Wafer flipping control method and semiconductor process apparatus

Abstract

The embodiment of the present application provides a wafer turnover control method and a semiconductor process equipment, and the method comprises the following steps: in the process of executing a process task, when it is determined that a next scheduled action is a preset pick-and-place operation for a mechanical hand, a target transmission path of a target wafer for executing the next scheduled action is acquired; according to the target transmission path, turnover information in the target transmission path of the target wafer is acquired; and according to the turnover information, it is determined whether to execute a turnover scheduled action for the target wafer. According to the embodiment of the present application, a wafer turnover control method based on a transmission path is provided, the transmission path is associated with wafer turnover information, different turnover operations can be performed on wafers in the same wafer box according to different paths by flexibly setting the transmission path, the flexibility of the turnover operation is increased, and the above method can reduce human operation errors and improve the automation degree of the machine.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of semiconductor technology, and in particular to a wafer flipping control method and a semiconductor process equipment. BACKGROUND

[0002] PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) process refers to a process of evaporating a target material by arc discharge technology under vacuum conditions, ionizing the evaporated material and gas, and depositing the evaporated material and its reaction products on the surface of a wafer by the acceleration of an electric field.

[0003] The back gold process is a process of depositing metal on the back of a wafer. In the back gold process, the front of the wafer is a process that has been done in the previous process, including etching, coating, etc. A layer of metal needs to be plated on the back to play a role in heat dissipation and conduction. Some of the materials on site are placed with the front facing up, and some are placed with the back facing up. Therefore, the wafer needs to be flipped according to the process, and then transmitted to the process module for the corresponding process.

[0004] In the prior art, an operator needs to manually modify configuration parameters in a semiconductor device according to the state of a wafer to flip the wafer. This flipping method has low automation and is prone to omissions and misoperations. SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the above problems, the present application embodiments are proposed to provide a wafer flipping control method and a corresponding semiconductor process equipment to overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0006] To solve the above problems, the present application embodiments disclose a wafer flipping control method applied to a semiconductor process equipment, wherein the semiconductor process equipment comprises a mechanical hand, and the method comprises:

[0007] In the process of executing a process task, when it is determined that a next scheduled action is a preset pick-and-place operation for the mechanical hand, a target transmission path of a target wafer for executing the next scheduled action is acquired;

[0008] According to the target transmission path, flipping information in the target transmission path of the target wafer is acquired;

[0009] According to the flipping information, it is determined whether to execute a flipping scheduled action for the target wafer.

[0010] Optionally, the semiconductor process equipment comprises a load module, the preset pick-and-place operation comprises a first pick-and-place operation and a second pick-and-place operation, and when it is determined that the next scheduled action is the preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, the target transport path of the target wafer for executing the next scheduled action is obtained, specifically comprising:

[0011] When it is determined that the next scheduled action is the first pick-and-place operation of the robot picking up the target wafer from the load module, the target transport path of the target wafer for executing the next scheduled action is obtained.

[0012] And / or,

[0013] When it is determined that the next scheduled action is the second pick-and-place operation of the robot transporting the target wafer back to the load module, the target transport path of the target wafer for executing the next scheduled action is obtained.

[0014] Optionally, before the target transport path of the target wafer for executing the next scheduled action is obtained when it is determined that the next scheduled action is the preset pick-and-place operation for the robot in the process of executing the process task, the method further comprises:

[0015] Determining the flip mode of the process task, and when the flip mode of the process task is a path flip mode, obtaining the transport path input by a user and flip information corresponding to the transport path; the flip information comprises one of no flip, flip after being transported out of the load module, flip before being transported back to the load module, and flip after being transported out of the load module and flip before being transported back to the load module.

[0016] Storing the transport path and the corresponding flip information in association.

[0017] Optionally, the determining whether to execute the flip scheduled action for the target wafer according to the flip information comprises:

[0018] If the next scheduled action is the first pick-and-place operation of the robot, and the flip information comprises flip after being transported out of the load module or flip after being transported out of the load module and flip before being transported back to the load module, the flip scheduled action for the target wafer is executed after the first pick-and-place operation is executed.

[0019] And / or,

[0020] If the next scheduled action is the second pick-and-place operation of the robot, and the flip information comprises flip before being transported back to the load module or flip after being transported out of the load module and flip before being transported back to the load module, the flip scheduled action for the target wafer is executed before the second pick-and-place operation is executed.

[0021] Optionally, the semiconductor process equipment comprises a flipping module, and after the determining whether to perform the flipping scheduling action for the target wafer according to the flipping information, the method further comprises:

[0022] when it is determined to perform the flipping scheduling action for the target wafer, controlling the flipping module to flip the target wafer according to the flipping scheduling action.

[0023] Optionally, the semiconductor process equipment has a graphical user interface, and the graphical user interface is used to display image information corresponding to the flipping module, and after the controlling the flipping module to flip the target wafer according to the flipping scheduling action, the method further comprises:

[0024] adjusting a text display style in the image information that identifies the target wafer in the graphical user interface.

