JPH10106919A - Semiconductor aligner and its operation control method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent misoperation of a console which is to be caused by touch to a screen during screen saver operation. SOLUTION: When touch to a touch panel input equipment 107 is detected, whether screen saver is now operated is judged by checking whether a screen saver operation flag is on. From the result of judgement, in the case that the screen saver operation flag is on, i.e., the screen is operating, the screen operation flag is turned off, and operation of the screen saver is released. After that, the touch panel input equipment 107 is returned to a console input waiting state. On the other hand, in the case that the screen saver operation flag is off, i.e., the screen saver is not operating, a console control which is previously related to a touch position of the touch panel input equipment 107 is performed.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a semiconductor exposure apparatus using a touch panel cooperating with a display device as an input device, and a method of controlling the operation of the semiconductor exposure apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor manufacturing factory that manufactures semiconductor chips by exposing fine circuit patterns on a semiconductor wafer, a semiconductor exposure apparatus and all other components are used so that fine patterns do not affect pattern exposure. Are installed in the clean room. Further, as a further countermeasure, it is necessary to use a touch panel instead of an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse, which are likely to generate dust, as an input device used in the semiconductor exposure apparatus. Therefore, in the clean room, the operator presses an icon using a touch panel or inputs text to perform an operation.

In the case of line operation or the like, an operator often performs an operation on the console screen only a few times a day. In this case, in order to prevent deterioration of the console display device, an operation for a certain time or more is performed. It is indispensable to set a condition such as a case where the screen saver does not exist and operate a screen saver for preventing screen burn-in.

[0004]

Since a semiconductor exposure apparatus using a touch panel does not have a mouse or a keyboard, the screen saver during operation is released by an operator touching an arbitrary point on the screen. If there is a command execution button, command / parameter input window, or the like at the touched location, the screen saver is not only released, but the touch is reflected as an operation, and there is a risk that the semiconductor exposure apparatus may malfunction. Was. Although such a problem has been solved by an operation such as requiring a touch on a corner of the screen where no command button or the like is present, it has not been a measure for radically avoiding malfunction.

In the semiconductor exposure apparatus, if an error that requires an operator's call (call to deal with the error) occurs while the screen saver is operating, an error window is displayed because the screen saver is operating. No, it was not possible to inform the operator that an error had occurred.

A first object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor exposure apparatus capable of preventing an erroneous operation of a console caused by a screen touch during a screen saver operation.

A second object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor exposure apparatus capable of notifying an error that has occurred during a screen saver operation.

A third object of the present invention is to provide an operation control method of a semiconductor exposure apparatus which can prevent an erroneous operation of a console caused by a screen touch during a screen saver operation.

A fourth object of the present invention is to provide an operation control method of a semiconductor exposure apparatus which can prevent an erroneous operation of a console caused by a screen touch during a screen saver operation.

[0010]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, a display device, a touch panel attached to the display device for detecting a screen touch, and a touch position of the touch panel are associated in advance. In a semiconductor exposure apparatus having command issuing means for issuing a command and screen saver activating means, first control means for disabling command issuing by the command issuing means when the screen saver is activated by the screen saver activating means; A first canceling unit that cancels the screen saver when a touch is detected by the touch panel during the operation of the screen saver.

Here, in the first aspect, the screen saver may include a mark indicating a touched portion in its contents. Further, the screen saver may further include a character string expressing that the screen saver is being executed in its contents.

In the first aspect, the screen saver may move its contents at a speed touchable by an operator. Further, the screen saver may move its contents intermittently.

In the first aspect, the touch panel may be a piezoelectric touch panel or an electrostatic touch panel.

In one of claims 1 to 7, a detecting means for detecting whether or not an error requiring an operator call has occurred, and when the error is detected by the detecting means during the operation of the screen saver. The image processing apparatus further includes a third release unit that releases the screen saver, and a display control unit that displays an error window on the display device when an error is detected by the detection unit.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, an affirmative decision is made between the step of detecting whether the screen is touched and the step of determining whether the screen saver is operating when the touch on the screen is detected. In the case, the step of canceling the screen saver, and when the screen saver activation condition is satisfied, the step of activating the screen saver, and when the screen saver is activated,
Disabling command issuance.

Here, in the ninth aspect, a step of detecting whether an error requiring an operator call has occurred, a step of determining whether a screen saver is operating when an error is detected, and an affirmative determination. If so, the method may include a step of canceling the screen saver and a step of displaying an error window when an error is detected.

[0017]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

<First Embodiment> FIG. 1 shows a first embodiment of the present invention.
An embodiment will be described. This is an example of a semiconductor exposure apparatus with a touch panel. This semiconductor exposure apparatus includes a console 10 and a semiconductor exposure unit 20. The console operation of the semiconductor exposure apparatus is performed using a touch panel in a clean room. In this semiconductor exposure apparatus,
Although a keyboard 109 and a mouse 111 are provided,
Since these generate a greeting when they are operated, they are used exclusively outside the clean room. In the clean room, they are stored in a storage rack (not shown) so that they cannot be operated.

