A synchronous trigger circuit and a synchronous trigger control method

Abstract

The application aims to provide a synchronous trigger circuit and a synchronous trigger control method. The method comprises the following steps: a synchronous control module receives a pulse signal from a stepping motor module and sends a pulse signal back to the stepping motor module; after receiving the pulse signal sent by the synchronous control module, the stepping motor module sends a pulse signal to the synchronous control module again after a certain time delay, as a start signal; after receiving the start signal, the synchronous control module continuously sends pulse data until receiving an end signal from the stepping motor module. The application has the following advantages: based on the synchronous trigger control circuit and the synchronous trigger control method, through the interaction among the synchronous control module, the system control module, the stepping motor module and the light intensity acquisition module, the synchronous trigger monitoring is realized, and the stability and accuracy of the synchronous trigger system are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor optical measurement, and more particularly to a synchronous triggering circuit and a synchronous triggering control method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in the field of semiconductor testing and measurement, many stepper measurement systems require synchronous controllers to synchronously trigger external devices, such as light sources and cameras. For example, in ellipsometry systems, the motor rotation needs to be controlled according to a specific servo frequency to achieve switching of light source intensity. Most synchronous trigger controllers used in stepper measurements are based on Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) designs, employing a hard synchronization triggering method. Compared to soft synchronization, this significantly improves the accuracy and time overhead of synchronous triggering. However, with the increasing demands for stability and intelligence in measurement systems, stepper measurement systems require synchronous trigger controllers that not only perform synchronous triggering but also monitor their own operating status, reporting and handling any anomalies. Existing FPGA-based synchronous trigger controllers cannot meet these trigger monitoring requirements.

[0003] Furthermore, motor control systems are crucial control systems for semiconductor manufacturing equipment and an indispensable component of industrial automation in the semiconductor industry. Motor systems typically prioritize sufficient position control accuracy (positioning accuracy), position tracking accuracy (position tracking error), and sufficiently fast tracking speed as their primary control objectives. During operation, the system must be able to track changes in commands with a certain level of precision, thus placing high demands on the stability and accuracy of control signals, a requirement particularly pronounced in the semiconductor industry. As the precision of semiconductor equipment continues to increase, the accuracy, synchronization, and stability of motor control systems based on existing technologies are insufficient to meet the demands of the semiconductor industry. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a synchronous triggering circuit and a synchronous triggering control method.

[0005] According to an embodiment of this application, a synchronous triggering circuit is provided, characterized in that it includes:

[0006] The synchronization control module is used to receive control commands from the system control module and light intensity signal information from the light intensity acquisition module.

[0007] The system control module is used to send system operating parameters to the synchronization control module and receive data from the synchronization control module.

[0008] The stepper motor module is used to control the motor carrying the lens to step to the detection point;

[0009] The light intensity acquisition module is used to convert the light intensity analog signal into a digital signal and transmit the digital signal to the synchronization control module.

[0010] According to an embodiment of this application, the synchronization control module includes a power supply module, a main control chip, a Nor Flash module, a timing generation chip, a configuration memory, and a network communication unit.

[0011] According to an embodiment of this application, the stepper motor module records the position of the received pulse signal.

[0012] According to an embodiment of this application, a synchronous triggering control method based on the synchronous triggering circuit of this application is provided, wherein the method includes:

[0013] The synchronous control module receives pulse signals from the stepper motor module and sends pulse signals back to the stepper motor module;

[0014] After receiving the pulse signal sent by the synchronization control module, the stepper motor module sends another pulse signal to the synchronization control module after a certain time delay, as a start signal;

[0015] After receiving the start signal, the synchronization control module continuously sends pulse data until it receives the end signal from the stepper motor module.

[0016] According to an embodiment of this application, before signal synchronization, the method includes: the system control module sending a synchronization trigger-related command to the synchronization control module; after receiving the synchronization trigger command, the synchronization control module detecting whether there is an abnormality in the network communication between the synchronization control module, the system control module, and the stepper motor module.

[0017] According to an embodiment of this application, the method includes: setting a value for the offset of the stepper motor module, wherein the offset is used to ensure that the start signal is located at the midpoint between the two most recent Ready signals.