[0025] Embodiments of the present application also disclose a semiconductor process equipment comprising a robot, and the semiconductor process equipment further comprises:

[0026] a controller configured to, in a process of performing a process task, acquire a target transmission path of a target wafer performing a next scheduling action when it is determined that the next scheduling action is a preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, acquire flipping information in the target transmission path of the target wafer according to the target transmission path, and determine whether to perform a flipping scheduling action for the target wafer according to the flipping information.

[0027] Optionally, the semiconductor process equipment comprises a loading module, the preset pick-and-place operation comprises a first pick-and-place operation and a second pick-and-place operation, and the controller is specifically configured to acquire the target transmission path of the target wafer performing the next scheduling action when it is determined that the next scheduling action is the first pick-and-place operation of the robot picking up the target wafer from the loading module, and / or acquire the target transmission path of the target wafer performing the next scheduling action when it is determined that the next scheduling action is the second pick-and-place operation of the robot transmitting the target wafer back to the loading module.

[0028] Optionally, the controller is further configured to determine a flipping mode of the process task, acquire a transmission path and flipping information for the transmission path when the flipping mode of the process task is a path flipping mode, the flipping information comprises one of no flipping, flipping after being transmitted out of the loading module, flipping before being transmitted back to the loading module, and flipping after being transmitted out of the loading module and flipping before being transmitted back to the loading module, and store the transmission path and the corresponding flipping information in association.

[0029] Optionally, the controller is specifically configured to, if the next scheduled action is the first pick-and-place operation of the robot and the flipping information comprises flipping after being transferred out of the loading module or flipping after being transferred out of the loading module and flipping before being transferred back to the loading module, execute the flipping scheduled action for the target wafer after executing the first pick-and-place operation; and / or, if the next scheduled action is the second pick-and-place operation of the robot and the flipping information comprises flipping before being transferred back to the loading module or flipping after being transferred out of the loading module and flipping before being transferred back to the loading module, execute the flipping scheduled action for the target wafer before executing the second pick-and-place operation.

[0030] Optionally, the semiconductor process equipment comprises a flipping module, and the controller is further configured to, when it is determined to execute the flipping scheduled action for the target wafer, control the flipping module to flip the target wafer according to the flipping scheduled action.

[0031] Optionally, the semiconductor process equipment has a graphical user interface, and the graphical user interface is configured to display image information corresponding to the flipping module, and the controller is further configured to adjust a text display style in the image information that identifies the target wafer in the graphical user interface.

[0032] Embodiments of the present application include the following advantages:

[0033] In the embodiment of the present application, when it is determined that the next scheduled action to be performed by the device is the preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, the target wafer for performing the scheduled action can be obtained, and whether the target wafer needs to be flipped can be determined according to the flipping information in the target transmission path of the target wafer. In this way, the device can monitor the performed scheduled action in real time and determine whether it is a time for flipping the wafer, without the need for an operator to monitor, thereby improving the automation level of the device. When it is determined that the scheduled action is the preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, that is, when it is determined that it is a time for flipping, the wafer information for performing the preset pick-and-place operation and the transmission path of the wafer can be obtained. Since the transmission path of the wafer has stored therein corresponding flipping information (the transmission path of the wafer corresponds to the process of the wafer, and based on the process, whether the process of the wafer needs to be flipped can be determined), whether the wafer needs to be flipped can be determined based on the flipping information, thereby providing a wafer flipping control method based on the transmission path. The transmission path is associated with the wafer flipping information, and whether the wafer needs to be flipped can be automatically determined by the device based on the flipping information in the transmission path of the wafer, without the need for an operator to observe the state of the wafer and manually modify the configuration parameters for flipping. By flexibly setting the transmission path, different flipping operations can be performed on the wafers in the same wafer box according to different transmission paths, thereby increasing the flexibility of the flipping operation on the wafers in the same wafer box. The above method can reduce the negative effects caused by human operation errors and improve the automation level of the machine. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 is a plan view of a semiconductor process equipment;

[0035] Figure 2 is an interface diagram for setting flipping parameters in a lower computer;

[0036] Figure 3 is a step flowchart of a wafer flipping control method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0037] Figure 4 is a step flowchart of another wafer flipping control method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0038] Figure 5 is a code diagram for configuring a flipping mode;

[0039] Figure 6 is an interface diagram for setting a transmission path;

[0040] Figure 7 is a structural diagram of a front-end module;

[0041] Figure 8 is an interface diagram for identifying flipped wafers;

[0042] Figure 9 is a flow chart of a wafer flipping control method according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0043] Figure 10 is a structural block diagram of a semiconductor process equipment according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0044] In order to make the above objectives, features and advantages of the present application more apparent, further specific embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings and specific embodiments. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some of the embodiments of the present application, but not all the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art belong to the scope of protection of the present application.

