JP2004306005A - Cleaning and drying apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cleaning and drying apparatus in which a cleaning and reduction of damp in a sealed cabinet are compatible. <P>SOLUTION: As a normal drying means, a method of dehumidifying wherein a drying agent is contained in a case, by opening a cabinet inward shutter and closing a shutter outside the cabinet, the drying agent sufficiently adsorbs the moisture inside, and thereafter, the opening and closing of the shutters are reversed to heat for reproduction for a certain hour and discharge the adsorbed moisture outside the cabinet is provided. In the apparatus, in order to make the best use of characters of the drying agent and perform the dehumidification action, and the decomposition and removing action of the contaminants due to a titanium oxide photocatalyst at the same time, a light such as an LED is irradiated to the drying agent such as silica gel, with the titanium oxide photocatalyst attached, except the time of heating and reproducing of the drying agent. The apparatus has the action and effects of best of both worlds, that the inside of the sealed cabinet is maintained low in the humidity by using the large surface area of the drying agent with this photocatalyst and the light transmitting action and by circulating the flowing air of the periphery of the drying agent in the cabinet, and the decomposition and the removal of the contaminants are performed. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI

Description

[0001]
TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE INVENTION
In recent years, removal of molecular-level gaseous substances contained in gas has become more important in optical lenses, semiconductor wafers, and the like due to advancement of technology. For example, when a wafer is exposed to air in a clean room, organic gas of several to several tens of ng / cm ² adheres to the wafer surface, and these cause a decrease in productivity such as breakdown of a gate film of a semiconductor and deterioration of breakdown voltage of an antioxidant film. .
In the present invention, the dehumidifying action and the cleaning action are performed by the same device.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, a desiccant is regenerated for a short period of time (normally 30 minutes) as a device for keeping the inside of a closed cabinet at a low humidity (for example, 3 to 10%) as a drying device. ６6 hours), and there was a device that keeps the inside humidity low by making this work repeatedly.
[0003]
On the other hand, as a photocatalyst, titanium oxide is mixed with various materials, and impurities in a gas (liquid) are decomposed by sunlight or ultraviolet irradiation, or by a general light source.
[0004]
That is, the drying function by the desiccant and the cleaning action by the titanium oxide were different in all aspects of the constitution and the application action.
[0005]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
As described above, conventionally, the apparatus was completely different, but it was necessary to increase the surface area as much as possible in order to increase the effect of decomposing / removing pollutants (effectiveness) by the titanium oxide photocatalyst. On the other hand, silica gel or the like as a desiccant had a very large surface area composed of pores at a molecular level in a granular structure.
[0006]
Therefore, by making use of the mutual granularity, that is, by attaching titanium oxide to the desiccant, an epoch-making action having both a moisture absorbing action and an air cleaning action can be achieved, and the effect action is achieved by an optical lens or a wafer. This is an epoch-making device that shows the two biggest problems of eliminating moisture absorption due to humidity and the cause of defects due to contamination in the air at the same time, and achieves both structural advantages and operational advantages at the same time.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The structural features to achieve the objectives and effects of the first half are as follows.
[0008]
Conventionally, a desiccant has been intended to automatically perform heating and regeneration and absorb moisture, keep the inside of a closed cabinet at a low humidity, and have effects such as mold prevention and rust prevention. In addition, the titanium oxide photocatalyst has been effective in preventing contamination by mixing or surface coating various structures such as tiles and glass and ceramics.
[0009]
One of the above-mentioned effects is required, namely, by impregnating the drying agent with titanium oxide, the two effects of a drying (= low humidity) effect and an anti-contamination (= clean) effect are installed with a time difference provided to provide a complex effect. Is achieved.
[0010]
BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, evaluation and certification will be made by specific examples.
