Detection Method, Device, Medium and Electronic Device for Wafer Production Process

Abstract

An embodiment of the present invention provides a detection method, device, medium and electronic device for the wafer production process. The detection method includes: obtaining a first end time when the wafer is produced in a first production module; obtaining a first start time when the wafer is produced in a second production module, where the first production module and the second production module are production modules in the same machine; detecting the actual waiting time of the wafer between the production modules according to the first end time and the first start time. The technical solution of the present invention can improve the production quality of the wafer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor technology, and in particular, to a detection method, device, computer-readable storage medium, and electronic device for the wafer production process. Background Art

[0002] In the production process of semiconductor products such as wafers, the Q-Time (Time Difference Monitoring System) in the Fault Detection And Classification (FDC) system can monitor the production time of a single production module and the time difference between different semiconductor production machines.

[0003] In the prior art, the time difference monitoring system cannot monitor the actual waiting time that the wafer actually experiences between two production modules. At the same time, the number of production modules of semiconductor production machines such as coating and developing machines reaches more than 100, and more than 40,000 steps are processed every day. It is impossible to manually monitor the actual waiting time between two production modules. Moreover, in the wafer production process, it is necessary to perform real-time pairing post-processing through fixed types of production modules rather than through fixed production modules, which increases the difficulty of monitoring the actual waiting time.

[0004] How to monitor the actual waiting time that the wafer actually experiences between two production modules to improve the wafer quality is a technical problem that needs to be solved urgently at present.

[0005] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background art section is only used to enhance the understanding of the background of the present invention, and thus may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] The purpose of the embodiments of the present invention is to provide a detection method, device, computer-readable storage medium, and electronic device for the wafer production process, so as to at least to some extent improve the production quality of wafers.

[0007] Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent through the following detailed description, or be learned in part through the practice of the present invention.

[0008] According to the first aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a detection method for the wafer production process is provided. The detection method includes: obtaining the first end time when the wafer is produced in the first production module; obtaining the first start time when the wafer is produced in the second production module, where the first production module and the second production module are production modules in the same machine; detecting the actual waiting time of the wafer between the production modules according to the first end time and the first start time.

[0009] In some embodiments, the detection method further includes: obtaining a set waiting time of the wafer in the system from the end of production in the first production module to the start of production in the second production module; monitoring the production process of the wafer according to the set waiting time, the first end time, and the first start time.

[0010] In some embodiments, the monitoring of the production process of the wafer includes: obtaining a time difference between the first end time and the first start time; determining whether the production process times out according to the time difference and the set waiting time.

[0011] In some embodiments, the machine includes a coating and developing machine, and the first production module and the second production module include production modules in a coating process and a developing process.

[0012] In some embodiments, the process where the first production module is located is the previous process of the process where the second production module is located.

[0013] In some embodiments, other processes are included between the process where the first production module is located and the process where the second production module is located.

[0014] In some embodiments, the determining whether the production process times out according to the time difference and the set waiting time includes: determining whether the production process times out according to a univariate analysis curve.

[0015] In some embodiments, after determining whether the production process times out according to the time difference and the set waiting time, the method further includes: if the production process times out, generating an alarm email or alarm information for timeout alarm.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, a detection device for a wafer production process is provided. The detection device includes: an end time acquisition unit for acquiring a first end time of the wafer during production in a first production module; a start time acquisition unit for acquiring a first start time of the wafer during production in a second production module, where the first production module and the second production module are production modules in the same machine; a detection unit for detecting an actual waiting time of the wafer between the production modules according to the first end time and the first start time.

[0017] In some embodiments, the detection device further includes: a set waiting time acquisition unit, configured to acquire the set waiting time in the system for the wafer between the end of production by the first production module and the start of production by the second production module; a monitoring unit, further configured to monitor the production process of the wafer according to the set waiting time, the first end time, and the first start time.

[0018] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, and when the program is executed by a processor, it implements the detection method for the wafer production process as described in the first aspect in the above embodiments.

[0019] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of the present invention, there is provided an electronic device, including: one or more processors; a storage device, configured to store one or more programs, and when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors are caused to implement the detection method for the wafer production process as described in the first aspect in the above embodiments.

[0020] The technical solutions provided by the embodiments of the present invention may include the following beneficial effects:

[0021] In the technical solutions provided by some embodiments of the present invention, by acquiring the first end time and the first start time, it is possible to monitor the actual waiting time actually experienced by the wafer between the two production modules, thereby improving the production quality of the wafer.

