JPS59181550A - Equipment for management of incomings and outgoings of photomask - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To manage the incomings and outgoings of photomasks quickly and accurately and suppress the generation of the dust as low as possible by providing a container shelf in which mask case containers are loaded, a transfer equipment and a computer. CONSTITUTION:When a type and a process of a product is specified by operating keys of an input part or an operation panel 33 of a photomask managing computer 50, the managing computor 50 retrieves the information stored in itself and finds out the location of a container 10 and a mask case 11 and gives instructions to a transfer control computer of a mating and anmating equipment 30. The transfer control computer drives and controls a transfer equipment 40 and the container 10 is inserted into the mating and anmating equipment 30 and the mask case 11 in which the indicated mask is contained is pushed up. Whenever a photomask is taken out and put in, the managing computer 50 renews the photomask information.

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[Technical Field of the Invention J] The present invention relates to a photomask storage management device that stores and manages usage status of photomasks used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices. [Technical Background of the Invention and Points of Interest] Generally, when manufacturing semiconductor devices, a plurality of photomasks with different materials and seven turns are used for each ridge and process. Each of these seven masks is assigned a mask number, and each mask is stored in a mask case with a mask number assigned thereto, and is normally stored in a predetermined storage location in a clean room. In this case, the mask number is determined independently of the semiconductor device type name and process name, and since a clean room is selected as the storage location, concentrated V is stored in a relatively narrow space with limited width and depth. Arranged. Therefore, when obtaining a given photomask, one must search based on the mask number.
Due to the limited space available, all the loading and unloading operations at the F9r are forced, so in addition to spending a lot of time preparing photomasks for each type or process of semiconductor IT, This was also a factor in the mixing of different photomasks. In other words, the operator must somehow record the status of photomasks for each type of semiconductor device and process, the date and time of first use of the photomask, and the number of phase changes. But it's inefficient, and what's more, I forgot to register? It was easy to make recording errors. In addition, prolonged working time in the clean room also led to an increase in dust. [Object of the Invention] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and it is possible to quickly and accurately manage the appearance of a photomask, and to suppress the occurrence of fraud and counterfeiting to an extremely low level. The purpose is to provide Tomask's accounting management device σ. [Summary of the Invention] In order to achieve all of the above objects, the photomask device σ of the present invention has a plurality of storage boxes for storing an imaginary number of mask cases, and these storage boxes are arranged in rows and columns. A storage shelf to be stored, an attachment/detachment device for attaching/detaching any front 5-piece mask by inserting one of the storage boxes, and an attachment/detachment device for taking out any of the storage boxes from the Mjl storage shelf and inserting it into the attachment/detachment device. , and a transport device that places the storage box in its original position on the storage shelf, and a device that specifies a specific photomask so that the mask case containing the photomask can be attached and detached. The transport device and the attachment/detachment device are driven and controlled, and the output of each photomask is controlled. It is characterized in that it is equipped with a computer that performs f3 information management. [Embodiment of the Invention] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing the overall configuration of a photomask storage management device according to the present invention, which mainly includes a plurality of storage boxes 10 for storing mask cases in line with each other, and storage boxes 10 arranged horizontally. This storage box is a storage shelf that can be placed horizontally and vertically in rows and columns.

