JPH10247616A - Exposure device, semiconductor production system and manufacture of semiconductor - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the complicatedness of the maintenance of information on exposure work and the complicatedness of a control of the information by a method wherein the complicatedness is reduced so that the information on the exposure work, which is necessary to a semiconductor exposure, can be transferred between arbitrary units. SOLUTION: A semiconductor aligner 10 communicates with other semiconductor aligner 20 and a host computer 30 via a network 40 by a communication control program 11. An equipment control program 12 executes a control of equipments and a storage unit 14 stores jobs necessary to an exposure work. An information-on- exposure-work control program 13 makes a check on the presence or absence of the jobs necessary to the exposure work and executes a control of input and output between the program 13 and the unit 14. Moreover, the program 13 has a function to make an inquiry about information on the exposure wirk to the other units and at the same time, has a function to respond to the inquiry about the information on the exposure work from the other units. A production control program 32 indicates the start of the exposure work to the units 10 and 20, which are coupled with each other through the network 40, and at the same time, specifies the kind of the information on the exposure work to be used by those units 10 and 20.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a semiconductor exposure apparatus, a semiconductor production system in which a plurality of the exposure apparatuses are connected by a communication network, and a semiconductor manufacturing method using the system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In a conventional semiconductor production system,
A plurality of exposure apparatuses coupled by a communication network, and has a computer device to determine the type of exposure work in each exposure apparatus, and to request the start of the exposure work,
Exposure work information (called a job) instructing the contents of the work to be performed from now on needs to be present on the semiconductor exposure apparatus for exposing a semiconductor. Therefore, when a plurality of semiconductor exposure apparatuses are used, all of the semiconductor exposure apparatuses need to have all the exposure work information that may be needed in a storage area in the exposure apparatus.

[0003]

However, since the conventional semiconductor production system is configured as described above, it is necessary to examine and collect all the exposure work information that may be required. There is a drawback that maintenance of work information becomes complicated.

Further, since there is a possibility that exposure work information that is not used at all is stored in the storage area, it is necessary to increase the capacity of the storage area, which is uneconomical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art and reduce the complexity of maintenance of exposure work information by enabling transfer of exposure work information required for semiconductor exposure between arbitrary apparatuses. An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor exposure apparatus capable of performing the above, a semiconductor production system in which a plurality of the exposure apparatuses are connected by a communication network, and a semiconductor manufacturing method using the system.

[0006]

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides a storage means for storing exposure work information, and an exposure operation of an exposure work of a kind designated in response to a start request of the exposure work. Means for controlling an exposure operation based on operation information, and in a network type exposure apparatus connected to another exposure apparatus or information processing means via a communication network, the exposure operation information of the exposure operation of the designated type is provided. Is determined in the storage means, and when it is determined that the exposure work information is not present, it is inquired to other exposure apparatuses or information processing means whether or not they have the exposure work information. A work information management unit that determines whether or not the exposure work requested to be started can be performed based on the information. Then, the work information management means obtains the exposure work information of the specified type of exposure work from the exposure apparatus or the information processing means that has responded positively to the inquiry. Normally, when receiving the same inquiry from the other exposure apparatuses as described above, the work information management unit determines whether the exposure work information related to the inquiry is present in the storage unit, and determines the result as an inquiry. It is transmitted to the other exposure apparatus that issued the light. At this time, when transmitting a positive result to the other exposure apparatus that has issued the inquiry, the work information management means may include the work information relating to the inquiry in the transmitted content.

As described above, when transmitting work information,
The inquirer's work information management means sends the inquiry about whether or not the work information has the exposure work information to the exposure apparatus or the information processing apparatus having the lowest cost when the work information is obtained from the inquired exposure apparatus or the information processing means. Means may be obtained in order, and the work information may be obtained from the one that sent back a positive response first, or an inquiry about whether or not the work information has the exposure work information may be performed by all other possible exposure apparatuses or The exposure work information is obtained from the exposure apparatus or the information processing means which has the smallest cost required to obtain the exposure work information. You may. Further, a semiconductor production system according to the present invention includes a plurality of the above-described network type exposure apparatuses or the above-described information processing means in addition to the plurality of the network type exposure apparatuses.

