Wafer transfer method, device and semiconductor process equipment

By acquiring configuration files and determining the target finger for wafer transfer based on the transfer scenario, this technology solves the transfer problems caused by material differences and damage to mechanical fingers in existing technologies, and achieves flexible wafer transfer management and process stability.

CN114695220BActive Publication Date: 2026-03-24BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIP CO LTD
View PDF 2 Cites 0 Cited by

Patent Information

Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Patents(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Filing Date
2022-03-31
Publication Date
2026-03-24

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Existing wafer scheduling methods cannot select the appropriate finger for wafer transfer based on differences in mechanical finger material and damage, thus failing to meet the special requirements of different equipment process chambers.

Method used

By acquiring a pre-set configuration file, the site identifier, the first set of fingers that can be used to pick up the wafer from the site, and the second set of fingers that can be used to place the wafer at the site are recorded. The target fingers are then determined based on the transmission scenario to perform wafer transmission.

Benefits of technology

It enables flexible selection and management of mechanical fingers in different scenarios, ensuring the normal operation of the transmission process and avoiding transmission failures due to the material of the fingers.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

Smart Images

  • Figure CN114695220B_ABST
    Figure CN114695220B_ABST
Patent Text Reader

Abstract

The application discloses a wafer transmission method and device and a semiconductor process equipment. The method comprises the following steps: obtaining a configuration file, wherein the configuration file records a station identifier, a first finger set capable of being used for picking up a wafer from a station, and a second finger set capable of being used for placing the wafer to the station; determining a wafer transmission scenario, wherein the transmission scenario comprises at least one transmission step, a first current state of a target station corresponding to each transmission step, and a second current state of a finger of a manipulator, and the first current state and the second current state both comprise a wafer holding state or a wafer non-holding state; determining a target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario, wherein the target finger is a finger in the first finger set or the second finger set corresponding to the target station; and performing wafer transmission through the target finger corresponding to the target station. The embodiment realizes selection of a finger for transmitting a wafer.
Need to check novelty before this filing date? Find Prior Art

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application belongs to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, specifically relating to a wafer transfer method, apparatus, and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor process equipment control systems, the robotic arm is one of the most critical components, responsible for transferring wafers between various stations. Existing scheduling methods often use robotic arms with two fingers made of the same material—meaning two identical robotic fingers are used. Therefore, each finger can be used when picking up or placing wafers at each station. The decision of which finger to use is based on either selecting the finger closest to the target station or following a default order, such as prioritizing finger 1 before finger 2.

[0003] However, due to the differences in process chambers of different equipment, there are special requirements for the material of the robotic arm fingers used when taking wafers out of or placing wafers into the station. Therefore, it is necessary to specify which finger to use to perform the wafer picking and placing actions. Or, in special scenarios, if one of the fingers of a two-finger robotic arm is damaged and cannot be repaired in time, the remaining normal fingers need to be used to complete the wafer transfer operation.

[0004] It is evident that when a robotic arm must use a specific finger to pick up and place wafers at a station due to factors such as the material of the robotic finger, the existing scheduling method cannot meet the usage requirements. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application provides a wafer transfer method, apparatus, and semiconductor process equipment to solve the problem that existing wafer scheduling methods cannot select the finger used by the site.

[0006] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a wafer transfer method, applied in semiconductor process equipment, comprising:

[0007] Obtain a pre-set configuration file, wherein the configuration file records the site identifier of the site, the first set of fingers that can be used to pick up the wafer from the site, and the second set of fingers that can be used to place the wafer on the site;

[0008] The wafer transfer scenario is determined, the transfer scenario includes at least one transfer step, a first current state of the target station corresponding to each transfer step, and a second current state of the robotic arm's finger, the first current state and the second current state both include a wafer holding state or a wafer not holding state.

[0009] Based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario, the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step is determined, wherein the target finger is a finger in the first finger set or the second finger set corresponding to the target station;

[0010] For the target site, wafer transfer is performed through the target finger corresponding to the target site.

[0011] Secondly, embodiments of this application further provide a wafer transport device, applied in semiconductor process equipment, comprising:

[0012] The acquisition module is used to acquire a pre-set configuration file, wherein the configuration file records the site identifier of the site, the first set of fingers that can be used to pick up the wafer from the site, and the second set of fingers that can be used to place the wafer on the site;

[0013] The first determining module is used to determine the wafer transmission scenario. The transmission scenario includes at least one transmission step, a first current state of the target station corresponding to each transmission step, and a second current state of the robotic arm's finger. Both the first and second current states include a wafer holding state or a wafer not holding state.

[0014] The second determining module is used to determine the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario, wherein the target finger is a finger in the first finger set or the second finger set corresponding to the target station;

[0015] A transmission module is used to perform wafer transmission for the target site via a target finger corresponding to the target site.

[0016] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a semiconductor process apparatus, including: a controller, a robotic arm, and multiple stations, wherein the robotic arm includes at least one finger;

[0017] The controller is configured to acquire a pre-set configuration file, wherein the configuration file records a station identifier, a first set of fingers that can be used to pick up a wafer from the station, and a second set of fingers that can be used to place a wafer at the station; determine a wafer transfer scenario, wherein the transfer scenario includes at least one transfer step, a first current state of the target station corresponding to each transfer step, and a second current state of the robotic arm's fingers, wherein both the first and second current states include a wafer-holding state or a wafer-not-holding state; based on the configuration file and the transfer scenario, determine the target finger used by the target station in each transfer step, wherein the target finger is a finger in the first or second set of fingers corresponding to the target station; and perform wafer transfer for the target station using the target finger corresponding to the target station.

[0018] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide an electronic device including a processor, a memory, and a program or instructions stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the program or instructions, when executed by the processor, implement the steps of the method described in the first aspect.

[0019] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a readable storage medium on which a program or instructions are stored, which, when executed by a processor, implement the steps of the method described in the first aspect.

