JPH08213295A - Wafer processing control apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and wafer recipe selection method - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Summary] [Purpose] To reliably select the correct recipe to avoid the occurrence of defective wafers, and to greatly reduce the time required to set data for selecting recipes to improve productivity. [Structure] Data of each recipe is stored in the first table 111 by recipe ID as one file in table format,
Further, the storage device 11 that stores the data for identifying each wafer in the cassette and the recipe ID of the recipe to be applied to each wafer in the second table 112 for each cassette ID as one file in a table format, Based on the operation panel 13 for setting the ID and the cassette ID set by the operation panel 13, the recipe ID of the recipe to be applied is searched from the second table 112 in the storage device 11, and the recipe ID is searched based on the searched recipe ID. 1 table 111 to retrieve and read a recipe and control the wafer processing in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 2 according to the read recipe.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention performs wafer processing of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus by selecting a recipe corresponding to each wafer in a new cassette every time a cassette storing a plurality of wafers is replaced in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. An apparatus to control and a recipe selection method.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a plurality of wafers are housed and the wafers are processed in a cassette unit for transporting between steps. For example, in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus such as a CVD apparatus or an epitaxial growth apparatus, wafers are transferred in a row in the cassette to a boat made of quartz glass or the like in which a plurality of grooves for holding wafers are provided, and the boat is used for one cassette. The wafer is loaded into the reaction chamber and processed.

In an apparatus for controlling the processing of wafers in such a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the process sequence and control parameters (control target values such as temperature, pressure and gas flow rate) of each wafer which are known at the stage of making a production plan. A plurality of tables in which processing conditions such as the above are stored as recipes are provided, each table is managed as, for example, one file, and a recipe ID is assigned to each file.

Wafer processing in cassette units includes a normal processing for processing all wafers in the cassette with the same recipe and a pilot processing for processing with different recipes.
When selecting a recipe in the normal process, one recipe ID may be set for each cassette, but in the pilot process, the recipe ID must be set for each wafer.

FIG. 5 shows the recipe selection as described above.
5 is a flowchart showing a procedure when executed by a conventional control device as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 5-135064.
In this conventional example, 99 kinds of recipes are stored in the table, and as the data for specifying each wafer, the slot numbers provided to the plurality of wafer holding grooves provided in the boat are used. To do. From the operation panel,
Set the recipe ID in slot No. 1 for each reaction chamber (S1
1). It is determined whether the set recipe ID is included in 1 to 99 (S12), and if the recipe ID is other than 1 to 99, a warning message (alarm) is displayed on the display device (S13). Recipe ID
If is included in 1 to 99, the processing method of normal processing / pilot processing is set from the operation panel (S14). It is judged whether the set processing method is normal processing or pilot processing (S15). In the case of normal processing, all slots after No. 2 have the same recipe ID as the No. 1 slot. Set a value and move to step S21.

On the other hand, when the set processing method is the pilot processing, the recipe ID is set to the next No. 2 slot from the operation panel (S17). It is determined whether the set recipe ID is 1 to 99 (S18), and if it is other than 1 to 99, an alarm is displayed on the display device (S19). When the recipe ID is included in 1 to 99, the recipe ID is set to the No. 3 slot from the operation panel (S17). Repeating steps S17 and S18 while judging whether setting of all slots is completed (S20),
Set the recipe ID for all slots. When the setting for all slots is completed, the process proceeds to step S21, and the recipe data in the table of the recipe ID set in the above process is read from the table stored in the storage device (S2
1) The wafer processing by the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is controlled according to the read recipe data (S22).

[0007]

Since the conventional recipe selection is executed by the above procedure, when the recipe must be selected for each wafer as in the pilot process,
Wrong recipe is selected due to incorrect setting of recipe ID,
If the process is executed according to an incorrect recipe, a defective wafer will be manufactured. Further, it takes a long time to set the recipe ID, which lowers productivity.

The present invention has been made to solve such a problem, and a correct recipe is automatically selected by automatically selecting a recipe corresponding to each wafer in a cassette with minimum data input. An object of the present invention is to provide a wafer processing control device for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and a recipe selection method that can surely select and significantly reduce the time required to set data for recipe selection.

