Arrangements for creating wafer movement control macros

• US 8,639,381 B2
• Filed: 02/24/2010
• Issued: 01/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Original Assignee: Lam Research Corporation
• Inventors: Thorgrimsson, Christopher Fryer
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess, Ramya
• Application Number:
  US12/712,101
• Publication Number:
  US 20100152888A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,434 Days
• Field of Search: 700/214, 700/121, 700/228
• US Class Current: 700/214
• 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

Abstract

An arrangement for creating a set of wafer transfer instructions configured to transfer a wafer between an origination wafer-holding location and a destination wafer-holding location in a plasma cluster tool is provided. The arrangement includes means for receiving a first user-provided location indicator and a second user-provided location indicator on an on-screen graphical representation of the plasma cluster tool. The arrangement also includes means for ascertaining data pertaining to a set of paths between the first user-provided location indicator and the second user-provided location indicator. The arrangement further includes means for forming the set of wafer transfer instructions responsive to the data pertaining to the set of paths, the set of wafer transfer instructions being configured to transfer the wafer along a set of wafer-holding locations associated with one of the set of paths.

Claims

1. An arrangement for creating a set of wafer transfer instructions configured to transfer a wafer between an origination wafer-holding location and a destination wafer-holding location in a plasma cluster tool, said plasma cluster tool having a plurality of wafer-holding locations, comprising:

means for receiving a first user-provided location indicator and a second user-provided location indicator, said first user-provided location indicator graphically identifying said origination wafer-holding location on an on-screen graphical representation of said plasma cluster tool, said second user-provided location indicator graphically identifying said destination wafer-holding location on said on-screen graphical representation of said plasma cluster tool;

means for ascertaining data pertaining to a set of paths between said first user-provided location indicator and said second user-provided location indicator; and

means for forming said set of wafer transfer instructions responsive to said data pertaining to said set of paths, said set of wafer transfer instructions being configured to transfer said wafer along a set of wafer-holding locations associated with one of said set of paths.

2. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said data pertaining to said set of paths is ascertained using a “

breadth-first”

traversal algorithm.

3. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said set of wafer transfer instructions represents a set of macros.

4. The arrangement of claim 2 wherein said “

breadth-first”

traversal algorithm is configured to select the shortest path to create said set of wafer instructions if said set of paths includes more than one path.

5. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said first user-provided location indicator and said second user-provided location indicator are indicated by a user using drag-and-drop operations on said graphical representation of said plasma cluster tool.

6. The arrangement of claim 1 wherein said set of paths traverses at least one other wafer-holding location other than said first user-provided location and said second user-provided location.

7. The arrangement of claim 6 further including

means for determining whether a first wafer-holding location of said at least one other wafer-holding location is able to accept said wafer;

and

means for flagging said first wafer-holding location, wherein said means for flagging excludes said first wafer-holding location from being part of said set of paths.

8. The arrangement of claim 7 wherein said first wafer-holding location represents a given node of a given module in said plasma cluster tool.

9. An arrangement for creating a set of wafer transfer instructions configured to transfer a wafer between an origination wafer-holding location and a destination wafer-holding location in a plasma cluster tool, said arrangement comprising:

a set of sensors for determining said origination wafer-holding location, wherein said origination wafer-holding location being the current location of a first wafer;

means for automatically ascertaining said destination wafer-holding location;

means for ascertaining data pertaining to a set of paths between said origination wafer-holding location indicator and said destination wafer-holding location, further including means for using a sensor associated with a first wafer-holding location to report said first-wafer holding location as unsuitable for accepting said wafer;

means for flagging at least said first wafer-holding location of said plasma cluster tool as being excludable; and

means for excluding said first wafer-holding location from a list of nodes used for forming said set of paths; and

means for automatically forming said set of wafer transfer instructions responsive to said data pertaining to said set of paths, said set of wafer transfer instructions being configured to transfer said wafer along one of said set of paths to said destination wafer-holding location.

10. The arrangement of claim 9 wherein said path traverses at least one other wafer-holding location other than said origination wafer-holding location and said destination wafer-holding location, said data pertaining to said set of paths including identities of wafer-holding locations between said origination wafer-holding location and said destination wafer-holding locations.

11. The arrangement of claim 9 wherein said means for ascertaining said data pertaining to said set of paths employs a “

breadth-first”

traversal algorithm.

12. The arrangement of claim 11 wherein said “

breadth-first”

traversal algorithm is configured to select the shortest path to create said set of wafer instructions if said set of paths includes more than one path.

13. The arrangement of claim 9 wherein said set of wafer transfer instructions represents a set of macros.

14. An arrangement for creating a set of wafer transfer instructions configured to transfer a wafer between an origination wafer-holding location and a destination wafer-holding location in a plasma cluster tool, said plasma cluster tool having a plurality of wafer-holding locations, comprising:

means for receiving, using at least an on-screen graphical representation of said plasma cluster tool, a first user-provided location indicator and a second user-provided location indicator;

means for ascertaining data pertaining to a set of paths between said first user-provided location indicator and a second user-provided location indicator; and

means for forming said set of wafer transfer instructions responsive to said data pertaining to said set of paths, said set of wafer transfer instructions being configured to transfer said wafer along a set of wafer-holding locations associated with said set of paths.

15. The arrangement of claim 14 wherein said data pertaining to said set of paths employs a “

breadth-first”

traversal algorithm.

16. The arrangement of claim 14 wherein said set of wafer transfer instructions represents a set of macros.

17. The arrangement of claim 15 wherein said “

breadth-first”

traversal algorithm is configured to select the shortest path to create said set of wafer instructions if said set of paths includes more than one path.

18. The arrangement of claim 14 wherein said first user-provided location indicator and said second user-provided location indicator are indicated by a user using drag-and-drop operations on said on-screen graphical representation of said plasma cluster tool.

19. The arrangement of claim 14 wherein said set of paths traverses at least one other wafer-holding location other than said first user-provided location and said second user-provided location.

20. The arrangement of claim 19 further including

means for determining whether a first wafer-holding location of said at least one other wafer-holding location is able to accept said wafer;

and

means for nagging said first wafer-holding location, wherein said means for flagging excludes said first wafer-holding location from being part of said set of paths.