Semiconductor device, and temperature monitoring system and temperature control method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses semiconductor equipment, and a temperature monitoring system and a temperature control method thereof. The semiconductor equipment comprises a transmission module, an atmosphere vacuum load module and an atmosphere transmission module, and a first temperature sensor is arranged in each module; the controller is configured to obtain the initial temperature of the wafer sent into the current module through the first temperature sensor in any module; judging whether the temperature on the wafer completes heat conduction or not based on the initial temperature; in response to completion of heat conduction, judging whether the current temperature of the wafer accords with the transmission temperature of the next module; and sending the wafer to the next module in response to the condition that the current temperature accords with the transmission temperature of the next module. On one hand, wafer transmission scheduling can be carried out according to the wafer temperature of each position of the machine table in the transmission process, the consistency of the starting temperature and the ending temperature of the wafer at each position of the machine table is guaranteed, so that the transmission process is optimized, the steady state of the wafer environment is achieved, and on the other hand, the productivity of the machine table can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing, and in particular to a temperature monitoring system for semiconductor equipment, a semiconductor equipment, a temperature control method for semiconductor equipment, and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] Semiconductor equipment includes a vacuum process module (PM), a vacuum transfer module (TM), a vacuum atmosphere conversion load lock (LL) and an equipment front end module (EFEM), which can also be called an atmospheric transmission module. The wafer is processed by the vacuum process module, and the wafer usually has a higher temperature after processing.

[0003] As the processed wafer is transferred from the vacuum process module to the atmosphere, the wafer temperature gradually decreases, but it is still easy to encounter the following situations and cause a series of process problems. For example, when the machine capacity is high, the transmission time is usually short, so when the wafer is transferred to the EFEM, it may still have a high temperature. The atmospheric manipulator inside the EFEM usually uses polymer materials. If the wafer temperature is high, it is easy to cause the wafer contact material to deform, thereby generating a particle size source, and even affecting the wafer transmission, triggering an alarm. For another example, when semiconductor equipment is subjected to some special process processing, such as depositing metal films, etc. Since metal thin films and other processes are easily oxidized at high temperatures, the resistivity changes, affecting the process results. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that the temperature of the wafer is reduced to below a certain temperature before it is transferred to the EFEM. Even for special cases, the time and temperature of each step need to be strictly controlled to ensure that the wafers processed in batches can perform consistently and meet the process requirements.

[0004] In addition, semiconductor equipment usually includes multiple PMs, and different PMs have different process conditions, so the temperature of the processed wafers sent out by each PM is usually different. Even if the process conditions are the same, the temperature of each wafer may be different due to other environmental factors, and there is a certain temperature fluctuation. Therefore, in equipment without temperature monitoring, the cooling time is usually set to a fixed value, which is the longest cooling time required for the wafer to cool to the transfer temperature. Therefore, it is usually necessary to maximize the cooling time to ensure that the temperature of each wafer can be effectively reduced to below the tolerable target temperature. For example, a cooling plate can be added to the LL, the wafer can be kept on the cooling plate, and the temperature can be taken away by the circulating cooling water on the plate. For another example, the wafer in the EFEM can be kept in the cooling buffer, and the temperature can be reduced by circulating gas in the EFEM. However, these methods all use the system to achieve fixed-time cooling, and the cooling time is usually long, and then the wafer is transferred, which greatly reduces the production capacity of the machine.

[0005] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art, the art urgently needs a temperature control technology for semiconductor equipment. On the one hand, it can perform wafer transmission scheduling according to the wafer temperature at various positions of the machine during the transmission process to ensure the consistency of the starting and ending temperatures of the wafer at various locations of the machine, thereby optimizing the transmission process and achieving a steady state of the wafer environment. On the other hand, it can also obtain the wafer temperature in real time so that the wafer can be transmitted when the transmission temperature is met, thereby improving the machine production capacity. Summary of the invention

[0006] A brief summary of one or more aspects is given below to provide a basic understanding of these aspects. This summary is not an exhaustive overview of all conceived aspects, and is neither intended to identify the key or decisive elements of all aspects nor to define the scope of any or all aspects. Its only purpose is to give some concepts of one or more aspects in a simplified form as a prelude to a more detailed description that will be given later.

[0007] In order to overcome the above-mentioned defects in the prior art, the present invention provides a temperature monitoring system for semiconductor equipment, a semiconductor equipment, a temperature control method for semiconductor equipment, and a computer-readable storage medium. On the one hand, during the transmission process, wafer transmission scheduling can be performed according to the wafer temperature at various positions of the machine to ensure the consistency of the starting and ending temperatures of the wafer at various locations of the machine, thereby optimizing the transmission process and achieving a steady state of the wafer environment. On the other hand, the wafer temperature can be obtained in real time so that the wafer can be transmitted when the transmission temperature is met, thereby improving the machine production capacity.

[0008] Specifically, according to the temperature monitoring system of the above-mentioned semiconductor device provided by the first aspect of the present invention, the semiconductor device includes a transmission module, an atmospheric vacuum load module, and an atmospheric transmission module, and each module is provided with a first temperature sensor; and a controller, which is configured to: obtain the initial temperature of the wafer sent into the current module via the first temperature sensor in any of the modules; based on the initial temperature, determine whether the temperature on the wafer completes heat conduction; in response to the completion of heat conduction, determine whether the current temperature of the wafer meets the transmission temperature of the next module; and in response to the current temperature meeting the transmission temperature of the next module, send the wafer to the next module.

