Progress management system, server, and progress management method

Abstract

An objective of the present invention is to provide a technology with which it is possible to manage the progress of a plurality of evaluations related to production recipe development while considering the evaluation progress degree thereof.　One progress management system according to the present invention is characterized in that a progress management application executes: a step in which an evaluation progress degree, which represents the progress degree for each evaluation relative to all evaluations, is calculated on the basis of an evaluation end time, which is the time at which all evaluations have ended, or on the basis of an application usage order corresponding to the content of each evaluation; a step in which a first specification achievement rate is calculated using the results of each evaluation; and a step in which the state of an evaluation is determined on the basis of the evaluation progress degree and a second specification achievement rate calculated using the first specification achievement rate, wherein the first specification achievement rate is the achievement rate for each evaluation result relative to a processing result specification, and the second specification achievement rate is the specification achievement rate for all evaluations.

Description

Progress management system, server, and progress management method

[0001] The present invention relates to a progress management system, a server, and a progress management method in a manufacturing recipe development process.

[0002] When determining recipe conditions, which are part of process development to achieve the desired performance of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, it is common to manage the progress of development. Typically, multiple items must be evaluated during manufacturing recipe development, and if the evaluations are not performed properly, the progress of development may be delayed. Therefore, progress management is performed, and improvements are made to processes where the development speed is slow.

[0003] As a prior art, Patent Document 1 discloses a progress management system having a master management device for managing process flows, etc., a history management device for managing the history of equipment, etc., and a progress management device for controlling progress. By performing control based on the contents registered in the prohibition master, it becomes possible to deal with prohibited actions in progress. Specifically, Patent Document 1 discloses the following as an invention of a control device and processing system, which aims to check the validity of processing equipment in a process flow when controlling lot progress and creating a process flow in a semiconductor device prototype research line, thereby preventing damage such as equipment contamination and product defects. "In progress management system 100, which has master management device 120 that manages the process flow of lots, history management device 130 that manages the history of lots and equipment, and progress management device 150 that controls progress, a prohibition order is defined as a prohibition master for each level of process, equipment, etc. in master memory unit 142 of master management device 120, and further, processes, equipment, etc. are given attributes (check flags) for checking the order, and check unit 143 performs checks at each level defined in the prohibition master, and if the order matches the order defined in the prohibition master, a message is displayed on display screen 145 to notify the user that there is an error in the process."

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-208889

[0005] The progress management system of Patent Document 1 does not take into account the evaluation progress, which is an index for measuring the progress of evaluation. As a result, it is not possible to identify problems from the evaluation progress state, and even if a problem is found, it is not possible to issue work instructions that address the cause of the problem. An object of the present invention is to provide a technology that takes into account the evaluation progress and can manage the progress of multiple evaluations related to manufacturing recipe development.

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one representative progress management system of the present invention is a progress management system having a platform on which a progress management application for managing the progress of evaluation of processing results by semiconductor manufacturing equipment is implemented, wherein the progress management application executes the following steps: calculating an evaluation progress level indicating the progress of each evaluation for all of the evaluations based on the evaluation end time, which is the time when all of the evaluations are completed, or the order of use of applications corresponding to the content of each of the evaluations; calculating a first specification achievement rate using the results of each of the evaluations; and judging the status of the evaluations based on a second specification achievement rate calculated using the first specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress level; wherein the first specification achievement rate is the achievement rate in the results of each of the evaluations for the specifications of the processing results, and the second specification achievement rate is the achievement rate of the specification in all of the evaluations.

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a technology that can manage the progress of multiple evaluations related to manufacturing recipe development, taking into account the evaluation progress. Problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment of the invention.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a progress management system. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a visualization tool or a data analysis application server. FIG. 3 is a flowchart schematically showing the process of multiple evaluations performed in manufacturing recipe development. FIG. 4 is a frequency distribution diagram of multiple evaluations performed in the manufacturing recipe development process. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a progress management graph. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI of the progress management system. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a GUI of the progress management system. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing of the visualization tool or the data analysis application server.

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the present invention is not limited to the embodiment. In addition, in the description of the drawings, the same parts are designated by the same reference numerals.