[0045] Referring to Figure 1 Fig. 1 shows a plan view of a semiconductor process equipment, which includes a process chamber, a transfer platform, a LoadLock module, an EFEM module and a LoadPort module. The LoadPort module is a bridge for wafers to enter the equipment, the LoadLock module is a bridge for wafers to enter the process chamber, and the EFEM module, i.e. the equipment front end module, can be used for wafer loading, handling and correction.

[0046] Referring to Figure 2 Fig. 2 shows an interface diagram for setting flipping parameters in a lower computer. In the software system of a semiconductor process equipment, before executing a process task, an operator needs to manually set the Bypass parameter (for setting whether to enable the Flipper) of the Flipper in the lower computer according to the incoming state of the wafers of this batch. If the current value of the Bypass parameter is set as No, it means that all the wafers transferred out from the LoadPort (loading module) need to be flipped, and all the wafers transferred back to the LoadPort also need to be flipped once. If the current value of the Bypass parameter is set as Yes, it means that the wafers entering and leaving the LoadPort do not need to perform flipping operations.

[0047] When the backside gold process is performed, an operator needs to manually modify the configuration parameters in the Flipper according to the state of the wafer, and then uses the flip module in the EFEM module to flip the wafer. The operator needs to manually modify the configuration parameters for each batch of wafers, and the manual operation is frequent, the automation degree of the equipment is low, and operation errors or omissions are prone to occur. The flipping method is not suitable for factory automation delivery. In addition, in the original technical solution, the Bypass configuration parameters will take effect on all wafers in the FOUP, and different flipping methods cannot be configured for different wafers in the FOUP, and the flexibility is poor.

[0048] Based on this, the present application provides a wafer flipping control method and a corresponding semiconductor process equipment which overcome the above problems or at least partially solve the above problems.

[0049] One of the core ideas of the embodiments of the present application is that when it is determined that the next scheduled action to be performed by the equipment is a preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, the target transmission path of the target wafer performing the scheduled action can be obtained, and whether the target wafer needs to be flipped is determined according to the flipping information in the target transmission path of the target wafer. By using this method, the equipment monitors the executed action in real time to determine whether it is a time when the wafer needs to be flipped, and the operator does not need to monitor, thereby improving the automation level of the equipment. When it is determined that it is a preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, that is, a flipping time, the wafer performing the preset pick-and-place operation and the transmission path of the wafer can be obtained. Since the corresponding flipping information is stored in the transmission path of the wafer, whether the wafer needs to be flipped can be determined based on the flipping information, thereby providing a wafer flipping control method based on the transmission path. The transmission path is associated with the wafer flipping information, and whether the wafer needs to be flipped is automatically determined by the equipment according to the flipping information in the wafer transmission path, and the operator does not need to observe the wafer state to manually modify the configuration parameters for flipping. By flexibly setting the transmission path, different flipping operations can be performed on the wafers in the same wafer box according to different transmission paths, thereby increasing the flexibility of the flipping operation on the wafers in the same wafer box. The above method can reduce the negative effects of human operation errors and improve the automation level of the machine.

[0050] Reference Figure 3 The step flowchart of the wafer flipping control method of the embodiments of the present application is shown, which is applied to a semiconductor process equipment including a robot, and can include the following steps:

[0051] Step 301, in the process of performing a process task, when it is determined that the next scheduled action is a preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, the target transmission path of the target wafer performing the next scheduled action is obtained.

[0052] The transmission path of the wafer is determined according to user-defined input, and each wafer has a corresponding transmission path.

[0053] In the process of executing a process task by a semiconductor process equipment, if it is determined that the next scheduling action to be executed is a preset pick-and-place operation for a robot, a target wafer for executing the scheduling action can be determined, and a target transmission path of the target wafer can be obtained.

[0054] In step 302, according to the target transmission path, flip information in the target transmission path of the target wafer is obtained.

[0055] In the embodiment of the present application, the transmission path of the wafer has flip information corresponding to the transmission path, which is used to indicate the flipping mode of the wafer in the transmission path. That is, there is a corresponding relationship between the transmission path and the flip information. Based on this, different wafers in one wafer box can have different flip information based on different configured transmission paths. That is, a wafer in one wafer box needs to be flipped, and another wafer in the same wafer box can not be flipped.

[0056] In step 303, according to the flip information, it is determined whether to execute a flip scheduling action for the target wafer.

[0057] After determining the flip information corresponding to the target wafer, it can be determined whether to flip the target wafer according to the flip information.