[0020] This application embodiment obtains a pre-set configuration file, which records the site identifier of the site, a first set of fingers that can be used to pick up the wafer from the site, and a second set of fingers that can be used to place the wafer at the site. Then, it determines the wafer transfer scenario, which includes at least one transfer step, a first current state of the target site corresponding to each transfer step, and a second current state of the robotic arm's fingers. Based on the configuration file and the transfer scenario, it determines the target finger used by the target site in each transfer step, where the target finger is a finger from the first or second set of fingers corresponding to the target site. Wafer transfer is performed for the target site using the target finger corresponding to the target site. This enables the setting of the fingers used by the robotic arm when transferring wafers between sites, solving the problem that existing wafer scheduling methods cannot select the fingers used by the site, thus meeting various usage scenarios. In addition, by setting the configuration file, it achieves unified dynamic management of the operating fingers of the site, so that no code changes are required when modifying the robotic fingers that can be used to transfer wafers at each site, which facilitates user management operations. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of the wafer transfer method in an embodiment of this application;

[0022] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the configuration file structure in an embodiment of this application;

[0023] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of one transmission path of the wafer in the device according to an embodiment of this application;

[0024] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer transmission process in the first transmission scenario of this application embodiment;

[0025] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer transfer process in the second transfer scenario of this application embodiment;

[0026] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the processing flow of the second transmission scenario in the embodiments of this application;

[0027] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer transfer process in the third transfer scenario of this application embodiment;

[0028] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the processing flow for the third transmission scenario in the embodiments of this application;

[0029] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the wafer transfer process in the fourth transfer scenario of this application embodiment;

[0030] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the processing flow for the fourth transmission scenario in the embodiments of this application;

[0031] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer transmission device provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0032] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor process equipment provided in the embodiments of this application;

[0033] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the electronic device provided in the embodiments of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0034] The technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0035] The terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification and claims of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and not to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such use of data can be interchanged where appropriate so that embodiments of this application can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein, and the objects distinguished by "first," "second," etc., are generally of the same class and the number of objects is not limited; for example, a first object can be one or more. Furthermore, in the specification and claims, "and / or" indicates at least one of the connected objects, and the character " / " generally indicates that the preceding and following objects are in an "or" relationship.

[0036] The methods provided in this application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, through specific embodiments and application scenarios.

[0037] Figure 1 An embodiment of the present invention illustrates a wafer transfer method applied in a semiconductor process apparatus. This method can be executed by an electronic device, which may include a server and / or a terminal device. In other words, the method can be executed by software or hardware installed on the electronic device, and includes the following steps:

[0038] Step 101: Obtain the pre-set configuration file.

[0039] The configuration file records the site identifier, the first set of fingers that can be used to pick up the wafer from the site, and the second set of fingers that can be used to place the wafer on the site.

[0040] It is understandable that what can be used can also be understood as what must be used. That is, when picking up a wafer from each station, the finger selected can only be selected from the first set of fingers of the robotic arm, and when placing a wafer at each station, the finger selected can only be selected from the second set of fingers of the robotic arm.

[0041] The site identifier may include a site number and / or a site name, and the fingers in the first and second finger sets can be represented by finger numbers.

[0042] Specifically, the configuration file structure can be as follows: Figure 2 As shown. Assuming the configuration file structure includes robot A and robot B, and robot A can operate station A, station B and station C simultaneously, then for each station, wafer picking fingers (i.e., the first set of fingers that can be used to pick up wafers from the station) and wafer placing fingers (i.e., the second set of fingers that can be used to place wafers from the station) can be set.

[0043] The format used by each site as specified in the configuration file can be referenced as follows:

[0044] <StationInfo ID="1"Name="StationA"PickSlot="0"PlaceSlot="0" / >

[0045] <StationInfo ID="2"Name="StationB"PickSlot="0"PlaceSlot="0" / >

[0046] <StationInfo ID="3"Name="StationC"PickSlot="0"PlaceSlot="0" / >

[0047] <StationInfo ID="4"Name="StationD"PickSlot="0"PlaceSlot="0" / >

[0048] <StationInfo ID="5"Name="StationE"PickSlot="0"PlaceSlot="0" / >

[0049] Configure the configuration file according to the above format, with each line representing the configuration information for one site. "ID" is the site number; "Name" is the site name; "PickSlot" is the finger that the robot arm must use when picking up the wafer from this site, where 0 represents any finger, 1 represents the finger numbered 1, and 2 represents the finger numbered 2; "PlaceSlot" is the finger that the robot arm must use when placing the wafer into this site, where 0 represents any finger, 1 represents the finger numbered 1, and 2 represents the finger numbered 2.

[0050] Furthermore, when setting up the configuration file, new configuration items can be added to the existing configuration file to set the fingers used by the robotic arm to pick up and place wafers at each station, according to actual needs. When executing this embodiment, the configuration file is loaded, and all attributes of the station are obtained from the configuration file in a specified format. The attributes include the first set of fingers that can be used to pick up the wafer and the second set of fingers that can be used to place the wafer.

[0051] By defining configuration files, unified management of the operating fingers at each site is achieved. This means that when changing the fingers used to pick up and place wafers at a site, only the configuration files need to be modified without changing the code logic, thus improving the flexibility of operating finger management.

[0052] Step 102: Determine the wafer's transmission scenario.

[0053] The transmission scenario includes at least one transmission step, a first current state of the target station corresponding to each transmission step, and a second current state of the robotic hand's fingers. Both the first and second current states include a wafer-holding state or a wafer-not-holding state.

[0054] Specifically, each transmission step corresponds to a target site. The transmission step can be picking up the wafer from the target site or placing the wafer at the target site.

[0055] Furthermore, the current state of each target site can be either a wafer-holding state or a wafer-not-holding state; that is, the target site may currently have a wafer placed on it or not. Similarly, the current state of the robotic arm's fingers can also be either a wafer-holding state or a wafer-not-holding state; that is, the fingers may currently be holding a wafer or not.

[0056] In this way, by determining the wafer transfer scenario, namely, determining at least one transfer step of the wafer, whether the target site holds the wafer, and whether the robotic arm's fingers hold the wafer, the factors affecting wafer transfer are considered during the wafer transfer process, thus providing a reference for determining the placement and removal of the wafer by the fingers.

[0057] Step 103: Based on the configuration file and transmission scenario, determine the target finger used by the target site in each transmission step.

[0058] The target finger is a finger in the first or second set of fingers corresponding to the target site.

[0059] Specifically, since the configuration file specifies the first set of fingers that can be used to pick up wafers from each station and the second set of fingers that can be used to place wafers at each station, the fingers that pick up wafers from each station must be fingers from the first set of fingers, and the fingers that place wafers at each station must be fingers from the second set of fingers. Therefore, when determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step, the target finger should also be a finger from the first set of fingers or the second set of fingers corresponding to the target station, so that the determined target finger can meet the requirements for transmitting wafers.

[0060] Because the configuration file records the fingers required for each station to pick up and place wafers, and the transmission scenario includes the transmission steps and external reference factors to be considered during wafer transmission (such as whether the fingers are occupied by wafers or whether the station has placed wafers), it ensures that when determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step through the configuration file and transmission scenario, the determined target finger will not affect other transmission steps in the entire transmission scenario, thus ensuring the normal operation of the entire transmission process in the transmission scenario.

[0061] Step 104: For the target site, perform wafer transfer through the target finger corresponding to the target site.

[0062] Specifically, for each target site, wafer transfer can be performed through the target finger corresponding to the target site, ensuring the smooth progress of each transfer step in the transfer scenario.