[0010] In this disclosure, a "private environment" refers to a network in which devices within a specified range can communicate with each other, but devices within the specified range cannot communicate with devices outside the specified range. For example, a "private environment at site A" refers to a network in which communication is possible within site A, but not with sites other than site A. A "public environment" refers to a network in which communication is not restricted. For example, a "public environment at site A" refers to a network in which devices within site A can communicate with each other and with devices within sites other than site A. A "manufacturing line equipment group" refers to multiple devices that form a manufacturing line. In the case of a semiconductor manufacturing line, this includes at least one of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, semiconductor inspection equipment, and semiconductor measurement equipment. A "PC" is not limited to a personal computer and also includes a server as a so-called computer (processing device). An "application" refers to a program executed on a PC. In this disclosure, it is also referred to as an "app."

[0011] As will be described later, the progress management system of the present disclosure includes a group of devices including manufacturing devices, and a server (visualization tool or data analysis application server 183) that is installed with software for managing the progress of multiple evaluations related to manufacturing recipe development and that stores information on the usage status of human resources and mechanical resources allocated to the multiple evaluations. Specific details will be described below.

[0012] The configuration of the progress management system will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the progress management system. The progress management system 1 manages the progress of manufacturing recipe development when the development of the manufacturing recipe is carried out between multiple bases. The progress management system 1 includes a group of devices including manufacturing devices and an integrated platform, which will be described later, and therefore can also be said to be an important device data integration system in manufacturing.

[0013] (Configuration of the Progress Management System) The progress management system 1 includes bases A to C, the Internet 154, the Internet 164, the Internet 174, a cloud server 180, a remote monitor 182, a visualization tool or data analysis application server 183 (hereinafter simply referred to as "server 183"), and an inter-base shared cloud environment 184. The inter-base shared cloud environment 184 can also be referred to as a platform on which a progress management application is implemented for managing the progress of evaluation of processing results by semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Of the platform, server 183 in particular executes the progress management application and manages the progress of evaluation of processing results by semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Note that the platform is not limited to being configured by hardware, and an environment in which the application can be executed may be configured as a cloud environment.

[0014] Base A includes a private environment 155 of base A and a public environment 156 of base A. The private environment 155 of base A includes a server A 150 and a group of manufacturing line devices A 151. The public environment 156 of base A includes a server A' 152 and a PC A 153. Base A forms a communication network including the group of devices and a processing device that manages data, and base A may be referred to as an integrated platform A.

[0015] Similarly, base B includes a private environment 165 of base B and a public environment 166 of base B. The private environment 165 of base B includes a server B 160 and a group of manufacturing line devices B 161. The public environment 166 of base B includes a server B' 162 and a PCB 163. Base B forms a communication network including the group of devices and a processing device that manages data, and base B may be referred to as an integrated platform B.

[0016] Similarly, base C includes a private environment 175 of base C and a public environment 176 of base C. The private environment 175 of base C includes a server C 170 and a manufacturing line equipment group C 171. The public environment 176 of base C includes a server C' 172 and a PCC 176. Base C forms a communication network including the equipment group and a processing device that manages data, and base C may be referred to as an integrated platform A.

[0017] Note that Server A 150 and Server A' 152 indicate servers at base A. Server B 160 and Server B' 162 indicate servers at base B, and Server C 170 and Server C' 172 indicate servers at base C. The notation "A" or "A'" indicates the included base, and when no distinction is made between bases, they may simply be referred to as "servers." The same notation as for servers is also used for other PCs and manufacturing line devices.

[0018] (Processing in the Progress Management System) In the private environment 155 of site A, the manufacturing line equipment group A151 executes the manufacturing process based on the input manufacturing recipe. For example, in the manufacturing line equipment group A151, instruction values ​​indicated in the manufacturing recipe are transmitted to each device in the manufacturing line equipment group A151, and manufacturing processing is performed. The processed manufacturing recipe is stored in the server A150.

[0019] The object that has undergone the manufacturing process is transported to an inspection device, an analysis device, or an analytical device included in the manufacturing line equipment group A151, and predetermined measurements are performed based on each measurement recipe input into the manufacturing line equipment group A151. The measurement results are stored in the server A150.

[0020] The PCA 153 determines whether data including recipes and measurement results input to the production line equipment group A 151 can be accessed and defines the data flow (data path settings). The PCA 153 defines publicly permitted data, which is data that is permitted to be communicated (accessible) from other locations other than the site A, and publicly prohibited data, which is data that is prohibited from being communicated (access prohibited) from other locations. For example, publicly permitted data that can be sent outside the site A is stored in the server A' 152. The server A 150 also manages the publicly permitted data and publicly prohibited data separately. As a specific management method, the data may be divided into categories or levels in the database of the server A 150, which will be described later. The publicly permitted data is stored in the cloud server 180 via the Internet 154.

