A scheduling method for a uniform gel developing apparatus

Abstract

The application discloses a scheduling method for a uniform glue developing device, relates to the field of semiconductor processing, and comprises a first mechanical arm and a second mechanical arm, defines a processing piece as a piece, and comprises the following steps: S1, detecting the state of the first mechanical arm and the second mechanical arm, and selecting one of the following steps according to the detection result: if there is no piece on the first mechanical arm and the second mechanical arm, entering step S2; if there is a piece on the first mechanical arm and the second mechanical arm, entering step S3; if there is a piece on one of the first mechanical arm and the second mechanical arm, entering step S4; S2, detecting whether there is a piece to be processed in a magazine; the scheduling method for the uniform glue developing device optimizes the scheduling strategy of the mechanical arm, so that all processing units are fully utilized, the emergence of idle units is avoided, the utilization rate of the processing units is obviously improved, and therefore the production efficiency of the whole system is improved.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing, photoresist coating and development are commonly used in the photolithography process. Photolithography is a process that uses a photosensitive resin (also known as photoresist) to define patterns on semiconductor materials. First, a layer of photoresist is applied to the semiconductor surface. Then, a photolithography machine projects light through a mask (also known as a photomask) onto the photoresist. The pattern on the mask determines the structure that will be defined on the semiconductor device. The photoresist coating and development process includes the following steps: 1. Photoresist coating: The photoresist is evenly applied to the semiconductor surface. A spin coater or other coating equipment is typically used to achieve uniform coating. 2. Pre-baking: The photoresist applied to the semiconductor surface is briefly heated to remove solvents and dry quickly. This helps the resin form a uniform film and improves adhesion. 3. Exposure: A photomask is placed over the applied resin, and a photolithography machine exposes the pattern on the mask. During exposure, the machine uses ultraviolet light to illuminate the resin, causing chemical or physical changes in the exposed areas. 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 the unexposed areas. 5. Development: During the development process, a developer is used to remove the uncured glue from the semiconductor surface. The developer selectively dissolves the glue in the unexposed areas while retaining the cured glue in the exposed areas. 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] Traditional scheduling algorithms for coating and developing equipment mainly use resource allocation algorithms, that is, they rationally allocate resources among multiple tasks. However, this algorithm has obvious defects. Specifically, it pushes wafers forward one by one, giving priority to wafers waiting to be taken out of 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 film-spreading 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] 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, wherein a workpiece is defined as a sheet, and the method comprises the following steps:

[0006] S1. Detect the status of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, and select one of the following steps based on the detection results:

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

[0008] If there are slices on both the first and second manipulators, proceed to step S3;

[0009] If there is a piece in one of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, proceed to step S4;

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

[0011] If there are pieces to be processed, the action of taking the pieces 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 based on 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 slices, then check whether there is an idle cell, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result: if an idle cell is detected, execute the action of placing the slices in the hands of the first manipulator and the second manipulator into the idle cell; if no idle cell is detected, return to step S1;

[0016] S4. Check whether there are any free cells and select one of the following steps based on the test result:

[0017] If there is an idle cell, the action of placing the pieces in the first and second manipulators 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 includes step S5, that is, after all scheduling operations are completed, updating and recording status information of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, the material box and the processing unit.

[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] Furthermore, 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 the other piece on the first manipulator and the second manipulator into the idle cell is executed;

[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 slices and there is only one free unit, the action of selecting one of the two slices on the first robot and the second robot in the recipe order and placing it in the free unit is executed, 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 the processing sequence and / or processing parameters of the slices; when executing the slice taking, slice exchanging or slice placing action, selecting the corresponding slice for operation according to the currently executed recipe.

[0029] Compared with the prior art, the scheduling method for a coating and developing device provided by the present invention optimizes the scheduling strategy of the robot arm, 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 giving priority to taking the processed sheets to giving priority to taking the sheets from the magazine, 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 existing technology, the solution of the present invention has improved the time consumed by about 16% and improved 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 following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments described 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 this application provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

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

[0036] Figure 4 The timing diagram of the algorithm tape-out of this application provided by the 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 transporting 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 based on the detection results:

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

[0041] If there are slices on both the first and second manipulators, proceed to step S3;

[0042] If there is a piece in one of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, proceed to step S4;

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

[0044] If there are pieces to be processed, the action of taking the pieces 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 based on 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 slices, then check whether there is an idle cell, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result: if an idle cell is detected, execute the action of placing the slices in the hands of the first manipulator and the second manipulator into the idle cell; if no idle cell is detected, return to step S1;

[0049] S4. Check whether there are any free cells and select one of the following steps based on the test result:

[0050] If there is an idle cell, the action of placing the pieces in the first and second manipulators 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] This scheduling method dynamically adjusts wafer handling and transportation strategies by continuously monitoring the status of the robot and processing units, as well as the number of wafers in the cassette. This approach aims to optimize processing efficiency, improve equipment utilization, and ensure that wafers are processed correctly according to the recipe sequence. This method has important application value in scheduling coating and developing equipment in semiconductor manufacturing.

