FR2868186A1 - Container e.g. gas cylinder, fool proofing method for fabricating wafer, involves comparing information stored in tag with fool proofing information in interface card to avoid fluidic connection of cylinder with external unit - Google Patents

Abstract

The method involves transmitting information stored in a radio frequency identification tag (3) towards an interface card (15) and/or information from the card towards the tag for storing the information in the tag. The information in the tag is compared with fool proofing information contained in or accessible by the card to avoid fluidic connection of a gas cylinder (9) with an inappropriate external unit.

Description

2868186 1

  The present invention relates to a method of foolproofing a container and in particular to a container containing a liquid and / or a gas and / or a solid, said container having means for fluidic connection to means external and to fluidically connect the container to external means, and to transfer the fluid contained in the container to the external means and / or the contents of said external means to said container.

  In the gas and / or liquid distribution networks, accidental pollution of the distribution network has already been observed caused by the connection of a gas or liquid product that does not meet the specifications provided for in the distribution line or that does not does not meet the specifications requested by the distribution system customer.

  The result of such a maneuver can be catastrophic, since the simple pollution of the distribution network until the endangering part of the production of the customer, in particular when it is about a customer manufacturer for example semiconductors and using a gas or a liquid of very high purity.

  Conversely, there are situations that can be equally catastrophic when transferring, for example from a container containing a chemical liquid or a gas especially intended for the semiconductor industry of a large container into a container. smaller such as a bottle, with the passage a purification of the transferred fluid. If the bottle proves not to correspond to the characteristics of the transferred fluid or to have not been properly prepared for this filling, this can also pose serious problems.

  In order to avoid such accidents, it is known to one skilled in the art to provide generally mechanical coding systems in order to avoid a bad connection between a source of fluid and a receiver container adapted for this fluid (or vice versa ). This type of mechanical coding is known, for example, in oxygen or air connection systems in hospitals in which the outlets are equipped with a mechanical coding system that does not make it possible, for example, to connect the oxygen network to a network. air or vice versa.

  In the case of very pure liquids or very pure gases, especially intended for the semiconductor industry, it is difficult to envisage mechanical coding systems insofar as the multiplicity of the gases or liquids used would imply a great deal of diversity of connection systems with mechanical coding and a difficulty of implementation of these systems which would then be specific to the supplier of the gas cylinder. Even today for systems that have been standardized, there are several standard fittings. The standard called DISS (English Diameter index safety system) is becoming widespread. It is thus possible to avoid poor connections for different gases or gas mixtures. However, when it is for example mixtures of identical gases but with different proportions of each gas, the connection standard is mechanically the same, which makes it possible to connect a bottle containing X% of A and Y% of B in a distribution circuit, which must receive a gas mixture comprising X '% of A and Y'% of B (with XX 'and / or Y Y'). Examples of gas mixtures for the manufacture of semiconductors, calibration of measuring devices, etc., for example a mixture containing 1% B2H6 in H2 and another mixture containing 0.1 are given. % of B2H6 in H2.

  However, it is common, for example, in semiconductor manufacturing plants to be in the presence of gas distribution cabinets with several suppliers of the same gas, the customer imposing the same connection for all suppliers.

  The system according to the invention corresponds to a principle that is much more universal than mechanical systems and, in particular, in the case of gas cylinders supplied by a supplier other than that of the equipment receiving these gas cylinders, to ensure safety equally well. large in the connection systems of the container to the network of use.

  The method and system according to the invention is characterized in that said container integrates first information storage means and first information transmission / reception means, said first information transmission / reception means for transmitting information. first information stored in the first information storage means to second external transmitter / receiver means and / or to receive second information accessible to the second external transmitter / receiver means for storing them in the first information storage means, information stored in the first information storage means that can be compared to keying information contained in or accessed by the external transmitter / receiver means to avoid fluid connection of the container to inappropriate external means.

  Preferably, an identification system will be used on the moving object that is to say the container, which will contain the stored information and an information reading / registration system, installed in the delivery system for example of gas, wherein the container will be placed.

  More preferably, use will be made of an identification system on the container consisting of an electronic chip connected to an antenna, the assembly being placed in a container for example made of plastic material for its attachment to the container, and known under the name TAGRFID .

  The chip and its memory are read / write accessible through a radio-frequency reading system. Such a system is known by the name RFID (radio-frequency identification or radio-frequency identification system also known in this technical field). RFID type identification systems are for example described in the application US-A-2003/0017804 or in US Patent 6,486,780 and the associated applications, as well as in the journal Scientific American January 2004, in an article entitled RFID: a key to automating everything by R. WANT.

