WO2011136430A1

WO2011136430A1 - Method for detecting event error of semiconductor equipment and semiconductor equipment control system using same

Info

Publication number: WO2011136430A1
Application number: PCT/KR2010/003401
Authority: WO
Inventors: 백원인; 이건우; 이헌주; 김원범; 황정호
Original assignee: 주식회사 미라콤아이앤씨
Priority date: 2010-04-26
Filing date: 2010-05-28
Publication date: 2011-11-03
Also published as: KR20110118927A; KR101145804B1

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for detecting an event error of semiconductor equipment, and a semiconductor equipment control system using the same. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for detecting an event error of semiconductor equipment and a semiconductor equipment control system using the same, in which: an event error relative to an event generated from the semiconductor equipment is automatically detected to automatically grasp a sign of abnormality of the semiconductor equipment in real time; and measures corresponding thereto are quickly taken to monitor and control, in advance, big accidents which may occur during a semiconductor process.

Description

Error detection method of semiconductor equipment event and semiconductor equipment control system using same

The present invention relates to a semiconductor equipment event error detection method and a semiconductor equipment control system using the same. More specifically, the semiconductor equipment event error detection method for detecting and monitoring the abnormality of the semiconductor equipment in real time and quickly taking a corresponding action, so as to proactively monitor and control the mass accidents that may occur in the semiconductor process; The present invention relates to a semiconductor facility control system using the same.

Since 300mm semiconductors that emerged after 200mm semiconductors have become larger in size, it is difficult for operators to carry them by hand, which increases the demand for automation, and the cost of wafers is higher than that of 200mm semiconductors. If a problem occurs in the wafer due to the problem of the chip maker (Chip Maker) is a huge loss occurs in reality.

Therefore, since the part that detects whether the semiconductor equipment is operating normally or has a problem in the semiconductor equipment is directly related to the productivity of the semiconductor factory, it is necessary to quickly detect which semiconductor equipment has any problem. It will be necessary.

However, in the case of semiconductor factories, a large number of semiconductor equipments are operating, and many semiconductor equipments may cause various abnormalities which may be unknown, and may also reach hundreds due to the limited number of people who manage the semiconductor equipment. The reality is that it is impossible to check whether there are problems with many semiconductor devices. Even if the inspection of the semiconductor equipment takes too much time, it may not be able to respond quickly to the problematic semiconductor equipment in a timely manner, which may cause a mass accident in the semiconductor production.

In this context, it is an object of the present invention to automatically monitor and control a large number of accidents that may occur in a semiconductor process by automatically detecting real-time signs of abnormalities in semiconductor equipment and quickly taking corresponding measures. .

In order to achieve the above object, in one aspect, the invention stores the operation scenario data defining the operating scenario of the semiconductor equipment, and based on the defined operating scenario, defining one or more events occurring in the semiconductor equipment An automation management server storing event association data defining an association between event data and the one or more events; And storing action data defining actions to be performed when an event error is detected for each event error type, and whenever the event is received from the semiconductor device, the defined operation scenario, the defined event, and the defined event association. A semiconductor equipment control system including an event detection server detecting whether an event error related to the received event is generated based on one or more of the relationships, and performing a corresponding action defined in the action data when the event error is detected. To provide.

In another aspect, the present invention provides a method for a semiconductor equipment control system to detect an event error for a semiconductor equipment, the method comprising: storing operation scenario data defining an operating scenario of the semiconductor equipment; Storing event correlation data defining event relationships defining one or more events occurring in the semiconductor device and the one or more events based on the defined operation scenarios; Storing action data defining actions to be performed when event errors are detected for each event error type; Whenever an event is received from the semiconductor device, detecting whether an event error related to the received event is generated based on at least one of the defined operation scenario, the defined event, and the defined event correlation; And performing a corresponding action defined in the action data when it is detected that the event error has occurred.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to detect and monitor the abnormality of the semiconductor equipment in real time and to take a corresponding action promptly so that it is possible to proactively monitor and control the mass accidents that may occur in the semiconductor process. have.

1 is a diagram illustrating a semiconductor facility control system according to an exemplary embodiment.

