A wafer production capacity planning method, device, medium and product

Abstract

The embodiments of the present application relate to wafer processing management, and disclose a wafer capacity planning method, equipment, medium and product. According to the process flow of the product, the type of Loop path is identified, and the Loop path represents the processing path flow of the wafer between the cleaning equipment and the diffusion equipment; the last diffusion process of the Loop path is scheduled to obtain the first scheduling result of the diffusion equipment area; the first scheduling result is used as a constraint condition to schedule the cleaning process of the Loop path to obtain the second scheduling result of the cleaning equipment area; the first scheduling result and the second scheduling result are exchanged with data, and the wafer scheduling plan is adjusted according to the data exchange result. It can at least be used to solve the problem of loose production connection between the cleaning and diffusion equipment of the wafer.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of wafer processing management, and in particular to a wafer capacity planning method, equipment, medium and product. Background Art

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, wafer cleaning and diffusion are two critical process steps. Cleaning equipment is used to remove impurities, metals and oxide layers on the surface of the wafer to ensure the cleanliness of the wafer for subsequent diffusion processing. Diffusion equipment heats the wafer to diffuse impurities into the silicon substrate to form a doping layer, thereby changing the electrical properties of the wafer.

[0003] In actual production, cleaning equipment and diffusion equipment are usually in continuous operation, and the production connection between the two is crucial. In particular, after cleaning, the surface of the wafer will oxidize rapidly when exposed to air, so the cleaned wafer needs to be sent to the diffusion equipment for processing within a certain time limit. If this time limit is exceeded, the wafer needs to be cleaned again, which will lead to a decrease in production efficiency and increase production costs.

[0004] At present, the semiconductor manufacturing industry usually adopts a scheduling method based on heuristic algorithms to manage the capacity planning of cleaning and diffusion equipment. However, this method has certain limitations, mainly manifested in the following aspects: the scheduling of cleaning equipment and diffusion equipment is usually carried out independently, and there is a lack of effective coordination between the two, which may lead to the failure to meet the allowed time constraints, thereby affecting product quality; because the mutual influence between the various areas is not fully considered in the scheduling process, the utilization rate of the equipment is difficult to be optimized, especially in the case of multiple product processing flows. Therefore, the defects of the existing technology are mainly that it is difficult to effectively coordinate the scheduling of cleaning equipment and diffusion equipment under the premise of ensuring production quality, so as to optimize the equipment utilization rate and ensure that the allowed time constraints are strictly observed. Summary of the invention

[0005] One purpose of the present application is to provide a wafer capacity planning method, equipment, medium and product, at least to solve the problem of loose production connection between wafer cleaning and diffusion equipment.

[0006] To achieve the above objectives, some embodiments of the present application provide the following aspects:

[0007] In a first aspect, some embodiments of the present application also provide a wafer capacity planning method, the method comprising identifying a type of Loop path according to a process flow of a product, the Loop path representing a processing path flow of a wafer between a cleaning device and a diffusion device; scheduling a last diffusion process of the Loop path to obtain a first scheduling result for a diffusion device area; using the first scheduling result as a constraint condition to schedule the cleaning process of the Loop path to obtain a second scheduling result for the cleaning device area; exchanging data between the first scheduling result and the second scheduling result, and adjusting the wafer scheduling plan according to the data exchange result.

[0008] In a second aspect, some embodiments of the present application further provide an electronic device, comprising: one or more processors; and a memory storing computer program instructions, wherein the computer program instructions, when executed, cause the processor to perform the steps of the method described above.

[0009] In a third aspect, some embodiments of the present application further provide a computer-readable medium having computer program instructions stored thereon, wherein the computer program instructions can be executed by a processor to implement the method as described above.

[0010] In a fourth aspect, some embodiments of the present application further provide a computer program product, comprising a computer program / instruction, which implements the steps of the method described above when executed by a processor.

[0011] Compared with the related art, the solution provided by the embodiment of the present application realizes effective linkage and coordination of the scheduling results of the two regions by exchanging data between the cleaning equipment and the diffusion equipment. It not only ensures strict production connection under the conditions of time constraints, effectively reduces the problem of re-cleaning of wafers due to long waiting time, but also improves the overall utilization of the equipment by optimizing the scheduling between each step. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] One or more embodiments are exemplarily described by pictures in the corresponding drawings, and these exemplified descriptions do not constitute limitations on the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings represent similar elements, and unless otherwise stated, the figures in the drawings do not constitute proportional limitations.

[0013] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a process flow of a wafer production capacity planning method provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0014] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of a flow chart of a single loop capacity planning method provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0015] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of a process of a multi-loop capacity planning method provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0016] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the effect of a wafer production capacity planning method provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0017] Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the effect of a wafer production capacity planning method provided according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0018] Figure 6 The present invention is a schematic diagram of the structure of an electronic device provided according to an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0019] In order to make the purpose, technical solution and advantages of the embodiments of the present application clearer, the technical solution in the embodiments of the present application will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiments of the present application. Obviously, the described embodiments are part of the embodiments of the present application, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments in the present application, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without creative work are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0020] The following terms are used in this article.