In this semiconductor production system, usually,
The information processing means determines the type of exposure work in each exposure apparatus, and requests each exposure apparatus to start the exposure work. If the exposure apparatus that has received the work start request does not have the exposure work information of the type of exposure work instructed in accordance with the exposure work start request from the information processing unit, the other exposure apparatus or information The processing unit is inquired as to whether the exposure apparatus or the information processing unit has the exposure work information, and based on a response thereto, it is determined whether the specified type of exposure work can be performed, and the result is determined. It is transmitted to the information processing means.

Further, according to the semiconductor manufacturing method of the present invention, an exposure operation of a designated type is performed using an exposure apparatus based on operation information of the exposure operation. Based on the work information,
If not, the work information is obtained from another exposure apparatus or information processing means connected to the exposure apparatus via a communication network, and the exposure work is performed based on the work information.

In obtaining the exposure work information, an inquiry is made to another exposure apparatus or information processing means as to whether or not they have the exposure work information, and a positive reply is made to the inquiry. Exposure operation information of the indicated type of exposure operation is obtained from the exposure apparatus or the information processing means.
Also, the inquiry as to whether or not it has the exposure work information is performed in order from the exposure apparatus or the information processing means having the lowest cost when the work information is obtained from the exposure apparatus or the information processing means of the inquiry destination. The work information may be obtained from the person who sent back a positive response, or an inquiry is made to all other possible exposure apparatuses or information processing means, and a positive response is returned. Among them, the exposure work information is obtained from the one which requires the minimum cost for obtaining the exposure work information from the exposure apparatus or the information processing means.

[0011]

According to the above arrangement, even if the exposure work information necessary for the exposure work is not present in the self-exposure apparatus, if the corresponding exposure work information is present in any of the apparatuses constituting the production system, the operator is not required to be exposed. It is possible to determine whether or not to start the exposure work without searching for the existence of the exposure work information corresponding to the above. Further, by acquiring the corresponding exposure work information from another apparatus, the exposure work can be started even if the exposure work information is present in any of the apparatuses constituting the production system.

[0012]

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

[0013]

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main part configuration of a semiconductor production system according to one embodiment of the present invention.
Reference numerals 10 and 20 denote semiconductor exposure apparatuses, and reference numeral 30 denotes a host computer for managing a production system.

The semiconductor exposure apparatus 10 includes a communication control program 11, an equipment control program 12, an exposure work information management program 13, and a storage device 14. The other semiconductor exposure apparatus 20 and a host computer are controlled by the communication control program 11 via a network 40. Communicate with 30. Here, the equipment control program 12 controls equipment (not shown) necessary for semiconductor exposure. Further, the storage device 14 stores exposure work information (called a job) necessary for the exposure work.

The exposure work information management program 13 checks whether or not there is a job necessary for the exposure work and stores it in a storage device 14.
It manages input and output between and. Further, the exposure work information management program 13 has a function of making an inquiry about exposure work information to another apparatus and a function of responding to an inquiry of exposure work information from another apparatus. The configuration of the semiconductor exposure apparatus 20 is the same.

The host computer 30 includes a communication control program 31, a production management program 32, an exposure information management program 33, and a storage device 34. The functions of these programs 31 and 33 are the same as the programs 11 and 13 in the semiconductor exposure apparatus 10.

The production management program 32 is connected to the network 4
Instructs the semiconductor exposure apparatuses 10 and 20 connected by 0 to start exposure work, and specifies the type of exposure work information to be used by the semiconductor exposure apparatuses 10 and 20.

