-R manages and controls sub-controllers PC1-PC8, CC1, CC2, TC1, TC2 in place of the active system integrated controller GC.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for controlling a plurality of modules by a sub-controller to process a substrate to be processed, and more particularly to an integrated control controller for integrally controlling and controlling these sub-controllers. The present invention relates to a failure coping system for continuing substrate processing even when a failure occurs in the board.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a substrate to be processed such as a silicon wafer, etc., such as etching, ashing, film formation, etc., a module for accommodating and carrying in a substrate to be carried in and out and a substrate to be carried are transferred. It is known that a module for processing and a module for performing a predetermined process processing such as etching on a substrate are connected through a gate valve to automatically and continuously perform the above processing.

FIG. 4 shows a configuration example of a single-wafer integrated cluster type semiconductor manufacturing apparatus as an example of such a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. In this semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, two cluster modules are connected by a docking module DM, and one cluster is
The four process modules PM1 to PM4 and the wafer carrying cassette module CM1 are connected to the transport module TM1, and the other cluster is
It is configured by connecting four process modules PM5 to PM8 and a wafer unloading cassette module CM2 to a transport module TM2. The transport modules TM1 and TM2 and each module P
A gate valve (not shown) is provided between each of M1 to PM8, CM1, CM2, and DM, and each module is connected so as to maintain airtightness.

The process modules PM1 to PM8 are modules for performing a predetermined process on a wafer to be processed. In this example, the process modules PM1 to PM4 in one cluster sequentially perform a process on a wafer, This wafer is transferred to the other cluster through the docking module DM, and further processed by the process modules PM5 to PM8. Further, the cassette modules CM1 and CM2 are modules for accommodating and processing a plurality of (for example, 10) wafers in a clean state. In this example, the cassette module CM1 is a carry-in module (load module) for accommodating unprocessed wafers. And the cassette module CM2 is set as a carry-out module (unload module) for accommodating processed wafers.

Further, the transport modules TM1 and TM2 each accommodate a robot arm R for transferring a wafer, and in one cluster, the robot arm R of the transport module TM1 includes the cassette module CM1 and the process modules PM1 to PM1. PM4
Between the process modules PM1 to PM4 and the docking module DM, and in the other cluster, the robot arm R of the transport module TM2 transfers between the docking module DM and the process modules PM5 to PM8. The wafer is transferred between the process modules PM1 to PM4 and the cassette module CM2. During the wafer transfer, the gate valve that closes the passage between the modules is opened and closed.

The operations by the process modules PM1 to PM8, the cassette modules CM1 and CM2, and the transport modules TM1 and TM2 are performed by the sub-controllers PC1 to PC8 attached to the respective modules.
It is directly controlled by CC1, CC2, TC1, TC2. Then, as shown in FIG. 5, these sub-controllers PC1 to PC8, CC1, CC2, TC1, TC
2 is connected to the integrated control controller GC via a network N such as a LAN, and each controller PC1
-PC8, CC1, CC2, TC1, TC2 modules PM1-PM8, CM1, CM2, TM1, T
The integrated controller GC integrally controls the control of M2.

The integrated control controller GC is provided with a memory M1 for holding information relating to system control, and based on this control information, the integrated control controller G
C manages and controls each sub-controller. This control information includes information about the operation schedule of each module, progress information on the current schedule, and information about process conditions such as the temperature and internal pressure of each module. It is held in M1.

[0008]

In the conventional semiconductor manufacturing described above, since the integrated controller GC is single, a failure occurs in the integrated controller GC due to, for example, an information processing error. If so, the operation of the entire device was interrupted. For this reason, there is a problem that the wafer cannot be processed until the restoration is performed, which causes a large delay in the production process.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned conventional circumstances, and a failure coping system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of continuing substrate (wafer) processing even when a failure occurs in the integrated control controller and improving production efficiency. The purpose is to provide.

