KR100890961B1 - Hybrid temperature control method for chiller apparatus for decreasing power consumption - Google Patents

Abstract

A hybrid temperature control method of the chiller apparatus is provided to minimize the power consumption by selectively applying the heat according to the low-temperature driving or the high-temperature driving. A driving area according to the temperature of the facility for the semiconductor process is confirmed(S31). In case the confirmed driving area is the low temperature drive, the temperature of the brine is controlled by the heater(S33). In case the confirmed driving area is the high temperature drive, the external load of the confirmed driving area is selected the emission condition or the endoergic condition In case the endoergic condition, the temperature of the brine is controlled for the cooling load by the heater(S36). In case the emission condition, the temperature of the brine is controlled by the heating heater(S35).

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a hybrid temperature control method for a chiller apparatus for reducing power consumption,

The present invention relates to a hybrid temperature control method of a chiller apparatus, and more particularly, to a technique for reducing a heater output and a power consumption of a refrigerator to minimize power consumption.

The chiller device is a temperature control device for stable process control in semiconductor device manufacturing process. Especially, chiller is used in various processes such as etching and exposure process. It keeps the temperature of the electrode plate and chamber which generates excessive heat during the process constant, thereby preventing damage to the wafer due to high temperature and deterioration of productivity .

In the refrigeration cycle of the chiller device performing such a function, the refrigerant path and the brine path are overlapped in the evaporator to perform heat exchange. Here, a brine is a solution or liquid having a low freezing point, usually a galden or ethylene glycol mixture is used.

1 is a system diagram showing an example of a conventional chiller apparatus for a semiconductor processing facility.

First, the circulation path of the refrigerant (for example, Freon gas) formed in the refrigeration cycle is as follows.

(1) The refrigerant of high temperature and high pressure discharged from the compressor 10 is condensed in the condenser 20 in which the cooling water of about 20 캜 is in thermal contact and is phase-changed into the high-pressure refrigerant liquid,

(2) The condensed refrigerant liquid is stored in the receiver (30) as a high-pressure tank,

(3) The refrigerant liquid discharged from the receiver (30) expands in the electronic expansion valve (40, EEV) and changes into a low-temperature, low-pressure saturated refrigerant state,

(4) The saturated refrigerant at a low temperature and pressure is evaporated by heat exchange with the brine in the evaporator 50, and then flows into the compressor 10 again.

The circulation path of the brine is as follows.

(1) The brine exiting the semiconductor process facility performs heat exchange with the refrigerant in the evaporator 50,

(2) heated by the brine heater 70 in the tank 60,

(3) The brine pump 70 forms a path for entering the semiconductor process facility.

According to this conventional structure, in order to control the temperature range of -20 ° C to 90 ° C in the semiconductor process facility, the cooling mode by the operation of the refrigerant refrigerating machine and the heating mode by the heater output are simultaneously operated at all times during operation.

Specifically, in the case where the external load absorbs heat, the heater output is uniquely consumed by the cooling compensation temperature control method after cooling the brine heat to an arbitrary cooling capacity by the latent heat cooling method of the refrigerant evaporation by the refrigerating machine operation.

In addition, in the case where the external load radiates heat, only a heating load by a heater is required, and a cooling load is not necessary. Nevertheless, when the refrigerator operation is required again due to the external load fluctuation under the high temperature operating condition, the refrigerator operation is unnecessarily performed in order to eliminate the temperature hunting due to the initial operation of the refrigerator. As a result, power consumption due to driving of the electric motor of the compressor has occurred.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a temperature control method of a chiller apparatus which can reduce the power consumption as a whole by differently controlling the temperature of the brine based on the operation region according to the temperature.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a method of controlling the temperature of a chiller apparatus that minimizes refrigerator operation.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a method of controlling the temperature of a chiller apparatus that minimizes a heater output by varying a control method according to selection of an external load.

The above object of the present invention is also achieved by a chiller apparatus for a chiller apparatus for heat exchange with a brine provided in an evaporator provided in a refrigerant path, A first control mode for controlling the temperature of the brine by heating the compensation heater, a second control mode for controlling the temperature of the brine by cooling the cooling water and the heater for temperature compensation, and a second control mode for controlling the temperature of the brine And a third control mode for controlling the temperature of the brine in any one of the control modes.

Preferably, the first control mode is applied to operation in a temperature range of -20 ° C to 29 ° C, and the second and third control modes are applicable to operation in a temperature range of 30 ° C to 90 ° C.

