Scheduling method, scheduling device and semiconductor process equipment

Abstract

This application relates to a scheduling method, scheduling device, and semiconductor process equipment. The scheduling method includes: detecting the presence of a target acid process tank based on a first scheduling sequence of a process object; in response to the presence of a target acid process tank, delaying the start time of the first scheduling sequence by a delay duration, so that when scheduling the process object based on the delayed first scheduling sequence, the acid change time of the target acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank are staggered; in response to the expiration of the delayed start time, scheduling the process object based on the updated first scheduling sequence. Thus, after detecting the presence of a target acid process tank, the first scheduling sequence can be adjusted, thereby eliminating the conflict between the process time and acid change time in the acid process tank, avoiding over-soaking in the acid process tank and resulting in waste wafers, and improving fabrication efficiency and yield.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor fabrication technology, specifically to a scheduling method, scheduling equipment, and semiconductor process equipment. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous advancement of technological productivity, society as a whole is becoming increasingly information-driven and intelligent, leading to a surge in demand for semiconductors. In the semiconductor manufacturing process, balancing the safety of the processed material with production capacity is crucial for improving manufacturing efficiency and product quality. Summary of the Invention

[0003] In view of this, this application aims to provide a scheduling method, scheduling equipment, and semiconductor process equipment that can balance the safety and capacity of the processed object, and improve product quality and product preparation efficiency.

[0004] A first aspect of this application provides a scheduling method applied to semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment including a plurality of acid process tanks and at least one water process tank; the method includes:

[0005] Based on a first scheduling sequence of a process object, the existence of a target acid process tank is detected; wherein, the first scheduling sequence includes: the start time of the first scheduling sequence, the scheduling order and scheduling time of each process node in the process path corresponding to the process object, and the scheduling time of the acid process tank includes the acid change time of the acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank; the target acid process tank is the acid process tank in which the process time of the process object in the acid process tank conflicts with the corresponding acid change time.

[0006] In response to the presence of the target acid process tank, the start time of the first scheduling sequence is delayed by a delay period, so that when the process object is scheduled based on the delayed first scheduling sequence, the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank are staggered.

[0007] In response to the expiration of the start time with the delay duration, the process object is scheduled based on the updated first scheduling sequence.

[0008] Optionally, the detection of the presence of the target acid process tank includes:

[0009] Based on the first scheduling sequence, each acid process tank in the process path is detected in turn to confirm whether there is an acid process tank whose process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time.

[0010] In response to the existence of an acid process tank where the process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time, the existence of the target acid process tank is determined.

[0011] Optionally, confirming whether there is an acid process tank where the process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time specifically includes:

[0012] Based on the first scheduling sequence, if it is determined that the process time of the process object in an acid process tank overlaps at least partially with the acid change time of the acid process tank, then the acid process tank is confirmed to be an acid process tank whose process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time.

[0013] Optionally, the delay of the start time of the first scheduling sequence by a delay duration in response to the presence of the target acid process tank specifically includes:

[0014] In response to the existence of the target acid process tank, and based on the first scheduling sequence, it is determined that there is no parallel acid process tank in the process path of the target acid process tank, the start time of the first scheduling sequence is delayed by the delay duration.

[0015] Optionally, it also includes:

[0016] In response to the existence of the target acid process tank, and based on the first scheduling sequence, it is determined that there is a parallel acid process tank in the process path that is parallel to the target acid process tank, and whether the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank conflicts with the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank.

[0017] In response to the fact that the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank is staggered from the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, the first scheduling sequence is updated so that the parallel acid process tank replaces the target process tank and serves as the process node to process the process object.

[0018] Optionally, it also includes:

[0019] In response to a conflict between the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank and the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, the delay time required to make the acid change time and the corresponding process time staggered are calculated respectively, the first scheduling sequence is updated, and the acid process tank with the relatively smaller delay time value is selected as the target acid process tank from the target acid process tank and the parallel acid process tank.

[0020] The start time delay of the first scheduling sequence is a delay duration, including:

[0021] The start time delay value of the updated first scheduling sequence is a relatively small delay duration.

[0022] Optionally, it also includes:

[0023] During the scheduling of the process object based on the first scheduling sequence, in response to determining that the acid process tank located after the current process node in the process path and closest to the current process node is the target acid process tank, the first scheduling sequence is updated so that the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank is staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank.

[0024] Optionally, updating the first scheduling sequence includes: based on the first scheduling sequence and the dwell time constraint of the current process node, if it is determined that, without violating the dwell time constraint, the process time of the process object in the current process node can be extended to make the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank, then the process time of the process object in the first scheduling sequence in the current process node is extended, so that the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank staggers from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank, and the process time of the process object in the current process node satisfies the dwell time constraint of the current process node.

[0025] Optionally, updating the first scheduling sequence includes:

[0026] Based on the first scheduling sequence and the dwell time constraint of the current process node, if it is determined that, without violating the dwell time constraint, it is not possible to extend the process time of the process object in the current process node so that the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank is staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank, then the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank in the scheduling sequence will be adjusted to be after the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank.

[0027] Optionally, before updating the first scheduling sequence, the method further includes:

[0028] Based on the first scheduling sequence, determine whether there is a parallel acid process tank in the process path that is the target acid process tank;

[0029] The step of updating the first scheduling sequence specifically includes: determining that there is no parallel acid process cell for the target acid process cell in the process path, and then updating the first scheduling sequence.

[0030] Optionally, it also includes:

[0031] In response to determining that there is a parallel acid process tank in the process path that is the target acid process tank, it is determined whether the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank conflicts with the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank.

[0032] The step of updating the first scheduling sequence specifically includes: in response to the process time of the process object being processed in the parallel acid process tank being staggered from the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, the first scheduling sequence is updated so that the parallel acid process tank replaces the target acid process tank as the process node to process the process object.

[0033] Optionally, the acid replacement time includes the acid replacement start time and the acid replacement end time; the process time includes the process start time and the process end time.

[0034] The process time of the process object being processed in an acid process tank overlaps at least partially with the acid changeover time of the acid process tank, specifically including:

[0035] The end time of the process of the object being processed in the acid process tank is later than the start time of the acid change in the acid process tank, and the end time of the acid change in the acid process tank is later than the start time of the process of the object being processed in the acid process tank.

[0036] Optionally, it includes:

[0037] Calculate the interval between the acid replacement end time of the target acid process tank and the process end time of the first water process tank, and determine the value of the interval as the minimum value of the delay time; the first water process tank includes the water process tank that is scheduled before the target acid process tank and is closest to the target acid process tank in the process path corresponding to the process object.

