CN114664711A - Automatic wafer conversion system - Google Patents

Abstract

The invention provides an automated wafer conversion system, comprising: a power module for providing power for wafer pushing and information transmission; a control module for providing control logic for the system to control the power output of the power module, and according to production requirements The different attributes of the boat or wafer set the corresponding limit check information, and collect and transmit information and instructions; the production execution module is used to set the corresponding limit check level for the different attributes of the wafer boat or wafer. Wafers are used for production; wafer conversion modules are used to realize the conversion of wafer boats or wafers. The invention integrates the work of each demander systematically, concentrates the information and processing tools in the same system, and uses the setting of each attribute in the system and the logical checkpoint to process the conversion efficiently and avoid artificial conversion at the same time. All kinds of related risks before and after, while improving the quality of products and speeding up the corresponding delivery.

Description

Automated Wafer Conversion System

technical field

The invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing equipment, in particular to an automatic wafer conversion system.

Background technique

At present, in the production process of semiconductor wafers, the wafer boat is used as the carrier of the wafer, and different types of wafer boats are used for production in different machines. The wafer conversion between different wafer boats is frequent. Larger FAB with huge conversions per day. There are two commonly used conversion methods: semi-automatic conversion and manual conversion. Semi-automated conversion is the use of relevant automated tools for conversion, with human intervention in management. Automatic tools are mainly divided into two categories: one is the crystal boat conversion tool, which uses a simple mechanical principle for conversion. Its advantages are high conversion efficiency, simple operation, and low cost. higher. The other type is an automatic film rewinder, which uses a mechanical arm for transmission. Its advantages are high conversion accuracy and low abnormality rate.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the above-mentioned shortcomings of the prior art, the purpose of the present invention is to provide an automatic wafer conversion system, which is used to solve the problem that the efficiency of the semi-automatic wafer conversion of the system will not only be greatly reduced, but also may be caused by the negligence of personnel operations. The quality of the product is lost, resulting in the loss of products and research and development.

In order to achieve the above object and other related purposes, the present invention provides an automated wafer conversion system, the automated wafer conversion system includes: a power module for providing power for wafer pushing and information transmission under the instruction of the control module; The control module is used to provide control logic for the system to control the power output of the power module, set the corresponding limit information for different attributes of the wafer boat or wafer according to the production requirements, and collect and transmit information and instructions; production execution The module is used to set the corresponding restriction checkpoints for different properties of the wafer boat or wafer under the command of the control module, and use the wafers that meet the restriction checkpoint conditions for production, and update the wafer or wafer boat information at the same time. feedback to the control module; the wafer conversion module is used to realize the conversion of the wafer boat or wafer under the instruction of the control module and the power provided by the power module under the condition that the restriction check of the production execution module is satisfied.

Optionally, the power module includes:

Power supply unit, used to provide power for wafer push and information transmission;

The power adjustment unit is used to provide corresponding power after adjusting the power according to the instruction of the control module;

The information transmission unit is used for the transmission of relevant information and instructions.

Optionally, the power module further includes a power monitoring and feedback unit for monitoring whether the power meets the demand, and feeding back the monitoring result to the control module in real time.

Optionally, the control module includes:

The output control unit is used to control the power output of the power module;

The information processing unit is used to process the information received between the modules to form integrated information;

The information transmission unit is used to issue or execute information or instructions between modules.

Optionally, the control module further includes a parameter check-off unit for setting corresponding limit check-off conditions for each parameter.

Optionally, the production execution module includes:

a production cell for using wafers for production;

Conditional restriction unit, which is used to set corresponding restrictions for different properties of the wafer boat or wafer according to production requirements;

A processing unit for using or processing the corresponding boat or wafer and converting it into conditions suitable for production;

The information transmission unit is used to receive and issue relevant information and instructions.

Optionally, the wafer conversion module includes:

Information transmission unit for receiving and issuing relevant information and instructions;

The conversion unit is used to execute the relevant instructions issued by each module, and convert it into actual operation under the power output of the power module to replace the physical position of the wafer boat or wafer.

