Semiconductor device producing method, system for carrying out the same and semiconductor work processing apparatus included in the same system

A semiconductor device producing method comprising:

• measuring a condition of adhesion of dust particles adhering to a semiconductor work by a dust particle detecting apparatus arranged at least one of before and after the semiconductor work is processed by a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber;
• managing a condition of incremental adhesion of dust particles to the semiconductor work being processed by the processing apparatus for each lot of works or for each work and predicting that the adhesion amount of dust particles will exceed a predetermined control limit of adhesion amount;
• and
• processing the semiconductor works by the processing apparatus to produce semiconductor devices until the predicted exceeding of the predetermined control limit;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus.

A semiconductor device producing method comprising:

• measuring a condition of adhesion of dust particles adhering to a semiconductor work by a dust particle detecting apparatus positioned at least one of before and after the semiconductor work is processed by a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber;
• managing a changing distribution of adhesion of dust particles to the semiconductor work being processed by the processing apparatus for each lot of works or for each work and predicting that the adhesion amount of dust particles will exceed a predetermined control limit of adhesion amount;
• processing the semiconductor works by the processing apparatus to produce semiconductor devices until the predicted exceeding of the predetermined control limit;
• and
• processing the semiconductor works to produce semiconductor devices;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus.

A semiconductor device producing method comprising:

• measuring a condition of adhesion of dust particles adhering to a semiconductor work by a dust particle detecting apparatus positioned at least one of before and after the semiconductor work is processed by a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber;
• managing a changing condition of incremental adhesion of dust particles to the semiconductor work being processed by the processing apparatus for each lot of works or for each work and predicting that the adhesion amount of dust particles will exceed a predetermined control limit of adhesion amount;
• estimating causes of faults of the processing apparatus on the basis of a previously registered database indicating the relation between a dust particle distribution map showing distributions of dust particles adhering to works and corresponding causes of faults of the processing apparatus from the condition of adhesion of dust particles for each lot of works or for each work being managed when the semiconductor works are processed until the predicted exceeding of the predetermined control limit;
• controlling the processing apparatus so that the estimated cause of faults is eliminated;
• and
• processing the semiconductor works by the controlled processing apparatus to produce semiconductor devices;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus.

A semiconductor device producing method comprising:

• measuring a condition of adhesion of dust particles adhering to a semiconductor work by a dust particle detecting apparatus positioned at least one of before and after the semiconductor work is processed by a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber;
• managing a changing condition of incremental adhesion of dust particles to the semiconductor work being processed by the processing apparatus for each lot of works or for each work and predicting that the adhesion amount of dust particles will exceed a predetermined control limit of adhesion amount;
• estimating faulty processing conditions of the processing apparatus on the basis of a previously registered database indicating the relation between faulty processing conditions for the processing apparatus and condition modes of adhesion of dust particles adhering to works from the condition of adhesion of dust particles for each lot of works or for each work being managed when the semiconductor works are processed until the predicted exceeding of the predetermined control limit;
• controlling the processing conditions of the processing apparatus so that the estimated faulty processing conditions are eliminated;
• and
• processing the semiconductor works by the controlled processing apparatus to produce semiconductor devices;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus.

A semiconductor device producing method comprising:

• measuring the condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work by a dust particle detecting apparatus incorporated into a processing apparatus;
• managing the changing condition of adhesion of dust particles to the work resulting from processing for each lot of works or for each work on the basis of the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles to the wafer;
• estimating cleaning conditions on the basis of a previously registered database indicating the relation between a dust particle distribution map showing distributions of dust particles adhering to works and corresponding cleaning conditions from the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles to the work and a prediction of time when the managed condition of adhesion of dust particles for each lot of works or for each work indicates the increase of dust particles beyond a predetermined control limit;
• cleaning the specified processing apparatus based upon predicted exceeding of predetermined control limit;
• and
• processing works to produce semiconductor devices.

A semiconductor device producing method comprising:

• measuring the condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work by a dust particle detecting apparatus incorporated into a processing apparatus;
• managing the changing condition of adhesion of dust particles to the work resulting from processing for each lot of works or for each work on the basis of measured condition of adhesion of dust particles to the work;
• specifying a processing apparatus on the basis of a registered database indicating the relation between a dust particle distribution map showing distributions of dust particles adhering to works and corresponding processing apparatuses from the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles to the work and a prediction of time when the managed condition of adhesion of dust particles for each lot of works or for each work indicates the increase of dust particles beyond a predetermined control limit;
• cleaning the specified processing apparatus based upon predicted exceeding of predetermined control limit;
• and
• processing works to produce semiconductor devices.

A semiconductor device producing system comprising:

• a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber for processing works to produce semiconductor devices;
• a dust particle detecting apparatus for measuring the condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work at least one of before and after processing the work;
• a managing unit which manages the changing condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work resulting from processing for each lot of works or for each work and predicts that the adhesion amount of dust particles will exceed a predetermined control limit of adhesion amount;
• and
• a control unit which controls the time when the processing apparatus is to be cleaned or the cleaning cycle on the basis of the managed condition of adhesion of dust particles managed by the managing unit for each lot of works or for each work and the predicted exceeding of the predetermined control limit;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus.

A semiconductor device producing system comprising:

• a dust particle detecting apparatus for measuring the condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work for each lot of works or for each work;
• and
• a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber for processing works, that stops processing each lot of works or each work when an exceeding of an adhesion amount of dust particles beyond a control limit is predicted which is based upon the condition of adhesion of dust particles to the work measured by the dust particle detecting apparatus;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus.