[0021] Bases B and C have the same configuration as base A. Server B160, manufacturing line equipment group B161, server B'162, and PCB163 at base B correspond to server A150, manufacturing line equipment group A151, server A'152, and PCA153 at base A, respectively. Server C170, manufacturing line equipment group C171, server C'172, and PCC173 at base C correspond to server A150, manufacturing line equipment group A151, server A'152, and PCA153 at base A, respectively.

[0022] The visualization tool or data analysis application server 183 is a processing device such as a server that executes a visualization tool or a data analysis application, which is software (hereinafter simply referred to as "software"). The server 183 is located in the inter-site shared cloud environment 184 and communicates with servers at sites A to C via the inter-site shared cloud environment 184 and the Internet 154 and the Internet 174. The server 183 visualizes and analyzes data acquired at each site. The visualized results can be displayed on a remote monitor 182, for example.

[0023] The progress management system 1 has a server 183 in an inter-site cloud environment, and the progress status based on the data permitted for disclosure at each site is visualized by a remote monitor 182. Therefore, the progress management system 1 makes it possible to manage the progress of each site cooperating in development in manufacturing recipe development.

[0024] (Configuration of Visualization Tool or Data Analysis Application Server 183) FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the visualization tool or data analysis application server 183. The server 183 has a bus 1830, a processor 1831, a memory 1832, a storage device 1833, an input / output device 1834, and a communication interface 1835. The processor 1831, the memory 1832, the storage device 1833, the input / output device 1834, and the communication interface 1835 are each connected to the bus 1830 and communicate information via the bus 1830. The processor 1831 processes acquired information. The memory 1832 stores processing instructions to be executed by the processor 1831. The memory 1832 may include a random access memory (RAM) or other dynamic storage device, a read-only memory (ROM) or other static storage device, and the like, used for storing temporary variables or other intermediate information during execution of instructions executed by the processor 1831. The processor 1831 executes processing instructions contained in the memory 1832, thereby enabling the processor 1831 to function as a visualization tool or a data analysis application server 183, which will be described later.

[0025] The storage device 1833 is used to store information and instructions and is composed of, for example, a magnetic disk or an optical disk. The storage device 1833 may also be a database (hereinafter also referred to as a "DB") that stores instructions. The input / output device 1834 includes a display device that displays information to the user and an input device that transmits information and command selections made by the user to the processor 1831. For example, the display device is a display, and the input device is a mouse and keyboard. The communication interface 1835 enables two-way communication via a network. Through the communication interface 1835, the server 183 can obtain information from server A' 152, server B', and server C' 172.

[0026] In the present disclosure, the memory 1832 stores an app n (n is an integer) for measuring the progress of the evaluation in addition to the visualization tool and data analysis application. Other applications may also be stored in the memory 1832. The input / output device 1834 functions as a GUI (graphical user interface). As described below, it is also possible to present visualized data to the user and accept user instructions. The input / output device 1834 may display GUI functions to the user via the remote monitor 182. The storage device 1833 may also include a database for acquiring information (disclosure-permitted data) acquired from the server A' 152, server B', and server C' 172, which will be described later. The database may also include an application database (app DB) for storing data for each application.

[0027] Although the configuration of server 183 has been described, the present disclosure is not limited to this configuration. Server 183 may be configured with other hardware circuits or a combination of hardware circuits and software. In addition, server A150, server A'152, PCA153, server B160, server B'162, PCB163, server C170, server C'172, and PCC173 may also have a configuration similar to server 183.

[0028] Next, with reference to Figure 3, we will explain the specification achievement rate, which is one index of progress management of evaluations in recipe condition setting, which is process development for obtaining desired performance of semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing a schematic diagram of multiple evaluation steps performed in manufacturing recipe development. Note that when the manufacturing recipe development is for a semiconductor device manufacturing recipe, the multiple evaluations are evaluations for confirming the performance of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, such as etching rate measurement, CD measurement, and cross-sectional observation of the etching shape.

[0029] The development of a manufacturing recipe includes multiple evaluation processes, and among the evaluations, there are multiple evaluations that flow in series (performed one evaluation at a time). For example, as shown in FIG. 3A, evaluation 1 is performed first, followed by evaluation 2, followed by evaluation 3, evaluation 4, and evaluation 5. Note that while FIG. 3 shows a case in which there are five evaluation processes, from evaluation 1 to evaluation 5, the number of evaluations is not limited to five. In the following description, evaluations will be expressed as evaluation n (n is an integer from 1 to 5).

