KR101650887B1 - Method and apparatus for sensing gas leak using statistical method in semiconductor production process - Google Patents

Abstract

The tilt data indicating a change in at least one unit time of the pressure and the weight of the gas used in the semiconductor process stored in the gas supply device, And determines whether or not the slope data obtained for a preset time corresponds to the reference slope and the result of determining whether or not at least one of the pressure and the weight of the previously obtained gas A method for monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process that performs an operation of comparing an error pattern for a gas set on a basis of one of the gases and controlling a gas supply device based on a comparison result is disclosed. .

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a method for detecting gas leakage using a statistical method in a semiconductor manufacturing process,

The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus and a recording medium for detecting a gas leak using a statistical method in a semiconductor manufacturing process.

A series of processes for manufacturing semiconductor products may include various processes using gases, such as a process of purifying the gas remaining in the chamber or a process of implanting ions into the wafer.

When the gas of the gas supply device storing the gas supplied to each process is exhausted, the user must directly replace the gas supply pipe. Conventionally, when gas leakage occurs in the process of replacing the gas cylinder due to carelessness of the user, gas leakage can not be recognized until the user directly confirms the gas cabinet. Therefore, there is a problem that it is difficult for the user to immediately recognize the fact that the gas has leaked, and it is difficult to prevent the accident caused by the gas leakage.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for monitoring a semiconductor process that can automatically detect the leakage of gas stored in a gas cabinet and prevent accidents caused by gas leakage.

A method of monitoring a semiconductor process according to an embodiment of the present invention includes acquiring tilt data indicating a change in at least one unit time among a pressure and a weight of a gas used in the semiconductor process stored in a gas supply device step; Determining whether the tilt data acquired for a predetermined time period corresponds to a reference slope set according to the type of the gas, the type of the semiconductor process, and the type of the gas supply device; Comparing an error pattern for the gas set based on at least one of a result of determining whether the slope data obtained for the predetermined time corresponds to the reference slope and the pressure and weight of the gas obtained previously; And performing an operation of controlling the gas supply device based on the comparison result.

The method of monitoring a semiconductor process according to an embodiment of the present invention is characterized in that the reference slope is updated on the basis of a change in at least one of the pressure and weight of the previously obtained gas during the unit time .

In the method of monitoring a semiconductor process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, performing the operation of controlling the gas supply device may include: when the number of times that the obtained slope data does not correspond to the reference slope is equal to or greater than a threshold value , An operation of generating an alarm, and an operation of locking the gas supply device.

In the method of monitoring a semiconductor process according to an embodiment of the present invention, the determining may include: determining a type of the gas, a kind of the semiconductor process, and a type of the gas supply device from the tilt data obtained during the predetermined time Calculating target data using a statistical analysis method determined according to the statistical analysis method; And determining whether the calculated target data corresponds to the reference slope.

In the method of monitoring a semiconductor process according to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of calculating the target data may comprise calculating, based on at least one of the weight and the pressure of the gas obtained previously among a plurality of statistical analysis methods And a step of selecting a statistical analysis method having the highest accuracy of the detected error by using the result of controlling the gas supply device.

In the method of monitoring a semiconductor process according to an embodiment of the present invention, the error pattern is updated based on a result of comparing an error prediction result with the actual error detection.

An apparatus for monitoring a semiconductor process according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a controller for obtaining tilt data indicating a change in at least one unit time among a pressure and a weight of a gas used in the semiconductor process stored in a gas supply apparatus A data acquisition unit; A data analyzer for determining whether or not the slope data acquired during a predetermined time period corresponds to a reference slope set according to the type of the gas, the type of the semiconductor process, and the type of the gas supply device; An error detector for comparing an error pattern with respect to the gas set based on at least one of a result of determining whether the slope data obtained for the predetermined time corresponds to the reference slope and the pressure and weight of the gas previously obtained; And a gas supply device control unit for controlling the gas supply device based on the result of the comparison.