[0021] Lot: A wafer fab product processing unit, with 1 to 25 silicon wafers forming a lot;

[0022] Diffusion: Diffusion equipment in wafer fabs;

[0023] WET: Cleaning equipment for wafer fabs;

[0024] Loop: describes the processing path of a product between specific areas;

[0025] Step: Each product processing step;

[0026] Flow: describes the entire processing line of a product. Generally, there is more than one loop in a flow.

[0027] Qtime: The waiting time allowed from the completion of one step to the next step of the lot;

[0028] Bench: When cleaning a lot, some cleaning equipment needs to clean two lots together, with two lots forming one bench.

[0029] Batch: When lots are diffused, they need to be grouped into batches, with 6-8 lots as one batch;

[0030] Pre-batch: The lots are pre-batched before they arrive at the diffusion device;

[0031] Dummy wafer: The diffusion area is used as a placeholder silicon wafer and is processed together with the normal silicon wafer to meet the constraint of 150 wafers.

[0032] First embodiment

[0033] The first embodiment of the present application relates to a wafer production capacity planning method. Figure 1 As shown, the method may include the following steps:

[0034] S101, identifying the type of loop path according to the process flow of the product, wherein the loop path represents the processing path flow of the wafer between the cleaning equipment and the diffusion equipment; generally, the wafer may experience different types of loop paths during the production process, including single loop path, no Qtime loop path and multi loop path. Different loop paths correspond to different production steps and time constraints.

[0035] S102, schedule the last diffusion process of the Loop path to obtain the first scheduling result of the diffusion equipment area; in this process, the production capacity and current task load of the diffusion equipment are considered, and the processing sequence and time point of each wafer in the diffusion equipment are reasonably arranged to ensure the efficient implementation of the diffusion process.

[0036] S103, taking the first scheduling result as a constraint condition, schedule the cleaning process of the Loop path to obtain a second scheduling result of the cleaning equipment area; according to the scheduling result of the diffusion equipment, set the earliest start time and the latest start time of the cleaning equipment to ensure that the cleaned wafers can enter the diffusion equipment for processing in time within the time range allowed by Qtime.

[0037] S104, exchanging data between the first scheduling result and the second scheduling result, and adjusting the wafer scheduling plan according to the data exchange result. By adjusting the scheduling results between the cleaning equipment and the diffusion equipment in a linked manner, it is ensured that the time connection between each production step is closer, avoiding production interruption or wafer quality problems caused by long waiting time.

[0038] It is not difficult to find that compared with the related art, the solution provided in the embodiment of the present application can effectively coordinate the production connection between the cleaning equipment and the diffusion equipment, optimize the production process, improve the equipment utilization rate, and reduce the production duplication and resource waste caused by Qtime timeout. While ensuring the high-quality production of wafers, this method improves the operating efficiency of the overall production line and provides a more intelligent and efficient capacity planning solution for wafer manufacturing companies.

[0039] Second embodiment

[0040] The second embodiment of the present application relates to a wafer capacity planning method. The second implementation method is an improvement based on the first embodiment, and the specific improvements are:

[0041] The machines in the WET area and the Diffusion area each use independent scheduling algorithms to determine the processing order and time points of the wafers on their respective machines. This independent scheduling can optimize the equipment utilization within each area. However, in order to avoid Qtime violations caused by the lack of connection between the respective scheduling results, the scheduling results of the WET area and the Diffusion area are linked through data exchange based on the scheduling results. This data exchange process ensures a closer production connection between the cleaning and diffusion equipment, thereby preventing production interruptions or quality problems caused by time limit overruns.

[0042] The entire production process is divided into multiple steps according to the specific product processing flow of the silicon wafer, and the areas where data exchange is required are identified. When scheduling, control starts from the last step of the entire process and gradually moves forward. In each step, the scheduling algorithm is constrained according to the Qtime value specified in the process to ensure that the time connection between each step in the entire process meets the requirements until the scheduling of the first step is completed.

[0043] For some products, the entire production process may contain multiple areas that require data exchange, which makes scheduling more complicated. In this case, select the steps with longer Qtime for segmentation, and treat the entire process as two different flows. First, design and schedule the two flows separately, and then splice the scheduling results of the two flows through data exchange to achieve a smooth connection of the entire production process. This process is particularly suitable for the Multi Loop model, which is to split the entire Loop into multiple independent steps, handle the scheduling of WET and Diffusion separately, and then connect these steps reasonably. Although the scheduling of each step is the same as Single Loop, special consideration needs to be given to the Qtime of each downstream step to ensure the coordination of the entire process.

[0044] In the scheduling algorithms of WET and Diffusion zones, different steps of different loops are allowed to be mixed. This mixed scheduling intercepts the work-in-progress (WIP) at a certain point in time, obtains the lot to be scheduled of different loops, and comprehensively considers them. The scheduling plan can be adjusted dynamically to better cope with changes and demands in actual production, further improving equipment utilization and production efficiency.

