JPH0242743A - Automatic conveyance control system - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To eliminate an erroneous conveyance operation and to accurately control a conveyance operation of an automatic conveyance system by installing a means which sends and receives an inquiry of whether an object to be treated exists or not between a host computer and a transfer apparatus and which receives a carrying- out request and a carrying-in request which are managed by the host computer. CONSTITUTION:A host computer 10 manages a carrying-out request and a carrying-in request from a treatment apparatus 50 or a transfer apparatus 60 at individual cassette storage places 51. In addition, a means 23 executing the following operations is installed: to revise an overwriting operation by registering the request and to revise the carrying-out request and the carrying-in request which are managed by the host computer 10 while an inquiry of whether a cassette exists or not is set and received S6 to S9 to and from the treatment apparatus 50 and the transfer apparatus 60. Thereby, even when a trouble of an apparatus inside a system is caused, an erroneous conveyance operation can be eliminated without a discrepancy between the carrying-out request and the carrying-in request managed by the host computer 10 and whether a cassette actually exists or not in the treatment apparatus 50 and the transfer apparatus 60.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (Field of Industrial Application) The present invention relates to an automatic transport control system in semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a transport control system for transferring workpieces under the overall control of a host combinator. be.

(Prior Art) As the degree of integration of semiconductor devices increases, automation has become an essential element in semiconductor manufacturing factories in order to remove dust.

For this reason, recent semiconductor manufacturing factories automatically transport cassettes containing semiconductor wafers from the warehouse to the semiconductor wafer processing equipment, and then from the processing equipment to the warehouse. In this case, the cassette is transported by a transport vehicle installed in the ceiling space or on the ground, and all of these transport devices are centrally controlled by a host computer.

FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of such a conventional automatic conveyance system.

In this figure, a processing bag 2 for processing semiconductor wafers, a transport book 3 for transporting cassettes containing processed semiconductor wafers from the processing device 2 to a transfer device 4, and a receiver for picking up the cassettes from the transport vehicle 3. It is composed of a transfer device W4 and a host computer (hereinafter referred to as LC) 1 that controls these devices.

In this case, the transport of the cassette from the processing device 2 to the transfer device 4 is carried out by a carry-out request S1, which is a request to take out the cassette from the processing device 2, and a request to carry the cassette from the transfer device 4, which is the destination of the cassette. When each import request S2 is sent to the LCI, the LCI sends these export requests S1
This is determined by confirming that all of the transport requests S2 have been received, and then the LCI transmits a transport command S3 to the transport vehicle 3.

The above is the basic transport method.

Next, we will discuss the transport method in case a trouble occurs on the processing device 2 (or transfer device 4) side.

Assume that a device trouble occurs in the processing device 2 when the LCI has not yet decided to send the cassette Nil from the processing device 2 after the processing device 2 transmits the carry-out request Sl to the LCI. In this case, the processing device 2 is brought offline (removed from the control of the upper system) by the operator's operation, and the trouble is dealt with. After dealing with the problem, the processing device 2 is brought online again (controlled by the upper system) by the operator. However, at this time, many of the processing devices are in the same cassette state as when the problem occurred, and it is impossible to start them up online, and usually they have to start up from the beginning. In other words, processing device 2
In this case, the cassette that was the subject of the carry-out request S1 is removed, and then the processing apparatus 2 is started up. After the offline start-up, the processing apparatus 2 needs a new carrier containing unprocessed wafers, so a carry-in request is made to C1. Send.

On the other hand, with LCI, each time a loading/unloading request is received from a processing device or a transfer device, it is simply memorized.
As requests from the same bath sofa, a carry-out request and a carry-in request are registered in the LCI. Here, when a carry-in request S2 is sent from the transfer device 4 to the LCI, the LCI decides to transfer the carrier from the processing device 2 to the transfer device 4, and sends a transfer command S3 to the carrier vehicle 3. The transport vehicle 3 goes to the processing device 2 to receive the carrier based on the instruction from the LCI, but since there is no carrier, the process ends normally (malfunction). LCI now knows that there is no carrier in processing device 2, and
Delete the export request from.

Next, since the carry-in request has already been sent from the processing apparatus 2, if there is a carrier that can be carried to the processing apparatus 2, the carrier will be carried.

