Plasma Processing Control Device Pre-treatment Scheduling
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Solution Overview
Problem
In plasma processing systems, the current control method requires a carrier with a product wafer to be inserted into the loading port before pre-treatment can start, leading to reduced throughput and productivity due to unnecessary delays in initiating pre-treatments like cleaning and seasoning.
Innovation Solution
A control device and method that allow pre-treatment to begin for a carrier without it reaching the loading port, by determining if pre-treatment information is present in the processing information and generating an execution object when conditions are met, enabling pre-treatment to start proactively.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the carrier is required to be inserted into the loading port before pre-treatment starts, then the control system ensures proper carrier presence, but the throughput and productivity are reduced due to unnecessary delays
Solution Approach 1:
The control device starts pre-treatment in advance based on recipe information before the carrier actually reaches the loading port. The determination unit checks for pre-treatment information in the recipe, and the process executing control unit initiates pre-treatment proactively, eliminating the waiting period while maintaining reliability through subsequent carrier verification.
2Productivity
If pre-treatment is started before carrier insertion is confirmed, then the throughput is improved, but the risk of performing pre-treatment on wrong or missing carrier increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control device implements a feedback mechanism where the determination unit continuously monitors carrier insertion status. When a carrier is inserted, the determination unit detects it and verifies against the pre-treatment information. This feedback loop ensures pre-treatment is performed on the correct carrier while maintaining the advanced start timing for productivity.
3Device complexity
If the system waits for carrier insertion notification before starting pre-treatment, then the control logic is simple, but the plasma processing system utilization is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The control device performs preliminary analysis of recipe information to identify pre-treatment requirements before carrier arrival. The determination unit pre-prepares the pre-treatment execution plan, and when the carrier arrives, the process executing control unit immediately initiates pre-treatment without waiting for insertion notifications, thereby improving system utilization while maintaining manageable control logic.
Data Source
AI summary
In a control device of a plasma processing system, a communication unit is configured to receive processing information related to a carrier of a next processing lot. A determination unit is configured to determine whether the processing information received by the communication unit has pre-treatment information related to one of the plasma processing devices. When it is determined that the processing information has the pre-treatment information by the determination unit, a generation unit is configured to generate an object for declaring execution of the pre-treatment for the carrier of a next processing lot if a desired condition of transferring of the carrier is satisfied. In addition, if the object is generated by the generation unit, a process executing control unit is configured to start the pre-treatment for the target object in the carrier of a next processing lot without any notification that the carrier reaches a destination plasma processing device.