[0045] Loop paths include: Single Loop path: the wafer only needs to be processed by one cleaning device and one diffusion device in the production process. Under this path, the entire process includes a Qtime that needs to be strictly controlled, that is, the allowed waiting time between the cleaning device and the diffusion device; No Qtime Loop path: the wafer only needs to be processed by the diffusion device and does not need to be processed by the cleaning device. Therefore, there is no Qtime constraint between cleaning and diffusion. This path is usually suitable for specific process flows that do not involve cleaning steps; Multi Loop path: the wafer needs to be processed by a combination of multiple cleaning devices and diffusion devices during the production process, which may involve multiple Qtime constraints. This path is more complicated because each cleaning-diffusion cycle needs to consider the corresponding time constraints to ensure that the wafer completes the entire production process within the specified time.

[0046] Third embodiment

[0047] The third embodiment of the present application relates to a wafer capacity planning method. The third implementation method is an improvement based on the first embodiment, and the specific improvements are:

[0048] According to the production capacity and current task load of the diffusion equipment, the start time and end time of each wafer in the diffusion equipment are determined. The production capacity of the diffusion equipment refers to the number and type of wafers that it can process within a certain period of time. First, the current status information of the diffusion equipment is obtained, including the maximum processing capacity of the equipment, the processing time cycle, and the time required for each diffusion batch. This information provides the basis for determining the processing time of each wafer. Then the current task load of the diffusion equipment is analyzed, which includes the tasks scheduled on the equipment, the tasks in progress, and the number of wafers to be queued. By analyzing the current tasks, we can understand the available resources of the equipment and the bottleneck links that need to be considered when scheduling.

[0049] According to the production capacity of the diffusion equipment and the current task load, the start time of each wafer to be processed in the diffusion equipment is determined. This time point is calculated based on the availability of the equipment, the processing status of the previous batches, and the priority of the wafers to be scheduled. Generally, wafers with a long waiting time and that may affect the production schedule are prioritized to ensure that they can be processed in time within Qtime. After determining the start time, the end time of each wafer is calculated, and the specific duration of the diffusion process needs to be considered, including the processing cycle of the equipment, possible delay time, and the preparation time when the equipment switches batches. The scheduling algorithm of the diffusion zone ensures that each wafer can complete the diffusion processing within the specified time according to the production plan.

[0050] According to the allowed waiting time from the cleaning equipment to the diffusion equipment; calculate the earliest start time and the latest start time of the cleaning equipment area under the first scheduling result. Obtain the allowed waiting time (Qtime) from the cleaning equipment (WET) to the diffusion equipment (Diffusion). Qtime is a key parameter, which stipulates that the cleaned wafer must enter the diffusion equipment for processing within a certain time, otherwise the product quality may be affected by surface oxidation or other factors. The length of Qtime is usually determined by the process requirements and is an important control indicator to ensure wafer quality.

[0051] Next, analyze the first scheduling result generated in the diffusion equipment to clarify the specific start and end time of each wafer in the diffusion equipment. These time points will serve as the basis for the subsequent calculation of the cleaning equipment schedule. According to the scheduling results in the diffusion equipment, calculate the earliest start time of the cleaning equipment. The earliest start time refers to the earliest time that the cleaning equipment can be started in order to ensure that the wafer can enter the diffusion equipment on time. The calculation method is usually to subtract Qtime from the start time of the diffusion equipment to ensure that the cleaned wafer can be delivered to the diffusion equipment in time within the Qtime range.

[0052] Calculate the latest start time of the cleaning equipment. The latest start time refers to the latest time point at which the cleaning equipment can be delayed without violating the Qtime constraint. This is usually calculated by considering the processing time of the cleaning equipment and the scheduling results of the diffusion equipment. The earliest and latest start times of the cleaning equipment are obtained through the above calculations. These time points provide a clear time window for the scheduling of the cleaning equipment, ensuring that the cleaned wafers can be smoothly connected to the processing link of the diffusion equipment within the allowed time range. Further scheduling will then be carried out based on these two time points to ensure the rationality and efficiency of the production process.

[0053] Scheduling the cleaning process of the Loop path includes: using the first scheduling result and the earliest start time and the latest start time of the cleaning equipment area as constraints, scheduling the wafers to be scheduled in the cleaning equipment area supplied to each area, and obtaining a second scheduling result.

[0054] The first scheduling result obtained from the diffusion equipment is used as the key input condition, which includes the start and end time of each wafer in the diffusion equipment, combined with the earliest start time and the latest start time of the cleaning equipment area calculated previously as the time constraint. These time points determine the time window for the cleaning equipment to process the wafer, ensuring that the cleaned wafer can be smoothly transferred to the diffusion equipment for processing within Qtime.

[0055] Identify all the wafers to be queued in the cleaning equipment area. These wafers may come from different production lots and may need to be supplied to the diffusion equipment or other areas. List all the wafers that need to be processed on the cleaning equipment according to the process requirements and priority of the wafers. For the identified wafers to be queued, prioritize them based on a variety of factors, which may include the urgency of Qtime, the complexity of the process flow, the urgency of the production plan, etc. By prioritizing those wafers with shorter Qtime or critical in the production plan, the resources of the cleaning equipment can be better utilized to avoid production delays caused by improper time allocation.