[0058] In summary, in the embodiment of the present application, when it is determined that the next scheduling action to be performed by the device is the preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, the target wafer for performing the scheduling action can be obtained, and it is determined whether the target wafer needs to be flipped according to the flipping information in the target transmission path of the target wafer. In this way, the device monitors the executed scheduling action in real time to determine whether it is a time when the wafer needs to be flipped, without the need for an operator to monitor, thereby improving the automation level of the device. When it is determined that the next scheduling action to be performed is the preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, that is, when it is determined that it is a flipping time, the wafer for performing the preset pick-and-place operation and the transmission path of the wafer can be obtained. Since the corresponding flipping information is stored in the transmission path of the wafer, whether the wafer needs to be flipped can be determined based on the flipping information, thereby providing a wafer flipping control method based on the transmission path. The transmission path is associated with the wafer flipping information, and the device automatically determines whether the wafer needs to be flipped according to the flipping information in the wafer transmission path, without the need for an operator to observe the wafer state and manually modify the configuration parameters for flipping. By flexibly setting the transmission path, different flipping operations can be performed on wafers in the same wafer box according to different transmission paths, thereby increasing the flexibility of flipping operations on wafers in the same wafer box. The above method can reduce the negative effects of human operation errors and improve the automation level of the machine.

[0059] Referring to Figure 4 , a step flowchart of another wafer flipping control method according to an embodiment of the present application is shown, which is applied to a semiconductor process device including a robot. The semiconductor process device can include the following steps:

[0060] In step 401, in the process of executing a process task, when it is determined that the next scheduling action is a preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, the target transmission path of the target wafer for performing the next scheduling action is obtained.

[0061] In the embodiment of the present application, when it is determined that the next scheduling action to be performed is the preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, that is, it is currently a time when the wafer can be flipped, the target wafer for performing the scheduling action can be determined, and the target transmission path of the target wafer can be obtained.

[0062] The semiconductor process device includes a load module, which is specifically a LoadPort module. Through the load module, wafers can be transmitted from the outside to the inside of the device for process processing. The preset pick-and-place operation for the robot can include a first pick-and-place operation and a second pick-and-place operation. For step 401, the following steps can be performed:

[0063] Sub-step S11, when it is determined that the next scheduled action is the first pick-and-place operation of the robot picking the target wafer from the load module, obtaining the target transport path of the target wafer for performing the next scheduled action; and / or when it is determined that the next scheduled action is the second pick-and-place operation of the robot returning the target wafer to the load module, obtaining the target transport path of the target wafer for performing the next scheduled action.

[0064] In an embodiment of the present application, the preset first function can be called in the host computer of the semiconductor processing equipment to determine whether the next scheduled action is a pick-and-place operation of the robot.

[0065] If the next scheduled action is a pick operation of the robot, a preset second function can be called to analyze whether the starting module of the pick operation is the load module, so as to determine whether the next scheduled action is the first pick-and-place operation of the robot picking the wafer from the load module and transferring the wafer from the cassette to the transport platform of the equipment.

[0066] If the next scheduled action is a drop operation of the robot, a preset third function can be called to analyze whether the destination module of the drop operation is the load module, so as to determine whether the next scheduled action is the second pick-and-place operation of the robot returning the wafer to the load module and transferring the wafer from the transport platform of the equipment to the cassette.

[0067] In an embodiment of the present application, before performing a process task, a wafer flipping mode for the process task can be configured in the semiconductor processing equipment.

[0068] Before determining that the next scheduled action is a preset pick-and-place operation of the robot and obtaining the target transport path of the target wafer for performing the next scheduled action, the process of performing the process task further comprises:

[0069] Determining the flipping mode of the process task, when the flipping mode of the process task is a path flipping mode, obtaining the transport path input by a user and flipping information corresponding to the transport path; and storing the transport path and the corresponding flipping information in association.

[0070] The flipping information includes one of no flipping, flipping after being transferred out of the load module, flipping before being transferred back to the load module, and flipping after being transferred out of the load module and flipping before being transferred back to the load module.

[0071] In an example, the semiconductor processing equipment can be configured with three flipping modes, namely a default flipping mode, a global flipping mode, and a path flipping mode. Referring to Figure 5As shown, it is a code diagram of a configuration flip mode. Among them, "None" corresponds to the default flip mode, which is used to be compatible with the EFEM without Flipper configuration, and no wafer is flipped in this mode. In addition, if there is no configuration for this node in the configuration file, the default mode is "None". "GlobalFlip" corresponds to the global flip mode, which is determined by the Bypass parameter of the lower machine whether to perform the flip operation. In this flip mode, all wafers in the cassette are flipped or not flipped. "FlipByRoute" corresponds to the path flip mode of the application, which determines whether to perform the flip operation by analyzing the path parameter.

[0072] When the path flip mode is selected, the user can input the transmission path and the flip information corresponding to the transmission path in the preset path setting interface. Referring to Figure 6 As shown, it is an interface diagram of setting a transmission path. The path setting interface of the upper machine displays the WithFlip module. After the user completes the path editing, the user can set whether the wafer of the transmission path needs to be flipped and the specific flip mode through the WithFlip module. Four flip modes are set in the WithFlip module, wherein "None" represents no flip operation, "InFlip" represents flipping when being transmitted out of the LoadPort module, "OutFlip" represents flipping before being transmitted back to the LoadPort module, and "Both" represents flipping when being transmitted in and out. When the user determines the transmission path and the flip information corresponding to the transmission path, the transmission path and the corresponding flip information can be associated and stored in the device.