In this embodiment, the semiconductor exposure apparatus 10
Have exposure work information 15 and 16 (named as job A and job B, respectively), the semiconductor exposure apparatus 20 has exposure work information 25 (named as job C), and a host computer 30.
Have exposure work information 35 and 36 (named as job D and job E, respectively). It is now assumed that the production management program 32 of the host computer 30 has instructed the semiconductor exposure apparatus 10 to perform an exposure operation using the exposure operation information named job C. At this time, the host computer 30 sends the semiconductor exposure apparatus 10
Is the message 5 shown in FIG.
0 format. Upon receiving this message, the exposure work information management program 13 of the semiconductor exposure apparatus 10 checks whether the storage work 14 has exposure work information named job C. If it exists, the exposure operation is started using the exposure operation information. However, in this example, the exposure operation information named job C does not exist in the storage device 40. Therefore, the exposure work information management program 13
Inquiry of exposure work information is performed according to the flowchart shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the host computer 30 is first inquired, and then the semiconductor exposure apparatus 20 is inquired.

When this inquiry is started, the exposure work information management program 13 first selects the host computer 30 as a device to make an inquiry (step S1), transmits a message 51 to the host computer 30, and sends the message 51 to the exposure work information. Makes an inquiry and waits for a response (step S
2). In response to this inquiry, the exposure work information management program 33 of the host computer 30 checks whether the job C exists in the storage device 34 or not. In this example, the job C does not exist in the storage device 34. Therefore, the host computer 30 sends a negative acknowledgment message 52 to the semiconductor exposure apparatus 10.

The semiconductor exposure apparatus 10 that has received the negative response message 52 determines that it is not a positive response (step S3), and determines whether or not all the apparatuses have been inquired (step S4). It is determined that all the devices have not been inquired, the semiconductor exposure device 20 is selected as the next device to inquire (step S1), and the exposure operation information is inquired by the message 51 and a response is waited for (step S1). S
2). Upon receiving this message, the semiconductor exposure apparatus 2
0 exposure work information management program 23
It is checked whether or not the job C exists in the. In this example, the job C exists in the storage device 24. Therefore, the semiconductor exposure apparatus 20 sends an acknowledgment message 53 to the semiconductor exposure apparatus 10. Upon receiving the acknowledgment message 53, the semiconductor exposure apparatus 10 determines that the acknowledgment is an acknowledgment (step S3) and sends a message 54 to the host 30 indicating that the exposure operation can be started (step S3).
7) Then, the inquiry processing of the exposure work information is ended.

If the job C is not found here, it is determined that the necessary exposure work information does not exist in the production system (step S5), and it is determined that the exposure work cannot be started to the host computer 30. The message 55 is transmitted (step S6), and the inquiry processing of the exposure work information ends. Note that the order of the inquiry of the exposure work information is arbitrary, and the inquiry may be made in accordance with a predetermined order. It is most economical to make inquiries in order from the place where the cost of obtaining the exposure work information is small, and to receive the exposure work information from the apparatus which first obtained the response indicating that the exposure work information is present.

Although the transfer of the exposure work information itself is not described in this embodiment, a message including the exposure work information itself is transmitted together with a positive message such as the message 56 indicating that the exposure work information exists. Is also good. In addition, all the apparatuses may be inquired, and the apparatus having the minimum required cost for obtaining the exposure operation information among the apparatuses having the required exposure operation information may be requested again.

[0023]

As described above, according to the present invention, in the case of using a plurality of semiconductor exposure apparatuses connected to a communication network, all the exposure operation information which may be required by all the semiconductor exposure apparatuses is stored. This eliminates the necessity of holding the exposure operation information, which facilitates maintenance of the exposure operation information.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a main configuration of a semiconductor production system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the contents of a message between devices.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an inquiry process of exposure work information.

[Explanation of symbols]

10, 20: semiconductor exposure apparatus, 11, 21, 31: communication control program, 12, 22: equipment control program, 1
3, 23, 33: Exposure work information management program, 14,
24, 34: storage device, 15, 16, 25, 35, 3
6: Exposure work information, 30: Host computer, 32:
Production management program, 40: network, 50: exposure work start message, 51: inquiry message, 52:
Negative message, 53: Positive message, 54, 56:
Startable message, 55: start impossible message.

