JPH11184531A - Flow control system for fluid supplier - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve responsiveness by automatically controlling a flow rate appropriately corresponding to a fluctuating required quantity of fluid. SOLUTION: This system is provided with an operating part 32 for inputting setup conditions for the flow rate of fluid to be supplied, a flow sensor 26 for detecting the flow rate of the supplied fluid, a motor valve 34 for automatically changing an aperture corresponding to a signal from the outside, and an instruction processing part 40 equipped with a flow control comparator 36 for comparing a setting signal outputted from the operating part 32 with a detected signal from the flow sensor 26 and for outputting a signal related to the control of the motor valve 34.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a flow control system for a fluid supply device, and more particularly, to a fluid supply system for selectively supplying a fluid to a part or all of a plurality of operating parts constituting a predetermined system. The present invention relates to a flow control system for an apparatus.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Normally, in a fluid supply device, in order to supply a fluid at a set flow rate, the flow rate of the fluid is measured by a flow meter, and adjustment is performed by opening and closing a needle valve by an operator. Regarding the opening / closing of the needle valve itself, there are some which can be operated by turning the knob or handle by the operator himself or remotely by using the power of a servomotor or the like.

Further, in a fluid supply device for selectively supplying a fluid to a part or all of a plurality of operating parts constituting a predetermined system, the flow rate applied to each operating part is generally adjusted as described above. doing. This fluid supply device includes, for example, a cooling water supply device that selectively supplies cooling water to a part or all of a plurality of operating units constituting a predetermined system in a semiconductor device manufacturing factory. This cooling water supply device supplies cooling water from a single cooling water supply source to a plurality of operating units (semiconductor device processing devices, etc.). Constant quality (for example,
Cooling water at a constant temperature of 20 ° C.).

[0004]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional fluid supply device, the flow rate is adjusted by the operation of the operator, which is troublesome, and it is difficult to cope with the required amount of the changing fluid one by one. There was a problem that was. Further, in a semiconductor device manufacturing factory, it is required to control the flow rate of cooling water with extremely high precision in order to cope with strict temperature control conditions of each processing device. In particular, when some or all of a plurality of operating parts (processing equipment for semiconductor devices, etc.) constituting a predetermined system are selectively operated and the required amount of cooling water changes continuously, the changing conditions It is necessary to respond appropriately to For example, when many processing devices are operated at once, the supply pressure of the cooling water is reduced, so that a predetermined flow rate cannot be flowed, and conversely, when only one of the plurality of processing devices is operated. In this case, since the supply pressure of the cooling water rises, the cooling water having a flow rate equal to or higher than a predetermined flow rate flows to perform excessive cooling.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a flow control system for a fluid supply device with good responsiveness, which can suitably cope with a required amount of a fluctuating fluid and can automatically adjust the flow rate. .

[0006]

To achieve the above object, the present invention has the following arrangement. That is, the present invention
An operation unit for inputting a setting condition of a flow rate of a supplied fluid, a flow sensor for detecting a flow rate of a supplied fluid, a flow adjustment valve for automatically changing an opening degree by an external signal, A command processing unit including a comparator for flow rate adjustment that compares a setting signal to be output with a detection signal from the flow rate sensor and outputs a signal related to control of the flow rate adjustment valve. .

Further, the present invention provides a flow control system of a fluid supply device for selectively supplying a fluid to a part or all of a plurality of operating portions constituting a predetermined system. An operation unit for inputting the setting conditions of the total flow rate,
A flow rate sensor for detecting a total flow rate of the fluid supplied to the predetermined system, a flow rate adjustment valve for automatically changing an opening degree by an external signal, a setting signal output from the operation unit, and the flow rate sensor And a command processing unit having a flow rate control comparator that outputs a signal related to control of the flow rate control valve, and a flow control system of the fluid supply device. is there.

In addition, by providing automatic input means for automatically inputting set conditions to the operation section, the total flow rate of fluid supplied to a plurality of operating sections constituting a predetermined system can be automatically and responsively improved. It can be managed suitably.

Further, the fluid supply device is a circulating cooling water supply device that circulates cooling water and supplies the cooling portion to cool the working portion, so that the temperature control of each working portion can be efficiently and accurately performed. Can be done.

Further, since the operating section is a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device, it can be suitably used in the field of semiconductor manufacturing.

[0011]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. (First Embodiment) FIG. 1 is an explanatory view schematically showing a first embodiment of a flow control system for a fluid supply device according to the present invention. Reference numeral 32 denotes an operation unit which can input a setting condition of a flow rate of a supplied fluid. The setting conditions input here are converted into electrical signals (setting signals) and output to a comparator 36 described later.