The dehumidifying / cleaning device is mounted on a closed cabinet 18 as shown in a front sectional view of FIG. 1 and a side sectional view of FIG. 2, and all mechanisms are included in a case 19. This type of drying device alone is heated by a constant-time control timer, usually for about 30 minutes, by the heating element 1 which is in thermal contact with the desiccants 2 and 3 as already practically used. At this time, the upper and lower shutters 9 and 10 are operated about the fulcrum 15 so that the exhaust opening 7 and the outside air intake opening 8 are opened by the shutter control timer 17 which operates simultaneously. After heating the desiccants 2 and 3 in the net-shaped drying box 4 for a fixed time (30 minutes), the control timer 17 stops the energization, and the upper and lower shutters 9 and 10 are driven by a memory alloy or a driving source such as a solenoid valve 16. It turns over and closes the outside air intake and exhaust ports 7 and 8 and opens the inside holes 13 and 14 inside the warehouse.
As a result, the desiccant after the heat regeneration, that is, after the adsorbed moisture is dehumidified, sequentially reduces the humidity of the air in the refrigerator due to the moisture absorbing ability. The effect is promoted by the fan 6 below the desiccant.
[0011]
That is, when the shutter is opened in the moisture absorbing state and when the desiccant is absorbed, the LED illumination lamp 5 arranged on the lower side of the net-shaped drying box 4 irradiates the desiccant. These are performed by the control timer 17. The moisture absorption and LED irradiation time are about 5 to 6 hours. These drying agent heating regeneration and moisture absorption and LED illumination are repeated as a cycle (usually 6 hours) to perform a low humidity action and decompose and remove contaminants. is there.
[0012]
【The invention's effect】
The effects of the present invention described above are as follows.
[0013]
(1) The low humidity action and the action of decomposing and removing pollutants are achieved as one device.
[0014]
(2) Conventionally, the basic structures are separately manufactured, but the functions of low humidity and cleanliness are synergistically exerted to provide the best combined effect for an ultra-precise optical lens and a semiconductor wafer.
[0015]
(3) As for the action, by using a porous desiccant (silica gel, zeolite) as low humidity and cleansing as one substance, a very high synergistic effect can be obtained without impairing the respective effects.
[0016]
(4) This effect is not limited to optical lenses and wafers, and low humidity and molecular level cleanliness, which are basic environmental factors for mold and contamination, cannot be achieved by themselves. Could be achieved.
[0017]
Specific examples of applications are from simple low-humidity storage of dried foods to sanitary ones by adding purification, and the application range of medicines and biotechnology is extremely wide.
[0018]
Naturally, odor and cleaning can also be achieved by a porous material such as activated carbon instead of a desiccant, and the effects obtained by combining these effects with a single device are extremely wide.
[0010]
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a front cross-sectional view of the low-humidity / cleaning device of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side cross-sectional view of the low-humidity / cleaning device of the present invention (when moisture is absorbed).
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the low-humidity / cleaning apparatus of the present invention (at the time of heat regeneration).
[Explanation of symbols]
1. 1. desiccant heating source Desiccant (photocatalytic silica gel)
3. Desiccant (zeolite)
4. 4. Net-like desiccant case LED lighting6. Fan7. 7. Dehumidification opening 8. Open port for outside air intake Upper shutter 10. Lower shutter 11. Inside the refrigerator 12. Outside the warehouse 13. Exhaust port 14. 14. Air intake port inside the refrigerator Shutter fulcrum 16. Shutter open / close drive source (solenoid)
17. Control timer 18. Cabinet 19. Outer case of device

Claims (4)

The drying means dehumidifies (= low humidity) the inside of the closed chamber with a desiccant and controls the regenerating operation of the desiccant by heating for a certain period of time and the switching operation of the absorption and dehumidification shutters with a timer or the like. The titanium oxide photocatalyst is adhered, and during heating and regeneration, the adsorbed water is discharged by the heating element, and during the period of moisture absorption (when not heated), the titanium oxide photocatalyst is cleaned by irradiation with light from an LED or the like. Clean and dry equipment composed of a desiccant that acts and decomposes and removes pollutants The light source such as the LED is disposed under a desiccant that is hardly subjected to heat at the time of heating / regenerating, or at a position where the temperature does not rise due to reflection of a case device. The light irradiation side is provided with a translucent porous adsorbent such as silica gel to which titanium oxide is attached, and the non-illuminated side is provided with a porous adsorbent having a high moisture absorbing effect at low humidity such as zeolite to decompose and decompose pollutants. Clean and dry device that exhibits removal and low humidity effects A clean / dry apparatus that has a structure in which a titanium oxide photocatalyst is applied to the outer surface of a box containing a desiccant or the inner surface of a dehumidifying unit using the drying means, and decomposes and removes contaminants by light irradiation.

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