[0063] In this embodiment, by acquiring a pre-set configuration file containing the station identifier, a first set of fingers that can be used to pick up the wafer from the station, and a second set of fingers that can be used to place the wafer at the station, the wafer transfer scenario is determined. The transfer scenario includes at least one transfer step, a first current state of the target station corresponding to each transfer step, and a second current state of the robotic arm's fingers. Both the first and second current states include a wafer-holding state or a wafer-not-holding state. Then, based on the configuration file and the transfer scenario, the target finger used by the target station in each transfer step is determined. For the target station, the wafer is transferred using the target finger corresponding to the target station, thus realizing the selection of fingers during the wafer transfer process. Since the configuration file records the fingers required for picking up and placing the wafer at each station, and the transfer scenario includes the transfer steps and external reference factors to be considered during wafer transfer (such as whether the finger is occupied by the wafer or whether the station has placed a wafer), it can be ensured that the determined target finger will not affect other transfer steps in the entire transfer scenario, thus ensuring the normal operation of the entire transfer process in the transfer scenario.

[0064] In one implementation, the transmission scenario includes at least one of the following: a first transmission scenario, a second transmission scenario, a third transmission scenario, and a fourth transmission scenario; wherein,

[0065] The first transmission scenario includes: a first transmission step of placing a wafer on a robotic arm at a first target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a wafer-holding state, and the first target station is in a wafer-not-holding state;

[0066] The second transmission scenario includes: a second transmission step of picking up a wafer from a second target site and a third transmission step of placing a wafer at the second target site, wherein some fingers of the robotic arm are in a wafer-holding state and the remaining fingers are in a wafer-not-holding state, and the second target site is in a wafer-holding state in the second transmission step;

[0067] The third transmission scenario includes: a fourth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a third target station, a fifth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a fourth target station, and a sixth transmission step of placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station. At least two fingers of the robotic arm are not holding a wafer, and both the third and fourth target stations are holding wafers.

[0068] The fourth transmission scenario includes: a seventh step of picking up a wafer from a fifth target station, and an eighth step of placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target station into a sixth target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a state of not holding a wafer, the fifth target station is in a state of holding a wafer, and the sixth target station is in a state of not holding a wafer.

[0069] The above transmission scenarios will be analyzed here.

[0070] Assuming the wafer's transmission path within the device is as follows: Figure 3 As shown, the wafer starts from Station A, passes through Station B, Station C, and Station D, and finally returns to Station A.

[0071] This section analyzes the transfer of wafers between two stations. Assume the starting station is Station A and the ending station is Station B. A robot arm is used to transfer wafers between Station A and Station B. Station A and Station B can each hold one wafer. The robot has two fingers, Slot 1 and Slot 2, each capable of holding one wafer. Based on the station and the state of the robot arm holding the wafer, there are 16 scenarios as shown in Table 1. The interpretation of the information in the table is as follows:

[0072] Scenario: The state scenarios of the station and the robotic arm holding the wafer, a total of 16 cases, as shown in Table 1 below;

[0073] StationA: Indicates the starting station (the station where the wafer is about to leave);

[0074] StationB: Indicates the final destination (the station where the wafer is about to arrive);

[0075] Robot: refers to a two-finger robotic hand;

[0076] Slot1: Represents finger 1 of the robotic arm;

[0077] Slot2: Represents finger 2 of the robotic hand;

[0078] ●: Indicates that a wafer exists at the current site and no other wafers can be placed there;

[0079] ○: Indicates that there is available space at the current site to place the wafer;

[0080] ×: indicates that the conditions for transmitting wafers are not met;

[0081] K->L: This indicates that the wafer is transferred from K to L.

[0082] Wafer transfer priority setting: the wafers on the robotic arm have a higher priority than the wafers at the starting station.

[0083] The scheduling scenarios for the 16 scenarios are shown in Table 1.

[0084] Table 1

[0085]

[0086]

[0087] Of the above scenarios, excluding those that cannot be transmitted and have the same result, only scenarios 2-8 remain. Based on the priority settings for wafer transmission, when there is a wafer on the robotic arm, the wafer at the starting station is not considered for transmission. Thus, the remaining scenarios 2-8 can be further merged and described. Scenarios 1, 4, and 6 are merged into: there is a wafer on the robotic arm, but no wafer at the destination station; scenarios 3 and 5 are merged into: there is a wafer on the robotic arm, and there is also a wafer at the destination station. The four new scenarios after merging are shown in Table 2 below.

[0088] Table 2

[0089]

[0090]

[0091] The above scenario analysis yields four transmission scenarios: the first, the second, the third, and the fourth. These four scenarios encompass a wide range of wafer transfer processes, allowing for reference during wafer transfer and improving transfer efficiency.

[0092] In addition, the method for determining the target finger used by the target site can be designed for each transmission scenario, as detailed below.

[0093] When implementing the four transmission scenarios summarized above, several judgment words need to be defined, which are explained in detail below:

[0094] "Available": Determines whether the specified finger can pick up the wafer from the target site. The input can be the target site and the mechanical finger ID. The output can be Yes or No. Yes means the wafer can be picked up, and No means the wafer cannot be picked up.

[0095] "Placeable": Determines whether a specified finger can place a wafer onto the target site. The input can be the target site and the mechanical finger ID. The output can be Yes or No. Yes indicates that the wafer can be placed, and No indicates that the wafer cannot be placed.

[0096] "Find Pickable Fingers": Find the set of mechanical fingers that can pick up wafers from the target site. The input can be the target site, and the output can be Yes / No. Yes indicates that a set of mechanical finger IDs that can pick up wafers from the site has been found, and No indicates that no ones have been found.

[0097] "Find Placeable Fingers": Find the set of mechanical fingers that can place wafers onto the target site. The input can be the target site, and the output can be Yes / No. Yes indicates that a set of mechanical finger IDs that can place wafers onto the site has been found, and No indicates that no ones have been found.

[0098] "Find Pick-up and Placement Fingers": Find the set of mechanical fingers that can pick up wafers from the starting station and place them at the destination station. The input can be the starting station and the destination station. The output can be Yes / No. Yes indicates that a set of mechanical finger IDs that can pick up and place wafers has been found, and No indicates that no such set has been found.

[0099] "Find other available fingers": Find other available fingers besides the specified mechanical finger. The input can be the mechanical finger ID, and the output can be Yes / No. Yes means that a set of other available mechanical finger IDs was found, and No means that no ones were found.

[0100] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the first transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes:

[0101] Based on the configuration file, detect whether there is a finger belonging to the second finger set corresponding to the first target site among the at least one finger holding the wafer;

[0102] If the detection result is yes, then the finger is identified as the target finger used when placing the wafer at the first target site.

