Wafer task scheduling execution method and device, controller and semiconductor processing equipment

Abstract

The invention provides a wafer task scheduling execution method and device, a controller and semiconductor processing equipment, and relates to the technical field of semiconductor manufacturing. The method comprises the steps that a first mechanical arm is controlled to place a current to-be-machined wafer corresponding to a current to-be-machined task on a centering work station, and the current to-be-machined wafer is conveyed to a conveying work station of a machining area from the centering work station; a first task executor is adopted to execute the current to-be-processed task so as to control a second mechanical arm in the processing area to take the current to-be-processed wafer from the conveying work station, and the current to-be-processed wafer is sequentially placed on all process work stations in the processing area to be processed; and when the first mechanical arm and the centering work station are in the idle state again, the subsequent to-be-machined tasks are taken out from the to-be-machined task queue so as to trigger a second task executor adopting the subsequent to-be-machined tasks to execute the subsequent to-be-machined tasks. According to the invention, a parallel state that multiple wafers are synchronously processed in different process links is realized, the overall utilization rate of equipment is greatly improved, and the time consumed for processing the wafers in batches is shortened.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and more specifically, to a wafer task scheduling and execution method, apparatus, controller, and semiconductor processing equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the semiconductor manufacturing process, the coating and developing equipment is one of the core pieces of equipment in the wafer processing stage. The wafer needs to go through multiple process unit modules such as coating unit, developing unit, and baking unit in sequence to complete a series of key processes such as coating, developing, and curing. Its processing efficiency and precision directly affect the production efficiency and quality of semiconductor products.

[0003] Traditional coating and developing equipment generally adopts a single-task sequential processing mode, meaning that the next wafer can only enter the processing flow after all process units for a single wafer have been processed. In this mode, the robotic arm can only complete the picking, placing, and transferring of single wafers sequentially, and the process unit module must wait for the previous wafer to be processed before starting the next processing task. This results in the robotic arm and process unit module being in a state of intermittent idleness for a long time, leading to low equipment resource utilization and directly restricting the overall production efficiency of the equipment.

[0004] As semiconductor manufacturing processes rapidly evolve towards greater precision and higher throughput, the industry demands higher efficiency and accuracy from coating and developing equipment. Traditional single-task sequential execution models are no longer sufficient to meet the needs of large-scale, high-efficiency production. Especially in complex equipment configurations with multiple robotic arms and process unit modules, existing models cannot achieve collaborative processing of multiple wafers and lack intelligent coordination mechanisms for equipment resources. This leads to problems such as robotic arm motion interference and uneven load distribution among process unit modules, further reducing the stability and efficiency of the production process. Therefore, how to achieve parallel scheduling and efficient execution of multiple wafer tasks in complex equipment environments with multiple robotic arms and process units has become a critical technical problem that urgently needs to be solved in the development of semiconductor coating and developing equipment technology. Summary of the Invention

[0005] This application addresses the shortcomings of the prior art by providing a wafer task scheduling and execution method, apparatus, controller, and semiconductor processing equipment to solve the problems existing in the prior art.

[0006] The technical solution adopted in the embodiments of this application is as follows: In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a wafer task scheduling and execution method, including: When both the first robotic arm and the centering station in the material handling area are idle, the current task to be processed is retrieved from the task queue. The first robotic arm is controlled to place the wafer to be processed corresponding to the current task to be processed in the centering station, and after centering in the centering station, the wafer to be processed is transferred from the centering station to the transfer station in the processing area. The first task executor of the current task to be processed is used to execute the current task to control the second robotic arm of the processing area to pick up the current wafer to be processed from the transfer station and place it in each process station of the processing area for processing in sequence; When the first robotic arm and the centering station are idle again, a subsequent task to be processed is taken out from the task queue to trigger the second task executor to execute the subsequent task.

[0007] In one embodiment, before retrieving the current task from the task queue when both the first robotic arm and the centering station in the material handling area are idle, the method further includes: Create multiple processing tasks corresponding to the number of wafers to be processed; Add multiple tasks to be processed to the task queue.

