Control method for substrate transfer device

Abstract

The present invention provides a control method for a substrate transfer device equipped with a flipper. [Solution] The method includes the steps of: generating a sequence that includes the order of the substrates, the steps to be performed on each side of the glass substrate, and a value for whether or not an inspection is performed, based on the number of substrates to be processed and the steps to be performed on each side of the glass substrate, as set in advance by the user; processing the sequence; determining whether the current side of the loaded glass substrate corresponds to the work surface according to the processing sequence; operating a flipper to reverse the loaded glass substrate if it does not correspond to the work surface; transmitting the glass substrate to equipment connected to a substrate transfer device and performing the steps according to the processing sequence; determining whether or not an inspection of the processing sequence is necessary; and, if it is determined that an inspection is required, inspecting the work surface of the glass substrate and outputting the inspection result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a control method for a substrate transfer device, and more particularly, to a control method for an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) equipped with a flipper.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, glass substrates have attracted attention as a substitute for existing organic substrates in the semiconductor packaging field. Glass substrates have a higher thermal conductivity than existing organic substrates, have a smooth surface, and are excellent in processability into large square panels. Therefore, they are suitable for the implementation of ultra-fine line-width semiconductor packaging. Since an intermediate substrate is not required, the thickness of the substrate can be reduced, and there is an advantage that power consumption can also be reduced.

[0003] Equipment for processing glass substrates generally has a single-sided processing style. When double-sided processing is required, control is performed to carry out Process A through an EFEM equipped with a flipper, and then carry out Process B after inverting the substrate. However, since glass substrates must be controlled to carry out Process A to check for product damage and then carry out Process B after inspection, there is a limitation that the flipper for existing EFEM control for double-sided processing cannot be used. That is, even if equipment for processing glass substrates with a double-sided processing style is provided, smooth substrate transfer cannot be achieved with existing EFEM control for double-sided processing.

[0004] Therefore, it is necessary to develop a specific EFEM control method that can select process selection, inspection function, and flipper function for double-sided processing of glass substrates.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

[0006] The objective of the present invention is to solve the aforementioned problems and to provide a control method for a substrate transfer device that can process both sides of a glass substrate using a multi-purpose recipe and check for damage to the glass substrate.

[0007] The objectives of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and any other objectives not mentioned can be clearly understood from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention for achieving the aforementioned objectives is a control method for a substrate transfer device that is performed by a substrate transfer device equipped with a flipper, and includes the steps of: generating a sequence that includes the order of the substrates, the steps to be performed on each side of the glass substrate, and a value for whether or not an inspection is performed, based on the number of substrates to be processed and the steps to be performed on each side of the glass substrate, as set in advance by the user; processing the sequence; determining whether the current side of the glass substrate loaded by the processing sequence corresponds to the work surface; if it is determined that it does not correspond to the work surface, operating the flipper to invert the loaded glass substrate; transmitting the glass substrate to equipment connected to the substrate transfer device and performing the steps according to the processing sequence; determining whether or not the value for whether or not an inspection is performed in the processing sequence corresponds to an inspection; and if it is determined that an inspection is performed, inspecting the work surface of the glass substrate and outputting the inspection result. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to the present invention, by controlling the substrate transfer device, it is possible to move away from fixed recipe settings and automate production using multi-purpose recipes.

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to check for damage to the glass substrate, identify defects in each process, and prevent equipment failures and the production of defective products at an early stage.

[0011] The effects of the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and any other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0012] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram of an electronic device in which a control method for a substrate transfer device according to one embodiment of the present invention is performed. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart of a control method for a substrate transfer apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0013] The advantages and features of the present invention, and how to achieve them, will become clearer with reference to the examples described below in detail with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the examples disclosed below and can be embodied in a variety of different forms, although these examples are provided to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to fully inform those who are ordinary skill in the art to which the invention pertains, and the present invention is defined only by the claims. On the other hand, the terms used herein are for illustrative purposes of the examples and are not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, singular terms include plural terms unless otherwise specified in the text.

[0014] The present invention relates to a control method for a substrate transfer device equipped with a flipper.

[0015] The technical feature of this invention is that, by controlling the flipper function, inspection function, and process selection in a substrate transfer device, it enables automated production and multi-purpose production by moving away from fixed recipe setting equipment standards.

[0016] In addition, although the glass substrates are inspected by process to prevent defects in advance, it is possible to increase work efficiency by determining whether to proceed with additional inspection or continue the work without additional inspection based on the inspection results.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, an electronic device 100 in which a control method of a substrate transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention is performed may include a memory 110 and a processor 120.

[0018] The memory 110 can store computer instructions for performing each step of the control method of the substrate transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] The processor 120 can execute the control method of the substrate transfer device according to an embodiment of the present invention by performing the computer instructions stored in the memory 110.