[0038] A second aspect of this application provides a scheduling device, comprising:

[0039] A processor, and a memory connected to the processor;

[0040] The memory is used to store computer programs;

[0041] The processor is used to call and execute the computer program in the memory to perform the process scheduling method as described in the first aspect of this application.

[0042] A third aspect of this application provides a semiconductor process apparatus including a plurality of acid process tanks, at least one water process tank, and a scheduling device as described in the second aspect of this application.

[0043] In this application, the process scheduling method can be applied to semiconductor process equipment, which includes multiple acid process tanks and at least one water process tank. In implementation, the existence of a target acid process tank can be detected based on a first scheduling sequence of the process object. The first scheduling sequence includes: the start time of the first scheduling sequence, the scheduling order and scheduling time of each process node in the process path corresponding to the process object, and the scheduling time of the acid process tank includes the acid change time of the acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank. The target acid process tank is the acid process tank where the process time of the process object in which it performs the process conflicts with the corresponding acid change time. In response to the existence of a target acid process tank, the start time of the first scheduling sequence is delayed by a delay period, so that when the process object is scheduled based on the delayed first scheduling sequence, the acid change time of the target acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank are staggered. In response to the expiration of the delayed start time, the process object is scheduled based on the updated first scheduling sequence. In this way, after the presence of the target acid process tank is detected, the start time of the first scheduling sequence can be adjusted so that the acid change end of the target acid process tank is staggered with the process time, thereby eliminating the conflict between the process time and the acid change time of the acid process tank, avoiding over-soaking in the acid process tank and resulting in waste, thus taking into account both the safety of the process object and the production capacity, and improving the preparation efficiency and yield. Attached Figure Description

[0044] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0045] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor process equipment.

[0046] Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating a scheduling method provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0047] Figure 3 This is a simplified schematic diagram of a process path provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0048] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram showing the adjustment and comparison of a first scheduling sequence provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0049] Figure 5 This is a flowchart illustrating a scheduling method provided in another embodiment of this application.

[0050] Figure 6This is a schematic diagram showing the adjustment and comparison of a target scheduling sequence according to an embodiment of this application.

[0051] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a semiconductor process equipment provided in one embodiment of this application.

[0052] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a computing device provided in one embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0053] Unless otherwise defined, the technical or scientific terms used in the embodiments of this specification shall have the ordinary meaning understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this specification pertains. The terms "first," "second," and similar terms used in the embodiments of this specification do not indicate any order, quantity, or importance, but are merely used to avoid confusion of constituent elements.

[0054] Unless the context otherwise requires, throughout this specification, "a plurality of" means "at least two," and "including" is interpreted as open-ended or encompassing, that is, "including, but not limited to." In the description of this specification, terms such as "one embodiment," "some embodiments," "exemplary embodiment," "example," "specific example," or "some examples" are intended to indicate that a particular feature, structure, material, or characteristic associated with that embodiment or example is included in at least one embodiment or example of this specification. The illustrative representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example.

[0055] The technical solutions in the embodiments of this specification will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this specification, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments in this specification, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this specification.

[0056] In the semiconductor manufacturing industry, the manufacturing of highly integrated electronic devices poses challenges to efficient semiconductor processing procedures. To meet this demand, cleaning equipment in semiconductor process equipment has become one of the key tools in semiconductor manufacturing. Taking tank cleaning equipment as an example, tank cleaning equipment is a multifunctional device used in semiconductor manufacturing processes. It can effectively clean the process object (such as wafers) by controlling parameters such as temperature, pressure, and cleaning solution concentration. This type of equipment typically consists of multiple working chambers or modules, each responsible for different cleaning processes.

[0057] refer to Figure 1 , Figure 1A schematic diagram of a tank-type cleaning device is shown. The tank-type cleaning device may include a transfer area module and a process area module.

[0058] The process area module may include: process tank module.

[0059] by Figure 1 For example, the process area module contains 10 tanks, including tanks for performing corresponding process operations, EEWD (handwashing tank), and Dry (drying tank). Specifically, Tanks 1, 3, 4, 5, and 7 on the machine are acid process tanks; Tanks 2, 6, and 8 are water process tanks; EEWD is the handwashing tank; and Tank 9 is the drying process tank. The type of cleaning solution held in the water process tank differs from that in the acid process tank. For instance, the water process tank can hold water (such as deionized water) or other cleaning solutions that do not react with the wafer (such as some alkaline cleaning solutions).

[0060] In practice, the process path for wafer processing within the process area is: Tank1–Tank2–Tank3–Tank4–Tank5–Tank6–Tank7–Tank8–Dry. There is a dwell time constraint for the wafer in each process tank. This constraint characterizes the maximum time the wafer is allowed to remain in that process tank after completing the process. In other words, if the preset dwell time constraint is 10 seconds, the robot arm must remove the wafer from the process tank within 10 seconds after the process is completed; otherwise, the wafer will be damaged. For example, semiconductor process equipment typically constrains the dwell time in water process tanks to between 100 and 1800 seconds, and the dwell time in acid process tanks to 0 seconds. Compared to water process tanks, the dwell time constraint in acid process tanks is more stringent.

[0061] Due to the complexity and precision required in semiconductor manufacturing, the time for each processing step needs to be strictly controlled to ensure the quality and consistency of the final product. However, in semiconductor process equipment, to guarantee product quality, automatic acid changing operations must be performed on the acid process tank within a specified time cycle or number of processes. Since automatic acid changing operations are subject to delays and failures, they can also affect the overall process quality and efficiency of the product.

[0062] Currently, when planning the scheduling sequence based on the start time of the process task, if a conflict is found between the wafer process time and the acid change time of the acid bath, the planning of the scheduling sequence of the process task will be stopped. The start time of the process task and the corresponding scheduling sequence will be replanned after the acid change is completed, thereby ensuring the safety of wafer processing.

[0063] However, waiting until the acid replacement is completed before planning the start time and corresponding scheduling sequence of the process tasks will result in the process tasks starting late, thus affecting the production capacity. In other words, the existing processing method cannot balance the safety and production capacity of the processed wafers, which has an adverse effect on the semiconductor manufacturing efficiency and product quality.

[0064] In view of this, embodiments of this application provide a scheduling method that can be applied to semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment including multiple acid process tanks and at least one water process tank, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the scheduling method may include at least the following steps:

[0065] S201. Based on the first scheduling sequence of the process object, detect whether there is a target acid process tank; wherein, the first scheduling sequence includes: the start time of the first scheduling sequence, the scheduling order and scheduling time of each process node in the process path corresponding to the process object, and the scheduling time of the acid process tank includes the acid change time of the acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank; the target acid process tank is the acid process tank in which the process time of the process object in the process tank conflicts with the corresponding acid change time.

