Multi-channel conversion system and method for communication standard protocol of semiconductor equipment

Abstract

The invention discloses a multichannel conversion system and method for a communication standard protocol of semiconductor equipment. The system comprises a semiconductor production standard protocol communication unit, a pipeline input and output unit and a protocol conversion unit which are connected in sequence, the server is used for being in butt joint with machine end semiconductor production standard protocol communication software, being connected with the machine end in a point-to-point mode, managing the connection state of the machine end and receiving a message sent by the machine end or actively sending a command to the machine end; the pipeline input and output unit is used for pushing the semiconductor production standard protocol message to a plurality of pipelines according to a preset configuration file requirement; and the protocol conversion unit is used for converting the semiconductor production standard protocol message into a corresponding communication protocol according to the preset configuration file requirement after each pipeline receives the corresponding message. And the SECS protocol can be conveniently converted into other protocols.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor production standard protocol conversion, and particularly to a multi-channel conversion system and method for semiconductor equipment communication standard protocols. Background Art

[0002] In the operation of modern semiconductor equipment, a communication protocol called SECS (Semiconductor Equipment and Material International) is widely adopted. This protocol is standardized and promoted by the Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI). The SECS protocol provides a comprehensive set of specifications for the control, data exchange, and monitoring of semiconductor production equipment, ensuring smooth communication between different equipment and systems. However, there are also some challenges and deficiencies in adopting this protocol. First of all, the development cycle of the SECS protocol is relatively long. This is because its standardization process requires rigorous discussion and review to ensure that the protocol can cover all details of semiconductor equipment operation and meet the needs of different scenarios. However, this also results in a relatively slow speed of introducing new protocols, and may not be able to keep up with the rapid development of the semiconductor industry in a timely manner. Secondly, the cost of implementing the SECS protocol is relatively high. On the one hand, in order to comply with the SECS protocol, equipment manufacturers need to modify existing equipment or develop new equipment, which undoubtedly increases the cost of technology research and development. On the other hand, due to the complexity of the SECS protocol, engineers with professional knowledge and experience are required to develop, implement, and maintain it, which means higher labor costs. The SECS protocol is a point-to-point communication solution, which makes it a bit inadequate when facing scenarios of multi-system interaction. In practical applications, semiconductor production lines often need to exchange data and transmit instructions with numerous equipment and systems. The point-to-point characteristic of the SECS protocol makes these interactions complex and inefficient. To solve this problem, engineers need to perform additional adaptation and optimization on the SECS protocol, which not only increases the workload but also may affect the operation efficiency of the entire production line.

[0003] In the prior art, the SECS protocol has problems such as high development threshold, low efficiency, and high R & D costs.

[0004] It should be noted that the information disclosed in the above background art section is only used for understanding the background of the present application, and thus may include information that does not constitute the prior art known to those of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention provides a multi-channel conversion system and method for semiconductor equipment communication standard protocols, which can solve at least one of the technical problems in the background art.

[0006] A multi-channel conversion system for semiconductor device communication standard protocols, comprising a semiconductor production standard protocol communication unit, a pipeline input / output unit, and a protocol conversion unit connected in sequence: The semiconductor production standard protocol communication unit is used to dock with the semiconductor production standard protocol communication software at the machine end, connect to the machine end through point-to-point connection, manage the connection status of the machine end, receive messages sent by the machine end or actively send commands to the machine end; The pipeline input / output unit pushes semiconductor production standard protocol messages into multiple pipelines according to the requirements of a pre-set configuration file; The protocol conversion unit, after receiving corresponding messages in each pipeline, converts the semiconductor production standard protocol messages into corresponding communication protocols according to the requirements of the pre-set configuration file.

[0007] Preferably, it further includes a configuration management unit, and the configuration management unit is used for: storing and managing the pre-set configuration file and dynamically updating the protocol conversion rules in the configuration file.

[0008] Preferably, it further includes a data verification and error handling unit, which is used for: checking the validity and integrity of the input semiconductor production standard protocol messages.

[0009] Preferably, it further includes a performance monitoring and optimization unit, which is used for real-time monitoring of the performance indicators of each component of the system.

