Client state management system of photoetching machine

Abstract

A client state management system of a lithography machine is provided. The client state management system of the photoetching machine comprises a system state module used for configuring a system state; the object management module is used for maintaining an interface object instance pointer based on the system state change, and the interface object instance pointer associates an interface instance object with the system state change through registration and removal; and the control operation module is used for setting a control operation mode based on system state change according to the task ID. Therefore, the object management module independent of the system state is used for managing the system state change, and the control operation module is used for setting the control operation mode when the system state is changed, so that the task execution efficiency and rationality of the user are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the technical field of lithography machines, and more specifically, to a client status management system for lithography machines. Background Art

[0002] The photolithography machine is an important equipment in the semiconductor manufacturing process. Its function is to accurately transfer the circuit pattern in the mask to the silicon wafer or other substrate according to the predetermined size and position through the exposure process. This requires extremely high alignment accuracy between the mask and the silicon wafer or other substrate. The accuracy and resolution of the photolithography machine are crucial to the quality and performance of chip manufacturing.

[0003] The system of the lithography machine is complex and has many tasks. Various sensors need to cooperate with each other to complete various operations. Under such a large and precise system control, the overall state control management of the system is particularly important. Under what state, which hardware can be operated, and how to operate require careful consideration by the software master control system engineer. If the system state control management is not good, the task cannot be carried out normally at the least, and the hardware equipment is damaged at the worst. This is not allowed in the expensive lithography equipment.

[0004] In the client software of the traditional lithography machine master control system, the usual way to control whether the task request can be issued is to judge whether the current system status allows the task to be executed when executing a task (such as clicking a button), so as to inform the user whether the task can be executed through a prompt box. First, this traditional solution is simple and crude. The user can only be informed whether the current task can be executed when he wants to execute the task. If this task requires the configuration of a large number of parameters, the user will receive an operation that cannot be executed after setting the parameters and executing the task, which will waste the user's time and energy. Second, this traditional solution is inefficient. The system status must be judged every time a button is clicked, even if the system status has not changed. Therefore, this is also not the best choice from the perspective of system development.

[0005] Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved client status management system solution for lithography machines. Summary of the invention

[0006] An embodiment of the present application provides a client state management system for a lithography machine, which manages system state changes through an object management module independent of the system state, and sets a control operation mode by a control operation module when the system state changes, thereby improving the efficiency and rationality of user task execution.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present application, a client status management system for a lithography machine is provided, including: a system status module for configuring the system status; an object management module for maintaining an interface object instance pointer based on system status changes, wherein the interface object instance pointer associates the interface instance object with the system status changes by registration and removal; and a control operation module for setting a control operation mode based on the system status changes according to a task ID.

[0008] In the client status management system of the above-mentioned lithography machine, it further includes: a kernel / GUI module, which is used to configure the underlying dependency library of the human-computer interaction interface; and a communication module, which is used to configure the information interaction dependency library with the server side.

[0009] In the client status management system of the above-mentioned lithography machine, the system status includes at least one of an idle state, a busy state, a fault state, a stop state and an offline state.

[0010] In the client status management system of the above-mentioned lithography machine, the task ID includes: exposure, jam scanning, silicon wafer loading, silicon wafer unloading, silicon wafer shifting, silicon wafer transmission and control system station status check, mask scanning, mask loading, mask unloading, mask shifting, mask transmission and control system station status check, workbench moves to a designated position, workbench moves to a baseline detection coarse alignment position, workbench moves to a baseline detection fine alignment position, workbench moves to a fine alignment mark position, workbench moves to a loading position, workbench moves to a lower position, workbench moves to a silicon wafer alignment microscope position, workbench moves to an origin position, mask stage moves to a designated position, mask stage moves to an origin position, mask stage moves to a working position, mask stage moves to an upper position, slit moves to a designated position, slit moves to a fully open position, slit moves to an origin position, system reset, system pause.

[0011] In the client status management system of the above-mentioned lithography machine, the system status module, the object management module and the control operation module are implemented based on the class diagram, and the user-side interface object inherits the phase change class.