[0009] Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the first temperature sensor is a contact sensor, and the step of judging whether the temperature on the wafer has completed heat conduction based on the initial temperature includes: the first temperature sensor contacts the wafer to obtain the initial temperature of the wafer; obtains the measured temperatures of multiple wafers at intervals of a preset time period; and in response to the measured temperature of the next time period being the same as the measured temperature of the previous time period, judging whether the temperature on the wafer has completed heat conduction based on the temperature slope of the wafer.

[0010] Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, in response to the measured temperature of the next time period being the same as the measured temperature of the previous time period, the step of judging whether the temperature on the wafer has completed heat conduction via the temperature slope of the wafer includes: acquiring the temperature slope of the wafer based on the measured temperature of the next time period and the measured temperature of the previous time period, wherein the formula of the temperature slope is as follows: T x represents the measured temperature of the next time period, T y represents the measured temperature of the previous time period, t represents the interval time period, and k' represents the slope threshold; and in response to the temperature slope being less than the slope threshold, it is determined that the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor reaches thermal equilibrium with the temperature on the wafer, thereby completing the heat conduction.

[0011] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the first temperature sensor is a thermocouple temperature sensor, wherein the thermocouple temperature sensor in the transmission module is located at the clamping end of the vacuum manipulator, the thermocouple temperature sensor in the atmospheric transmission module is located at the clamping end of the atmospheric manipulator, and the thermocouple temperature sensor in the atmospheric vacuum load module is located at the supporting surface of the support frame.

[0012] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the transmission module and / or the atmospheric vacuum load module further includes a second temperature sensor, and the second temperature sensor is a non-contact sensor.

[0013] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, before the step of obtaining the initial temperature of the wafer sent into the current module via the first temperature sensor in any of the modules, the following steps are also included: in response to the current module being the transmission module or the atmospheric vacuum load module, obtaining the first temperature of the wafer sent into the current module via the second temperature sensor; in response to the first temperature meeting the safety temperature of the machine, sending the wafer into the next module; and in response to the first temperature not meeting the safety temperature of the machine, turning on the first temperature sensor in the current module to contact the wafer and obtain the initial temperature of the wafer.

[0014] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, the second temperature sensor is an infrared temperature sensor, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is disposed on an upper cover plate within the transmission module and / or the atmospheric vacuum load module.

[0015] Furthermore, in some embodiments of the present invention, before the step of sending the wafer into the next module in response to the current temperature meeting the transmission temperature of the next module, the step also includes the following steps: adjusting the airflow volume and / or exhaust air flow rate and / or fan power in the current module to cool the wafer so that the current temperature meets the transmission temperature of the next module.

[0016] Further, in some embodiments of the present invention, the step of adjusting the airflow volume and / or exhaust gas flow rate and / or fan power in the current module to cool the wafer so that the current temperature meets the transmission temperature of the next module includes: in response to the current module being a transmission module, at least increasing the airflow volume in the transmission module to cool the wafer; or in response to the current module being an atmospheric vacuum load module, at least reducing the exhaust gas flow rate in the atmospheric vacuum load module to cool the wafer; or in response to the current module being an atmospheric transmission module, at least increasing the fan power in the atmospheric transmission module to cool the wafer.

[0017] In addition, the semiconductor device provided according to the second aspect of the present invention includes: a process module, which is used for process processing; a transfer module, which is provided with a vacuum manipulator for transferring wafers between the process module and the atmospheric vacuum load module; the atmospheric vacuum load module is a transfer chamber for atmospheric environment and vacuum environment, which is used to switch between atmospheric state and vacuum state; an atmospheric transmission module, which is provided with an atmospheric manipulator for transferring wafers between the atmospheric vacuum load module and the front-end transfer box; and the temperature monitoring system of the semiconductor device provided by the first aspect of the present invention, which is used to send wafers that meet the transmission temperature of the next module into the next module.

[0018] In addition, the temperature control method of the above-mentioned semiconductor equipment provided according to the third aspect of the present invention includes the following steps: obtaining the initial temperature of the wafer sent into the current module via the first temperature sensor in any module; judging whether the temperature on the wafer has completed heat conduction based on the initial temperature; judging whether the current temperature of the wafer meets the transmission temperature of the next module in response to the completion of heat conduction; and sending the wafer to the next module in response to the current temperature meeting the transmission temperature of the next module.

[0019] In addition, according to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is also provided a computer-readable storage medium on which computer instructions are stored. When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the temperature control method of the semiconductor device provided by the third aspect of the present invention is implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] The above features and advantages of the present invention can be better understood after reading the detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure in conjunction with the following drawings. In the drawings, the components are not necessarily drawn to scale, and components with similar related properties or features may have the same or similar reference numerals.

[0021] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0022] Figure 2A A schematic structural diagram of a clamping end of a manipulator in a temperature monitoring system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0023] Figure 2B A schematic structural diagram of an atmospheric vacuum load module in a temperature monitoring system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0024] Figure 2C A schematic diagram showing the structure of a cooling buffer zone in an atmospheric transmission module provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 3A A schematic diagram of the structure in an atmospheric vacuum load module provided in some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 3B A schematic diagram of the structure in a transmission module provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0027] Figure 4 A flow chart showing a temperature control method of a semiconductor device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown;

[0028] Figure 5 A flow chart showing a temperature control method of a semiconductor device provided according to some other embodiments of the present invention; and

[0029] Figure 6 The figure shows a change curve of the wafer temperature measured by the first temperature sensor in the atmospheric vacuum load module provided according to some embodiments of the present invention.