[0009]

A wafer processing control apparatus for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention selects a recipe in which processing conditions for a plurality of wafers stored in a cassette are described and follows a selected recipe. In a device for controlling the processing of each wafer by a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a first table storing a plurality of recipes and data for specifying the plurality of recipes in association with each other, and data for specifying each cassette and each cassette Storage device having a second table in which data for identifying each wafer to be stored in the memory and data for identifying each recipe corresponding to each wafer are stored in association with each other, and data for identifying a cassette at the start of processing. And a data specifying the recipe to be applied to each of the plurality of wafers to be stored in the specified cassette. Read from the table, and further comprising a means for reading the recipe corresponding to the data identifying the recipe selected from the first table.

A wafer processing control apparatus for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a second aspect of the present invention is a wafer processing control apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention. Is a slot number assigned to each of the plurality of grooves of the boat that carries the plurality of wafers into the reaction chamber.

[0011]

According to the wafer processing control apparatus of the first invention and the recipe selecting method of the third invention, a plurality of recipes are stored in the first table, data for identifying each of the plurality of recipes is assigned, and each cassette is assigned. The data for specifying, the data for specifying each wafer to be stored in each cassette, and the data for specifying each recipe to be applied to each wafer are stored in the second table in association with each other, and the cassette is stored at the start of the process. Data for specifying is specified, data for specifying a recipe corresponding to each of the plurality of wafers to be stored in the specified cassette is read from the second table, and a recipe corresponding to the data for specifying the recipe is set as the first data. Select from the table and read. This ensures that the correct recipe is selected and the time required to set the data for selecting the recipe is greatly reduced.

According to the wafer processing control apparatus of the second invention and the recipe selecting method of the fourth invention, as data for specifying each wafer, a plurality of cassettes, each of which is stored in a plurality of grooves in the cassette according to the arrangement order in the cassette. The slot numbers assigned to the plurality of grooves of the boat for loading the wafers into the reaction chamber are used.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings showing its embodiments. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a wafer processing control apparatus (hereinafter referred to as the present invention apparatus) of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, in which 1 is the present invention apparatus and 2 is the present invention apparatus 1. It is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which wafer processing is controlled according to the recipe. The storage device 11 stores the data of each recipe (processing time, μ-wave power, gas flow rate, etc.) as one file in a table format for each recipe ID in the first table.
It is stored in 111 and is in a table format in which the slot number as data for identifying each wafer in the cassette and the recipe ID of the recipe to be applied to each wafer are associated.
One file is stored in the second table 112 for each cassette ID.

The controller 12 has a working memory 121,
Storage device based on the cassette ID set from the operation panel 13
The recipe ID of the recipe to be applied to each wafer in the cassette is searched from the file corresponding to the cassette ID of the second table 112 in 11 and the recipe ID of the first table 111 is matched based on the searched recipe ID. The recipe is retrieved from the file to be read and read into the working memory 121, and the processing of the wafer in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 2 is controlled in accordance with the read recipe. The operation panel 13 has means for setting and changing data of the first table 111 and the second table 112, and also has means for inputting a cassette ID. Display device 14 is an operation panel
A warning message (alarm) is displayed when the cassette ID set by 13 is invalid data, and a setting screen for setting data on the first table and second table 112 from the operation panel 13 is displayed. To do.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of the storage state of the first table 111 which stores a plurality of recipes. The table of each recipe is stored as one file, and each file is assigned a recipe ID (1 to 99). Data such as processing time, μ-wave power, and gas flow rate in each processing step (No. 1 to 30) are stored in one recipe, and there are 99 combinations of numerical values of these data in this embodiment. Recipe can be set. These are known at the stage of making a wafer production plan, and data are created and updated by inputting data from the operation panel 13 using the setting screen displayed on the display device 14.