[0022] It should be understood that the above general description and the following detailed description are only exemplary and explanatory, and cannot limit the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The accompanying drawings herein are incorporated into the specification and form a part of the specification, showing embodiments consistent with the present invention, and are used together with the specification to explain the principles of the present invention. Obviously, the accompanying drawings in the following description are only some embodiments of the present invention, and those of ordinary skill in the art can obtain other drawings based on these drawings without creative efforts. In the drawings:

[0024] Figure 1 Schematically shows a schematic diagram of calculating the production time of a single production module in the related art;

[0025] Figure 2 Schematically shows a schematic diagram of calculating the production time difference of the intervals produced by different machines in the related art;

[0026] Figure 3 Schematically shows a flowchart of the detection method for the wafer production process according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 4 Schematically shows a schematic diagram of a detection method for a wafer production process according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 5 Schematically shows a schematic diagram of a univariate analysis curve according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 6 Schematically shows a block diagram of a detection device for a wafer production process according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 7 Schematically shows a structural diagram of a computer system of an electronic device suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0031] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, the exemplary embodiments can be implemented in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the examples set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that the present invention will be more complete and comprehensive, and the concept of the exemplary embodiments will be fully conveyed to those skilled in the art. Like reference numerals in the figures denote like or similar structures, and thus their detailed descriptions will be omitted.

[0032] Although relative terms such as "upper" and "lower" are used in this specification to describe the relative relationship of one component of an icon to another component, these terms are used in this specification only for convenience, for example, according to the directions of the examples described in the accompanying drawings. It can be understood that if the module of the icon is flipped so that it is upside down, the component described as "upper" will become the component "lower". Other relative terms such as "high", "low", "top", "bottom", "left", "right", etc. also have similar meanings. When a structure is "on" another structure, it may mean that a structure is integrally formed on another structure, or that a structure is "directly" disposed on another structure, or that a structure is "indirectly" disposed on another structure through another structure.

[0033] The terms "a", "an", and "the" are used to indicate the presence of one or more elements / components / etc.; the terms "comprising" and "having" are used to mean an open inclusion and mean that there may be additional elements / components / etc. in addition to the listed elements / components / etc.

[0034] In the related art, the coating and developing machine tool has the function of calculating the production time of a single production module and the production time difference between different machine tools. As Figure 1As shown, the production time of a single production module refers to the production time t1 experienced by a production module from the start of production to the end of production, which is limited to the production time of a single wafer within a single production module. As Figure 2 shown, the production time difference between machines refers to the time experienced by a machine from the end of production to the start of production of the next machine. For example, the production time difference t2 between machine A and machine B.

[0035] However, the coating and developing machine does not have the function of calculating the actual waiting time experienced between production modules. Specifically, the time difference monitoring system cannot monitor the actual waiting time actually experienced by the wafer between two production modules. At the same time, since the number of production modules of semiconductor production machines such as coating and developing machines reaches more than 100, and more than 40,000 steps are processed every day, it is difficult to achieve manual monitoring of the actual waiting time between two production modules, so it is impossible to effectively monitor the actual waiting time of the wafer between two production modules, and thus it is impossible to guarantee the production quality of the wafer.

[0036] To solve the above problems, the present invention provides a detection method, device, computer-readable storage medium and electronic device for the wafer production process to monitor the actual waiting time experienced by the wafer between two production modules and improve the production quality of the wafer.

[0037] Figure 3 The flowchart of the detection method for the wafer production process according to an embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown. The method provided by the embodiment of the present invention can be executed by any electronic device with computer processing capabilities, such as a terminal device and / or a server. As Figure 3 shown, the exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a detection method for the wafer production process, including:

[0038] Step S302, obtaining the first end time when the wafer is produced in the first production module.

[0039] Step S304, obtaining the first start time when the wafer is produced in the second production module, where the first production module and the second production module are production modules in the same machine.

[0040] Step S306, detecting the actual waiting time of the wafer between production modules according to the first end time and the first start time.

[0041] In the embodiment of the present invention, the detection method for the wafer production process can be implemented by FDC (Fault Detection Classification). FDC can detect and analyze existing or potential faults of the machine by real-time detecting machine-related parameters. It can directly obtain the machine operation parameters and play an important role in monitoring the safety and reliability of wafer products.

[0042] By directly obtaining the operating parameters of the machine tool, the actual waiting time of the production interval of the two production modules actually experienced can be obtained, so as to monitor the production process of the wafer and improve the production quality of the wafer.