[0030] Reference numerals:

[0031] 100 semiconductor equipment;

[0032] 110 process module;

[0033] 120 transmission module;

[0034] 121 Vacuum manipulator;

[0035] 130 atmospheric vacuum load module;

[0036] 131 slots;

[0037] 132, 210 support frame;

[0038] 140 atmospheric transmission module;

[0039] 141 cooling buffer;

[0040] 142 Atmospheric Manipulator;

[0041] 150 front end transfer box;

[0042] 122 clamping end;

[0043] 124, 133, 220 first temperature sensor;

[0044] 125, 134 wire slots;

[0045] 200 wafers;

[0046] 310, 330 upper cover;

[0047] 320, 340 second temperature sensor;

[0048] Steps S410 to S440;

[0049] Steps S411 to S413; and

[0050] Steps S421~S424, S431. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0051] The following specific embodiments illustrate the implementation of the present invention, and those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the contents disclosed in this specification. Although the description of the present invention will be introduced in conjunction with the preferred embodiment, this does not mean that the features of this invention are limited to this implementation. On the contrary, the purpose of introducing the invention in conjunction with the implementation is to cover other options or modifications that may be extended based on the claims of the present invention. In order to provide a deep understanding of the present invention, the following description will include many specific details. The present invention can also be implemented without using these details. In addition, in order to avoid confusion or blurring the focus of the present invention, some specific details will be omitted in the description.

[0052] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" 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 it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, or it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0053] In addition, the terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "top", "bottom", "horizontal" and "vertical" used in the following description should be understood as the directions shown in the paragraph and the related drawings. Such relative terms are only used for the convenience of description and do not mean that the device described therein must be manufactured or operated in a specific direction, and therefore should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0054] It is understood that although the terms "first", "second", "third", etc. may be used herein to describe various components, regions, layers and / or parts, these components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms, and these terms are only used to distinguish different components, regions, layers and / or parts. Therefore, the first component, region, layer and / or part discussed below may be referred to as a second component, region, layer and / or part without departing from some embodiments of the present invention.

[0055] As mentioned above, as the processed wafers are transferred from the vacuum process module to the atmosphere, although the wafer temperature gradually decreases, it is still easy to encounter the following situations and cause a series of process problems. In addition, in equipment without temperature monitoring, the cooling time is usually set to a fixed value. This fixed value is the longest cooling time required for the wafer to cool to a transfer temperature, which greatly reduces the production capacity of the machine.

[0056] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems existing in the prior art, the present invention provides a temperature monitoring system for semiconductor equipment, a semiconductor equipment, a temperature control method for semiconductor equipment, and a computer-readable storage medium. On the one hand, during the transmission process, wafer transmission scheduling can be performed according to the wafer temperature at various positions of the machine to ensure the consistency of the starting and ending temperatures of the wafer at various locations of the machine, thereby optimizing the transmission process and achieving a steady state of the wafer environment. On the other hand, the wafer temperature can be obtained in real time so that the wafer can be transmitted when the transmission temperature is met, thereby improving the machine production capacity.

[0057] In some non-limiting embodiments, the temperature monitoring system of the conductor device provided in the first aspect of the present invention can be configured in the semiconductor device provided in the second aspect of the present invention, and used to implement the temperature control method of the conductor device provided in the third aspect of the present invention.

[0058] Specifically, in some non-limiting embodiments, the computer-readable storage medium provided in the fourth aspect of the present invention stores computer instructions, which, when executed by a processor, can be used to implement the temperature control method of the semiconductor device provided in the third aspect of the present invention.

[0059] The following will describe the working principle of the temperature monitoring system of the above-mentioned conductor equipment in combination with some semiconductor devices and embodiments of the temperature control method of the conductor equipment. Those skilled in the art will understand that these embodiments of the semiconductor devices and the temperature control method of the conductor equipment are only some non-limiting implementation methods provided by the present invention, which are intended to clearly demonstrate the main concept of the present invention and provide some specific solutions that are convenient for the public to implement, rather than to limit all working modes or all functions of the temperature monitoring system of the conductor equipment. Similarly, the temperature monitoring system of the conductor equipment is also only a non-limiting implementation method provided by the present invention, and does not constitute a limitation on other configuration objects in these semiconductor devices and the implementation subjects of each step in the temperature control method of the conductor equipment.

[0060] Please see Figure 1 , Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of a semiconductor device provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0061] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the semiconductor equipment may include a process module 110 (PM), a transfer module 120 (TM), an atmospheric vacuum load module 130 (LL), an atmospheric transmission module 140 (EFEM), and a temperature monitoring system ( Figure 1 not shown).

[0062] Specifically, the interior of the process module 110 can be used for process processing. The interior of the transfer module 120 is provided with a vacuum robot 121, which can be used to transfer the wafer between the process module 110 and the atmospheric vacuum load module 130. The vacuum robot 121 is usually made of ceramic materials, such as Al 2 O 3 , TiO 2 Etc., and the whole body is. The atmospheric vacuum load module 130 serves as a transfer chamber between the atmospheric environment and the vacuum environment, and can be used to frequently switch between the atmospheric state and the vacuum state. An atmospheric manipulator 142 is provided inside the atmospheric transmission module 140, which can be used to transfer the wafer between the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 and the front-end transfer box 150. The atmospheric manipulator 142 can clamp the wafer by vacuum adsorption and clamping friction, and the position in contact with the wafer usually adopts a high molecular polymer, such as polyetheretherketone (PEEK), etc., and a ceramic material can also be used.