[0103] Specifically, for the first transmission scenario, which includes the first transmission step of placing a wafer from a robotic arm to a first target station, at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a wafer-holding state, and the first target station is in a wafer-free state. In this scenario, the system can detect whether any of the at least one finger holding the wafer belongs to the second set of fingers corresponding to the first target station by using the station attributes recorded in the configuration file. In other words, it can detect whether there is a finger among the at least one holding the wafer capable of placing the wafer at the first target station. If so, that finger (i.e., the finger among the at least one fingers belonging to the second set of fingers corresponding to the first target station) can be identified as the target finger used when placing the wafer at the first target station.

[0104] The following specific examples will illustrate this.

[0105] For example, assuming the robotic arm holds a wafer with at least one finger, the first target station, Station B, can place the wafer (i.e., in a wafer-free state), and the transmission process is as follows: Figure 4 As shown, this is to transfer a wafer from the robotic arm to Station B.

[0106] The processing flow for this scenario can be as follows: use "placeable" detection, that is, determine whether the finger can place the wafer to the first target station. At this time, the input can be the ID of the mechanical finger holding the wafer, such as Slot1 or Slot2. If the detection passes, the finger ID is used to create the action (Move). If the detection fails, the current wafer transfer scenario cannot be realized.

[0107] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the second transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes:

[0108] Based on the configuration file, detect whether any of the fingers holding the wafer belong to the second set of fingers corresponding to the second target site;

[0109] If the detection result is yes, then the finger is identified as the target finger for placing the wafer at the second target site, and the first finger set corresponding to the second target site is obtained based on the configuration file;

[0110] The system detects whether any of the remaining fingers that do not hold a wafer belong to the first set of fingers corresponding to the second target station and the second set of fingers corresponding to the next station of the second target station; if the detection result is yes, then the finger is identified as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the second target station.

[0111] Specifically, the second transmission scenario includes: a second transmission step of picking up a wafer from a second target station, and a third transmission step of placing a wafer at the second target station. Some fingers of the robotic arm are in a wafer-holding state, while the remaining fingers are in a wafer-free state. In the second transmission step, the second target station is in a wafer-holding state. For this transmission scenario, the attributes of the second target station recorded in the configuration file can be used to detect whether any of the wafer-holding fingers belong to the second finger set corresponding to that second target station. If so, it means that the finger (i.e., the finger belonging to the second finger set corresponding to that second target station) can place a wafer at the second target station, and thus the finger can be identified as the target finger for placing the wafer at the second target station. Furthermore, it can be further detected whether any of the remaining fingers not holding a wafer belong to the first finger set corresponding to the second target station and the second finger set corresponding to the next station of the second target station. If this finger can pick up a wafer from the second target station and simultaneously place a wafer at the next station of the second target station, then the finger can be identified as the target finger for picking up a wafer from the second target station.

[0112] The following specific examples will illustrate this.

[0113] For example, suppose a robotic arm's finger in slot 1 holds a wafer, while another finger in slot 2 does not hold a wafer, and Station B contains a wafer, with Station C being the next station for that wafer. Figure 5 As shown, the wafer transfer process is as follows: Slot2 first picks up the wafer from Station B, and then Slot1 places the wafer onto Station B.

[0114] like Figure 6 As shown, the processing flow for this scenario can be as follows: First, check whether slot 1 allows placing a wafer onto Station B using the "placement allowed" check (corresponding to...). Figure 5 If the detection passes (step "2"), continue using "Find Pickable Finger" to locate the finger that allows the wafer to be picked up from Station B (corresponding to...). Figure 5 In step "1" of the process, if a set is found that includes an unused finger slot2, then the process continues to check whether slot2 can place the wafer to the next station C in Station B (corresponding to...). Figure 5 If the detection passes (step "3"), a Move is created according to the wafer transfer process for that scenario. If any detection in the process fails, the current wafer transfer scenario cannot be implemented.

[0115] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the third transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes:

[0116] Obtain the first intersection of at least two fingers that do not hold a wafer and the first set of fingers corresponding to the fourth target site;

[0117] Detect whether there are fingers in the first intersection that belong to the second set of fingers corresponding to the next station of the fourth target station;

[0118] If the detection result is yes, then the finger is identified as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the fourth target site;

[0119] Detect whether there are any fingers among the other fingers of at least two fingers that do not hold a wafer that belong to the first set of fingers corresponding to the third target site and the second set of fingers corresponding to the fourth target site;

[0120] If the detection result is yes, then the finger is identified as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the third target station, and the finger is also identified as the target finger for placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station.

[0121] Specifically, the other fingers, at least two of them, are those other than the target finger already identified as the one picking up the wafer from the fourth target site.

[0122] Specifically, the third transmission scenario includes a fourth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a third target station, a fifth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a fourth target station, and a sixth transmission step of placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station. At least two fingers of the robotic arm are in a wafer-free state, while both the third and fourth target stations are in a wafer-free state. For this transmission scenario, a first intersection can be obtained between the fingers that do not hold wafers and the first set of fingers corresponding to the fourth target station. If a first intersection exists (i.e., the fingers that do not hold wafers can pick up wafers from the fourth target station), and the first intersection contains a finger belonging to the second set of fingers corresponding to the next station of the fourth target station, i.e., the finger can place a wafer into the next station, then the finger (i.e., the finger in the first intersection belonging to the second set of fingers corresponding to the next station of the fourth target station) can be identified as the target finger for picking up wafers from the fourth target station. Furthermore, if among the other fingers that do not hold the wafer, there is a finger that belongs to the first set of fingers corresponding to the third target station and the second set of fingers corresponding to the fourth target station, that is, the finger that can pick up the wafer from the third target station and place the wafer to the fourth target station, then the finger (i.e. the finger that belongs to the first set of fingers corresponding to the third target station and the second set of fingers corresponding to the fourth target station) can be identified as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the third target station and the target finger for placing the wafer at the fourth target station.

[0123] The following specific examples will illustrate this.

[0124] For example, suppose Station A contains a wafer, and neither of the robotic arm's two fingers, slots 1 and 2, hold a wafer, while Station B contains a wafer and the next station for that wafer is Station C. Figure 7 As shown, the wafer transfer process is as follows: slot1 picks up the wafer from station A, slot2 picks up the wafer from station B, and slot1 places the wafer it holds onto station B.

[0125] like Figure 8 As shown, the processing flow for this scenario can be as follows: First, find the set of mechanical fingers that can pick up wafers from Station B by "finding available fingers" (corresponding to...). Figure 7 Step "2" in the code is then iterated through the set of mechanical fingers and the "placeable" check is performed to determine whether the current mechanical finger can place a wafer onto Station C (corresponding to...). Figure 7Step "4" in the process; if the detection passes, continue using "Find other available fingers" to find other available fingers besides the fingers that passed the detection above. If the current detection passes, use the found finger as input to continue using "pickable" and "placeable" to check whether the finger can pick up the wafer from Station A and place it in Station B (corresponding to...). Figure 7 (Steps "1" and "3" in the process). If all checks pass, the selected finger is used to transfer the wafer according to the scenario flow. If any check in the process fails, the current wafer transfer scenario cannot be realized.