[0010] The present invention also provides a method for multi-channel conversion of semiconductor device communication standard protocols, including the following steps: S1: Receive, process, and reply to semiconductor production standard protocol messages from the machine end; S2: Input the semiconductor production standard protocol messages into a single pipeline and push the semiconductor production standard protocol messages into multiple pipelines according to the requirements of a pre-set configuration file; S3: After receiving corresponding messages in each pipeline, convert the semiconductor production standard protocol messages into corresponding communication protocols according to the requirements of the pre-set configuration file.

[0011] Preferably, receiving, processing, and replying to semiconductor production standard protocol messages from the machine end includes the following steps: S11: Connect to the machine end through point-to-point connection and manage the connection status of the machine end; S12: Judge and record the current system status and put it into the input pipeline; S13: Receive messages sent by the machine end or actively send commands to the machine end; S14: Listen for messages from other pipelines and decide whether to send them to the machine end.

[0012] Preferably, inputting the semiconductor production standard protocol message into a single pipeline and pushing the semiconductor production standard protocol message into multiple pipelines according to the requirements of a preset configuration file includes: S21: Initializing multi-pipeline monitoring; S22: Obtaining the messages in the input pipeline, and each pipeline independently receives and processes them; S23: Performing protocol conversion on the semiconductor production standard protocol message according to the requirements of the preset configuration file to obtain a converted message; S24: Transmitting the converted message to the corresponding protocol terminal.

[0013] Preferably, after each pipeline receives the corresponding message, converting the semiconductor production standard protocol message into a corresponding communication protocol according to the requirements of the preset configuration file includes: S31: Obtaining the semiconductor production standard protocol input message; S32: Converting it into a corresponding protocol format message according to the requirements of the preset configuration file; S33: Obtaining the output message of the corresponding protocol pipeline; S34: Converting the output message of the corresponding protocol pipeline into a semiconductor production standard protocol message.

[0014] Preferably, converting the semiconductor production standard protocol message into Http, AMQP, TCP, MQTT communication protocols according to the requirements of the preset configuration file.

[0015] The present invention also provides a computing device, including: a processor; and a memory storing a computer program, which when executed by the processor enables the processor to execute the method described in any one of the above.

[0016] The present invention has beneficial effects: The multi-channel conversion system for semiconductor device communication standard protocols provided by the present invention allows for convenient conversion of the SECS protocol into other protocols, such as Http, AMQP, TCP, MQTT, etc.; and allows one SECS pipeline entrance to correspond to multiple pipeline exits, and the supported protocols at the exits include the SECS protocol itself and other convertible protocols, such as Http, AMQP, TCP, MQTT; further, the system of the present invention supports configuring certain filtering and optimization rules for specific pipeline exits. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of a multi-channel conversion system for semiconductor device communication standard protocols according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 2 It is a schematic diagram of a multi-channel conversion method for semiconductor device communication standard protocols according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 3Schematic diagram of receiving, processing, and replying semiconductor production standard protocol messages at the machine end of an embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of a method for inputting semiconductor production standard protocol messages through a single pipeline and pushing the semiconductor production standard protocol messages into multiple pipelines according to the requirements of a pre-set configuration file in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0021] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of a method for converting semiconductor production standard protocol messages into corresponding communication protocols according to the requirements of a pre-set configuration file after each pipeline receives the corresponding messages in an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 6 Schematic diagram of a process for converting semiconductor production standard protocols in an embodiment of the present invention. Detailed implementation manners

[0023] The following provides a detailed description of the implementation manners of the present invention. It should be emphasized that the following description is merely exemplary and not intended to limit the scope of the present invention and its applications. Without conflict, the embodiments in the present application and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other.

[0024] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element. In addition, the connection can be for a fixing function or for a coupling or communicating function.

[0025] It should be understood that the orientation or positional relationships indicated by the terms "length", "width", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", etc. are based on the orientation or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and thus should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

[0026] In addition, the terms "first" and "second" are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the quantity of the indicated technical features. Thus, the features defined with "first" and "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of such features. In the description of the embodiments of the present invention, "a plurality of" means two or more unless otherwise specifically defined.

[0027] The SECS standard, which is used to unify the communication between various production equipment and between production equipment and control equipment, is the most basic standard in the semiconductor production process.