[0010]

In order to achieve the above object, a failure coping system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present invention comprises a plurality of modules for processing substrates and a plurality of sub-controllers for controlling the respective modules. In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including an integrated control controller that integrally controls and controls the sub-controller, in addition to the integrated control controller of the active system that executes the management control, it has the same function as the active system controller. A standby system integrated control controller is installed, messages are exchanged between the active system and the standby system integrated controller, and the status of the standby system integrated controller is kept the same as that of the active system integrated controller. When a failure occurs in the system integrated control controller, this is detected and the standby system integrated control controller On behalf of the use system No. controller, wherein the managing collectively controls the sub-controller.

[0011]

According to the present invention, in addition to the integrated control controller for the active system that operates normally, a standby integrated controller that operates in place of the integrated controller for the active system is provided when a failure occurs, and the integrated controller for the active system fails. Even if occurs, the substrate (wafer) processing is continued. In order to perform the alternative control by this standby system integrated control controller quickly and without any hindrance, messages are exchanged between the active system and standby system integrated control controllers, and information about the operation schedule of each module and current schedule progress information, etc. Information is exchanged, and the state of the standby system integrated controller is maintained the same as the control state of the active system integrated controller. When a failure occurs in the active system integrated control controller, this is detected from the message exchange, and the standby system integrated control controller supervises and controls the sub-controllers in place of the active system number control controller.

[0012]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A fault coping system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present embodiment is one in which the present invention is applied to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus shown in FIG. 4, and the same reference numerals are given to the parts already described and the duplicated description will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control system of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the present embodiment is provided with a standby system integrated control controller GC-R in addition to the active system integrated control controller GC. This standby system integrated controller GC
-R is an active system integrated control controller GC and sub-controllers PC1 to PC8, CC via the network N
1, CC2, TC1, TC2.

The standby system integrated control controller GC-R has the same function as the active system integrated control controller GC, and based on the information on the system control held in the memory M2 of the standby system integrated control controller, the standby system The integrated controller GC-R can also manage and control each sub-controller. The active system integrated control controller GC and the standby system integrated control controller GC-R are configured as separate information processing devices including hardware resources such as a CPU, a RAM, and a ROM. It can also be configured as an information processing device.

The active system integrated control controller GC and the standby system integrated control controller GC-R are provided with exchanging means K1 and K2, respectively.
2 transmits and receives messages relating to control information. That is, the active system integrated controller GC and the standby system integrated controller GC-R are the network N.
It has a function of exchanging messages relating to control information via. As the messages to be exchanged, as shown in FIG. 2, "control information message" and "operation confirmation response message" transmitted from the active system integrated control controller GC to the standby system integrated control controller GC-R, standby system integrated control There is an "operation confirmation message" transmitted from the controller GC-R to the active system integrated control controller GC.

The control information message includes information held in the memory M1 of the active system integrated control controller. Based on this message, the standby system integrated control controller GC-R is the same as the active system integrated control controller GC. Initialized to control state. The operation confirmation message is a message requesting information regarding the status change of the active system integrated control controller GC. After the system is activated, the standby system integrated control controller GC-R operates at a fixed time interval measured by the timer T. Controller GC
Always sent to.

The operation confirmation response message is a message transmitted in response to the operation confirmation message when the active system integrated control controller GC is operating normally,
When there is a change in the control status such as the schedule progress status of the active system integrated controller GC, the operation confirmation response message includes this change information. Here, the standby system integrated controller GC-R is provided with an updating means E for rewriting the contents of the memory M2, and this updating means E updates the contents of the memory M2 in accordance with the contents of the control information message and the operation confirmation response message. To do. Therefore, by the above message exchange, the memory contents of both integrated control controllers are always the same, and after the system operation, the control state of the standby system integrated control controller GC-R becomes the same as the control state of the active system integrated control controller GC. Maintained.

Next, the operation of the system of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3 showing the processing in the standby system integrated controller GC-R. First, when the system is started up, the active system integrated control controller GC is started up as a controller that actually executes the integrated control of the sub-controllers PC1 to PC8, CC1, CC2, TC1 and TC2, and the standby system integrated control controller GC- R is a sub-controller PC1 to PC8, CC1, CC2, TC1, T so as not to affect the system operation under normal conditions.
It is started up in a standby state where command issuance to C2 is prohibited.

