JPS6225417A - Semiconductor manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To automatically perform a complicated operation only by a simple operation in a manufacturing apparatus by enabling to form a desired sequence suitably associated with a maker-set operation sequence and a unit operation by a user. CONSTITUTION:An automatic sequence forming command is input from a keyboard 12. Then, step number, a command, a file name and a comment are sequentially input by the keyboard 12 while observing the display of a CRT 11, and stored in an external memory 32. When the thus formed sequence is executed, a console CPU 31 first reads out data from the memory 32, analyzes, and transmits the command to a body CPU 21 if the data is a command. The CPU 21 controls units of a manufacturing apparatus according to the received command, and transmits an execution end code of the corresponding command process to a CPU 31. If the read data is a statement representing the repetition of the command, it is executed.

Description

[Detailed Description of the Invention] [Field of the Invention] The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices such as LSI and VLSI, and in particular, the present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing semiconductor devices such as LSI and VLSI, and in particular, a system for creating a user's own sequence by arbitrarily combining operations that are standard for the apparatus. This invention relates to semiconductor manufacturing equipment that makes it possible to

[Background of the Invention] In a conventional step-and-repeat projection exposure apparatus, the number of exposure operations that follow a predetermined sequence, which is the original operation of the apparatus, and the individual unit operations that make up this exposure operation, such as wafer insertion and removal, are Operations such as up-feed, position alignment, and Z stage drive can be executed independently.

However, operations other than the exposure operation described above, such as a series of operations for calibrating the drive stage of the Z stage, are not implemented as a sequence, and when trying to execute such operations, the operator must stay with the equipment. Therefore, operation commands such as driving the Z stage, measuring and displaying air microsensor values, etc., must be manually entered as many times as necessary in accordance with the operation of the device, which is a great deal of effort and time.

[Object of the invention] The object of the present invention is to solve the problems of the conventional type described above,
To enable a user to create a desired sequence by suitably combining operation sequences and unit operations set by a manufacturer in semiconductor manufacturing equipment.

[Explanation of Examples] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows the appearance of a projection exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, numeral 1 denotes a mask having an integrated circuit pattern, and also includes mask alignment marks and mask-wafer alignment marks. 2 is a mask stage that holds the mask 1 and moves the mask 1 in the plane (XYh direction) and in the rotational direction (θ direction). 3
4 is a reduction projection lens, and 4 is a wafer provided with a photosensitive layer, which includes a mask/wafer alignment mark and a television/wafer alignment mark. 5 is a wafer stage ζ゛. The wafer stage 5 holds the wafer 4 and moves it in the plane and in the rotational direction, and also moves between the wafer printing position (inside the projection field) and the television/wafer alignment position. Reference numeral 6 represents an objective lens of a detection device for television/wafer alignment, and 7 represents an image carrier tube (or solid image carrier element). 9 is a binocular unit with a projection lens 3
This is useful for observing the surface of the wafer 4 through the wafer 4. 10
is an upper unit that houses the illumination optics and detection equipment for mask-wafer alignment. 11 is a monitor receiver (console CRT), and 12 is a keyboard for inputting various operating commands and parameters in the apparatus.

FIG. 2 shows the electrical circuit configuration of the device of FIG.

In the figure, 21 is the main body CPU that controls the entire device.
It consists of a central processing unit such as a microcomputer or minicomputer. 22 is a wafer stage drive device, 23 is an alignment detection system, 24 is a reticle stage drive device, 25 is an illumination system, 26 is a shutter drive device, 21 is a focus detection system, and 28 is a Z drive device. 21. 29 is a conveyance system.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a console unit for giving various commands and parameters regarding the operation of this exposure apparatus to the main CPU 21. 31 is the console CPU, 32
is an external memory that stores parameters and the like. Na J3,
CRT 11 and keyboard 12 are identical to those in FIG.

Next, the operation of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 will be explained with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 3 and 5 and the display screen example shown in FIG. 4.

The flowchart in FIG. 3 shows user programmable sequence creation processing (hereinafter referred to as automatic sequence creation processing), which is a feature of the present invention.

The apparatus shown in FIG. 1 enters a command input waiting state when initialization after power-on is completed.