[0056] After considering the above constraints and priorities, specific scheduling calculations are started for the wafers to be scheduled in the cleaning equipment area. The goal of scheduling is to ensure that each wafer to be scheduled completes the cleaning process between the earliest start time and the latest start time, and can be sent to the diffusion equipment for subsequent processing in time after cleaning. For wafers that need to be supplied to the diffusion equipment, the scheduling results must ensure that the cleaned wafers enter the diffusion equipment within Qtime to avoid quality problems. For wafers supplied to other areas, the production plans of these areas will be considered to ensure that the cleaning equipment can reasonably allocate time to process all tasks to be scheduled. The second scheduling result for the cleaning equipment area is generated based on the scheduling calculation results. The result includes the specific start time and end time of each wafer to be scheduled in the cleaning equipment.

[0057] According to the allowed waiting time from the cleaning equipment to the diffusion equipment, schedule each process of the Loop path, starting from the last process and gradually controlling the scheduling forward until the first process. Start scheduling from the last process in the Loop path (usually the diffusion process). In this step, determine the start and end time of each wafer in the diffusion equipment based on the production capacity of the diffusion equipment and the calculated Qtime from the cleaning equipment to the diffusion equipment. This scheduling result will be used as a constraint to control the scheduling of the preceding process. Subsequently, control the scheduling forward step by step, and schedule each process in the Loop path in turn. In each step, the time requirements of the downstream process will be considered to ensure that the scheduling of the preceding step can meet the Qtime limit of the subsequent process. For example, in the scheduling of the cleaning process, it must be ensured that the cleaned wafer can be smoothly transferred to the diffusion process within the allowed Qtime.

[0058] For the cleaning process, the earliest and latest start times of the cleaning equipment will be determined based on the scheduling results of the diffusion equipment, and the cleaning tasks will be arranged within this time window. For other steps involving Qtime, we will also ensure that the time connection between each step is reasonable to avoid production delays due to time conflicts.

[0059] Adjusting the wafer scheduling scheme according to the data exchange results includes: splitting the Loop path with multiple allowed waiting times into multiple separate processes; scheduling in combination with the allowed waiting time of each downstream process, and splicing the scheduling results of each process through data exchange to obtain the scheduling scheme. In some complex Loop paths, there may be multiple Qtimes that need to be strictly controlled. In order to optimize the scheduling, the entire Loop path is split into multiple separate processes, each of which has its own independent scheduling requirements. For each independent process, schedule it separately to ensure that it meets the corresponding Qtime restrictions. For example, if a Loop path contains multiple cleaning and diffusion steps, it may be split into several independent cleaning-diffusion processes. For each process, independent scheduling is performed according to Qtime, and then further optimization is performed in combination with the scheduling results of these steps.

[0060] After completing the scheduling of each independent process, the scheduling results of each process are spliced ​​and adjusted through data exchange. The purpose of data exchange is to ensure that the time connection between each independent process is seamless, and the overall scheduling plan can meet the continuity and efficiency requirements of the entire production line. During the data exchange process, the time arrangement of the upstream or downstream process will be adjusted according to the scheduling results of each independent process, so that the time connection between each process is closer. Finally, the spliced ​​scheduling results are formed into a complete scheduling plan to ensure that the Qtime constraints of all wafers in the entire production process are met.

[0061] It should be noted that the third embodiment of the present application may also be an improvement based on the second embodiment.

[0062] It is not difficult to find that in the embodiment of the present application, by scheduling diffusion and wet separately, the two are linked in the form of data exchange to ensure that the time from wet to diffusion does not exceed qtime, thereby realizing fully automated production in the wet-diffusion area.

[0063] Fourth embodiment

[0064] The fourth embodiment of the present application relates to a wafer capacity planning method. The fourth implementation method is an improvement based on the third embodiment, and the specific improvements are:

[0065] like Figure 2 As shown in the figure, when the process type of the wafer is identified as Single Loop, it means that the wafer only needs to be processed by one cleaning device and one diffusion device. First, confirm that the processing path of the lot is Single Loop, and determine whether a single boat or double boat is needed for diffusion processing according to the process requirements.

[0066] According to the scheduling algorithm of the diffusion equipment, batch scheduling is performed for the wafers that need to pass through the diffusion equipment. At this time, the corresponding batch scheduling results are generated according to the boat selection (single boat or double boat). If a single boat is selected, a diffusion plan will be directly generated for the batch; if a double boat is selected, the processing capacity of the two boats must be combined to optimize the scheduling.

[0067] After the batch scheduling results are generated, all lots are sorted by priority. The sorting criteria may include the urgency of the process, Qtime requirements, and the load of the current production task. Lots that are sensitive to Qtime are prioritized to ensure that they complete the diffusion process within the time limit.

[0068] After the scheduling results are generated, the batch information is passed to the next link for further adjustment and optimization. The scheduling results of the current cleaning equipment will be checked to ensure that the processing lot in the WET area will not exceed the allowed Qtime. If it is found that the Qtime may be exceeded, the start time of the cleaning equipment will be adjusted, or the schedule will be rescheduled if necessary to extend the processing time of the WET to ensure that it will not affect the downstream diffusion treatment.