[0012] In the above-mentioned client status management system of the lithography machine, the class diagram includes member variables and member methods.

[0013] In the client state management system of the above-mentioned lithography machine, the member variables include: a current state for recording the current state for the current system state member, and a control multi-finger hash table for allowing hash structure members with the same key value to store registered object pointers, system states and task IDs.

[0014] In the client state management system of the above-mentioned lithography machine, the member methods include: an initialization function with no input parameters, no output parameters, and a return value of null, which is used for module initialization; a registration function with input parameters of an observer interface object pointer, a task ID, and a system state, no output parameters, and a return value of null, which is used to register a window requiring interface state management to the client state management system; a state change function with input parameters of a system state and a task ID, no output parameters, and a return value of null, which is used to rewrite a base class virtual function to switch states after receiving a state change; a state setting function with an input parameter of a task ID, no output parameters, and a return value of null, which is used to set different control operation modes according to the system state; and a state acquisition function with no input parameters, an output parameter of a system state, and a return value of null, which is used to obtain the current system state.

[0015] The client state management system of the lithography machine provided in the embodiment of the present application can manage system state changes through an object management module independent of the system state, and the control operation mode is set by the control operation module when the system state changes, thereby improving the efficiency and rationality of user task execution. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] By reading the detailed description of the preferred specific embodiments below, various other advantages and benefits of the present application will become clear to those of ordinary skill in the art. The drawings in the specification are only used for the purpose of illustrating the preferred embodiments and are not considered to be limitations of the present application. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For those of ordinary skill in the art, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings without creative work. Moreover, the same reference numerals are used to represent the same components throughout the drawings.

[0017] Figure 1 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the architecture of the client status management system of the lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0018] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of another architectural example of a client status management system for a lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present application is illustrated.

[0019] Figure 3 A schematic diagram of the user initialization process of the client status management system of the lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present application is illustrated.

[0020] Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the system state change process of the client state management system of the lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present application is illustrated.

[0021] Figure 5The figure illustrates a schematic diagram of the module class diagram design of the client status management system of the lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0022] Figure 6 The diagram shows an example of the task flow of a lithography machine.

[0023] Figure 7 The client status management system of the lithography machine according to the embodiment of the present application is illustrated. Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the system state change process of the task process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Below, the exemplary embodiments according to the present application will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present application, rather than all the embodiments of the present application, and it should be understood that the present application is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described here.

[0025] Schematic system

[0026] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of the architecture of a client status management system of a lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 1 As shown, the client status management system of the lithography machine according to the embodiment of the present application includes a system status module, an object management module and a control operation module, which manages the system status changes that occur when the lithography machine performs system tasks by combining object-oriented thinking.

[0027] Specifically, in the embodiment of the present application, the system status module is used to configure the system status, for example, including idle state, busy state and fault state. Among them, when the main control system of the lithography machine is in idle state, the user can perform any operation; when the main control system of the lithography machine is in busy state, it indicates that a task (initialization / transmission control / alignment / exposure / measurement, etc.) is being executed, and the user cannot perform other tasks; when the main control system of the lithography machine is in fault state, the user cannot perform other tasks.

[0028] The object management module is used to maintain the interface object instance pointer based on the system state change. Specifically, the object management module is used to pass its own object pointer into the system state module by registering the interface instance object and remove the specified interface instance object from the system state module, that is, the interface object instance pointer can associate the interface instance object with the system state change through registration and removal.

[0029] The control operation module is used to set the control operation mode based on the system state change according to the task ID. For example, the control, such as the display mode of the button, including control enable, control visibility, control operability, etc. can be set according to the task ID.

[0030] Therefore, according to the embodiment of the present application, the client state management system of the lithography machine includes: a system state module for configuring the system state; an object management module for maintaining an interface object instance pointer based on system state changes, wherein the interface object instance pointer associates the interface instance object with the system state changes through registration and removal; and a control operation module for setting a control operation mode based on the system state changes according to a task ID.

[0031] That is, in the embodiment of the present application, the client status management system of the lithography machine manages the system status, interface objects and task ID by registering the management object to the module and notifying the designated object when the module receives a status change.