1 is a diagram illustrating a system for monitoring a semiconductor process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a flow chart illustrating a method of monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process in detail according to an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a view for explaining a method of detecting an error using an inclination data of a pressure or a weight of a gas according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart for explaining a method of statistically analyzing at least one of data of a pressure and a weight of a gas obtained by an apparatus for monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 to 9 are diagrams for explaining a method of statistically analyzing slope data acquired during a predetermined time according to an embodiment of the present invention.
10 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus for monitoring a semiconductor process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, which will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts not related to the description are omitted, and similar parts are denoted by like reference characters throughout the specification.

Throughout the specification, when a part is referred to as being "connected" to another part, it includes not only "directly connected" but also "electrically connected" with another part in between . Also, when an element is referred to as "comprising ", it means that it can include other elements as well, without departing from the other elements unless specifically stated otherwise.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a diagram illustrating a system 5 for monitoring a semiconductor process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

Only the components associated with this embodiment are shown in the system 5 for monitoring the semiconductor process shown in Fig. Therefore, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other general-purpose components other than the components shown in FIG. 1 may be further included.

Referring to FIG. 1, a system 5 for monitoring a semiconductor process may include an apparatus 10 for supplying a gas used in a semiconductor process, and an apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor process. Hereinafter, an apparatus 10 for supplying a gas used in a semiconductor process will be described as a gas supply apparatus 10. [

The gas supply device 10 can supply gas to at least one process for manufacturing semiconductor products. For example, the gas supply apparatus 10 may inject gas suitable for each process into a chamber in which each process is performed, in order to perform an etching process, an electrode forming process, and the like in the course of processing the wafer. Further, the gas supply device 10 may supply gas to purify the chamber after one process is completed, before the next process starts.

At least one or more cabinets may be present in the gas supply device 10 depending on the type of stored gas. The at least one or more cabinets are each connected to at least one chamber in which the process of manufacturing the semiconductor product is performed.

The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process can obtain data relating to the gas stored inside the gas supply apparatus 10. [ For example, an apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor process may obtain data relating to at least one of the pressure and the weight of the gas from the gas supply device 10. [ According to another example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor process may be configured to monitor at least one of the pressure and the weight of the gas stored in the gas supply apparatus 10 from a server (not shown) connected to the gas supply apparatus 10 Can be obtained. Here, the data on at least one of the pressure and the weight of the gas may include slope data indicating at least one of the pressure and the weight of the gas stored in the gas supply device 10 for a predetermined unit time.

The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process can obtain target data for detecting errors in the semiconductor manufacturing process from the slope data relating to at least one of the pressure and weight of the acquired gas. For example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor process may measure a maximum value, a minimum value, a standard deviation, a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value, an average value, a square value, a sum value, a slope value, Intermediate values, frequency numbers, integral values, and the like can be extracted.

In addition, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process may generate a plurality of charts representing the characteristics of the target data from the extracted target data. Here, the chart may include a chart showing a characteristic of any one of an average value, a maximum value, a minimum value, and a standard deviation of the slope data obtained for a predetermined time. The chart may represent the characteristics of the target data obtained in each of the processes necessary to fabricate the semiconductor. In addition, the charts may be generated differently depending on the kind of the gas used in the semiconductor manufacturing process or the kind of the machine. A plurality of charts will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 6 to FIG.

In addition, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine the critical range according to the generated chart. The critical range may be set differently depending on the type of each semiconductor manufacturing process, the type of the machine used in the semiconductor manufacturing process, and the type of gas used in the semiconductor manufacturing process. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can detect target data that does not satisfy the critical range among the obtained target data and sense that an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process using the gas. Here, the threshold range is a concept including not only a range but also a specific value.

The semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100 may generate an alarm when an error occurs in a semiconductor manufacturing process using a gas. Further, the semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100 displays information on the identification information of the cabinet in which the error occurred, the type of the semiconductor manufacturing process in which the error occurred, the type of the gas used in the semiconductor manufacturing process in which the error occurred, Can be displayed.