[0030] In the progress management system 1, as shown in FIG. 3( b), an application corresponding to the evaluation is used to detect the status of each evaluation. For example, for evaluation n, the evaluation status is detected using application n. Furthermore, since manufacturing recipe development is typically a demo development requested by a customer, and there may be specifications provided by the customer for each evaluation (e.g., specifications for evaluation 1, specifications for evaluation 2, etc.), the progress management system 1 calculates the achievement rate for the specifications (spec achievement rate) for each evaluation, as shown in FIG. 3( c). Note that the application can be executed, for example, on the server 183.

[0031] The specification achievement rate for evaluation n (hereinafter referred to as "spec n achievement rate") is calculated according to the following formula (1).

[0032] Here, assuming that all evaluations have the same weight, the evaluation progress is calculated according to the following formula (2). In formula (2), the evaluation progress up to 50% of evaluation n is calculated as the "50% evaluation progress of application n." Note that the total number of evaluation items (number of multiple evaluations) is set to Z, and the evaluation progress is set to 100 when all evaluations are completed.

[0033] The 50% evaluation progress of application n shown by formula (2) is the evaluation progress up to 50% for evaluation n. In the calculation shown in Example 4 described below, if the achievement rate of spec n has not reached 100, the value of formula (2) is used as the evaluation progress of evaluation n. Also, if the achievement rate of spec n has reached 100 and the achievement rate of spec n+1 has not reached 100, the value of formula (3) below is used as the evaluation progress of evaluation n.

[0034] Next, referring to FIG. 4, a case where evaluations are performed simultaneously will be described. FIG. 4 is a frequency distribution diagram of multiple evaluations performed in the manufacturing recipe development process. In this embodiment, the frequency distribution diagram is a normal distribution diagram. While FIG. 3 shows a case where each evaluation is performed in series with the same weight, as shown in FIG. 4, the weights may be different (FIG. 4 shows a case where the frequencies are different), and another evaluation may be performed at the same time. This situation is thought to occur, for example, when moving on to the next evaluation, but the previous evaluation is performed again because there is a possibility that the specifications of the previous evaluation may be affected.

[0035] When the start time of evaluation n is tns, the end time of evaluation n is tne, and the end time of evaluation is tE, the evaluation progress degree is calculated according to the following formula (4). The 50% evaluation progress of application n shown by formula (4) is the evaluation progress up to 50% for evaluation n. In the calculation shown in Example 4 described below, if the achievement rate of specification n has not reached 100, the value of formula (4) is used as the evaluation progress of evaluation n. Furthermore, if the achievement rate of specification n has reached 100 and the achievement rate of specification n+1 has not reached 100, the evaluation progress of application n shown in formula (5) below is used.

[0036] Furthermore, when calculating the evaluation progress in more detail, the relational expression between the application usage frequency and the evaluation time for each evaluation can be obtained, the evaluation time tr can be calculated from the application usage frequency, and a more accurate evaluation progress of app n can be obtained using the calculation method shown in the following formula (6).

[0037] Next, a method for determining the progress of the entire evaluation will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a progress management graph.

[0038] When managing the progress of manufacturing recipe development, it is necessary to judge progress based on the spec achievement rate across multiple evaluations, rather than the spec achievement rate for each evaluation. The formula for calculating the spec achievement rate across all evaluations is given by the following formula (7):

[0039] FIG. 5( a) is a diagram plotting a correspondence graph between the evaluation progress calculated in Examples 2 and 3 and the specification achievement rate. The correspondence graph in FIG. 5( a) may be based on either estimated values ​​or actual measurements. FIG. 5( b) is a diagram showing estimated values ​​of the specification achievement rate. In FIG. 5( b), a straight line is shown connecting the point where the specification achievement rate is 100% for the required deadline G and the point where the specification achievement rate is 0% at time 0. In FIG. 5( b), the horizontal axis is time, but by substituting FIG. 5( a) with the evaluation progress rate of 100% for the deadline G, a correspondence graph between the evaluation progress and the specification achievement rate based on estimated values ​​can be obtained.

[0040] In Figure 5, the actual measurement point at the current time is plotted, and the specification achievement rate b at time ta (Figure 5(b)) and the specification achievement rate b at evaluation progress level a (Figure 5(a)) are shown. Note that Figure 4(b) is more practical than Figure 4(a) because it allows calculation of the time delay relative to the deadline.