[0028] See Figure 1 , an embodiment of the present invention provides a multi-channel conversion system for semiconductor device communication standard protocols, including a semiconductor production standard protocol communication unit, a pipeline input / output unit, and a protocol conversion unit connected in sequence: The semiconductor production standard protocol communication unit is used to dock with the semiconductor production standard protocol communication software at the machine end, connect to the machine end through point-to-point, manage the connection status of the machine end, receive messages sent by the machine end or actively send commands to the machine end; In an embodiment of the present invention, the actively sent command can be to query certain recipe contents, select a recipe, or adjust parameters, etc.

[0029] The pipeline input / output unit pushes semiconductor production standard protocol messages into multiple pipelines according to the requirements of a pre-set configuration file; The one-to-many conversion is achieved through the pipeline input / output unit.

[0030] The protocol conversion unit, after receiving corresponding messages in each pipeline, converts the semiconductor production standard protocol messages into corresponding communication protocols according to the requirements of the pre-set configuration file.

[0031] In a specific embodiment, the SECS message is converted into a corresponding communication protocol, such as Http, AMQP, TCP, MQTT, etc.

[0032] The multi-channel conversion system for semiconductor device communication standard protocols provided by the present invention allows for the convenient conversion of the SECS protocol into other protocols, such as Http, AMQP, TCP, MQTT, etc.; and allows one SECS pipeline entrance to correspond to multiple pipeline exits, and the supported protocols at the exits include the SECS protocol itself and other convertible protocols, such as Http, AMQP, TCP, MQTT; furthermore, the system of the present invention supports configuring certain filtering and optimization rules for specific pipeline exits.

[0033] In an embodiment of the present invention, the conversion process of the protocol conversion unit can be described as two steps, the two steps are connected in series in the same program of the present invention, and the one-to-many and many-to-one methods are allowed. Specifically, it includes: Converting from the SECS message to an object in the program; Converting the object in the program into a corresponding protocol message. As mentioned above, the corresponding protocol can be Http, AMQP, TCP, MQTT, etc.

[0034] To better achieve the technical effects of the present invention, the system for converting semiconductor production standard protocols of the present invention further includes a configuration management unit, and the configuration management unit is used for: Storing and managing pre-set configuration files; Dynamically updating protocol conversion rules; Automatically adjusting the number of pipelines and allocation strategies according to system load and performance requirements.

[0035] In an embodiment of the present invention, the multi-channel conversion system for semiconductor device communication standard protocols further includes a data verification and error handling unit, and the data verification and error handling unit is used for: Checking the validity and integrity of the input SECS protocol message; Capturing and handling abnormal situations during the protocol conversion process; Generating detailed error logs and exception reports for system maintenance and troubleshooting In an embodiment of the present invention, the multi-channel conversion system for semiconductor device communication standard protocols further includes a performance monitoring and optimization unit, and the performance monitoring and optimization unit is used for: Real-time monitoring of the performance indicators of each component of the system, such as message processing speed, resource utilization rate, etc.; Identifying system bottlenecks and providing optimization suggestions; Automatically adjusting system parameters to improve the overall system performance, such as dynamically allocating computing resources, optimizing message queues, etc.

[0036] Such as Figure 2 As shown, the present invention also provides a multi-channel conversion method for semiconductor device communication standard protocols, including the following steps: S1: Receiving and processing semiconductor production standard protocol messages from the machine end of the reply; S2: Inputting the semiconductor production standard protocol message into a single pipeline and pushing the semiconductor production standard protocol message into multiple pipelines according to the requirements of the pre-set configuration file; S3: After each pipeline receives the corresponding message, converting the semiconductor production standard protocol message into a corresponding communication protocol according to the requirements of the pre-set configuration file.

[0037] The method of the present invention unifies protocols such as Http, AMQP, TCP, MQTT, etc.; and allows one SECS pipeline entrance, corresponding to multiple pipeline exits, and the supported protocols at the exits include the SECS protocol itself and other convertible protocols, such as Http, AMQP, TCP, MQTT. And it supports configuring certain filtering and optimization rules for specific pipeline exits.