According to another example, the semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100 can control the gas supply apparatus 10 so that the cabinet in which the error has occurred in the gas supply apparatus 10 is locked. When the gas supply apparatus 100 receives a control signal for locking the cabinet in which an error has occurred from the semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100, the gas supply apparatus 100 stops the gas supply or locks the cabinet so as to prevent the gas from leaking from the cabinet can do.

2 is a flow chart illustrating a method of monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

In step 210, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process acquires tilt data indicative of a change over at least one unit time of the pressure and weight of the gas used in the gas supply apparatus 10. [ Apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process may be configured to measure slope data indicative of at least one of a weight and a pressure of a gas for a unit time from at least one of the weight and the pressure of the gas obtained from the gas supply apparatus 10 Can be calculated. According to another example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may obtain tilt data on at least one of the weight and the pressure of the gas produced at the server connected to the gas supply device 100. [

In step 220, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process determines whether the slope data acquired for a predetermined time period corresponds to the reference slope set according to the kind of the gas, the kind of the semiconductor process, and the type of the gas supply device 10 . Here, the reference slope may be different depending on the type of the semiconductor process, the type of the gas, and the type of the gas supply device 10. For example, in the case of the first semiconductor manufacturing process, a large amount of gas supply may be required for a unit time, and in the case of the second semiconductor manufacturing process, a relatively small amount of gas supply may be required for a unit time. In addition, the reference slope can be determined based on at least one of the pressure and weight of the gas previously obtained by the apparatus 100 monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine the slope data for at least one of the pressure and the weight of the gas in the case where no error has occurred based on the previously obtained data as the reference slope.

On the other hand, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can compare a plurality of tilt data acquired for a predetermined time with a reference tilt, respectively, in order to increase the accuracy of error detection.

In step 230, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process is set based on at least one of the result of determining whether the tilt data obtained over a predetermined time period corresponds to the reference tilt and the pressure and weight of the previously obtained gas Compare the error pattern for gas. Wherein the error pattern for the gas can be generated based on at least one of the pressure and the weight of the gas in the process in which the error occurred. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine a common characteristic as an error pattern by using the pressure and weight data of the gas in the case where the error has occurred previously. For example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine a case where the slope indicating the amount of change in the pressure data of the gas is three times higher than the reference slope as an error pattern.

According to another example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may determine the error pattern by adjusting the accumulated number of times according to the degree of the gradient of the pressure data of the gas or the amount of change in the weight data, which is higher than the reference slope. For example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process determines that an error pattern is repeated 2b times when the slope representing the amount of change in the weight data of the gas is higher than the reference slope by a, Can be determined as an error pattern when the slope representing the amount of change of the reference slope is 2 times larger than the reference slope by b times.

In step 240, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process controls the gas supply device 10 based on the result of the comparison.

The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine that an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process when the comparison result of the slope data obtained for a predetermined time with the reference slope agrees with the error pattern. The semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100 may generate an alarm when an error occurs in a semiconductor manufacturing process using a gas. Further, the semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100 displays information on the identification information of the cabinet in which the error occurred, the type of the semiconductor manufacturing process in which the error occurred, the type of the gas used in the semiconductor manufacturing process in which the error occurred, Can be displayed.

According to another example, the semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100 can control the gas supply apparatus 10 so that the cabinet in which the error has occurred in the gas supply apparatus 10 is locked. When the gas supply apparatus 100 receives a control signal for locking the cabinet in which an error has occurred from the semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100, the gas supply apparatus 100 stops the gas supply or locks the cabinet so as to prevent the gas from leaking from the cabinet can do.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process in detail according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In step 310, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process acquires tilt data indicative of a change over at least one unit time of the pressure and weight of the gas used in the gas supply apparatus 10. [

On the other hand, step 310 may correspond to step 210 described above with reference to Fig. 2

In step 320, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process determines whether the tilt data acquired for a predetermined time period corresponds to a reference slope set according to the type of gas, the type of the semiconductor manufacturing process, and the type of the gas supply device 10 .

