Operating method of vacuum processing system and vacuum processing system

• US 6,714,832 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2000
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Okiguchi, Shoji, Ikuhara, Shoji, Joo, Kazuhiro, Nishihata, Kouji, Tahara, Tetsuya
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatri, Anil
• Assistant Examiner(s): PHAM, THOMAS K
• Application Number:
  US09/535,753
• Time in Patent Office: 1,464 Days
• Field of Search: 414/939, 414/935, 29/250.1, 438/905, 438/5, 702/128, 702/185, 702/35, 700/21, 700/121, 700/108, 700/109, 700/110, 340/537
• US Class Current: 700/121
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67276 Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput program-control systems per se G05B19/00, e.g. total factory control G05B19/418
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67745 characterized by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/135 Associated with semiconductor wafer handling
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/139 including wafer charging or discharging means for vacuum chamber
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 414/14 Wafer cassette transporting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 438/905 Cleaning of reaction chamber

Abstract

A method of operating a vacuum processing system including a plurality of processing units for processing wafers, a transferring unit for carrying the wafers and a control unit for controlling the processing units and the transferring unit. At least two of the plurality of processing units are connected to the transferring unit and wafers are processed using the processing units. The method includes the steps of judging whether each of the processing units is operable or inoperable, isolating inoperable ones of the processing units judged in the judging step from wafer processing, carrying wafers to operable ones of the processing units using the transferring unit and processing the wafers using only the operable processing units.

Claims

1. A method of operating a vacuum processing system, including a plurality of processing units arranged in at least two groups in accordance with each of a plurality of recipes according to a preset recipe relation, for processing wafers, each of said at least two groups having at least two of said processing units therein, one transferring unit for carrying the wafers from a plurality of cassettes and a control unit for controlling said processing units and said one transferring unit, wherein said at least two groups of processing units are connected to said one transferring unit and at least one of the wafers is processed using said at least two groups of said processing units according to the preset recipe relation, said method comprising the steps of:

judging whether each of said plurality of processing units of said at least two groups is in a operable condition or an inoperable condition;

separating inoperable ones of said processing units of said at least two groups judged in said judging step;

carrying wafers into operable ones of the respective groups of said processing units using said one transferring unit;

performing an automatic operation for wafer processing in accordance with the recipe therefor using only said operable processing units of the respective group; and

interlocking said separated inoperable processing units from the outside for subjecting them to maintenance work.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said processing units of one of the at least two groups perform processing of said wafers which is different from the processing of said wafers performed by said processing units of another of said at least two groups.

3. A method of operating a vacuum processing system, including a plurality of processing units disposed on a maintenance room side for processing wafers, one transferring unit provided for said processing units for carrying the wafers at least one of to and from a plurality of cassettes disposed on a clean room side, and at least one of to and from said processing units in accordance with each of a plurality of recipes, and a control apparatus for controlling each of said processing units and said one transferring unit, said control apparatus including a main control unit disposed on said clean room side for remote controlling said processing units and an auxiliary control unit disposed in said maintenance room side near said processing units, wherein at least two groups of processing units having at least two of said processing units therein are connected to said one transferring unit, and the wafers are processed using said at least two groups of processing units which have a preset recipe relation for said wafers, said method comprising the steps of:

judging whether each of said processing units of said at least two groups is in an operable condition or an inoperable condition;

isolating inoperable ones of said processing units of the respective groups judged in said judging step from wafer processing;

carrying wafers to operable ones of said processing units of the respective groups using said one transferring unit;

processing said wafers in accordance with the recipe therefor using only said operable processing units of the respective groups; and

performing maintenance work of said isolated inoperable ones of said processing units during said processing of said wafers while shifting operation controllability right of said isolated inoperable ones of said processing units from said main control unit to said auxiliary control unit.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein said processing units of one of the at least two groups perform processing of said wafers which is different from the processing of said wafers performed by said processing units of another of said at least two groups.

5. A method of operating a vacuum processing system, including a plurality of processing units disposed on a maintenance room side and arranged in at least two groups in accordance with each of a plurality of recipes according to preset recipe relation for processing wafers, each of said at least two groups having at least two of said processing units therein, one transferring unit provided in each of said processing units for carrying the wafers, and a control apparatus for controlling each of said processing units and said one transferring unit, said control apparatus including a main control unit disposed on a clean room side for remote controlling said processing units and an auxiliary control unit disposed in said maintenance room side near said processing units, wherein said at least two groups of said processing units are connected to said one transferring unit, and the wafers are processed using said at least two groups of said processing units which have the preset recipe relation therefor, said method comprising the steps of:

selecting processing units from said plurality of processing units of said at least two groups for processing wafers in accordance with the preset recipe relation for the wafers and states of said processing units;

carrying wafers into said selected processing units using said one transferring unit;

performing an automatic operation for wafer processing using said selected processing units of said at least two groups; and

interlocking non-selected processing units from said plurality of processing units of said at least two groups from the outside and performing maintenance work thereon.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the step of interlocking said non-selected processing units of said at least two groups from the outside and performing maintenance work thereon includes shifting operation controllability right of said non-selected processing units from said main control unit to said auxiliary control unit.

7. A method according to claim 5, wherein said processing units of one of the at least two groups perform processing of said wafers which is different from the processing of said wafers performed by said processing units of another of said at least two groups.

8. A vacuum processing system, including a plurality of processing units disposed on a maintenance room side and arranged in at least two groups in accordance with each of a plurality of recipes according to preset recipe relation for processing wafers, each of said at least two groups having at least two of said processing units therein, one transferring unit provided for said at least two groups of said processing units for carrying the wafers and a control apparatus for controlling each of said processing units and said one transferring unit, said control apparatus including a main control unit disposed on a clean room side for remote controlling said processing units and an auxiliary control unit disposed in said maintenance room side near said processing units, wherein said at least two groups of said processing units are connected to said one transferring unit, and the wafers are processed using said at least two groups of processing units in accordance with the preset recipe relation, said vacuum processing system comprising:

a processing order information storing means for storing a processing order information of said wafers in said vacuum processing system in accordance with the preset recipe relation therefor;

an operational information signal generating means for generating operational information signal indicating operable/inoperable state of said processing units of said at least two groups;

a processing system control means for adjusting said processing order information and said operational information signal, isolating inoperable ones of said processing units of said at least two groups and processing said wafers using only said operable processing units of said at least two groups based on said information in accordance with the preset recipe relation;

wherein, while performing maintenance work of said isolated inoperable ones of said processing units during said processing said wafers, shifting operation controllability right of said isolated inoperable ones of said processing units from said main control unit to said auxiliary control unit.

9. A method according to claim 8, wherein said processing units of one of the at least two groups perform processing of said wafers which is different from the processing of said wafers performed by said processing units of another of said at least two groups.