[0073] Step 402, according to the target transmission path, obtaining the flip information of the target wafer in the target transmission path.

[0074] The wafer has a corresponding transmission path, and the transmission path of the wafer has corresponding flip information. The flip information in the transmission path is used to indicate the flip mode of the wafer associated with the transmission path. Therefore, the flip mode of the target wafer can be determined based on the flip information in the target transmission path of the target wafer.

[0075] Step 403, if the next scheduled action is the first pick-and-place operation of the robot, and the flip information includes flip after being transmitted out of the load module or flip after being transmitted out of the load module and flip before being transmitted back to the load module, the flip scheduled action for the target wafer is performed after the first pick-and-place operation is performed; and / or, if the next scheduled action is the second pick-and-place operation of the robot, and the flip information includes flip before being transmitted back to the load module or flip after being transmitted out of the load module and flip before being transmitted back to the load module, the flip scheduled action for the target wafer is performed before the second pick-and-place operation is performed.

[0076] In a specific implementation, for each wafer, a corresponding data object is set in a software system of a semiconductor process equipment, and the object is used to record attribute information of the wafer. For example, an object mat is used to record each attribute of the wafer in the software system. For a wafer entering from a cassette into the equipment (equivalent to the robot taking the wafer out of the load port module), it can be judged whether the Mat.Route.isFlip attribute is Both or InFlip, if yes, an attached FlipAction (flip action) is created after the PickAction (pick action) to flip the wafer; for a wafer transmitted from the equipment to the cassette (equivalent to the robot transmitting the wafer back to the load port module), it can be judged whether the Mat.Route.isFlip attribute is Both or OutFlip, if yes, an attached FlipAction is created before the PlaceAction to flip the wafer.

[0077] In the embodiment of the application, the semiconductor process equipment has a flip module, and after the flip information is obtained, the semiconductor process equipment further comprises:

[0078] When it is determined that the flip scheduled action for the target wafer is to be performed, the flip module is controlled to flip the target wafer according to the flip scheduled action.

[0079] For the flip operation of the wafer, the flip module in the front-end module of the semiconductor process equipment is responsible for performing the flip operation.

[0080] Referring to Figure 7 Fig. 1 shows a structure schematic diagram of a front-end module. In the starting process of the software system, if it is parsed that the Flipper module is included in the configuration file, the Flipper device is displayed in the corresponding position in the host computer interface. As shown in the figure, the right side of the EFEM is the Aligner device (aligner), and the left side is the Flipper device.

[0081] The semiconductor process equipment has a graphic user interface in which image information corresponding to a flipping module can be displayed, and the control of the flipping module to flip the target wafer according to the flipping scheduling action further comprises:

[0082] Adjusting a text display style in the image information identifying the target wafer in the graphic user interface.

[0083] In a specific implementation, in order to record the flipping state of the wafer, an IsFlipped attribute is added to the mat. The Mat.IsFlipped attribute of all wafers is initialized to False, representing that no flipping operation is performed. After the mat performs the FlipAction, the IsFlipped attribute in the corresponding mat is set to True, and the HandleMatStateChange method in the animation control can be modified. When the IsFlipped attribute is True, the font of the corresponding wafer is changed to italic.

[0084] Referring to Figure 8 Fig. 1 shows an interface schematic diagram for identifying flipped wafers. The LP1.2 wafer in the Ch2 chamber is a wafer that has undergone a flipping operation, and the LP1.3 wafer in the Ch3 chamber is a wafer that has not undergone a flipping operation.

[0085] In order for those skilled in the art to better understand the steps 401 to 403 of the embodiments of the present application, the following will be described by an example:

[0086] Referring to Figure 9 Fig. 2 shows a flowchart of a wafer flipping control method according to an embodiment of the present application, and the specific process includes:

[0087] 1. When a process task is executed, it is determined through the CreateActions function in the scheduling algorithm of the upper computer whether the next scheduling action is PickMove (a pick action of a robot) or PlaceMove (a place action of a robot);

[0088] 2. If it is PickMove, the CreatePick function can be called, and in the CreatePick function, it is determined whether the wafer is taken out from a cassette in a LoadPort module into the equipment through analysis of whether the Src (the starting module of the pick action) is the LoadPort. If it is PlaceMove, the CreatePlace function can be called, and in the CreatePlace function, it is determined whether the wafer is transferred from the equipment to the cassette in the LoadPort module through analysis of whether the Dest (the destination module of the place action) is the LoadPort.