2 is an exemplary view illustrating an event error detection method of a semiconductor device according to an embodiment.

3 is an exemplary diagram illustrating an event error detection procedure and message transfer according to a semiconductor device according to an embodiment.

4 is a flowchart illustrating a method for detecting an event error of a semiconductor device according to an exemplary embodiment.

Hereinafter, some embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail through exemplary drawings. In adding reference numerals to the components of each drawing, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components as much as possible even though they are shown in different drawings. In addition, in describing the present invention, when it is determined that the detailed description of the related well-known configuration or function may obscure the gist of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted.

In addition, in describing the component of this invention, terms, such as 1st, 2nd, A, B, (a), (b), can be used. These terms are only for distinguishing the components from other components, and the nature, order or order of the components are not limited by the terms. If a component is described as being "connected", "coupled" or "connected" to another component, that component may be directly connected to or connected to that other component, but there may be another configuration between each component. It is to be understood that the elements may be "connected", "coupled" or "connected".

1 is a diagram illustrating a semiconductor facility control system 100 according to an exemplary embodiment.

The semiconductor equipment control system 100 according to the exemplary embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 manages and controls the state or operation of the semiconductor equipment 101 required in a semiconductor production process, and takes necessary measures when a problem occurs in the semiconductor equipment 101. System. The semiconductor facility 101 is also called semiconductor equipment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor equipment control system 100 includes an automation management server 110, an event detection server 120, and the like.

The automation management server 110 stores operation scenario data defining an operation scenario of the semiconductor facility 101 in a database, and based on the operation scenario defined in the operation scenario data, one or more events occurring in the semiconductor facility 101. Manage and manage event association data that defines the relationship between the event data that defines and one or more events.

The event detection server 120 stores action data defining actions to be performed when event errors are detected for each event error type, and defines predefined operation scenarios and definitions each time an event is received from the semiconductor device 101. Detects whether an event error related to the received event occurs based on one or more of the defined event and the defined event association. If an event error is detected, the corresponding action defined in the previously stored action data is performed.

The above-mentioned event refers to information related to the semiconductor processing process or the state and operation of the semiconductor equipment 101, which the semiconductor equipment 101 proceeds in a semiconductor cooperative work, and the semiconductor equipment control system 100 includes the semiconductor equipment 101. In order to control and manage the semiconductor processing process, the semiconductor facility 101 should inform the semiconductor facility control system 100 of such an event periodically or aperiodically. As such, in the process (uploading) of each semiconductor device 101 transmitting its own event to the semiconductor device control system 100, an event related to a predefined operation scenario from the semiconductor device 101 is transmitted to the semiconductor device control system. There may be a case that does not rise to (100) or rises differently, which means that the semiconductor equipment 101 has internally failed, which may cause problems in the semiconductor processing process. In the semiconductor production process, the detection of the problematic semiconductor equipment 101 and the inspection and measures of which problems are contained in which semiconductor equipment 101 after the occurrence of the problem are very important items in the semiconductor production process. For this reason, the semiconductor equipment control system 100 detects events coming up from each semiconductor facility 101 in advance by defining events and relationships between the events coming up from each semiconductor facility 101 in advance, and whether there are any missing events. It is to detect an event error such as whether there is an event that went wrong. In order to define what kind of events are in these events in the event data, to manage and control the semiconductor equipment 101 and to detect the occurrence of a problem, the semiconductor equipment 101 and the semiconductor equipment control system 100 perform these events. The data is shared and stored.

In addition, the relationship between the above-mentioned events, the relationship between the event transmitted from the semiconductor device 101, that is, before and after a specific event which event is transferred from the semiconductor device 101 to the event detection server 120. Information related to this information is defined as event association data. The event correlation data, like the event data, also stores and shares the event data by the semiconductor facility 101 and the semiconductor facility control system 100 in order to manage and control the semiconductor facility 101 and detect a problem occurrence. Doing.

In addition, the above-mentioned action performed when detecting an event error for each event error type means an action that the semiconductor equipment control system 100 should perform on the detected event error when the event error is detected. The data defining the action is the action data mentioned above.