[0032] Figure 2 FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing another architecture example of a client state management system of a lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 2 As shown, the client status management system of the lithography machine according to the embodiment of the present application may further include a kernel / GUI module for configuring the underlying dependency library of the human-computer interaction interface and a communication module for configuring the information interaction dependency library with the server.

[0033] Figure 3 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a user initialization process of a client status management system of a lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 3 As shown, after a participant, i.e., a user or engineer, starts the program, he can first initialize the human-computer interaction interface, i.e., the UI, and then initialize the client state management system. After the client state management system completes the initialization, it can send an initialization reply to the user, so that the user can, for example, register as a member to the client state management system, and the client state management system manages the object pointer to the container and sends a registration reply to the user.

[0034] Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a system state change process of a client state management system of a lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 4 As shown, after the user makes a task start request to the server, the server replies to the user's task start request, and the user sends a task start notification to the client state management system. Then, the client state management system changes the current system state and searches for members that have registered the current system state and task ID, thereby notifying the relevant members in the registry of the system state change and modifying the control operation mode in the user UI, such as the control display mode.

[0035] Figure 5 The figure shows a schematic diagram of the module class diagram design of the client status management system of the lithography machine according to the embodiment of the present application. Figure 5As shown, in the embodiment of the present application, the client state management system of the lithography machine can be designed at the module software level based on the class diagram, and it is worth noting that the class diagram design needs to be closely related to the hardware of the lithography machine. For example, during the transmission and control of the mask plate, before the mask plate is placed on the mask plate workbench, the system state is busy; if the robot fails during the transmission and control process, the lower computer will obtain the fault information and report it to the upper computer server, and the server will report it to the client, at which time the system state is a fault state; if the transmission and control is normal, then after the action is completed, the system state changes from busy to idle.

[0036] That is, if Figure 5As shown, the system status is enumerated, such as Idle, Busy, Error, Stop and Offline. In addition, the task ID (TaskID) is enumerated, including: Exposure (JobExposure), Jam Scan (CSTScan), Wafer Load (WaferLoad), Wafer Unload (WaferUnLoad), Wafer Move (WaferMove), Wafer Control System Station Status Check (WTStationCheck), Mask Scan (RMScan), Reticle Load (ReticleLoad), Reticle Unload (ReticleUnLoad), Reticle Move (ReticleMove), Reticle Control System Station Status Check (RTStationCheck), Workbench Moves to the Specified Position (WSMove), Workbench Moves to the Baseline Detection Coarse Alignment Position (WSMoveBCHKFMSearchPos), Workbench Moves to the Baseline Detection Fine Alignment Position (WSMoveBCHKFMFinePos), Workbench Moves to the Fine Alignment Mark Position (WSMoveFMRAPos), the workbench moves to the upper wafer position (WSMoveWaferPos), the workbench moves to the lower wafer position (WSMoveUnloadPos), the workbench moves to the silicon wafer alignment microscope position (WSMoveWAScopePos), the workbench moves to the origin position (WSMoveResetPos), the mask stage moves to the specified position (RSMove), the mask stage moves to the origin position (RSMoveReset), the mask stage moves to the work position (RSMoveWorkPos), the mask stage moves to the upper position (RSMoveReticleLoadPos), the slit moves to the specified position (BlindMove), the slit moves to the full open position (BlindMoveFullSize), the slit moves to the origin position (BlindMoveReset), the system resets (SystemReset), and the system pauses (SystemPause). In other words, these task IDs also correspond to hardware-related tasks. For example, the hardware action corresponding to the mask scanning (RMScan) is that the box opening module opens the mask box, and then the scanner scans, and the signal result is finally transmitted back to the interface to display the scanning result information.

[0037] Therefore, the client status management system of the lithography machine is based on the enumerated system status and task ID. Each module and registered UI interface object inherits the stage change (IstageChange) class and overrides its state change (StateChange) virtual function. In this way, after the system status changes, the UI interface is notified by calling the system status method in the class diagram based on the system change virtual function.

