JP4148313B2 - Fluid supply system - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a fluid supply system configured to convey and supply fluid from a fluid supply source having a circulation path.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Conventionally, as a kind of metering pump, a reciprocating pump using a diaphragm as a movable part piston is known. Usually, the diaphragm which comprises such a reciprocating pump is formed using the material excellent in abrasion resistance and corrosion resistance. Further, in the reciprocating pump having such a configuration, there is no leakage of liquid in the reciprocating portion, and the pump chamber is provided with ball valves as check valves on both the suction side and the discharge side.
[0003]
As described above, a reciprocating pump configured using a diaphragm has no leakage, and is configured using a diaphragm having excellent wear resistance. It is also possible to transport a liquid (so-called “suspension”) containing an object or the like.
[0004]
Therefore, in the prior art, when a suspension is transported, a reciprocating pump (hereinafter simply referred to as “reciprocating pump”) configured using a diaphragm or the like may be employed.
[0005]
As described above, the suspension is a liquid containing particulate matter. Therefore, it is necessary to solve several problems in order to carry and supply the suspension in a state in which particulates and the like are appropriately dispersed in the liquid. One of the problems is that particulate matter or the like settles in the lower part of the liquid in the suspension supply source.
[0006]
In the prior art, in order to solve such a problem, there is a case where the suspension is circulated, and the suspension is taken out from the circulation state and supplied. With such a configuration, since the suspension is circulated, the suspension can be transported and supplied while reducing the sedimentation of the particulate matter or the like in the lower part of the liquid.
[0007]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
However, the above prior art has the following problems.
[0008]
In the prior art, a metering pump is used to quantitatively extract and transport a circulating suspension, but even if the transport supply flow rate is set on the metering pump side, it cannot be metered properly. There was a problem that there was.
This is due to the fact that the primary pressure (upstream pressure) of the metering pump is governed by the circulating pressure when the suspension is circulated. In other words, in the metering pump according to the prior art, even if the flow rate is set by the metering pump, if the circulating pressure fluctuates, it is transported quantitatively due to the influence (due to the fluctuation of the primary pressure). I couldn't.
[0009]
Further, the above problem is more conspicuous when a circulating suspension is supplied via a plurality of pipes. In other words, since a plurality of pipes are connected so that the suspension is transported and supplied from a plurality of locations, fluctuations in the circulation pressure of the suspension are increased, and the suspension is appropriately suspended at each location. There was a problem that it was not possible to carry out quantitative conveyance of the above.
[0010]
Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems of the prior art, and is a fluid supply system capable of quantitatively taking out a suspension in a circulating state based on a relatively easy configuration. It is an issue to provide.
[0011]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described prior art, and is a fluid supply system configured to convey and supply a fluid from a fluid supply source having a circulation path, and a supply pipe connected to the circulation path Unit, a metering pump provided in the supply piping unit, and a regulator provided on the upstream side of the metering pump in the supply piping unit.
[0012]
According to the fluid supply system according to such a configuration, since the fluid supply source has a circulation path, when the fluid is a suspension or the like, the particulate matter or the like in the suspension can be appropriately dispersed. it can. In addition, a regulator and a metering pump are provided in the supply piping connected to the fluid supply source configured as described above, and the upstream side (primary side) and the downstream side (secondary side) of the regulator are appropriately connected. Since “edge cutting” is performed, the metering pump can be driven to carry and supply a flow rate corresponding to the set value without being affected by pressure fluctuations in the fluid supply source.
[0013]
The present invention is also a fluid supply system configured to convey and supply a fluid from a fluid supply source having a circulation path, and is provided with a plurality of supply pipe parts connected to the circulation path, and each supply pipe part. And a regulator provided on the upstream side of the metering pump in each supply pipe section.
[0014]
According to the fluid supply system according to such a configuration, the metering pump can be driven so as to have the above-described effects in each supply piping section.