[0020] At this time, the electronic device 100 may be implemented as a control unit of a substrate transfer device having a flipper and control the operation of the substrate transfer device having the flipper.

[0021] Referring to FIG. 2, the processor 120 may generate a sequence including values for the order of substrates, the processes to be performed on each side of the glass substrate, and the presence or absence of inspection, based on the number of substrates to be processed set in advance by the user and the processes to be performed on each of the two sides of the glass substrate (S101).

[0022] Specifically, the processor 120 may generate a sequence including the processes to be performed on one side of the glass substrate and a sequence including the processes to be performed on the other side of the glass substrate for the order of each of the number of substrates corresponding to the number of substrates to be processed set in advance (S101).

[0023] At this time, the processor 120 may generate a sequence including a first value for inspection as the value for the presence or absence of inspection with respect to the order of the first substrate among the number of substrates corresponding to the preset number of substrates to be processed, and generate a sequence including a second value for non-inspection as the value for the presence or absence of inspection with respect to the orders of the remaining substrates.

[0024] For example, in the case of double-sided processing, where the process performed on one side of the glass substrate is recipe A, the process performed on the other side of the glass substrate is recipe B, and the number of substrates to be processed is set to 20, the processor 120 can generate a sequence including the glass substrate number, process, and the presence or absence of inspection as follows.

[0025] Sequence 1{panel 1, recipe A, inspection O} Sequence 2{panel 1, recipe B, inspection O} Sequence 3{panels 2 - 20, recipe A, inspection X} Sequence 4{panels 2 - 20, recipe B, inspection X}

[0026] Thereafter, the processor 120 can sequentially process the generated sequences (S103).

[0027] The processor 120 determines whether the current surface of the glass substrate loaded according to the sequence of the processing order corresponds to the working surface (S105). If it is determined that the current surface of the glass substrate does not correspond to the working surface, the flipper may be actuated to invert the loaded glass substrate (S107).

[0028] Here, the current surface may refer to the top surface of the glass substrate when it is loaded into the substrate transfer device after being transferred from the loading device or process equipment, and the working surface may refer to one side of the glass substrate that is processed in the process equipment after it has been transferred to the process equipment via the substrate transfer device.

[0029] In other words, prior to carrying out processes or inspections, the processor 120 can perform a flipper function so that the current surface of the glass substrate corresponds to the work surface.

[0030] After the processor 120 adjusts the current surface of the glass substrate to correspond to the work surface, it determines whether a scan of the substrate ID is necessary (S109), and if it determines that a scan of the substrate ID is necessary, it may scan the substrate ID (S111).

[0031] Scanning the substrate ID may be performed when a unique identifier is assigned to each glass substrate and it is necessary to differentiate between glass substrate identifiers in the process. Since this is not a core aspect of the present invention, a detailed explanation will be omitted.

[0032] Thereafter, the processor 120 may transfer the glass substrate to the process equipment connected to the substrate transfer device, and the process equipment may carry out the process according to the contents included in the processing sequence (S113).

[0033] The processor 120 activates the flipper depending on whether the current surface of the glass substrate is the work surface, and then processes the glass substrate according to the content of the sequence being processed, thereby enabling multi-purpose production by selectively applying the recipe to both sides of the glass substrate.

[0034] The processor 120 determines whether the value for checking the processing sequence corresponds to a check (S115), and if it determines that a check is possible, it may check the working surface of the glass substrate and output the check result (S117).

[0035] At this time, the processor 120 may input data from a quality inspection device that has been used to inspect the glass substrate, and then, depending on whether the data input to the quality inspection device satisfies a preset first criterion, output "Normal" (OK) if it satisfies the first criterion, or output "Additional Inspection" (1 MORE) if it satisfies a preset second criterion that is different from the first criterion, or output "Defective" (NG) if it does not satisfy the second criterion (S117).

[0036] Quality inspection equipment can inspect the quality of glass substrates using transmitted or reflected illumination methods, and existing quality inspection equipment can be applied.

[0037] The processor 120 may output one of the following depending on whether the processing sequence is odd-numbered or even-numbered: if it is odd-numbered, it inspects the working surface of the glass substrate through the quality inspection device and outputs whether the output data satisfies a preset first criterion; if it satisfies, it outputs normal (OK); if it does not, it outputs defective (NG); if it is even-numbered, it inspects the working surface of the glass substrate through the quality inspection device and outputs whether the output data satisfies a preset first or second criterion (S117).

[0038] If the processor 120 outputs a failure (NG) as a test result, it may terminate its operation.

[0039] If the processor 120 outputs "OK" as the inspection result, it may determine whether the generated sequence is complete (S121). If it determines that it is not complete, it may return to the S103 stage, which processes each sequence, and process the next sequence.