[0126] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the fourth transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes:

[0127] Obtain the second intersection of at least one finger that does not hold a wafer, the first set of fingers corresponding to the fifth target site, and the second set of fingers corresponding to the sixth target site;

[0128] Any finger or default finger in the second intersection is identified as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the fifth target site, and is also identified as the target finger for placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target site at the sixth target site.

[0129] Specifically, the fourth transmission scenario includes a seventh step of picking up a wafer from the fifth target station and an eighth step of placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target station into the sixth target station. At least one finger of the robotic arm is in a wafer-free state, the fifth target station is in a wafer-holding state, and the sixth target station is in a wafer-free state. For this transmission scenario, a second intersection can be obtained, consisting of the fingers that do not hold a wafer, the first set of fingers corresponding to the fifth target station, and the second set of fingers corresponding to the sixth target station. That is, the fingers in the second intersection simultaneously satisfy the characteristics of not holding a wafer, being able to pick up a wafer from the fifth target station, and placing a wafer into the sixth target station. Then, any finger or default finger in the second intersection can be determined as the target finger for picking up a wafer from the fifth target station and placing it into the sixth target station.

[0130] Specifically, the default finger can be a specified finger, such as the finger numbered P.

[0131] The following specific examples will illustrate this.

[0132] For example, suppose Station A contains a wafer, and the robotic arm's two fingers, slots 1 and 2, do not hold a wafer, while Station B does not contain a wafer (i.e., it is in a wafer-free state). Figure 9As shown, the wafer transfer process is as follows: the robotic arm picks up the wafer from Station A using slot 1 or slot 2, and then places it on Station B.

[0133] like Figure 10 As shown, the processing flow for this transfer scenario is as follows: First, a set of mechanical fingers that can pick up the wafer from Station A and place it into Station B is found by "finding pickable and placeable fingers". If more than one finger in this set meets the condition, the default finger (e.g., finger number 1) is used first. If the detection passes, the selected finger is used to transfer the wafer according to the scenario flow. If the detection fails, the current wafer transfer scenario cannot be implemented.

[0134] The above method enables the allocation of wafer pick-up and placement fingers based on the configuration file and the wafer transport scenario, using the mechanical fingers for picking up and placing wafers at each station as constraints. By loading the configuration file, it is possible to modify the code when changing the mechanical fingers used for wafer transport. In addition, it enables the setting of the fingers used by the robot arm when transporting wafers at each station, avoiding the problem that existing scheduling methods cannot meet the usage requirements when the robot arm must use a specific finger to pick up and place wafers at each station due to reasons such as the material of the mechanical fingers.

[0135] Figure 11 This diagram illustrates a structural schematic of a wafer transport device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This device is used in semiconductor process equipment, such as... Figure 11 As shown, it includes:

[0136] The acquisition module 1101 is used to acquire a pre-set configuration file, wherein the configuration file records the site identifier of the site, the first set of fingers that can be used to pick up the wafer from the site, and the second set of fingers that can be used to place the wafer on the site.

[0137] The first determining module 1102 is used to determine the wafer transmission scenario. The transmission scenario includes at least one transmission step, a first current state of the target station corresponding to each transmission step, and a second current state of the fingers of the robotic arm. Both the first current state and the second current state include a wafer holding state or a wafer not holding state.

[0138] The second determining module 1103 is used to determine the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario, wherein the target finger is a finger in the first finger set or the second finger set corresponding to the target station.

[0139] The transmission module 1104 is used to perform wafer transmission for the target site through a target finger corresponding to the target site.

[0140] In one implementation, the transmission scenario includes at least one of the following: a first transmission scenario, a second transmission scenario, a third transmission scenario, and a fourth transmission scenario; wherein,

[0141] The first transmission scenario includes: a first transmission step of placing a wafer on a robotic arm at a first target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a wafer-holding state, and the first target station is in a wafer-not-holding state;

[0142] The second transmission scenario includes: a second transmission step of picking up a wafer from a second target site and a third transmission step of placing a wafer at the second target site, wherein some fingers of the robotic arm are in a wafer-holding state and the remaining fingers are in a wafer-not-holding state, and the second target site is in a wafer-holding state in the second transmission step;

[0143] The third transmission scenario includes: a fourth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a third target station, a fifth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a fourth target station, and a sixth transmission step of placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station. At least two fingers of the robotic arm are not holding a wafer, and both the third and fourth target stations are holding wafers.

[0144] The fourth transmission scenario includes: a seventh step of picking up a wafer from a fifth target station, and an eighth step of placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target station into a sixth target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a state of not holding a wafer, the fifth target station is in a state of holding a wafer, and the sixth target station is in a state of not holding a wafer.

[0145] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the first transmission scenario, the second determining module 1103 is specifically used to detect, based on the configuration file, whether there is a finger belonging to the second finger set corresponding to the first target site among the at least one finger holding the wafer;

[0146] If the detection result is yes, then the finger is identified as the target finger used when placing the wafer at the first target site.

[0147] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the second transmission scenario, the second determining module 1103 is specifically configured to: detect, based on the configuration file, whether there is a finger belonging to the second finger set corresponding to the second target station among the fingers holding the wafer; if the detection result is yes, then determine the finger as the target finger for placing the wafer to the second target station, and obtain the first finger set corresponding to the second target station based on the configuration file; detect whether there is a finger belonging to the first finger set corresponding to the second target station and belonging to the second finger set corresponding to the next station of the second target station among the remaining fingers not holding the wafer; if the detection result is yes, then determine the finger as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the second target station.

[0148] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the third transmission scenario, the second determining module 1103 is specifically configured to: obtain a first intersection between at least two fingers that do not hold a wafer and the first set of fingers corresponding to the fourth target station; detect whether there is a finger in the first intersection that belongs to the second set of fingers corresponding to the next station of the fourth target station; if the detection result is yes, then determine the finger as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the fourth target station; detect whether there is a finger among the other fingers that do not hold a wafer that belongs to both the first set of fingers corresponding to the third target station and the second set of fingers corresponding to the fourth target station; if the detection result is yes, then determine the finger as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the third target station, and determine the finger as the target finger for placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station.