In addition, during operation in the temperature range of 30 ° C to 90 ° C, it is discriminated whether the external load is a heat radiation condition in which the brine releases heat or an endothermic condition in which heat is absorbed. If the external load is an endothermic condition, And the third control mode may be applied to the heating load if the heating condition is satisfied.

Preferably, the output of the heating heater applied to the third control mode is larger than the output of the heater for temperature compensation applied to the first and second control modes.

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According to the above structure, a heater for temperature compensation of coolant cooling and a low output power is applied in the case of low temperature operation, and a heater for heating or heating for cooling of cooling water and temperature compensation is applied according to the condition of external load in high temperature operation. The power consumption can be minimized by selectively applying heating only.

In addition, since the operation of the refrigerator cycle can be restricted by applying the cooling water cooling instead of the cooling of the refrigerant, the power consumption of the refrigerator can be reduced to about half, the number of maintenance of the refrigerating part is reduced according to the operating limitation, You can reduce usage.

Further, since the temperature-compensated heating is performed using the low-output heater by external load sorting, the heater output can be minimized.

In addition, temperature hunting due to the initial drive of the compressor according to the coolant cooling method does not occur when the heater for cooling cooling water / temperature compensation and the heating for only the heating heater are switched.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

2 is a system diagram showing a chiller apparatus for applying the temperature control method of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the refrigerant path includes a path circulating through the compressor 10, the condenser 20, the receiver 30, the electronic expansion valve 40, and the evaporator 50 as in the conventional art. The brine path is constituted by an evaporator 50, a tank 60 provided with heaters 62 and 64 and a brine pump 70. The heater is composed of a heater 64 for low temperature output and a heater 64 for high- And a heater 62.

According to the present invention, the brine return stage 100 of the brine path is provided with the open / close valve 92 and the cooling water heat exchanger 80 connected in series, the bypass valve 90 is provided to bypass the cooling water heat exchanger 80, The bypass path 102 is connected in parallel. In addition, the cooling water passages (200, 210) configured to be in thermal contact with the refrigerant path condenser (20) are configured to pass through the cooling water heat exchanger (80) in parallel.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a temperature control method according to the present invention.

Hereinafter, the temperature control method according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

Typically, in the case of a semiconductor process, two channels are applied to each of the upper and lower chambers, one at a temperature above room temperature, such as 30 ° C to 90 ° C, and the other channel at a temperature below room temperature, -20 ℃ ~ 29 ℃ is used. However, depending on the characteristics of the process, the entire region of -20 ° C to 90 ° C is used.

According to the present invention, first, an operation region corresponding to a set temperature of the semiconductor chamber is confirmed (Step S31).

Next, it is determined whether the operation region is a first operation region using a temperature of room temperature or less, for example, -20 ° C to 29 ° C, or a second operation region using a temperature of room temperature or more, for example, 30 ° C to 90 ° C ).

When the confirmed operation region is the low temperature operation in the first operation region, that is, -20 ° C to 29 ° C, the first control mode is applied to control the temperature (Step S33).

1st Control mode

2, the controller of the chiller apparatus closes the on-off valve 92 provided on the brine return stage 100 and opens the bypass valve 90 on the bypass path 102, .

Accordingly, the brine returned from the semiconductor process facility is subjected to heat exchange with the refrigerant in the evaporator 50 via the bypass path 102, and then heated by the low output heater 64 of 1 kW in the tank 60 And is supplied to the equipment for semiconductor processing by the brine pump 70.

As described above, the power consumption can be minimized by applying a low-output temperature compensation heater for cooling the refrigerant to reduce the temperature of the brine by the refrigerant gas and to control the temperature of the brine to a predetermined temperature.

On the other hand, when the confirmed operation region is the high temperature operation in the second operation region, that is, 30 ° C to 90 ° C, the temperature is controlled by applying the second or third control mode.

To this end, whether the external load due to the heat generated in the semiconductor chamber is a heat radiation condition or an endothermic condition is selected (step S34). Here, the heat radiation condition refers to a state in which the external load, that is, the brine releases heat to the semiconductor process facility by thermal contact, and the temperature of the brine that returns is lower than the temperature of the brine to which the brine is supplied. On the other hand, an endothermic condition refers to a state in which the brine absorbs heat from the equipment for semiconductor processing and the temperature of the brine that returns is higher than the temperature of the brine to which the brine is supplied.

When the external load is an endothermic condition, that is, when the brine is to be cooled by the heat amount of the external load absorbing heat from the semiconductor chamber, that is, when the cooling load is required, the temperature is controlled by applying the second control mode.