The action defined in this action data may vary depending on the type of event error detected (event error type). For example, some event error types store only information about the event error, some event error types generate a beep, some event error types send a warning message, and in some event error types, 101 may be taken, or a combination of two or more of the foregoing.

When the event detection server 120 detects that an event error has occurred, the event detection server 120 stores the contents of the event error in an internal or other device or a database, or alarms the event error (e.g., generates a warning sound or a warning). Send a message to an administrator, or the like, or send an Interlock command message to the semiconductor device 101 to the semiconductor device 101 to stop the semiconductor device 101.

As shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor facility control system 100 may further include an automation server 130 that delivers events and interlock commands between the event detection server 120 and the semiconductor facility 101. . As such, when the automation server 130 is further included, the event detection server 120 may detect an event error and the automation server 130 may perform an action according to the detected event error.

The above-described automation management server 110 detects one or more events occurring in the semiconductor device 101 from the semiconductor device 101 and the required events that must be transmitted from the semiconductor device 101 to the event detection server 120. Event data defined by classifying general events that do not necessarily need to be transmitted to the server 120 may be stored.

Accordingly, when the event detection server 120 receives an event from the semiconductor device 101, the event detection server 120 checks whether the received event is a required event or a general event, and when the event is a required event, a predefined operation scenario and a predefined event. The occurrence of an event error related to the received event may be detected based on one or more of an event and a predefined event association.

In addition, when the event detection server 120 receives an event from the semiconductor device 101, the event detection server 120 checks whether the received event is a required event or a general event, and if the event is a required event, an event ID (CEID: Collected) of the received event. ID) to determine whether the identified event ID is appropriate based on the event correlation or operation scenario defined in the event correlation data, thereby detecting whether an event error related to the received event has occurred.

The event detection server 120 detects whether an event error related to the received event has occurred, and if it is detected that an event error has occurred, determines the event error type of the event error, and determines the event error type according to the detected event error type. You can perform the corresponding actions that you define.

Here, the event error type is a first type corresponding to the case where the event detection server 120 receives a content or an event ID different from the event ID or an event ID that the event detection server 120 receives from the semiconductor device 101, and the event. The second type corresponding to the case where the event that the detection server 120 should receive from the semiconductor facility 101 is missing, and the order of the events that the event detection server 120 receives from the semiconductor facility 101 It may include one or more of the third type corresponding to the changed case.

The event detection server 120 further includes a state change of the semiconductor facility 101, a wafer movement in the semiconductor facility 101, an alert occurrence in the semiconductor facility 101, and an operation of the semiconductor facility 101. An event may be received from the semiconductor facility 101 at one or more of the start, progress, and end of the facility process.

The semiconductor facility 101 illustrated in FIG. 1 may be a semiconductor facility of 300 mm or more. Accordingly, the automation management server 110 may include SECS (SEMI Equipment Communications Standard) protocol, GEM (Generic model for communications and control of Manufactuing). Operation of the semiconductor equipment 101 of 300 mm or more defined by the Semiconductor Standards Association (eg, SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International), etc.) using semiconductor protocols such as equipment protocols and high-speed SECS message services (HSMS) protocols. You can save operation scenario data that defines a scenario.

Meanwhile, the semiconductor device 101 illustrated in FIG. 1 may be a semiconductor device of one or more types of a fixed buffer type and an internal buffer type. Accordingly, the automation management server 110 may store operation scenario data defining an operation scenario of the semiconductor device 101 of one or more types of the fixed buffer type and the internal buffer type.

Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 1, the semiconductor facility control system 100 is a production inquiry managing client 140, such as a computer or a terminal for inquiring an event occurring in the semiconductor facility 101, and a semiconductor production process. Management system 150 may be further included.

As exemplarily shown in FIG. 1, when a message, data, or information is exchanged between devices, a Hypertext Transfer Protocol / (Simple Object Access Protocol) protocol, SECS / HSMS (SEMI Equipment) Communications Standard / High-speed SECS Message Services) protocol.

2 is a diagram illustrating an event error detection method of a semiconductor device 101 according to an exemplary embodiment.