[0066] The process object can be set according to process requirements; for example, the process object can be a wafer.

[0067] Since the first scheduling sequence includes the start time of the first scheduling sequence, the scheduling order and scheduling time of each process node in the process path corresponding to the process object, the start time of the first scheduling sequence, the process time of the process object in each process tank, the acid change time of each acid process tank, and the transmission time of the process object between adjacent process tanks can be determined based on the first scheduling sequence of the process object. Correspondingly, based on the process time of the process object in each acid process tank and the corresponding acid change time of the acid process tank, the existence of a target acid process tank can be detected, thus providing a basis for subsequent adjustment of the first scheduling sequence and avoiding over-foaming of the process object in the acid process tank.

[0068] S202. In response to the existence of a target acid process tank, the start time of the first scheduling sequence is delayed by a delay period, so that when the process object is scheduled based on the delayed first scheduling sequence, the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank are staggered.

[0069] The delay duration can be either the delay in the start time of the first scheduling sequence or the delay in the residence of the process object in the first water process tank. The first water process tank includes the water process tank in the process path corresponding to the process object, which is scheduled before the target acid process tank and is the closest to the target acid process tank.

[0070] When the existence of a target acid process tank is confirmed, the delay time of the process object in the first water process tank can be calculated, that is, the delay time of the process object in the nearest water process tank before the acid process tank where the acid change conflict occurs can be calculated.

[0071] It is important to understand that the calculation of the delay time for the process object in the first water process tank refers to the added time based on the original residence time of the process object in the first water process tank. By adding this delay time in the first water process tank, the process time of the target acid process tank located after the first water process tank can be changed. That is, by delaying the process end time of the process object in the first water process tank, the process start time of the process object in the target acid process tank can be delayed. This ensures that the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank is staggered from the corresponding acid change time of the target acid process tank, laying the foundation for avoiding conflicts between the process time of the target acid process tank and the corresponding acid change time.

[0072] Specifically, by increasing the residence time of the process object in the first water process tank based on the original residence time, the acid replacement end time of the target acid process tank can be matched with the process end time of the first water process tank.

[0073] Matching the acid replacement end time of the target acid process tank with the process end time of the first water process tank means that the acid replacement end time of the target acid process tank is consistent with the process end time of the process object in the first water process tank, or the acid replacement end time of the target acid process tank is not later than the process end time of the process object in the first water process tank, and the difference between the two is less than or equal to a preset time difference. This ensures that the acid replacement end time of the target acid process tank is consistent with or nearly consistent with the process end time of the process object in the first water process tank, thus avoiding conflicts between the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank and the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank. The preset time difference, as an allowable time error, can be set according to actual needs and is not specifically limited here.

[0074] For example, if the process object is a wafer, the wafer path recipe is: Shelf–Opener2–Pusher–Aligner–Tank1–Tank2–Tank3–Tank4–Tank5–Tank6–Tank7–Tank8–Dry–

[0075] Pusher–Opener2–Shelf. Figure 3The diagram shows a simplified process path. t0 is the start time of the first scheduling sequence (the time when the job (process task) leaves the buffer). Based on t0, the process end time t3 of Tank5 can be calculated. If t3 > the acid change start time t2 of Tank5, then there is a conflict between the process time and the acid change time of Tank5, meaning Tank5 is the target acid process tank. Figure 4 The part indicated by A in the middle. For example... Figure 4 Regarding the portion indicated by B, since there is a conflict between the process time and acid change time of Tank5, it can be determined that Tank2 is the first water process tank. The wafer transfer from Tank2 to Tank3 (T2-T3) needs to be planned after the acid change is completed. The wafer dwell time t in Tank2 is calculated as: t = Tank5 acid change end time - Tank2 process end time; (e.g., ...) Figure 4 In the part indicated by C, in order to avoid the wafer violating the dwell time constraint in Tank2, the start time of the first scheduling sequence can be updated to: t0 + Tank2 wafer dwell time t. In this way, the time for the wafer to arrive at Tank2 can be delayed, so that the wafer can be moved from the water process tank to the next acid process tank after the acid change is completed without violating the dwell time constraint.

[0076] S203. In response to the expiration of the start time due to the delay duration, schedule the process object based on the updated first scheduling sequence.

[0077] Specifically, by delaying the start time of the first scheduling sequence, the acid replacement end time of the target acid process tank can be matched with the process end time of the process object in the first water process tank. This setting not only avoids conflicts between the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank and the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank, thus ensuring the safety of the process object, but also ensures that the current residence position of the process object is in the first water process tank when there is an acid replacement delay or acid replacement failure during automatic acid replacement. Compared with the residence position being in the acid process tank, this can better guarantee the safety of the process object and prevent the process object from being over-soaked in the acid process tank.

[0078] In this embodiment, the existence of a target acid process tank can be detected based on a first scheduling sequence of the process object. The first scheduling sequence includes: the start time of the first scheduling sequence, the scheduling order and scheduling time of each process node in the process path corresponding to the process object, and the scheduling time of the acid process tank includes the acid change time of the acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank. The target acid process tank is the acid process tank where the process time of the process object in the acid process tank conflicts with the corresponding acid change time. In response to the existence of a target acid process tank, the start time of the first scheduling sequence is delayed by a delay period, so that when the process object is scheduled based on the delayed first scheduling sequence, the acid change time of the target acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank are staggered. In response to the expiration of the delayed start time, the process object is scheduled based on the updated first scheduling sequence. In this way, after the presence of the target acid process tank is detected, the start time of the first scheduling sequence can be adjusted so that the acid change end of the target acid process tank is staggered with the process time, thereby eliminating the conflict between the process time and the acid change time of the acid process tank, avoiding over-soaking in the acid process tank and resulting in waste, thus taking into account both the safety of the process object and the production capacity, and improving the preparation efficiency and yield.

[0079] In some implementations, the scheduling method may further include: if there is no target acid process tank, then using the first scheduling sequence as the target scheduling sequence and using the target scheduling sequence to schedule the process object.

[0080] During implementation, if there is no target acid process tank, it means that the current first scheduling sequence will not cause the process time of the process object in the acid process tank to conflict with the acid change time of the acid process tank. In this case, the first scheduling sequence is used as the target scheduling sequence, which can not only avoid the problem of the process time of the process object in the acid process tank conflicting with the acid change time of the acid process tank, but also take into account the safety and capacity of the process object.