The console 10 will be described. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 101 denotes a console CPU (central processing).
unit), which controls the console screen display of the semiconductor exposure apparatus and the operation control by the console panel.
Reference numeral 102 denotes a RAM (random access memory), which is a CPU.
A program to be executed by 101 and data are stored. A ROM (read only memory) 103 stores a control program. An auxiliary storage device 104 stores data and programs. As the auxiliary storage device 104, a hard disk or the like is preferable. 1
Reference numeral 06 denotes a console display device, on which a touch panel input device 107 of an electrostatic type or a piezoelectric type is attached. As the console display device 106, CR
T (cathode ray tube) display device, liquid crystal display device, E
An L (electroluminescence) panel, a plasma display and the like are preferable. Reference numeral 105 denotes a display interface for displaying an image from a computer on the console display device 106. Reference numeral 108 denotes a touch panel interface, which inputs information from the touch panel input device 107 to the console CPU 101.
It is for telling. As the touch panel interface 108, a serial interface is preferable. A keyboard / mouse interface 110 connects the keyboard 109 and the mouse 111 to the console CPU 101. The above components 101 to 105, 108 and 110 are interconnected via a main CPU bus 112.

The semiconductor exposure unit 20 will be described. In FIG. 1, reference numeral 113 denotes a main CPU, which controls the entire semiconductor exposure apparatus. The main CPU 113 and the console CPU 101 are interconnected via a main CPU bus 112. An illumination device 114 controls a light source for exposing a semiconductor manufacturing wafer. Reference numeral 115 denotes a reticle driving device, which controls loading and unloading of a reticle (photomask) on which a wafer exposure pattern is drawn. Reference numeral 116 denotes a stage driving device for step-and-repeat a semiconductor manufacturing wafer.
The wafer is driven and controlled on an XY stage or the like in order to perform exposure in a (step and repeat) method. Reference numeral 117 denotes an alignment TV system, which is used for positioning a semiconductor manufacturing wafer. Reference numeral 118 denotes a peripheral device bus. The peripheral device bus 118 is a SCSI (small c
An omputer system interface) bus is preferred, but any general-purpose standard bus may be used. The components 113 to 117 are interconnected via a peripheral device bus 118.

FIG. 2 shows an example of the screen configuration of the console display device 106 shown in FIG. In FIG. 2, reference numeral 202 denotes a group of command execution buttons for issuing commands associated with these buttons in advance. Reference numeral 203 denotes a parameter input window. When the parameter input window is pressed, an input prompting pad is opened, and parameters (job file name, reticle file name, adjustment parameter, Etc.).

The command execution button group 202 and the parameter input window 203 are designed so that the operation assigned to the button can be performed with one touch without asking for confirmation each time in order to avoid complicated operation. I have.

The semiconductor exposure apparatus configured as described above
The elapsed time from the latest console input time is managed by the console CPU 101. If there is no new console input before the predetermined time has elapsed since the latest console input time, the predetermined time is used. When the time elapses, the screen saver operation flag is turned on and the screen saver is activated.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of a control program stored in the ROM 103 shown in FIG.

In step S301, when a screen touch of the touch panel input device 107 is detected, it is checked in step S302 whether a screen saver operation flag is on, and it is determined whether the screen saver is currently operating. . As a result of the determination, if the screen saver operation flag is on, that is, if the screen saver is operating, the screen save flag is turned off in step S303, and the operation of the screen saver is canceled in step S304. Thereafter, the process returns to the console input waiting state.

On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S302 is that the screen saver operation flag is off, that is, if the screen saver is not operating, step S3
In step S305, console control associated with the screen touch position is performed in advance.

Therefore, when the operator touches the screen to cancel the screen saver during the operation of the screen saver, even if the operator unintentionally touches the command execution button, for example, the screen saver is simply canceled. The command associated with the button in advance is not issued, so that a malfunction of console control due to the conventional screen saver canceling operation can be prevented. When the screen is touched, the command execution buttons 202 and the parameter input window 20 are displayed.
If the screen saver is performed at a location other than 3, the screen saver is canceled as in the conventional example. This is an improvement over the conventional semiconductor exposure apparatus using a touch panel and a screen saver.

<Second Embodiment> This embodiment relates to a first embodiment.
The content of the screen saver is different in comparison with the embodiment. That is, in the first embodiment, even when the screen saver is being executed, it is not specified on the screen of the console display device 106 that the screen saver is being executed.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, during the screen saver operation, a mark 501 indicating that the screen saver is being executed is moved at a predetermined speed on the screen of the console display device 106 as shown in FIG. In this mark 501, the touch location is clearly indicated by a double circle in the vicinity of the character of "cancel". This pattern of screen savers can be displayed by conventional techniques. It is natural that the screen saver is canceled even if an arbitrary portion of the screen other than the double circle is touched. However, even a person who does not know this can recognize that this double circle is a button for releasing the screen saver, and can touch this double circle to release the screen saver, and furthermore, malfunction Can be prevented beforehand. This is an improvement.