[0041] The following shows the calculation formulas for the current specification achievement rate delay and the time delay relative to the current deadline, using Figure 5. Note that when deriving formulas (8) and (9), it is assumed that the specification achievement rate is achieved in proportion to time.

[0042]

[0043] Next, visualization of the analyzed data will be described with reference to Figures 6 and 7. Figures 6 and 7 are diagrams showing an example of a GUI for the progress management system. Figures 6 and 7 show display screens of the GUI in particular, which can be displayed on the input / output device 1834 of the server 183 and the remote monitor 182.

[0044] The server 183 visualizes a graph with the spec n achievement rate, evaluation progress, and spec achievement rate of each evaluation calculated in Examples 1 to 4 on the vertical axis, and time and evaluation progress on the horizontal axis. These data are output from the server 183, and are accessed in real time from the application DB of the server 183 and reflected on the data on the graph, so the graph is updated in real time. It is also possible to link with DBs for parts management, equipment management, and other applications to graph the shortage status of parts and the availability of equipment, and similarly visualize them in real time.

[0045] If, as a result of analyzing the evaluation progress and specification achievement rate, it is found that the evaluation progress and specification achievement rate, as shown in Figure 5, have not been achieved, the server 183 will identify the problem and display it on the GUI shown in Figure 6. To determine the cause of the problem, the server 183 will determine the evaluation stage based on the current time, compare it with the progress history and application log data to determine the cause of the problem, and display it on the GUI. In addition, to resolve the cause, the server 183 will compare it with the availability of personnel, parts, and equipment, review resource allocation, and display it on the GUI as an instruction to allocate resources to the delayed parts.

[0046] The graph display unit 200 includes, for example, a graph that visualizes the data that has been permitted to be made public. The server 183 displays data stored in the application DB of the server 183 or data acquired from the cloud server 180 in the form of a graph or the like. The evaluation stage display unit 201 displays information related to the evaluation stage, specifically, the evaluation progress, the specification achievement rate, and the status of the project. The cause display unit 202 displays information related to cause resolution, including the content of the problem, the cause of the problem, and instructions for resolving the problem.

[0047] In addition, the process from identifying the problem to extracting the cause and issuing instructions is stored in the database of the storage device 1833, and once the database is complete, machine learning can be used to train the combinations of data in this database, making it possible to use AI to manage progress, extract problems, and display instructions on the GUI.

[0048] In the progress management system 1, it is conceivable that a user such as a manager in charge of progress management monitors the GUI and gives instructions according to the GUI. Furthermore, it is also possible for the server 183 to transfer the instruction portion to a PC at the site where the problem is occurring, and to give instructions directly to the site.

[0049] Furthermore, let us assume that three projects are being developed in parallel for manufacturing recipe development. Furthermore, by plotting the current status of each project on the graph of Fig. 5 using the server 183, it becomes possible to compare the progress between the projects, as shown in Fig. 7. This allows us to grasp in detail what is hindering the progress of the projects from the differences between delayed and advanced projects.

[0050] The correspondence graph display section 203 shows a correspondence graph in which the evaluation progress and specification achievement rate are plotted for each project. For example, it is possible to display project A as a black circle, project B as a triangle, and project C as a white circle on the correspondence graph. The cause display section 204 shows the results of progress management for each project, and includes information on the evaluation progress, specification achievement rate, project status, problems, causes, and instructions based on an analysis of the cause.

[0051] Next, the processing of the server 183 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing of the visualization tool or data analysis application server 183.

[0052] In step S1, the server 183 converts an evaluation end time, which is the time when the evaluation of the final step among the multiple evaluations related to the manufacturing recipe development, into a reference numerical value. In the present disclosure, the conversion of the reference numerical value corresponds to setting the end time tne for each evaluation n included in the multiple evaluations, just as the start time tns, the end time tne, and the evaluation end time tE of the evaluation n are set in the derivation of Equation (4).

[0053] Next, in step S2, the server 183 calculates a desired evaluation progress time for each evaluation content as an evaluation progress value based on the order of use of the applications corresponding to the evaluation content of the multiple evaluations and the reference numerical value. In other words, the server 183 calculates an evaluation progress level indicating the progress of each evaluation for all evaluations based on the evaluation end time, which is the time when all evaluations are completed, or the order of use of the applications corresponding to the content of each evaluation. The evaluation progress level is calculated using the start time, end time, and evaluation end time of each evaluation. The evaluation progress level is a value obtained by dividing the time of each evaluation calculated using the application usage frequency by the evaluation end time. In the present disclosure, the 50% evaluation progress level of app n shown in formula (2) or the evaluation progress level of app n shown in formula (3) corresponds to the evaluation progress level.