[0018] According to an embodiment of this application, the method uses an FPGA to implement the handshake of pulse signals and the operation of the stepper motor module recording the position of pulse signals.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the embodiments of this application have the following advantages: Based on the synchronous trigger control circuit and synchronous trigger control method of the embodiments of this application, synchronous trigger monitoring is realized through the interaction between the synchronous control module, the system control module, the stepper motor module and the light intensity acquisition module, thereby improving the stability and accuracy of the synchronous trigger system; the embodiments of this application adopt a combination of a single-chip microcomputer control system and a high real-time FPGA system for synchronous triggering, which greatly improves the accuracy, synchronization and stability of the motor control system compared with the prior art that adopts a single FPGA controller. Attached Figure Description

[0020] Other features, objects, and advantages of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of non-limiting embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings:

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a synchronous triggering circuit according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0022] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an exemplary synchronous triggering circuit according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0023] Figure 3 A flowchart of a synchronous triggering control method according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0024] Figure 4 An exemplary pulse signal schematic diagram according to an embodiment of this application is shown;

[0025] Figure 5 An exemplary pulse signal schematic diagram according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0026] The same or similar reference numerals in the accompanying drawings represent the same or similar parts. Detailed Implementation

[0027] Before discussing the exemplary embodiments in more detail, it should be noted that some exemplary embodiments are described as processes or methods depicted as flowcharts. Although the flowcharts describe the operations as sequential processes, many of these operations can be performed in parallel, concurrently, or simultaneously. Furthermore, the order of the operations can be rearranged. The process can be terminated when its operation is completed, but may also have additional steps not included in the figures. The process can correspond to a method, function, procedure, subroutine, subroutine, etc.

[0028] The specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are merely representative and are intended to describe exemplary embodiments of this application. However, this application may be implemented in many alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited solely to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0029] It should be understood that although the terms "first," "second," etc., may be used herein to describe various units, these units should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used merely to distinguish one unit from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, a first unit may be referred to as a second unit, and similarly, a second unit may be referred to as a first unit. The term "and / or" as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0030] It should be understood that when a unit is referred to as "connected" or "coupled" to another unit, it may be directly connected or coupled to said other unit, or there may be intermediate units. Conversely, when a unit is referred to as "directly connected" or "directly coupled" to another unit, there are no intermediate units. Other terms used to describe the relationship between units (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent to" versus "directly adjacent to," etc.) should be interpreted in a similar manner.

[0031] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the exemplary embodiments. Unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular forms “a” and “an” as used herein are also intended to include the plural. It should also be understood that the terms “comprising” and / or “including” as used herein specify the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, units, and / or components, without excluding the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, units, components, and / or combinations thereof.

[0032] It should also be mentioned that in some alternative implementations, the functions / actions mentioned may occur in a different order than those shown in the figures. For example, depending on the functions / actions involved, the two figures shown successively may actually be executed substantially simultaneously or sometimes in reverse order.

[0033] The present invention will now be described in further detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0034] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a synchronous trigger circuit according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0035] The synchronization device according to an embodiment of this application includes a synchronization control module 101, a system control module 102, a stepper motor module 103, and a light intensity acquisition module 104. The system control module 102, the stepper motor module 103, and the light intensity acquisition module 104 are all electrically connected to the synchronization control module 101. The system control module 102 and the stepper motor module 103 are electrically connected.

[0036] The synchronization control module 101 receives control commands from the system control module 102 and light intensity signal information from the light intensity acquisition module. The control commands include, but are not limited to, establishing a connection, initialization, setting preset values, initial values, and trigger logic control values. Furthermore, the synchronization control module 101 transmits the acquired light intensity results to the system control module 102.

[0037] According to one embodiment, the synchronization control module 101 has a specific filtering function to reduce electromagnetic interference, thereby further improving the signal synchronization accuracy.

[0038] The system control module 102 is used to send system operating parameters to the synchronization control module 101 and receive data from the synchronization control module 101. Furthermore, the system control module 102 displays the system status in real time.

[0039] The stepper motor module 103 controls the motor carrying the lens to step to the detection point. Specifically, the stepper motor module 103 controls the motor carrying the lens to step to the detection point through data interaction with the synchronization control module 101. The stepper motor module 103 and the synchronization control module 101 are connected via differential signal lines.

[0040] According to one embodiment, the stepper motor module 103 records the position of the received pulse signal.

[0041] The light intensity acquisition module 104 is used to convert the light intensity analog signal into a digital signal and transmit the digital signal to the synchronization control module 101, thereby providing a Ready reference signal for the synchronization trigger pulse.

[0042] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of an exemplary synchronous triggering circuit according to an embodiment of this application is shown.

[0043] Reference Figure 2 The synchronous triggering circuit according to this embodiment includes a synchronous triggering controller 201, a system control module 202, a stepper motor module 203, and a light intensity acquisition module 204. The synchronous triggering controller 201 includes a power supply module, a main control chip, a Nor Flash module, a timing generation chip, a configuration memory, and a network communication unit.

