Scheduling method for uniform glue developing equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a scheduling method for uniform glue developing equipment, and relates to the field of semiconductor processing, the scheduling method comprises a first manipulator and a second manipulator, a processing piece is defined as a sheet, and the method comprises the following steps: S1, detecting the states of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, and selecting to enter one of the following steps according to a detection result: if neither the first manipulator nor the second manipulator is provided with a sheet, entering the step S2; if both the first manipulator and the second manipulator have sheets, entering the step S3; if one of the first mechanical arm and the second mechanical arm is provided with a piece, the step S4 is executed; s2, detecting whether a to-be-processed sheet exists in the material box or not; according to the scheduling method for the uniform glue developing equipment, by optimizing the scheduling strategy of the manipulator, all the processing units are fully utilized, the occurrence of idle units is avoided, the utilization rate of the processing units is remarkably improved, and thus the production efficiency of the whole system is improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to semiconductor processing technology, and in particular to a scheduling method for coating and developing equipment. Background Art

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, glue coating and development are often used in photolithography. Photolithography is a process that defines patterns on semiconductor materials through photosensitive glue (also called photoresist). First, a layer of photosensitive glue is applied to the surface of the semiconductor. Then, a photolithography machine is used to project a light source through a mask (also called a photolithography mask) onto the photosensitive glue. The pattern on the photolithography mask determines the structure to be defined on the semiconductor device. The process of glue coating and development includes the following steps: 1. Glue coating: The photosensitive glue is evenly applied to the surface of the semiconductor. A spin coater or other coating equipment is usually used to achieve uniform glue coating. 2. Pre-baking: The glue applied to the surface of the semiconductor is briefly heated to remove the solvent in the glue liquid and make it dry quickly. This helps the glue liquid form a uniform film and improves the adhesion of the glue. 3. Photolithography exposure: The photolithography mask is placed on the coated glue and exposed through the pattern on the mask using a photolithography machine. During exposure, the photolithography machine uses an ultraviolet light source to irradiate the glue liquid, causing it to undergo chemical or physical changes in the exposed area. 4. Post-baking: After exposure, the glue is heated to further solidify the glue and complete the chemical reaction in the photosensitive glue. Post-baking also helps to remove uncured glue in unexposed areas. 5. Development: During the development process, a developer is used to remove uncured glue from the semiconductor surface. The developer selectively dissolves the glue in the unexposed area while retaining the cured glue in the exposed area. 6. Cleaning: After development, the residual developer and uncured glue are removed through a cleaning step. Cleaning can be performed using solvents, chemical liquids or ultrapure water. 7. Using relevant hardware resources to complete the above steps is a functional module of the glue coating and development equipment software. How to prioritize the use of these modules requires the support of scheduling function algorithms.

[0003] The traditional scheduling algorithm for coating and developing equipment mainly adopts the resource allocation algorithm, that is, to reasonably allocate resources among multiple tasks. However, this algorithm has obvious defects. Specifically, it pushes the wafers forward one by one, giving priority to the wafers waiting to be taken out in the processing unit. As more and more wafers are placed in the processing unit, the number of subsequent waiting wafers continues to increase. The robot needs to spend a lot of time pushing the wafers being processed forward, while the time for taking wafers from the material box is relatively reduced. This leads to a decrease in the number of wafers entering the processing unit from the material box, an increase in the number of idle processing units, and a significant reduction in the processing efficiency of the entire system. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide a scheduling method for a coating and developing device to solve the technical problem that the scheduling algorithm in the prior art gives priority to taking the wafers in the unit waiting to be taken in the processing unit, and then puts them away, resulting in that when more and more wafers are put into wafer processing, more and more wafers are pushed back, causing more units to be idle, resulting in low processing efficiency of the entire system.