  The foolproof system according to the invention is applicable both on industrial gas cabinets (called gas cabinet in English) as on chemical liquid distribution systems or CDS (chemical dispensing systems in English) as well as in the case of a solid in the container and which can be sublimated generally by heating before being distributed in the gas distribution line or simply liquefied to be distributed as a liquid. In a system of this type, each container is equipped for example with an RFID chip, the chip can be used for reading or writing.

  In the case of certain gas products, and if the product supplier equips its containers with this coding system, the circular winding connected to the chip is an antenna which allows the associated reader (which description will be made hereinafter) to read. the information that is stored on the chip without constraint of positioning the container inside its cabinet. The chip usually contains at least two pieces of information, namely what is called the customer's part number or PN, which defines the type of gas, the specification of the gas and the gas specification revision, the definition of the contents of the container and the type of valve, as well as the expiry date of the gas. The information on the chip is entered on it in the container packaging center, for example filling the chemical gas bottles, using a suitable software. The circular antenna and the chip connected thereto are encapsulated in a plastic envelope which is in the form of a collar for example, this collar being placed on the neck of the gas bottle or as much of the neck of the liquid container. and is irremovably fixed just after filling. This set encapsulated antenna plus microelectronic chip will be hereinafter called TAG.

  When the container with its TAG is installed in the corresponding distribution cabinet, is placed above the TAG a circular antenna consisting of a circular winding encapsulated in a plastic envelope and on which may be for example a display system to indicate whether the current use is good or bad. This antenna is placed on each bottle, as will be described below, with the display system of the use. For example, a red display indicates that the connected bottle is being dispensed, so should not be moved, and a green display indicates that the purge cycle has been completed and the container can be disconnected.

  For liquid chemicals that are stored in containers that are generally bottle-like but wider and shallower and often have bottlenecks in their upper part, and / or for gas container suppliers whose containers are not not equipped with an antenna, the TAG is placed on the production site on receipt of said container around the neck. Depending on the type of container used and the type of gas and / or liquid present in the container, the TAG may be a fixed, screwed system, etc ... on the container.

  The operating principle of the system according to the invention is as follows: each distribution equipment (intended to receive the container) is equipped with the following set: a touch screen, a programmable controller, an interface card (connected to the PLC and on the touch screen) and an antenna per container for reading the TAGs on these containers.

  The interface card is initialized with the keying information that is to be used, via the touch screen of the distribution equipment. When setting up a new container, the interface card compares the information of the TAG read on this new container with the aid of the antenna placed on this TAG with the keying parameters present on the card. interface and transmits to the PLC information that authorizes or not the change of bottle. If the installed bottle does not comply, the bottle change cycle is stopped. Of course, in case of failure of the reading system, or in the case where the TAG for any reason is illegible, it is of course possible to provide a procedure which makes it possible to avoid this automatic control by means of the touch screen of the reader. fluid cabinet so as to carry out this control manually. Preferably, in order to achieve reliable operation of the system, the manual control operation will be made subject to strict control, made possible only in the event of malfunction.

  The invention will be better understood with the aid of the following exemplary embodiments given in non-limiting manner together with the figures which represent: FIG. 1, a schematic view of the method and system according to the invention with a distribution system of 2, a sectional view of the RFID TAG used in the context of the invention; FIG. 3, a top view of a TAG reading system of FIG. 2, - Figure 4, a detailed view of the system and method according to the invention for explaining the operation thereof in the context of a gas distribution cabinet with two gas bottles used alternately, - the figure 5, a schematic diagram of successive steps of bottle control and their TAG during a change of bottle installation in the gas distribution cabinet of Figure 4.

  In FIG. 1, the cabinet for liquid chemicals is electrically connected via line 6 to the programmable logic controller 19 which manages the entire gas and liquid distribution system, installed for example in a semi-production plant. -conducteurs.

  The liquid drum 2 (normally in the cabinet 1 but shown on the outside thereof for the sake of simplification of the drawing) comprises on its neck 20 information storage means 3 (shown in detail on the Figure 2) of the RFID label type (Radio Frequency Identification in English). Above this label 3 is placed a reader 4 adapted (see for example Figure 3) electrically connected via 5 to an electronic card 15 responsible for detecting (measuring) or transferring information from the means 3 to the same card 15 (or vice versa). The card 15 is connected via line 16 to a touch screen 17 itself connected via 18 to the programmable controller 19.

