JPH0645211A - Semiconductor manufacturing equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To prevent an unsteady flow of air due to an unbalance of air flow in a box which is caused by a temporary increase of an air quantity of a centrifugal dehydrator and to prevent a decrease in a cleanliness of the inside of the box. CONSTITUTION:A plurality of centrifugal dehydrator-included processing units 1 which are adjacent to each other at right angles with this sheet of paper are combined in a carrier space 2 to form an air-tight box 3. To the box 3, a filter 4 to supply clean air and an exhaust duct 5 are connected. A differential pressure gauge 6 is installed above the centrifugal dehydrators between the box 3 and the exhaust duct 5. A motor fan 4m, being driven by an inverter 7, increases an air quantity of the filter 4 located above the centrifugal dehydrators according to a change signal of the differential pressure gauge 6. Even in the case that the centrigural dehydrators are so operated as to increase an air quantity temporarily, it is prevented that an air flow in the box gets out of balance and it causes a decrease in a cleanliness of the inside of the box 3.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which houses a processing unit for processing an object to be processed such as a semiconductor wafer in a box to which clean air is supplied.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 3 is a perspective vertical sectional view of a conventional example. In the figure, a plurality of processing units 1 adjacent to each other at right angles to the paper surface
Form an airtight box body 3 connected to each other in the transport space 2. A filter device 4 with an electric blower 4a for supplying clean air and an exhaust duct 5 are connected to the box body 3. The plurality of processing units include, for example, a processing tank for hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide water, Q
Pure water treatment tank with DR (Quick Dump Rinse), ammonia and hydrogen peroxide water treatment tank, pure water treatment tank with QDR,
The deionized water overflow processing tank and the centrifugal dehydrator are successively connected, and the centrifugal dehydrator appears as the processing unit 1 in the figure. The filter device 4 and the exhaust duct 5 may be provided in a one-to-one correspondence with each processing unit, or may be provided for every two to three adjacent processing units. The filter device 4 with the electric blower 4a is a HEP
A (High Efficiency Particle Air Filter) or the like is used to supply clean air to the box body 3, and particles generated by a chemical reaction or the like in each processing unit are discharged to the exhaust duct 5. Air pressure of the filter device 4 acts on the box body 3 to maintain a positive pressure slightly higher than the outside air (clean room).

[0003]

In the above-mentioned conventional example, when one of the processing units 1 is a specific processing unit that operates to temporarily increase the air volume in the box body 3, for example, a specific processing unit is used. When the centrifugal dehydrator, which is the processing unit of the above, operates, its exhaust amount increases. Then, since the supply of clean air from the filter device 4 above it cannot catch up, the balance of the steady flow of the airflow in the airtight box body 3 connected in the transfer space 2 becomes unbalanced and becomes an unsteady flow. Therefore, particles generated by chemical reaction from other adjacent processing units 1 flow into a centrifugal dehydrator, which is a specific processing unit, and the cleanliness of the inside of the box is reduced. The object to be processed is re-contaminated.

An object of the present invention is to eliminate the problem even when a processing unit such as a centrifugal dehydrator operates so as to temporarily increase the air volume and the air flow in the box is unbalanced to become an unsteady flow. It is an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which prevents the cleanliness of the box body from being lowered.

[0005]

According to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the present invention, a box housing a plurality of processing units connected in a transfer space is connected to a filter device with an electric blower for supplying clean air and an exhaust duct. However, in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which any one of the specific processing units operates to temporarily increase the air volume in the box body, the box body is located above the specific processing unit. A differential pressure gauge provided between the exhaust gas and the exhaust air or the outside air, and a controller that acts in a direction to increase the air volume of the filter device closest to the specific processing unit based on a change signal of the differential pressure gauge. Is.

Further, a filter device having an electric blower for supplying clean air and an exhaust duct are connected to a box for accommodating a plurality of processing units connected to each other in a transfer space, and a specific processing of any one of the processing units is performed. In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which a unit operates so as to temporarily increase the air volume in the box, the air volume of the filter device closest to the specific processing unit based on an operation signal of the specific processing unit. Is provided with a controller for increasing the desired value.

At this time, the controller may be an inverter device provided in a power source of the electric blower having an AC electric motor.

[0008]

According to these inventions, even when a processing unit such as a centrifugal dehydrator operates to temporarily increase the air volume and the air flow in the box is unbalanced and becomes an unsteady flow. By preventing this, the cleanliness inside the box does not decrease.