Here, the method of determining whether or not the slope data obtained in the reference slope correspond corresponds to the step of determining whether or not the slope data obtained in the semiconductor manufacturing process repeatedly performed for a predetermined time period, And a method of determining whether or not it is included within a preset range.

Meanwhile, step 320 may correspond to step 220 described above with reference to FIG.

In step 330, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may determine whether the number of times the slope data obtained for a predetermined time period does not correspond to the reference slope is greater than or equal to a threshold value. Here, the threshold value may be determined according to the kind of the gas, the kind of the semiconductor manufacturing process, and the type of the machine used in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine the threshold value using at least one of the pressure and weight data of the gas obtained previously. For example, when the number of times that the slope of the pressure data of the gas previously obtained in the first semiconductor manufacturing process does not correspond to the reference data is more than three times, information indicating that an error has occurred, The apparatus 100 for monitoring the threshold value may determine the threshold value to be 3.

In step 340, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can update the reference data by using the obtained slope data when the number of times the slope data acquired for a predetermined time exceeds the reference data is less than the threshold value . The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can adaptively detect an error in a change that may occur in the manufacturing process, through updating of the reference data. For example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may update the obtained slope data with the reference data when the average value of the slope data acquired for a predetermined time is lower or higher than the reference data.

In step 350, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may control the gas supply device 10 when the number of times that the slope data acquired for a predetermined time exceeds the reference data is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine that an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process when the comparison result of the slope data obtained for a predetermined time with the reference slope agrees with the error pattern. The semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100 may generate an alarm when an error occurs in a semiconductor manufacturing process using a gas. Further, the semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100 displays information on the identification information of the cabinet in which the error occurred, the type of the semiconductor manufacturing process in which the error occurred, the type of the gas used in the semiconductor manufacturing process in which the error occurred, Can be displayed. According to another example, the semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100 can control the gas supply apparatus 10 so that the cabinet in which the error has occurred in the gas supply apparatus 10 is locked.

Meanwhile, step 350 may correspond to step 240 described above with reference to FIG.

In operation 350, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process can perform an operation of controlling the gas supply device 10 when the measured amount of change exceeds a predetermined number of times as a result of the determination. Here, the operation of controlling the gas supply device 10 includes an operation of generating an alarm signal to inform the user of the gas leakage, an operation of shutting off the cabinet in which the gas is stored in the gas supply device 10, and the like . However, this is only an embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a method of an apparatus for monitoring semiconductor processing according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, which detects an error using slope data of pressure or weight of a gas.

Referring to FIG. 4, an apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process may obtain slope data indicating a change over at least one unit time of a pressure and a weight of a gas used in the gas supply apparatus 10. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine whether the slope data obtained in each of the repeated semiconductor manufacturing processes for a preset time period corresponds to a reference slope.

The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may control the gas supply device 10 when the obtained tilt data does not correspond to the reference tilt (410, 420). For example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may generate an alarm if the tilt data obtained during the first time does not correspond to the reference tilt (410). In addition, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can provide the identification information of the cabinet in which the tilt data obtained from among the plurality of cabinets does not correspond to the reference tilt.

The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may determine if the tilt data obtained in each of the repetitive semiconductor manufacturing processes during the second time period does not correspond to the reference tilt more than three times (420) You can lock the supplying cabinet.

In addition, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can display a graph indicating a difference between the information on the tilt data obtained on the screen and the reference tilt.

5 is a flow chart illustrating a method for statistically analyzing at least one of the pressure and weight of a gas acquired by an apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process, in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.

In step 510, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may obtain tilt data indicative of a change over at least one unit time of the pressure and weight of the gas used in the gas supply apparatus 10. [

On the other hand, step 510 may correspond to step 210 described above with reference to FIG. 2

In step 520, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may determine, using a result of controlling the gas supply device based on at least one of the weight and the pressure of the previously obtained gas, among a plurality of statistical analysis methods, The statistical analysis method with the highest accuracy of error can be selected.

For example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor manufacturing process can compare each of a plurality of statistical analysis methods to determine whether an error has been detected and whether an error has occurred in an actual semiconductor manufacturing process. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can select the most accurate statistical analysis method for prediction of errors.