[0069] If it is found that the Lot in the WET area will exceed the Qtime limit, a rescheduling process will be initiated. During this process, it is analyzed whether additional waiting time can be added or the start time of the WET equipment can be adjusted to avoid the Qtime violation.

[0070] If the lot in the WET area does not need bench treatment, the schedule of the WET equipment will be adjusted directly; if the lot in the WET area needs bench treatment, the lot will be dispatched to the diffusion equipment for treatment after the bench cleaning is completed.

[0071] After 5-6 batches of diffusion treatment in the diffusion equipment, the diffusion equipment needs to be purged to remove the residual substances from the previous batch. For lots that need bench treatment, the lot will be bound with other lots to form a bench, and then sent to the diffusion equipment after cleaning.

[0072] After all the above steps are completed, the final scheduling result is generated to ensure that the time connection between the lot cleaning and diffusion equipment is reasonable and all processing steps are completed within the specified Qtime. The result includes the start and end time of all lots in each device to ensure efficient production.

[0073] like Figure 3As shown, when the process flow type of the wafer is identified as Multi Loop, a preliminary judgment is first made based on the status of the machine, bottleneck analysis and process information of the Lot, and each Diffusion and WET step in the Multi Loop is identified to analyze the processing requirements of each step and the time constraints between each step.

[0074] After entering the diffusion process, the batch scheduling result is generated based on whether a single boat or two boats are used for diffusion processing. The diffusion processing of each lot is decided based on the current production capacity and task load of the diffusion equipment.

[0075] After the batch scheduling results are generated, it will be checked whether there are lots that may exceed the Qtime. If the risk of Qtime exceeding the limit is found, the scheduling will be re-performed, such as adjusting the scheduling order or extending the cleaning time.

[0076] If there is no situation where Qtime is exceeded, the processing order of the lot is arranged according to the priority order to obtain the batch information. According to the diffusion scheduling result, the upstream steps are processed backwards. In the Multi Loop path, this means re-evaluating and adjusting the scheduling of the upstream WET or other diffusion steps.

[0077] If the upstream step is WET, it is necessary to ensure that the cleaned Lot can be delivered to the diffusion equipment within Qtime. Therefore, the start and end times of WET will be adjusted according to the scheduling results of the diffusion equipment to prevent time conflicts.

[0078] If the upstream step is Diffusion, continue to evaluate the schedule of the upstream Diffusion to ensure that the time constraints of the downstream steps are not violated.

[0079] Scheduling and bench processing of WET equipment: When a batch is not in the WET step, increase the waiting time until the batch is in the WET step. When the batch is in the WET step, determine whether the wet machine needs to be processed by the bench. If necessary, combine the lot into a bench for processing, and then continue the diffusion scheduling of the lot.

[0080] If it is determined that the bench needs to be used, the WET equipment will be arranged to process the bench within a reasonable time window and ensure that the lot can enter the diffusion equipment as soon as possible after cleaning; if the bench is not needed, the WET equipment will be directly scheduled and coordinated with the Purge information so that the lot after cleaning can enter the diffusion equipment seamlessly. If during the scheduling process, it is found that the lot in the WET area is at risk of exceeding Qtime, the schedule will be rescheduled and the start time of the equipment will be adjusted to ensure that the final schedule meets the Qtime requirements.

[0081] After all upstream steps are scheduled, the scheduling results of each independent process are integrated and spliced ​​through data exchange. This process ensures that the time connection between all steps is reasonable, especially the control of Qtime is strictly managed. The scheduling results of each step are combined to form a final scheduling plan to ensure that each lot in the Multi Loop can complete all processing steps as planned. The final scheduling results will be verified to ensure that all time constraints are met and equipment utilization is optimized.

[0082] It is not difficult to find that in the embodiment of the present application, the data of each area is called regularly to process the lots from different areas that arrive at the scheduling area at the same time; so that the entire process can schedule the lots to be scheduled in the mixed loop once, which not only improves the machine utilization rate, but also ensures that the lots with shorter qtime in the loop have a shorter waiting time, while reducing the over qtime rate.

[0083] Fifth embodiment

[0084] The fifth embodiment of the present application relates to a wafer capacity planning method. The fifth implementation method is an improvement based on the first embodiment, and the specific improvements are:

[0085] like Figure 4 As shown, the lot status between the WET area and the Diffusion area, and the application of data exchange in SingleLoop and MultiLoop. In this embodiment, the production schedule of the two areas of WET and Diffusion is coordinated through data exchange to ensure that the connection between each step is reasonable and efficient.

[0086] Before entering the WET area and the Diffusion area, the lots are first classified into different types according to the process path: NoQtime Loop, these lots do not need to go through the WET cleaning step and directly enter the Diffusion area for processing. This type of lot does not need to exchange data between WET and Diffusion during the scheduling process; Single Loop, these lots need to go through WET cleaning and Diffusion diffusion in sequence. In order to ensure the continuity of production, the scheduling data of the Single Loop planned in the Diffusion area needs to be passed to the WET area so as to reasonably arrange the start and end time of the cleaning step; MultiLoop, these lots need to go through multiple WET and Diffusion steps, and there are multiple Qtime constraints. Each step will be scheduled independently, and data exchange will be used to ensure that the time connection of the entire process meets the requirements.