Therefore, as the moving speed of the contents of the screen saver, a speed at which the operator can easily press the double circle is set. The contents of the screen saver may be intermittently moved so that the double circle can be easily pressed.

<Third Embodiment> This embodiment is a first embodiment.
In comparison with the embodiment, the event for releasing the screen saver is different. That is, in the first embodiment, the screen saver is released when the touch panel input device 107 is touched during the screen saver operation. However, in the present embodiment, the operator call error occurs during the screen saver operation. When the error occurs, the screen saver is automatically released.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a control program stored in the ROM 103 shown in FIG.

In step S401, it is determined whether an error requiring an operator call has occurred. If no error requiring an operator call has occurred as a result of the determination, the process returns to the console input waiting state. On the other hand, if an error requiring an operator call has occurred, the process proceeds to step S402.

In step S402, it is determined whether or not the screen saver operation flag is ON, that is, whether or not the screen saver is operating. As a result of the determination, when the screen saver operation flag is on, that is, when the screen saver is operating, the process proceeds to step S403,
In step S403, the screen saver operation flag is turned off. Next, in step S404, the screen saver is released, and in step S405, an error display window is displayed on the screen of the console display device 106. On the other hand, as a result of the determination in step S402,
If the screen saver operation flag is off, that is, if the screen saver is not operating, step S40
Move to 5.

As described above, when an operator call error occurs during the operation of the screen saver, the screen saver is automatically released without touching the screen to release the screen saver, and the operator recognizes the occurrence of the error. Can be prevented.
This is an improvement over the conventional example.

[0036]

As described above, according to the first aspect of the present invention, when the screen saver is activated, command issuance is disabled, and when a touch is detected by the touch panel during operation of the screen saver, the command is issued. Since the screen saver is configured to be released, there is an effect that an erroneous operation can be prevented.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, since the content of the screen saver includes a mark indicating a touched portion, erroneous operation can be prevented.

According to the invention of claim 8, when an error requiring an operator call occurs during the operation of the screen saver, the screen saver operation is canceled and the error display window is automatically displayed. There is an effect that recognition errors can be prevented.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, when the screen saver is activated, command issuance is disabled,
When a touch is detected by the touch panel during the operation of the screen saver, the screen saver is released, so that an erroneous operation can be prevented.

According to the tenth aspect of the present invention, when an error requiring an operator call occurs during the operation of the screen saver, the screen saver operation is canceled and an error display window is automatically displayed. There is an effect that recognition errors can be prevented.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a console screen.

FIG. 3 shows the ROM shown in FIG. 1 in the first embodiment;
4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control program stored in a storage device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a console screen according to the second embodiment.

FIG. 5 shows a ROM shown in FIG. 1 in a third embodiment;
4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a control program stored in a storage device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 101 Console CPU 102 RAM 103 ROM 104 Auxiliary Storage Device 105 Display Interface 106 Console Display Device 107 Touch Panel Input Device 108 Touch Panel Interface 109 Keyboard 110 Keyboard / Mouse Interface 111 Mouse 112 Main CPU Bus 113 Main CPU 114 Lighting Apparatus 115 Reticle drive 116 Stage drive 117 TV system for alignment 118 Bus for peripheral equipment 120 Console

Claims (10)

[Claims] 1. A display device, a touch panel attached to the display device for detecting a screen touch, a command issuing means for issuing a command associated with a touch position of the touch panel in advance, and a screen saver activation And a first control unit for disabling command issuance by the command issuing unit when the screen saver is activated by the screen saver activation unit, wherein the touch panel is used during operation of the screen saver. A semiconductor exposure apparatus comprising: a first release unit that releases the screen saver when a touch is detected. 2. The semiconductor exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the screen saver includes a mark indicating a touch position in the content of the screen saver. 3. The semiconductor exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the content of the screen saver further includes a character string indicating that the screen saver is being executed. 4. The semiconductor exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content of the screen saver is moved at a speed at which an operator can touch the screen saver. 5. The semiconductor exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the content of the screen saver is intermittently moved. 6. The semiconductor exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel is a piezoelectric touch panel. 7. The semiconductor exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the touch panel is an electrostatic touch panel. 8. A method according to claim 1, wherein said detecting means detects whether an error requiring an operator call has occurred, and said detecting means detects said error during said screen saver operation. And a third canceling means for canceling the screen saver, and a display control means for displaying an error window on the display device when an error is detected by the detecting means. 9. A step of detecting whether or not a screen is touched; a step of determining whether or not a screen saver is operating when a touch on the screen is detected; A semiconductor exposure apparatus comprising: a step of canceling a screen saver; a step of activating a screen saver when a screen saver activation condition is satisfied; and a step of disabling command issuance when the screen saver is activated. Operation control method. 10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a step of detecting whether an error requiring an operator call has occurred; a step of determining whether a screen saver is operating when the error is detected; Canceling the screen saver when the error is detected, and displaying an error window when the error is detected.