[0063] like Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the front-end transport box 150 can use an open wafer transport box (FrontOpening Unified Pod, FOUP) as a container used to protect, transport, and store wafers in the semiconductor process. The wafers in the front-end transport box 150 can be transferred to the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 by the atmospheric transmission module 140. Then, the vacuum robot 121 in the transmission module 120 transfers the wafers from the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 to the vacuum process module 110 for process treatment. In addition, after the wafers are processed, they can be gradually transferred from the process module 110 back to the front-end transport box 150 on the atmospheric transmission module 140.

[0064] In order to realize the function of real-time transmission according to the wafer temperature during the wafer transmission process, a temperature monitoring system can be added to the semiconductor device 100 to perform real-time monitoring of the wafer temperature on each module so as to send the wafer that meets the transmission temperature of the next module to the next module.

[0065] Specifically, in some embodiments, the temperature monitoring system may include a plurality of first temperature sensors and a controller. The first temperature sensors may be disposed in each of the above modules. The controller may be connected to the first temperature sensors in each module and may be configured to implement a temperature control method for a semiconductor device.

[0066] Further, the first temperature sensor may be a contact sensor. Optionally, the first temperature sensor may be a thermocouple temperature sensor.

[0067] Please see Figure 2A , Figure 2AA schematic diagram of the structure of a clamping end of a manipulator in a temperature monitoring system provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown. Figure 1 and Figure 2A As shown, in the transmission module 120, the first temperature sensor 124 of the thermocouple can be arranged at the clamping end 122 of the vacuum manipulator 121. The clamping end 122 can include multiple first temperature sensors 124 to improve the accuracy of measuring temperature. Similarly, in the atmospheric transmission module 140, the first temperature sensor of the thermocouple can be arranged at the clamping end of the atmospheric manipulator 142.

[0068] Please see Figure 2B , Figure 2B FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of an atmospheric vacuum load module in a temperature monitoring system provided in some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2B As shown, in the atmospheric vacuum load module 130, a plurality of slots 131 (for example, 2) may be included, and each slot 131 may include a support frame 132 fixed inside the slot 131 for storing wafers in one or more layers. The atmospheric manipulator 142 or the vacuum manipulator 121 transfers the wafers to the slot 131, and the wafer picking and placing action is realized through the lifting and lowering operation of the manipulator. Figure 2B As shown in the partially enlarged view I in FIG. 1 , the first temperature sensor 133 of the thermocouple can be arranged on the supporting surface of the supporting frame 132 that contacts the wafer.

[0069] Furthermore, if Figure 1 As shown, the atmospheric transmission module 140 may also include a cooling buffer zone 141 for specifically cooling the processed wafers transferred out of the process module 110 .

[0070] Please see Figure 2C , Figure 2C FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the structure of a cooling buffer zone in an atmospheric transmission module according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2C As shown, in the atmospheric transmission module 140, a support frame 210 may be included for storing wafers 200 in one or more layers. A first temperature sensor 220 of a thermocouple may be disposed on a support surface of the support frame 210 that contacts the wafer 200.

[0071] The first temperature sensors at the above-mentioned respective positions can report the collected temperature data to the controller, wherein the reporting period can be set within the range of 100ms to 1s according to the cooling capacity, production capacity and data processing conditions of the machine.

[0072] As mentioned above Figure 2A , 2BAs shown in FIG. 2C , a temperature monitoring device is added to the wafer receiving position in each module in the semiconductor device 100, wherein the wafer receiving position may include the wafer receiving position in the cooling buffer 141 of the atmospheric transmission module 140, the wafer receiving position in the atmospheric vacuum load module 130, and the wafer receiving position of the vacuum manipulator 121 in the transmission module 120 and the atmospheric manipulator 142 in the atmospheric transmission module 140. The temperature monitoring device may include a cable and a first temperature sensor. The cable may be placed in a wire groove designed inside the component, such as Figure 2A The wire slot 125 in Figure 2B The wire slot 134 in the Figure 2C The first temperature sensor is a contact thermocouple, which can measure the wafer temperature by contacting the wafer, and report the data to the host computer (such as a controller) through the communication module for data collection, storage and analysis. Wafer transmission scheduling is performed based on the wafer temperature at each position during the transmission process, which can improve the production capacity of the machine.

[0073] Optionally, in other embodiments, wafer processing of some semiconductor devices 100 can be performed under normal pressure, and therefore, modules such as the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 can be removed. However, the temperature monitoring system provided by the present invention is also applicable to wafer temperature collection during wafer transfer of semiconductor devices with some modules added or deleted.

[0074] Furthermore, since the first temperature sensors in the above-mentioned multiple modules all monitor the temperature by contact, it takes a certain amount of time for the temperature to be conducted. Therefore, if the current temperature has met the requirements, but in order to ensure accurate temperature measurement, it is necessary to continue to wait until the temperature does not increase before the accurate temperature can be read. This waiting time generally takes 2-5s, or even longer, which can easily affect the machine's production capacity. Therefore, in some preferred embodiments, another temperature measuring sensor that does not require too long a waiting time can be added at some key locations of temperature testing to quickly locate the temperature range of the wafer and avoid affecting the machine's production capacity.

[0075] Specifically, in some optional embodiments, the transmission module 120 and / or the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 may include a second temperature sensor, and the second temperature sensor may be a non-contact sensor.

[0076] Optionally, see Figure 3A and 3B , Figure 3A shows a schematic diagram of the structure of an atmospheric vacuum load module provided in some embodiments of the present invention, Figure 3B A schematic diagram of the structure within a transmission module provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0077] like Figure 3A and3B As shown, in some embodiments, a plurality of second temperature sensors 320 and 340 may be installed on the upper cover plate 310 of the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 and the upper cover plate 330 of the transmission module 120 , respectively.