[0008] In one embodiment, executing the current task using a first task executor includes: If the first process station is idle, the first task executor is used to control the second robotic arm to take the wafer to be processed from the transfer station and transfer it to the first process station. After the current wafer to be processed is completed at the first process station, the second robotic arm is controlled to transfer the current wafer to the next process station until all processes of the current wafer to be processed are completed.

[0009] In one embodiment, executing the current task using a first task executor includes: The first task executor of the current task to be processed is used to execute the current task to be processed according to the load status of the similar process stations in each process station.

[0010] In one embodiment, the method further includes: Using the first task executor of the current task to be processed, after the current wafer to be processed is processed, control the second robotic arm to transfer the processed current wafer to the transfer station; Control the first robotic arm to pick up the currently processed wafer from the transfer station.

[0011] In one embodiment, the method further includes: If a process abnormality or equipment failure is detected in the current process station where the wafer to be processed is located in the processing area during the execution of the current processing task, the current processing task will be paused.

[0012] In one embodiment, the method further includes: Obtain the task progress of each task in the task queue; Update the status of the wafer corresponding to each task to be processed based on the task progress of each task to be processed.

[0013] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a wafer task scheduling and execution apparatus, comprising: The first picking module is used to pick up the current task to be processed from the task queue when the first robotic arm and the centering station in the picking area are both in an idle state. The placement module is used to control the first robotic arm to place the current wafer to be processed corresponding to the current task to be processed in the centering station, and after centering in the centering station, to transfer the current wafer to be processed from the centering station to the transfer station in the processing area. The execution module is used to execute the current task to be processed by the first task executor of the current task to be processed, so as to control the second robotic arm of the processing area to pick up the current wafer to be processed from the transfer station and place it in each process station of the processing area for processing in sequence; The second retrieval module is used to retrieve subsequent tasks from the task queue when the first robotic arm and the centering station are idle again, so as to trigger the second task executor that uses the subsequent task to execute the subsequent task.

[0014] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a controller, including: a processor, a storage medium, and a bus. The storage medium stores program instructions executable by the processor. When the controller is running, the processor communicates with the storage medium via the bus, and the processor executes the program instructions to implement the wafer task scheduling and execution method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0015] Fourthly, this application provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, which includes: a controller, a first robotic arm disposed in a material handling area, a centering station disposed in the material handling area, a second robotic arm disposed in a processing area, a transfer station disposed in the processing area, and a plurality of process stations; the first robotic arm, the centering station, the second robotic arm, the transfer station, and the plurality of process stations are all connected to the controller; the controller is used to execute the wafer task scheduling execution method described in any embodiment.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this application are: it provides a wafer task scheduling and execution method, wherein the task executor allocates tasks according to the load of similar process stations, which can avoid congestion in a single station and realize the synchronous processing of multiple wafers in the same process stage. Furthermore, the second robotic arm can deliver different wafers to different process stations, realizing a parallel state where multiple wafers are processed synchronously in different process stages, significantly improving the overall equipment utilization rate and shortening the batch wafer processing time. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor processing equipment provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 2 This is one of the flowcharts illustrating the wafer task scheduling and execution method provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 3 A second schematic flowchart of the wafer task scheduling and execution method provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 The third flowchart illustrating the wafer task scheduling and execution method provided in this application embodiment; Figure 5 The fourth flowchart illustrating the wafer task scheduling and execution method provided in this application embodiment; Figure 6 The execution flowchart of the task scheduler and task executor provided in this application; Figure 7 A schematic diagram of the overall process of the wafer task scheduling and execution method provided in this application; Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer task scheduling and execution device provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 9This is a schematic diagram of the controller provided in an embodiment of this application. Detailed Implementation

[0019] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are some embodiments of this application, but not all embodiments.

[0020] Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiments of this application provided in the accompanying drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the claimed application, but merely to illustrate selected embodiments of the application. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of this application without inventive effort are within the scope of protection of this application.

[0021] In the description of this application, it should be noted that if the terms "upper", "lower", etc. appear to indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, or the orientation or positional relationship that the product of this application is usually placed in, it is only for the convenience of describing this application and simplifying the description, and does not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this application.