Optionally, the wafer conversion module further includes a monitoring unit for real-time monitoring of the power, resistance and displacement parameters of the wafer boat or wafer during the conversion process, and feedback to the control module.

Optionally, the wafer conversion module further includes a determination unit for controlling the power module to stop the power supply through the control module if the corresponding parameter exceeds the set condition in the control module; if the corresponding parameter meets the set condition in the control module , the wafer conversion module continues to operate and completes the conversion operation, and after completing the operation, the wafer conversion module collects the power, resistance and displacement parameters during the conversion process, and sends them to the control module.

Optionally, the wafer conversion module further includes a positioning inspection unit for ensuring that the wafer boat or wafer is placed in the correct position.

As mentioned above, the automated wafer conversion system of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

The present invention provides an automated wafer conversion system. Compared with the traditional solution, the present application has four outstanding advantages: first, since the interconnection between the information feedback and the production execution module is newly added, the Circles, wafer boats, and even labels are converted under conditions, and complex conversions can be performed. Second, the traditional machine is for single-wafer transfer, while the present application can realize the conversion of wafers from wafer to wafer, and the efficiency is very high, and 25 wafers can be transferred each time. Third, the traditional machine occupies a large space (about 2 square meters), while the present application can be improved on the traditional semi-automatic conversion tool to achieve fully automated wafer conversion, and the added module occupies a small space (<0.2 square meters) . Fourth, the cost of the traditional machine solution is relatively high, requiring about 700,000 RMB, while the cost of the solution in this application is relatively low, requiring only about 50,000 RMB.

The present invention integrates the work of each demander in a systematic manner, concentrates information and processing tools in the same system, and uses the production execution module to issue corresponding instructions when needed according to various logics set in the system, and uses various The setting of attributes and logical checkpoints, while efficiently processing the conversion, avoid all kinds of related risks before and after manual conversion, such as boat errors, wafer errors, virtual attribute errors, etc., while improving product quality and The corresponding delivery time has been accelerated.

Description of drawings

FIG. 1 is a schematic structural diagram of an automated wafer conversion system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Component label description

10 Power Modules

101 Power supply unit

102 Power adjustment unit

103 Information transmission unit

104 Power monitoring feedback unit

20 Control Module

201 Output Control Unit

202 Information Processing Unit

203 Information Transmission Unit

204 parameter card level unit

30 Production execution module

301 Production units

302 Conditional restriction unit

303 Processing Unit

304 Information transfer unit

40 Wafer Conversion Module

401 Information Transmission Unit

402 Conversion unit

403 Monitoring Unit

404 Judgment unit

405 Positioning Inspection Unit

Detailed ways

The embodiments of the present invention are described below through specific specific examples, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can also be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

When describing the embodiments of the present invention in detail, for the convenience of explanation, the cross-sectional views showing the device structure will not be partially enlarged according to the general scale, and the schematic diagrams are only examples, which should not limit the protection scope of the present invention. In addition, the three-dimensional spatial dimensions of length, width and depth should be included in the actual production.

For convenience of description, spatially relative terms such as "below," "below," "below," "below," "above," "on," etc. may be used herein to describe an element shown in the figures or The relationship of a feature to other components or features. It will be understood that these spatially relative terms are intended to encompass other directions of the device in use or operation than those depicted in the figures. In addition, when a layer is referred to as being 'between' two layers, it can be the only layer between the two layers, or one or more intervening layers may also be present.

In the context of this application, descriptions of structures where a first feature is "on" a second feature can include embodiments in which the first and second features are formed in direct contact, and can also include further features formed over the first and second features. Embodiments between the second features such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact.

It should be noted that the diagrams provided in this embodiment are only to illustrate the basic concept of the present invention in a schematic way, so the diagrams only show the components related to the present invention rather than the number, shape and the number of components in the actual implementation. For dimension drawing, the type, quantity and proportion of each component can be changed at will in actual implementation, and the component layout may also be more complicated.