[0043] In the embodiment of the present invention, the machine tool can be a coating and developing machine tool, and the first production module and the second production module can be production modules in the coating process and the developing process.

[0044] In addition, after step S306, the set waiting time of the wafer in the system from the end of production of the first production module to the start of production of the second production module can also be obtained, and the production process of the wafer can be monitored according to the set waiting time, the first end time, and the first start time.

[0045] Specifically, after step S306, the time difference between the first end time and the first start time, that is, the actual waiting time, can be obtained, and it can be judged whether the production process times out according to this time difference and the set waiting time.

[0046] Here, the process where the first production module is located can be the previous process of the process where the second production module is located, or can be the previous N processes of the process where the second production module is located. Here, N is a natural number and is greater than 1.

[0047] When the process where the first production module is located is the previous N processes of the process where the second production module is located, there are other N - 1 processes between the process where the first production module is located and the process where the second production module is located.

[0048] In the actual production process, the running path of the wafer in the production module inside the coating and developing machine is not fixed. According to the idle status of each production module, the system randomly selects a production module in the same type of production modules to process the wafer.

[0049] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention has flexibility and practicability. The calculated production time difference can be between the production modules of any designated coating and developing machine tool. And this solution is not limited to the current machine tool, and can also be directly applied to the newly deployed coating and developing machine tools in the future.

[0050] Such as Figure 4As shown, in the embodiment of the present invention, a detector model can be designed. The detector model includes a virtual detector, a wafer start module type parameter, and an end module type parameter. When the system detects the end event of any specified first production module of the wafer in the coating and developing machine, the model timing starts. When the system detects the start event of any specified second production module of the wafer in the coating and developing machine, the model timing ends. By calculating the obtained end time of the first production module and the start time of the second production module, the time difference between the end production time of the first production module and the start production time of the second production can be obtained, that is, the actual waiting time, and this time difference is updated to the buffer of the virtual detector.

[0051] Specifically, as Figure 4 shown, the detection method for the wafer production process in the embodiment of the present invention includes the following steps:

[0052] Step S510, design a detector model.

[0053] Step S520, calculate the time difference.

[0054] Step S530, add timeout monitoring, and judge whether the production process times out according to the univariate analysis curve.

[0055] Specifically, step S520 includes the following steps:

[0056] S521, obtain the end time of the first production module.

[0057] S522, obtain the start time of the second production module.

[0058] S523, calculate the time difference.

[0059] S524, update the time difference to the buffer.

[0060] Specifically, step S530 includes the following steps:

[0061] S531, set the univariate analysis curve.

[0062] S532, if it exceeds the control, perform a timeout alarm.

[0063] In this way, by designing a virtual detector, and then combining program calculations to obtain the time difference between internal production modules, the value of the time difference is assigned to the designed virtual detector, and timeout monitoring is added.

[0064] After step S306, when judging whether the production process times out according to the time difference and the actual waiting time, it can be judged whether the production process times out according to the univariate analysis curve. Specifically, as Figure 5As shown, the univariate analysis (UVA) algorithm is used to set the univariate analysis curve for the time difference.

[0065] As Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, if the production process times out, that is, exceeds the control, an alarm email or alarm message is generated for timeout alarm. Among them, as Figure 5 shown, the severity of control line 2 is greater than that of control line 1. The time difference value exceeding both control line 2 and control line 1 belongs to exceeding the control and will trigger an alarm.

[0066] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention can arbitrarily specify the module type and dynamically calculate the production time difference. The technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention can be applied in the field of integrated circuits and the semiconductor field, mainly involving the FDC and the dynamic strategy module related to the FDC system.

[0067] The technical solution of the embodiment of the present invention can monitor whether the wafer production time is abnormal by calculating the time difference of the product processing executed between different production modules in the coating and developing machine.

[0068] By using the univariate analysis method to detect, analyze and monitor the calculated time difference, it is possible to prevent the product quality from being affected due to the too long production time between the internal modules of the coating and developing machine.

[0069] In the detection method of the wafer production process provided by the embodiment of the present invention, by obtaining the first end time and the first start time, the actual waiting time of the wafer between two production modules can be monitored, improving the production quality of the wafer.

[0070] The following introduces the device embodiment of the present invention, which can be used to execute the detection method of the above-mentioned wafer production process of the present invention. As Figure 6 shown, a detection device 700 for a wafer production process provided by an embodiment of the present invention may include:

[0071] An end time acquisition unit 704, configured to acquire the first end time of the wafer in the first production module for production.

