JPH0781900B2 - Chemical supply device - Google Patents

Description

Description: TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an apparatus for supplying a chemical solution used when manufacturing a semiconductor integrated circuit, and more particularly to filling a chemical solution container and determining whether or not a gas is present in the chemical solution. The present invention relates to a chemical liquid supply device that can be judged from the outside without touching.

[Conventional technology]

Conventionally, this type of filling and presence / absence judgment is performed by using a float switch in the chemical solution container or by directly contacting the chemical solution such as providing an integrated flow meter in the middle of the piping, and by using a weight scale. There was a method of not contacting.

[Problems to be solved by the invention]

The above-described conventional method of contacting with a chemical solution has a drawback that parts contacting with the chemical solution are corroded or deteriorated.

The method using a weight scale that does not come into contact with the chemical solution has the drawbacks that the accuracy is poor and the floor of the device is required to be machined, which limits the structure of the device and limits the operability in use.

[Means for solving problems]

According to the present invention, in the chemical liquid supply device used in the semiconductor manufacturing process, the chemical liquid is supplied from the upper part by the gas pressurizing means, flows through the inside, and flows out from the lower part. A pipe whose part is transparent and faces the upper side of the intermediate container, a light-transmitting sensor on the light-transmitting side and a light-transmitting sensor on the light-receiving side which are respectively arranged across the transparent portion of the pipe, and are connected to the other end of the pipe. When the pressurized gas of the gas pressurizing means is accumulated in the pipe, the light transmission type sensor determines that the chemical liquid is empty and opens the exhaust valve to open the upper part of the intermediate container. The gas accumulated in the above is exhausted, and when the pipe is filled with the chemical liquid, the light transmissive sensor determines that the chemical liquid is full, and a chemical liquid supply device for closing the exhaust valve is obtained.

〔Example〕

 Next, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a front view of an embodiment of the present invention. When the pressurizing valve 8 is opened to pressurize the liquid medicine container 5, the liquid medicine flows into the transparent pipe 3 through the joint 4 having a pipe that covers the liquid surface 9 in the liquid medicine container 5 and reaches the bottom of the liquid medicine container 5. When the liquid medicine flows, the light does not reach the light-transmitting sensor 2 on the light receiving side that has been operating until then, and the supply device can detect that the liquid medicine is flowing.

The chemical solution flows out in the direction of A through the intermediate container 6 toward each required position. As the chemical liquid is used, the liquid level 9 lowers and finally reaches below the pipe of the joint 4, and gas flows through the joint 4 to the transparent pipe 3. Then, light reaches the light-transmissive sensor on the light-receiving side, and the light-transmissive sensor on the light-receiving side operates to notify that the liquid medicine container is empty. In order to prevent the gas from being sent to the required place, the same transparent pipe 3 and light transmission type sensors 1 and 2 are installed on the upper part of the intermediate container 6 and when the gas is accumulated on the upper part of the intermediate container 6, the exhaust valve 7 is opened and the intermediate Make sure that the container 6 is filled with the chemical solution. Here, the principle of operation of the light transmission type sensors 1 and 2 depending on the presence or absence of the chemical liquid will be described.

FIG. 2 shows the passage of light when the inside of the transparent pipe 3 is gas. The light C emitted from the light-transmissive sensor 1 on the light projecting side is bent with a constant refractive index at the place where it enters the transparent pipe 3. When passing through the transparent pipe 3, the inside becomes parallel to the original light because it is a gas, and when it goes out, it is bent and reaches the light transmitting sensor 2 on the light receiving side.

FIG. 3 shows the passage of light when the inside of the transparent pipe 3 is liquid. The light C emitted from the light-transmissive sensor 1 on the projecting side is bent at the place where it enters the transparent pipe 3 and further at the place where it exits from the transparent pipe 3 and enters the internal chemical liquid portion and is also bent at the refractive index of the chemical liquid to receive light. Will not reach the light transmission type sensor on the side.

The same effect can be obtained by changing the positions of the light transmissive sensors 1 and 2 so that they are operated with a chemical liquid.

〔The invention's effect〕

As described above, according to the present invention, by using the transparent pipe and the light transmissive sensor, it is possible to easily determine whether the chemical solution container is full or gas is present without touching the chemical solution. Since it does not come into contact with chemicals, it does not have corrosion or alteration unlike other sensors, and can be installed more accurately than a weight scale and without complicated processing.

By connecting two chemical liquid supply devices of the present invention, there is an effect that a continuous chemical liquid can be easily supplied.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a front view of the present invention, FIG. 2 is a principle diagram when the inside of the pipe is a gas, and FIG. 3 is a principle diagram when the inside of the pipe is a liquid. 1 ... Light-transmitting sensor on light-transmitting side, 2 ... Light-transmitting sensor on light-receiving side, 3 ... Transparent piping, 4 ... Joint, 5 ... Chemical container, 6 ... Intermediate container, 7 ... Exhaust valve , 8 ... Pressure valve,
A: chemical flow, B: gas flow, C: light passage.

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A chemical liquid supply device used in a semiconductor manufacturing process, wherein an intermediate container is supplied with a chemical liquid from an upper portion by a gas pressurizing means and flows out from the lower portion, and one end is connected to an upper portion of the intermediate container and at least a part thereof is connected. Is transparent and faces upward of the intermediate container, light-transmitting type sensors on the light-transmitting side and the light-receiving side that are respectively arranged across the transparent portion of the pipe, and an exhaust connected to the other end of the pipe. Has a valve and
When the pressurized gas of the gas pressurizing means accumulates in the pipe, the light transmission type sensor determines that the chemical liquid is empty, and the exhaust valve is opened to exhaust the gas accumulated in the upper part of the intermediate container. A liquid medicine supply device, wherein when the pipe is filled with the liquid medicine, the light transmission type sensor determines that the liquid medicine is filled, and the exhaust valve is closed.