(Problem B to be solved by the invention) However, in the conventional method described above, problems occur within the equipment as a large number of processing equipment and transfer equipment managed by LCl are installed, and transportation is carried out day and night. , If a transportation problem occurs, the operator must intervene and the state cannot necessarily be restored to the same state as before the problem. A discrepancy had occurred. This causes a problem in that a malfunction occurs in the transport determined by the carry-in request and the carry-out request.

As described above, the present invention provides for L
Eliminate the problem of transport malfunctions caused by discrepancies between the carry-in requests and carry-out requests managed by the CI and the actual cassette presence/absence status of processing equipment and transfer equipment, and accurately control the transport of automatic transport systems. The purpose is to provide an automatic conveyance control system that can.

(Means for Solving the Problems) In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention processes the management of carry-in and carry-out requests by the host computer when performing transport control by the integrated control of the host computer of an automatic transport system. Manage each cassette storage area of the device or transfer device, manage each cassette storage area of the transfer device in one carrier storage area, and register only one carry-in request or one carry-out request in one carrier storage area. , (or neither is registered), means for overwriting the latest import or export request when there is a latest import or export request; If found, a method is installed to query the relevant processing equipment or transfer equipment about the presence or absence of the cassette, and if there is a discrepancy in the information, the inquiry information can be rewritten as information about the cassette storage location. This system is designed to prevent discrepancies between the carry-in request, the carry-out request managed by the host computer, and the actual cassette presence/absence status of the processing device and the transfer device, and even if there is a discrepancy, it can be corrected.

(Function) According to the present invention, in the transport control method for an automatic transport system as described above, the host computer manages the requests for unloading and loading from the processing device or the transfer device for each cassette storage location, and also manages the requests for loading and unloading from the processing device or transfer device. By correcting overwrites during registration and sending and receiving inquiries regarding the presence or absence of cassettes to and from the processing device and transfer device, a means is provided to correct the carry-out and carry-in requests managed by the host computer. Therefore, even if a problem occurs with the equipment in the system, there will be no discrepancy between the carry-out and carry-in requests managed by the host computer and the actual presence or absence of cassettes in the processing equipment and transfer equipment, thereby eliminating transport malfunctions. can.

(Example) Hereinafter, an example of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a specific configuration diagram of an automatic conveyance system showing an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic conveyance system showing an embodiment of the present invention.

In the figure, 10 is a host computer, and this host computer 10 has a CPU (central processing unit) 11, a ROM 1
2, RAM 13, and input/output interface 14.

20 is a computer for a semiconductor wafer processing device (hereinafter simply referred to as a processing device) 50, and this computer 20 includes a CPU (central processing unit F) 21, and a ROM.
22, RAM 23, and input/output interface 24. Here, the RAM 23 has an address corresponding to the cassette storage area of the processing target device, and can be rewritten using information from a sensor placed in the cassette storage area. 30 is a computer for the transfer device 60;
This computer 20 has a CPU (central processing unit) 31
, ROM32, RAM33, input/output interface 34
Consisting of 40 is a computer for the transport vehicle 70, and this computer 40 includes a CPU (central processing unit).
41, ROM 42, RAM 43, and input/output interface 44. Further, 51 is a cassette storage area for semiconductor wafers of the processing apparatus 1f50, and 52 is a sensor provided in the cassette storage area 51.

Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, this transfer control system includes a processing device 50 and a transfer vehicle 70 that transfers the cassettes containing processed wafers from the processing device 50 to the transfer device 60. It consists of a transfer f2 device 60 that receives and takes cassettes from the transport vehicle 70, and a host computer 10 that centrally controls them, and the host computer IO notifies the processing word W50 and the transfer device 60 prior to transport. Cassette presence inquiry signal S6. S8 and its response signal S7. According to S9, even if a discrepancy occurs between the carry-in request and carry-out request managed by the host computer 10 and the actual cassette presence/absence status of the processing device 50 and transfer device 60, the information managed by the host computer 10 is kept in the same state as the physical state. It is configured to be modified as follows.

FIG. 4 shows a flowchart when the LCIO decides to transport the workpiece from the processing device 50 to the transfer device 60. The left side shows the host computer IO side, and the right side shows the processing device 50 and the transfer device 60. The device 60 side is shown.

Hereinafter, the process up to the decision to transport the object to be processed from the processing device 50 to the transfer device 60 will be explained.

The processing device 50 is waiting for a state in which the power supply can be unloaded in step (2), or is in a waiting state for a cassette presence/absence inquiry signal S6 from the LCIO in step (2), and when the cassette can be unloaded, the LCIO
An unloading request signal S4 is transmitted to.