On the other hand, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process includes information on at least one of the weight and the pressure of the gas previously received from the gas supply device 10 and whether or not an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process performed previously Can be stored. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can analyze the stored information and determine a highly accurate statistical analysis method for each type of gas, semiconductor manufacturing process, and machine used in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

In step 530, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may calculate the target data using the selected statistical analysis method. For example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring a manufacturing process on a peninsula may measure a maximum value, a minimum value, a standard deviation, a difference between a maximum value and a minimum value, an average value, a square value, a sum value, Target data such as a value, an intermediate value, a frequency and an integral value can be extracted. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the target data extracted by the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9.

In step 540, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may determine whether the calculated target data corresponds to a reference slope. For example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may determine whether the difference between the calculated target data and the reference slope is within a predetermined range, and determine whether the target slope corresponds to the reference slope . However, this is only an embodiment, and the method of determining whether the target data calculated in the present invention corresponds to the reference slope is not limited thereto.

In step 550, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may compare the determination result with an error pattern. Here, the error pattern can be determined based on at least one slope data of the gas pressure and weight in the case where an error is detected in the semiconductor manufacturing process performed previously. For example, the error pattern can be determined to be a case where the slope data of the gas A in the semiconductor manufacturing process X is three times higher when the slope data is higher than the reference slope by a value of d or more.

In step 560, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may control the gas supply device 10 based on the result of the comparison. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine that an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process when the result of determining whether the calculated target data corresponds to the reference slope matches the error pattern.

Meanwhile, the operation of controlling the gas supply device 10 by the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process includes an operation of generating an alarm signal to notify the user of the gas leakage and an operation of storing gas in the gas supply device 10 An operation of shutting off the cabinets which are being installed, and the like. However, this is only an embodiment of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited thereto.

6 to 9 are diagrams for explaining a method of statistically analyzing slope data acquired during a predetermined time according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIGS. 6A and 6B, the slope data may be target data.

In FIG. 6A, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine whether the target data exceeds the reference slope value by setting the reference slope as an upper limit value. If the target data exceeds the reference slope value, the apparatus 100 monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may store the total number of times the target data exceeds the reference slope value and the identification information of the cabinet from which the target data was obtained. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine whether or not an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process by comparing whether the total number of times that the target data exceeds the reference slope value and the error pattern coincide with each other.

In FIG. 6 (b), the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may set the reference slope to a lower limit value to determine whether the target data is less than the reference slope value. When the target data is less than the reference slope value, the apparatus 100 monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may store the total number of times the target data is less than the reference slope value and the identification information of the cabinet from which the target data was obtained. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine whether or not an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process by comparing whether the total number of times that the target data is less than the reference slope value and the error pattern coincide with each other.

In FIG. 6C and FIG. 6D, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process can acquire target data by calculating average values of the slope data acquired over a predetermined period of time according to a specific time unit.

In FIG. 6 (c), the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process may set the reference slope to an upper limit value to determine whether the target data exceeds the reference slope value. If the target data exceeds the reference slope value, the apparatus 100 monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may store the total number of times the target data exceeds the reference slope value and the identification information of the cabinet from which the target data was obtained. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine whether or not an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process by comparing whether the total number of times that the target data exceeds the reference slope value and the error pattern coincide with each other.

In FIG. 6 (d), the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may set the reference slope to a lower limit value to determine whether the target data is less than the reference slope value. When the target data is less than the reference slope value, the apparatus 100 monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may store the total number of times the target data is less than the reference slope value and the identification information of the cabinet from which the target data was obtained. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine whether or not an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process by comparing whether the total number of times that the target data is less than the reference slope value and the error pattern coincide with each other.

7A and 7B, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process can acquire target data by calculating a standard deviation value according to a specific time unit of the slope data acquired for a predetermined time.