[0087] In the Diffusion area, first schedule the Single Loop and Multi Loop Lots to determine the processing time of each Lot in the Diffusion device. These scheduling results include the start time, end time and device occupancy of each Lot.

[0088] For Single Loop Lot, the scheduling results of the Diffusion area will be passed to the WET area as constraints to determine the scheduling of the cleaning steps. Since Multi Loop Lot involves multiple Diffusion steps, scheduling results will be generated for each Diffusion step and data will be exchanged with the WET area to ensure that the time between each step is controlled within a reasonable range.

[0089] During the scheduling of the WET area, two main factors need to be considered: the Single Loop scheduling data transmitted from the Diffusion area. These data are used to determine the earliest and latest start time of the cleaning steps in the WET area, ensuring that the cleaned Lots can enter the Diffusion area for processing within Qtime; the Lots supplied to other areas. The WET area not only processes the Lots to enter the Diffusion area, but also processes the Lots supplied to other areas. The scheduling of these Lots needs to be adjusted according to the overall production plan to ensure that the production rhythm of other areas is not affected.

[0090] The scheduling results of the Diffusion area are integrated with the scheduling data of the WET area through data exchange to ensure that the utilization rate of the WET equipment is maximized and the time connection is close during the transfer of each lot between different equipment.

[0091] Generate the scheduling results of the WET area, including the processing order and time arrangement of all lots in the WET equipment. This scheduling result will be checked again with the data in the Diffusion area to ensure that all time points are within the allowable range and there is no violation of Qtime.

[0092] For the Multi Loop Lot, the time connection in the subsequent steps will continue to be monitored, and the scheduling plan will be continuously adjusted and optimized through data exchange. After the final scheduling plan is verified, it will be applied to actual production to ensure that all steps are carried out according to plan, reducing time waste and resource conflicts in production.

[0093] like Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the scheduling coordination between the WET area and the Diffusion area optimizes the production plan through data exchange to ensure efficient processing of different batches with a short Qtime.

[0094] The four color blocks (red, green, blue, and yellow) in Batch represent four different batches. After these batches enter the WET area, they are cleaned by "lot" instead of "bench". Choosing the lot processing method can improve flexibility and facilitate subsequent processing in the Diffusion area.

[0095] In the WET area, each batch is cleaned in turn according to the predetermined schedule. Since the Qtime from the WET area to the Diffusion area is short, it is necessary to ensure that the cleaning process is completed on time so that the batch can enter the Diffusion area in time. At this time, the status of the WET area and the Diffusion area will be monitored in real time through data exchange, and the start time of the WET area will be adjusted as needed.

[0096] In the Diffusion area, the actual processing time of each batch is relatively long, generally between 6 and 8 hours. In order to avoid the Qtime of the subsequent batch exceeding the limit due to the incomplete processing of the previous batch, it is necessary to arrange the processing order of the Diffusion area reasonably.

[0097] When multiple batches need to be processed continuously on the same Diffusion machine, a Purge operation will be performed between batches to remove the residues on the machine. This operation is very important because it ensures that the processing between different batches is not contaminated and also allows the equipment to continue to operate efficiently.

[0098] Through data exchange, the first batch to be cleaned in the WET area (the pink batch in the figure) can be identified and given priority in the Diffusion area. In this way, when the pink batch leaves the WET area, a processing window has been reserved for it in the Diffusion area, avoiding Qtime exceeding the limit due to long waiting time.

[0099] When the pink batch is cleaned in the WET area and is ready to enter the Diffusion area, the real-time status of the Diffusion area will be checked. If the current Diffusion machine is still processing other batches, you can choose to adjust the scheduling order of subsequent batches, or prioritize the pink batch on another Diffusion machine.

[0100] The blue batch then enters the Diffusion zone and is processed on another device. This dynamic adjustment ensures that the Qtime constraints of all batches are met while maximizing the utilization of the device.

[0101] Through the above data exchange and dynamic adjustment, it is possible to ensure that the time connection between each batch in the WET area and the Diffusion area is reasonable, especially when the Qtime is short, to achieve efficient production planning. Ultimately, the generated scheduling results ensure that all batches can be processed on time, avoiding production delays or quality problems caused by improper time management.

[0102] It is not difficult to find that in the embodiment of the present application, the scheduling coordination between the WET zone and the Diffusion zone is achieved through data exchange, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the production line. This method is particularly suitable for complex processes in semiconductor manufacturing that require multiple cleaning and diffusion treatments, and can significantly reduce time waste in the production process.

[0103] The step division of the above methods is only for the purpose of clear description. When implemented, they can be combined into one step or some steps can be split and decomposed into multiple steps. As long as they include the same logical relationship, they are all within the scope of protection of this patent; adding insignificant modifications to the algorithm or process or introducing insignificant designs without changing the core design of the algorithm and process are all within the scope of protection of this patent.

