Apparatus and method for controlling semiconductor manufacturing system utilizing recycled wafers

• US 6,593,154 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2002
• Issued: 07/15/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Renesas Electronics Corporation, Ryoden Semiconductor System Engineering Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha (Mitsubishi Electric Corporation), Ryoden Semiconductor System Engineering Corporation
• Inventors: Watanabe, Toshiyuki, Sato, Yasuhiro, Otani, Masaki, Inobe, Takamasa, Marume, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Niebling, John F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): LUK, OLIVIA T
• Application Number:
  US10/095,040
• Publication Number:
  US 20030009256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 490 Days
• Field of Search: 438/14, 438/15, 438/16, 438/692, 356/394, 700/121, 700/100, 700/112, 118/678
• US Class Current: 438/14
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 22/20 Sequence of activities consisting of a plurality of measurements, corrections, marking or sorting steps

Abstract

A method of process control includes the steps of preparing recycling procedure data for each type of film formed on a wafer by diffusion processing, setting a recycle control number for controlling recycling processing based on the recycling procedure data, and outputting a recycling instruction to the recycling apparatus when the prescribed number of non-product wafers are accumulated and when an accept request is received from the recycling apparatus.

Claims

1. A process control apparatus for controlling a semiconductor manufacturing system including a processing apparatus for batch-processing a prescribed number of wafers at once and a recycling apparatus for recycling wafers processed by said processing apparatus, wherein said processing apparatus processes said wafers based on a predetermined processing condition, and said prescribed number of wafers include product wafers and non-product wafers, and said recycling apparatus recycles said non-product wafers, and the recycled wafers are repeatedly processed by said processing apparatus,

said process control apparatus comprising:

a communication circuit for communicating with said processing apparatus and said recycling apparatus;

a storage circuit for storing recycling processing procedure corresponding to said processing condition;

a detection circuit connected to said communication circuit for detecting non-product wafers included in the processed wafers when the batch-processing by said processing apparatus is completed; and

an instructing circuit connected to said communication circuit, said storage circuit, and said detection circuit for instructing said recycling apparatus to perform recycling processing on the detected non-product wafers based on the recycling processing procedure corresponding to the processing condition that was used when said non-product wafers were processed by said processing apparatus.

2. The process control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a counting circuit for counting a number of times said non-product wafers are processed by said processing apparatus; and

a control circuit connected to said detection circuit and said counting circuit for controlling said instructing circuit to interrupt said instruction when a number of times the detected non-product wafers are processed exceeds a predetermined number of times.

3. The process control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said processing apparatus is a diffusion apparatus, and said processing condition is determined for each type of film generated on the wafers in said diffusion apparatus.

4. The process control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said processing apparatus is a diffusion apparatus, and said non-product wafers include dummy wafers for filling a number of wafers processed in said diffusion apparatus to said prescribed number and monitor wafers for inspecting a result of processing by said diffusion apparatus.

5. The process control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

said recycling apparatus batch-processes a prescribed number of wafers at once, said semiconductor manufacturing system further includes a stocking unit disposed between said processing apparatus and said recycling apparatus, and said stocking unit stocks a prescribed number of wafers required for processing in said recycling apparatus, and

said communication circuit includes a circuit for communicating with said stocking unit as well as with said processing apparatus and said recycling apparatus,

said process control apparatus further comprising:

a stocking unit control circuit connected to said communication circuit for controlling said stocking unit to discharge said non-product wafers to said recycling apparatus from said stocking unit when a prescribed number of the non-product wafers required for processing in said recycling apparatus are stocked.

6. The process control apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising:

a reception circuit connected to said communication circuit for receiving an accept request from said recycling apparatus, wherein

said stocking unit control circuit includes a circuit for controlling said stocking unit to discharge said non-product wafers to said recycling apparatus from said stocking unit when the prescribed number of non-product wafer required for processing in said recycling apparatus are stocked and when said reception circuit receives said accept request from said recycling apparatus.

7. A process control apparatus for controlling a semiconductor manufacturing system including a processing apparatus for batch-processing a prescribed number of wafers at once and a recycling apparatus for recycling wafers processed by said processing apparatus, wherein said processing apparatus processes said wafers based on a predetermined processing condition, and said prescribed number of wafers include product wafers and non-product wafers, and said recycling apparatus recycles said non-product wafers, and the recycled wafers are repeatedly processed by said processing apparatus,

said process control apparatus comprising:

communication means for communicating with said processing apparatus and said recycling apparatus;

storage means for storing recycling processing procedure corresponding to said processing condition;

detection means connected to said communication means for detecting non-product wafers included in the processed wafers when the batch-processing by said processing apparatus is completed; and

instructing means connected to said communication means, said storage means, and said detection means for instructing said recycling apparatus to perform recycling processing on the detected non-product wafers based on the recycling processing procedure corresponding to the processing condition used when said non-product wafers were processed by said processing apparatus.

8. The process control apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

counting means for counting a number of times said non-product wafers are processed by said processing apparatus; and

control means connected to said detection means and said counting means for controlling said instructing means to interrupt said instruction when a number of times the detected non-product wafers are processed exceeds a predetermined number of times.

9. The process control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said processing apparatus is a diffusion apparatus, and said processing condition is determined for each type of film generated on the wafers in said diffusion apparatus.

10. The process control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said processing apparatus is a diffusion apparatus, and said non-product wafers include dummy wafers for filling a number of wafers processed in said diffusion apparatus to said prescribed number and monitor wafers for inspecting a result of processing by said diffusion apparatus.

11. The process control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein

said recycling apparatus batch-processes a prescribed number of wafers at once, said semiconductor manufacturing system further includes a stocking unit disposed between said processing apparatus and said recycling apparatus, and said stocking unit stocks a prescribed number of wafers required for processing in said recycling apparatus, and

said communication means includes means for communicating with said stocking unit as well as with said processing apparatus and said recycling apparatus,

said process control apparatus further comprising:

stocking unit control means connected to said communication means for controlling said stocking unit to discharge said non-product wafers to said recycling apparatus from said stocking unit when a prescribed number of the non-product wafers required for processing in said recycling apparatus are stocked.

12. The process control apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising:

reception means connected to said communication means for receiving an accept request from said recycling apparatus, wherein

said stocking unit control means includes means for controlling said stocking unit to discharge said non-product wafers to said recycling apparatus from said stocking unit when the prescribed number of non-product wafer required for processing in said recycling apparatus are stocked and when said reception means receives said accept request from said recycling apparatus.