Second Control mode

2, the control unit of the chiller apparatus stops the refrigerant cooling cycle even if a cooling load is required, closes the bypass valve 90 provided at the brine return stage 100, opens the on-off valve 92, The heat exchanger 80 is passed through and the temperature compensating heater 64 is operated.

Accordingly, the brine returned from the semiconductor process equipment is subjected to heat exchange with the cooling water circulating along the cooling water paths 200 and 210 in the cooling water heat exchanger 80, and is then discharged from the tank 60 to the low output heater 64, and is supplied to the equipment for semiconductor processing by the brine pump 70. [

As described above, even when the external load is the endothermic condition in the high temperature operation, the cooling water cooling for cooling the brine by using the cooling water supplied from the outside rather than the cooling of the refrigerant can be applied to restrict the operation of the refrigerator cycle. Accordingly, the power consumption of the refrigerator can be reduced to about half, and the number of maintenance and repair of the refrigerating parts can be reduced according to the operation restriction, and the amount of the refrigerant used can be reduced. Further, since the temperature-compensated heating is performed using the low-output heater by external load sorting, the heater output can be minimized. Further, temperature hunting due to the initial drive of the compressor according to the coolant cooling method does not occur at the time of switching between the second mode and the third mode described later.

In contrast, when the external load is a heat-dissipating condition, that is, when the brine is to be heated by the heat radiation amount of the heat-dissipated external load after being taken out of the chamber, that is, when a heat load is required, the temperature is controlled by applying the third control mode .

Third Control mode

2, the control unit of the chiller apparatus stops the refrigerant cooling cycle because the heating load is required, closes the on-off valve 92 installed on the brine return stage 100, 90, and the heating heater 62 having a capacity two times larger than that of the heater 64 for temperature compensation is operated.

Accordingly, the brine returned from the semiconductor process equipment flows into the tank 60 via the bypass path 102 and is heated by the 3 kW high-output heater 62, and is then heated by the brine pump 70 for semiconductor processing Equipment.

As described above, in the case of high temperature operation, when the heating load is required because the external load is in a heat radiation condition, the operation of the refrigerator cycle can be restricted by applying the sole control by the heater for heating, so that the power consumption of the refrigerator can be reduced to about half, , The number of maintenance of the refrigerating parts is reduced and the amount of the refrigerant used can be reduced. In addition, since only the heating heater is used alone without using the heater for temperature compensation, the heater output can be minimized.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described above, but should be construed in accordance with the following claims.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a conventional chiller apparatus for semiconductor processing equipment.

2 is a system diagram showing a chiller apparatus for applying the temperature control method of the present invention.

3 is a flowchart illustrating a temperature control method according to the present invention.

Claims (7)

The present invention is applied to a chiller apparatus for heat exchange with a brine provided in an evaporator provided in a refrigerant path for a semiconductor process facility, A first control mode for confirming an operation region according to the temperature of the semiconductor processing facility and controlling the temperature of the brine by heating the heater for temperature compensation according to the coolant cooling and the temperature compensation according to the identified operation region, A second control mode for controlling the temperature of the brine by heating the heater and a third control mode for controlling the temperature of the brine only by heating the heater for heating, A hybrid temperature control method of a chiller apparatus. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the first control mode is applied to the operation in a temperature range of -20 ° C to 29 ° C. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the second and third control modes are applied to the operation in a temperature range of 30 ° C to 90 ° C. The method of claim 3, The external load is selected as a heat radiation condition in which the brine radiates heat or an endothermic condition in which heat is absorbed during the operation in the temperature range of 30 ° C. to 90 ° C. and the second control mode is applied And the third control mode is applied to the heating load if the heating condition is satisfied. The method according to claim 1, Wherein the output of the heating heater applied to the third control mode is larger than the output of the heater for temperature compensation applied to the first and second control modes. delete The present invention is applied to a chiller apparatus for heat exchange with a brine provided in an evaporator provided in a refrigerant path for a semiconductor process facility, Confirming an operation region according to a temperature of the semiconductor processing facility; Controlling the temperature of the brine by cooling the refrigerant and heating the heater for temperature compensation when the confirmed operation region is a low temperature operation; Selecting whether the external load is a heat radiation condition in which the brine radiates heat or an endothermic condition in which heat is absorbed when the confirmed operation region is a high temperature operation; Controlling the temperature of the brine by cooling the cooling water and heating the temperature-compensating heater for a cooling load in the case of an endothermic condition; And And controlling the temperature of the brine by heating only the heating heater for the heating load in the case of the heat radiation condition.

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