Photoresist management system

• US 7,451,935 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2005
• Issued: 11/18/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/12/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company Limited
• Inventors: Chang, I-Hui
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US11/179,313
• Publication Number:
  US 20060255138A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/492, 235/375, 700/231, 340/572.1
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67294 using identification means, e.g. labels on substrates or labels on containers

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a system and method for managing photoresist fabrication. In one example, the system includes a holder that can removably receive a chemical container. The system includes chemical supply structure associated with the holder and adapted to be coupled to a processing module, wherein when a chemical container is removably disposed in the holder the chemical supply structure can carry a chemical away from the chemical container. The system includes an identification (ID) reader associated with the holder, wherein when a chemical container is removably disposed in the holder the ID reader automatically communicates with a container ID unit associated with the chemical container. The system includes a control module coupled to the ID reader and adapted to be coupled to a processing module.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a holder that can removably receive a chemical container;

a chemical supply structure associated with the holder and adapted to be coupled to a semiconductor processing module, wherein when the chemical container is removably disposed in the holder, the chemical supply structure can carry a chemical away from the chemical container;

an identification (ID) reader associated with the holder, wherein when the chemical container is removably disposed in the holder the ID reader automatically communicates with a container ID unit associated with the chemical container; and

a control module coupled to the ID reader and adapted to be coupled to the semiconductor processing module; and

a network and database that communicates with the control module, wherein the database maintains chemical information including chemical versus holder table information, an ID reading schedule, current chemical content amount, chemical expiration date, and other chemical information.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the ID reader comprises a smart card reader.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the ID reader comprises a radio-frequency ID (RFID) receiver.

4. The system of claim 1 further comprising a bypass ID unit associated with the holder, wherein the bypass ID unit is configured to communicate with the ID reader in lieu of the container ID unit associated with the chemical container.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the ID reader is set up to read chemical information from the container ID unit according to a predefined schedule.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the ID reader is set up to read chemical type information from the container ID unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the ID reader is set up to write chemical information to the container ID unit according to a predefined schedule.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the ID reader is set up to write current chemical content volume of the chemical container to the container ID unit.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the container ID unit stores chemical information selected from the group consisting of chemical type, chemical content volume, chemical expiration date, and combinations thereof.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the network connection is used to communicate with other processing tools and other entities through a network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the control module is set up to generate an alarm if the container ID unit has a parameter out of range.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the control module is set up to generate an alarm if the chemical container has a chemical expiration date within a predefined time gap.

13. The system of claim 1 wherein the network connection that communicates with the control module comprises a virtual fab.

14. A method for managing chemical sources, comprising:

replacing a chemical container having a container identification (ID) unit associated therewith to a holder;

automatically reading chemical information from the container ID unit;

matching the chemical information to the holder;

repeating the replacing and reading if the matching is not acceptable;

monitoring the container ID unit to generate an alarm for a chemical replacement;

updating the container ID unit by writing back chemical content volume thereto; and

sharing the chemical information from the container ID unit with other manufacturing tools.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the automatically reading a container ID unit comprises reading chemical data selected from the group consisting of chemical type, chemical content volume, chemical expiration date, and combinations thereof.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the matching the chemical information comprises identifying chemical type in the chemical container.

17. The method of claim 14 further comprising reading tube information from a tube ID unit with an ID reader, wherein the tube ID unit is associated with a chemical tube to carry a chemical away from the chemical container.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the replacing a chemical container is initiated by an event selected from the group consisting of low chemical content volume, chemical expiration, an engineer request from a manufacturing execution system, and removal of the chemical container by a manufacturing personnel.