[0081] In practical applications, due to factors such as unstable machine transmission time and manual modifications to acid-changing configurations, discrepancies may arise between the actual execution time and the planned time in the target scheduling sequence when scheduling process objects based on a target scheduling sequence. Specifically, taking a wafer as an example, when a wafer enters the process area for processing, the planned processing time in the acid bath and the corresponding acid-changing time in the target scheduling sequence do not conflict. However, due to action drift, an abnormal scenario may occur where the wafer's processing time in the acid bath conflicts with the corresponding acid-changing time. Furthermore, when a wafer enters the process area for processing, manual modifications to the acid-changing configuration may alter the acid-changing time in the acid bath, causing a conflict between the wafer's processing time in the acid bath and the acid-changing time. For both of these abnormal scenarios, if the wafer waits for the acid-changing process to complete before entering the corresponding acid bath for processing, the wafer's dwell time in the current process bath will exceed the dwell time constraint.

[0082] Therefore, in some implementation methods, such as Figure 5 As shown, the scheduling method may also include the following implementation steps:

[0083] S501, The start time of the first scheduling sequence expires, and the process object is scheduled based on the first scheduling sequence.

[0084] S502. During the scheduling of process objects, detect whether the acid process tank located after the current process node and closest to the current process node in the process path is the target acid process tank.

[0085] Detecting whether the next acid process tank to arrive is the target acid process tank during the scheduling process enables real-time monitoring of the target acid process tank during the scheduling process. This allows for the timely detection of conflicts between the process time of the process object in the acid process tank and the corresponding acid change time caused by inconsistencies between the actual processing time and the planned time. This provides a guarantee and basis for timely resolution of subsequent problems.

[0086] S503. If the acid process tank located after the current process node in the process path and closest to the current process node is determined to be the target acid process tank, then update the first scheduling sequence so that the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank is staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank.

[0087] During implementation, the first scheduling sequence is updated, which may specifically include: based on the first scheduling sequence and the dwell time constraint of the current process node, if it is determined that, without violating the dwell time constraint, the process time of the process object in the current process node can be extended to make the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank, then the process time of the process object in the first scheduling sequence in the current process node is extended to make the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank, and the process time of the process object in the current process node satisfies the dwell time constraint of the current process node.

[0088] Specifically, by extending the process time of the process object at the current process node, the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank can be staggered with the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank. This demonstrates that extending the process time of the process object at the current process node has the effect of causing the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank to be staggered with the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank.

[0089] On the other hand, updating the first scheduling sequence may also include: based on the first scheduling sequence and the dwell time constraint of the current process node, if it is determined that without violating the dwell time constraint, it is not possible to make the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank by extending the process time of the process object in the current process node, then the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank in the first scheduling sequence can be adjusted to be after the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank.

[0090] To improve scheduling accuracy and ensure yield, when scheduling process objects based on the first scheduling sequence, it can be determined whether, without violating the dwell time constraint, the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank can be staggered with the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank by extending the time of the process object in the current process node. If not, the acid replacement time corresponding to the target acid process tank in the first scheduling sequence is adjusted to after the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank (i.e., delayed acid replacement), thus obtaining an updated first scheduling sequence, and the process objects are continued to be scheduled based on the updated first scheduling sequence. If yes, the process time of the process object in the first scheduling sequence in the current process node can be directly extended, so that the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank is staggered with the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank, and the process time of the process object in the current process node satisfies the dwell time constraint of the current process node. The dwell time constraint represents the maximum allowed dwell time of the process object after the process is completed in the process tank. The current process node includes the node corresponding to the process tank where the process object is located at the current moment.

[0091] Specifically, in the first scheduling sequence, the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank is after the acid change time corresponding to the target acid process tank. That is, upon detecting that the next acid process tank to arrive is the target acid process tank, the dwell time of the process object in the current process tank needs to be increased, i.e., the time of the process object at the current process node needs to be extended. This delays the process time of the target acid process tank, ensuring that the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank is after the acid change time corresponding to the target acid process tank. Simultaneously, it is necessary to check whether increasing the dwell time of the process object in the current process tank would cause the process object to violate the dwell time constraint of the current process tank. If it would cause the process object to violate the dwell time constraint of the current process tank, it indicates that the current solution of increasing the dwell time of the process object in the current process tank is not feasible. In this case, the acid change time corresponding to the target acid process tank can be adjusted to be after the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank, i.e., the acid change time is delayed, thereby avoiding a conflict between the acid change time and the process time, resulting in the updated first scheduling sequence. If the process object does not violate the current process tank's residence time constraint, it means that the current solution of increasing the residence time of the process object in the current process tank is feasible. Therefore, extending the time of the process object at the current process node can avoid the aforementioned target acid process tank.

[0092] For example, the wafer path recipe is: Shelf–Opener2–Pusher–Aligner–Tank1–Tank2–Tank3–Tank4–Tank5–Tank6–Tank7–Tank8–Dry–Pusher–

[0093] Opener2–Shelf, after the wafer enters the process area for processing, is currently located below Tank4. Tank is abbreviated as T. For example... Figure 6As shown in Figure a, the target scheduling sequence plans the wafer scheduling as indicated in part a. The T5 acid change occurs after the wafer is transferred from T5 to T6 (T5-T6), thus avoiding a conflict between the T5 process time and the T5 acid change time. However, because the actual on-load transfer time from T3 to T4 (T3-T4) is longer than the target scheduling sequence planned time, as indicated in part b, a conflict arises between the T5 process time and the T5 acid change time. In this case, as indicated in part c, adjusting the T5 process time to after the T5 acid change time yields the updated first scheduling sequence. From part c, it can be seen that if the on-load transfer from T4 to T5 is planned after the T5 acid change, the wafer will over-bubble at T4. Since T4 is the acid process tank and the dwell time constraint for T4 is 0, the updated first scheduling sequence will cause the wafer to violate the T4 dwell time constraint. Therefore, the updated first scheduling sequence is not feasible. At this point, the acid replacement time needs to be delayed. As indicated by d, the acid replacement should be performed after the wafer has completed the T5 process. This avoids the conflict between the T5 process time and the T5 acid replacement time, thus ensuring the safety of the wafer.

[0094] In this embodiment, by real-time detection of the target acid process tank during the processing, and adjustment of the first scheduling sequence after the presence of the target acid process tank is detected, the conflict between the processing time and the acid replacement time of the acid process tank caused by factors such as unstable machine transmission and manual modification of acid replacement configuration during actual processing can be avoided, thereby further improving the safety and stability of the processing process.

[0095] In some implementations, in order to further optimize the first scheduling sequence, the scheduling method may further include: determining whether there is a parallel acid process cell for the target acid process cell in the process path based on the first scheduling sequence before updating the first scheduling sequence.

[0096] Accordingly, updating the first scheduling sequence may specifically include: if it is determined that there is no parallel acid process cell for the target acid process cell in the process path, then the first scheduling sequence is updated.