In other words, the console CP tJ 31 is the keyboard 12
The main body CPU 21 waits for a key operation at the console CPU 31, and becomes in a state where it can communicate with the console CPU 31. In this state, when a command (for example, AS>) for automatic sequence creation is input from the keyboard 12, the following automatic sequence creation process is started under the control of the console CPU 31.

In FIG. 3, in step 51, the screen display of the CRTII is switched to that shown in FIG. is displayed at the bottom of the screen of the CRTll (dotted line area 43 in FIG. 4 (a)), and further,
Items (1
, file name, 2, comment, 3. editor) or the exit mode is selected. Here, each mode is selected by the numbers 1 to 3 attached to the above items or the alphabetic character rEJ indicating the end. Note that, at the time when the automatic sequence creation process has just started, nothing is displayed within the dotted line areas 41 and 42 in FIG. 4(a). In addition, the line break mark (
)) is displayed for convenience and is not actually displayed.

When one file name registration field is selected in step 51, the process advances to step 52. Then, from then on, the key data until the line feed key is pressed is CR
In the screen of T11, when the line feed key is pressed, the data input so far (in this case, ZM E A S 1. J R
E ) is currently being created (or is being created)
The file name of the 8-work sequence is registered in the file name area of the external memory 32, and then the process returns to step 51. By the way, this comment 1-name is treated in the same way as a comment set by the manufacturer when operating the device. That is, as will be described later, when this file name is entered manually in the above-mentioned command holding state, the device executes the operation sequence created with this file name.

Further, when comment registration mode 2 is selected in step 51, the process advances to step 53. Step 53
Now, the key manual data up to when the line feed key is pressed will be sequentially displayed in the dotted line area 42 in FIG. 4(a) on the CRTTI screen, and when the line feed key is pressed, The input data is registered in the comment area of the external memory 32 as a comment, that is, a cautionary note, for the operation sequence that is currently being created or is being created;
After that, the process returns to step 51. Jj, this comment has no effect when using the above file name as a command.

Further, when editor mode 3 is selected in step 51, the process advances to step 54. This editor mode is a mode for creating a new action sequence or correcting the action sequence currently being created. In step 54, the screen display of the CRTll is changed to that shown in FIG. , and after the line feed key is pressed on the keyboard 12, the display data in the dotted line section 44 does not indicate the step number of the command, and the steps SL, S2,
. . . and the alphabetic character rEJ indicating the end. If a step number is entered,
Proceed to step 55. In step 55, the keyboard 12
The command inputted from the key is displayed on the CR-rll as shown in FIG. 4 (C>) as the command of the step number specified manually by the key, and after being stored in the external memory 32, the process returns to step 54. By repeating steps 54 and 55, a series of operation sequences as shown in FIG. The operation sequence can be corrected manually.In this editor mode, J3 is added to step 54.
Then, when rEJ is input from the keyboard 12, the process ends and the process returns to step 51. The display on the CRT 11 in step 51 is as shown in FIG. 4(a) described above.

In step 57', when rEJ is input from the keyboard 12 (FIG. 4(d)), the end mode is selected. In this case, proceed to step 56;
Ends automatic sequence creation processing.

The operations for creating an automatic sequence using this device are as follows.

(2) Input an automatic sequence creation command (As) from the keyboard 12 while the device has a command.

■According to the display on Cfl T fi (FIG. 4(a)), input "12r:r3" on the keyboard and select the editor mode.

■ While displaying on CRT 11 (Fig. 4 (b)),
The keyboard 12 is operated to repeatedly input the step number and the command at the step number as many times as necessary.

(2) When it is confirmed by the display on the CRTII (FIG. 4(C)) that the desired operation sequence has been completed as a result of the manual input of the keys, rEJ is input from the keyboard 12 and the editor mode is ended.

(2) With the CRT display in the state shown in Figure 5XX71 (a>), input [1] from the keyboard 12, and then input the file name to register the file name of the completed operation sequence.

(2) With the CRT display in the state shown in FIG. 4 (a>), input "2" from the keyboard 12, roughly input comment 1, and record the comment of this file.

■Finally, when the CR display is in the state shown in FIG. 4(a), rEJ is input from the keyboard 12 to end this automatic sequence creation mode.

Note that the order of the operations ① to ②, the operation ①, and the operation ② may be performed one after the other. Furthermore, the operation (■) can be omitted.

FIG. 5 shows the processing when executing the operation sequence created as described above.