[0078] The second temperature sensors 320 and 340 can be specifically selected as infrared temperature sensors. Temperature measurement is performed by infrared rays, so that the temperature range sent into the module can be quickly obtained. Since infrared temperature measurement is a non-contact temperature measurement technology, and any object will emit infrared radiation according to its temperature, this radiation is proportional to the temperature of the object. Thermocouple temperature sensor is a contact temperature measurement device, and the measuring end of the sensor needs to directly contact the object or medium to be measured in order to accurately measure the temperature. In addition, heat conduction requires response time, so the temperature cannot be obtained quickly, but after thermal calibration, the temperature measurement accuracy is usually high.

[0079] like Figure 3A As shown, in some embodiments, the second temperature sensor 320 can be positioned according to the wafer transfer port, and the wafer transfer port can transfer two wafers at the same time, so as to perform infrared monitoring on the two wafers respectively to quickly locate the temperature range of the two wafers.

[0080] Furthermore, in some optional embodiments, when the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 is configured for heating function, the first temperature sensor on the vacuum robot 121 that transfers the wafer can monitor the temperature of the wafer that has been preheated in the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 .

[0081] Next, please combine Figure 4 , together understand the temperature monitoring system of the above-mentioned semiconductor equipment. Figure 4 A flow chart of a temperature control method for semiconductor equipment provided according to some embodiments of the present invention is shown.

[0082] like Figure 4 As shown, in some embodiments of the present invention, the temperature control method of semiconductor equipment may include the following steps: First, step S410 may be performed: obtaining the initial temperature of the wafer sent into the current module via the first temperature sensor in any module.

[0083] Specifically, if Figure 1 As shown, in some embodiments, the first temperature sensor may be a contact sensor, such as a thermocouple temperature sensor. The current module may be any one of the transmission module 120, the atmospheric vacuum load module 130, and the atmospheric transmission module 140. The first temperature sensor in the current module contacts the wafer and can obtain the initial temperature of the wafer fed in.

[0084] Continue back Figure 4As shown, step S420 may be performed afterwards: based on the initial temperature, determining whether the temperature on the wafer has completed heat conduction.

[0085] Specifically, if Figure 5 As shown, step S420 can be embodied as steps S421 to S423.

[0086] like Figure 5 As shown, after the initial temperature of the wafer is monitored by the first temperature sensor in contact through step S421, multiple measurements can be performed at intervals of a preset time period t to obtain multiple measured temperatures of the wafer. After a period of time, step S422 can be performed. When the measured temperature of the next time period is the same as the measured temperature of the previous time period, it can be determined through the temperature slope of the wafer whether the temperature on the wafer has completed heat conduction.

[0087] Specifically, if Figure 5 As shown, in some embodiments, step S423 may be performed to obtain the accurate current temperature T of the wafer after thermal calibration again through the first temperature sensor. x Since the first temperature sensor is a contact-type temperature conduction, the temperature it initially reads gradually increases. When the temperature stops increasing or even decreases, it indicates that the conduction is completed. The measured temperature at this time is the current temperature T of the wafer. x Then, step S434 may be performed to obtain the temperature slope of the wafer through the measured temperature of the next time period and the measured temperature of the previous time period, wherein the formula of the temperature slope may be as follows:

[0088]

[0089] T x Indicates the measured temperature of the next time period, T y represents the measured temperature of the previous time period, t represents the interval time period, and k' represents the slope threshold. When the temperature slope is less than the slope threshold k', generally speaking, the slope threshold k' can be 0, then it can be determined that the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor reaches thermal equilibrium with the temperature on the wafer, and heat conduction is determined to be completed.

[0090] Continue back Figure 4 The temperature control method provided by the present invention may further include step S430: in response to completion of heat conduction, determining whether the current temperature of the wafer meets the transmission temperature of the next module.

[0091] Specifically, if Figure 5 As shown, step S430 can be embodied as step S431, determining the current temperature T of the wafer x Whether it meets the transmission temperature Y of the next module.

[0092] If the current temperature of the wafer is T x Does not meet the transmission temperature Y of the next module, that is, the current temperature T x If the temperature is greater than or equal to the transmission temperature Y, the wafer can be cooled by adjusting the airflow rate and / or exhaust air velocity and / or fan power in the current module so that its current temperature meets the transmission temperature Y of the next module.

[0093] Further, in some optional embodiments, if the current module is the transmission module 120, since the pressure control of the transmission module 120 is usually achieved through a temperature control valve (TV) and a mass flow controller (MFC). When the temperature control valve is at a certain opening, the greater the gas flow rate, the higher the pressure in the transmission module 120. When the gas flow rate is constant, the greater the opening of the temperature control valve, the lower the pressure in the transmission module 120. Usually, the opening of the temperature control valve of the transmission module 120 in the semiconductor device 100 is constant, and the pressure in the transmission module 120 can be adjusted by changing the gas flow rate. The greater the gas flow rate, the better the cooling effect of the wafer. Therefore, for the wafer cooling process in the transmission module 120, the temperature can be cooled during the waiting time, or the ventilation and cooling can be performed by increasing the ventilation volume in the transmission module 120.

[0094] In some other optional embodiments, if the current module is an atmospheric vacuum load module 130, the normal film transfer logic of the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 is to close the backfill valve after backfilling to the atmosphere, and then open the transmission valve between the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 and the atmospheric transmission module 140 to transfer the film. The wafer cooling operation can be left to stand after backfilling to the atmosphere. However, since the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 usually has a small space, the wafer temperature will affect the ambient temperature, causing the temperature inside the module to rise, thereby affecting the wafer cooling rate. Therefore, in order to improve the cooling efficiency of the wafer in the atmospheric vacuum load module 130, the exhaust gas flow rate in the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 can be reduced, that is, the wafer can be cooled by slow extraction and ventilation.