[0009]

1 is a perspective vertical sectional view of the first embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a perspective vertical sectional view of the second embodiment. In FIG. 1, first, a portion similar to the conventional example will be roughly described. A plurality of processing units 1 that are adjacent to each other at right angles to the paper surface are connected in the transport space 2 to form an airtight box 3. A filter device 4 with an electric blower 4m for supplying clean air and an exhaust duct 5 are connected to the box body 3. The plurality of processing units are, for example,
As described in the conventional example, the centrifugal dehydrator is, and the centrifugal dehydrator appears as the processing unit 1 in the drawing. The filter device 4 and the exhaust duct 5 may be provided in a one-to-one correspondence with each processing unit, or may be provided for every two to three adjacent processing units.
The filter device 4 equipped with the electric blower 4m uses HEPA or the like to supply clean air to the box body 3, and exhausts particles generated by a chemical reaction in each processing unit to the exhaust duct 5
To discharge. Air pressure of the filter device 4 acts on the box body 3 to maintain a positive pressure slightly higher than the outside air (clean room).

As a characteristic structure of the embodiment, the processing unit 1 is a specific processing unit such as a centrifugal dehydrator which operates so as to temporarily increase the air volume in the box body 3. Above this particular processing unit 1 and in the box 3
The differential pressure gauge 6 is mounted between the exhaust duct 5 and the exhaust duct 5. Then, a controller, for example, an inverter device 7 is provided at the power source of the electric blower 4m having an induction motor, and the air volume of the filter device 4 closest to the specific processing unit 1 is increased based on the change signal of the differential pressure gauge 6. Let Therefore, even when the centrifugal dehydrator operates to temporarily increase the air volume and the air flow in the box is unbalanced and becomes an unsteady flow, this is prevented and the cleanliness in the box is reduced. There is nothing. When the centrifugal dehydrator operates in the worst case, the box body 3 kept at a positive pressure may become a negative pressure, and particles may be sucked from the outside air.

A filter device 4 for increasing the air volume
Is preferably provided in a one-to-one correspondence with the specific processing unit 1, but when the filter device 4 is shared with an adjacent processing unit, the closest filter device 4 may be used. The differential pressure gauge 6 may be between the box body 3 and the outside air of the box body 3, and in order to increase the air volume of the filter device 4, the air volume is constantly suppressed by a damper and based on the change signal of the differential pressure gauge 6. The controller may drive the damper so as to increase the air volume of the filter device 4. In addition, as in the second embodiment shown in FIG. 2, the inverter device 7 has a desired value that is obtained in advance for the air volume of the filter device above the specific processing unit 1 based on the operation signal of the specific processing unit 1. A controller may be provided to increase the volume of the. The specific processing unit that operates to temporarily increase the air volume in the box body 3 is not limited to the centrifugal dehydrator.

[0012]

According to the invention described above, a processing unit such as a centrifugal dehydrator operates so as to temporarily increase the air volume, so that the air flow in the box is unbalanced and becomes an unsteady flow. Even in such a case, there is an effect that this is prevented and the cleanliness inside the box is not lowered, and the object to be treated is treated extremely cleanly.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective vertical sectional view of a first embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective vertical sectional view of a second embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective vertical sectional view of a conventional example.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Processing Unit 2 Transport Space 3 Box 4 Filter Device 4a Electric Blower 4m Electric Blower 5 Exhaust Duct 6 Differential Pressure Gauge 7 Inverter Device

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A filter unit having an electric blower for supplying clean air and an exhaust duct are connected to a box for accommodating a plurality of processing units connected to each other in a transfer space, and a specific processing of any one of the processing units is performed. In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which a unit operates so as to temporarily increase the air volume in the box body, the unit is provided above the specific processing unit and between the box body and the exhaust duct or the outside air. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: a differential pressure gauge, and a controller that operates in a direction of increasing an air volume of the filter device closest to the specific processing unit based on a change signal of the differential pressure gauge. 2. A filter device having an electric blower for supplying clean air and an exhaust duct are connected to a box housing a plurality of processing units connected to each other in a transfer space, and a specific processing of any one of the processing units is performed. In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which a unit operates so as to temporarily increase the air volume in the box, the air volume of the filter device closest to the specific processing unit based on an operation signal of the specific processing unit. Is provided with a controller for increasing a desired value. 3. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the controller is an inverter device provided in a power source of the electric blower including an AC electric motor.