[0097] If there is no parallel acid process tank for the target acid process tank in the process path, it means that the target acid process tank is irreplaceable. Only by updating the first scheduling sequence can the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank be staggered with the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank of the process object, thereby avoiding the occurrence of acid replacement conflict.

[0098] In some implementations, the scheduling method may further include: in response to determining that there is a parallel acid process tank for the target acid process tank in the process path, determining whether the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank conflicts with the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank; accordingly, the above-mentioned updating of the first scheduling sequence may specifically include: in response to the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank being staggered with the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, updating the first scheduling sequence so that the parallel acid process tank replaces the target acid process tank as the process node to process the process object.

[0099] If a parallel acid process tank exists in the process path that corresponds to the target acid process tank, it indicates that the target acid process tank is substitutable, and the parallel acid process tank can potentially replace it. Therefore, by determining whether the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank conflicts with the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, it can be determined whether the parallel acid process tank can be used to replace the target acid process tank. Thus, when the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank and the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank are staggered, it means that using the parallel acid process tank will not cause an acid change conflict; that is, the parallel acid process tank can replace the target acid process tank. In this way, the first scheduling sequence can be updated so that the parallel acid process tank replaces the target acid process tank and serves as the process node for the process object. This can improve process efficiency and yield while ensuring the safety of the process object.

[0100] In some implementations, the detection of the existence of a target acid process tank can be based on a first scheduling sequence, sequentially detecting each acid process tank in the process path to confirm whether there is an acid process tank whose process time conflicts with the corresponding acid replacement time; if there is an acid process tank whose process time conflicts with the corresponding acid replacement time, then in response to the existence of an acid process tank whose process time conflicts with the corresponding acid replacement time, it is determined that there is a target acid process tank, and the acid process tank with the conflict is determined to be the target acid process tank.

[0101] During implementation, when each acid process tank in the process path is detected sequentially based on the first scheduling sequence, the detection order is based on the scheduling order of the first scheduling sequence. The process time of each acid process tank in the process path corresponding to the process object is detected to confirm whether there is a conflict between the process time of the acid process tank and the corresponding acid change time.

[0102] Specifically, the first scheduling sequence records the scheduling order of each process node. The detection order is based on the scheduling order of each process node. The acid process tanks of each process node are detected based on the scheduling order of each process node. For example, if Tank1, Tank3, Tank4, Tank5, and Tank7 are acid process tanks scheduled in sequence, then Tank1 is detected first to determine whether there is a conflict between the process time of Tank1 and the corresponding acid change time. If there is a conflict between the process time of Tank1 and the corresponding acid change time, it means that there is a conflict between the process time of the acid process tank and the corresponding acid change time, and Tank1 can be determined as the target acid process tank. If there is no conflict between the process time of Tank1 and the corresponding acid change time, then Tank3 can be detected to determine whether there is a conflict between the process time of Tank3 and the corresponding acid change time. In this way, the sequential detection is carried out, and the first acid process tank whose process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time is determined as the target acid process tank.

[0103] It should be noted that after identifying the first acid process tank where the process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time, there is no need to continue testing for subsequent acid process tanks. This is because for the first acid process tank with a conflict (i.e., the target acid process tank), the first scheduling sequence will be adjusted to avoid conflicts between the process time and the corresponding acid change time of that acid process tank. The adjustment of the first scheduling sequence will affect the process time of each process tank following the target acid process tank. Therefore, if conflict detection is continued for each acid process tank, the changes in process time may lead to inaccurate detection results for previously detected acid process tanks following the target acid process tank. In the embodiments of this application, once the first acid process tank with a conflict between the process time and the acid change time is detected, that acid process tank is confirmed as the target acid process tank, and further testing of subsequent acid process tanks is stopped. This saves scheduling time and improves scheduling accuracy and efficiency.

[0104] To improve the accuracy of scheduling, the above-mentioned confirmation of whether there is an acid process tank where the process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time can specifically include: based on the first scheduling sequence, if it is determined that the process time of the process object in an acid process tank overlaps with the acid change time of the acid process tank at least partially, then the acid process tank is confirmed as an acid process tank where the process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time.

[0105] The acid replacement time can include the start and end times of acid replacement; the process time can include the start and end times of the process.

[0106] Accordingly, the process time of the above-mentioned process object in an acid process tank overlaps at least partially with the acid change time of the acid process tank. Specifically, it may include: the process end time of the process object in the acid change process tank is later than the acid change start time of the acid process tank, and the acid change end time of the acid process tank is later than the process start time of the process object in the acid process tank.

[0107] In some cases, a process ending time later than an acid replacement start time does not necessarily lead to a conflict between the process time and the corresponding acid replacement time. For example, in some situations, if the process ending time is later than the acid replacement start time, but the acid replacement end time is earlier than the process start time, then the acid replacement has already ended before the process starts, and there will be no conflict between the process time and the corresponding acid replacement time. Therefore, in this embodiment, the condition that both the process ending time and the acid replacement start time are later than the process start time is used as the criterion for determining an acid replacement conflict. This allows for a more accurate determination of whether there is a conflict between the process time and the corresponding acid replacement time, thereby providing a guarantee for balancing the safety and production capacity of the processed object.

[0108] In some implementations, the scheduling method may further include: calculating the interval between the acid replacement end time of the target acid process tank and the process end time of the first water process tank, and determining the value of the interval as the minimum value of the delay time.

[0109] For example, if the process end time of the first water process tank is 9:00, the process time of the target acid process tank is 9:30 to 9:55, and the corresponding acid replacement time of the target acid process tank is 9:25 to 9:45, then the interval between the acid replacement end time and the process end time of the first water process tank can be calculated to be 45 minutes, that is, the minimum value of the delay time is 45 minutes.

[0110] By calculating the interval between the acid replacement end time of the target acid process tank and the process end time of the first water process tank, a basis can be provided for updating the first scheduling sequence, thereby ensuring that the process time of the target acid process tank and the corresponding acid replacement time can be staggered, improving the safety and capacity of the process object.

[0111] In some implementations, when the start time of the first scheduling sequence is delayed by a delay period in response to the presence of a target acid process tank, the start time of the first scheduling sequence may be delayed by a delay period in response to the presence of a target acid process tank and, based on the first scheduling sequence, it is determined that there is no parallel acid process tank in the process path that is a target acid process tank.

[0112] Specifically, if the target acid process tank has parallel acid process tanks, it means that the target acid process tank is substitutable; if the target acid process tank does not have parallel acid process tanks, it means that the target acid process tank is not substitutable, and the delay operation can only be delayed based on the first scheduling sequence of the target acid process tank in the process path.