[0022] Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," etc., used in the specification, claims, and accompanying drawings of this application are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. It should be understood that such data can be interchanged where appropriate so that the embodiments of this application described herein can be implemented in orders other than those illustrated or described herein. Additionally, the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion; for example, a process, method, system, product, or apparatus that comprises a series of steps or units is not necessarily limited to those steps or units explicitly listed, but may include other steps or units not explicitly listed or inherent to such processes, methods, products, or apparatus.

[0023] In the description of this application, it should also be noted that, unless otherwise expressly specified and limited, the terms "set" and "connection" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal communication between two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this application according to the specific circumstances.

[0024] It should be noted that, where there is no conflict, the features in the embodiments of this application can be combined with each other.

[0025] First, this application provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, which is divided into a material handling area and a processing area. Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the semiconductor processing equipment provided in the embodiments of this application, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the semiconductor processing equipment includes a controller (not shown in the figure), a first robotic arm located in the material picking area, an alignment station (ALG) located in the material picking area, a second robotic arm located in the processing area, a transfer station (TRS) located in the processing area, and multiple process stations.

[0026] The system includes multiple process stations, such as a Low Temperature Hot Plate Process Station (LHP), a Coat Process Station (COT), a Develop Process Station (DEV), and a Chill Plate Process Station (CPL). The execution sequence of these process stations is: Coat Process Station – Low Temperature Hot Plate Process Station – Develop Process Station – Chill Plate Process Station. The processing parameters of these multiple process stations can be dynamically adjusted according to different process requirements.

[0027] The first robotic arm, the alignment station, the second robotic arm, the conveying station, and multiple process stations are all connected to the controller. The first robotic arm, the alignment station, the second robotic arm, the conveying station, and multiple process stations are all controlled by the controller to realize automated processing of wafers from material picking and alignment to each process stage.

[0028] It should be noted that there is no limit to the number of first robotic arms, second robotic arms, and similar process stations. Semiconductor processing equipment supports the configuration of multiple first robotic arms, multiple second robotic arms, and multiple similar process stations. By having multiple robotic arms perform wafer gripping and placement operations in parallel, combined with the synchronous processing capabilities of similar process stations, parallel processing of multiple wafers using the same process can be achieved, significantly improving production efficiency.

[0029] The first and second robotic arms move in a directional manner along a preset fixed guide rail (or motion channel). The movement trajectory is precise and controllable, avoiding interference with other equipment components. Furthermore, the first and second robotic arms adopt a collaborative working mode, and the path planning algorithm avoids motion interference between the first and second robotic arms.

[0030] Based on this, the controller is used to execute a wafer task scheduling execution method. The following, in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, provides specific examples of the wafer task scheduling execution method provided in this application.

[0031] Figure 2 This is one of the flowcharts illustrating the wafer task scheduling and execution method provided in the embodiments of this application, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the method includes: S101. When both the first robotic arm and the centering station in the material handling area are idle, retrieve the current task to be processed from the task queue.

[0032] Combination Figure 1 The semiconductor processing equipment shown in the diagram, when started, the controller creates a corresponding number of processing tasks based on the number of wafers to be processed, and adds the processing tasks to the processing task queue.

[0033] For example, the controller identifies 100 wafers to be processed from 4 hoppers (25 wafers per hopper) in the material picking area, creates an independent processing task for each wafer, and adds the 100 processing tasks to the processing task queue in the order of the hoppers.

[0034] The controller monitors the status of the material picking area in real time. When it detects that the first robotic arm is idle and the centering station is idle, the task scheduler takes out the current task to be processed (corresponding to the first wafer in material box 1) from the queue of tasks to be processed.

[0035] S102. Control the first robotic arm to place the wafer to be processed corresponding to the current processing task in the centering station, and after centering in the centering station, transfer the wafer to be processed from the centering station to the transfer station in the processing area.

[0036] The controller sends a command to the first robotic arm to move to the corresponding compartment of material box 1, pick up the first wafer to be processed, and then the first robotic arm carries the wafer to the alignment station. After detecting that the alignment station is idle, the wafer is placed on the alignment platform. The alignment station starts the calibration program to correct the wafer position deviation. After completion, it sends an alignment completion signal back to the controller and updates the wafer status to alignment completion.