[0054] Next, in step S3, the server 183 calculates the ratio of the evaluation progress value to the reference value as the evaluation progress degree. In other words, the server 183 uses the results of each evaluation to calculate the achievement rate (first specification achievement rate) for each evaluation result relative to the specifications of the processing result. In the present disclosure, the 50% evaluation achievement degree of app n shown in formula (4) and the evaluation progress degree of app n shown in formula (5) are calculated. Furthermore, the evaluation progress degree can also be calculated from the relationship between the evaluation time and the frequency of use of the app by creating a relational expression between the evaluation time and the frequency of use of the app in advance, calculating the evaluation time backward from the frequency of the application, and calculating the evaluation progress degree from the relationship between the reference value and the evaluation time. In the present disclosure, the relational expression for the frequency of use of the app can be expressed as formula (6).

[0055] Next, in step S4, the server 183 calculates the specification achievement rate by dividing the current specification calculated by the application by the required specification. In the present disclosure, the specification achievement rate shown in Equation (1) is calculated.

[0056] Next, in step S5, the server 183 calculates a revised evaluation progress rate (second specification achievement rate) from the evaluation progress rate and the specification achievement rate. The second specification achievement rate is calculated using the first specification achievement rate and is the specification achievement rate for all evaluations. The second specification achievement rate is also the sum of the first specification achievement rates divided by the number of all evaluations. In the present disclosure, the specification achievement rate shown in formula (7) is calculated.

[0057] Next, in step S6, the server 183 determines the state of the evaluation based on the second specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress rate. In the present disclosure, the server 183 determines the state of the evaluation based on the revised evaluation progress rate and the specification achievement rate.

[0058] Next, in step S7, the server 183 extracts a delay in progress as a problem from the evaluation status. In the present disclosure, the current specification achievement rate delay shown in formula (8) and the time delay with respect to the current deadline shown in formula (9) are calculated. The server 183 also identifies the cause from the correlation between the specification history for each evaluation content and the usage history of the device used in the evaluation and the problem.

[0059] Next, in step S8, the server 183 calculates the surplus of human resources and mechanical resources, identifies tasks whose causes can be resolved by allocating the surplus to human resources and mechanical resources, and displays the tasks on the GUI. In other words, the server 183 displays a graph on the GUI with the second specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress on two axes, and another graph with the second specification achievement rate and the evaluation time on two axes. Furthermore, if a delay in evaluation progress is extracted as a problem from the evaluation status, the server 183 displays on the GUI tasks that resolve the problem by allocating the calculated surplus of human resources (human resources allocated to evaluation) and the calculated surplus of mechanical resources (resources of equipment used for evaluation) to human resources and mechanical resources, respectively. In the present disclosure, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the cause identified in step S7 and instructions regarding the allocation of the surplus are displayed to the user as instructions.

[0060] The server 183 may store a combination of data on problems in the evaluation progress, causes of the problems, and instructions corresponding to the causes of the problems in a database, and perform machine learning using the combination data as a data set. This makes it possible to improve the accuracy of surplus allocation and instructions to users.

[0061] In step S8, progress may be managed by providing a means for visualizing the evaluation progress, the specification achievement rate, and the status of the project related to the manufacturing recipe development. In the present disclosure, the graph display unit 200 in Fig. 6 may include a graph of the specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress, and a graph plotting the current position of the project.

[0062] In step S8, it is also possible to graph the specification achievement rate and evaluation time, and plot the current project location and evaluation deadline on the graph. In addition, the GUI may have a display function that allows comparison of the specification achievement rate and evaluation progress of multiple projects at multiple locations, the project status, progress problems, and the causes of the problems. In the present disclosure, as shown in the correspondence graph display section 203 of FIG. 7, the deadline G is plotted, and the current locations of projects A to C are plotted.

[0063] (Actions and Effects) As described above, the present disclosure provides a technology that can manage the progress of multiple evaluations related to manufacturing recipe development, taking into account the evaluation progress. While conventional technology has made it difficult to create indicators for measuring development progress, the present disclosure introduces evaluation achievement and specification achievement rates, making it possible to manage evaluation progress. Furthermore, it is possible to identify problems and their causes derived from the evaluation status and to provide work instructions corresponding to the causes of the identified problems, thereby enabling efficient demo evaluation and development.