The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process in FIG. 7A may set the reference slope to an upper limit value to determine whether the target data exceeds the reference slope value. Also, in FIG. 7 (b), the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may set the reference slope to a lower limit value to determine whether the target data is less than the reference slope value.

7A and 7B, the method for determining errors in the semiconductor manufacturing process by comparing the target data with the upper limit value and the lower limit value, respectively, Are the same as described above.

In FIGS. 7C and 7D, the apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor process can acquire, as target data, slope data obtained during a specific range of time from among slope data acquired for a predetermined time .

In FIG. 7C, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process may set the reference slope to an upper limit value to determine whether the target data exceeds the reference slope value. In addition, in FIG. 7 (d), the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may set the reference slope to a lower limit value to determine whether the target data is less than the reference slope value.

The method for determining errors in the semiconductor manufacturing process by comparing the target data with the upper limit value and the lower limit value respectively by the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process in FIGS. 7 (c) and 7 (d) Are the same as described above.

8A and 8B, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process can determine the trend of the slope data using the last n slope data among the slope data obtained for a predetermined time.

The trend of the slope data can be determined by the following equation.

[Mathematical Expression]

Referring to FIG. 8A, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can detect the last five data among the slope data obtained for a predetermined time, and determine the trend according to the above equation . The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine the determined trend as target data. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may detect when the determined target data is larger than a preset reference slope and determine whether an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process according to the detected number of times.

Referring to FIG. 8B, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can detect the last five data among the slope data obtained for a predetermined time period, and determine the trend according to the above equation . The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine the determined trend as target data. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may detect when the determined target data is smaller than a predetermined reference slope and determine whether an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process according to the detected number of times.

8C and 8D, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor process can determine an average value of the last n slope data among the slope data obtained for a predetermined time as target data.

Referring to FIG. 8C, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine the average value target data of the last five data among the slope data obtained for a predetermined time. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may detect when the determined target data is larger than a preset reference slope and determine whether an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process according to the detected number of times.

Referring to FIG. 8 (d), the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine the average value target data of the last five data among the slope data obtained during a predetermined time. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process may detect when the determined target data is smaller than a predetermined reference slope and determine whether an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process according to the detected number of times.

In FIG. 9A, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine the slope data acquired for a predetermined time as target data. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine whether N-1 slope data among the N slope data does not satisfy the reference slope. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine that an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process when N-1 slope data among the N slope data does not satisfy the reference slope three times in succession have.

In FIG. 9 (b), the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine the average value of the last N slope data as the target data among the slope data acquired for a predetermined time. The apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can compare the number of times when the target data is smaller than the lower limit value with an error pattern to determine whether an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process.

10 is a block diagram illustrating an apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor process in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.

10, an apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor process according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes a data acquisition unit 110, a data analysis unit 120, an error detection unit 130, (140). However, not all illustrated components are required. An apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor process by more components than the components shown may be implemented and an apparatus 100 for monitoring a semiconductor process by fewer components may be implemented.

Hereinafter, the components will be described in order.

The data obtaining unit 110 obtains slope data indicating a change in at least one unit time among the pressure and the weight of the gas used in the gas supply device 10. [ The data obtaining unit 110 may calculate slope data representing at least one of the weight and the pressure of the gas for a unit time from at least one of the weight and the pressure of the gas obtained from the gas supply device 10 . According to another example, the data obtaining unit 110 may obtain the slope data regarding at least one of the weight and the pressure of the gas calculated at the server connected to the gas supplying apparatus 100. [

The data analysis unit 120 determines whether the slope data acquired for a predetermined time period corresponds to the reference slope set according to the kind of the gas, the type of the semiconductor process, and the type of the gas supply device 10. Here, the reference slope may be different depending on the type of the semiconductor process, the type of the gas, and the type of the gas supply device 10. For example, in the case of the first semiconductor manufacturing process, a large amount of gas supply may be required for a unit time, and in the case of the second semiconductor manufacturing process, a relatively small amount of gas supply may be required for a unit time. In addition, the reference slope can be determined based on at least one of the pressure and the weight of the gas previously obtained by the data acquiring unit 110. The data analysis unit 120 may determine slope data for at least one of the pressure and the weight of the gas in the case where no error has occurred based on the previously acquired data as the reference slope.