[0038] Specifically, the class diagram implementation of the client state management system of the lithography machine includes member variables and member methods. Among them, the member variables include the current state (currentState_) for recording the current state for the current system state member, and the widget multi-finger hash table (widgetMultiHash_) for allowing hash structure members with the same key value to store registered object pointers, system states and task IDs.

[0039] In addition, the member method includes multiple functions, specifically, such as Figure 5 As shown, including:

[0040] Initialize function, with no input parameters, no output parameters, and a void return value, is used for module initialization.

[0041] The Register function, with input parameters of the observer interface object pointer, task ID and system status, has no output parameters and returns a null value. It is used to register the window that needs interface status management to the client status management system. Here, because the client status management system of the lithography machine manages the registered observers and the interface that needs to pay attention to the system status changes, that is, the object pointer that inherits the stage change (IstageChange) class.

[0042] The state change (StateChange) function has the system state and task ID as input parameters, no output parameters, and a return value of void. It is used to override the base class virtual function to switch states after receiving a state change.

[0043] SetState function, the input parameter is the task ID, there is no output parameter, and the return value is empty. It is used to set different control operation modes according to the system status.

[0044] GetState function, with no input parameter, output parameter is system status, and return value is empty, is used to obtain the current system status.

[0045] Therefore, through the client state management system of the lithography machine according to the embodiment of the present application, when developing the interface, the user only needs to register the interface controls that require state management to the client state management system. In this way, when the system state changes, each interface will receive a notification of the state change and control the control operation mode through different states.

[0046] Application Examples

[0047] Figure 6 and Figure 7The diagram shows a schematic diagram of a system state change process based on a task process of a client state management system of a lithography machine according to an embodiment of the present application. Figure 6 The diagram shows an example of the task flow of a lithography machine, and Figure 7 The client status management system of the lithography machine according to the embodiment of the present application is illustrated. Figure 6 Schematic diagram of the system state change process of the task process.

[0048] like Figure 6 As shown, when the user clicks the CST scan button, a task execution request is sent, and the silicon wafer slot sensor checks the CST status. If the CST is installed in place, the robot status is checked, and if the robot is idle, the robot is reset, including the robot retracting, the robot rotating to the CST direction, and the robot Z axis moving to zero. Then, the scanning light is turned on, and the robot starts scanning the specified CST, including the robot Z axis moving and the map scanner scanning. Finally, in response to determining that the scan is over, the light is compared to the scanning light.

[0049] In such Figure 6 Based on the task flow shown, after the task execution button is clicked, the client status management system of the lithography machine according to the embodiment of the present application obtains the corresponding system status, and then updates to the current status and notifies the current status. Figure 7 As shown, when the user clicks a task execution button on the client interface, such as a CST scan button, a task execution request is sent, and after receiving a request reply, the task ID is sent to the client state management system. The client state management system obtains the system state corresponding to the task ID from the control multi-finger hash table, updates the current state, further searches the control object of the specified system state and task ID from the control multi-finger hash table, and notifies the current system state to set the control operation mode.

[0050] Therefore, the client state management system of the lithography machine according to the embodiment of the present application is designed from an architectural perspective. It does not care who the registrant is or how the control state should change after the state changes. It only needs to notify each registrant of the system state change, and the coupling is lower.

[0051] In addition, when the system status changes, the control operation mode of the client interface will also change accordingly. Users know in advance that the operation can be performed under the current system status, rather than being informed whether the operation can be performed when operating the control, which reduces the user's invalid operations. In addition, users do not need to judge the current system status every time they operate the control, which reduces repetitive development and improves system efficiency.

[0052] In addition, from the perspective of client code development, high cohesion and low coupling are in line with object-oriented development ideas, making the code architecture clearer, improving operating efficiency, reducing repetitive judgment codes, and making program execution more efficient.

[0053] The basic principles of the present application are described above in conjunction with specific embodiments. However, it should be noted that the advantages, strengths, effects, etc. mentioned in the present application are only examples and not limitations, and it cannot be considered that these advantages, strengths, effects, etc. are required by each embodiment of the present application. In addition, the specific details disclosed above are only for the purpose of illustration and ease of understanding, not for limitation, and the above details do not limit the present application to being implemented by adopting the above specific details.