[0149] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the first transmission scenario, the second determining module 1103 is specifically used to: obtain a second intersection of at least one finger that does not hold a wafer, the first set of fingers corresponding to the fifth target station, and the second set of fingers corresponding to the sixth target station; determine any finger or default finger in the second intersection as the target finger for picking up a wafer from the fifth target station, and determine it as the target finger for placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target station at the sixth target station.

[0150] The wafer transport device provided in this application embodiment can achieve Figure 1-10 The various processes implemented in the method implementation examples will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0151] It should be noted that the embodiments of the wafer transfer device in this specification and the embodiments of the wafer transfer method in this specification are based on the same inventive concept. Therefore, for specific implementation of the embodiments of the wafer transfer device, please refer to the implementation of the corresponding embodiments of the wafer transfer method mentioned above. Repeated descriptions will not be repeated.

[0152] The wafer transmission device in this application embodiment can be a device, or a component, integrated circuit, or chip in a terminal. The device can be a mobile electronic device or a non-mobile electronic device. For example, mobile electronic devices can be mobile phones, tablets, laptops, PDAs, in-vehicle electronic devices, wearable devices, ultra-mobile personal computers (UMPCs), netbooks, or personal digital assistants (PDAs), etc., while non-mobile electronic devices can be servers, network-attached storage (NAS), personal computers (PCs), televisions (TVs), ATMs, or self-service machines, etc. This application embodiment does not impose specific limitations.

[0153] The wafer transmission device in this application embodiment can be a device with an operating system. This operating system can be Android, iOS, or other possible operating systems; this application embodiment does not specifically limit the specific operating system used.

[0154] Figure 12 This diagram illustrates the structure of a semiconductor process apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 12 As shown, the semiconductor process equipment includes:

[0155] The system includes a controller 1201, a robotic arm 1202, and multiple stations 1203, wherein the robotic arm 1202 includes at least one finger;

[0156] The controller is configured to acquire a pre-set configuration file, wherein the configuration file records a station identifier, a first set of fingers that can be used to pick up a wafer from the station, and a second set of fingers that can be used to place a wafer at the station; determine a wafer transfer scenario, wherein the transfer scenario includes at least one transfer step, a first current state of the target station corresponding to each transfer step, and a second current state of the fingers of the robotic arm, wherein both the first and second current states include a wafer-holding state or a wafer-not-holding state; based on the configuration file and the transfer scenario, determine the target finger used by the target station in each transfer step, wherein the target finger is a finger in the first or second set of fingers corresponding to the target station; and perform wafer transfer for the target station using the target finger corresponding to the target station.

[0157] Specifically, the stations in this embodiment are defined for wafer transport, and are actually various components of semiconductor process equipment that can carry wafers. For example, they may include front-opening unified pods (FOUP), wafer pod opening and closing and wafer position scanning devices (Load Port), load locks, storage cabinets (Stocker) for storing wafers, transport chambers (TM), process chambers (PM), etc.

[0158] The semiconductor process equipment provided in this embodiment enables the setting of the fingers used by the robotic arm when transferring wafers between various stations, solving the problem that existing wafer scheduling methods cannot select the fingers used at each station, thus meeting various usage scenarios. In addition, by setting a configuration file, unified dynamic management of the operating fingers at each station is achieved, so that no code needs to be changed when modifying the robotic fingers that can be used to transfer wafers at each station, which facilitates user management operations.

[0159] In one implementation, the transmission scenario includes at least one of the following: a first transmission scenario, a second transmission scenario, a third transmission scenario, and a fourth transmission scenario; wherein,

[0160] The first transmission scenario includes: a first transmission step of placing a wafer on a robotic arm at a first target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a wafer-holding state, and the first target station is in a wafer-not-holding state;

[0161] The second transmission scenario includes: a second transmission step of picking up a wafer from a second target site and a third transmission step of placing a wafer at the second target site, wherein some fingers of the robotic arm are in a wafer-holding state and the remaining fingers are in a wafer-not-holding state, and the second target site is in a wafer-holding state in the second transmission step;

[0162] The third transmission scenario includes: a fourth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a third target station, a fifth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a fourth target station, and a sixth transmission step of placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station. At least two fingers of the robotic arm are not holding a wafer, and both the third and fourth target stations are holding wafers.

[0163] The fourth transmission scenario includes: a seventh step of picking up a wafer from a fifth target station, and an eighth step of placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target station into a sixth target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a state of not holding a wafer, the fifth target station is in a state of holding a wafer, and the sixth target station is in a state of not holding a wafer.

[0164] The semiconductor process equipment provided in this application embodiment can achieve… Figure 1-10 The various processes implemented in the method implementation examples will not be described again here to avoid repetition.

[0165] It should be noted that the embodiments of semiconductor process equipment in this specification and the embodiments of wafer transfer methods in this specification are based on the same inventive concept. Therefore, for specific implementation of the embodiments of semiconductor process equipment for wafers, please refer to the implementation of the corresponding embodiments of wafer transfer methods mentioned above. Repeated descriptions will not be repeated.

[0166] Based on the same technical concept, embodiments of this application also provide an electronic device for performing the above-described wafer transfer method. Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device to implement various embodiments of this application. The electronic device can vary significantly due to differences in configuration or performance, and may include a processor 1310, a communications interface 1320, a memory 1330, and a communication bus 1340. The processor 1310, communications interface 1320, and memory 1330 communicate with each other via the communication bus 1340. The processor 1310 can call a computer program stored in the memory 1330 and executable on the processor 1310 to perform the following steps:

[0167] Obtain a pre-set configuration file, wherein the configuration file records the site identifier of the site, the first set of fingers that can be used to pick up the wafer from the site, and the second set of fingers that can be used to place the wafer on the site;

[0168] The wafer transfer scenario is determined, the transfer scenario includes at least one transfer step, a first current state of the target station corresponding to each transfer step, and a second current state of the robotic arm's fingers, the first current state and the second current state both include a wafer holding state or a wafer not holding state.

[0169] Based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario, the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step is determined, wherein the target finger is a finger in the first finger set or the second finger set corresponding to the target station;

[0170] For the target site, wafer transfer is performed through the target finger corresponding to the target site.

[0171] In one implementation, the transmission scenario includes at least one of the following first transmission scenario, second transmission scenario, third transmission scenario, and fourth transmission scenario; wherein, the first transmission scenario includes: a first transmission step of placing a wafer on a robotic arm at a first target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a wafer-holding state, and the first target station is in a wafer-not-holding state; the second transmission scenario includes: a second transmission step of picking up a wafer from a second target station, and a third transmission step of placing a wafer at the second target station, wherein some fingers of the robotic arm are in a wafer-holding state and the remaining fingers are in a wafer-not-holding state, and in the second transmission step, the second target station is in a wafer-holding state; The third transmission scenario includes: a fourth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a third target station, a fifth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a fourth target station, and a sixth transmission step of placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station, wherein at least two fingers of the robotic arm are in a wafer-free state, and both the third and fourth target stations are in a wafer-free state; the fourth transmission scenario includes: a seventh step of picking up a wafer from a fifth target station, and an eighth step of placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target station into the sixth target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a wafer-free state, the fifth target station is in a wafer-free state, and the sixth target station is in a wafer-free state.