[0015]
In the fluid supply system according to the present invention, it is preferable that the metering pump is a reciprocating pump, and the movable part is configured using at least one of a diaphragm, a plunger, and a bellows. In the fluid supply system according to the present invention, the regulator includes a needle and a diaphragm fixed to the tip of the needle, and the diaphragm is pushed down by a negative pressure state, whereby the needle and the valve seat It is preferable that the flow is interrupted by allowing the diaphragm to be pushed up by a positive pressure state while a gap is generated therebetween. In the fluid supply system according to the present invention, a flow meter is provided on the downstream side of the metering pump, and there is a deviation between the set value related to the set flow rate of the metering pump and the value at the flow meter. The metering pump is preferably configured to be feedback-controlled based on the deviation.
[0016]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[0017]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a fluid supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the fluid supply system according to the present embodiment includes a supply pipe unit 21 connected to a fluid supply source 10 having a circulation path 11, a metering pump 22 provided in the supply pipe unit 21, It is configured using a regulator 23 and the like provided on the upstream side of the metering pump 22 in the supply piping unit 21.
[0018]
The fluid supply system according to the present embodiment is a system for supplying the fluid circulated in the fluid supply source 10 to the fluid use location Q via the supply piping unit 21 and the like, and is supplied and supplied. Examples of the fluid include suspensions (liquids including solids (granular materials)) such as a slurry for CMP in a semiconductor CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) process. The CMP slurry used in the semiconductor CMP process here is one having a slurry concentration of 5 to 50 wt% and a maximum aggregate particle size of 10 μm or less. Moreover, as a component of the slurry, a silica-based, cerium oxide-based, alumina-based, zirconia-based, or manganese dioxide-based single component or a mixture is used. Further, examples of the use point Q of such a suspension (CMP slurry) include a polishing cloth (not shown) on a polishing surface plate when performing CMP.
[0019]
The fluid supply source 10 includes a circulation path 11, a circulation metering pump 12, a circulation path pressure gauge (PI) 31, a circulation path valve 14, and a storage stirring unit 15 provided in the circulation path 11. Etc. are used. The storage agitation unit 15 includes a storage tank 151 that stores the suspension and the like, and a stirring blade 152 that stirs the suspension in the storage tank 151.
[0020]
That is, in the fluid supply source 10 according to the present embodiment, the suspension in the storage tank 151 is circulated in the circulation path 11 by driving the metering pump 12, and is stirred in the storage tank 151 as necessary. Agitation is performed using wings 152. Therefore, in this embodiment, since the suspension is not only circulated in the circulation path 11 but also appropriately stirred, the sedimentation of the particulate matter or the like is caused in the suspension in the fluid supply source 10. It can be prevented appropriately.
[0021]
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 1, the fluid supply system according to the present embodiment drives the constant-rate pump 22 for conveyance supply, thereby supplying the suspension circulated in the fluid supply source 10 to the supply piping unit. 21 and the regulator 23 to convey and supply the fluid use point Q downstream of the metering pump 22, and on the supply piping 21 between the regulator 23 and metering pump 22 (on the upstream side of the metering pump 22 The metering pump primary pressure gauge 32 is provided, and the metering pump secondary pressure gauge 33 is provided downstream of the metering pump 22. Further, a supply piping section valve 24 is provided upstream of the regulator 23 in the supply piping section 21.
[0022]
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a regulator constituting the fluid supply system according to the present embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 2, in the regulator 23 according to this embodiment, a needle stopper 232 is provided on a base 230, and the needle stopper 232 and the needle 231 are connected via a first spring 233. In the present embodiment, a valve seat 239 corresponding to the needle 231 is provided, and the amount of fluid to be supplied is determined according to the distance between the needle 231 and the valve seat 239. Further, a diaphragm 234 is fixed to the tip of the needle 231, and a spring base 235 is attached to the diaphragm 234. A plunger 236 is attached to the spring base 235 via a second spring 237, and the plunger 236 is configured to be movable up and down using an adjustment knob 238.