[0095] In some other optional embodiments, if the current module is an atmospheric transmission module 140, the wafer cooling effect can be improved by increasing the fan power of the fan filter units (FFU).

[0096] In response to adjusting the temperature of the wafer in the current module by the above-mentioned cooling means, steps S421 to S424 may be repeatedly performed to monitor the temperature of the wafer in the current module after the temperature has been cooled.

[0097] like Figure 4As shown, the temperature monitoring method provided by the present invention may further include step S440: in response to the current temperature being in accordance with the transmission temperature of the next module, sending the wafer to the next module.

[0098] Furthermore, if Figure 5 As shown, in some preferred embodiments, before executing step S421, steps S411 to S413 may also be executed. First, step S411 may be executed to send the wafer into the current module. Optionally, if the current module is the transmission module 120 or the atmospheric vacuum load module 130, step S412 may be executed to obtain the first temperature T1 (e.g., infrared temperature) of the wafer sent into the current module via a second temperature sensor (e.g., infrared temperature sensor) located on the upper cover plate of the transmission module 120 or the atmospheric vacuum load module 130.

[0099] Then, step S413 can be executed to determine whether the first temperature T1 of the wafer meets the machine safety temperature X. The machine safety temperature X can be obtained according to the equipment safety temperature test and saved through the machine configuration setting, and the machine safety temperature X is usually less than or equal to the transmission temperature Y of the next module. Therefore, when the first temperature T1 meets the machine safety temperature X, that is, the first temperature T1 is less than the transmission temperature X, the wafer can be directly sent to the next module, so there is no need to perform steps S421 to S424, and the temperature detection and judgment part of step S431, thereby reducing the transmission steps, improving the efficiency of the machine, and thus improving the machine production capacity.

[0100] When the first temperature T1 does not meet the transmission temperature X of the next module, that is, the first temperature T1 is greater than or equal to the transmission temperature X, the first temperature sensor in the current module can be turned on to contact the wafer, and the accurate initial temperature of the wafer can be obtained through a contact-type first temperature sensor such as a thermocouple. Then, Figure 5 As shown, the subsequent steps including steps S421 to S424 may continue to be executed.

[0101] Next, we will combine Figure 6 , a temperature monitoring method for a semiconductor device including the above steps S410 to S440 is introduced with a specific embodiment.

[0102] like Figure 6 As shown, in one embodiment, the machine safety temperature X is 150° C., the transmission temperature Y of the next module is 180° C., the preset interval time period t is 1 s, and the slope threshold k′ is 0.

[0103] At the beginning, after the wafer is sent into the atmospheric vacuum load module 130, the second infrared temperature sensor can quickly locate the temperature of the wafer to be around 190°C. Since this infrared temperature is greater than the machine safety temperature X, the first temperature sensor of the thermocouple in the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 is turned on to read the accurate temperature of the wafer. Figure 6 As shown in the figure, during the wafer temperature rise process, the current measured temperature is Tx, and the temperature measured in the previous time period is Ty. The time period t of the current interval measurement is 1s, that is, the wafer temperature 1s ago is Ty. It can represent the slope of temperature change per unit time. When the slope threshold k' is 0, This means that the wafer starts to cool down. At this time, the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor of the thermocouple reaches thermal equilibrium with the wafer temperature. Since the temperature measurement process of the first temperature sensor is a heat conduction process, when the temperature of the first temperature sensor is consistent with that of the wafer, Figure 6 At the point of 215.7℃ in the wafer, the current temperature of the wafer can be read regularly, and the current temperature Tx can be judged to see whether it is less than the transmission temperature Y of the next module. When the current temperature Tx of the wafer is less than Y, the wafer transmission starts.

[0104] In the above embodiment of the present invention, the temperature data measured by the first temperature sensor based on thermocouple temperature measurement and the second temperature sensor based on infrared temperature measurement are collected and reported, and the time period of the collection interval can generally range from 200ms to 500ms. It can be understood that the specific time period of the interval can be determined according to the cooling efficiency of the semiconductor device 100.

[0105] Furthermore, the temperature data collected above can be divided into a temperature detection part and a temperature detection judgment part according to differences in subsequent processing.

[0106] Specifically, for the temperature detection part, this part only uses the first temperature sensor of the thermocouple for temperature monitoring, which can specifically include the first temperature sensor on the atmospheric manipulator 142 in the atmospheric transmission module 140. During the operation of the machine, no temperature judgment is performed, such as the operation part of the atmospheric manipulator 142. After the wafer temperature monitored by the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 meets the transmission requirements, the atmospheric manipulator 142 can transfer the wafer to the cooling buffer 141 for cooling treatment. Here, "meeting the transmission requirements" can specifically refer to when the atmospheric vacuum load module 130 monitors the wafer temperature, judging whether the temperature of the wafer is lower than the tolerable temperature of the atmospheric manipulator 142, and whether it is lower than the temperature of the visible atmospheric environment of the wafer. When both conditions are met, the wafer can be transferred. Here, "lower than the temperature of the visible atmospheric environment of the wafer" can be further understood as, since the wafer is processed in a vacuum environment, and the thin film on the surface of the wafer processed by some processes is prone to oxidation, which will affect the performance of the thin film and other problems, therefore, the wafer needs to be reduced to a certain temperature before the wafer is transferred out.