[0172] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the first transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes: based on the configuration file, detecting whether there is a finger belonging to the second finger set corresponding to the first target station among the at least one finger holding the wafer; if the detection result is yes, then determining the finger as the target finger used when placing the wafer at the first target station.

[0173] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the second transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes: based on the configuration file, detecting whether there is a finger belonging to the second finger set corresponding to the second target station among the fingers holding the wafer; if the detection result is yes, then determining the finger as the target finger for placing the wafer to the second target station, and obtaining the first finger set corresponding to the second target station based on the configuration file; detecting whether there is a finger belonging to the first finger set corresponding to the second target station and belonging to the second finger set corresponding to the next station of the second target station among the remaining fingers not holding the wafer; if the detection result is yes, then determining the finger as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the second target station.

[0174] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the third transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes: obtaining a first intersection of at least two fingers not holding a wafer and a first set of fingers corresponding to the fourth target station; detecting whether there is a finger in the first intersection that belongs to a second set of fingers corresponding to the next station of the fourth target station; if the detection result is yes, then determining the finger as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the fourth target station; detecting whether there is a finger among the other fingers of the at least two fingers not holding a wafer that belongs to both the first set of fingers corresponding to the third target station and the second set of fingers corresponding to the fourth target station; if the detection result is yes, then determining the finger as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the third target station, and determining the finger as the target finger for placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station.

[0175] In one implementation, if the transmission scenario is the fourth transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes: obtaining a second intersection of at least one finger that does not hold a wafer, a first set of fingers corresponding to the fifth target station, and a second set of fingers corresponding to the sixth target station; determining any finger or default finger in the second intersection as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the fifth target station, and determining it as the target finger for placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target station at the sixth target station.

[0176] The specific execution steps can be found in the various steps of the above-described wafer transfer method embodiment, and can achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0177] It should be noted that the electronic devices in the embodiments of this application include: servers, terminals, or other devices besides terminals.

[0178] The above electronic device structure does not constitute a limitation on the electronic device. An electronic device may include more or fewer components than illustrated, or combine certain components, or arrange them differently. For example, an input unit may include a Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) and a microphone, and a display unit may use a liquid crystal display (LCD), organic light-emitting diode (OLED), or other similar display panels. User input units include at least one of a touch panel and other input devices. A touch panel is also called a touchscreen. Other input devices may include, but are not limited to, physical keyboards, function keys (such as volume control buttons, power buttons, etc.), trackballs, mice, and joysticks, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0179] Memory can be used to store software programs and various data. Memory can primarily include a first storage area for storing programs or instructions and a second storage area for storing data. The first storage area can store the operating system, application programs or instructions required for at least one function (such as sound playback, image playback, etc.). Furthermore, memory can include volatile memory or non-volatile memory, or both. Non-volatile memory can be read-only memory (ROM), programmable read-only memory (PROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can be random access memory (RAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDRSDRAM), enhanced synchronous dynamic random access memory (ESDRAM), synchronous linked dynamic random access memory (Synchlink DRAM, SLDRAM), and direct memory bus RAM (DRRAM).

[0180] The processor may include one or more processing units; optionally, the processor integrates an application processor and a modem processor, wherein the application processor mainly handles operations related to the operating system, user interface, and applications, while the modem processor mainly handles wireless communication signals, such as a baseband processor. It is understood that the aforementioned modem processor may also not be integrated into the processor.

[0181] This application also provides a readable storage medium storing a program or instructions. When the program or instructions are executed by a processor, they implement the various processes of the above-described method for producing items and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, they will not be described again here.

[0182] The processor is the processor in the electronic device described in the above embodiments. The readable storage medium includes computer-readable storage media, such as computer read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk, or optical disk.

[0183] This application embodiment also provides a chip, which includes a processor and a communication interface. The communication interface is coupled to the processor. The processor is used to run programs or instructions to implement the various processes of the above method embodiments and achieve the same technical effect. To avoid repetition, it will not be described again here.

[0184] It should be understood that the chip mentioned in the embodiments of this application may also be referred to as a system-on-a-chip, system chip, chip system, or system-on-a-chip, etc.

[0185] It should be noted that, in this document, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes that element. Furthermore, it should be noted that the scope of the methods and apparatuses in the embodiments of this application is not limited to performing functions in the order shown or discussed, but may also include performing functions substantially simultaneously or in the reverse order, depending on the functions involved. For example, the described methods may be performed in a different order than described, and various steps may be added, omitted, or combined. Additionally, features described with reference to certain examples may be combined in other examples.

[0186] Through the above description of the embodiments, those skilled in the art can clearly understand that the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by means of software plus necessary general-purpose hardware platforms. Of course, they can also be implemented by hardware, but in many cases the former is a better implementation method. Based on this understanding, the technical solution of this application, in essence, or the part that contributes to the prior art, can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium (such as ROM / RAM, magnetic disk, optical disk) and includes several instructions to cause a terminal (which may be a mobile phone, computer, server, air conditioner, or network device, etc.) to execute the methods described in the various embodiments of this application.

[0187] The embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, this application is not limited to the specific embodiments described above. The specific embodiments described above are merely illustrative and not restrictive. Those skilled in the art can make many other forms under the guidance of this application without departing from the spirit and scope of the claims, and all of these forms are within the protection scope of this application.

Claims

1. A wafer transfer method, applied in semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that, include: Obtain a pre-set configuration file, wherein the configuration file records the site identifier of the site, the first set of fingers that can be used to pick up the wafer from the site, and the second set of fingers that can be used to place the wafer on the site; The wafer transfer scenario is determined, the transfer scenario includes at least one transfer step, a first current state of the target station corresponding to each transfer step, and a second current state of the robotic arm's finger, the first current state and the second current state both include a wafer holding state or a wafer not holding state. Based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario, the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step is determined, wherein the target finger is a finger in the first finger set or the second finger set corresponding to the target station; For the target site, wafer transfer is performed through the target finger corresponding to the target site.