The transfer device 60 is waiting for a state in which the cassette can be carried in in step (2) or is in a waiting state for a cassette presence/absence inquiry signal S8 from the LCIO in step (2), and when it becomes possible to carry in the cassette, it issues a carry-in request to the LCIO in step (2). Send signal S5.

The LCIO is in a waiting state for the carry-out request signal S4 from the processing device 50 in step (2) and the carry-in request signal S5 from the transfer device 60 in step (2).

Here, LCIO is the export request signal S from the processing device 50.
4 is received, in step (2), the management information in the LCIO that has been managed so far is deleted from the RAM 13, and a new export request is registered with the processing device 50 (overwrite correction). Further, upon receiving the carry-in request signal S5 from the transfer device 60, the transfer device 60 performs overwrite correction registration of the carry-in request in the same manner as described above. In step @, the LCIO issues an unloading request from the processing device 50 and the transfer device 6.
When there is a carry-in request from 0, a cassette inquiry signal S6 is transmitted to the processing device 50 in step 0. Then, when the cassette presence/absence response signal S7 is received in step (2), if there is no cassette, step [
phase], the request for unloading the processing device 50 is deleted and revised, and the transfer is canceled. If you have a cassette, then step [
In phase], an inquiry signal S8 regarding the presence or absence of a cassette is transmitted to the transfer device 60. Further, in receiving the force cent presence response signal S9 in step [phase], if a cassette is present, step [phase] is detected in step [phase].
If the request to carry in the transfer bag ff60 is deleted and revised, the transfer will be cancelled. If there is no cassette, transport processing is performed.

On the other hand, when the processing device 50 receives the cassette presence/absence inquiry signal S6 from the LCIO in step (2), the processing device 50 sends a power cent presence/absence response signal S7 to the LCIO in step (2).
Send.

On the other hand, when the transfer device 50 similarly receives the cassette presence/absence inquiry signal S8 from the LIJO in step (2), it transmits a power center presence/absence response signal S9 to the LCIO in step (2).

Note that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments,
Various modifications are possible based on the spirit of the present invention, and these are not excluded from the scope of the present invention.

(Effects of the Invention) As described above in detail, according to the present invention, in the transport control in the automatic transport system as described above,
The host computer manages unloading and importing requests from the processing device or transfer device for each cassette storage location, performs overwrite correction by registering the request, and also informs the processing device and transfer device of the presence or absence of cassettes. By sending and receiving inquiries, we have provided a means to modify the export and import requests managed by the host computer, so even if a problem occurs with the equipment within the system, the transport and import requests managed by the host computer and the processing Equipment and transfer i! without causing any discrepancies in the actual presence or absence of the cassette in the device.
Transport malfunctions can be eliminated. Therefore, conveyance control can be performed accurately.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is a specific configuration diagram of an automatic transportation system showing an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of an automatic transportation system showing an embodiment of the invention, and FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a conventional automatic transportation system. The configuration diagram and FIG. 4 are operation flowcharts of automatic conveyance processing of the present invention. 10--Upper computer, 11.21.31.41
・CPU (Central Processing Unit), 12.22.32.42
-ROM, 13, 23.33.43...RAM, 14
．． 24.34.44... Attendance counter interface, 20
... Processing device computer, 30... Transfer device computer, 40... Transport vehicle computer, 50
...Semiconductor wafer processing device, 51...Cassette storage area, 52...Sensor, 60...Transfer device, 70...
・Transport vehicle. Patent applicant: Oki Electric Industry Co., Ltd. Agent: Patent attorney: Mamoru Shimizu (1 other person) S4: 夛?
:! :-Not yet. Ss: 'R)
Illustrated by Takashi A, edited by Ayu, published by U.S.P.

Claims (1)

[Scope of Claims] Automatic transport that includes a transport device that transports objects to be processed under the overall control of a host computer, a transfer device that transfers and loads objects to be processed, and a processing device that processes semiconductor wafers. In the control method, (a) the higher-level computer manages requests for unloading or importing from the transfer device for each storage location of the processing object, and registers the requests by overwriting correction; (b) the higher-level computer; An automatic conveyance control system characterized by comprising means for modifying the carry-out and carry-in requests managed by the host computer by transmitting and receiving inquiries about the presence or absence of objects to be processed between the transfer devices.