[0104] In addition, some embodiments of the present application also provide an electronic device. The electronic device may be a digital computer in various forms, such as a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a workbench, a personal digital assistant, a server, a blade server, a mainframe computer, etc. The electronic device may also be a mobile device in various forms, such as a personal digital processing, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a wearable device, and other similar computing devices.

[0105] The electronic device includes: one or more processors; and a memory storing computer program instructions, wherein when the computer program instructions are executed, the processor executes the steps of the method provided in any one or more of the above embodiments. Figure 6 An exemplary structural diagram of the electronic device is disclosed. Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device includes: one or more processors 1101, a memory 1102, and interfaces for connecting various components, including high-speed interfaces and low-speed interfaces. The various components are connected to each other using different buses and can be installed on a common motherboard or installed in other ways as needed. The processor can process instructions executed in the electronic device, including instructions stored in or on the memory to display graphical information of the GUI on an external input / output device (such as a display device coupled to the interface). In some other embodiments, if necessary, multiple processors and / or multiple buses can be used with multiple memories and multiple memories. Similarly, multiple electronic devices can be connected, and each device provides some necessary operations (for example, as a server array, a group of blade servers, or a multi-processor system). Among them, the components shown in this article, their connections and relationships, and their functions are only examples, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present application described and / or required herein.

[0106] The electronic device may further include: an input device 1103 and an output device 1104. The processor 1101, the memory 1102, the input device 1103 and the output device 1104 may be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 6 The example of connecting through bus is taken in the following.

[0107] The input device 1103 can receive input digital or character information, and generate key signal input related to the user settings and function control of the electronic device, such as a touch screen, a keypad, a mouse, a track pad, a touch pad, an indicator rod, one or more mouse buttons, a trackball, a joystick and other input devices. The output device 1104 may include a display device, an auxiliary lighting device (e.g., an LED) and a tactile feedback device (e.g., a vibration motor), etc. The display device may include, but is not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display and a plasma display. In some embodiments, the display device may be a touch screen.

[0108] To provide interaction with a user, the electronic device may be a computer. The computer has: a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user; and a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g., a mouse or a trackball), through which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices may also be used to provide interaction with a user; for example, the feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user may be received in any form (including acoustic input, voice input, or tactile input).

[0109] In the embodiments of the present application, a computer program / instruction is stored on a computer-readable medium, and when the computer program / instruction is executed by a processor, the steps of the method provided by any one or more of the above embodiments are implemented. The computer-readable medium may be included in the electronic device described in the above embodiments; or it may exist independently without being assembled into the device. The above computer-readable medium carries one or more computer-readable instructions.

[0110] The memory 1102 can be used as a non-transient computer-readable storage medium, which can be used to store non-transient software programs, non-transient computer executable programs and modules. The processor 1101 executes various functional applications and data processing of the server by running the non-transient software programs, instructions and modules stored in the memory 1102, so as to implement the program instructions / modules corresponding to the method provided by any one or more embodiments in the embodiments of the present application.

[0111] The memory 1102 may include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area may store an operating system, an application required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created according to the use of the electronic device, etc. In addition, the memory 1102 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-transient memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-transient solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, the memory 1102 may optionally include a memory remotely arranged relative to the processor 1101, and these remote memories may be connected to the electronic device via a network. Examples of the above-mentioned network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.

[0112] It should be noted that the computer-readable medium described in this application may be a computer-readable signal medium or a computer-readable storage medium or any combination of the above two. The computer-readable medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electrical, magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared or semiconductor system, device or device, or any combination of the above. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media may include, but are not limited to: an electrical connection with one or more wires, a portable computer disk, a hard disk, a random access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or flash memory), an optical fiber, a portable compact disk read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storage device, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of the above. In this application, a computer-readable medium may be any tangible medium containing or storing a program that can be used by or in combination with an instruction execution system, device or device.

[0113] Computer readable media include permanent and non-permanent, removable and non-removable media, and can be implemented by any method or technology to store information. Information can be computer readable instructions, data structures, modules of programs or other data. Examples of computer storage media include, but are not limited to, phase change memory (PRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), other types of random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), flash memory or other memory technology, read-only compact disk (CD-ROM), digital versatile disk (DVD) or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape disk storage or other magnetic storage devices or any other non-transmission media that can be used to store information that can be accessed by a computing device.

[0114] Computer program code for performing the operations of the present application may be written in one or more programming languages ​​or a combination thereof, including object-oriented programming languages, such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, and conventional procedural programming languages, such as "C" or similar programming languages. The program code may be executed entirely on the user's computer, partially on the user's computer, as a separate software package, partially on the user's computer and partially on a remote computer, or entirely on a remote computer or server. In the case of a remote computer, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer via any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or may be connected to an external computer (e.g., via the Internet using an Internet service provider).

[0115] In the above embodiments, all or part of the embodiments may be implemented by software, hardware, firmware or any combination thereof. For example, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a general-purpose computer or any other similar hardware device may be used to implement the embodiments. In some embodiments, the software program of the present application may be executed by a processor to implement the above steps or functions. Similarly, the software program of the present application (including related data structures) may be stored in a computer-readable recording medium, such as a RAM memory, a magnetic or optical drive or a floppy disk and the like. In addition, some steps or functions of the present application may be implemented by hardware, for example, as a circuit that cooperates with a processor to perform various steps or functions.