[0005] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a scheduling method for a coating and developing device, comprising a first manipulator and a second manipulator, defining a workpiece as a sheet, and comprising the following steps:

[0006] S1. Detect the status of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result:

[0007] If there is no film on the first manipulator and the second manipulator, proceed to step S2;

[0008] If there are slices on the first manipulator and the second manipulator, go to step S3;

[0009] If one of the first manipulator and the second manipulator has a film, proceed to step S4;

[0010] S2. Check whether there are any sheets to be processed in the material box, and perform one of the following operations based on the test results:

[0011] If there are sheets to be processed, the sheet taking action from the material box is executed;

[0012] If there is no slice to be processed, the action of taking the slice with the longest waiting time from the processing unit according to the recipe order is executed;

[0013] S3. Check whether there are conditions for exchanging slices, and select one of the following steps according to the test result:

[0014] If there is a condition for exchanging slices, the slice exchange action is executed;

[0015] If there is no condition for exchanging the slice, then check whether there is an idle unit, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result: if an idle unit is detected, the first manipulator and the second manipulator place the slice in their hands in the idle unit; if no idle unit is detected, return to step S1;

[0016] S4. Check whether there are any free cells, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result:

[0017] If there is an idle cell, the action of placing the pieces in the first manipulator and the second manipulator into the idle cell is executed;

[0018] If there is no idle unit, check whether there is a condition for exchanging slices, and perform one of the following operations based on the detection result: if there is a condition for exchanging slices, exchange it with the slice with the longest waiting time according to the recipe requirements; if there is no condition for exchanging slices, execute the action of taking the slice with the longest waiting time from the processing unit according to the recipe order.

[0019] Furthermore, in step S2, if there are no slices to be processed in the material box and there are multiple slices with the longest waiting time, one of the slices is selected according to the recipe order to perform the slice taking action.

[0020] Furthermore, in steps S3 and S4, the steps of detecting whether there are free cells and detecting whether there are exchange conditions are performed in parallel.

[0021] Furthermore, the method further comprises step S5, namely, updating and recording status information of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, the material box and the processing unit after completing all scheduling operations.

[0022] Furthermore, the method further includes step S6, that is, before executing the operation of taking, exchanging or placing the film in step S2, S3 or S4, verifying the status of the first manipulator and the second manipulator.

[0023] Further, in step S3, if a wafer exchange condition is detected, and only one wafer-to-be-delivered unit has the wafer exchange condition, then the wafer exchange action is performed by selecting one of the two wafers on the first manipulator and the second manipulator in the recipe order;

[0024] Check if there are free cells:

[0025] If there is an idle cell, the action of placing another piece on the first manipulator and the second manipulator into the idle cell is performed;

[0026] If there is no free unit, return to step S1.

[0027] Furthermore, in step S3, if it is detected that there is no condition for exchanging sheets and there is only one free unit, the action of selecting one of the two sheets on the first robot and the second robot and placing it in the free unit is executed according to the recipe order, and then returning to step S1.

[0028] Furthermore, the method also includes the following steps: setting and storing at least one recipe, each recipe including a processing sequence and / or processing parameters of a sheet; when performing a sheet taking, sheet exchanging or sheet placing action, selecting a corresponding sheet for operation according to the currently executed recipe.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the scheduling method for the coating and developing equipment provided by the present invention optimizes the scheduling strategy of the manipulator, so that all processing units are fully utilized, the occurrence of idle units is avoided, and the utilization rate of the processing units is significantly improved, thereby improving the production efficiency of the entire system;

[0030] Effectively improve the ratio of sheet exchange. Sheet exchange can combine two actions into one action, reducing the time for unit preparation and loading. The sheet pushing method is changed from taking the processed sheets first to taking the sheets from the material box first, which can effectively avoid the idleness of the unit.

[0031] The scheduling method of the present invention significantly reduces the time consumed in wafer processing by reducing the ineffective movement and waiting time of the robot. Compared with the prior art, the solution of the present invention improves the time consumed by about 16% and improves the synchronous processing rate. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments recorded in the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can also be obtained based on these drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 A schematic flow chart of a scheduling method for a coating and developing device provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the algorithm flow of the present application provided for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 3 A timing diagram of an algorithm tape-out in the prior art provided for an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 4 A timing diagram of the algorithm tape-out of the present application provided for an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0037] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the technical solution of the present invention, the present invention will be further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0038] See also Figures 1 to 4 A scheduling method for a coating and developing device includes a first manipulator and a second manipulator for carrying and processing a workpiece, wherein the workpiece is defined as a sheet and the workpiece is defined as a wafer, and includes the following steps:

[0039] S1. Detect the status of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result:

[0040] If there is no film on the first manipulator and the second manipulator, proceed to step S2;

[0041] If there are slices on the first manipulator and the second manipulator, go to step S3;

[0042] If one of the first manipulator and the second manipulator has a film, proceed to step S4;

