Other

Mitsubishi Denki Kabushiki Kaisha

Masataka Okabe

Hirofumi Ohtsuka

Taichi Yanaru

A process control device controls a plurality of processing devices placed in parallel to perform at least two process steps for consecutively processing workpieces in a lot. The process control device includes a device group information for grouping of a plurality of processing devices into a plurality of device groups. For example, when the workpieces are semiconductor devices, processing devices having identical deviating characteristics are grouped into the same group to perform a plurality of photolithographic steps. The process control device further includes a device group selecting unit for selecting the device group such that the lot is processed in the second process step using a processing device included in the same device group as a processing device used in the first process step.

Process control device and process control method

In a sampling inspection managing system, for each processing step, a setting is made on a processing flow table as to whether the processing step concerned is a step for determining the sampling inspection frequency of a specific inspection step. For a processing step which is set as &ldquo;being a step for determining the sampling inspection frequency&rdquo;, the inspection frequency of the specific inspection step is set on a sampling frequency setting table for every kind of product to be processed. Further, for the processing step, the processing number of lots is counted for every kind of product in a count table, and, on the basis of the processing number thus counted, a judgment is made as to whether each lot is a lot to be inspected in the specific inspection step. The judgment result is stored as information for the lot in a lot table. Accordingly, the inspection can be carried out at an inspection frequency suitable for every kind of product.

Sampling inspection managing system

In a process control method, when T &plus;Tw&plus;T <Td is satisfied, where a time obtained by adding a conveyance time from a hold stocker to the pre-treatment processing equipment to a waiting time until start of a pre-treatment is T , treatment time in the pre-treatment processing equipment is Tw, storage time from completion of the process in the pre-treatment processing equipment to starting of charging into a post-treatment is T , and treatment time in the post-treatment equipment is Td, a point of time TR when the treatment of a lot is started in the post-treatment equipment is utilized as a trigger, and a lot is charged after a predetermined standby time Ta so that a point of time when the treatment time Td of the lot has been completed in the post-treatment equipment may almost coincide with the point of time when the treatment time Td of the lot is started in the post-treatment equipment.

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Hyogo, Japan

Masataka Okabe