[0116] The computer program product provided in the embodiment of the present application includes one or more computer programs / instructions, and when the computer program / instructions are executed by the processor, the process or function described in the embodiment of the present application is generated in whole or in part. The computer may be a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, a computer network, or other programmable devices. The computer instructions may be stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or transmitted from one computer-readable storage medium to another computer-readable storage medium. For example, the computer instructions may be transmitted from a website site, a computer, a server, or a data center to another website site, a computer, a server, or a data center by wired (e.g., coaxial cable, optical fiber, digital subscriber line (DSL)) or wireless (e.g., infrared, wireless, microwave, etc.) mode. The computer-readable storage medium may be any available medium that a computer can access or a data storage device such as a server or a data center that includes one or more available media integrations. The available medium may be a magnetic medium, (e.g., a floppy disk, a hard disk, a tape), an optical medium (e.g., a DVD), or a semiconductor medium (e.g., a solid state disk (SSD)), etc.

[0117] The flow chart or block diagram in the accompanying drawings shows the possible architecture, function and operation of the equipment, method and computer program product according to various embodiments of the present application. In this regard, each box in the flow chart or block diagram can represent a module, a program segment or a part of a code, and the module, the program segment or a part of the code contains one or more executable instructions for realizing the specified logical function. It should also be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions marked in the box can also occur in a different order from the order marked in the accompanying drawings. For example, two boxes represented in succession can actually be executed substantially in parallel, and they can sometimes be executed in the opposite order, depending on the functions involved. It should also be noted that each box in the block diagram and / or flow chart, and the combination of the boxes in the block diagram and / or flow chart can be implemented with a dedicated system for hardware that performs a specified function or operation, or can be implemented with a combination of dedicated hardware and computer instructions.

[0118] The scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims rather than the above description, and it is intended that all changes that fall within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims are included in the present application. Any figure mark in the claims should not be regarded as limiting the claims involved. In addition, 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 stated in the device claim may also be implemented by one unit or device through software or hardware. The words "first", "second", etc. are only used to distinguish the description, and do not indicate any particular order, nor can they be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0119] The above is only a specific implementation of the present application, but the protection scope of the present application is not limited thereto. Any person skilled in the art can easily mention changes or substitutions within the technical scope disclosed in the present application, which should be included in the protection scope of the present application. Therefore, the protection scope of the present application should be based on the protection scope of the claims, and the above embodiments should be regarded as exemplary and non-restrictive.

Claims

1. A wafer capacity planning method, characterized in that: The method comprises: Identify the type of loop path according to the process flow of the product, wherein the loop path represents the processing path flow of the wafer between the cleaning equipment and the diffusion equipment; The loop paths include: Single Loop path, in which the wafer passes through a processing flow of a cleaning device and a diffusion device; No Qtime Loop path, in which the wafer passes through a processing flow of a diffusion device; Multi Loop path, in which the wafer passes through a processing flow of a combination of multiple cleaning devices and diffusion devices; Scheduling the last diffusion process of the Loop path to obtain a first scheduling result of the diffusion device area; Determine the start time and end time of each wafer in the diffusion equipment according to the production capacity of the diffusion equipment and the current task load; calculate the earliest start time and the latest start time of the cleaning equipment area under the first scheduling result according to the allowed waiting time from the cleaning equipment to the diffusion equipment; The cleaning process of the loop path is scheduled using the first scheduling result as a constraint condition to obtain a second scheduling result of the cleaning equipment area; Data is exchanged between the first scheduling result and the second scheduling result, and a scheduling plan for the wafer is adjusted according to the data exchange result.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that The Single Loop path includes one Qtime; the No Qtime Loop path has no Qtime; the Multi Loop path includes multiple Qtimes; and the Qtime is the allowed waiting time from the cleaning device to the diffusion device.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that Scheduling the cleaning process of the Loop path includes: The first scheduling result and the earliest start time and the latest start time of the cleaning equipment area are used as constraints to schedule the wafers to be scheduled in the cleaning equipment area that supplies each area, so as to obtain a second scheduling result.

4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that: The method further comprises: According to the allowed waiting time from the cleaning device to the diffusion device, each process of the Loop path is scheduled, starting from the last process and gradually controlling the scheduling forward until the first process.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that The wafer scheduling scheme according to the data exchange result includes: Splitting the Loop path with multiple allowed waiting times into multiple separate processes; Scheduling is performed in combination with the allowed waiting time of each downstream process, and the scheduling results of each process are spliced ​​through data exchange to obtain the scheduling plan.

6. An electronic device, characterized in that: The electronic device comprises: one or more processors; and A memory storing computer program instructions, which, when executed, cause the processor to perform the steps of the method as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. A computer readable medium having a computer program / instruction stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer program / instructions are executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 are implemented.

8. A computer program product comprising a computer program / instructions, characterized in that When the computer program / instructions are executed by a processor, the steps of the method according to any one of claims 1 to 5 are implemented.

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