Device for controlling processing system, method for controlling processing system and computer-readable storage medium stored processing program

• US 8,055,378 B2
• Filed: 09/03/2008
• Issued: 11/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Numakura, Masahiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Crawford; Gene
• Assistant Examiner(s): CUMBESS, YOLANDA RENEE
• Application Number:
  US12/203,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20090076647A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 700/218
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4184 characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/31355 Fault, if one station defect, stop it, other stations take over
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32243 Rerouting parts
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/32297 Adaptive scheduling, feedback of actual proces progress to adapt schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45031 Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
• 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: Y02P 90/02 Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS]

Abstract

A processing system includes process modules, load lock modules, an equipment controller, and a machine controller. The equipment controller controls transfer and processing of wafers in the processing system. A transfer destination determining portion determines the transfer destination of each wafer such that each wafer is sequentially transferred to a normally operating process module. When an abnormality occurs in a process module, an evacuation portion temporarily evacuates to a cassette stage the wafer determined is to be transferred to the abnormal process module and that has not yet been transferred to the abnormal process module. When a new transfer destination of the evacuated wafer is determined, if a process that is performed immediately before processing the evacuated wafer in the processing module as the new transfer destination satisfies a predetermined condition, a transfer inhibition portion inhibits the transfer of the evacuated wafer to the new transfer destination.

Claims

1. A control device for a processing system, wherein the processing system includes a plurality of processing chambers in which a predetermined process is performed on an object to be processed, a storage port that stores objects to be processed, and a transfer mechanism that transfers each object to be processed to a predetermined transfer destination between the plurality of processing chambers and the storage port, wherein the control device comprises:

a transfer destination determining portion that determines a first transfer destination of each object to be processed that is stored in the storage port such that each object to be processed is sequentially transferred to a processing chamber that is operating normally among the plurality of processing chambers;

an evacuation portion that, when transfer of an object to be processed to one of the plurality of processing chambers is inhibited, temporarily evacuates the object to be processed that has been determined to be transferred to the processing chamber to which the transfer is inhibited and that has not yet been transferred to the processing chamber to which the transfer is inhibited; and

a transfer inhibition portion that, when the transfer destination determining portion determines a second transfer destination for the evacuated object to be processed, and upon determination that a process that is performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed in the second transfer destination satisfies a predetermined condition, inhibits the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed to the second transfer destination,

wherein, the predetermined condition to inhibit the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed includes a case when the inside of the processing chamber that is the first transfer destination has not been adjusted to a stable condition by the process performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed, and

wherein, the predetermined condition to inhibit the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed includes a case when the process immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed is not a cleaning process when the inside of the processing chamber that is the first transfer destination should be cleaned.

3. The control device for the processing system according to claim 1, wherein, the transfer destination determining portion determines the first transfer destination of the object to be processed, the transfer of which has been inhibited by the transfer inhibition portion, such that the object to be processed is transferred to one of the other processing chambers that are operating normally, or after waiting for recovery of the processing chamber in which an abnormality has occurred, the object to be processed is transferred to the recovered processing chamber.

4. The control device for the processing system according to claim 1, wherein

the processing system further includes a pre-processing chamber that connects, between each of the plurality of processing chambers and the transfer mechanism, each of the processing chambers and the transfer mechanism, and

when an object to be processed is transferred to the pre-processing chamber, the evacuation portion determines that the object to be processed is transferred to the processing chamber that is the first transfer destination.

5. The control device for the processing system according to claim 4, wherein, when an object to be processed for cleaning is transferred from the transfer mechanism to the pre-processing chamber, the transfer inhibition portion determines that the immediately preceding process performed in the processing chamber that is connected to the pre-processing chamber is a cleaning process.

6. The control device for the processing system according to claim 4, wherein, when an object to be processed for seasoning is transferred from the transfer mechanism to the pre-processing chamber, the transfer inhibition portion determines that the immediately preceding process performed in the processing chamber that is connected to the pre-processing chamber is a seasoning process.

7. The control device for the processing system according to claim 4, wherein, in accordance with a timing at which the object to be processed is transferred from the transfer mechanism to the pre-processing chamber, the transfer destination determining portion determines a first transfer destination of a next object to be processed that is stored in the storage port.

8. The control device for the processing system according to claim 1, wherein, in accordance with a timing at which the object to be processed is transferred from the storage port to the transfer mechanism, the transfer destination determining portion determines a first transfer destination of a next object to be processed that is stored in the storage port.

9. The control device for the processing system according to claim 1, wherein, during periodic maintenance of any one of the plurality of processing chambers, or when an abnormality occurs in any one of the processing chambers, the evacuation portion determines that the transfer of an object to be processed to the determined processing chambers is inhibited.

10. The control device for the processing system according to claim 1, wherein, the processing system is a system that processes one of a wafer and a substrate.

