# US 6,622,286 B1 · Integrated electronic hardware for wafer processing control and diagnostic

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- Number: US 6,622,286 B1
- Document ID: US6622286B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 09/608,599
- Filed: 2000-06-30
- Granted: 2003-09-16
- Earliest claimed: 2000-06-30
- Assignees: Lam Research Corporation
- Inventors: Tuan Ngo; Farro Kaveh; Connie Lam; Chung-Ho Huang; Tuqiang Ni; Anthony T. Le; Steven Salkow
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6622286B1

## CPC

- H01J 37/32431: {Constructional details of the reactor}
- G05B 19/0421: {Multiprocessor system}
- H01J 37/32: Gas-filled discharge tubes (heating by discharge H05B)
- H01J 37/32935: {Monitoring and controlling tubes by information coming from the object and/or discharge}
- G05B 2219/2208: Each processor controls a different function of the machine
- G05B 2219/25434: Microprocessor and control logic integrated on same circuit board
- G05B 2219/45031: Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- 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)

## Abstract

A central controller for use in a semiconductor manufacturing equipment integrates a plurality of controllers with an open architecture allowing real-time communication between the various control loops. The central controller includes at least one central processing unit (CPU) executing high level input output (i/o) and control algorithms and at least one integrated i/o controller providing integrated interface to sensors and control hardware. The integrated i/o controller performs basic i/o and low level control functions and communicates with the CPU through a bus to perform or enable controls of various subsystems of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A central controller for use in a semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprising:
a bus;
at least one central processing unit (CPU) card, said CPU card plugged in said bus and executing at least one high level input/output control algorithm;
a single circuit board plugged in said bus, said single circuit board including a plurality of interfaces communicating with a plurality of sensors and a plurality of control hardware of said semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The central controller of claim 1 wherein said single circuit board performs basic input/output or low level control functions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The central controller of claim 1 wherein said single circuit board communicates with said CPU through said bus to control said plurality of sensors and said plurality of control hardware of said semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The central controller of claim 1 wherein said bus is a Versa Modular European (VME) bus.

### Claim 5

A circuit board for use in a semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprising:
a stepper controller interface communicating with a Versa Modular European bus and a plurality of micro-controllers;
a digital input and digital output interface communicating with a Versa Modular European bus and mapping said digital input and digital output in a Versa Modular European memory space;
a first dual port memory communicating with a Versa Modular European bus and mapping an analog input and analog output in a Versa Modular European memory space; and
a second dual port memory communicating with a Versa Modular European bus and an Optical Emission Spectrometer or Interferometer.

### Claim 6

A method for controlling a plurality of sensors and a plurality of control hardware for use in a semiconductor manufacturing equipment comprises:
loading an application software onto a cpu board;
plugging said cpu board in a bus;
linking the plurality of sensors and the plurality of control hardware to a plurality of controllers;
mounting said plurality of controllers onto a single circuit board, said single circuit board occupying an address block in a memory space of said bus;
plugging said single circuit board in said bus; and
controlling the plurality of sensors and the plurality of control hardware via said application software.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The method as in claim 6 wherein said address block is of 64 kilobytes.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The method as in claim 6 wherein said application software communicates with the plurality of sensors and the plurality of control hardware through a plurality of drivers, said plurality of drivers referencing said application software to a plurality of corresponding memory mapping addresses.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The method as in claim 6 wherein said plurality of further facilitates a close coupling of a plurality of time critical loops while allowing local control of a plurality of non-time critical subsystems.

### Claim 10

A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions readable by the machine to perform a method for controlling a plurality of sensors and a plurality of control hardware for use in a semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the method comprising:
loading an application software onto a cpu board;
plugging said cpu board in a bus;
linking the plurality of sensors and the plurality of control hardware to a plurality of controllers;
mounting said plurality of controllers onto a single circuit board, said single circuit board occupying an address block in a memory space of said bus;
plugging said single circuit board in said bus; and
controlling the plurality of sensors and the plurality of control hardware via said application software.