[0089] 3. For each wafer, the software system has a corresponding object `mat` that records its various attributes. If the wafer is entering the equipment from the wafer cassette for processing, it checks whether the `Mat.Route.isFlip` property is `Both` or `InFlip`. If so, an accompanying `FlipAction` can be created after the `PickAction` to flip the wafer. If the wafer is being returned from inside the equipment, it checks whether the `Mat.Route.isFlip` property is `Both` or `OutFlip`. If so, an accompanying `FlipAction` can be created before the `PlaceAction` to flip the wafer.

[0090] In summary, in this embodiment of the invention, when it is determined that the next scheduled action to be performed by the device is a preset pick-up and put-down operation for the robotic arm, the target transmission path of the target wafer to be performed can be obtained, and the flipping information in the target transmission path of the target wafer can be used to determine whether the target wafer needs to be flipped. This method allows the equipment to monitor the executed manipulation actions in real time and determine whether they are the right time to flip the wafer, eliminating the need for operator monitoring and improving the automation level of the equipment. When a preset pick-and-place operation for the robotic arm is determined, i.e., when a flipping opportunity is identified, the wafer performing the preset pick-and-place operation and its transport path can be obtained. Since the wafer transport path contains pre-stored flipping information, it is possible to determine whether the wafer needs to be flipped based on this information. This provides a wafer flipping control method based on the transport path, associating the transport path with the wafer flipping information. Based on the flipping information in the wafer transport path, the equipment automatically determines whether the wafer needs to be flipped, eliminating the need for operators to observe the wafer status and manually modify configuration parameters for flipping. By flexibly setting the transport path, different flipping operations can be performed on wafers in the same wafer cassette according to different transport paths, increasing the flexibility of flipping operations on wafers in the same wafer cassette. The above method can reduce the negative impact of human error and improve the automation level of the machine.

[0091] This invention provides a wafer flipping control mechanism based on a transmission path, and offers a corresponding animated flipping module and identification of flipped wafers on the graphical user interface of semiconductor process equipment. This flipping method increases the flexibility of the flipping operation, is suitable for EAP (Equipment Automation Programming) automated dispatching, and enhances the interface's ability to distinguish flipped wafers, eliminating the need for personnel to check the observation window for material flipping confirmation.

[0092] It should be noted that for the method embodiments, the methods can be described as a series of acts combined to achieve the stated purpose, but those skilled in the art should know that the present application is not limited to the order of the acts described, because depending on the embodiments of the present application, certain steps can be performed in other orders or at the same time. Secondly, those skilled in the art should know that the embodiments described in the specification are all preferred embodiments, and the acts involved are not necessarily essential to the embodiments of the present application.

[0093] Referring to Figure 10 , a structural block diagram of a semiconductor process equipment is shown, the semiconductor process equipment 1001 includes a robot, and further includes:

[0094] The controller 10011 is configured to, in the process of executing a process task, when it is determined that a next scheduled action is a preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, acquire a target transport path of a target wafer for executing the next scheduled action; according to the target transport path, acquire flip information in the target transport path of the target wafer; and according to the flip information, determine whether to execute a flip scheduled action for the target wafer.

[0095] In an optional embodiment of the present application, the semiconductor process equipment includes a loading module, the preset pick-and-place operation includes a first pick-and-place operation and a second pick-and-place operation, and the controller is specifically configured to, when it is determined that the next scheduled action is the first pick-and-place operation of taking the target wafer out of the loading module by the robot, acquire the target transport path of the target wafer for executing the next scheduled action; and / or, when it is determined that the next scheduled action is the second pick-and-place operation of transferring the target wafer back to the loading module by the robot, acquire the target transport path of the target wafer for executing the next scheduled action.

[0096] In an optional embodiment of the present application, the controller is further configured to determine a flip mode of the process task, when the flip mode of the process task is a path flip mode, acquire a transport path input by a user and flip information for the transport path; the flip information includes one of no flip, flip after being transferred out of the loading module, flip before being transferred back to the loading module, and flip after being transferred out of the loading module and flip before being transferred back to the loading module; and store the transport path and the corresponding flip information in association.

[0097] In an alternative embodiment of the present application, the controller is specifically configured to, if the next scheduled action is the first pick-and-place operation of the robot and the flipping information includes flipping after being transferred out of the loading module or flipping after being transferred out of the loading module and flipping before being transferred back into the loading module, execute the flipping scheduled action for the target wafer after executing the first pick-and-place operation; and / or, if the next scheduled action is the second pick-and-place operation of the robot and the flipping information includes flipping before being transferred back into the loading module or flipping after being transferred out of the loading module and flipping before being transferred back into the loading module, execute the flipping scheduled action for the target wafer before executing the second pick-and-place operation.

[0098] In an alternative embodiment of the present application, the semiconductor processing equipment includes a flipping module, and the controller is further configured to, when it is determined that the flipping scheduled action for the target wafer is to be executed, control the flipping module to flip the target wafer according to the flipping scheduled action.

[0099] In an alternative embodiment of the present application, the semiconductor processing equipment has a graphical user interface, and the graphical user interface is configured to display image information corresponding to the flipping module, and the controller is further configured to adjust the display style of the text in the image information that identifies the target wafer in the graphical user interface.