Meanwhile, the data analyzer 120 may compare a plurality of tilt data acquired for a preset time with reference slopes, respectively, in order to increase the accuracy of error detection.

The error detector 130 compares the error pattern for the set gas based on at least one of the result of determining whether the slope data obtained for a predetermined time corresponds to the reference slope and the pressure and the weight of the previously obtained gas. Wherein the error pattern for the gas can be generated based on at least one of the pressure and the weight of the gas in the process in which the error occurred. The error detector 130 can determine a common feature as an error pattern by using the gas pressure and weight data in the case where an error has occurred previously. For example, the apparatus 100 for monitoring the semiconductor manufacturing process can determine a case where the slope indicating the amount of change in the pressure data of the gas is three times higher than the reference slope as an error pattern.

According to another example, the error detecting section 130 may determine the error pattern by adjusting the accumulated number of times according to the degree of the gradient of the pressure data or the weight data of the gas being higher than the reference slope. For example, the error detecting unit 130 determines that the slope indicating the amount of change in the weight data of the gas is higher than the reference slope by 2 times and determines that the slope is 2b times, while the slope indicating the amount of change in the weight data of the gas Can be determined as an error pattern that the case where the reference slope is higher by 2a than the reference slope is repeated b times.

The gas supply device control unit 140 controls the gas supply device 10 based on the comparison result.

The gas supply device control unit 140 can determine that an error has occurred in the semiconductor manufacturing process when the comparison result of the slope data obtained for the preset time with the reference slope agrees with the error pattern. The semiconductor manufacturing process monitoring apparatus 100 may generate an alarm when an error occurs in a semiconductor manufacturing process using a gas. Further, the gas supply device control unit 140 displays information on the identification information of the cabinet in which the error occurred, the type of the semiconductor manufacturing process in which the error occurred, the type of the gas used in the semiconductor manufacturing process in which the error occurred, Can be displayed.

According to another example, the gas supply control unit 140 can control the gas supply unit 10 so that the cabinet in which the error has occurred in the gas supply unit 10 is locked. When the gas supply apparatus 100 receives a control signal for locking the cabinet in which an error has occurred from the gas supply apparatus control unit 140, the gas supply apparatus 100 interrupts the gas supply or locks the cabinet so as to prevent the gas from leaking from the cabinet .

An apparatus according to the present invention may include a processor, a memory for storing and executing program data, a permanent storage such as a disk drive, a communication port for communicating with an external device, a user interface such as a touch panel, a key, Devices, and the like. Methods implemented with software modules or algorithms may be stored on a computer readable recording medium as computer readable codes or program instructions executable on the processor. Here, the computer-readable recording medium may be a magnetic storage medium such as a read-only memory (ROM), a random-access memory (RAM), a floppy disk, a hard disk, ), And a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc). The computer-readable recording medium may be distributed over networked computer systems so that computer readable code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner. The medium is readable by a computer, stored in a memory, and executable on a processor.

All documents, including publications, patent applications, patents, etc., cited in the present invention may be incorporated into the present invention in the same manner as each cited document is shown individually and specifically in conjunction with one another, .

In order to facilitate understanding of the present invention, reference will be made to the preferred embodiments shown in the drawings, and specific terminology is used to describe the embodiments of the present invention. However, the present invention is not limited to the specific terminology, Lt; / RTI > may include all elements commonly conceivable by those skilled in the art.

The present invention may be represented by functional block configurations and various processing steps. These functional blocks may be implemented in a wide variety of hardware and / or software configurations that perform particular functions. For example, the present invention may include integrated circuit configurations, such as memory, processing, logic, look-up tables, etc., that may perform various functions by control of one or more microprocessors or other control devices Can be adopted. Similar to the components of the present invention that may be implemented with software programming or software components, the present invention may be implemented as a combination of C, C ++, and C ++, including various algorithms implemented with data structures, processes, routines, , Java (Java), assembler, and the like. Functional aspects may be implemented with algorithms running on one or more processors. Further, the present invention can employ conventional techniques for electronic environment setting, signal processing, and / or data processing. Terms such as "mechanism", "element", "means", "configuration" may be used broadly and are not limited to mechanical and physical configurations. The term may include the meaning of a series of routines of software in conjunction with a processor or the like.