[0040] When the processor 120 outputs an additional inspection (1 MORE) as an inspection result, it may add an inspection operation by updating the value indicating whether or not an inspection was included in the sequence for the sequence of boards immediately following the sequence of boards included in the acquired sequence as the first value for the inspection (S119).

[0041] Sequence 1 {panel 1, recipe A, check O} (processing) Sequence 2 {panel 1, recipe B, inspection O} (processing) Sequence 3 {panel 2-20, recipe A, test X} Sequence 4 {panel 2-20, recipe B, test X}

[0042] For example, if Sequence 1 is processed in the above sequence and the test result is OK, and Sequence 2 is processed and the test result is 1 MORE, the processor 120 can generate a sequence containing the first value for the test for panel 2, which is the order of the boards following panel 1, which is the order of the boards included in the processed sequence, and update the sequence as shown below.

[0043] Sequence 1 { panel 1, recipe A, inspection O} (processing) Sequence 2 { panel 1, recipe B, inspection O} (processing) Sequence 3 {panel 2, recipe A, test O} Sequence 4 {panel 2, recipe B, test O} Sequence 5 {Panels 3-20, Recipe A, Test X} Sequence 6 {Panels 3-20, Recipe B, Test X}

[0044] With the above configuration, the processor 120 can inspect the glass substrate and, depending on the result, decide whether to continue processing the sequence related to the current operation, interrupt the operation, or inspect the next substrate again.

[0045] According to the present invention, it is possible to check for damage or defects in the glass substrate at each step of the process according to the recipe, prevent damaged substrates from causing equipment failure, and prevent defective products from being produced in the process.

[0046] Therefore, it can be expected to have the advantage of reducing process costs and improving yield.

[0047] Furthermore, productivity can be improved by allowing production to continue without inspection for processes that have been confirmed to be free of defects.

[0048] Those with ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains will understand that the present invention can be carried out in other specific forms without altering its technical idea or essential features. Therefore, the embodiments described above should be understood in all respects as illustrative and not limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims, which are set forth below rather than by the detailed description above, and all modifications or alterations derived from the claims and the concept of equivalents thereto should be interpreted as being within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 100:Electronic equipment 110: Memory 120: Processor

Claims

1. A method carried out by a substrate transfer device equipped with a flipper, A step in generating a sequence that includes values ​​for the order of the substrates, the processes to be performed on each side of the glass substrate, and whether or not inspection is performed, based on the number of substrates to be processed and the processes to be performed on each side of the glass substrate, as predetermined by the user; The stage of processing a sequence; The step of determining whether the current surface of the loaded glass substrate corresponds to the working surface based on the processing sequence; If it is determined that the surface is not suitable for work, the flipper is activated to invert the loaded glass substrate; A step of transferring the glass substrate to equipment connected to the substrate transfer device and carrying out the process according to the processing sequence; The stage of determining whether the value for checking the sequence of processing order corresponds to the check; and A method for controlling a substrate transfer device, including the step of inspecting the working surface of a glass substrate and outputting the inspection result when it is determined that the substrate is suitable for inspection.

2. The step of generating the aforementioned sequence is A control method for a substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 1, which generates a sequence containing a process to be performed on one side of a glass substrate and a sequence containing a process to be performed on the other side of a glass substrate for each substrate in the order corresponding to a number of substrates to be processed in advance.

3. The step of generating the aforementioned sequence is A control method for a substrate transfer device according to claim 2, wherein the device generates a sequence for the first substrate in a sequence of substrates corresponding to a predetermined number of substrates to be processed, the sequence includes a first value for inspection as a value indicating whether or not an inspection is performed, and the sequence for the remaining substrates includes a second value for non-inspection as a value indicating whether or not an inspection is performed.

4. The step of outputting the aforementioned test results is If the processing sequence includes a process performed on one side of the glass substrate, the working surface of the glass substrate is inspected and either "normal" or "defective" is output as the inspection result. The control method for a substrate transfer device according to claim 3, wherein the processing sequence includes a step to be performed on the other side of the glass substrate, and the device inspects the working surface of the glass substrate and outputs one of the inspection results: normal, defective, or additional inspection.

5. After the step of outputting the aforementioned test results, A control method for a substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 4, further comprising the step of adding an inspection operation by updating the value for whether or not an inspection is included in the sequence for the sequence of substrates immediately following the sequence of substrates included in the acquired sequence as a first value for the inspection when an additional inspection is output in the inspection results.

6. After the step of outputting the aforementioned test results, A control method for a substrate transfer device according to claim 4, wherein the operation is terminated if a defect is output as an inspection result.

7. After the step of outputting the aforementioned test results, If the test result is normal, the next step is to determine if the generated sequence is complete; The control method for a substrate transfer apparatus according to claim 4, wherein if it is determined that the process is not complete, the process returns to the stage of processing each of the sequences and processes the next sequence.

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