The inventor of the present invention finds that with the increasingly fierce market competition, the requirements for the quality and delivery time of the manufacturing plant (FAB) are higher and higher, and on the other hand, the automation degree of FAB production is higher and higher. The comprehensive automation requirements of FAB are getting higher and higher, and semi-automatic operations are no longer suitable for the production of advanced products. The traditional semi-automatic wafer conversion will not only greatly reduce the efficiency, but also may lead to the loss of product quality due to the negligence of personnel operations, resulting in product and R&D losses.

Traditional wafer conversion requires personnel to intervene in judgment and management while using tools and machines. There are inherent deficiencies in logic. At the same time, because the related systems are not related, it is impossible to complete the checkpoint for multiple models and a large number of conversions. How to carry out an all-round information-based checkpoint management in the process of multi-specification and multi-batch conversion is a problem that needs to be solved urgently.

The present invention provides an automatic wafer conversion system. In the present invention, parameter setting is performed, and the wafer boat, wafer and converter are all included in the management of the system, and the relevant logic cards are used to perform the corresponding operation for different models, Wafers, actions, and related virtual attributes for level management. All conversion actions that need to be carried out in production are placed within the management scope of this system.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the present embodiment provides an automated wafer conversion system. The automated wafer conversion system includes a power module 10 , a control module 20 , a production execution module, and a wafer conversion module.

The power module 10 is used to provide power for wafer pushing and information transmission under the instruction of the control module 20 , and the power module 10 may be, for example, a power supply device having a power management chip.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the power module 10 includes:

a power supply unit 101 for providing power for wafer pushing and information transmission, for example, the power may be electricity;

The power adjustment unit 102 is configured to provide corresponding power after adjusting the power according to the instruction of the control module 20. For example, by adjusting the corresponding power output, the speed during wafer transfer and conversion can be controlled to suit the Automated production needs.

The information transmission unit 103 is used for transmission of relevant information and instructions. For example, the information transmission unit 103 is used to provide power to each module or perform power adjustment after receiving the instruction of the control module 20 .

In this embodiment, the power module 10 further includes a power monitoring and feedback unit 104 for monitoring whether the power meets the demand, and feeding back the monitoring result to the control module 20 in real time. For example, if the monitored power does not meet the demand, Then, the control module 20 can send an instruction to the power module 10 to adjust the power output until the power meets the demand.

The control module 20 is used to provide control logic for the system to control the power output of the power module 10, set the corresponding limit information for different attributes of the boat or wafer according to production requirements, and collect and transmit information and instructions. . The wafer boat is a device for carrying wafers, for example, the number of wafers carried by the wafer boat may be 20-30 wafers. The control module can be, for example, a computer with hardware such as a processor and a memory.

As shown in FIG. 1, the control module 20 includes:

The output control unit 201 is used to control the power output of the power module 10;

The information processing unit 202 is used for processing the information received between the modules to form integrated information;

The information transmission unit 203 is used to send or execute information or instructions between the modules, for example, it can send a power output command to the power module 10, send an instruction to start production or stop production to the production execution module, and collect crystal feedback from the production execution module. Circle information, collect power information or power adjustment information sent by the power module 10, etc., and feed back the collected information to the information processing unit for processing to form integrated information.

In this embodiment, the control module 20 further includes a parameter check unit 204 for setting corresponding limit check conditions for each parameter, for example, the batch number, size, material properties, Doping components, etc. define the corresponding limit thresholds.

The production execution module is used to set corresponding restrictions on the different attributes of the wafer boat or wafer under the instruction of the control module 20, and use the wafers that meet the restriction restrictions for production. The information is updated and fed back to the control module 20;

As shown in Figure 1, the production execution module 30 includes:

a production unit 301 for using wafers for production;

The condition restriction unit 302 is used to set corresponding restriction checkpoints for different properties of the wafer boat or wafer according to production requirements. Wafer pass settings.

The processing unit 303 is used to use or process the corresponding wafer boat or wafer and make it into conditions suitable for production. For example, the processing unit can perform cleaning and surface treatment on the wafer, so that the wafer meets conditions required for production.

