System and method for controlling semiconductor manufacturing facility, method of manufacturing integrated circuit using the system and method, and method of manufacturing processor using the system and method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10553464-B2
Application number	US-201815950303-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 11, 2018
Priority date	Sep 20, 2017
Publication date	Feb 4, 2020
Grant date	Feb 4, 2020

Abstract

A method for controlling a semiconductor manufacturing facility includes measuring output change amounts of differential pressure sensors in the facility when pressure conditions change by a number of fans. The fans are then classified into different groups and subgroups and control sequences of the subgroups are determined based on the change amounts. Difference values are then calculated, and a control signal is generated to adjust the rotation speed of the fans.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a semiconductor manufacturing facility, the method comprising:
measuring, by grouping logic, first, second, and third output change amounts of respective first, second, and third differential pressure sensors in the semiconductor manufacturing facility when a pressure condition is changed from a first pressure condition to a second pressure condition by a plurality of fans in the semiconductor manufacturing facility, and classifying some of the fans as a first group and remaining ones of the fans as a second group based on the first through third output change amounts;
classifying, by a sequence determinator, some of the fans in the first group as a first subgroup and remaining ones of the fans in the first group as a second subgroup, and determining a control sequence of the first subgroup and the second subgroup based on the first to third output change amounts;
calculating, by an index generator, a first difference value, a second difference value, and a third difference value,
the first difference value based on a difference between a first average value, which is an average value of a first output of the first differential pressure sensor under an operating pressure of the semiconductor manufacturing facility, and a target value which is a target output value of the semiconductor manufacturing facility,
the second difference value based on a difference between a second average value, which is an average value of a second output of the second differential pressure sensor under the operating pressure of the semiconductor manufacturing facility, and the target value, and
the third difference value based on a difference between a third average value, which is an average value of a third output of the third differential pressure sensor under the operating pressure of the semiconductor manufacturing facility, and the target value; and

generating a first regulation performance index (RPI) corresponding to a difference between the first difference value and the second difference value and a second RPI corresponding to a difference between the second difference value and the third difference value; and
receiving, by a controller, information corresponding to the first and second groups, information corresponding to the control sequence and the first RPI and the second RPI and generating a control signal to adjust a rotation speed of each of the fans, wherein:
the first differential pressure sensor is to measure a pressure difference between outside of the semiconductor manufacturing facility and a first point in the semiconductor manufacturing facility,
the second differential pressure sensor is to measure a pressure difference between outside of the semiconductor manufacturing facility and a second point in the semiconductor manufacturing facility,
the third differential pressure sensor is to measure a pressure difference between outside of the semiconductor manufacturing facility and a third point in the semiconductor manufacturing facility,
the first output change amount corresponds to an amount of change between a measured value of the first differential pressure sensor under the first pressure condition and a measured value of the first differential pressure sensor under the second pressure condition,
the second output change amount corresponds to an amount of change between a measured value of the second differential pressure sensor under the first pressure condition and a measured value of the second differential pressure sensor under the second pressure condition, and
the third output change amount corresponds to an amount of change between a measured value of the third differential pressure sensor under the first pressure condition and a measured value of the third differential pressure sensor under the second pressure condition.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein classifying some of the fans in the first group as the first subgroup by the sequence determinator includes:
including a first fan in the first subgroup when all of the first to third output change amounts are equal to or greater than a reference change amount when the pressure condition is changed from the first pressure condition to the second pressure condition based on an adjustment in the rotation speed of the first fan among the fans.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
classifying some of the fans as the first group by the grouping logic includes including a first fan in the first group when any of the first to third output change amounts is greater than or equal to a reference change amount when the pressure condition is changed from the first pressure condition to the second pressure condition based on an adjustment of the rotation speed of the first fan among the fans, and
classifying of remaining ones of the fans as the second group by using the grouping logic includes including a second fan in the second group if none of the first through third output change amounts is greater than or equal to the reference change amount when the pressure condition is changed from the first pressure condition to the second pressure condition by adjusting the rotation speed of the second fan among the fans.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising by the index generator:
comparing the first output and the second output;
generating a default value as a first back flow index (BFI) when the first output is greater than the second output; and
generating a second BFI corresponding to a difference value between the first average value and the second average value, the second BFI generated in a time section in which the first output is less than the second output when the first output is less than the second output.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
calculating, by the index generator, a correlation between the first average value and the second average value.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
when a difference between the first RPI and a reference RPI is greater than a preset RPI value, the control signal changes the rotation speed of the fans in the first subgroup and then the rotation speed of the fans in the second subgroup.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein:
the first point is closest to the second point, and
the second point is closest to the third point.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein an output of the first differential pressure sensor for a first apparatus in the semiconductor manufacturing facility under the second pressure condition is different from an output of the first differential pressure sensor for the first apparatus under the first pressure condition, and wherein the first point is located within the first apparatus.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the first pressure condition is equal to the operating pressure of the semiconductor manufacturing facility.

10. A method of controlling a semiconductor manufacturing facility, the method comprising:
calculating, by a first index generator, a first difference value, a second difference value, and a third difference value in a first time section,
the first difference value corresponding to a difference between a first average value, which is an average value of a first output of a first differential pressure sensor in the semiconductor manufacturing facility, and a target value which is a target output value of the semiconductor manufacturing facility,
the second difference value corresponding to a difference between a second average value, which is an average value of a second output of a second differential pressure sensor in the semiconductor manufacturing facility, and the target value, and
a third difference

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Jeong Jae Won
• Jin Yi
• Min Chang Gi
• Lee Jin Woo
• Heo Seok
• Choi Yong Won
• Choi Yun Jong

Classifications

• H10P72/0604 Primary

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0612 Primary

  Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput · CPC title

• G05B2219/37399

  Pressure · CPC title

• G05B19/41875 Primary

  characterised by quality surveillance of production · CPC title

• G05B2219/45031

  Manufacturing semiconductor wafers · CPC title