分散式半導體擋控片回收資訊系統之建構與實作

Abstract

在晶圓製造廠中，由於製程設備的投資高昂，折舊時間短，於是增加機台的產能利用率成為晶圓廠的重大目標之一，而製程機台是否能持續穩定產出，關鍵在於機台擋控片的使用，確保能夠穩定機台的生產環境並即時監控機台的生產數據，以減少產品的不良率。 對擋控片在晶圓廠的投入使用，其成本管理也是一項重要課題。將使用完畢的擋控片回收清洗再利用，並進行分級以發配給不同需求的擋控片處理，藉此減少擋控片新晶圓片的投入成本，因此擋控片的回收流程，已成為半導體廠必備的標準程序。 對半導體生產來說，自動化生產已經是不可抵擋的趨勢，而對擋控片的回收，雖然有廠商對此需求設計晶圓蒐集機台因應，但實務上使用卻不勝理想。本研究提出一套分散式晶圓儲存系統來執行並管理擋控片的回收流程，在經過實際晶圓製造廠的實驗後，證明本系統不僅可完整取代晶圓蒐集機，執行擋控片的晶圓回收，並間接改善了工廠內的整體的自動化系統傳輸效率。

Due to the high cost and high depreciation rate of fabrication equipment, improvements in efficiency have become a priority to wafer fabrication plans. The key to sustaining stable production is the utilization of control and dummy wafer, procuring a reliable environment and real-time monitoring production data for equipment, to minimize fraction defective. Cost control also plays an essential role in wafer utilization. A standard operating procedure is to retrieve used wafers, which are to be assigned, after cleaned and sorted, for demands of re-utilization, lest the cost shall rise for introducing new wafers. While automated production has become essential in semiconductor production, manufacturers have been developing wafer-retrieving devices according to the demands. The performance in practice is rather unsatisfactory though. A distributed wafer-recycling system is presented in this study, which is to aid the management in control wafer re-utilization. Results from experiments under practical production have shown promising improvements in wafer retrieval, replacing current wafer-retrieving devices, and also in distribution of wafers thereof.