[0072] A start time acquisition unit 706, configured to acquire the first start time of the wafer in the second production module for production, where the first production module and the second production module are production modules in the same machine.

[0073] A detection unit 708, configured to detect the actual waiting time of the wafer between the production modules according to the first end time and the first start time.

[0074] In addition, the detection device 700 according to the embodiments of the present disclosure may further include a set waiting time acquisition unit and a monitoring unit. The set waiting time acquisition unit is configured to acquire the set waiting time in the system for the wafer between the end of production in the first production module and the start of production in the second production module. The monitoring unit is configured to monitor the production process of the wafer according to the set waiting time, the first end time, and the first start time.

[0075] Since each functional module of the wafer production process detection device according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention corresponds to the steps of the exemplary embodiments of the above-mentioned wafer production process detection method, for details not disclosed in the device embodiments of the present invention, please refer to the embodiments of the above-mentioned wafer production process detection method of the present invention.

[0076] In the wafer production process detection device provided by the embodiments of the present invention, by acquiring the first end time and the first start time, the actual waiting time of the wafer between the two production modules can be monitored, improving the production quality of the wafer.

[0077] Next, refer to Figure 7 , which shows a schematic structural diagram of a computer system 800 of an electronic device suitable for implementing the embodiments of the present invention. Figure 7 The shown computer system 800 of the electronic device is only an example and should not impose any limitations on the functions and usage scope of the embodiments of the present invention.

[0078] As Figure 7 shown, the computer system 800 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 801, which can perform various appropriate actions and processes according to the program stored in the read-only memory (ROM) 802 or the program loaded from the storage section 808 into the random access memory (RAM) 803. In the RAM 803, various programs and data required for system operation are also stored. The CPU 801, the ROM 802, and the RAM 803 are connected to each other through a bus 804. The input / output (I / O) interface 805 is also connected to the bus 804.

[0079] The following components are connected to the I / O interface 805: an input section 806 including a keyboard, a mouse, etc.; an output section 807 including a cathode ray tube (CRT), a liquid crystal display (LCD), etc. and a speaker, etc.; a storage section 808 including a hard disk, etc.; and a communication section 809 including a network interface card such as a LAN card, a modem, etc. The communication section 809 performs communication processing via a network such as the Internet. A drive 810 is also connected to the I / O interface 805 as required. A removable medium 811 such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a semiconductor memory, etc. is mounted on the drive 810 as required so that a computer program read therefrom is installed into the storage section 808 as required.

[0080] Specifically, according to an embodiment of the present invention, the processes described above with reference to the flowchart can be implemented as a computer software program. For example, an embodiment of the present invention includes a computer program product that includes a computer program carried on a computer-readable storage medium, and the computer program includes program code for performing the method shown in the flowchart. In such an embodiment, the computer program can be downloaded and installed from a network via the communication section 809, and / or installed from the removable medium 811. When the computer program is executed by a central processing unit (CPU) 801, the above-described functions defined in the system of the present application are performed.

[0081] It should be noted that the computer-readable storage medium shown in the present invention can be a computer-readable signal medium, a computer-readable storage medium, or any combination of the two. The computer-readable storage medium can be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system, apparatus, or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of the computer-readable storage medium can include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In the present invention, the computer-readable storage medium can be any tangible medium that contains or stores a program, and this program can be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. In the present invention, the computer-readable signal medium can include a data signal propagated in a baseband or as part of a carrier wave, in which the computer-readable program code is carried. Such a propagated data signal can take various forms, including but not limited to electromagnetic signals, optical signals, or any suitable combination of the above. The computer-readable signal medium can also be any computer-readable storage medium other than the computer-readable storage medium, and this computer-readable storage medium can send, propagate, or transmit a program for use by or in combination with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. The program code contained on the computer-readable storage medium can be transmitted by any appropriate medium, including but not limited to: wireless, wire, optical cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination of the above.

[0082] The flowcharts and block diagrams in the accompanying drawings illustrate the possible architectures, functions, and operations of systems, methods, and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment, or a part of code, and the above module, program segment, or part of code contains one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the blocks can occur in a different order than that marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two consecutive blocks shown can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each block in the block diagram or flowchart, as well as the combination of blocks in the block diagram or flowchart, can be implemented by a dedicated hardware-based system for performing the specified functions or operations, or can be implemented by a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0083] The units involved in the embodiments of the present invention can be implemented in software or in hardware, and the described units can also be provided in a processor. Among them, the names of these units do not constitute a limitation to the unit itself in some cases.