When both integrated controllers are activated in this way, a "control information message" is transmitted from the active integrated controller GC to the standby integrated controller GC-R, and the contents of the memory M2 are sent in accordance with this message. Is rewritten and initialization is performed, and the state of the standby system integrated control controller GC-R is made the same as the initial state of the active system integrated control controller GC (step S1). Then, as shown in FIG. 2, an "operation confirmation message" and "between both integrated controllers GC and GC-R" are displayed.
In the standby system integrated control controller GC-R, the timer T determines whether the "operation confirmation response message" is received within a predetermined time after transmitting the "operation confirmation message". It is monitored (step S2).

When the "operation confirmation response message" is received within a predetermined time, the standby system integrated control controller G
The C-R performs the reception process of this message (step S3), and rewrites the contents of the memory M2 according to the contents of this message (step S4). That is, the standby system integrated control controller GC-R is maintained in the same control state as the current control state of the active system integrated control controller GC, and always repeats such update processing and stands by.

On the other hand, when the "operation confirmation response message" cannot be received within a predetermined time (time-out), the standby system integrated control controller GC-R is thereby instructed.
Detecting that some failure has occurred in the active system integrated controller GC, accepting a user command from the operation panel (step S5), and the sub-controller PC1
The command issuance to the PC8, CC1, CC2, TC1, and TC2 (step S6) is enabled, and these sub-controllers are centrally controlled in place of the active system integrated controller GC (step S7). Therefore, even when some failure occurs in the active system integrated control controller GC, this is quickly detected and the standby system integrated control controller GC-R maintained in the same control state continues the integrated control. Therefore, the wafer processing in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is continued.

In the above embodiment, the active system integrated control controller G is set due to the timeout of message reception.
Although the failure occurrence is detected by C, the standby system integrated control controller GC-R may detect the failure occurrence by directly monitoring the active system integrated control controller GC. In order to more surely avoid system operation confusion when continuing centralized control, the standby system integrated control controller GC
The control prohibition command may be issued from -R to the active system integrated control controller GC so that the active system integrated control controller GC may not operate even if it should happen. Further, in the present invention, one or more standby system integrated controllers may be provided, and the present invention can be applied to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus other than the cluster type.

[0023]

As described above, according to the failure coping system of the present invention, a standby system integrated controller is provided in addition to the active system integrated controller, and a failure occurs in the active system integrated controller. In this case, since the standby system integrated controller continues the control, the substrate processing can be continued without stopping the processing of the entire apparatus, and it is possible to realize a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus with high reliability and excellent production efficiency. it can.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a control system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing message exchange according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a coping process when a failure occurs in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a plan view showing a configuration of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram showing a conventional control system.

[Explanation of symbols]

PM1, PM2, PM3, PM4 process module, CM1, CM2 cassette module, TM1, TM2 transport module, GC active system integrated control controller, GC-R standby system integrated control controller, PC1, PC2, PC3, PC4 process module controller, CC1, CC2 cassette module controller, TC1, TC2 transport module controller,

 ─────────────────────────────────────────────────── ─── Continuation of the front page (72) Inventor Masatoshi Kama 3-14-20 Higashi-Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo Inside Kokusai Electric Inc.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A plurality of modules for processing a substrate,
In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus provided with a plurality of sub-controllers that respectively control each module, and an integrated control controller that collectively controls the sub-controllers, in addition to an active-system integrated control controller that executes the management control, The standby system integrated control controller that has the same function as the active system control controller is provided, and messages are exchanged between the active system and standby system integrated controllers, and the status of the standby system integrated controller is changed to the active system integrated control. Maintain the same control state of the controller,
When a failure occurs in the active system integrated control controller, the standby system integrated control controller detects this and controls the sub controller instead of the active system system control controller, thereby controlling the semiconductor manufacturing. Equipment fault handling system.