[0043] S2. Check whether there are any sheets to be processed in the material box, and perform one of the following operations based on the test results:

[0044] If there are sheets to be processed, the sheet taking action from the material box is executed;

[0045] If there is no slice to be processed, the action of taking the slice with the longest waiting time from the processing unit according to the recipe order is executed;

[0046] S3. Check whether there are conditions for exchanging slices, and select one of the following steps according to the test result:

[0047] If there is a condition for exchanging slices, the slice exchange action is executed;

[0048] If there is no condition for exchanging the slice, then check whether there is an idle unit, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result: if an idle unit is detected, the first manipulator and the second manipulator place the slice in their hands in the idle unit; if no idle unit is detected, return to step S1;

[0049] S4. Check whether there are any free cells, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result:

[0050] If there is an idle cell, the action of placing the pieces in the first manipulator and the second manipulator into the idle cell is executed;

[0051] If there is no idle unit, check whether there is a condition for exchanging slices, and perform one of the following operations based on the detection result: if there is a condition for exchanging slices, exchange it with the slice with the longest waiting time according to the recipe requirements; if there is no condition for exchanging slices, execute the action of taking the slice with the longest waiting time from the processing unit according to the recipe order.

[0052] The above scheduling method dynamically adjusts the processing and handling strategies of the wafers (wafers) by continuously detecting the status of the manipulator and the processing unit, as well as the number of wafers (wafers) in the material box, aiming to optimize the processing efficiency, improve the equipment utilization rate, and ensure that the wafers (wafers) are processed correctly according to the recipe sequence. This method has important application value in the scheduling of coating and developing equipment in semiconductor manufacturing;

[0053] By optimizing the scheduling strategy of the robot, all processing units can be fully utilized, avoiding the occurrence of idle units, significantly improving the utilization rate of processing units, and thus improving the production efficiency of the entire system.

[0054] The above method can be implemented using the following algorithm:

[0055] 1. Variable definition:

[0056] Let a1 and a2 represent whether there are pieces in the two hands. a1 = 0 represents no piece, and a2 = 1 represents there is a piece;

[0057] Let Act1 represent the action of taking a piece from the magazine, and Act2 represent the action of taking a piece from the processing unit;

[0058] Let Act3 represent the action of exchanging pieces, and Act4 represent the action of placing a piece in the idle unit;

[0059] Let Cond0 represent whether there is a piece in the magazine. Cond0 = 0 represents there is no piece in the magazine, and Cond0 = 1 represents there is a piece in the magazine;

[0060] Let Cond1 represent whether there is an idle unit. Cond1 = 0 represents there is no idle unit, and Cond1 = 1 represents there is an idle unit;

[0061] Let Exch represent whether there is a unit to be sent for exchanging pieces available in the processing unit. Exch = 0 represents there is no unit to be sent, and Exch = 1 represents there is a unit to be sent.

[0062] 2. Refer to Figure 2 , the logic of this algorithm can be expressed by the following seven logical calculation formulas:

[0063] ⑴ Act1 = ((a1 + a2 = 0) and Cond0 = 1);

[0064] ⑵ Act2 = ((a1 + a2 = 0) and Cond0 = 0);

[0065] ⑶ Act3 = ((a1 * a2 = 0 and a1 + a2 > 0) and Exch = 1 and Cond1 = 0);

[0066] ⑷ Act2 = ((a1 * a2 = 0 and a1 + a2 > 0) and Exch = 0 and Cond1 = 0);

[0067] ⑸ Act4 = ((a1 * a2 = 0 and a1 + a2 > 0) and Cond1 = 1);

[0068] ⑹ Act3 = (a1 * a2 = 1 and Exch = 1);

[0069] ⑺ Act4 = (a1 * a2 = 1 and Exch = 0 and Cond = 1).

[0070] The scheduling algorithm in the prior art adopts a resource allocation algorithm, that is, it is used to reasonably allocate resources among multiple tasks. With the miniaturization of semiconductor processes and the requirements of production capacity, equipment needs to be fully upgraded to meet the growing demand. The existing scheduling algorithm pushes the wafers forward one by one, that is, it gives priority to the wafers in the unit waiting to be taken in the processing unit, and then puts them. The result is that when more and more wafers are put into wafer processing, more and more wafers are pushed back. The robot has to spend most of its time pushing the wafers being processed forward, and the time to take wafers from the material box is getting less and less. As a result, fewer and fewer wafers come in from the material box, and more and more idle units are also available. As a result, many units are idle, and the processing efficiency of the entire system is very low.