[0084] As another aspect, the present application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, which can be included in the electronic device described in the above embodiments; or can exist alone without being assembled into the electronic device. The above computer-readable storage medium carries one or more programs, and when the above one or more programs are executed by an electronic device, the electronic device is enabled to implement the method for detecting the wafer production process as described in the above embodiments.

[0085] For example, the electronic device can implement as Figure 3 shown in: Step S302, obtaining the first end time when the wafer is produced in the first production module; Step S304, obtaining the first start time when the wafer is produced in the second production module, where the first production module and the second production module are production modules in the same machine; Step S306, detecting the actual waiting time of the wafer between the production modules according to the first end time and the first start time.

[0086] Again, for example, the electronic device can also implement each step as Figure 4 shown.

[0087] It should be noted that although several modules or units of the device for action execution are mentioned in the above detailed description, this division is not mandatory. In fact, according to the embodiments of the present invention, the features and functions of the two or more modules or units described above can be embodied in one module or unit. Conversely, the features and functions of one module or unit described above can be further divided and embodied by multiple modules or units.

[0088] Through the description of the above embodiments, those skilled in the art can easily understand that the exemplary embodiments described herein can be implemented by software or by a combination of software and necessary hardware. Therefore, the technical solution according to the embodiments of the present invention can be embodied in the form of a software product, which can be stored in a non-volatile storage medium (such as a CD-ROM, a USB flash drive, a mobile hard disk, etc.) or on a network, including several instructions to enable a computing device (such as a personal computer, a server, a touch terminal, or a network device, etc.) to execute the method according to the embodiments of the present invention.

[0089] Other embodiments of the present invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the specification and practice of the disclosure herein. This application is intended to cover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention following the general principles of the invention and including known common general knowledge or conventional technical means in the technical field of the invention not disclosed herein. The specification and examples are only to be considered as exemplary, and the true scope and spirit of the invention are pointed out by the following claims.

[0090] It should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the exact structures described above and shown in the drawings, and various modifications and changes can be made without departing from its scope. The scope of the present invention is only limited by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A detection method for a wafer production process, characterized in that, the detection method includes: obtaining a first end time when the wafer is produced in a first production module; obtaining a first start time when the wafer is produced in a second production module, where the first production module and the second production module are production modules in the same machine tool; detecting the actual waiting time of the wafer between production modules according to the first end time and the first start time; the detection method further includes: obtaining a set waiting time set in the system for the wafer from the end of production in the first production module to the start of production in the second production module; monitoring the production process of the wafer according to the set waiting time, the first end time, and the first start time; the monitoring of the production process of the wafer includes: obtaining a time difference between the first end time and the first start time; judging whether the production process times out according to the time difference and the set waiting time; the judging whether the production process times out according to the time difference and the set waiting time includes: judging whether the production process times out according to a single variable analysis curve.

2. The detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the machine tool includes a coating and developing machine tool, and the first production module and the second production module include production modules in a coating process and a developing process.

3. The detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that, the process where the first production module is located is the previous process of the process where the second production module is located.

4. The detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that, other processes are included between the process where the first production module is located and the process where the second production module is located.

5. The detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that, after judging whether the production process times out according to the time difference and the set waiting time, the method further includes: if the production process times out, generating an alarm email or alarm information for timeout alarm.

6. A detection device for a wafer production process, characterized in that, the detection device includes: an end time acquisition unit for obtaining a first end time when the wafer is produced in a first production module; a start time acquisition unit for obtaining a first start time when the wafer is produced in a second production module, where the first production module and the second production module are production modules in the same machine tool; a detection unit for detecting the actual waiting time of the wafer between production modules according to the first end time and the first start time; the detection device further includes: a set waiting time acquisition unit for obtaining a set waiting time set in the system for the wafer from the end of production in the first production module to the start of production in the second production module; a monitoring unit for monitoring the production process of the wafer according to the set waiting time, the first end time, and the first start time; the monitoring of the production process of the wafer includes: Obtain the time difference between the first end time and the first start time; Judge whether the production process times out according to the time difference and the set waiting time; The judging whether the production process times out according to the time difference and the set waiting time includes: Judge whether the production process times out according to the single-variable analysis curve.

7. A computer-readable storage medium, on which a computer program is stored, characterized in that, when the program is executed by a processor, it implements the detection method of the wafer production process described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. An electronic device, characterized in that, comprising: one or more processors; a storage device for storing one or more programs, and when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement the detection method of the wafer production process described in any one of claims 1 to 5.

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