The specific acts described in the present invention are, by way of example, not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. For brevity of description, descriptions of conventional electronic configurations, control systems, software, and other functional aspects of such systems may be omitted. Also, the connections or connecting members of the lines between the components shown in the figures are illustrative of functional connections and / or physical or circuit connections, which may be replaced or additionally provided by a variety of functional connections, physical Connection, or circuit connections.

The use of the terms "above" and similar indication words in the specification of the present invention (particularly in the claims) may refer to both singular and plural. In addition, in the present invention, when a range is described, it includes the invention to which the individual values belonging to the above range are applied (unless there is contradiction thereto), and each individual value constituting the above range is described in the detailed description of the invention The same. Finally, the steps may be performed in any suitable order, unless explicitly stated or contrary to the description of the steps constituting the method according to the invention. The present invention is not necessarily limited to the order of description of the above steps. The use of all examples or exemplary language (e.g., etc.) in this invention is for the purpose of describing the present invention only in detail and is not to be limited by the scope of the claims, It is not. It will also be appreciated by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, and alterations may be made depending on design criteria and factors within the scope of the appended claims or equivalents thereof.

100: Monitoring device
110: Data acquisition unit
120: Data analysis section
130:
140: gas supply control unit

Claims (8)

A method of monitoring a semiconductor process,
Obtaining slope data representing a change in at least one unit time among a pressure and a weight of a gas used in the semiconductor process stored in the gas supply device;
A maximum value, a minimum value, a standard deviation, an average value, a square value, and a minimum value of the slope data obtained during a predetermined time using a statistical analysis method determined according to the type of the gas, the type of the semiconductor process, Calculating target data including at least one of a sum value, an intermediate value, and an integral value;
Determining whether the calculated target data corresponds to a predetermined threshold value;
Comparing an error pattern for the gas set based on at least one of a result of determining whether the calculated target data corresponds to the preset limit value and a previously obtained pressure and weight of the gas; And
And performing an operation of controlling the gas supply device based on the comparison result. 2. The method of claim 1,
And the amount of change over at least one of the pressure and the weight of the previously obtained gas. 2. The method according to claim 1, wherein performing the operation of controlling the gas supply device comprises:
Performing at least one of an operation of generating an alarm and an operation of locking the gas supply device when the number of times that the obtained slope data does not correspond to the limit value is equal to or greater than a threshold value. delete 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of calculating the target data comprises:
A statistical analysis method with the highest accuracy of the detected error is selected by using the result of controlling the gas supply device based on at least one of the weight and the pressure of the gas obtained from the plurality of statistical analysis methods ≪ / RTI > 2. The method of claim 1,
Wherein the gas is updated based on a result of comparing the error prediction result with the actual error detection. An apparatus for monitoring a semiconductor process,
A data obtaining unit for obtaining slope data indicating a change in at least one unit time among a pressure and a weight of a gas used in the semiconductor process stored in the gas supply unit;
A maximum value, a minimum value, a standard deviation, an average value, a square value, and a minimum value of the slope data obtained during a predetermined time using a statistical analysis method determined according to the type of the gas, the type of the semiconductor process, A data analyzer for calculating target data including at least one of an agreement value, an intermediate value, and an integration value, and determining whether the calculated target data corresponds to a preset limit value;
An error detector for comparing an error pattern for the gas set based on at least one of a result of determining whether the calculated target data corresponds to the preset limit value and a previously obtained pressure and weight of the gas; And
And a gas supply device control section for controlling the gas supply device based on the comparison result. A computer-readable recording medium having recorded thereon a program for causing a computer to execute the method of any one of claims 1 to 3, 5, and 6.

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