[A storage box 10 is installed in parallel with O.
] A detachable device I for attaching and detaching any mask case by inserting and inserting one, and a mechanism capable of three-dimensional movement at the front part of the storage shelf 20 and attachment/detachment i1σ addition, and a mechanism capable of moving in three dimensions from the storage shelf 20 to the storage box 10. Take out the mask case, fit it into the attachment/detachment device 3n, and transport it to the original position of the storage box 10, where the attachment and detachment of the mask case has been completed. 40, and a photomask management computer blade which performs all the dialogue with the operator and manages photomask information, and also gives commands to the monitor 1/termination 30 to drive the transport device 40. Here, the storage box IO has an opening at the top as shown in FIG. 2, and has an internal VC? ll and t are elongated to accommodate the 141-piece mask cases 11 arranged in a row,
Furthermore, a push-up hole 12 for pushing up the mask case 11 separately is bored in the widthwise center of the bottom. Further, the storage shelf 20 is partitioned into, for example, four vertical stages and seven horizontal stages so that the cap box IO can be inserted into the hat box IO in its longitudinal direction. Next, the front part V between the attaching and detaching devices is provided with a storage box loading/unloading opening 1 through which the storage box 10 can be horizontally removed. Number of people wearing masks: 32. In addition, there is a 41st: A
As shown in FIG.
A push-up unit for increasing IQ is equipped with a device 1g34 force S, and a push-up table; The f8. An operation channel 33 having H[k is provided on the wall 11111 above the photomask inlet/outlet 32. The transport device 40 also includes a horizontal movement mechanism 42 that runs on rails 41 arranged on the floor, and a horizontal movement mechanism 42 that runs on rails 41 arranged on the floor.
On the other hand, it is further provided with a vertical and horizontal movement mechanism 113 which runs in the vertical direction and also runs in the horizontal direction in order to take the storage box 10 in and out of the storage shelf and the cutting device. On the other hand, Kamikomi Mask Goose 11 has 4
i11 within 1 time! Three bulges 14 are carved on each side of the I-mu and are formed to accommodate three 7-otomasks 13. The operation of the pre-dispensing embedding of the photomask configured as described above will be explained below. When you operate that key on the operation panel to specify the type and process, the photomask management computer opens.
searches the information stored inside, determines the location of the storage box 10 and mask case 1 in which the corresponding photomask 13 is stored, and moves the ) give commands to the computer. Next, the 1 transport unit 1@1 computer receives this command, drives and controls the transport device 40, and causes the storage box 10 containing all the specified photo masks to be stretched low for loading and unloading. Push up the mask case 11 containing all the masks. Here, the operator takes out the photomask 13 specified by the photomask management computer 50 from the pushed-up mask case 11. In this way, when the photomask has been taken out fc%, the storage box 10 is returned to its original position via the transport carriage 40 in the reverse order as described above. On the other hand, the storage of the seven otomasks 13 is performed in the same manner. In this way, every time the photomask 3 is taken in or taken out, the photomask philosophy computer section updates the photomask information corresponding to the photomask 13. Further, the photomask information is appropriately displayed on the external VC according to the instructions of the filing worker, and the information is transferred to the upper ISl computer as necessary. In this case, if a large number of photomasks used in the manufacture of semiconductor devices are sorted by the storage box IO according to the quality of the semiconductor device, and also by the mask case 11 for each same process, a series of photomasks can be stored. The photomask can be removed or stored in an extremely short time. Incidentally, if the transport device 40 is driven only after inputting the information necessary for managing the photomasks when taking them in and out, the photomasks can be managed reliably. [Effects of the Invention] As is clear from the explanation in Section 2 below, according to the uninvented photomask storage management device, the information for each stored photomask is automatically updated by the computer. In addition to enabling careful management without forgetting records or recording errors, the operator can put in and take out storage boxes and mask cases automatically by simply giving commands to the computer, allowing for quick and reliable putting in and out of storage boxes and mask cases. With the reduction in the amount of work, it is possible to reduce the amount of dust generated. Moreover, the space efficiency of the storage device can be increased by automating the storage and storage, and space saving in the clean room is promoted. On the other hand, if photomasks are divided into storage boxes for each semiconductor device selection, and one mask case is used for each same process, a series of photomasks can be The delivery and delivery of photomasks is significantly speeded up, and the delivery and delivery of each photomask can be managed.
Even if the product is used repeatedly, it has the excellent effect of making life management extremely easy.

[Brief explanation of drawings]

FIG. 11 is a +EI diagram showing the overall configuration of one embodiment of the photomask storage management device according to the present invention, and FIGS. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing the operation status of the construction cost elements of the four-km example.
tll 1 side view. 10...Storage box, 11...Mask case, ]3...
・Photomask, addition...storage shelf, 30...removal (
31... Storage box loading/unloading port, 32... Photomask loading/unloading port, O... Operation panel, Lifting device, 40... Conveying device, 41... Rail, 12
...Horizontal movement mechanism groove, 43...Vertical, horizontal movement mechanism, (
Photomask management computer Applicant's agent Inomata Amo 1 Figure 2 Figure 1 〆Figure 3 Figure 4

Claims (2)

[Claims] (1) Multiple storage boxes that store multiple mask cases,
a storage shelf on which these storage boxes are placed in rows and columns; an attachment/detachment device for attaching and detaching any of the mask cases fK by fully fitting one of the storage boxes; and an attachment/detachment device for attaching and detaching any of the mask cases fK; and taking out any of the storage boxes from the storage shelves; a transport device that inserts the storage box into the attachment/detachment device and places the storage box on the storage shelf at its original position; and a transfer device that specifies a specific photomask and attaches/detachs the mask case containing the photomask; What is claimed is: 1. A photomask storage management device, comprising: a computer that controls the movement of the transfer device and the attachment/detachment device so as to enable the transfer device and the attachment/detachment device, and also monitors the failure of each photomask. (2) The photomask according to claim 1, wherein the photomask is divided by the storage box for each type of semiconductor device, and for each same process, the photomask is divided by the mask case. Mask storage management device.