[0064] While the above describes an embodiment of the present invention, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, a PC (PCA 153, PCB 163, PCB 173) is used in the progress management system 1. However, a virtual area, server, or mobile terminal may be used instead of the PC terminal. Furthermore, while the communication method is primarily assumed to be SMB (Server Message Block) communication, it is not limited to SMB communication and may also be FTP (File Transfer Protocol) communication or NFS (Network File System) communication. Furthermore, a PC may be used instead of the remote monitor 182, and similar effects may be achieved.

[0065] Furthermore, although the above embodiments have been described in the case of a group of manufacturing line equipment, the same effects can be achieved when the progress management system is applied to equipment that performs work involving evaluation.

[0066] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the gist of the present invention.

[0067] The following are examples of aspects that may be included in the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to these. (Aspect 1) A progress management system including a platform on which a progress management application for managing the progress of evaluations of processing results obtained by semiconductor manufacturing equipment is implemented, wherein the progress management application executes the following steps: calculating an evaluation progress level indicating the progress of each evaluation for all of the evaluations based on an evaluation end time, which is the time when all of the evaluations are completed, or the order of use of applications corresponding to the content of each of the evaluations; calculating a first specification achievement rate using the results of each of the evaluations; and determining the status of the evaluations based on a second specification achievement rate calculated using the first specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress level, wherein the first specification achievement rate is the achievement rate in the results of each of the evaluations for the specifications of the processing results, and the second specification achievement rate is the achievement rate of the specifications for all of the evaluations. (Aspect 2) The progress management system according to Aspect 1, wherein the evaluation progress level is calculated using the start time, end time, and evaluation end time of each of the evaluations. (Aspect 3) The progress management system according to Aspect 1 or Aspect 2, wherein the evaluation progress degree is a value obtained by dividing the time of each evaluation calculated using the frequency of use of the application by the evaluation end time. (Aspect 4) The progress management system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 3, wherein a graph having the second specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress degree on two axes, or a graph having the second specification achievement rate and the time of the evaluation on two axes, is displayed on a GUI.(Aspect 5) The progress management system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein, when a delay in the progress of the evaluation is extracted as a problem from the status of the evaluation, a GUI displays an operation to solve the problem by allocating a calculated surplus of human resources and a calculated surplus of mechanical resources to the human resources and the mechanical resources, respectively, wherein the human resources are the human resources allocated to the evaluation, and the mechanical resources are the resources of the equipment used for the evaluation. (Aspect 6) The progress management system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 5, wherein machine learning is performed using a dataset of combined data of problems in the progress of the evaluation, causes of the problems, and instructions corresponding to the causes of the problems. (Aspect 7) The progress management system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 6, wherein the second specification achievement rate is a value obtained by dividing the sum of the first specification achievement rates by the number of all the evaluations. (Aspect 8) The progress management system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 7, wherein the platform is a server. (Aspect 9) The progress management system according to any one of aspects 1 to 8, wherein the evaluation is an etching rate measurement.(Aspect 10) A server having a progress management application implemented therein for managing the progress of evaluation of processing results by semiconductor manufacturing equipment, wherein the progress management application executes the following steps: calculating an evaluation progress indicating the progress of each evaluation for all of the evaluations based on an evaluation end time, which is the time when all of the evaluations are completed, or the order of use of applications corresponding to the content of each of the evaluations; calculating a first specification achievement rate using the results of each of the evaluations; and judging the status of the evaluations based on a second specification achievement rate calculated using the first specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress rate; wherein the first specification achievement rate is the achievement rate in the results of each of the evaluations for the specifications of the processing results, and the second specification achievement rate is the achievement rate of the specifications in all of the evaluations. (Aspect 11) A progress management method for managing the progress of evaluation of processing results by semiconductor manufacturing equipment, comprising the steps of: calculating an evaluation progress level indicating the progress of each of the evaluations for all of the evaluations based on an evaluation end time, which is the time when all of the evaluations are completed, or the order of use of applications corresponding to the content of each of the evaluations; calculating a first specification achievement rate using the results of each of the evaluations; and judging the state of the evaluations based on a second specification achievement rate calculated using the first specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress level, wherein the first specification achievement rate is the achievement rate in the results of each of the evaluations for the specifications of the processing results, and the second specification achievement rate is the achievement rate of the specifications in all of the evaluations.