Reference numeral 26 denotes a flow sensor, which is a fluid line 16.
It measures the flow rate of the fluid supplied to the pipeline 16 and outputs the measurement (detection) result. The detection signal can be suitably obtained, for example, as an electric signal such as a current value in a predetermined range.

Reference numeral 34 denotes a motor valve, which is an example of a flow control valve for automatically changing the opening in response to an external signal. The motor valve 34 has a function of opening and closing by the power of a servo motor 33. For example, the rotation power of the servo motor 33 is transmitted to the handle of the valve via a speed reducer, and the opening can be automatically changed. It is a flow control valve. The flow control valve for automatically adjusting the opening of the fluid conduit 16 by a control signal is not limited to the motor valve 34 described above, but may be a solenoid valve (proportional solenoid valve).
Other means can be used.

A command processing unit 40 compares a setting signal output from the operation unit 32 with a detection signal from the flow sensor 26, and outputs a signal for controlling the motor valve 34. And the motor valve 34
Adjust the opening of.

By controlling the motor valve 34 by the instruction processing unit 40 in this manner, a flow meter (flow sensor 2) is controlled.
Feedback control is suitably performed based on the electric signal output from 6). When the pressure of the supplied fluid increases and the flow rate increases above a predetermined set value, the opening degree of the motor valve 34 is reduced, and the pressure of the supplied fluid decreases and the flow rate decreases below the predetermined set value. In this case, the opening degree of the motor valve 34 is increased so that a predetermined flow rate is controlled to flow continuously. Thus, even when the pressure of the fluid supply source fluctuates, a predetermined flow rate can be suitably supplied. That is, fully automatic remote control is possible, and flow control with good responsiveness becomes possible.

(Second Embodiment) FIG. 2 is an explanatory view schematically showing a flow control system (second embodiment) of a cooling water supply device in a semiconductor device manufacturing factory. The flow control system according to the second embodiment is applied to a fluid supply device that selectively supplies a fluid (cooling water) to a part or all of a plurality of operating units (a plurality of semiconductor device manufacturing apparatuses) constituting a predetermined system. In this embodiment, the fluid supply device is a circulating cooling water supply device that circulates cooling water and supplies the semiconductor device manufacturing device with cooling.

Reference numeral 32 denotes an operation unit for inputting a setting condition of a total flow rate of a fluid to be supplied to a predetermined system. 26 is a flow rate sensor which detects the total flow rate of the fluid supplied to a predetermined system. Reference numeral 34 denotes a motor valve, which is an example of a flow control valve that automatically changes the opening in response to an external signal.
Reference numeral 40 denotes a command processing unit which compares a setting signal output from the operation unit 32 with a detection signal from the flow sensor 26 and outputs a signal for controlling the motor valve 34 to a flow adjustment comparator 36. Have.

Reference numeral 50 denotes automatic input means for automatically inputting setting conditions to the operation unit 32. In the present embodiment, a plurality of semiconductor device manufacturing apparatuses 51, 5 forming a predetermined system.
Regarding whether or not to supply the cooling water to a part or all of 2, 53, the open / close valves 51a, 52 corresponding to each manufacturing apparatus
The open / close state of the switches a and 53a is detected, and the setting conditions are automatically input to the operation unit 32. With the automatic input means 50, the total flow rate of the fluid to be supplied to a plurality of operating units (a plurality of semiconductor device manufacturing apparatuses 51, 52, 53) constituting a predetermined system can be automatically and suitably managed with good responsiveness.

The conduit 16 of the second embodiment is connected to a pump (not shown), and is connected to a plurality of semiconductor device manufacturing apparatuses 5.
A circulation channel is formed to collect and circulate the cooling water flowing out of 1, 52 and 53. Further, the temperature of the cooling water is kept constant by temperature adjusting means (not shown). The temperature adjusting means is a known cooling device and / or
Or it can be comprised from a heating device. Since the cooling water is circulated, it can be used with high thermal efficiency. Thus, the second
In the system for supplying cooling water in the semiconductor device manufacturing plant of the embodiment, the circulation system is used, and since the capacity of the pump is limited, unlike the case of a water source having a stable supply pressure such as tap water, The pressure fluctuation of the supply water source is large. On the other hand, according to the flow rate control system of the present invention, it is possible to flow a predetermined flow rate regardless of the fluctuation of the pressure of the supply water source,
That problem can be suitably solved.