[0038] As shown Figure 3 below, the steps for receiving and processing the semiconductor production standard protocol messages at the machine end of the reply machine are as follows: S11: Connect to the machine end through a point-to-point connection and manage the connection status of the machine end; S12: Judge and record the current system status and put it into the input pipeline; S13: Receive the messages sent by the machine end or actively send commands to the machine end; S14: Listen for messages in other pipelines and decide whether to send them to the machine end.

[0039] As shown Figure 4 below, the steps for inputting the semiconductor production standard protocol messages into a single pipeline and pushing the semiconductor production standard protocol messages to multiple pipelines according to the requirements of a pre-set configuration file include: S21: Initialize multi-pipeline listening; S22: Obtain the messages in the input pipeline, and each pipeline receives and processes them independently; S23: Convert the semiconductor production standard protocol messages into converted messages according to the requirements of the pre-set configuration file; S24: Deliver the converted messages to the corresponding protocol terminals.

[0040] As shown Figure 5 below, after each of the pipelines receives the corresponding messages, converting the semiconductor production standard protocol messages into corresponding communication protocols according to the requirements of the pre-set configuration file includes: S31: Obtain the semiconductor production standard protocol input messages; S32: Convert them into corresponding protocol format messages according to the requirements of the pre-set configuration file; S33: Obtain the output messages of the corresponding protocol pipelines; S34: Convert the output messages of the corresponding protocol pipelines into semiconductor production standard protocol messages.

[0041] In an embodiment of the present invention, the semiconductor production standard protocol messages are converted into Http, AMQP, TCP, and MQTT communication protocols according to the requirements of the pre-set configuration file.

[0042] According to another aspect of the present invention, an electronic device is further provided. The electronic device includes: one or more processors; a storage device for storing one or more programs, and when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors can implement the memory management method as described above.

[0043] According to another aspect of the present invention, a non-volatile computer-readable storage medium is also provided. A computer program is stored on the storage medium, and when the computer program is executed by a processor, it can implement the memory management method as described above.

[0044] As Figure 6 shown, in a specific embodiment of the present invention, the equipment in the semiconductor factory interacts with the internal intelligent manufacturing system and the external report system, etc.: Sub-scenario 1: The data source is the lithography machine in the factory, which actively sends data to the pipeline system through the SECS protocol. The transmitted data includes: the status information of the equipment and the sensor parameters of the equipment (such as temperature, pressure, light source intensity, etc.) Processing process: 1. The SECS communication unit receives the SECS message from the lithography machine 2. The system pushes the SECS message into multiple pipelines 3. Each pipeline is responsible for converting the SECS message into a specific protocol Output: 1. HTTP protocol: The converted data is sent to the factory monitoring large screen system 2. MQTT protocol: The converted data is published to the Internet of Things platform for remote monitoring 3. AMQP protocol: The converted data is sent to the data analysis system for predictive maintenance 4. Keep the SECS protocol: The original data is sent to the FDC (Fault Detection and Classification) system Sub-scenario 2: The intelligent manufacturing-related system actively operates the machine Input: 1. HTTP request from the MES system, including production plan information 2. MQTT message from the engineer mobile application, including equipment adjustment suggestions 3. TCP message from the automation script, including routine maintenance instructions 4. SECS message from the FDC system, including fault warning information Processing process: 1. The system receives various protocol messages from different sources 2. Convert these messages into a unified internal format 3. Integrate these information according to the predefined rules and priorities 4. Convert the integrated information into a SECS protocol message Output: Destination: Lithography machine in the factory (using the SECS protocol) Data: Equipment Control Instruction The system and method of the present invention can forward the machine-end messages to multiple external systems, allowing multiple external systems to operate the machine simultaneously or obtain machine information, and allowing developers to process the machine messages using their familiar communication protocols, thereby reducing the development cost.