[0100] In summary, in the embodiments of the present application, when it is determined that the next scheduled action of the equipment is a preset pick-and-place operation of the robot, the target transport path of the target wafer that is to be executed by the scheduled action can be obtained, and whether the target wafer needs to be flipped can be determined according to the flipping information in the target transport path of the target wafer. By using this method, the equipment monitors the executed scheduled action in real time to determine whether it is a time when the wafer needs to be flipped, without the need for an operator to monitor, thereby improving the automation level of the equipment. When it is determined that it is a preset pick-and-place operation of the robot, i.e., a flipping time, the wafer that is to be executed by the preset pick-and-place operation and the transport path of the wafer can be obtained. Since the corresponding flipping information is pre-stored in the transport path of the wafer, whether the wafer needs to be flipped can be determined based on the flipping information, thereby providing a wafer flipping control method based on a transport path. The transport path is associated with wafer flipping information, and the equipment automatically determines whether the wafer needs to be flipped according to the flipping information in the transport path of the wafer, without the need for an operator to observe the state of the wafer and manually modify the configuration parameters for flipping. By flexibly setting the transport path, different flipping operations can be performed on wafers in the same wafer box according to different transport paths, thereby increasing the flexibility of flipping operations on wafers in the same wafer box. The above method can reduce the negative effects caused by human operation errors and improve the automation level of the machine.

[0101] For the device embodiment, since it is basically similar to the method embodiment, the description is relatively simple, and the relevant parts refer to the part of the method embodiment.

[0102] The embodiment of the present application also provides an electronic device, which comprises a processor, a memory and a computer program stored in the memory and capable of running on the processor, when the computer program is executed by the processor, each process of the wafer turnover control method embodiment is realized, and the same technical effects can be achieved, and thus, the description is not repeated here.

[0103] The embodiment of the present application also provides a computer readable storage medium, and a computer program is stored in the computer readable storage medium, when the computer program is executed by a processor, each process of the wafer turnover control method embodiment is realized, and the same technical effects can be achieved, and thus, the description is not repeated here.

[0104] Each embodiment in the specification is described in a progressive manner, and each embodiment mainly describes the difference from other embodiments, and the same and similar parts of each embodiment can be referred to each other.

[0105] Those skilled in the art should understand that the embodiments of the embodiment of the present application can be provided as a method, a device or a computer program product. Therefore, the embodiment of the present application can adopt a complete hardware embodiment, a complete software embodiment or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. Moreover, the embodiment of the present application can adopt the form of a computer program product implemented on one or more computer usable storage media (including but not limited to magnetic disk storage, CD-ROM, optical storage, etc.) containing computer usable program codes.

[0106] The embodiments of the present application are described with reference to flowcharts and / or block diagrams according to the method, terminal device (system) and computer program product of the embodiments of the present application. It should be understood that each flow and / or block in the flowchart and / or block diagram, and the combination of the flows and / or blocks in the flowchart and / or block diagram can be realized by computer program instructions. These computer program instructions can be provided to a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, an embedded processor or other programmable data processing terminal device to produce a machine, so that the instructions executed by the computer or other programmable data processing terminal device produce a machine that realizes the functions specified in the flowchart and / or block diagram. Figure 1 The device that realizes the functions specified in one or more flows and / or blocks Figure 1 The device that realizes the functions specified in one or more flows and / or blocks

[0107] These computer program instructions can also be stored in a computer- readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instructions which implement the flow Figure 1 one or more flows and / or blocks Figure 1 one or more blocks.

[0108] These computer program instructions can also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide steps for implementing the functions specified in the flow Figure 1 one or more flows and / or blocks Figure 1 one or more blocks.

[0109] Although preferred embodiments of the present application have been described, those skilled in the art will be able to make additional modifications and variations to these embodiments without departing from the scope of the present application. Accordingly, the appended claims are intended to encompass all such modifications and variations as falling within the scope of the present application.

[0110] Finally, it should be noted that the terms "first", "second", and the like, herein do not denote any order, quantity, combination, or importance, but rather are used to distinguish one element from another, and are not intended to denote a relation or order between such elements. Also, the terms "comprises", "comprising", or any other variation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements does not include only those elements but can also include other elements not expressly listed or inherent to such process, method, article, or apparatus. An element proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, exclude the presence of additional identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises the element.

[0111] The wafer flipping control method and the semiconductor processing equipment provided by the present application are described in detail above, and the principles and implementation manners of the present application are described by using specific examples. The above descriptions of the embodiments are only used to help understand the method of the present application and its core idea; meanwhile, for those skilled in the art, the specific implementation manners and application ranges can be changed according to the idea of the present application, and the above descriptions should not be understood as limitations on the present application.