2. A control device for a processing system, wherein the processing system includes a plurality of processing chambers in which a predetermined process is performed on an object to be processed, a storage port that stores objects to be processed, and a transfer mechanism that transfers each object to be processed to a predetermined transfer destination between the plurality of processing chambers and the storage port, wherein the control device comprises:

a transfer destination determining portion that determines a first transfer destination of each object to be processed that is stored in the storage port such that each object to be processed is sequentially transferred to a processing chamber that is operating normally among the plurality of processing chambers;

an evacuation portion that, when transfer of an object to be processed to one of the plurality of processing chambers is inhibited, temporarily evacuates the object to be processed that has been determined to be transferred to the processing chamber to which the transfer is inhibited and that has not yet been transferred to the processing chamber to which the transfer is inhibited; and

a transfer inhibition portion that, when the transfer destination determining portion determines a second transfer destination for the evacuated object to be processed, and upon determination that a process that is performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed in the second transfer destination satisfies a predetermined condition, inhibits the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed to the second transfer destination,

wherein, the predetermined condition to inhibit the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed includes a case when the inside of the processing chamber that is the first transfer destination has not been adjusted to a stable condition by the process performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed, and

wherein, the predetermined condition to inhibit the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed includes a case when the process immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed is not a seasoning process when the inside of the processing chamber that is the first transfer destination after cleaning should be seasoned.

11. A control device for a processing system, wherein the processing system includes a plurality of processing chambers in which a predetermined process is performed on an object to be processed, a storage port that stores objects to be processed, and a transfer mechanism to transfer each object to be processed to a predetermined transfer destination between the plurality of processing chambers and the storage port, wherein the control device comprises:

a transfer destination determining portion that determines a first transfer destination of each object to be processed that is stored in the storage port such that each object to be processed is sequentially transferred to a processing chamber that is operating normally among the plurality of processing chambers;

an evacuation portion that, when transfer of an object to be processed to one of the plurality of processing chambers is inhibited, temporarily evacuates the object to be processed that has been determined to be transferred to the processing chamber to which the transfer is inhibited and that has not yet been transferred to the processing chamber to which the transfer is inhibited; and

a transfer inhibition portion that, when the transfer destination determining portion determines a second transfer destination for the evacuated object to be processed, and upon determination that a process that is performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed in the second transfer destination satisfies a predetermined condition, inhibits the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed to the second transfer destination,

wherein, the predetermined condition to inhibit the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed includes a case when the inside of the processing chamber that is the first transfer destination has been adjusted to receive a lot next to a lot including the evacuated object to be processed by the process performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed.

12. The control device for the processing system according to claim 11, wherein, the predetermined condition to inhibit the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed includes a case when the inside of the processing chamber that is the first transfer destination has been adjusted to receive the next lot by a cleaning process performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed.

13. The control device for the processing system according to claim 11, wherein, the predetermined condition to inhibit the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed includes a case when the inside of the processing chamber that is the first transfer destination has been adjusted to receive the next lot by a seasoning process performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed.

14. A control method for a processing system, wherein the processing system includes a plurality of processing chambers in which a predetermined process is performed on an object to be processed, a storage port that stores objects to be processed, and a transfer mechanism that transfers each object to be processed to a predetermined transfer destination among the plurality of processing chambers and the storage port, the control method comprising the steps of:

determining a first transfer destination of each object to be processed that is stored in the storage port such that each object to be processed is sequentially transferred to a processing chamber that is operating normally among the plurality of processing chambers;

temporarily evacuating, when transfer of an object to be processed to one of the plurality of processing chambers is inhibited, the object to be processed that it has been determined is to be transferred to the processing chamber to which the transfer is inhibited and that has not yet been transferred to the processing chamber to which the transfer is inhibited;

determining a second transfer destination for the evacuated object to be processed; and

inhibiting the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed to the second transfer destination, if a process that is performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed in the second transfer destination satisfies a predetermined condition,

wherein, the predetermined condition to inhibit the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed includes a case when the inside of the processing chamber that is the transfer destination has not been adjusted to a stable condition by the process performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed, and

wherein, the predetermined condition to inhibit the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed includes a case when the process immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed is not a cleaning process when the inside of the processing chamber that is the first transfer destination should be cleaned.

15. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium having instructions stored therein, which when executed by a processor in a control device for a processing system causes the control device to execute a method for controlling the processing system, wherein the processing system includes a plurality of processing chambers in which a predetermined process is performed on an object to be processed, a storage port that stores objects to be processed, and a transfer mechanism that transfers each object to be processed to a predetermined transfer destination among the plurality of processing chambers and the storage port, the method comprising:

determining a first transfer destination of each object to be processed that is stored in the storage port such that each object to be processed is sequentially transferred to a processing chamber that is operating normally among the plurality of processing chambers;

temporarily evacuating, when transfer of an object to be processed to one of the plurality of processing chambers is inhibited, the object to be processed that has been determined to be transferred to the processing chamber to which the transfer is inhibited and that has not yet been transferred to the processing chamber to which the transfer is inhibited;

determining a second transfer destination for the evacuated object to be processed; and

inhibiting the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed to the second transfer destination, if a process that is performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed in the second transfer destination satisfies a predetermined condition

wherein, the predetermined condition to inhibit the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed includes a case when the inside of the processing chamber that is the transfer destination has not been adjusted to a stable condition by the process performed immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed, and

wherein, the predetermined condition to inhibit the transfer of the evacuated object to be processed includes a case when the process immediately before processing the evacuated object to be processed is not a cleaning process when the inside of the processing chamber that is the first transfer destination should be cleaned.