The information transmission unit 304 is used for receiving and sending relevant information and instructions.

The wafer conversion module is used to realize the conversion of wafer boats or wafers under the instruction of the control module 20 and the power provided by the power module 10 under the condition that the restriction threshold of the production execution module is satisfied.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the wafer conversion module 40 includes:

Information transmission unit 401, used to receive and issue relevant information and instructions;

The conversion unit 402 is used to execute the relevant instructions issued by each module, and convert it into actual operation under the power output of the power module 10 to replace the physical position of the wafer boat or wafer. For example, the conversion unit can be a rotating disk device. Realized wafer boat conversion equipment or wafer loading and changing equipment realized by robotic arms.

In this embodiment, the wafer conversion module further includes a monitoring unit 403 for real-time monitoring of the power, resistance and displacement parameters of the wafer boat or wafer during the conversion process, and feedback to the control module 20 .

In this embodiment, the wafer conversion module further includes a determination unit 404 for controlling the power module 10 to stop power supply through the control module 20 if the corresponding parameters exceed the conditions set in the control module 20; If conditions are set in the control module 20, the wafer conversion module continues to operate and completes the conversion operation, and after the completion of the operation, the wafer conversion module collects the power, resistance and displacement parameters during the conversion process, and sends them to the control module 20. .

In this embodiment, the wafer conversion module further includes a positioning inspection unit 405 for ensuring that the wafer boat or wafer is placed in the correct position.

As shown in FIG. 1 , in order to further describe the automated wafer conversion system of the present invention in detail, the following is an example of the conversion process of a certain wafer, including:

1) The production execution module 30 sends a request for two wafer boats (or wafers) to perform wafer conversion.

2) The two corresponding wafer boats are placed on the wafer conversion module 40 , and the wafer conversion module 40 receives the relevant information and sends it to the control module 20 .

3) The control module 20 processes the collected information, and sends the two boat information to the production execution module.

4) The production execution module 30 checks the wafer boat in the system and whether the wafer corresponding information is consistent with the system setting.

5) If the information is inconsistent, the system will alarm and suspend pending inspection. If the information is consistent, execute the check command.

6) If the check command is not feasible, the system will alarm and suspend pending inspection. If the check command is available, the switch command is sent to the control module 20 .

7) The control module 20 receives the command, converts it into a relevant signal and sends it to the power module 10 .

8) The power module 10 sends power to push the wafer conversion module to work.

9) The wafer conversion module 40 starts to operate, and monitors parameters such as power, resistance, and displacement in real time, and feeds it back to the control module 20 .

10) If the corresponding parameters exceed the conditions set in the control module 20, the power module 10 stops the power supply, and the system alarms and suspends for further investigation.

11) If the corresponding parameters do not exceed the conditions set in the control module 20, the wafer conversion module continues to operate and complete the conversion operation.

12) After the operation is completed, the wafer conversion module 40 collects relevant physical information and sends it to the control module 20 .

13) The control module 20 integrates relevant information and sends it to the power module 10 and the production execution module.

14) The power module 10 stops power supply.

15) The production execution module 30 receives the completion information, updates the data in the module, and completes all actions.

The above steps can be repeated.

As mentioned above, the automated wafer conversion system of the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

The present application provides an automated wafer conversion system. Compared with the traditional solution, the present application has four outstanding advantages: First, since the interconnection between the information feedback and the production execution module is newly added, the Circles, wafer boats, and even labels are converted under conditions, and complex conversions can be performed. Second, the traditional machine is for single-wafer transfer, while the present application can realize the conversion of wafers from wafer to wafer, and the efficiency is very high, and 25 wafers can be transferred each time. Third, the traditional machine occupies a large space (about 2 square meters), while the present application can be improved on the traditional semi-automatic conversion tool to achieve fully automated wafer conversion, and the added module occupies a small space (<0.2 square meters) . Fourth, the cost of the traditional machine solution is relatively high, requiring about 700,000 RMB, while the cost of the solution in this application is relatively low, requiring only about 50,000 RMB.