[0071] Table 1 below compares the operation results of the above algorithm with those of the prior art algorithm under the same recipe and the same robot operation speed conditions when 25 wafers are flowed:

[0072]

[0073] Table 1

[0074] Refer to the table above and Figure 3 and Figure 4 It can be seen that most of the actions of the algorithms in the prior art are single pick-up and single placement, while at least half of the actions of the solution of the present application are integrated pick-up and placement, which can save the time wasted by the unit in preparing to send the film. This is also reflected in the time consumption. The solution of the present application is about 16% higher than the previous algorithm. In terms of unit utilization, the solution of the present application makes use of all units and can improve the synchronous processing rate, which is about 10% higher than the algorithm in the prior art.

[0075] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step S2, if there is no wafer to be processed in the material box and there are multiple wafers with the longest waiting time, one of the wafers is selected according to the recipe order to take the wafer. The recipe specifies the processing order and / or processing parameters of the wafer. Therefore, selecting the wafer according to the recipe order can ensure the continuity and accuracy of the processing. When selecting the wafer, it is necessary to ensure that the selected wafer has no conflict with other wafers in the current processing unit, that is, the processing will not be interrupted due to mismatch of processing order or parameters.

[0076] In one embodiment of the present invention, in steps S3 and S4, the steps of detecting whether there are free units and detecting whether there are exchange conditions are executed in parallel, and the corresponding actions are executed according to the conditions that are met first. Parallel execution can shorten the time of the entire scheduling process because the system can detect multiple conditions at the same time and execute corresponding actions according to the conditions that are met first. Through parallel execution, the system can more effectively utilize the resources of the robot and processing unit and avoid unnecessary waiting and idleness.

[0077] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method also includes step S5, that is, after completing all scheduling operations, updating and recording status information of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, the material box and the processing unit, the status information includes the current position of the manipulator, the number of sheets (wafers) in the material box, the occupancy status of the processing unit, etc. This information is crucial for subsequent scheduling decisions. Recording the status information can facilitate subsequent data analysis and troubleshooting, and provide a basis for system optimization and improvement.

[0078] In one embodiment of the present invention, the method also includes step S6, that is, before executing the film taking, film exchanging or film placing operation of step S2, S3 or S4, the status of the first manipulator and the second manipulator is verified to ensure that they are in a state where the operation can be executed. Through the status verification, possible faults or abnormalities of the manipulator can be discovered in advance, thereby avoiding accidents during the operation. The status verification can ensure that the manipulator will not collide with other equipment or personnel during operation, thereby improving the safety of the entire system.

[0079] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step S3, if it is detected that there is a condition for exchanging sheets, and only one sheet-to-be-sent unit has the condition for exchanging sheets, then the sheet-exchanging action is performed by selecting one of the two sheets on the first manipulator and the second manipulator in the order of the recipe;

[0080] Check if there are free cells:

[0081] If there is an idle cell, the action of placing another piece on the first manipulator and the second manipulator into the idle cell is performed;

[0082] If there is no free unit, return to step S1.

[0083] In one embodiment of the present invention, in step S3, if it is detected that there is no condition for exchanging sheets and there is only one free unit, the action of selecting one of the two sheets on the first manipulator and the second manipulator and placing it in the free unit is executed according to the recipe order, and then returning to step S1.

[0084] Furthermore, the method also includes the following steps: setting and storing at least one recipe, each recipe including a processing sequence and / or processing parameters of a sheet; when performing a sheet taking, sheet exchanging or sheet placing action, selecting a corresponding sheet for operation according to the currently executed recipe.

[0085] A coating and developing device is also proposed. The device adopts the above-mentioned scheduling method for coating and developing equipment, including a sensor, which is used to detect whether there are sheets in the material box and the processing unit, and to detect the type of sheets. By setting and storing multiple recipes, it can adapt to different processing needs and process requirements, improve the flexibility and scalability of the system, and select sheets according to the recipe for operation, which can ensure the accuracy and consistency of processing and improve product quality.

[0086] In the description of the present invention, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number of the indicated technical features. Therefore, the features defined as "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. "Multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise clearly and specifically defined.