[0107] The atmospheric manipulator 142 only performs the conveying action, and the conveying process does not involve any environmental changes (conveying in the atmospheric environment), for example, it will not encounter environmental changes such as vacuum atmospheric state conversion, so only temperature collection is performed.

[0108] The temperature detection and judgment part is composed of the temperature measured by the second temperature sensor of infrared measurement and the first temperature sensor of the thermocouple, which can specifically include the second temperature sensor in the transmission module 120 and / or the atmospheric vacuum load module 130, and the first temperature sensor inside. The machine action needs to be performed based on whether the temperature meets the requirements. Further, in addition to the above-mentioned transmission module 120 and atmospheric vacuum load module 130, a cooling buffer 141 can also be included.

[0109] The specific process can be as follows Figure 5 As shown, after the wafer is transferred to the corresponding module, the first temperature T1 of the wafer is quickly obtained through the second infrared temperature sensor. Since this temperature T1 has a certain error, it is only used as a judgment of the temperature range to judge whether the first temperature T1 of the wafer satisfies the requirement of being less than the machine safety temperature X. When the wafer temperature measured by the infrared temperature measurement method is less than X, the wafer can be directly transferred to the next module. If it is not satisfied, the first temperature sensor of the thermocouple is started for temperature monitoring, which can specifically include steps S421 to S424, and step S431.

[0110] By the temperature monitoring system and temperature detection method of the semiconductor device provided by the present invention, wafer transmission scheduling is performed according to the wafer temperature at each position, and the temperature monitoring of the wafer in each module can be realized so that the starting and ending temperatures of the wafer in a certain module are consistent. Here, the "starting temperature" refers to the accurate temperature of the wafer transmitted to the current module, the "ending temperature" refers to the temperature of the wafer transmitted from the current module, and the "consistency" means that the starting temperature of each wafer is the same, and the ending temperature of each wafer is also consistent. By keeping the starting temperature and the ending temperature consistent, the wafer can be in a temperature steady state in the transmission system. Since there are differences in the oxygen content, pressure and other environments of each module, the steady state of the wafer environment can be achieved through temperature consistency. In processes with high temperature sensitivity, the differences in performance parameters after wafer processing can be solved by realizing stable scheduling, wherein processes with high temperature sensitivity can include thin film processes containing Ti, such as TiN deposition processes, high-density plasma processes (High-Density Plasma, HDP), etc.

[0111] Specifically, when a processed wafer or a heated wafer is transferred to the next module unit, the module carrying the wafer starts collecting temperature data through a contact temperature sensor. Since temperature conduction requires a certain amount of time, it will be judged through a temperature processing algorithm to distinguish between the heating and cooling stages. When the temperature is in the cooling stage, the machine can only start transferring the wafer until the temperature reaches the standard temperature for entering the next module. In addition, in equipment without temperature monitoring, the cooling time is usually set to a fixed value, which is the longest cooling time required for the wafer to cool to a temperature that can be transferred. The semiconductor equipment provided by the present invention adds a temperature monitoring system, which can obtain the wafer temperature in real time, and transfer the wafer when the transmission temperature is met, thereby improving the machine production capacity.

[0112] In addition, the temperature monitoring system and temperature detection method of the semiconductor device provided by the present invention can also realize the temperature control of the wafer and the time stability control of the wafer in the module. Specifically, the cooling rate of the cooling curve can be confirmed according to the temperature processing algorithm, and then the machine can realize the planned cooling efficiency required by special scenarios by enabling the configuration. This function changes the cooling efficiency by changing the air flow. Furthermore, preferably, through the self-learning algorithm, the temperature cooling range can also be adjusted to achieve time-stable scheduling of each module.

[0113] Although the above methods are illustrated and described as a series of actions for simplicity of explanation, it should be understood and appreciated that these methods are not limited by the order of the actions, because according to one or more embodiments, some actions may occur in a different order and / or concurrently with other actions from those illustrated and described herein or not illustrated and described herein but understandable to those skilled in the art.

[0114] Those skilled in the art will further appreciate that the steps of the methods or algorithms described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed herein may be directly embodied in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software module may reside in a RAM memory, a flash memory, a ROM memory, an EPROM memory, an EEPROM memory, a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An exemplary storage medium is coupled to a processor so that the processor can read and write information from / to the storage medium. In an alternative, a storage medium may be integrated into a processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal. In an alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside in a user terminal as discrete components.

[0115] In one or more exemplary embodiments, the functions described may be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented as a computer program product in software, each function may be stored on or transmitted by a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, including any medium that facilitates the transfer of a computer program from one place to another. Storage media may be any available medium that can be accessed by a computer. As an example and not limitation, such a computer-readable medium may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage, disk storage or other magnetic storage device, or any other medium that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer. Any connection is also properly referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if the software is transmitted from a website, a server, or other remote source using a coaxial cable, a fiber optic cable, a twisted pair, a digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves, the coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technologies such as infrared, radio, and microwaves are included in the definition of the medium. Disk and disc as used herein include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc, wherein disk often reproduces data magnetically, while disc reproduces data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0116] In summary, the present invention provides a temperature monitoring system for semiconductor equipment, a semiconductor equipment, a semiconductor equipment, a temperature control method for semiconductor equipment, and a computer-readable storage medium. On the one hand, it can perform wafer transmission scheduling according to the wafer temperature at various positions of the machine during the transmission process to ensure the consistency of the starting and ending temperatures of the wafer at various locations of the machine, thereby optimizing the transmission process and achieving a steady state of the wafer environment. On the other hand, it can also obtain the wafer temperature in real time so that the wafer can be transmitted when the transmission temperature is met, thereby improving the machine production capacity.