[0037] After receiving the alignment completion signal, the first robotic arm picks up the aligned wafer, moves it to the transfer station 1 in the processing area, places the wafer in the transfer station 1, and then resets to the idle state.

[0038] S103. Using the first task executor of the current task to be processed, execute the current task to be processed, so as to control the second robotic arm in the processing area to take the current wafer to be processed from the transfer station and place it in the processing station in the processing area for processing.

[0039] The first task executor of the current task is selected and executed based on the load of similar process stations in each process station. In other words, the core function of the first task executor is to allocate the wafer to be processed to a lightly loaded station of the same process according to the load balancing principle, so as to avoid some stations being idle and others being congested, and ultimately improve the overall processing efficiency.

[0040] For example, count the number of wafers currently waiting in the queue at each workstation, and combine this with the remaining processing time of the wafers at each workstation (e.g., development workstation 1 needs 20 seconds to complete its current processing), to calculate the time each workstation can take over a new task; use a load priority sorting algorithm to select the most suitable workstation to take over the current task from workstations of the same process, and allocate the wafers to the workstation with the shortest waiting time.

[0041] S104. When the first robotic arm and the centering station are idle again, the subsequent tasks to be processed are taken out from the task queue to trigger the second task executor that uses the subsequent tasks to execute the subsequent tasks.

[0042] When the controller detects that the first robotic arm and the centering station are idle at the same time again, it takes the next task to be processed (corresponding to the second wafer in the material box 1) from the task queue and triggers the second task executor of the task, repeating the process of S102-S103 to achieve multi-task parallel scheduling.

[0043] In summary, this embodiment provides a wafer task scheduling and execution method. The task executor allocates tasks based on the load of similar process stations (e.g., wafer A goes to cooling station 1, wafer B goes to cooling station 2), which can avoid congestion in a single station and achieve synchronous processing of multiple wafers in the same process stage (e.g., combining...). Figure 1 Up to two wafers can be coated with photoresist simultaneously at different photoresist coating stations, seven wafers can undergo low-temperature baking simultaneously, two wafers can undergo development simultaneously, and ten wafers can undergo cooling simultaneously. Furthermore, the second robotic arm can deliver different wafers to different process stations (e.g., wafer A to the photoresist coating station, wafer B to the low-temperature baking station, and wafer C to the development station).

[0044] This embodiment enables multiple wafers to flow synchronously in the material handling area and the processing area, achieving a parallel state in which multiple wafers are processed simultaneously in different process stages, greatly improving the overall utilization rate of the equipment and shortening the processing time of the same batch of wafers.

[0045] Figure 3 This is a second flowchart illustrating the wafer task scheduling and execution method provided in the embodiments of this application, as shown below. Figure 3 As shown, S103 describes using the first task executor of the current task to be processed to execute the current task, including: S201. If the first process station is idle, the first task executor is used to control the second robotic arm to take the wafer to be processed from the transfer station and transfer it to the first process station.

[0046] The first task executor of the current task monitors the status of the second robotic arm and multiple process stations in the processing area. If the first process station (such as the photoresist coating station 1) is idle, it sends an instruction to the second robotic arm to control it to pick up the aligned wafer from the transfer station 1 and transfer it to the photoresist coating station 1.

[0047] S202. After the current wafer to be processed is completed at the first process station, control the second robotic arm to transfer the current wafer to be processed to the next process station until all process steps of the current wafer to be processed are completed.

[0048] After the photoresist coating station 1 completes the processing, it sends a processing completion signal to the first task actuator. The first task actuator then controls the second robotic arm to transfer the wafer from the photoresist coating station 1 to the next process station (such as the idle low-temperature baking station 1).

[0049] Repeat the above logic, transferring the wafer sequentially to the developing station and the cooling station until all process steps are completed, and then updating the wafer status to "processing complete".

