Other

Masaki Ootani

Yasuhiro Marume

Takamasa Inobe

Yasuhiro Satou

Ryuji Takechi

Katuya Oota

Yasuhiro Sato

Toshiyuki Watanabe

The substrate carrier management system includes a pre-diffusion processing apparatus, a carrier cleaner, and a carrier conveyer. The pre-diffusion processing apparatus unloads a substrate from a supplied carrier in which the substrate is stored, performs predetermined processing on the substrate, and transfers the processed substrate stored in a carrier to be used after processing. The carrier cleaner cleans a carrier emptied as a result of taking a substrate out of the carrier. The carrier conveyer conveys a carrier between the pre-diffusion processing apparatus and the carrier cleaner. The empty carrier unloaded from the pre-diffusion processing apparatus is cleaned by the carrier cleaner, and the processed substrate is stored in the empty carrier. With this arrangement, it is possible to automatically change carriers and thereby continuously use a cleaned carrier in the subsequent step without using a dedicated carrier.

Substrate carrier management system and program

A process control device includes: a change table detection unit to determine existence of a change table corresponding to a progress file; a progress file adjustment unit to change, when the change table detection unit determines that there exists a change table, the content of the progress file based on the change table; a unit to control a transport device of an item in process based on the progress file changed by the progress file adjustment unit; and a unit to control a manufacturing device of the item based on the progress file changed by the progress file adjustment unit. The manufacturing device control unit controls the manufacturing device based on the progress file that has been changed by the progress file adjustment unit, and thus, it is possible to change the processing orders, processing conditions and the like even when individual items are in respective manufacturing steps.

Process control device and process control method permitting processing order and processing condition to be changed while manufacturing process continues

A process control device for controlling a processing device and a transport apparatus while updating process information of a lot includes: a control information update unit to update control information for controlling the processing device and the transport apparatus; a work-in-process information update unit to update the work-in-process information indicating a location of a lot; a processing device control unit to control the processing device according to the control information updated by the control information update unit and the work-in-process information updated by the work-in-process information updated unit; and a transport apparatus control unit to control the transport apparatus according to the control information updated by the control information update unit and the work-in-process information updated by the work-in-process information update unit. The control information update unit deletes, when trouble occurs, the control information of a lot that is in process at a location where the trouble occurred. Thus, it is possible to release the lot from control of the process control device, and to prevent control of other lots from being restricted.

Process control device and process control method enabling restoration of lot control

A semiconductor manufacturing system having a high processing efficiency and a high product output includes a processing device for simultaneously processing a prescribed number of lots for which it is reserved, and a semiconductor manufacturing system control device connected to the processing device for managing the manufacturing steps. The semiconductor manufacturing system control device includes a lot processing step managing portion for managing the processing steps of the lots and determining whether the lots have arrived at the step of being processed by the processing device; a lot securing portion, connected to the lot processing step managing portion, for selecting, when the lots have arrived at the step of being processed by the processing device, a prescribed number of lots to be processed by the processing device under the same processing condition as the lots, instructing an operator to secure the prescribed number of lots selected, and determining whether the prescribed number of lots are secured; and a lot reservation portion connected to the lot securing portion and the processing device for reserving the processing device for the processing of the prescribed number of lots secured when the prescribed number of lots are secured. The processing device includes a portion connected to the semiconductor manufacturing system control device for processing the prescribed number of lots for which it is reserved.

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Hyogo, Japan

Masaki Ootani