In FIG. 2, a specific semiconductor device 101 generates nine events including five mandatory events (mandatory event 1, mandatory event 2, ..., mandatory event 5) and four general events. It is assumed that five mandatory events among the four events must be transmitted to the event detection server 120 in the order of mandatory event 1, mandatory event 2, mandatory event 3, mandatory event 4, and mandatory event 5.

In addition, in FIG. 2, among the required events 1, the required events 2, the required events 3, the required events 4, and the required events 5 that occur in order in the specific semiconductor equipment 101, the required event 2 is not transmitted from the specific semiconductor equipment 101. It is the case that the required event 2 is not received by the event detection server 120 because it is not lost or lost during transmission.

In this case, the event detection server 120 may confirm that the required event 2 is missing based on the association between the predefined events, detect this situation as an event error, and as an action, interlock By sending a command to a specific semiconductor device 101 and transmitting information (mandatory event 2 missing information) related to an action for warning an event error detection to the specific semiconductor device 101 through the automation server 130. The operation of the semiconductor device 101 is stopped and a warning sound or the like is generated.

3, as described above, the semiconductor equipment control system 100 including the automation management server 110, the event detection server 120, and the automation server 130 detects an event error of the semiconductor equipment 101. Detecting procedure (① → ② → ③ → ④ → ⑤ → ⑥ → ⑦ → ⑧ → ⑨ → ⑩ → ⑪ → ⑫ → ⑬ → ⑭ → ⑮) and the

apparatus

110, 120, 130, 101 according to these procedures Exemplary diagrams illustrating message passing between the mobile station are shown.

4 is a flowchart illustrating an event error detection method of the semiconductor device 101 according to an exemplary embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, the method for detecting an event error of the semiconductor facility 101 by the semiconductor facility control system 100 may include storing operation scenario data defining an operation scenario of the semiconductor facility 101 (S400). Based on the defined operation scenario, storing event data defining one or more events occurring in the semiconductor device 101 and event correlation data defining an association between one or more events (S402), and event by event error type. (S404) storing action data defining actions to be performed when an error is detected, among predefined operation scenarios, predefined events, and predefined event associations each time an event is received from the semiconductor device 101; Detecting whether an event error related to the received event is based on at least one (S406), and S40; If it is detected that an event error occurs in step 6, and performing the corresponding action defined in the previously stored action data (S408) and the like.

As described above, according to the present invention, by automatically detecting an event error related to an event coming up from the semiconductor device 101, the automatic indication of abnormality of the semiconductor device 101 is automatically detected in real time, and the corresponding action is promptly taken. In this way, it is possible to proactively monitor and control mass accidents that may occur in the semiconductor process.

In the above description, all elements constituting the embodiments of the present invention are described as being combined or operating in combination, but the present invention is not necessarily limited to the embodiments. In other words, within the scope of the present invention, all of the components may be selectively operated in combination with one or more. In addition, although all of the components may be implemented as one independent hardware, each or some of the components of the program modules are selectively combined to perform some or all of the functions combined in one or a plurality of hardware It may be implemented as a computer program having a. Codes and code segments constituting the computer program may be easily inferred by those skilled in the art. Such a computer program may be stored in a computer readable storage medium and read and executed by a computer, thereby implementing embodiments of the present invention. The storage medium of the computer program may include a magnetic recording medium, an optical recording medium, a carrier wave medium, and the like.

In addition, the terms "comprise", "comprise" or "having" described above mean that the corresponding component may be included, unless otherwise stated, and thus excludes other components. It should be construed that it may further include other components instead. All terms, including technical and scientific terms, have the same meanings as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art unless otherwise defined. Terms commonly used, such as terms defined in a dictionary, should be interpreted to coincide with the contextual meaning of the related art, and shall not be construed in an ideal or excessively formal sense unless explicitly defined in the present invention.

The above description is merely illustrative of the technical idea of the present invention, and those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may make various modifications and changes without departing from the essential characteristics of the present invention. Therefore, the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are not intended to limit the technical idea of the present invention but to describe the present invention, and the scope of the technical idea of the present invention is not limited by these embodiments. The protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the following claims, and all technical ideas within the equivalent scope should be interpreted as being included in the scope of the present invention.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONCROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This patent application claims priority under US patent law section 119 (a) (35 USC § 119 (a)) to patent application No. 10-2010-0038327 filed in Korea on April 26, 2010. All content is incorporated by reference in this patent application. In addition, if this patent application claims priority for the same reason as above for a country other than the United States, all the contents thereof are incorporated into this patent application by reference.