[0050] Figure 4 This is the third flowchart illustrating the wafer task scheduling and execution method provided in the embodiments of this application, as shown below. Figure 4 As shown, the method of this application further includes: S301. Using the first task executor of the current task to be processed, after the current wafer to be processed is processed, control the second robotic arm to transfer the processed wafer to the transfer station.

[0051] After the first task actuator of the current task detects that the wafer has completed all processes, it controls the second robotic arm to transfer the processed wafer from the last process station (cooling station) to the transfer station 2 in the processing area.

[0052] S302. Control the first robotic arm to pick up the currently processed wafer from the transfer station.

[0053] The controller sends instructions to the first robotic arm to pick up the processed wafer from the transfer station 2, move it to the corresponding material box in the material picking area, and put the processed wafer back to its original position, thus completing the entire process of the task.

[0054] Optionally, during the execution of the current processing task, if the controller detects a process abnormality or equipment failure in the current process station where the wafer to be processed is located in the processing area (such as an error in the photoresist coating station 1), the current processing task will be paused, the wafer will be marked as "abnormal and pending processing", and an alarm will be triggered to prompt staff to intervene.

[0055] Optionally, when implementing the method of this application, a priority scheduling strategy is adopted to ensure that urgent tasks are executed first. By dividing tasks into priorities and dynamically allocating resources, urgent wafer processing tasks can skip the queue of ordinary tasks and take priority in occupying the resources of robotic arms and process stations, thereby shortening the overall processing cycle of urgent tasks and meeting urgent production needs.

[0056] Figure 5 This is the fourth flowchart illustrating the wafer task scheduling and execution method provided in the embodiments of this application, as shown below. Figure 5 As shown, the method of this application further includes: S401. Obtain the task progress of each task in the task queue.

[0057] The controller acquires the execution node of each task in the queue of tasks to be processed in real time (such as material picking, centering completed, photoresist coating in progress, and processing completed), and records the current progress of each task.

[0058] S402. Update the status of the wafer corresponding to each task to be processed according to the task progress of each task to be processed.

[0059] According to the task progress, the controller synchronously updates the status of the corresponding wafer, such as waiting to be picked up, alignment completed, processing in a certain process, and processing completed, and displays the real-time status of each wafer on the display.

[0060] In summary, the embodiments of this application provide a wafer task scheduling and execution method. Figure 6 The execution flowchart of the task scheduler and task executor provided in this application is as follows: Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the overall process of the wafer task scheduling and execution method provided in this application, as shown below. Figure 7 As shown, this method has the following technical effects: 1. Create a corresponding number of tasks based on the number of wafers in the hopper and add them to the task queue. This breaks the limitation of creating single tasks one by one in the traditional method. It can assign independent processing tasks to multiple wafers at once, forming a parallel task pool.

[0061] 2. After quickly completing the transfer of a single wafer, when the first robotic arm and the centering station are idle again, the subsequent task is immediately retrieved and the second task executor is triggered, forming parallel with the running first task executor (e.g., the first task executor processes wafer 1, and the second task executor starts the material picking-processing process of wafer 2). It can support multi-task parallelism that matches the number of workstations and robotic arm resources of similar processes (e.g., 2 first robotic arms and 5 centering stations can process multiple wafers at the same time).

[0062] 3. The task executor allocates tasks according to the load of similar process stations, which can avoid congestion in a single station and realize the synchronous processing of multiple wafers in the same process stage. For example, up to 2 wafers can be coated with photoresist at different photoresist coating stations at the same time, 7 wafers can be baked at low temperature at the same time, 2 wafers can be developed at the same time, and 10 wafers can be cooled at the same time (the number is only for example).

[0063] 4. The second robotic arm can send different wafers to different process stations (e.g., wafer A to the photoresist coating station, wafer B to the low-temperature baking station, and wafer C to the developing station), realizing the parallel processing of multiple wafers in different process stages, greatly improving the overall utilization rate of the equipment and shortening the processing time of wafers in the same batch.

[0064] The apparatus, device, and storage medium for executing the wafer task scheduling execution method provided in any of the above embodiments of this application will be explained below. The specific implementation process and the resulting technical effects are the same as those in the corresponding method embodiments. For the sake of brevity, the parts not mentioned in the following embodiments can be referred to the corresponding content in the method embodiments.