[0054] The block diagrams of the devices, apparatuses, equipment, and systems involved in this application are only illustrative examples and are not intended to require or imply that they must be connected, arranged, and configured in the manner shown in the block diagram. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, these devices, apparatuses, equipment, and systems can be connected, arranged, and configured in any manner. Words such as "including", "comprising", "having", etc. are open words, referring to "including but not limited to", and can be used interchangeably with them. The words "or" and "and" used here refer to the words "and / or" and can be used interchangeably with them, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The words "such as" used here refer to the phrase "such as but not limited to", and can be used interchangeably with them.

[0055] It should also be noted that in the apparatus, device and method of the present application, each component or each step can be decomposed and / or recombined. Such decomposition and / or recombination should be regarded as equivalent solutions of the present application.

[0056] The above description of the disclosed aspects is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the present application. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects without departing from the scope of the present application. Therefore, the present application is not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but rather to the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

[0057] The above description has been given for the purpose of illustration and description. In addition, this description is not intended to limit the embodiments of the present application to the forms disclosed herein. Although multiple example aspects and embodiments have been discussed above, those skilled in the art will recognize certain variations, modifications, changes, additions and sub-combinations thereof.

Claims

1. A client status management system for a lithography machine, comprising: System status module, used to configure system status; An object management module, used to maintain an interface object instance pointer based on a system state change, wherein the interface object instance pointer associates the interface instance object with the system state change by registering and removing; and The control operation module is used to set the control operation mode based on the system state change according to the task ID.

2. The client status management system of the lithography machine according to claim 1, further comprising: Kernel / GUI module, used to configure the underlying dependency library of the human-computer interaction interface; and The communication module is used to configure the information interaction dependency library with the server.

3. The client status management system of the lithography machine according to claim 1, wherein: The system state includes at least one of an idle state, a busy state, a fault state, a stopped state, and an offline state.

4. The client status management system of the lithography machine according to claim 1, wherein: The task ID includes: exposure, jam scanning, silicon wafer loading, silicon wafer unloading, silicon wafer shifting, status check of each workstation of the silicon wafer transmission and control system, mask scanning, mask loading, mask unloading, mask shifting, status check of each workstation of the mask transmission and control system, worktable moving to a designated position, worktable moving to a baseline detection coarse alignment position, worktable moving to a baseline detection fine alignment position, worktable moving to a fine alignment mark position, worktable moving to a loading position, worktable moving to a lower position, worktable moving to a silicon wafer alignment microscope position, worktable moving to an origin position, mask stage moving to a designated position, mask stage moving to an origin position, mask stage moving to a working position, mask stage moving to an upper position, slit moving to a designated position, slit moving to a fully open position, slit moving to an origin position, system reset, system pause.

5. The client status management system of the lithography machine according to claim 1, wherein: The system status module, the object management module and the control operation module are implemented based on a class diagram, and the user-side interface object inherits a phase change class.

6. The client status management system of the lithography machine according to claim 5, wherein: The class diagram includes member variables and member methods.

7. The client status management system of the lithography machine according to claim 6, wherein: The member variables include: a current state for recording the current state for the current system state member, and a control multi-finger hash table for allowing hash structure members with the same key value to store registered object pointers, system states and task IDs.

8. The client status management system of the lithography machine according to claim 7, wherein: The member methods include: Initialization function, no input parameters, no output parameters, return value is empty, used for module initialization; The registration function has the observer interface object pointer, task ID and system status as input parameters, no output parameters and a return value of null, and is used to register the window that needs interface status management into the client status management system; The state change function has the system state and task ID as input parameters, no output parameters, and a return value of void. It is used to override the base class virtual function to switch states after receiving a state change. Set the state function, the input parameter is the task ID, the output parameter is none, and the return value is empty. It is used to set different control operation modes according to the system state; and Get status function, no input parameter, output parameter is system status, return value is empty, used to get the current system status.

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