The present invention integrates the work of each demander in a systematic manner, concentrates information and processing tools in the same system, and uses the production execution module to issue corresponding instructions when needed according to various logics set in the system, and uses various Attribute settings and logical checkpoints, while efficiently processing the conversion, avoid all kinds of related risks before and after manual conversion, such as boat errors, wafer errors, virtual attribute errors, etc. At the same time, the quality of the products is improved and the corresponding delivery time is accelerated.

Therefore, the present invention effectively overcomes various shortcomings in the prior art and has high industrial utilization value.

The above-mentioned embodiments merely illustrate the principles and effects of the present invention, but are not intended to limit the present invention. Anyone skilled in the art can make modifications or changes to the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or changes made by those with ordinary knowledge in the technical field without departing from the spirit and technical idea disclosed in the present invention should still be covered by the claims of the present invention.

Claims (10)

1. An automated wafer transfer system, comprising:

the power module is used for providing power for wafer pushing and information transmission under the instruction of the control module;

the control module is used for providing control logic for the system to control the power output of the power module, setting corresponding limit customs information for different attributes of the wafer boat or the wafer according to production requirements, and collecting and transmitting the information and instructions;

the production execution module is used for setting corresponding limit customs for different attributes of the wafer boat or the wafer under the instruction of the control module, using the wafer meeting the limit customs condition for production, and updating and feeding back the wafer or the wafer boat information to the control module;

and the wafer conversion module is used for realizing the conversion of the wafer boat or the wafer under the conditions of meeting the limit clearance of the production execution module and under the instruction of the control module and the power provided by the power module.

2. The automated wafer transfer system of claim 1, wherein the power module comprises:

the power supply unit is used for providing power for wafer pushing and information transmission;

the power adjusting unit is used for adjusting the power and then providing corresponding power according to the instruction of the control module;

and the information transmission unit is used for transmitting the related information and the instruction.

3. The automated wafer transfer system of claim 2, wherein the power module further comprises a power monitoring feedback unit for monitoring whether the power meets the requirement and feeding back the monitoring result to the control module in real time.

4. The automated wafer conversion system of claim 1, wherein the control module comprises:

the output control unit is used for controlling the power output of the power module;

the information processing unit is used for processing the information received among the modules to form integrated information;

and the information transmission unit is used for sending or executing information or instructions among the modules.

5. The automated wafer conversion system of claim 4, wherein the control module further comprises a parameter customs unit for setting respective limit customs conditions for each parameter.

6. The automated wafer conversion system of claim 1, wherein the production execution module comprises:

a production unit for using the wafer for production;

the condition limiting unit is used for setting corresponding limiting customs for different attributes of the wafer boat or the wafer according to production requirements;

the processing unit is used for using or processing the corresponding wafer boat or wafer and converting the wafer boat or wafer into a condition suitable for production;

and the information transmission unit is used for receiving and sending the related information and instructions.

7. The automated wafer conversion system of claim 1, wherein the wafer conversion module comprises:

the information transmission unit is used for receiving and sending related information and instructions;

and the conversion unit is used for executing relevant instructions sent by each module, converting the instructions into actual operation under the power output of the power module, and replacing the physical position of the wafer boat or the wafer.

8. The automated wafer conversion system of claim 7, wherein the wafer conversion module further comprises a monitoring unit for monitoring the dynamic, resistance and displacement parameters of the boat or wafer during the conversion process in real time and feeding back the parameters to the control module.

9. The automated wafer conversion system of claim 8, wherein the wafer conversion module further comprises a determination unit for controlling the power module to stop power supply via the control module if the corresponding parameter exceeds a condition set in the control module; if the corresponding parameters meet the set conditions in the control module, the wafer conversion module continues to operate and completes the conversion operation, and after the operation is completed, the wafer conversion module collects the power, resistance and displacement parameters in the conversion process and sends the parameters to the control module.

10. The automated wafer conversion system of claim 7, wherein the wafer conversion module further comprises a positioning inspection unit for ensuring that the boat or wafer is placed in the correct position.

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