  Also shown in the same way in Figure 1 a gas cabinet 8 and shown outside thereof a gas cylinder 9 provided with RFID electromagnetic tag information storage means 10. As previously, this label 10 is fixed in a manner that is difficult to remove from the neck 21 of the bottle 9, the gas valve 11 being connected on the one hand to the neck of the bottle 9 and on the other hand to the pipe 12 of gas to be dispensed. .

  An RFID tag reader 13 is intended to be placed on top of the tag 10, an electrical connection connecting the reader 13 to the electronic read / written information card in the tag 10.

  The operation of the foolproof system according to the invention is explained with the help of FIG. 1 and FIG.

  In gas cabinet 8,401 is installed a 9,403 gas bottle with its RFID tag 10,404 (installation step 402). Then we proceed to the reading step 405 of the label 404 of the bottle 403 with the aid of the reader 406 reading the information present thereon and compare it the step 407 to that present in a register of the card 15, previously entered information in this register using the touch screen 17. If the information read is identical to that recorded on the center 15, it sends an authorization signal (step 408) to the programmable controller 19, validating (or authorizing) the installation of this new bottle which is known to correspond to the appropriate gas. (The label 404 on the bottle having been placed on the bottle in the filling station of said bottle).

  FIG. 2 represents an RFID tag 10 with its encapsulation support generally made of plastic, 114, its multiplicity of circular coils 115 (copper wire for example), the two ends of which are connected to the electronic chip 116 (at the inputs / output of the transmitter / receiver connected to the antenna) so as to record information on the memory portion of the chip 116 or to read the information entered (in a manner known to those skilled in the art see the literature on this subject described above).

  FIG. 3 represents the tag reader 14 such as 10. It has essentially a circular winding embedded in a plastic envelope 201, display means 202 (green or red light-emitting diode for reading / non-reading).

  An electrical connection 203 to be connected to the card 15 and a mechanical holding wire 204 to secure the reader to the cabinet in which the bottle or container is placed.

  FIG. 4 shows a complete installation of the foolproof system according to the invention in a cabinet containing two bottles of permutable gases. The same elements bear the same references as those of the preceding figures. The bottles (306, 307) are provided with their labels 310, 311 fixed around the valves 308, 309 of the bottles, in a demountable manner, integral with the body of the bottle and / or the tap. Each bottle is capped by a TAG / RFID reader 304, 305 respectively electrically connected to the interface card 15 via 302, 303 and mechanically to the cabinet via 312 and 313. The valves 308, 309 are fluidly connected to the control equipment. 323 (for example, CVD etching reactor) respectively via the pipes 314, 315, the controlled valves 316, 317, the pipes 320, 321 which meet in a single fluid line 322 coming out of the cabinet 301, the valves 316, 317 being controlled (on / off or proportional) via the electrical connections 318, 319 connected to the PLC 19. The sequence of operations and operation is explicit in Fig 5 and can be understood by the simple reading this figure which is part of the present description.

  According to the invention, the information stored in the TAG is compared with the keying information generally contained in a memory of the interface card. This operation is only a reading of information on the TAG.

  According to a variant of the invention, the writing of information on the TAG can also be authorized, either to replace existing information, or to initially register information relating to the container. In particular, this information writing can be performed in the filling station of the container, at the end of the filling procedure, by transferring to the TAG fixed on the container the desired information, via the (transmitting) antenna connected to the interface card and the antenna (receiver) of the TAG and the corresponding chip. One can also add any type of information needed on the TAG in use of the container.

Claims (5)

  1. A method of foolproofing a container, and in particular a container (306) containing a liquid and / or a gas and / or a solid, said container (306) having fluidic connection means (308) for fluidically connecting the container (306) to outer means (323) and transferring the contents of said container (306) to the outer means (323) and / or the contents of said outer means (323) to said container (306), characterized in that said container (306) comprises information storage means (116) and information transmission means (115), said information transmission means (115) for transmitting the information stored in the storage means information (116) to external transmitter / receiver means (304) and / or transmitting information from external transmitter-receiver means (15, 304) for storage in the information storage means (116), information ions stored in the information storage means (116) can be compared to keying information contained in or accessed by the external transmitter / receiver means (15, 304) to avoid fluid connection of the container (306) to external means (323) inappropriate.   2. Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the information storage means (3) are arranged on the neck (30) of the container.   3. Method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that the information storage means and the information transmission / reception means respectively comprise a memory and an antenna of an RFID type receiver. 4. Method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the transmitting / receiving means also comprise an antenna for receiving and / or transmit information according to the RFID mode.   5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the external transmitter / receiver means also comprise information comparator means for comparing a keying information initially stored in or accessible by the external transmitter / receiver means the information read in the means of storing information.