Semiconductor wafer processing apparatus and method for processing batch of wafers having variable number of wafer lots

A method of processing a batch wafers having a variable number of wafer lots using a semiconductor wafer processing apparatus comprising an operator interface server adapted to receive batch information for a track-in operation, an equipment management server adapted to store data used to process the batch of wafers, and a device interface server adapted to control a selected unit of processing equipment used to process the batch of wafers, the method comprising:

• inputting the batch information for the track-in operation to the operator interface server;
• transmitting the batch information to the device interface server and updating the batch information in the device interface server;
• setting a sub-recipe in the selected unit of the processing equipment after updating the batch information;
• setting a process recipe in the selected unit of processing equipment after setting the sub-recipe;
• and,
• processing the batch of wafers in the selected unit of processing equipment based on the process recipe.

A method of processing a batch of wafers containing a variable number of wafer lots in a semiconductor apparatus comprising an operator interface server adapted to receive batch information for a track-in operation, an equipment management server adapted to store data used to process the batch of wafers, and a device interface server adapted to control a selected unit of processing equipment used to process the batch of wafers, the method comprising:

• inputting batch information to the operator interface server, wherein the batch information indicates the number of wafer lots in the batch of wafers and whether or not to use a monitor wafer to monitor the processes performed on the batch of wafers;
• transmitting the batch information to the device interface server and updating the batch information in a device interface server;
• determining whether a sub-recipe is stored in a selected unit of processing equipment after updating the batch information;
• performing failure processing when the sub-recipe is not present in the selected unit of processing equipment;
• setting the sub-recipe in the selected unit of processing equipment when the sub-recipe is present in the selected processing equipment;
• determining whether or not the selected unit of processing equipment becomes converted into a standby mode after the sub-recipe is set;
• determining whether or not a process recipe is stored in the selected unit of processing equipment after the selected unit of processing equipment is converted into the standby mode;
• setting the process recipe in the selected unit of processing equipment when the process recipe is stored in the selected unit of processing equipment;
• determining whether or not the selected unit of processing equipment becomes converted into the standby mode after the process recipe is set;
• and,
• processing the batch of wafers according to the process recipe when the selected unit of processing equipment is converted into the standby mode.