[0045] The above content is a further detailed description of the present invention in combination with specific / preferred embodiments, and it cannot be determined that the specific implementation of the present invention is only limited to these descriptions. For those of ordinary skill in the technical field to which the present invention pertains, without departing from the concept of the present invention, several alternatives or modifications can be made to these described embodiments, and these alternative or modified forms should all be regarded as belonging to the protection scope of the present invention. In the description of this specification, the description with reference to terms such as "an embodiment", "some embodiments", "preferred embodiments", "examples", "specific examples", or "some examples" means that the specific features, structures, materials, or characteristics described in connection 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 a suitable manner in any one or more embodiments or examples. Without contradiction, those skilled in the art can combine and combine the different embodiments or examples described in this specification and the features of different embodiments or examples. Although the embodiments of the present invention and their advantages have been described in detail, it should be understood that various changes, substitutions, and alterations can be made herein without departing from the scope of protection of the patent application.

Claims

1. A multi-channel conversion system for semiconductor device communication standard protocols, characterized in that: It includes a semiconductor production standard protocol communication unit, a pipeline input and output unit, and a protocol conversion unit connected in sequence: The semiconductor production standard protocol communication unit is used to connect with the semiconductor production standard protocol communication software of the machine end, connect to the machine end through point-to-point, manage the connection status of the machine end, receive messages sent by the machine end, or actively send commands to the machine end; The pipeline input and output unit pushes the semiconductor production standard protocol message to multiple pipelines according to the requirements of the preset configuration file; The protocol conversion unit converts the semiconductor production standard protocol message into a corresponding communication protocol according to the preset configuration file requirements after each of the pipelines receives the corresponding message.

2. The multi-channel conversion system for semiconductor device communication standard protocols as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a configuration management unit, which is used to: The preset configuration file is stored and managed, and the protocol conversion rules in the configuration file are dynamically updated.

3. The multi-channel conversion system for semiconductor device communication standard protocols as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: Also includes data validation and error handling units for: Check the validity and integrity of the input semiconductor production standard protocol message.

4. The multi-channel conversion system for semiconductor device communication standard protocols as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a performance monitoring and optimization unit for real-time monitoring of the performance indicators of each component of the system.

5. A method for multi-channel conversion of semiconductor device communication standard protocols, characterized in that: The steps include: S1: receiving and processing the semiconductor production standard protocol message from the machine end; S2: inputting the semiconductor production standard protocol message into a single pipeline and pushing the semiconductor production standard protocol message to multiple pipelines according to the requirements of a preset configuration file; S3: After each of the pipelines receives the corresponding message, the semiconductor production standard protocol message is converted into a corresponding communication protocol according to the preset configuration file requirements.

6. The method for multi-channel conversion of semiconductor device communication standard protocols as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: Receiving, processing and replying to the semiconductor production standard protocol message from the machine end includes the following steps: S11: managing the connection status of the machine end by connecting the machine end point to point; S12: Determine and record the current system status and put it into the input pipeline; S13: receiving a message sent by the machine end or actively sending a command to the machine end; S14: Monitor other channel messages and decide whether to send them to the machine end.

7. The method for multi-channel conversion of semiconductor device communication standard protocols as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: Inputting the semiconductor production standard protocol message into a single channel and pushing the semiconductor production standard protocol message to multiple channels according to the preset configuration file requirements includes: S21: Initialize multi-channel monitoring; S22: Get the message in the input pipeline, and each pipeline receives and processes it independently S23: performing protocol conversion on the semiconductor production standard protocol message according to the preset configuration file requirements to obtain a converted message; S24: delivering the converted message to the corresponding protocol terminal.

8. The method for multi-channel conversion of semiconductor device communication standard protocols as claimed in claim 7, characterized in that: After each of the pipelines receives the corresponding message, converting the semiconductor production standard protocol message into the corresponding communication protocol according to the preset configuration file requirements includes: S31: Get semiconductor production standard protocol input message; S32: Converting into a corresponding protocol format message according to the preset configuration file requirements; S33: Obtain the corresponding protocol pipeline output message; S34: Convert the corresponding protocol pipeline output message into a semiconductor production standard protocol message.

9. The method for multi-channel conversion of semiconductor device communication standard protocols according to any one of claims 5 to 8, characterized in that: The semiconductor production standard protocol message is converted into Http, AMQP, TCP, or MQTT communication protocol according to the preset configuration file requirements.

10. A computing device, characterized in that: include: processor; as well as A memory storing a computer program, which, when executed by the processor, enables the processor to perform the method according to any one of claims 5 to 9.

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