In the above command input state, if you input a file name (for example, the above rZ MEASUREJ), first,
The console CPU 31 searches for a file name stored in the external memory 32 and reads data written in the corresponding file. This causes the exposure apparatus to start automatic operation sequence execution processing at J'3.

In this process, the console CPU 31 reads data for each line from the external memory 32 and analyzes it (step 1.62>), and performs the following process according to the analysis result.

71' However, if the above data is a command, the command is sent to the main body CPU 21 (step 6).
3) Wait until the command processing execution completion code is sent from the main body CPU 21 (step 64). On the other hand, in the main body CPU 21, the console CPU
The exposure unit is controlled according to the command received from the console CPU 31, and the execution completion code of the corresponding command processing is sent to the console CPU 3 according to the execution status of the command.
Send to 1. This is to synchronize the main CPU 21 and the console CPU 31. The console CPU 31 on standby in step 64 is the main CPU
When the command processing completion code is received from U21, the process returns to step 61 and data for the next line is successively output.

Furthermore, if the data read in step 61 is the statement rLOOPJ representing repeated execution of a command,
Proceeding to step 65, loop processing is executed. This loop processing stores the step number range in which the command (or command group) to be repeatedly executed and the number of repetitions are written, and is also referred to as a line (or step number) pointer when reading the above-mentioned one line. This is to set the appropriate counter.

For example, to explain the case of executing the operation sequence shown in FIG.
The step number range $2 to S3 in which commands to be repeatedly executed are written and the number of repetitions 10 are stored in the RAM area within the console CPU 31. Then, at the time of successive processing between the next step numbers S2 to 83 (step 63.64 execution), step number S3
Count the number of executions of , and if it is less than 10, change the counter from step number $3 to step number S.
Step number S3 is returned to 2, and only after the 10th time is step number S3.
Then proceed to the next step number S4.

Further, if the data read in step 61 is the statement rENDJ, this statement rENDJ indicates that the operation sequence has ended, so step 6
Proceeding to step 6, this operation sequence execution process ends.

Therefore, in this exposure apparatus, when the file name rZ MEASUREJ is entered as a command from the keyboard 12 in the above-mentioned command input waiting state, the image shown in FIG.
U) Execute the operation sequence shown in C>. In other words, the 6th
As shown in the figure, raise the Z stage by 0.5 μm (
Step number 82) displays the position of the wafer 4 (z8 mark) measured by the focus detection device 27 on the CRTll (step number 81) I want to repeat the operation 10 times with step number S3>, and ends the operation. (Step number 34).

In conventional equipment, seven stages are separated by 0.5μ in this way.
If you want to measure the 7-stage position with the air focus detection device 27 and display it on the console by tilting the back up by m, the operator must be present, and first input the command rZDJ while holding the command input, and the exposure device will move to the 7-stage position. After confirming that the command has been completed and returned to the state where command input is required, it was necessary to repeat manual key operations such as entering command rFcJ 10 times.

[Effects of the Invention] As described above, according to the present invention, the user's desired operation sequence can be registered as a single command on the user side, so that accuracy inspection and driving of the 7 drive devices of semiconductor manufacturing equipment can be easily performed. Operations such as calibration, which were conventionally extremely troublesome, can be automatically performed by the device simply by inputting a single command.

[Brief explanation of the drawing]

FIG. 1 is an external perspective view of a projection exposure apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 2 is an electric circuit configuration diagram of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS. Flowchart for explaining the operation of FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a double-sided display of a CRT in the apparatus of FIG. 11: CRT for monitor, 12: Keyboard, 21: Main body CPU, 30: Console CPU, 34: External memory.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus capable of performing multiple types of operations according to operation commands input through an operation command input means,
a motion sequence input means for inputting in advance a plurality of motion commands and execution timings of the motion commands; a means for storing the motion command/execution timing sequence inputted by the motion sequence input means as one command; When a command is designated via the operation command input means, a readout means is provided which reads out the operation command at each execution timing and supplies it to the main body of the apparatus, so that the user can create a new sequence by combining the group of operation commands. 1. A semiconductor manufacturing device characterized by being able to perform the following steps. 2. Claim 1, wherein the operation command input means is a keyboard, which also serves as the operation sequence input means.
Semiconductor manufacturing equipment as described in .