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US 2014/0065732 A1Published application
Semiconductor manufacturing process system and method
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorEiichi OKADA
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
According to one embodiment, a wafer processing device includes a processed number counting unit that counts a number of processed wafers, and a maintenance post-processing unit that executes a dummy lot process and a QC lot process after a maintenance process. A wafer preparation device prepares the dummy lot and the QC lot, when a first processed number is counted by the processed number counting unit. When a second processed number is counted by the processed number counting unit, a carrier device carries the dummy lot and the QC lot to the wafer processing device simultaneous with the maintenance process, before the maintenance process is completed.
Claims20
A semiconductor manufacturing process system comprising:
- a storage container configured to store wafers in a predetermined number;
- a wafer processing device configured to eject the wafer from the storage container placed on a port, and perform a predetermined process to the wafer;
- a QC information measuring device configured to measure QC information that is a parameter indicating a process quality in the wafer processing device;
- a wafer preparation device configured to prepare the wafer, which is to be supplied to the wafer processing device, in the storage container;
- and
- a carrier device configured to carry the storage container among the respective devices, wherein
- the operation of each device is controlled in accordance with a recipe,
- the wafer processing device comprises:
- a processed number counting unit configured to add and count a number of processed wafers;
- and
- a maintenance post-processing unit configured to execute a dummy lot process using a dummy lot that includes a wafer for a dummy running into the storage container, and a QC lot process using a QC lot that includes a wafer for measuring the QC information, after the maintenance process in the wafer processing device is completed,
- the wafer preparation device prepares the dummy lot and the QC lot, when a first number of the processed wafers is counted by the processed number counting unit in the wafer processing device, and
- the carrier device allows the dummy lot and the QC lot, prepared by the wafer preparation device, to wait at a predetermined position, when a second number of processed wafers, which is more than the first number of processed wafers, is counted by the processed number counting unit, and carries the dummy lot and the QC lot to the port of the wafer processing device, simultaneous with the maintenance process, before the maintenance process is completed.
10 more elements
A semiconductor manufacturing process system comprising:
- a storage container configured to store wafers in a predetermined number;
- a wafer processing device configured to eject the wafer from the storage container placed on a port, and perform a predetermined process to the wafer;
- a QC information measuring device configured to measure QC information that is a parameter indicating a process quality in the wafer processing device;
- a wafer preparation device configured to prepare the wafer, which is to be fed to the wafer processing device, in the storage container;
- and
- a carrier device configured to carry the storage container among the respective devices, wherein
- the operation of each device is controlled in accordance with a recipe,
- the wafer processing device comprises:
- a chamber;
- a flow rate control unit configured to control a flow rate of gas fed into the chamber;
- an exhaust unit configured to evacuate gas in the chamber to allow the chamber to have a predetermined degree of vacuum;
- a measurement processing unit at end of operation configured to measure vacuum holding state information to check a vacuum holding state of the chamber, to allow the chamber to be open to the atmosphere, and to transmit a notification of the completion of the measurement process at the end of the operation, when receiving an instruction to execute a maintenance process of the wafer processing device;
- a measuring-and-adjusting unit upon maintenance configured to measure the vacuum holding state information of the chamber, and to execute a calibration process of the flow rate control unit, after a process including a process of exchanging or cleaning a component in the chamber that is open to the atmosphere is completed;
- a maintenance completion notification unit configured to output a maintenance completion notification after a calibration process of a member composing the wafer processing device is completed;
- and
- a maintenance post-processing unit configured to execute a dummy lot process using a dummy lot that includes a wafer of a dummy running into the storage container, and a QC lot process using a QC lot that includes a wafer of measuring the QC information, after the maintenance process in the wafer processing device is completed,
- the wafer preparation device prepares the dummy lot and the QC lot, when receiving the notification of the completion of the measurement process at the end of the operation from the wafer processing device, and
- the carrier device allows the dummy lot and the QC lot, prepared by the wafer preparation device, to wait at a predetermined position, after receiving the notification of the completion of the measurement process at the end of the operation, and carries the dummy lot and the QC lot to the port of the wafer processing device from the predetermined position after receiving the maintenance completion notification.
15 more elements
A semiconductor manufacturing process method in a semiconductor manufacturing process system that includes:
- a storage container configured to store wafers in a predetermined number;
- a wafer processing device configured to eject the wafer from the storage container placed on a port, and perform a predetermined process to the wafer;
- a QC information measuring device configured to measure QC information that is a parameter indicating a process quality in the wafer processing device;
- a wafer preparation device configured to prepare the wafer, which is to be supplied to the wafer processing device, in the storage container;
- and
- a carrier device configured to carry the storage container among the respective devices, the method comprising:
- preparing, in the wafer preparation device, a dummy lot having a wafer for a dummy running into the storage container, and a QC lot having a wafer for measuring QC information, when the number of processed wafers in the wafer processing device reaches a first processed number,
- executing a maintenance process in the wafer processing device, when the number of processed wafers in the wafer processing device reaches a second processed number larger than the first processed number,
- carrying, by the carrier device, the dummy lot and the QC lot to a predetermined position and allowing them to wait, when the number of processed wafers in the wafer processing device reaches the second processed number, and carrying, by the carrier device, the dummy lot and the QC lot to the port in the wafer processing device simultaneous with the maintenance process, before the maintenance process is completed,
- executing, in the wafer processing device, a dummy lot process using the dummy lot just after the completion of the maintenance process, and
- executing, in the wafer processing device, a QC lot process using the QC lot after the dummy lot process.
8 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.