[0117] The previous description of the disclosure is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to make or use the disclosure. Various modifications to the disclosure will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other variations without departing from the spirit or scope of the disclosure. Thus, the disclosure is not intended to be limited to the examples and designs described herein, but should be granted the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.

Claims

1. A temperature monitoring system for semiconductor equipment, characterized in that: The semiconductor device comprises a transmission module, an atmospheric vacuum load module, and an atmospheric transmission module, and each module is provided with a first temperature sensor; as well as The controller is configured to: obtain the initial temperature of the wafer sent into the current module via the first temperature sensor in any of the modules; Based on the initial temperature, determining whether the temperature on the wafer has completed heat conduction; In response to the completion of heat conduction, determining whether the current temperature of the wafer meets the transmission temperature of the next module; And in response to the current temperature meeting the transmission temperature of the next module, the wafer is sent to the next module.

2. The temperature monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first temperature sensor is a contact sensor, and the step of judging whether the temperature on the wafer has completed heat conduction based on the initial temperature includes: The first temperature sensor contacts the wafer to obtain an initial temperature of the wafer; Obtaining measured temperatures of a plurality of the wafers at intervals of a preset time period; and In response to the fact that the measured temperature in the next time period is the same as the measured temperature in the previous time period, it is determined whether the temperature on the wafer has completed heat conduction based on the temperature slope of the wafer.

3. The temperature monitoring system according to claim 2, characterized in that: In response to the fact that the measured temperature in the next time period is the same as the measured temperature in the previous time period, the step of judging whether the temperature on the wafer has completed heat conduction based on the temperature slope of the wafer comprises: Based on the measured temperature of the next time period and the measured temperature of the previous time period, the temperature slope of the wafer is obtained, wherein the formula of the temperature slope is as follows: T x represents the measured temperature of the next time period, T y represents the measured temperature of the previous time period, t represents the interval time period, and k' represents the slope threshold; and In response to the temperature slope being less than the slope threshold, it is determined that the temperature measured by the first temperature sensor reaches thermal equilibrium with the temperature on the wafer, and the heat conduction is completed.

4. The temperature monitoring system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first temperature sensor is a thermocouple temperature sensor, wherein the thermocouple temperature sensor in the transmission module is located at the clamping end of the vacuum manipulator, the thermocouple temperature sensor in the atmospheric transmission module is located at the clamping end of the atmospheric manipulator, and the thermocouple temperature sensor in the atmospheric vacuum load module is located at the supporting surface of the supporting frame.

5. The temperature monitoring system according to claim 2, characterized in that: The transmission module and / or the atmospheric vacuum load module further includes a second temperature sensor, and the second temperature sensor is a non-contact sensor.

6. The temperature monitoring system according to claim 5, characterized in that: Before the step of obtaining the initial temperature of the wafer sent into the current module via the first temperature sensor in any of the modules, the following steps are also included: In response to the current module being the transmission module or the atmospheric vacuum load module, acquiring a first temperature of the wafer sent into the current module via the second temperature sensor; In response to the first temperature meeting the machine safety temperature, sending the wafer to a next module; and In response to the first temperature not meeting the machine safety temperature, the first temperature sensor in the current module is turned on to contact the wafer to obtain an initial temperature of the wafer.

7. The temperature monitoring system according to claim 5, characterized in that: The second temperature sensor is an infrared temperature sensor, wherein the infrared temperature sensor is arranged on an upper cover plate in the transmission module and / or the atmospheric vacuum load module.

8. The temperature monitoring system according to claim 1, characterized in that: Before the step of sending the wafer to the next module in response to the current temperature being consistent with the transmission temperature of the next module, the following steps are also included: The air flow rate and / or the exhaust air velocity and / or the fan power in the current module are adjusted to cool the wafer so that the current temperature meets the transmission temperature of the next module.

9. The temperature monitoring system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The step of adjusting the airflow and / or the exhaust air velocity and / or the fan power in the current module to cool the wafer so that the current temperature meets the transmission temperature of the next module includes: In response to the current module being a transmission module, at least increasing the airflow in the transmission module to cool the wafer; or In response to the current module being an atmospheric vacuum load module, at least reducing the exhaust gas flow rate in the atmospheric vacuum load module to cool the wafer; or In response to the current module being an atmospheric transmission module, at least the fan power in the atmospheric transmission module is increased to cool the wafer.

10. A semiconductor device, characterized in that: include: A process module, the interior of which is used for process processing; A transfer module, which has a vacuum manipulator inside and is used to transfer the wafer between the process module and the atmospheric vacuum load module; The atmospheric vacuum load module is a transfer chamber between the atmospheric environment and the vacuum environment, used for switching between the atmospheric state and the vacuum state; An atmospheric transmission module, which has an atmospheric manipulator inside and is used to transfer wafers between the atmospheric vacuum load module and the front-end transfer box; as well as The temperature monitoring system for semiconductor equipment according to any one of claims 1 to 9, used to send a wafer meeting a transfer temperature of a next module into the next module.

11. A temperature control method for semiconductor equipment, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: Obtaining the initial temperature of the wafer sent into the current module via a first temperature sensor in any module; Based on the initial temperature, determining whether the temperature on the wafer has completed heat conduction; In response to the completion of heat conduction, determining whether the current temperature of the wafer meets the transmission temperature of the next module; as well as In response to the current temperature meeting the transmission temperature of the next module, the wafer is sent to the next module.

12. A computer-readable storage medium having computer instructions stored thereon, characterized in that: When the computer instructions are executed by a processor, the temperature control method of the semiconductor device according to claim 11 is implemented.

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