[0113] Correspondingly, the scheduling method may further include: in response to the existence of a target acid process tank, and based on the first scheduling sequence, determining that there exists a parallel acid process tank in the process path that is the same as the target acid process tank, determining whether the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank conflicts with the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank; in response to the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank being staggered from the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, updating the first scheduling sequence so that the parallel acid process tank replaces the target process tank and serves as the process node to process the process object.

[0114] Specifically, if the target acid process tank has parallel acid process tanks, it can be detected whether the process time of the parallel acid process tank and the acid change time of the corresponding parallel acid process tank are staggered. If the process time of the parallel acid process tank and the acid change time of the corresponding parallel acid process tank are staggered, it means that using the parallel acid process tank will not cause acid change conflict. Then the first scheduling sequence can be updated so that the parallel acid process tank replaces the target acid process tank and acts as the process node to process the process object.

[0115] If the process time of the parallel acid process tank conflicts with the acid change time of the corresponding parallel acid process tank, it means that even if a replaceable parallel acid process tank is used, the acid change conflict will still occur. In response to the conflict between the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank and the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, the delay time required to make the acid change time and the corresponding process time staggered are calculated respectively, the first scheduling sequence is updated, and the acid process tank with the relatively smaller delay time value is selected as the target acid process tank from the target acid process tank and the parallel acid process tank.

[0116] Correspondingly, when delaying the start time of the first scheduling sequence by a delay duration, it can be a delay duration with a relatively small start time delay value for the updated first scheduling sequence.

[0117] For example, in a process path like Tank2-Tank3 / Tank4–Tank5–Tank6, Tank3 and Tank4 are parallel acid processing tanks. During scheduling, either tank can be selected for processing. If the original first scheduling sequence planned for Tank3 as the acid processing tank, and a conflict between the process time and acid change time is detected in Tank3, while there is no conflict in Tank4, the original first scheduling sequence can be updated. The planned process object is moved out of Tank2 and instead of entering Tank3, it enters Tank4. Thus, there is no need to reschedule the scheduling time. If a conflict between the process time and acid change time is detected in both Tank3 and Tank4, the delay time required to stagger the acid change time with the corresponding process time can be calculated for both Tank3 and Tank4. The acid processing tank with the smallest delay time value is selected as the acid processing tank that the process object needs to enter after this planning, thus updating the first scheduling sequence.

[0118] For example, in the process path: Tank2-Tank3 / Tank4–Tank5–Tank6, where Tank3 and Tank4 are parallel acid process tanks, if the original target scheduling sequence planned the acid process tank as Tank3, and during the scheduling of the process object, it is detected that there is a conflict between the process time and acid change time in Tank3, while there is no conflict between the process time and acid change time in Tank4, the original target scheduling sequence can be updated, and the planned process object can be changed from entering Tank3 to entering Tank4. In this way, there is no need to reschedule the scheduling time, nor is there any need to delay the acid change.

[0119] As another optional implementation of the disclosure of this application, embodiments of this application also provide a scheduling device applied to semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment including multiple acid process tanks and at least one water process tank; the scheduling device may include: a detection module, used to detect whether a target acid process tank exists based on a first scheduling sequence of a process object; wherein, the first scheduling sequence includes: the start time of the first scheduling sequence, the scheduling order and scheduling time of each process node in the process path corresponding to the process object, the scheduling time of the acid process tank includes the acid change time of the acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank; the target acid process tank is an acid process tank in which the process time of the process object in the process tank conflicts with the corresponding acid change time; a delay module, used to delay the start time of the first scheduling sequence by a delay duration in response to the existence of a target acid process tank, so that when the process object is scheduled based on the delayed first scheduling sequence, the acid change time of the target acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank are staggered; a scheduling module, used to schedule the process object based on the updated first scheduling sequence in response to the expiration of the start time of the delayed duration.

[0120] Optionally, when detecting whether a target acid process tank exists, the detection module may specifically be used to: based on the first scheduling sequence, sequentially detect each acid process tank in the process path to confirm whether there is an acid process tank whose process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time; and in response to the existence of an acid process tank whose process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time, determine that a target acid process tank exists.

[0121] Optionally, when confirming whether there is an acid process tank where the process time conflicts with the corresponding acid replacement time, the detection module can specifically be used to: based on the first scheduling sequence, if it is determined that the process time of the process object in an acid process tank overlaps with the acid replacement time of the acid process tank at least partially, then confirm that the acid process tank is an acid process tank where the process time conflicts with the corresponding acid replacement time.

[0122] Optionally, the delay module can be specifically used to: in response to the existence of a target acid process tank and the determination based on the first scheduling sequence that there is no parallel acid process tank in the process path of the target acid process tank, delay the start time of the first scheduling sequence by a delay duration.

[0123] Optionally, the scheduling module may further include an update module, which may be used to: in response to the existence of a target acid process tank and the determination based on the first scheduling sequence that there exists a parallel acid process tank in the process path that is the same as the target acid process tank, determine whether the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank conflicts with the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank; in response to the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank being staggered from the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, update the first scheduling sequence so that the parallel acid process tank replaces the target process tank and serves as the process node for the process object.

[0124] Optionally, the update module can also be used to: in response to a conflict between the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank and the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, calculate the delay time required to make the acid change time and the corresponding process time staggered, update the first scheduling sequence, and select the acid process tank with the relatively smaller delay time value from the target acid process tank and the parallel acid process tank as the target acid process tank; correspondingly, when delaying the start time of the first scheduling sequence by a delay time, the delay module can be used to: delay the start time delay value of the updated first scheduling sequence by a relatively smaller delay time.

[0125] Optionally, the update module can also be used to: in the process of scheduling process objects based on the first scheduling sequence, in response to determining that the acid process tank located after the current process node in the process path and closest to the current process node is the target acid process tank, update the first scheduling sequence so that the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank is staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank.

[0126] Optionally, when updating the first scheduling sequence, the update module can be specifically used to: based on the first scheduling sequence and the dwell time constraint of the current process node, if it is determined that, without violating the dwell time constraint, the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank can be staggered with the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank by extending the process time of the process object in the current process node, then extend the process time of the process object in the first scheduling sequence in the current process node, so that the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank can be staggered with the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank, and the process time of the process object in the current process node satisfies the dwell time constraint of the current process node.

[0127] Optionally, when updating the first scheduling sequence, the update module can also be used to: based on the first scheduling sequence and the dwell time constraint of the current process node, if it is determined that, without violating the dwell time constraint, it is not possible to make the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank by extending the process time of the process object in the current process node, then the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank in the scheduling sequence is adjusted to be after the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank.

