KR102318029B1 - Gas supply apparatus including flow test means - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a purge gas supply apparatus, which is configured to open and close a purge gas supply pipe and a discharge pipe, which are connected to purge modules, so that during the purge gas supply operation, the supply pipe and the discharge pipe connected to the purge modules where FOUP is not seated are closed to prevent the purge gas from leaking from the module where FOUP is not seated or prevent foreign substances from being introduced from the outside. The present invention is configured to accurately measure the pressure of the purge gas supplied to the inside of the FOUP, so it is possible to prevent damage to the wafer due to oversupply of the purge gas or to prevent damage to the wafer due to residual fumes inside the FOUP caused by the undersupply of the purge gas. An inspection device capable of previously inspecting the presence of particles in the purge gas flowing out from the purge module and the supply pressure of the purge gas is installed, so that the purge gas flowing out from the purge module before supplying the purge gas to the FOUP can be inspected, thereby preventing damage to the wafer caused by defects in supply of the purge gas.

Description

Gas supply apparatus including flow test means

The present invention relates to a purge gas supply device including a flow rate test means, and more particularly, by supplying a purge gas to the inside of the FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), the fumes remaining inside the FOUP can be removed. By allowing the purge gas to be supplied at a constant pressure by the differential pressure sensor installed in the purge module, it is possible to prevent oversupply or undersupply of the purge gas, thereby preventing damage to the wafer, and solenoid valves are installed in the purge gas supply pipe and the discharge pipe The present invention relates to a purge gas supply device including a flow rate test means capable of preventing the purge gas from flowing out or foreign substances from being introduced from a nozzle formed in a purge module in which the FOUP is not installed.

The FOUP is for loading wafers inside, and is a special plastic case designed to safely store and transport wafers by protecting them from external impact and contamination.

At this time, fumes (fume: gas fine particles) may remain inside during the process of semiconductor processing, and the remaining fumes cause contamination and damage to the surface of the wafer. As a solution to the problem, various studies are being conducted to remove fumes formed inside by circulating a purge gas, which is an inert gas such as N2 or clean dry air.

1 is a perspective view of a wafer carrier buffer device disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1627983 (title of invention: foldable wafer carrier buffer device for purge) (hereinafter referred to as “prior art”).

The prior art 100 of FIG. 1 is a body frame 110 made of horizontal members 111 and vertical members 112, and a shelf ( 120 , and a purge pipe 130 for supplying and exhausting an inert gas to the FOUP seated on the shelves 120 .

At this time, the body frame 110 is converted in height by the pneumatic cylinder 113 installed on the side.

Also, when the height of the body frame 110 is reduced, the shelves 120 are mounted on the body frame 110 by a pneumatic cylinder (not shown) to prevent the FOUP from collided with the horizontal member 111 of the body frame 110 . can be moved forward from

The prior art 100 configured in this way is configured to be able to adjust the height of the body frame 110 , thereby reducing the height of the body frame 110 and preventing interference with other devices.

However, in the prior art 100, when the number of FOUPs is smaller than the number of shelves 120, shelves on which FOUPs are not seated are generated. There is a problem that foreign substances are sucked in.

Also, in the prior art 100 , since there is no means for measuring the pressure of the purge gas flowing into and out of the FOUP, the operator cannot confirm that the amount of the purge gas supplied into the FOUP is higher or lower than the preset amount.

Accordingly, the surface of the wafers inside the FOOP is damaged when the supply pressure of the supplied purge gas is higher than the appropriate pressure, and when the supply pressure is lower than the appropriate pressure, the fumes inside the FOOP cannot be sufficiently removed.

In addition, in the prior art 100, since there is no separate inspection means, it is impossible to check in advance whether particulate impurities (hereinafter referred to as 'particles') and the supply pressure are included in the purge gas supplied to the FOUP. As a result, in the prior art 100, particles are introduced into the FOUP or the purge gas is not supplied at an appropriate pressure, so that the surfaces of the wafers stored in the FOOP are damaged.

The present invention is to solve this problem, and an object of the present invention is to open and close the purge gas supply pipe and the discharge pipe connected to the purge modules, so that during the purge gas supply operation, the purge modules and the purge modules on which the FOUP is not seated The present invention relates to a purge gas supply device capable of preventing a purge gas from leaking from a purge module on which a FOUP is not seated or from inhaling foreign substances by closing the connected supply and discharge pipes.

In addition, another solution of the present invention is to accurately measure the pressure of the purge gas supplied to the inside of the FOoop, so that the wafer is damaged by the oversupply of the purge gas or the fumes inside the FOoop remain due to the undersupply of the purge gas. It relates to a purge gas supply device capable of preventing wafers from being damaged.

In addition, another solution of the present invention is to provide an inspection means capable of inspecting the presence of particles in the purge gas flowing out from the purge module and the supply pressure of the purge gas in advance, so that the purge flowing out from the purge module before supplying the purge gas to the FOUP is provided. The present invention relates to a purge gas supply device capable of preventing damage to a wafer caused by a poor supply of a purge gas by inspecting the gas.

The solution of the present invention for solving the above problem is a purge gas supply device that supplies a purge gas to the inside of a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), which is a case where wafers are loaded, and discharges the process gas inside the FOUP. : A main frame made of at least one layer and formed so that the FOUPs can be installed on each layer; purge modules installed on at least one of the layers of the main frame and on which the FOUPs are seated; a supply unit including a main supply pipe receiving a purge gas from the outside, and auxiliary supply pipes branching from the main supply pipe and respectively connected to the purge modules to supply the purge gas to the FOUPs; a discharge unit including a main discharge pipe for discharging the process gas of the FOUPs to the outside, and auxiliary discharge pipes branching from the main discharge pipe and respectively connected to the purge modules to discharge the process gas of the FOUPs; and solenoid valves installed in the supply unit and the discharge unit to block the flow of gas, wherein the solenoid valves are installed in the main supply pipe and the main discharge pipe, respectively, installed between the auxiliary supply pipes and the auxiliary discharge pipes will be.