2. The transmission method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The transmission scenario includes at least one of the following: a first transmission scenario, a second transmission scenario, a third transmission scenario, and a fourth transmission scenario; wherein, The first transmission scenario includes: a first transmission step of placing a wafer on a robotic arm at a first target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a wafer-holding state, and the first target station is in a wafer-not-holding state; The second transmission scenario includes: a second transmission step of picking up a wafer from a second target site and a third transmission step of placing a wafer at the second target site, wherein some fingers of the robotic arm are in a wafer-holding state and the remaining fingers are in a wafer-not-holding state, and the second target site is in a wafer-holding state in the second transmission step; The third transmission scenario includes: a fourth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a third target station, a fifth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a fourth target station, and a sixth transmission step of placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station. At least two fingers of the robotic arm are not holding a wafer, and both the third and fourth target stations are holding wafers. The fourth transmission scenario includes: a seventh step of picking up a wafer from a fifth target station, and an eighth step of placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target station into a sixth target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a state of not holding a wafer, the fifth target station is in a state of holding a wafer, and the sixth target station is in a state of not holding a wafer.

3. The transmission method according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the transmission scenario is the first transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target site in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes: Based on the configuration file, detect whether there is a finger belonging to the second finger set corresponding to the first target site among the at least one finger holding the wafer; If the detection result is yes, then the finger is identified as the target finger used when placing the wafer at the first target site.

4. The transmission method according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the transmission scenario is the second transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target site in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes: Based on the configuration file, detect whether any of the fingers holding the wafer belong to the second set of fingers corresponding to the second target site; If the detection result is yes, then the finger is identified as the target finger for placing the wafer at the second target site, and the first finger set corresponding to the second target site is obtained based on the configuration file; Detect whether there are any fingers among the remaining fingers that do not hold a wafer that belong to the first set of fingers corresponding to the second target station and the second set of fingers corresponding to the next station of the second target station; If the detection result is yes, then the finger is identified as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the second target site.

5. The transmission method according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the transmission scenario is the third transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes: Obtain the first intersection of at least two fingers that do not hold a wafer and the first set of fingers corresponding to the fourth target site; Detect whether there are fingers in the first intersection that belong to the second set of fingers corresponding to the next station of the fourth target station; If the detection result is yes, then the finger is identified as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the fourth target site; Detect whether there are any fingers among the other fingers of at least two fingers that do not hold a wafer that belong to the first set of fingers corresponding to the third target site and the second set of fingers corresponding to the fourth target site; If the detection result is yes, then the finger is identified as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the third target station, and the finger is also identified as the target finger for placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station.

6. The transmission method according to claim 2, characterized in that, If the transmission scenario is the fourth transmission scenario, determining the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario includes: Obtain the second intersection of at least one finger that does not hold a wafer, the first set of fingers corresponding to the fifth target site, and the second set of fingers corresponding to the sixth target site; Any finger or default finger in the second intersection is identified as the target finger for picking up the wafer from the fifth target site, and is also identified as the target finger for placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target site at the sixth target site.

7. A wafer transport device, used in semiconductor process equipment, characterized in that, include: The acquisition module is used to acquire a pre-set configuration file, wherein the configuration file records the site identifier of the site, the first set of fingers that can be used to pick up the wafer from the site, and the second set of fingers that can be used to place the wafer on the site; The first determining module is used to determine the wafer transmission scenario. The transmission scenario includes at least one transmission step, a first current state of the target station corresponding to each transmission step, and a second current state of the robotic arm's finger. Both the first and second current states include a wafer holding state or a wafer not holding state. The second determining module is used to determine the target finger used by the target station in each transmission step based on the configuration file and the transmission scenario, wherein the target finger is a finger in the first finger set or the second finger set corresponding to the target station; A transmission module is used to perform wafer transmission for the target site via a target finger corresponding to the target site.

8. The transmission device according to claim 7, characterized in that, The transmission scenario includes at least one of the following: a first transmission scenario, a second transmission scenario, a third transmission scenario, and a fourth transmission scenario; wherein, The first transmission scenario includes: a first transmission step of placing a wafer on a robotic arm at a first target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a wafer-holding state, and the first target station is in a wafer-not-holding state; The second transmission scenario includes: a second transmission step of picking up a wafer from a second target site and a third transmission step of placing a wafer at the second target site, wherein some fingers of the robotic arm are in a wafer-holding state and the remaining fingers are in a wafer-not-holding state, and the second target site is in a wafer-holding state in the second transmission step; The third transmission scenario includes: a fourth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a third target station, a fifth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a fourth target station, and a sixth transmission step of placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station. At least two fingers of the robotic arm are not holding a wafer, and both the third and fourth target stations are holding wafers. The fourth transmission scenario includes: a seventh step of picking up a wafer from a fifth target station, and an eighth step of placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target station into a sixth target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a state of not holding a wafer, the fifth target station is in a state of holding a wafer, and the sixth target station is in a state of not holding a wafer.

9. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, include: The system includes a controller, a robotic arm, and multiple stations, wherein the robotic arm includes at least one finger; The controller is configured to acquire a pre-set configuration file, wherein the configuration file records a station identifier, a first set of fingers that can be used to pick up a wafer from the station, and a second set of fingers that can be used to place a wafer at the station; determine a wafer transfer scenario, wherein the transfer scenario includes at least one transfer step, a first current state of the target station corresponding to each transfer step, and a second current state of the fingers of the robotic arm, wherein both the first and second current states include a wafer-holding state or a wafer-not-holding state; based on the configuration file and the transfer scenario, determine the target finger used by the target station in each transfer step, wherein the target finger is a finger in the first or second set of fingers corresponding to the target station; and perform wafer transfer for the target station using the target finger corresponding to the target station.

10. The semiconductor process equipment according to claim 9, characterized in that, The transmission scenario includes at least one of the following: a first transmission scenario, a second transmission scenario, a third transmission scenario, and a fourth transmission scenario; wherein, The first transmission scenario includes: a first transmission step of placing a wafer on a robotic arm at a first target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a wafer-holding state, and the first target station is in a wafer-not-holding state; The second transmission scenario includes: a second transmission step of picking up a wafer from a second target site and a third transmission step of placing a wafer at the second target site, wherein some fingers of the robotic arm are in a wafer-holding state and the remaining fingers are in a wafer-not-holding state, and the second target site is in a wafer-holding state in the second transmission step; The third transmission scenario includes: a fourth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a third target station, a fifth transmission step of picking up a wafer from a fourth target station, and a sixth transmission step of placing the wafer picked up from the third target station into the fourth target station. At least two fingers of the robotic arm are not holding a wafer, and both the third and fourth target stations are holding wafers. The fourth transmission scenario includes: a seventh step of picking up a wafer from a fifth target station, and an eighth step of placing the wafer picked up from the fifth target station into a sixth target station, wherein at least one finger of the robotic arm is in a state of not holding a wafer, the fifth target station is in a state of holding a wafer, and the sixth target station is in a state of not holding a wafer.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • System and method for improving wafer transmission efficiency

    CN105810618A

  • Wafer scheduling method and device, storage medium and electronic equipment

    CN114169805A