Claims

Event correlation data that stores operation scenario data defining an operation scenario of a semiconductor device, and defines an association relationship between event data defining one or more events occurring in the semiconductor device and the one or more events based on the defined operation scenario. Automated management server to store; And

Stores action data defining actions to be performed when an event error is detected for each event error type, and each time an event is received from the semiconductor device, the defined operation scenario, the defined event, and the defined event correlation An event detection server that detects whether an event error related to the received event occurs based on one or more of the events, and performs a corresponding action defined in the action data when the event error is detected.

Semiconductor equipment control system comprising a.
The method of claim 1,

The event detection server,

When it is detected that the event error has occurred, the contents of the event error are stored, an alarm processing is performed on the event error, or an interlock command message for the semiconductor device is transmitted to the semiconductor device. And a step of stopping the semiconductor facility.
The method of claim 2,

And an automation server for transferring the event and the interlock command between the event detection server and the semiconductor facility.
The method of claim 1,

The automation management server,

The event data defined by dividing one or more events occurring in the semiconductor facility into essential events that must be transmitted from the semiconductor facility to the event detection server and general events that do not necessarily need to be transmitted from the semiconductor facility to the event detection server. And a semiconductor equipment control system.
The method of claim 4, wherein

The event detection server,

Upon receiving an event from the semiconductor device, if the received event is the required event, an event associated with the received event based on one or more of the defined operating scenario, the defined event, and the defined event association. A semiconductor facility control system, characterized by detecting whether or not an error has occurred.
The method of claim 4, wherein

The event detection server,

When an event is received from the semiconductor device, when the received event is the required event, the event ID (CEID: Collected ID) of the received event is checked, and the identified event ID is defined in the event correlation data. Determining whether an event error related to the received event has occurred by determining whether or not it is suitable based on the event correlation or the operation scenario.
The method of claim 1,

The event detection server,

Detects whether an event error related to the received event has occurred, and if it is detected that the event error has occurred, the event error type of the event error is detected, and the corresponding action defined in the action data according to the detected event error type. A semiconductor facility control system, characterized in that to carry out.
The method of claim 7, wherein

The event error type is

A first type corresponding to a case in which the event detection server receives a content or an event ID different from the event ID or an event ID that the event detection server should receive from the semiconductor device, and the event detection server should receive from the semiconductor device; A semiconductor comprising at least one of a second type corresponding to a case where an event is missing and a third type corresponding to a case in which an event received from the semiconductor device is changed by the event detection server; Facility control system.
The method of claim 1,

The event detection server,

Alerting the event at one or more of a state change of the semiconductor facility, a wafer movement in the semiconductor facility, an alert in the semiconductor facility, and a start, run, and end of a facility process of the semiconductor facility; A semiconductor facility control system, characterized in that receiving from a semiconductor facility.
The method of claim 1,

The automation management server,

And storing the operation scenario data defining the operation scenario of the semiconductor device of 300 mm or more defined by the Semiconductor Standards Association using the semiconductor standard protocol.
The method of claim 1,

The automation management server,

And storing the operation scenario data defining an operation scenario of the semiconductor device of at least one of a fixed buffer type and an internal buffer type.
In the semiconductor equipment control system detects an event error for the semiconductor equipment,

Storing operation scenario data defining an operation scenario of the semiconductor facility;

Storing event correlation data defining event relationships defining one or more events occurring in the semiconductor device and the one or more events based on the defined operation scenarios;

Storing action data defining actions to be performed when event errors are detected for each event error type;

Whenever an event is received from the semiconductor device, detecting whether an event error related to the received event is generated based on at least one of the defined operation scenario, the defined event, and the defined event correlation; And

Performing a corresponding action defined in the action data when it is detected that the event error has occurred;

Semiconductor equipment event error detection method comprising a.