[0023]
In the present embodiment, the first spring 233 biases the needle 231 upward, and the second spring 237 biases the diaphragm 234 downward. Therefore, the pressing force of the needle 231 against the valve seat 239 is set by the balance of the urging forces of these springs 233 and 237. In this embodiment, the adjustment of the pressing force is set by the amount of pressing of the adjustment knob 238 in contact with the plunger 236.
[0024]
In the regulator 23 configured as shown in FIG. 2, when the needle 231 is pushed downward, the suspension becomes an inflow portion 23a, a first retention portion 23b, a second retention portion 23c, and an outflow portion. It is conveyed and supplied to the fluid use location Q side via 23d.
Specifically, by driving the metering pump 22 (e.g., by moving the diaphragm or the like in the backward direction against the fluid transport direction (forward direction)), the flow out portion 23d and the second retention section 23c A negative pressure state is established, and the diaphragm 234 is pushed downward. As the diaphragm 234 moves in this manner, a gap is generated between the needle 231 and the valve seat 239, and the second staying portion 23c and the first staying portion 23b are in communication with each other. The suspension will flow to the side. On the other hand, if is movable diaphragm or the like of the metering pump 22 to the forward movement Direction, flow out portion 23d and the second retaining portion 23c becomes positive pressure, the diaphragm 234 is pushed upward. Then, the needle 231 comes into contact with the valve seat 239, and the communication state between the first retention portion 23b and the second retention portion 23c is blocked.
[0025]
Since the regulator 23 according to the present embodiment is configured as described above, the primary side pressure (circulation pressure P1 measured by the pressure gauge 31 of the circulation path 11 in the present embodiment) varies. Suspension supply while maintaining a constant secondary pressure (in this embodiment, the metering pump primary pressure P2 measured by the pressure gauge 32 of the supply piping unit 21) without being affected. It can be performed. That is, the regulator 23 can reduce flow rate fluctuations due to mutual interference with other devices and fluid use locations on the downstream side (secondary side).
[0026]
As described above, since the fluid supply system according to the present embodiment is configured as shown in FIG. 1 and the like, the following effects can be obtained.
[0027]
That is, in the present embodiment, the regulator 23 provided in the supply piping section 21 functions to perform “edge cutting” between the primary side and the secondary side, and thus, for example, provided in the circulation path 11. Even if the agitation process is performed in the storage and agitation unit 15 and the pressure in the circulation path 11 varies, the pressure variation does not directly affect the secondary side of the regulator 23.
[0028]
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when the metering pump 22 in the supply piping unit 21 is driven and the suspension is taken out from the circulation path 11 constituting the fluid supply source 10 and is fed and supplied, the metering pump 22 is set. A certain amount of suspension can be supplied according to the value. That is, even if the circulation process or the agitation process is performed and the pressure on the upstream side of the regulator 23 (measurement pressure in the circulation path pressure gauge 31) fluctuates, the pressure on the downstream side of the regulator 23 (measurement in the metering pump primary side pressure gauge 32). (Pressure) does not fluctuate, so that it is not affected at all by the pressure fluctuation in the circulation path 11, and the metering pump 22 can realize the conveyance supply at a constant flow rate according to a predetermined set value.
[0029]
Further, by providing the regulator 23 on the upstream side of the metering pump 22, the set flow rate of the metering pump 22 may decrease by the pressure loss of the regulator 23. In such a case, the pressure loss is taken into consideration in advance. The set flow rate in the metering pump 22 may be determined. Further, if necessary, a flow meter (for example, an ultrasonic flow meter) and a control unit are provided on the downstream side of the metering pump 22 to set a set value of the metering pump 22 and an actual measured value of the flow rate (with a flow meter). If a deviation occurs between the metering pump 22 and the control unit, the metering pump 22 may be configured to be feedback-controlled using the deviation and the control unit. If such feedback control is performed, a suspension having a desired flow rate can be conveyed and supplied by setting a necessary value in the metering pump 22 (that is, without considering pressure loss or the like).