Reference numeral 30 denotes a flow rate control means. An operation unit 32 for inputting a setting condition of a flow rate of the cooling water,
Motor valve 34 that opens and closes with the power of
An automatic input means 50 for automatically inputting the setting condition to the second;
A comparator 36 is provided for comparing a setting signal from the operation unit 32 with a detection signal from the flow sensor 26 and outputting a signal relating to a flow parameter (a signal relating to control of the motor valve 34).

The command processing unit 40, which is a feedback control system, is configured by the configuration including the comparator 36 for adjusting the flow rate. Flow sensor 26 and automatic input means 50
The input or output signal from the controller is appropriately converted into a current value in a predetermined range, and is processed by an arithmetic unit or the like (not shown) to control the current value in a predetermined range for controlling the motor valve 34. Output as a signal. The instruction processing unit 40 can be configured by a known circuit and performs sequence control. The flow rate control means 30 may be controlled by empirically set conditions by the command processing unit 40 operated by a program in addition to the simple sequence control. For the conditioning, for example, the value of the heat capacity calculated by the product of the flow rate and the temperature difference,
Alternatively, there are elements or the like over time, and more accurate temperature management can be performed by performing arithmetic processing and controlling based on these elements. That is, it may be configured to perform so-called PID control (a combination of proportional, integral, and differential operations is possible), fuzzy control, and the like.

According to the present embodiment, the flow rate parameter is continuously monitored by the flow rate sensor 26, and the flow rate of the cooling water is controlled based on the detection data as described above. Thereby, the temperature of the semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus can be controlled in a timely and responsive manner.
The semiconductor device can be processed and manufactured under uniform conditions while keeping the temperature constant. That is, the temperature control of the manufacturing apparatus of each semiconductor device can be performed with high accuracy, and the processing accuracy at the time of manufacturing the semiconductor device can be improved.

The flow rate control system of the fluid supply device described above can be suitably applied not only to the semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus but also to other uses. Further, it goes without saying that the flow control systems according to the first embodiment and the second embodiment may be used in combination. For example, the opening / closing valves 51a, 52 of the second embodiment
It is needless to say that the flow control system of the fluid supply device according to the first embodiment can be used for controlling the opening and closing of each of a and 53a. As described above, various preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described. However, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and it goes without saying that many more modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. That is.

[0024]

According to the present invention, the setting signal output from the operation unit and the detection signal from the flow sensor are compared by the comparator for flow adjustment, and the signal for controlling the flow control valve is output. In addition, the flow rate of the fluid can be automatically adjusted one by one.
Therefore, according to the present invention, a remarkable effect is achieved in that the flow rate of the liquid can be suitably controlled with good responsiveness, suitably responding to the required amount of the fluid that fluctuates.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a first embodiment of a flow control system of a fluid supply device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a second embodiment of the flow control system of the fluid supply device according to the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 16 Pipe line 26 Flow rate sensor 30 Flow rate control means 32 Operation part 34 Motor valve 36 Comparator for flow rate adjustment 40 Command processing part 50 Automatic input means

Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ Identification code FI H01L 21/02 H01L 21/02 Z (72) Inventor Mitsue Ogawa 1650 Kiyono, Matsushiro-machi, Nagano City, Nagano Prefecture Fujikoshi Machinery Co., Ltd.

Claims (5)

[Claims] 1. An operation section for inputting a setting condition of a flow rate of a supplied fluid, a flow rate sensor for detecting a flow rate of a supplied fluid, and a flow rate adjusting valve for automatically changing an opening degree by an external signal. A command processing unit including a comparator for flow rate adjustment that compares a setting signal output from the operation unit with a detection signal from the flow rate sensor and outputs a signal related to control of the flow rate adjustment valve. A flow control system for a fluid supply device, comprising: 2. A flow control system for a fluid supply device for selectively supplying a fluid to a part or all of a plurality of operating parts constituting a predetermined system, wherein a total flow rate of the fluid supplied to the predetermined system is set. An operation unit for inputting a condition, a flow sensor for detecting a total flow rate of the fluid supplied to the predetermined system, a flow control valve for automatically changing an opening degree by an external signal, and an output from the operation unit And a command processing unit including a comparator for flow rate adjustment that outputs a signal related to control of the flow rate adjustment valve by comparing a setting signal to be detected with a detection signal from the flow rate sensor. Supply device flow control system. 3. The flow control system for a fluid supply device according to claim 2, further comprising an automatic input unit for automatically inputting a setting condition to the operation unit. 4. The fluid supply device according to claim 2, wherein the fluid supply device is a circulation-type cooling water supply device that circulates cooling water and supplies the cooling water to cool the operating portion. Equipment flow control system. 5. The semiconductor device according to claim 2, wherein said operating section is a manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device.
A flow control system for a fluid supply device according to claim 1.