[0044] The power module provides power to the main control chip, the Nor Flash module, the timing generation chip, the configuration memory, and the network communication unit. The power module includes, but is not limited to, a power isolation unit, a π-filter circuit, and a common-mode filter circuit.

[0045] The main control chip features an internal clock, reset function, and power management functions. The main control chip includes, but is not limited to, an ARM processor chip. Preferably, the main control chip has a clock system with a clock speed of up to 480MHz, offering fast response and low signal latency. Furthermore, the main control chip communicates with the timing generation chip via SPI, allowing for flexible setting of the timing generation chip's output waveform while simultaneously inputting the synchronization trigger signal waveform to the main control chip in real time. This enables the system to monitor its own operating status, significantly improving the accuracy of synchronization triggering.

[0046] The Nor Flash module is used to store error information of the module system, and the Nor Flash module includes, but is not limited to, flash storage chips.

[0047] The timing generation chip possesses EDA programmability, a comprehensive internal clock and power management system, and internal programmable signal generation circuitry. This timing generation chip includes, but is not limited to, FPGA timing generation chips. Preferably, the timing generation chip has precise internal algorithms pre-programmed, allowing for flexible parameter adjustment based on external conditions, resulting in high accuracy. Furthermore, the timing generation chip has pre-programmed filtering circuits, trigger circuits, and precise delay circuits, eliminating the need for redundant external hardware circuitry, thus offering high flexibility and saving hardware costs.

[0048] The configuration memory stores the startup information and functional data of the timing generation chip, ensuring data accuracy and timely synchronous trigger response after each system start-up and shutdown. The configuration memory includes, but is not limited to, FPGA configuration memory.

[0049] The network communication unit is used to receive parameters and instructions set by the host computer and transmit the light intensity acquisition data to the system control module, thereby realizing real-time communication. The network communication unit in this embodiment has good stability, fast transmission speed, and strong anti-interference capability. Compared with other communication methods, it is more suitable for the semiconductor measurement industry with complex electromagnetic environments, ensuring the system's high efficiency and stability.

[0050] According to the synchronous triggering circuit of this application embodiment, synchronous triggering monitoring is realized through the interaction between the synchronous control module, the system control module, the stepper motor module and the light intensity acquisition module, thereby improving the stability and accuracy of the synchronous triggering system. Furthermore, the embodiment of this application adopts a combination of a single-chip microcomputer control system and a high real-time FPGA system for synchronous triggering, which greatly improves the accuracy, synchronization and stability of the motor control system compared with the prior art that uses a single FPGA controller.

[0051] Figure 3 A flowchart of a synchronization triggering control method according to an embodiment of this application is shown. The method includes steps S1, S2, and S3.

[0052] Before steps S1 and S2, the method further includes steps S4 and S5.

[0053] Reference Figure 1 In the synchronous triggering circuit shown, in step S4, the system control module 102 sends synchronous triggering-related commands to the synchronous control module 101. These commands include, but are not limited to, initialization commands, system connection commands, and synchronous triggering commands.

[0054] In step S5, after receiving the synchronization trigger command, the synchronization control module detects whether there is any abnormality in the network communication between itself and the system control module and the stepper motor module.

[0055] If an anomaly is detected, the synchronization control module will suspend subsequent signal synchronization operations until network communication is restored to normal.

[0056] The following reference Figure 3 and Figure 1 The synchronous triggering circuit shown is described below. In step S1, the synchronous control module 101 receives a pulse signal from the stepper motor module 103 and sends a pulse signal back to the stepper motor module 103.

[0057] For example, refer to Figure 4 The diagram illustrates a pulse signal. The stepper motor module 103 sends a pulse signal (Trigger). After the synchronization control module 101 receives this signal, it sends back a pulse signal (Mark) to the stepper motor module 103. This process constitutes a handshake. These two pulse signals provide a reference for subsequent synchronization signal calculations and also establish communication between the synchronization control module 101 and the stepper motor module 103.

[0058] In step S2, after receiving the pulse signal sent by the synchronization control module 101, the stepper motor module 103 sends another pulse signal to the synchronization control module 101 after a certain time delay, as a start signal.

[0059] According to one embodiment, the offset value of the stepper motor module 103 is set. This offset is used to ensure that the start signal is positioned midway between the two most recent Ready signals, thereby achieving accurate signal synchronization.

[0060] Specifically, the offset value is determined based on the time difference between the start signal and the two nearest Ready signals and the PEG preparation time.