A semiconductor device producing system comprising:

• a dust particle detecting apparatus for measuring the condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work for each lot of works or for each work;
• and
• a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber for processing a work, that stops processing each lot of works or each work when the condition of adhesion of dust particles to the work measured by the dust particle detecting apparatus predicts an increase of dust particles beyond a control limit and generates an alarm;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus.

A semiconductor device producing system comprising:

• a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber for processing works to produce semiconductor devices;
• a dust particle detecting apparatus for measuring the condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work at least one of before and after processing the work;
• a managing unit which manages the condition of incremental adhesion of dust particles to a work resulting from processing for each lot of works or for each work, on the basis of the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles measured at least one of before and after processing the work;
• and
• a control unit which stops the processing the work for each lot of works or for each work when the managed condition of incremental adhesion of dust particles to a work resulting from processing managed by the managing unit predicts an increase of dust particles beyond a control limit;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus along a route entirely within a clean environment.

A semiconductor device producing system comprising:

• a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber for processing works to produce semiconductor devices;
• a dust particle detecting apparatus for measuring the condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work at least one of before and after processing the work;
• a managing unit which manages the changing condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work resulting from processing for each lot of works or for each work, on the basis of the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles measured at least one of before and after processing the work;
• and
• a control unit which estimates causes of faults on the basis of a previously registered database indicating the relation between a distribution adhering to works and corresponding causes of faults from the managed condition of adhesion of dust particles when the managed condition of adhesion of dust particles for each lot of works or for each work predicts an increase of dust particles beyond a control limit, and controls the processing so that the estimated causes of faults are eliminated;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus along a route entirely within a clean environment.

A semiconductor device producing system comprising:

• a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber for processing works to produce semiconductor devices;
• a dust particle detecting apparatus for measuring the condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work at least one of before and after processing the work;
• a managing unit which manages the changing condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work resulting from processing for each lot of works or for each work, on the basis of the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles measured at least one of before and after processing the work;
• and
• a control unit which estimates faulty processing conditions on the basis of a previously registered database indicating the relation between processing conditions for the processing apparatus and the mode of adhesion of dust particles to the work from the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles when the managed condition of adhesion of the dust particles for each lot of works or for each work predicts an increase of dust particles beyond a control limit, and controls the processing so that the estimated faulty conditions are eliminated;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus along a route entirely within a clean environment.

A semiconductor device producing system comprising:

• a processing apparatus for processing works to produce semiconductor devices;
• a dust particle detecting apparatus for measuring the condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work, incorporated into the processing apparatus;
• a managing means for managing the changing condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work resulting from processing for each lot of works or for each work on the basis of the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles measured by the dust particle detecting apparatus;
• and
• a cleaning means for estimating cleaning conditions on the basis of a previously registered database indicating the relation between a dust particle distribution map showing distributions of dust particles adhering to works and corresponding cleaning conditions from the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles to the work and a prediction of time when the managed condition of adhesion of dust particles to the wafer for each lot of works or for each work indicates the increase of dust particles beyond a predetermined control limit, and cleaning the processing apparatus based upon predicted exceeding of predetermined control limit under the estimated cleaning conditions.

A semiconductor device fabricating system comprising:

• a processing apparatus for processing works to produce semiconductor devices;
• a dust particle detecting apparatus for measuring the condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work, incorporated into the processing apparatus;
• a managing means for managing the changing condition of adhesion of dust particles to a work resulting from processing for each lot of works or for each work on the basis of the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles measured by the dust particle detecting apparatus;
• and
• a cleaning means for specifying a processing apparatus on the basis of a registered database indicating the relation between a dust particle distribution map showing distributions of dust particles adhering to works and corresponding processing apparatuses from the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles to the work and a prediction of time when the managed condition of adhesion of dust particles for each lot of works or for each work indicates the increase of dust particles beyond a predetermined control limit, and cleaning the specified processing apparatus based upon predicted exceeding of predetermined control limit.

A semiconductor device producing method comprising:

• measuring a condition of adhesion of dust particles adhering to a semiconductor work by a dust particle detecting apparatus positioned at least one of before and after the semiconductor work is processed by a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber;
• managing a changing condition of incremental adhesion of dust particles to the semiconductor work being processed by the processing apparatus for each lot of works or for each work by predicting an increase of adhesion of dust particles beyond a predetermined control limit on the basis of the measured condition of adhesion of dust particles;
• determining when the processing apparatus is cleaned on the basis of the predetermined increase beyond the predetermined control limit and managed changing condition of adhesion of dust particles for each lot of works or for each work;
• and
• processing the semiconductor works by the controlled processing apparatus to produce semiconductor devices;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred between a processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus within a clean environment.

Semiconductor device producing method comprising the steps of:

• measuring a condition of adhesion of dust particles adhering to a semiconductor work for each lot of works or for each work by a dust particle detecting apparatus;
• and
• controlling a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber for processing the semiconductor work so as to stop processing each lot of works or each work when the condition of adhesion of dust particles to the work measured by the dust particle detecting apparatus predicts an increase of adhesion of dust particles beyond a control limit;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus within a clean environment.

A semiconductor device producing method comprising the steps of:

• measuring a condition of adhesion of dust particles to a semiconductor work for each lot of works or for each work by a dust particle detecting apparatus;
• and
• controlling a processing apparatus disposed in a processing chamber for processing the semiconductor work so as to generate an alarm and stop processing of each lot of works or each work when the condition of adhesion of dust particles to the semiconductor work measured by the dust particle detecting apparatus predicts an increase of adhesion of dust particles beyond a control limit;
• wherein the semiconductor work is transferred by a transfer mechanism between the processing chamber in which the processing apparatus is disposed and the dust particle detecting apparatus within a clean environment.