[0065] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the wafer task scheduling and execution device provided in the embodiments of this application, as shown below. Figure 8 As shown, this application also provides a wafer task scheduling and execution apparatus, comprising: The first picking module 10 is used to retrieve the current task to be processed from the task queue when both the first robotic arm and the centering station in the picking area are idle.

[0066] The placement module 20 is used to control the first robotic arm to place the wafer to be processed corresponding to the current processing task in the centering station, and after centering in the centering station, to transfer the wafer to be processed from the centering station to the transfer station in the processing area.

[0067] The execution module 30 is used to execute the current task to be processed by the first task executor of the current task to be processed, so as to control the second robotic arm of the processing area to pick up the current wafer to be processed from the transfer station and place it in the processing station of the processing area for processing in sequence.

[0068] The second retrieval module 40 is used to retrieve subsequent tasks from the task queue when the first robotic arm and the centering station are idle again, so as to trigger the second task executor that uses the subsequent tasks to execute the subsequent tasks.

[0069] Optionally, the apparatus of this application further includes a task creation module, used to create a corresponding number of processing tasks according to the number of wafers to be processed; and to add the multiple processing tasks to the processing task queue.

[0070] Optionally, the execution module 30 is further configured to, if the first process station in each process station is idle, use the first task executor to control the second robotic arm to take the current wafer to be processed from the transfer station and transfer it to the first process station; after the current wafer to be processed is processed in the first process station, control the second robotic arm to transfer the current wafer to be processed to the next process station until all process steps of the current wafer to be processed are completed.

[0071] Optionally, the execution module 30 is also used to use the first task executor of the current task to be processed to execute the current task to be processed according to the load of the same type of process station in each process station.

[0072] Optionally, the apparatus of this application further includes a control module, which uses a first task actuator for the current task to be processed to control a second robotic arm to transfer the processed current wafer to the transfer station after the current wafer to be processed is completed; and controls the first robotic arm to pick up the processed current wafer from the transfer station.

[0073] Optionally, the apparatus of this application further includes a fault detection module, which is used to suspend the current processing task if a process abnormality or equipment failure is detected in the current process station where the wafer to be processed is located in the processing area during the execution of the current processing task.

[0074] Optionally, the apparatus of this application further includes a status update module, used to obtain the task progress of each task to be processed in the task queue; and update the status of the wafer corresponding to each task to be processed according to the task progress of each task to be processed.

[0075] The above-described device is used to execute the method provided in the foregoing embodiments, and its implementation principle and technical effect are similar, so they will not be described again here.

[0076] These modules can be one or more integrated circuits configured to implement the above methods, such as one or more Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), one or more microprocessors, or one or more Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). Alternatively, when a module is implemented using processing element scheduler code, the processing element can be a general-purpose processor, such as a Central Processing Unit (CPU) or other processor capable of calling program code. Furthermore, these modules can be integrated together as a system-on-a-chip (SOC).

[0077] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of the controller provided in the embodiments of this application, such as... Figure 9 As shown, this application also provides a controller, including a processor 100, a storage medium 200 and a bus 300. The storage medium stores program instructions executable by the processor. When the controller is running, the processor communicates with the storage medium via the bus, and the processor executes the program instructions to implement the wafer task scheduling and execution method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0078] This application also provides a readable storage medium storing program instructions, which, when executed by a processor, implement the wafer fabrication method described in any of the above embodiments.

[0079] In the several embodiments provided in this application, it should be understood that the disclosed apparatus and methods can be implemented in other ways. For example, the apparatus embodiments described above are merely illustrative; for instance, the division of units is only a logical functional division, and in actual implementation, there may be other division methods. For example, multiple units or components may be combined or integrated into another system, or some features may be ignored or not executed. Furthermore, the coupling or direct coupling or communication connection shown or discussed may be through some interfaces; the indirect coupling or communication connection between apparatuses or units may be electrical, mechanical, or other forms.