[0087] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0088] In the present invention, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, a first feature being "above" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediate medium. Moreover, a first feature being "above", "above" or "above" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly above or obliquely above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is higher in level than the second feature. A first feature being "below", "below" or "below" a second feature may mean that the first feature is directly below or obliquely below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is lower in level than the second feature.

[0089] In the description of this specification, the description with reference to the terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" etc. means that the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described in conjunction with the embodiment or example are included in at least one embodiment or example of the present invention. In this specification, the schematic representations of the above terms do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment or example. Moreover, the specific features, structures, materials or characteristics described may be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art may combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of the different embodiments or examples, unless they are contradictory.

[0090] In the drawings of the embodiments disclosed in the present invention, only the structures related to the embodiments disclosed in the present invention are involved, and other structures can refer to the general design. In the absence of conflict, the same embodiment and different embodiments of the present invention can be combined with each other.

[0091] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the aforementioned embodiments, it is still possible for those skilled in the art to modify the technical solutions described in the aforementioned embodiments, or to make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features therein. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc. made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A scheduling method for a coating and developing device, comprising a first manipulator and a second manipulator, characterized in that: The workpiece is defined as a sheet, and the method comprises the following steps: S1. Detect the status of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result: If there is no film on the first manipulator and the second manipulator, proceed to step S2; If there are films on both the first manipulator and the second manipulator, proceed to step S3; If one of the first manipulator and the second manipulator has a film, proceed to step S4; S2. Check whether there are any sheets to be processed in the material box, and perform one of the following operations based on the test results: If there are sheets to be processed, the sheet taking action from the material box is executed; If there is no slice to be processed, the action of taking the slice with the longest waiting time from the processing unit according to the recipe order is executed; S3. Check whether there are conditions for exchanging slices, and select one of the following steps according to the test result: If there is a condition for exchanging slices, the slice exchange action is executed; If there is no condition for exchanging the slice, then check whether there is an idle unit, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result: if an idle unit is detected, the first manipulator and the second manipulator place the slice in their hands in the idle unit; if no idle unit is detected, return to step S1; S4. Check whether there are any free cells, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result: If there is an idle cell, the action of placing the pieces in the first manipulator and the second manipulator into the idle cell is executed; If there is no idle unit, check whether there is a condition for exchanging slices, and perform one of the following operations based on the detection result: if there is a condition for exchanging slices, exchange it with the slice with the longest waiting time according to the recipe requirements; if there is no condition for exchanging slices, execute the action of taking the slice with the longest waiting time from the processing unit according to the recipe order.

2. A scheduling method for a coating and developing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S2, if there are no slices to be processed in the material box and there are multiple slices with the longest waiting time, one of the slices is selected according to the recipe order to perform the slice taking action.

3. A scheduling method for a coating and developing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: In steps S3 and S4, the steps of detecting whether there are free cells and detecting whether there are exchange conditions are performed in parallel.

4. The scheduling method for a coating and developing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further includes step S5, that is, after all scheduling operations are completed, updating and recording the status information of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, the material box and the processing unit.

5. The scheduling method for coating and developing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The method further includes step S6, that is, before executing the operation of taking, exchanging or placing the film in step S2, S3 or S4, verifying the status of the first manipulator and the second manipulator.

6. The scheduling method for coating and developing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S3, if it is detected that there is a condition for exchanging sheets, and only one sheet-to-be-sent unit has the condition for exchanging sheets, then the sheet-exchanging action is performed by selecting one of the two sheets in the first manipulator and the second manipulator in the order of the recipe; Check if there are free cells: If there is an idle cell, the action of placing another piece on the first manipulator and the second manipulator into the idle cell is performed; If there is no free unit, return to step S1.

7. The scheduling method for a coating and developing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: In step S3, if it is detected that there is no condition for exchanging sheets and there is only one free unit, the action of selecting one of the two sheets on the first robot and the second robot and placing it in the free unit is executed according to the recipe order, and then returning to step S1.

8. The scheduling method for coating and developing equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The following steps are also included: At least one recipe is set and stored, each recipe including a processing sequence and / or processing parameters of a sheet; when performing a sheet taking, sheet exchanging or sheet placing action, a corresponding sheet is selected for operation according to the currently executed recipe.

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