# US 11,908,712 B2 · Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, substrate transfer method, and program

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- Number: US 11,908,712 B2
- Document ID: US11908712B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/481,973
- Filed: 2021-09-22
- Published: 2022-03-24
- Granted: 2024-02-20
- Earliest claimed: 2020-09-23
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Toshiharu Hirata; Takafumi Matsuhashi; Kunio Takano; Minoru Nagasawa
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11908712B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/0456: {in-line arrangement}
- G05B 19/042: using digital processors (G05B19/05 takes precedence)
- G05B 19/41865: {characterised by job scheduling, process planning, material flow}
- H10P 72/0464: {characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber}
- H10P 72/0612: {Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput}
- H10P 72/3304: {characterised by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices}
- G05B 2219/45031: Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
- Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G)
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS

## Abstract

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a plurality of process modules for performing desired processes on a plurality of substrates and a plurality of transfer modules for serially transferring the plurality of substrates to the plurality of process modules is provided. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprises a scheduler for calculating a cycle time so that a difference in time required for each of the desired processes is within an allowable time range and generating a transfer plan for the plurality of substrates based on the cycle time, and a transfer controller for controlling the plurality of transfer modules so that the plurality of substrates are serially transferred to the process modules according to the generated transfer plan.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a plurality of process modules for performing desired processes on a plurality of substrates and a plurality of transfer modules for serially transferring the plurality of substrates to the plurality of process modules, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising:
a scheduler for calculating a cycle time, which is common to each of the plurality of process modules, so that a difference in time required for each of the desired processes of the plurality of process modules is within an allowable time range and generating a transfer plan for the plurality of substrates based on the cycle time; and
a transfer controller for controlling the plurality of transfer modules so that the plurality of substrates are serially transferred to the process modules according to the generated transfer plan.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scheduler allocates a waiting time for the time required for each of the desired processes so that the time required for each of the desired processes matches the cycle time.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the scheduler calculates the cycle time based on a maximum process time and a maximum transfer time of each of the desired processes.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the scheduler allocates the waiting time by any one of post-process waiting allocated after the desired process, pre-process waiting allocated before the desired process, and immediate unloading allocated within the serial transfer.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the scheduler divides the serial transfer of the substrates by the plurality of transfer modules into a plurality of phases and generates the transfer plan of the plurality of substrates to match a timing of the serial transfer of the substrates divided into the same phases.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the scheduler divides the serial transfer of the substrates by the plurality of transfer modules into transfer of a first row, transfer of a second row, and transfer between the first row and the second row, and generates the transfer plan for the plurality of substrates so that the serial transfer of the substrates is executed in the order of a first phase of performing the transfer of the first row, a second phase of performing the transfer between the first row and the second row, and a third phase of performing the transfer of the second row.

### Claim 7

A substrate transfer method of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a plurality of process modules for performing desired processes on a plurality of substrates and a plurality of transfer modules for serially transferring the plurality of substrates to the plurality of process modules, the substrate transfer method comprising:
calculating a cycle time, which is common to each of the plurality of process modules, so that a difference in time required for each of the desired processes of the plurality of process modules is within an allowable time range and generating a transfer plan for the plurality of substrates based on the cycle time; and
controlling the plurality of transfer modules so that the plurality of substrates are serially transferred to the process modules according to the generated transfer plan.

### Claim 8

A program causing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a plurality of process modules for performing desired processes on a plurality of substrates and a plurality of transfer modules for serially transferring the plurality of substrates to the plurality of process modules to:
calculate a cycle time, which is common to each of the plurality of process modules, so that a difference in time required for each of the desired processes of the plurality of process modules is within an allowable time range and generate a transfer plan for the plurality of substrates based on the cycle time; and
control the plurality of transfer modules so that the plurality of substrates are serially transferred to the process modules according to the generated transfer plan.