[0080] The units described as separate components may or may not be physically separate. The components shown as units may or may not be physical units; that is, they may be located in one place or distributed across multiple network units. Some or all of the units can be selected to achieve the purpose of this embodiment according to actual needs.

[0081] Furthermore, the functional units in the various embodiments of this application can be integrated into one processing unit, or each unit can exist physically separately, or two or more units can be integrated into one unit. The integrated unit can be implemented in hardware or in a combination of hardware and software functional units.

[0082] The integrated units implemented as software functional units described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. These software functional units, stored in a storage medium, include several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or network device, etc.) or processor to execute some steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0083] The above are merely specific embodiments of this application, but the scope of protection of this application is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, the scope of protection of this application should be determined by the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A wafer task scheduling and execution method, characterized in that, include: When both the first robotic arm and the centering station in the material handling area are idle, the current task to be processed is retrieved from the task queue. The first robotic arm is controlled to place the wafer to be processed corresponding to the current task to be processed in the centering station, and after centering in the centering station, the wafer to be processed is transferred from the centering station to the transfer station in the processing area. The first task executor of the current task to be processed is used to execute the current task to control the second robotic arm of the processing area to pick up the current wafer to be processed from the transfer station and place it in each process station of the processing area for processing in sequence; When the first robotic arm and the centering station are idle again, a subsequent task to be processed is taken out from the task queue to trigger the second task executor to execute the subsequent task.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When both the first robotic arm and the centering station in the material handling area are idle, before retrieving the current task from the task queue, the method further includes: Create multiple processing tasks corresponding to the number of wafers to be processed; Add multiple tasks to be processed to the task queue.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of using the first task executor of the current task to be processed to execute the current task to be processed includes: If the first process station is idle, the first task executor is used to control the second robotic arm to take the wafer to be processed from the transfer station and transfer it to the first process station. After the current wafer to be processed is completed at the first process station, the second robotic arm is controlled to transfer the current wafer to the next process station until all processes of the current wafer to be processed are completed.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The step of using the first task executor of the current task to be processed to execute the current task to be processed includes: The first task executor of the current task to be processed is used to execute the current task to be processed according to the load status of the similar process stations in each process station.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Using the first task executor of the current task to be processed, after the current wafer to be processed is processed, control the second robotic arm to transfer the processed current wafer to the transfer station; Control the first robotic arm to pick up the currently processed wafer from the transfer station.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: If a process abnormality or equipment failure is detected in the current process station where the wafer to be processed is located in the processing area during the execution of the current processing task, the current processing task will be paused.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the task progress of each task in the task queue; Update the status of the wafer corresponding to each task to be processed based on the task progress of each task to be processed.

8. A wafer task scheduling and execution device, characterized in that, include: The first picking module is used to pick up the current task to be processed from the task queue when the first robotic arm and the centering station in the picking area are both in an idle state. The placement module is used to control the first robotic arm to place the current wafer to be processed corresponding to the current task to be processed in the centering station, and after centering in the centering station, to transfer the current wafer to be processed from the centering station to the transfer station in the processing area. The execution module is used to execute the current task to be processed by the first task executor of the current task to be processed, so as to control the second robotic arm of the processing area to pick up the current wafer to be processed from the transfer station and place it in each process station of the processing area for processing in sequence; The second retrieval module is used to retrieve subsequent tasks from the task queue when the first robotic arm and the centering station are idle again, so as to trigger the second task executor that uses the subsequent task to execute the subsequent task.

9. A controller, characterized in that, include: The system includes a processor, a storage medium, and a bus. The storage medium stores program instructions executable by the processor. When the controller is running, the processor communicates with the storage medium via the bus, and the processor executes the program instructions to implement the wafer task scheduling and execution method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

10. A semiconductor processing apparatus, characterized in that, The semiconductor processing equipment includes: a controller, a first robotic arm located in the material handling area, a centering station located in the material handling area, a second robotic arm located in the processing area, a transfer station located in the processing area, and multiple process stations. The first robotic arm, the centering station, the second robotic arm, the conveying station, and the multiple process stations are all connected to the controller; The controller is used to execute the wafer task scheduling execution method according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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