[0068] 150: Server A, 151: Manufacturing line equipment group A, 152: Server A', 153: PCA, 154: Internet, 155: Private environment of base A, 156: Public environment of base A, 160: Server B, 161: Manufacturing line equipment group B, 162: Server B', 163: PCB, 164: Internet, 165: Private environment of base B, 166: Public environment of base B, 170: Server C, 171: Manufacturing line equipment group C, 172: Server C', 173: PCC', 174: Internet , 175: Private environment of base C, 176: Public environment of base C, 180: Cloud server, 182: Remote monitor, 183: Visualization tool or data analysis application server, 184: Cloud environment shared between bases, 200: Graph display unit, 201: Evaluation stage display unit, 202: Cause display unit, 203: Correspondence graph display unit, 204: Cause display unit, 1830: Bus, 1831: Processor, 1832: Memory, 1833: Storage device, 1834: Input / output device, 1835: Communication interface

Claims

1. A progress management system having a platform on which a progress management application for managing the progress of evaluation of processing results by semiconductor manufacturing equipment is implemented, wherein the progress management application executes the following steps: calculating an evaluation progress level indicating the progress of each evaluation for all of the evaluations based on the evaluation end time, which is the time when all of the evaluations are completed, or the order of use of applications corresponding to the content of each of the evaluations; calculating a first specification achievement rate using the results of each of the evaluations; and judging the status of the evaluations based on a second specification achievement rate calculated using the first specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress level; wherein the first specification achievement rate is the achievement rate in the results of each of the evaluations for the specifications of the processing results, and the second specification achievement rate is the achievement rate of the specifications in all of the evaluations.

2. A progress management system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation progress level is calculated using the start time of each evaluation and the end time of each evaluation.

3. A progress management system according to claim 1, characterized in that the evaluation progress level is a value obtained by dividing the time of each evaluation calculated using the frequency of use of the application by the evaluation end time.

4. A progress management system as described in claim 1, characterized in that a graph with the second specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress on two axes, or a graph with the second specification achievement rate and the evaluation time on two axes, is displayed on the GUI.

5. A progress management system as described in claim 1, wherein, when a delay in the progress of the evaluation is extracted as a problem from the status of the evaluation, a calculated surplus of human resources and a calculated surplus of mechanical resources are allocated to the human resources and the mechanical resources, respectively, thereby displaying work to solve the problem on a GUI, wherein the human resources are human resources allocated to the evaluation, and the mechanical resources are resources of equipment used in the evaluation.

6. A progress management system as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that machine learning is performed using a dataset of combined data of problems in the progress of the evaluation, causes of the problems, and instructions corresponding to the causes of the problems.

7. A progress management system according to claim 1, wherein the second specification achievement rate is a value obtained by dividing the sum of the first specification achievement rates by the number of all evaluations.

8. A progress management system according to claim 1, wherein the platform is a server.

9. A progress management system according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation is an etching rate measurement.

10. A server having a progress management application implemented therein for managing the progress of evaluation of processing results by semiconductor manufacturing equipment, wherein the progress management application executes the following steps: calculating an evaluation progress indicating the progress of each evaluation for all of the evaluations based on the evaluation end time, which is the time when all of the evaluations are completed, or the order of use of applications corresponding to the content of each of the evaluations; calculating a first specification achievement rate using the results of each of the evaluations; and judging the status of the evaluations based on a second specification achievement rate calculated using the first specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress rate; wherein the first specification achievement rate is the achievement rate in the results of each of the evaluations for the specifications of the processing results, and the second specification achievement rate is the achievement rate of the specifications in all of the evaluations.

11. A progress management method for managing the progress of evaluation of processing results by semiconductor manufacturing equipment, comprising the steps of: calculating an evaluation progress level indicating the progress of each evaluation for all of the evaluations based on an evaluation completion time, which is the time when all of the evaluations are completed, or the order of use of applications corresponding to the content of each of the evaluations; calculating a first specification achievement rate using the results of each of the evaluations; and judging the state of the evaluations based on a second specification achievement rate calculated using the first specification achievement rate and the evaluation progress level, wherein the first specification achievement rate is the achievement rate in the results of each of the evaluations for the specifications of the processing results, and the second specification achievement rate is the achievement rate of the specifications in all of the evaluations.

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