[0030]
In addition, according to the fluid supply system according to the present embodiment, since a suspension in the circulation path 11 is taken out and transported and supplied, a certain amount of suspension is applied in a state in which the particulate matter in the suspension is appropriately dispersed. The turbid liquid can be conveyed and supplied to the downstream side of the metering pump 22.
[0031]
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications other than those described above can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.
[0032]
For example, in the above embodiment, the case where one supply piping unit 21 is connected to the fluid supply source 10 having the circulation path 11 has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. . Therefore, for example, a configuration in which a plurality of supply piping sections are connected to the circulation path 11 may be employed. That is, for each of the supply pipes connected to the circulation path 11, if an arrangement-related regulator and a metering pump as shown in FIG. Can be obtained.
[0033]
In the above embodiment, the configuration of the metering pump 22 is not particularly described. However, if the fluid can be conveyed by the reciprocating movement of the movable part (if it is a reciprocating pump), the present invention can be applied. Such a metering pump 22 is not limited to any configuration. Therefore, for example, any reciprocating pump configured with a diaphragm, a plunger, a bucket, a bellows, or the like as a movable portion can constitute the fluid supply system according to the present invention.
[0034]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, the present invention is a fluid supply system configured to convey and supply a fluid from a fluid supply source having a circulation path, and is provided in the supply piping section connected to the circulation path and the supply piping section. And a regulator provided upstream of the metering pump in the supply piping section.
Therefore, according to the present invention, a fluid supply system capable of quantitatively taking out a suspension in a circulating state (a suspension in which particulate matter or the like is appropriately dispersed) is obtained based on a relatively easy configuration. be able to.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a fluid supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of a regulator constituting the fluid supply system according to the present embodiment.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Fluid supply source, 11 ... Circulation path, 12 ... Metering pump, 14 ... Circulation path valve, 15 ... Storage stirring part, 21 ... Supply piping part, 22 ... Metering pump, 23 ... Regulator, 24 ... Supply piping part valve, DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 31 ... Circulation path | pass pressure gauge, 32 ... Metering pump primary pressure gauge, 33 ... Metering pump secondary pressure gauge 151 ... Storage tank, 152 ... Stirring blade, 230 ... Base, 231 ... Needle, 232 ... Needle stopper, 233 ... First spring, 234 ... Diaphragm, 235 ... Spring base, 236 ... Plunger, 237 ... Second spring, 238 ... Adjusting knob, 239 ... Valve seat

Claims (5)

A fluid supply system configured to convey and supply fluid from a fluid supply source having a circulation path,
A supply piping connected to the circulation path;
A metering pump provided in the supply piping section;
A fluid supply system comprising: a regulator provided upstream of the metering pump in the supply piping section. A fluid supply system configured to convey and supply fluid from a fluid supply source having a circulation path,
A plurality of supply piping parts connected to the circulation path;
A metering pump provided in each supply piping section;
A fluid supply system comprising: a regulator provided upstream of the metering pump in each supply pipe section.   The fluid supply system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the metering pump is a reciprocating pump, and the movable part is configured using at least one of a diaphragm, a plunger, and a bellows. The regulator includes a needle and a diaphragm fixed to the tip of the needle, and when the diaphragm is pushed down by a negative pressure state, a gap is generated between the needle and the valve seat, and can be circulated. The fluid supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the flow is blocked by pushing up the diaphragm in a positive pressure state. When a flow meter is provided on the downstream side of the metering pump, and there is a deviation between the set value related to the set flow rate of the metering pump and the value at the flow meter, the metering pump is feedback controlled based on the deviation. The fluid supply system according to claim 1, wherein the fluid supply system is configured as described above.

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