Semiconductor Task Start Sequencing to Prevent Acid-Water Deadlocks

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Solution Overview

Problem

Deadlocks occur in semiconductor processing apparatuses due to the acid-water binding rule, causing downtime and impacting yield, as materials in different processing areas cannot be transferred simultaneously.

Innovation Solution

A processing task start method and device that generate and analyze processing area relationship lists to identify and prioritize startable tasks, ensuring materials in different processing areas are transferred in compatible sequences to avoid deadlocks.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If multiple processing tasks are executed in parallel to improve productivity, then productivity increases, but deadlock situations occur due to acid-water binding rules causing processing interruptions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing throughputVSAvoiddeadlock prevention

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary analysis of processing area relationships for all to-be-started tasks before actual execution. By generating processing area relationship lists and identifying potential deadlocks in advance, the system can select startable tasks that guarantee deadlock-free parallel execution, thus maintaining both high productivity and reliability

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The processing area relationship list acts as an intermediary data structure that mediates between multiple processing tasks and the acid-water binding constraints. This intermediary representation enables the system to analyze and resolve potential deadlocks by clearly showing which tasks can be safely started in parallel without violating processing area exclusivity rules

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Manufacturing precision

If strict acid-water binding rules are enforced to ensure processing correctness, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but processing time increases due to sequential task execution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocessing correctnessVSAvoidprocessing downtime

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-analyzes processing area relationships and identifies all startable tasks before execution begins. This preliminary action enables the maximum number of tasks to be started in parallel while still enforcing acid-water binding rules, thus maintaining manufacturing precision without unnecessary sequential delays

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system dynamically determines task startability based on real-time processing area relationships. Rather than rigidly enforcing sequential execution, the system adaptively identifies which tasks can proceed in parallel given current constraints, optimizing processing time while maintaining correctness through the processing area relationship list validation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

3Manufacturing precision

If processing area exclusivity is strictly enforced to prevent contamination, then manufacturing precision is maintained, but device complexity increases due to deadlock detection mechanisms

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontamination preventionVSAvoidtask coordination complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The processing area relationship list serves as a simplified intermediary that abstracts complex acid-water binding constraints into clear, analyzable data structures. This intermediary enables straightforward detection of startable tasks without requiring complex real-time coordination mechanisms, thus maintaining contamination prevention while reducing operational complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses the processing area relationship list to enable tasks to self-determine their startability based on predefined rules and current system state. This self-service mechanism eliminates the need for complex centralized arbitration, allowing tasks to autonomously identify when they can proceed while still enforcing exclusivity constraints

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS12387953B2Processing task start method and device in semiconductor processing apparatus

Publication Date: 2025.08.12 BEIJING NAURA MICROELECTRONICS EQUIP CO LTD

AI summary

The present disclosure provides a start method and device of a processing task in a semiconductor processing apparatus. The method includes generating a processing area relationship list of a current processing task of the semiconductor processing apparatus; determining all to-be-started processing tasks and generating a processing area relationship list for each of the to-be-started processing tasks, based on the processing area relationship list of the current processing task and the processing area relationship list of each of the to-be-started processing task, determining whether all the to-be-started processing tasks include a startable processing task according to a first predetermined rule, when all the to-be-started processing tasks include a startable processing task, selecting a target startable processing task from all startable processing tasks according to a second predetermined rule, and starting the target startable processing task.