FIG. 3 shows, as data for identifying each wafer in the cassette, slot numbers assigned to a plurality of grooves of a boat for holding each wafer in the arrangement order in the cassette.
(1 to 25) and the recipe ID attached to the recipe in the first table 111 are stored in association with each other by the cassette ID.
4 is a conceptual diagram of a storage state of a table 112. FIG. Each table is stored as one file, and a cassette ID (1 to 99) is assigned to each file. In one file, recipe IDs of recipes to be applied to the respective wafers in the reaction chambers 1 to 3 are stored for each slot number.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing the procedure of selecting a recipe by the device of the present invention. Set the cassette ID from the operation panel 13 (S1). Set cassette ID is 1 to 99
(S2). If the cassette ID is other than 1 to 99, a warning message (alarm) is displayed on the display device 14.
Is displayed (S3). When the recipe ID is included in 1 to 99, from the second table 112 stored in the storage device 12,
Read the table data of the set cassette ID (S
4). Next, from the first table 111 stored in the storage device 12 to the recipes stored in the second table 112.
The table data of the ID is read (S5). First table 11
The processing of each wafer by the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 2 is controlled according to the recipe data in 1 (S6).

In this case, when the cassette is replaced, the operator only has to input the cassette ID which is a combination of letters, symbols, numbers and the like and is easy to input, and an input error is unlikely to occur. At the time of actual operation, the cassette No.
The table in which the and the cassette ID are described in association with each other is distributed to the operator, and the operator looks at the cassette number of the cassette set in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and sets the corresponding cassette ID. Also, when a recipe is selected based on the data from the host computer, the only data to be transmitted from the host computer to the lower control device is the cassette ID, and software creation is easy.

[0019]

As described above, the device and method of the present invention are
Since the recipe corresponding to each wafer in the cassette is automatically selected with the minimum data input such as the cassette ID, the correct recipe is surely selected to avoid the occurrence of defective wafers.
Further, there is an excellent effect that the time required for setting the data for selecting the recipe is significantly shortened and the productivity is improved.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a device of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram of a storage state of a first table of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a conceptual diagram of a storage state of a second table of the device of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a procedure for selecting a recipe by the device of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a procedure of selecting a recipe by a conventional control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Wafer Processing Control Device 2 Semiconductor Manufacturing Device 11 Storage Device 12 Control Device 13 Operation Panel 14 Display Device 111 First Table 112 Second Table 121 Memory

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. An apparatus for selecting a recipe in which a processing condition for each of a plurality of wafers stored in a cassette is described and controlling processing of each wafer by a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to the selected recipe. A first table in which data for identifying each of the plurality of recipes are associated and stored, data for identifying each cassette, data for identifying each wafer to be stored in each cassette, and each corresponding to each wafer. Storage means having a second table in which data for specifying recipes are associated and stored, means for specifying data for specifying a cassette at the start of processing, and a plurality of wafers to be stored in the specified cassettes Recipes corresponding to the data that specify the recipes to be read are read from the second table and are specified. And a means for selecting and reading from the first table, the wafer processing control apparatus of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. 2. The data for identifying each wafer is the plurality of grooves of a boat for loading a plurality of wafers for one cassette, which are respectively stored in the plurality of grooves according to the arrangement order in the cassette, into the plurality of grooves of the boat. 2. The wafer processing control apparatus for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the slot numbers are respectively assigned to the. 3. A method for selecting a recipe for a wafer of an apparatus for controlling processing of each wafer by a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a recipe in which processing conditions of a plurality of wafers stored in a cassette are described. Data to specify each of the plurality of recipes are stored in the first table in association with each other, and data to specify each cassette, data to specify each wafer to be stored in each cassette, and each wafer should be applied. Data for identifying each recipe is stored in the second table in association with each other, data for identifying a cassette is designated at the start of processing, and a recipe corresponding to each of a plurality of wafers to be stored in the designated cassette is stored. The specifying data is read from the second table, and the recipe corresponding to the data specifying the recipe is first
A method of selecting a recipe for a wafer, which is selected from the table and read out. 4. The data for identifying each wafer is the plurality of grooves of a boat for loading a plurality of wafers for one cassette, which are respectively stored in the plurality of grooves according to the arrangement order in the cassette into the reaction chamber. 4. The wafer recipe selecting method according to claim 3, wherein the slot numbers are respectively assigned to the.