[0128] Optionally, before updating the first scheduling sequence, the updating module can also be used to: determine whether there is a parallel acid process tank with the target acid process tank in the process path based on the first scheduling sequence; correspondingly, when updating the first scheduling sequence, the updating module can specifically be used to: determine that there is no parallel acid process tank with the target acid process tank in the process path, and then update the first scheduling sequence.

[0129] Optionally, the update module can also be used to: in response to determining that there is a parallel acid process tank in the process path that is the same as the target acid process tank, determine whether the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank conflicts with the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank; accordingly, when updating the first scheduling sequence, the update module can specifically be used to: in response to the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank being staggered with the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, update the first scheduling sequence so that the parallel acid process tank replaces the target acid process tank as the process node to process the process object.

[0130] Optionally, the acid replacement time includes the acid replacement start time and the acid replacement end time; the process time includes the process start time and the process end time; the process time of the process object performing the process in an acid process tank overlaps at least partially with the acid replacement time of the acid process tank, specifically including: the process end time of the process object performing the process in the acid process tank is later than the acid replacement start time of the acid process tank, and the acid replacement end time of the acid process tank is later than the process start time of the process object performing the process in the acid process tank.

[0131] Optionally, the scheduling device may further include a calculation module, which may be used to: calculate the interval between the acid replacement end time of the target acid process tank and the process end time of the first water process tank, and determine the value of the interval as the minimum value of the delay time; the first water process tank is included in the process path corresponding to the process object, and is the water process tank that is scheduled before the target acid process tank and is closest to the target acid process tank.

[0132] Specific limitations regarding the scheduling device can be found in the limitations regarding the scheduling method above, and will not be repeated here. Each module in the aforementioned scheduling device can be implemented entirely or partially through software, hardware, or a combination thereof. These modules can be embedded in hardware within or independently of the processor in the computer device, or stored in software within the memory of the computer device, so that the processor can invoke and execute the operations corresponding to each module.

[0133] As another optional implementation of the disclosure of this application, embodiments of this application also provide a scheduling device for updating a first scheduling sequence of the execution process path to obtain a target scheduling sequence when a conflict occurs between the process time of an acid process tank and the corresponding acid change time. The scheduling device may include a processor and a memory connected to the processor; the memory is used to store a computer program; the processor is used to call and execute the computer program in the memory to perform the process scheduling method as described in any of the above embodiments.

[0134] As another optional implementation of the disclosure of this application, embodiments of this application also provide a semiconductor process apparatus, such as... Figure 7 As shown, the semiconductor process equipment 100 may include: a scheduling device 101 as described in any of the above embodiments and a controlled module 102; the controlled module 102 may include a plurality of acid process tanks and at least one water process tank.

[0135] For example, multiple acid process tanks may include Tank1, Tank3, Tank4, Tank5 and Tank7, and at least one water process tank may include Tank2, Tank6 and Tank8.

[0136] The scheduling device 101 is configured to update the first scheduling sequence of the execution process path when a conflict occurs between the process time of the acid process tank and the corresponding acid change time, so that when the process object is scheduled based on the updated first scheduling sequence, the acid change time of the acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank are staggered.

[0137] As another optional implementation of the disclosure in this application, another embodiment of this application also proposes a computing device, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 8 As shown, the computing device may include a memory and a processor. The memory stores a computer program, and the processor executes the steps of the process scheduling method according to various embodiments of this specification as described in the above embodiments of this application when executing the computer program.

[0138] The internal structure of the computing device can be as follows: Figure 8 As shown, the computing device includes a processor, memory, network interface, and input devices connected via a system bus. The processor provides computing and control capabilities. The memory includes a non-volatile storage medium and internal memory. The non-volatile storage medium stores an operating system and computer programs. The internal memory provides an environment for the operation of the operating system and computer programs in the non-volatile storage medium. The network interface is used to communicate with external terminals via a network connection. When the computer program is executed by the processor, it follows the steps of the process scheduling method according to various embodiments of this specification as described in the above embodiments.

[0139] The processor may include the main processor, as well as baseband chips, modems, etc.

[0140] The memory stores a program that executes the technical solution of this invention, and may also store an operating system and other critical business functions. Specifically, the program may include program code, which includes computer operation instructions. More specifically, the memory may include read-only memory (ROM), other types of static storage devices capable of storing static information and instructions, random access memory (RAM), other types of dynamic storage devices capable of storing information and instructions, disk storage, flash memory, etc.

[0141] The processor can be a general-purpose processor, such as a general-purpose central processing unit (CPU), a microprocessor, etc., or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits used to control the execution of the program of the present invention. It can also be a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an off-the-shelf programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic devices, discrete gate or transistor logic devices, or discrete hardware components.

[0142] Input devices may include devices that receive data and information input by the user, such as keyboards, mice, cameras, scanners, light pens, voice input devices, touch screens, pedometers, or gravity sensors.

[0143] Output devices may include devices that allow information to be output to the user, such as displays, printers, speakers, etc.

[0144] The communication interface may include any transceiver-like device for communicating with other devices or communication networks, such as Ethernet, Radio Access Network (RAN), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), etc.

[0145] The processor executes programs stored in memory and calls other devices, which can be used to implement various steps of any of the process scheduling methods provided in the above embodiments of this application.

[0146] The computing device may also include a display component and a voice component. The display component may be a liquid crystal display screen or an e-ink display screen. The input device of the computing device may be a touch layer covering the display component, or a button, trackball or touchpad set on the casing of the computing device, or an external keyboard, touchpad or mouse, etc.

[0147] Those skilled in the art will understand that Figure 8 The structures shown are merely block diagrams of some structures related to the solutions in this specification and do not constitute a limitation on the computing devices on which the solutions in this specification are applied. Specific computing devices may include more or fewer components than those shown in the figures, or combine certain components, or have different component arrangements.

[0148] In addition to the methods and devices described above, the process scheduling methods provided in the embodiments of this specification can also be computer program products, which include computer program instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform the steps in the process scheduling methods according to various embodiments of this specification as described in the "Exemplary Methods" section above.

[0149] The computer program product described herein can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​to perform the operations of the embodiments described herein. These programming languages ​​include object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Java and C++, as well as conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as C or similar languages. The program code can be executed entirely on the user's computing device, partially on the user's computing device, as a standalone software package, partially on the user's computing device and partially on a remote computing device, or entirely on a remote computing device or server.

[0150] Furthermore, embodiments of this specification also provide a computer-readable storage medium having a computer program stored thereon, the computer program being executed by a processor of the steps in the process scheduling methods according to various embodiments of this specification as described in the "Exemplary Methods" section above.