Claims (13)

[Claims] A storage means for storing exposure work information; and a means for controlling an exposure work based on exposure work information of an exposure work of a type specified in response to a start request of the exposure work. In the network type exposure apparatus connected to the exposure apparatus or the information processing means via the communication network, it is determined whether or not the exposure work information of the exposure work of the designated type exists in the storage means. When it is determined that the exposure work has been performed, it is inquired of the other exposure apparatus or the information processing means whether or not they have the exposure work information, and based on the result, the exposure work requested to be started is performed. A network-type exposure apparatus, comprising: a work information management unit for determining whether or not the operation can be performed. 2. The work information management means obtains exposure work information of the specified type of exposure work from an exposure apparatus or an information processing means that has answered affirmatively to the inquiry. 2. The network type exposure apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: 3. The work information management means, when receiving the same inquiry from the other exposure apparatus as above, determines whether or not the exposure work information relating to the inquiry is in the storage means, 3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the result is transmitted to another exposure apparatus that has issued the inquiry.
The network type exposure apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims. 4. When transmitting a positive result to another exposure apparatus which has issued the inquiry, the operation information management means includes the operation information relating to the inquiry in the transmitted content. The network type exposure apparatus according to claim 3, wherein 5. The work information management means, wherein an inquiry as to whether or not the work information has the exposure work information is obtained when the work information is obtained from the exposure apparatus or the information processing means of the inquiry destination. 5. The network type exposure apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the operation information is obtained from an apparatus or an information processing means, and the operation information is obtained from an apparatus which sends back a positive response first. 6. The work information management means inquires of all possible other exposure apparatuses or information processing means whether or not the work information management means has the exposure work information. 5. The method according to claim 2, wherein, among the replies sent back, the exposure work information is obtained from the one which requires the minimum cost for obtaining the exposure work information from the exposure apparatus or the information processing means. The network type exposure apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims. 7. A semiconductor production system comprising a plurality of the network type exposure apparatuses according to any one of claims 1 to 6, or the information processing means according to any one of claims 1 to 6. 8. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein said information processing means determines the type of exposure work in each exposure apparatus and requests each exposure apparatus to start the exposure work. Semiconductor production system. 9. The exposure apparatus, if the exposure apparatus does not have the exposure work information of the type of exposure work instructed in response to the exposure work start request from the information processing means, sets the other exposure apparatus or the information. The processing unit is inquired as to whether the exposure apparatus or the information processing unit has the exposure work information, and based on a response thereto, it is determined whether the specified type of exposure work can be performed. 9. The semiconductor production system according to claim 8, wherein the information is transmitted to said information processing means. 10. In a semiconductor manufacturing method for performing an exposure operation of a specified type based on operation information of the exposure operation using an exposure apparatus, when the exposure information has the operation information, the exposure operation is performed. Performed based on the work information, and if not provided, obtain the work information from another exposure apparatus or information processing means connected to the exposure apparatus via a communication network, and perform the exposure based on the work information. A semiconductor manufacturing method characterized by performing operations. 11. Acquiring the exposure work information, inquires the other exposure apparatus or the information processing means whether or not they have the exposure work information, and gives a positive reply to the inquiry. 11. The semiconductor manufacturing method according to claim 10, wherein exposure operation information of the exposure operation of the designated type is obtained from the performed exposure apparatus or information processing means. 12. An inquiry as to whether or not the work information has the exposure work information is sequentially issued from the exposure apparatus or the information processing means having the lowest cost when the work information is obtained from the exposure apparatus or the information processing means of the inquiry destination. 12. The semiconductor manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the operation information is obtained from the one which first sent back a positive response. 13. An inquiry as to whether or not the exposure work information is provided is made to all of the other exposure apparatuses or information processing means that are possible, and a positive response is returned. 12. The semiconductor manufacturing method according to claim 11, wherein the exposure operation information is obtained from the one which requires the minimum cost for obtaining the exposure operation information from the exposure apparatus or the information processing means.