[0061] For example, refer to Figure 5 The pulse signal diagram shown illustrates that when the stepper motor module 103 and the synchronization control module 101 establish communication, the stepper motor module records the position (denoted as pos_fb3) when the synchronization control module 101 sends a signal. The sum of the value of pos_fb3 and the offset of the PEG preparation time (0.01s) is used as the position of the start signal (Trigger). After setting the PEG parameters, the waveforms of the above three signals are acquired using an oscilloscope. The sum of the time difference between the start signal Trigger and the two closest Ready signals and the value of the PEG preparation time is the final offset value. The algorithm of the stepper motor module is based on the following formula (1):

[0062] PEGStart_Y=pos_fb3+VELSET_Y*0.01058 (1)

[0063] Where VELSET is the motor speed controlled by the stepper motor module, and PEGStart_Y is the position of the start signal in the algorithm. Adjust the value of the constant 0.01058. Run the program again to check if the start signal Trigger in the oscilloscope meets the requirements, and adjust accordingly to ensure that the start signal Trigger is in the middle of the two most recent Ready signals, thereby improving the signal synchronization accuracy.

[0064] Continue to refer to Figure 3 In step S3, after receiving the start signal, the synchronization control module 101 continuously sends pulse data until it receives the end signal from the stepper motor module 103.

[0065] According to one embodiment, the stepper motor module 103 is preset to operate at a frequency of 5Hz, and the synchronization control module 101 starts continuously sending pulse data after receiving the start signal. Furthermore, the stepper motor module 103 sends a pulse signal to the synchronization control module 101 as an end signal after recording 200 pulses within 1 second.

[0066] According to one embodiment, the stepper motor module 103 can record the motor position in real time, thereby achieving real-time monitoring of its own position while realizing the function of synchronous triggering.

[0067] According to one embodiment, the method uses an FPGA to implement the pulse signal handshake and the stepper motor module 103 recording the pulse signal position in step S1. Compared with conventional ARM chips, FPGAs have high real-time performance and can avoid signal delay problems.

[0068] According to the synchronous triggering control method of this application embodiment, synchronous triggering monitoring is realized through the interaction between the synchronous control module, the system control module, the stepper motor module and the light intensity acquisition module, thereby improving the stability and accuracy of the synchronous triggering system. The embodiment of this application adopts a combination of a single-chip microcomputer control system and a high real-time FPGA system for synchronous triggering, which greatly improves the accuracy, synchronization and stability of the motor control system compared with the existing technology that uses a single FPGA controller.

[0069] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above, and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered illustrative and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description. Thus, all variations falling within the meaning and scope of equivalents of the claims are intended to be embraced within the present invention. No reference numerals in the claims should be construed as limiting the scope of the claims. Furthermore, it is clear that the word "comprising" does not exclude other units or steps, and the singular does not exclude the plural. Multiple units or devices recited in the system claims may also be implemented by a single unit or device in software or hardware. The terms "first," "second," etc., are used to indicate names and do not indicate any particular order.

Claims

1. A synchronous triggering circuit, characterized in that, include: The synchronization control module is used to receive control commands from the system control module and light intensity signal information from the light intensity acquisition module. The system control module is used to send system operating parameters to the synchronization control module and receive data from the synchronization control module. A stepper motor module is used to control the motor carrying the lens to step to the detection point through data interaction with the synchronization control module; The light intensity acquisition module is used to convert the light intensity analog signal into a digital signal and transmit the digital signal to the synchronization control module, thereby providing a Ready reference signal for the synchronization trigger pulse; The synchronous triggering circuit performs the following operations for synchronous triggering control: The synchronous control module receives pulse signals from the stepper motor module and sends pulse signals back to the stepper motor module; After receiving the pulse signal sent by the synchronization control module, the stepper motor module sends another pulse signal to the synchronization control module after a certain time delay, as a start signal; After receiving the start signal, the synchronization control module continuously sends pulse data until it receives the end signal from the stepper motor module. The synchronous trigger circuit includes a time offset value for the stepper motor module. This time offset is used to ensure that the start signal is positioned between the two nearest Ready reference signals. The value of the time offset is determined based on the time difference between the start signal and the two nearest Ready reference signals and the PEG preparation time.

2. The synchronous triggering circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, The synchronization control module includes a power supply module, a main control chip, a Nor Flash module, a timing generation chip, a configuration memory, and a network communication unit.

3. The synchronous triggering circuit according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that, The stepper motor module records the position of the received pulse signal.

4. The synchronous triggering circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, Before signal synchronization, the system control module sends synchronization trigger-related commands to the synchronization control module; Upon receiving the synchronization trigger command, the synchronization control module checks whether there are any abnormalities in the network communication between the synchronization control module, the system control module, and the stepper motor module.

5. The synchronous triggering circuit according to claim 1, characterized in that, An FPGA is used to implement pulse signal handshaking and the stepper motor module to record the position of the pulse signal.

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