Claims

1. A wafer flipping control method, characterized by, The application is applied to a semiconductor process equipment, and the semiconductor process equipment comprises a robot, and the method comprises the following steps: In the process of executing a process task, when it is determined that a next scheduled action is a preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, a target wafer executing the next scheduled action is acquired to obtain a target transport path; According to the target transport path, flip information in the target transport path of the target wafer is acquired; the flip information comprises one of no flip, flip after being transported out of a load module, flip before being transported back to the load module, and flip after being transported out of the load module and flip before being transported back to the load module; wafers in different transport paths in one wafer box have different flip information; According to the flip information, it is determined whether to execute a flip scheduled action for the target wafer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, The semiconductor process equipment comprises a load module, the preset pick-and-place operation comprises a first pick-and-place operation and a second pick-and-place operation, and when it is determined that the next scheduled action is the preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, the target wafer executing the next scheduled action is acquired to obtain the target transport path, specifically comprising the following steps: When it is determined that the next scheduled action is the first pick-and-place operation of the robot for taking out the target wafer from the load module, the target wafer executing the next scheduled action is acquired to obtain the target transport path; And / or, When it is determined that the next scheduled action is the second pick-and-place operation of the robot for transporting the target wafer back to the load module, the target wafer executing the next scheduled action is acquired to obtain the target transport path.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, Before the step of in the process of executing a process task, when it is determined that a next scheduled action is a preset pick-and-place operation for the robot, a target wafer executing the next scheduled action is acquired to obtain a target transport path, the following step is further included: A flip mode of the process task is determined, when the flip mode of the process task is a path flip mode, a transport path input by a user and flip information for the transport path are acquired; The transport path and the corresponding flip information are stored in association.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein, The step of according to the flip information, it is determined whether to execute a flip scheduled action for the target wafer, comprising the following steps: If the next scheduled action is the first pick-and-place operation of the robot, and the flip information comprises flip after being transported out of the load module or flip after being transported out of the load module and flip before being transported back to the load module, the flip scheduled action for the target wafer is executed after the first pick-and-place operation is executed; And / or, If the next scheduled action is the second pick-and-place operation of the robot, and the flip information comprises flip before being transported back to the load module or flip after being transported out of the load module and flip before being transported back to the load module, the flip scheduled action for the target wafer is executed before the second pick-and-place operation is executed.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, The semiconductor process equipment comprises a flip module, and after the step of according to the flip information, it is determined whether to execute a flip scheduled action for the target wafer, the following step is further included: When it is determined to perform the flipping scheduling action for the target wafer, the flipping module is controlled to flip the target wafer according to the flipping scheduling action.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein, The semiconductor process equipment has a graphic user interface, and the graphic user interface is used to display image information corresponding to the flipping module. After the flipping module is controlled to flip the target wafer according to the flipping scheduling action, the method further comprises: Adjusting a text display style of the target wafer in the image information in the graphic user interface.

7. A semiconductor process apparatus characterized by comprising: The semiconductor process equipment further comprises a mechanical hand. A controller is configured to, during a process of performing a process task, determine a next scheduling action as a preset pick-and-place operation for the mechanical hand, acquire a target transmission path of a target wafer for performing the next scheduling action, flipping information includes one of no flipping, flipping after being transmitted out of a loading module, flipping before being transmitted back to the loading module, and flipping after being transmitted out of the loading module and flipping before being transmitted back to the loading module, wafers in different transmission paths in one wafer box have different flipping information, acquire flipping information in the target transmission path of the target wafer according to the target transmission path, and determine whether to perform a flipping scheduling action for the target wafer according to the flipping information.

8. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 7, wherein The preset pick-and-place operation includes a first pick-and-place operation and a second pick-and-place operation, and the controller is specifically configured to, when it is determined that the next scheduling action is the first pick-and-place operation of taking the target wafer out of the loading module by the mechanical hand, acquire the target transmission path of the target wafer for performing the next scheduling action, and / or, when it is determined that the next scheduling action is the second pick-and-place operation of transmitting the target wafer back to the loading module by the mechanical hand, acquire the target transmission path of the target wafer for performing the next scheduling action.

9. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 8, wherein The controller is specifically configured to, if the next scheduling action is the first pick-and-place operation of the mechanical hand, and the flipping information includes flipping after being transmitted out of the loading module or flipping after being transmitted out of the loading module and flipping before being transmitted back to the loading module, perform the flipping scheduling action for the target wafer after performing the first pick-and-place operation, and / or, if the next scheduling action is the second pick-and-place operation of the mechanical hand, and the flipping information includes flipping before being transmitted back to the loading module or flipping after being transmitted out of the loading module and flipping before being transmitted back to the loading module, perform the flipping scheduling action for the target wafer before performing the second pick-and-place operation.

10. The semiconductor process apparatus according to claim 7, wherein The semiconductor process equipment further comprises a flipping module, and the controller is further configured to, when it is determined to perform the flipping scheduling action for the target wafer, control the flipping module to flip the target wafer according to the flipping scheduling action.

Images