[0151] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or part of the processes in the methods of the above embodiments can be implemented by a computer program instructing related hardware. The computer program can be stored in a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium, and when executed, it can include the processes of the embodiments of the methods described above. Any references to memory, storage, databases, or other media used in the embodiments provided in this specification can include non-volatile and / or volatile memory. Non-volatile memory can include read-only memory (ROM), programmable ROM (PROM), electrically programmable ROM (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), or flash memory. Volatile memory can include random access memory (RAM) or external cache memory. By way of illustration and not limitation, RAM is available in various forms, such as static RAM (SRAM), dynamic RAM (DRAM), synchronous DRAM (SDRAM), dual data rate SDRAM (DDRSDRAM), enhanced SDRAM (ESDRAM), synchronous link DRAM (SLDRAM), RAMbus direct RAM (RDRAM), direct memory bus dynamic RAM (DRDRAM), and RAMbus dynamic RAM (RDRAM), etc.

[0152] The technical features of the above embodiments can be combined in any way. For the sake of brevity, not all possible combinations of the technical features in the above embodiments are described. However, as long as there is no contradiction in the combination of these technical features, they should be considered to be within the scope of this specification.

[0153] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods outlined in this specification. While the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the solutions provided in this specification. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this specification, and these all fall within the scope of protection of this specification. Therefore, the scope of protection for this patent should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A scheduling method, characterized in that, Applied to semiconductor process equipment, the semiconductor process equipment including multiple acid process tanks and at least one water process tank; The method includes: Based on a first scheduling sequence of a process object, the existence of a target acid process tank is detected; wherein, the first scheduling sequence includes: the start time of the first scheduling sequence, the scheduling order and scheduling time of each process node in the process path corresponding to the process object, and the scheduling time of the acid process tank includes the acid change time of the acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank; the target acid process tank is the acid process tank in which the process time of the process object in the acid process tank conflicts with the corresponding acid change time. In response to the presence of the target acid process tank, the start time of the first scheduling sequence is delayed by a delay period, so that when the process object is scheduled based on the delayed first scheduling sequence, the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank and the process time of the process object in the acid process tank are staggered. In response to the expiration of the start time with the delay duration, the process object is scheduled based on the updated first scheduling sequence.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The detection of the presence of the target acid process tank includes: Based on the first scheduling sequence, each acid process tank in the process path is detected in turn to confirm whether there is an acid process tank whose process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time. In response to the existence of an acid process tank where the process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time, the existence of the target acid process tank is determined.

3. The method according to claim 2, characterized in that, The confirmation of whether there is an acid process tank where the process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time specifically includes: Based on the first scheduling sequence, if it is determined that the process time of the process object in an acid process tank overlaps at least partially with the acid change time of the acid process tank, then the acid process tank is confirmed to be an acid process tank whose process time conflicts with the corresponding acid change time.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The delay of the start time of the first scheduling sequence by a delay duration in response to the presence of the target acid process tank specifically includes: In response to the existence of the target acid process tank, and based on the first scheduling sequence, it is determined that there is no parallel acid process tank in the process path of the target acid process tank, the start time of the first scheduling sequence is delayed by the delay duration.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, Also includes: In response to the existence of the target acid process tank, and based on the first scheduling sequence, it is determined that there is a parallel acid process tank in the process path that is parallel to the target acid process tank, and whether the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank conflicts with the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank. In response to the fact that the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank is staggered from the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, the first scheduling sequence is updated so that the parallel acid process tank replaces the target process tank and serves as the process node to process the process object.

6. The method according to claim 5, characterized in that, Also includes: In response to a conflict between the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank and the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, the delay time required to make the acid change time and the corresponding process time staggered are calculated respectively, the first scheduling sequence is updated, and the acid process tank with the relatively smaller delay time value is selected as the target acid process tank from the target acid process tank and the parallel acid process tank. The start time delay of the first scheduling sequence is a delay duration, including: The start time delay value of the updated first scheduling sequence is a relatively small delay duration.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: During the scheduling of the process object based on the first scheduling sequence, in response to determining that the acid process tank located after the current process node in the process path and closest to the current process node is the target acid process tank, the first scheduling sequence is updated so that the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank is staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank.

8. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, The step of updating the first scheduling sequence includes: based on the first scheduling sequence and the dwell time constraint of the current process node, if it is determined that, without violating the dwell time constraint, the process time of the process object in the current process node can be extended to make the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank, then the process time of the process object in the first scheduling sequence in the current process node is extended, so that the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank staggers from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank, and the process time of the process object in the current process node satisfies the dwell time constraint of the current process node.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, Updating the first scheduling sequence includes: Based on the first scheduling sequence and the dwell time constraint of the current process node, if it is determined that, without violating the dwell time constraint, it is not possible to extend the process time of the process object in the current process node so that the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank is staggered from the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank, then the acid replacement time of the target acid process tank in the first scheduling sequence will be adjusted to be after the process time of the process object in the target acid process tank.

10. The method according to claim 7, characterized in that, Before updating the first scheduling sequence, the method further includes: Based on the first scheduling sequence, determine whether there is a parallel acid process tank for the target acid process tank in the process path; The step of updating the first scheduling sequence specifically includes: determining that there is no parallel acid process tank with the target acid process tank in the process path, and then updating the first scheduling sequence.

11. The method according to claim 10, characterized in that, Also includes: In response to determining that there is a parallel acid process tank in the process path that is the target acid process tank, it is determined whether the process time of the process object in the parallel acid process tank conflicts with the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank. The step of updating the first scheduling sequence specifically includes: in response to the process time of the process object being processed in the parallel acid process tank being staggered from the acid change time of the parallel acid process tank, the first scheduling sequence is updated so that the parallel acid process tank replaces the target acid process tank as the process node to process the process object.

12. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that, The acid replacement time includes the acid replacement start time and the acid replacement end time; the process time includes the process start time and the process end time. The process time of the process object being processed in an acid process tank overlaps at least partially with the acid changeover time of the acid process tank, specifically including: The end time of the process of the object being processed in the acid process tank is later than the start time of the acid change in the acid process tank, and the end time of the acid change in the acid process tank is later than the start time of the process of the object being processed in the acid process tank.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterized in that, include: Calculate the interval between the acid replacement end time of the target acid process tank and the process end time of the first water process tank, and determine the value of the interval as the minimum value of the delay time; the first water process tank includes the water process tank that is scheduled before the target acid process tank and is closest to the target acid process tank in the process path corresponding to the process object.

14. A scheduling device, characterized in that, include: A processor, and a memory connected to the processor; The memory is used to store computer programs; The processor is used to call and execute the computer program in the memory to perform the process scheduling method as described in any one of claims 1-13.

15. A semiconductor process apparatus, characterized in that, It includes multiple acid process tanks, at least one water process tank, and the scheduling device as described in claim 14.

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