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

[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 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 no idle unit, and Cond1 = 1 represents there is an idle unit;

[0061] Let Exch represent whether there is a unit in the processing unit waiting to send a piece for exchanging. Exch = 0 represents no waiting unit, and Exch = 1 represents there is a waiting unit.

[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, which 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 taking the wafers in the processing unit waiting to be taken, and then puts them in. 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 for taking 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 idle. As a result, many units are idle, and the processing efficiency of the entire system is very low.

[0071] Table 1 below compares the results of the above algorithm with those of the prior art algorithm when the same recipe and the same robot speed are used to flow 25 wafers:

[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 and place, while at least half of the actions of the solution of the present application are integrated pick and place, which can save the time wasted by the unit in preparing to send the film. This is also reflected in the time consumption of the solution of the present application compared with the previous algorithm, which is about 16% higher. 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 are no wafers 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 perform the wafer taking action. The recipe specifies the processing order and / or processing parameters of the wafers. Therefore, selecting the wafers 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 does not conflict with other wafers in the current processing unit, that is, the processing will not be interrupted due to mismatch of the processing order or parameters.

[0076] In one embodiment of the present invention, in steps S3 and S4, the steps of detecting whether there are idle units and detecting whether there are exchange conditions are executed in parallel, and the corresponding action is executed according to the condition that is satisfied 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 the corresponding action according to the condition that is satisfied 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 further 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 including 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 further includes step S6, i.e., 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 performed. 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 a wafer exchange condition is detected and only one wafer-to-be-delivered unit has the wafer exchange condition, then an action of selecting one of the two wafers on the first manipulator and the second manipulator according to the recipe order is executed to exchange the wafer;

[0080] Check if there are free cells:

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

[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 slices and there is only one free unit, the action of selecting one of the two slices 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.

[0084] Furthermore, the method also includes the following steps: setting and storing at least one recipe, each recipe including the processing sequence and / or processing parameters of the slices; when executing the slice taking, slice exchanging or slice placing action, selecting the corresponding slice 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 for detecting whether there are sheets in the material box and the processing unit, and detecting the type of sheet. 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 the sheet according to the recipe for operation, which can ensure the accuracy and consistency of the processing and improve the 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 to indicate or imply relative importance or implicitly specify the number of the technical features indicated. Therefore, a feature specified as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. "Multiple" means two or more, unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0087] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, the terms "mounted," "connected," "connect," "fixed," etc. should be understood broadly. For example, they may refer to fixed connection, detachable connection, or integration; mechanical connection or electrical connection; direct connection or indirect connection through an intermediate medium; internal communication between two components or interaction between two components. Those skilled in the art will understand the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention based on specific circumstances.

[0088] In the present invention, unless otherwise expressly specified or limited, when a first feature is "above" or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first and second features are in direct contact, or that the first and second features are in indirect contact through an intermediary. Furthermore, when a first feature is "above," "above," or "above" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly above or diagonally above the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a higher level than the second feature. When a first feature is "below," "below," or "below" a second feature, it may mean that the first feature is directly below or diagonally below the second feature, or simply means that the first feature is at a lower level than the second feature.

[0089] In the description of this specification, the reference terms "one embodiment", "some embodiments", "example", "specific example" or "some examples" mean 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 can be combined in any one or more embodiments or examples in a suitable manner. In addition, those skilled in the art can combine and combine different embodiments or examples described in this specification and features of different embodiments or examples without contradiction.

[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. 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 scope of protection 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 includes the following steps: S1. Detect the status of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, and select one of the following steps based on the detection results: If there is no film on the first manipulator and the second manipulator, proceed to step S2; If there are slices on both the first and second manipulators, proceed to step S3; If there is a piece in one of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, proceed to step S4; S2. Check whether there are any pieces to be processed in the material box, and perform one of the following operations based on the test results: If there are pieces to be processed, the action of taking the pieces 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 based on the test result: If there is a condition for exchanging slices, the slice exchange action is executed; If there is no condition for exchanging slices, then check whether there is an idle cell, and select one of the following steps according to the detection result: if an idle cell is detected, execute the action of placing the slices in the hands of the first manipulator and the second manipulator into the idle cell; if no idle cell is detected, return to step S1; S4. Check whether there are any free cells and select one of the following steps based on the test result: If there is an idle cell, the action of placing the pieces in the first and second manipulators 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. The 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. The 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 status information of the first manipulator and the second manipulator, the material box and the processing unit.

5. The scheduling method for a coating and developing device 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 a coating and developing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: 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 executed by selecting one of the two wafers on the first manipulator and the second manipulator in the recipe order; Check if there are free cells: If there is an idle cell, the action of placing the other piece on the first manipulator and the second manipulator into the idle cell is executed; 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 slices and there is only one free unit, the action of selecting one of the two slices 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 a coating and developing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The following steps are also included: At least one recipe is set and stored, each recipe including the processing sequence and / or processing parameters of the slices; when performing the slice taking, slice exchanging or slice placing action, the corresponding slice is selected for operation according to the currently executed recipe.

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