In addition, in the present invention, the main frame is formed in a hexahedral frame shape by vertical frames and horizontal frames, and horizontal supports are installed to be spaced apart in the height direction to form a plurality of layers, and the purge modules are provided on the horizontal supports. It is preferable to install

In addition, in the present invention, the purge module includes a base plate on which the FOUP is mounted; nozzles installed on the upper surface of the base plate and supplying and discharging a purge gas into and out of the FOUP seated on the base plate; guide protrusions for guiding the FOUP seated on the base plate; It is preferable to include a differential pressure sensor for measuring the pressure difference between the gas supplied and discharged from the nozzles.

In addition, in the present invention, the purge gas supply device further includes an inspection jig for inspecting the particles and the outlet pressure of the purge gas flowing out from the nozzles supplying the purge gas to the inside of the FOUP, and the inspection jig is formed as a housing. the jig body; a main connector connected to one surface of the jig body and having an end connected to a measuring device; auxiliary connectors connected to the other surface of the jig body; a main fitting part coupling the jig body and the main connector; It is preferable to include auxiliary fittings for coupling the jig body and the auxiliary connecting tubes, respectively, and the auxiliary connecting tubes are respectively inserted into the nozzle holes of the nozzles.

In addition, in the present invention, the nozzle preferably includes a support plate formed of a plate material and coupled to the upper surface of the base plate, and a connection protrusion formed of a plate material having a nozzle hole formed in the center and connected to the upper surface of the support plate.

In addition, in the present invention, the inspection jig further includes binders installed on each of the auxiliary connectors, the binder is formed of a plate with one side open, and a through hole through which the auxiliary connector passes is formed in the center a coupling plate, wherein the through hole of the coupling plate is formed with an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the auxiliary coupling pipe and is movable along the auxiliary coupling pipe, and the opening of the coupling plate has the same shape as the connection protrusion of the nozzle Doedoe, the inner diameter is formed to have the same size as the outer diameter of the connecting protrusion, so that the coupling plate is preferably coupled to the connecting protrusion of the corresponding nozzle in an interference fit manner when assembling.

In addition, in the present invention, the coupling plate has a ring-shaped hermetic ring coupled to a lower surface facing the nozzle during assembly, and an insertion groove formed on the outside of the nozzle hole on the upper surface of the connection protrusion of the nozzle into which the hermetic ring is inserted. It is preferable to form

In addition, in the present invention, the binder further includes a fixing plate, the fixing plate is formed of a plate material coupled to the auxiliary connection pipe at a point adjacent to the end of the auxiliary connection pipe, and the fixing plate is larger than the through hole of the coupling plate. It is formed with an outer diameter, it is formed with an outer diameter smaller than that of the hermetic ring, and it is preferable that the connection protrusion of the nozzle is formed with a seating groove on the upper surface of which the fixing plate is seated.

According to the present invention having the above problems and solutions, it is configured to open and close the purge gas supply pipe and the discharge pipe connected to the purge modules. By closing it, it is possible to prevent the purge gas from leaking from the purge module where the FOUP is not seated or from inhaling foreign substances.

In addition, according to the present invention, since the pressure of the purge gas supplied into the FOOP can be accurately measured, the wafer is damaged due to oversupply of the purge gas or the fume inside the FOUP remains due to the undersupply of the purge gas, thereby damaging the wafer. can be prevented from becoming

In addition, according to the present invention, an inspection means capable of inspecting the presence of particles in the purge gas flowing out from the purge module and the supply pressure of the purge gas in advance is installed to inspect the purge gas flowing out from the purge module before supplying the purge gas to the FOUP. Thus, it is possible to prevent damage to the wafer caused by a poor supply of the purge gas.

1 is a perspective view of a wafer carrier buffer device disclosed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1627983 (title of invention: foldable wafer carrier buffer device for purge) (hereinafter referred to as 'prior art').
2 is a perspective view of a purge gas supply device of the present invention.
3 is a perspective view of the purge module of FIG. 2 .
FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of FIG. 3 ;
5 is an exemplary view for explaining a purge gas supply process.
6 is a perspective view of an inspection jig applied to a second purge gas supply device, which is a second embodiment of the present invention.
7 is an enlarged perspective view of the inspection jig of FIG.
FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustrating the binder and the auxiliary connector of FIG. 7 .
9 is a side cross-sectional view showing the coupling plate and the hermetic ring of FIG.
10 is a perspective view illustrating a second nozzle applied to the inspection jig of FIG. 7 .
11 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the binder of FIG. 8 is connected to the nozzle of FIG. 10 .

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a purge gas supply device of the present invention, FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the purge module of FIG. 2 , FIG. 4 is a rear perspective view of FIG. 3 , and FIG. 5 is an exemplary view for explaining a purge gas supply process .

The purge gas supply device 1 includes a main frame 2 forming at least one or more layers, purge modules 3 installed on the layers of the main frame 2 to which FOUPs F are installed, and a purge module ( 3) is connected to the supply unit 4 for supplying the purge gas to the FOUP (F), and consists of a discharge unit 5 for discharging the gas discharged from the FOUP (F) to the outside.

The main frame 2 is formed in a hexahedral frame shape by vertical frames 21 and horizontal frames 22 .

In addition, the vertical frames 21 of the main frame 2 are provided with horizontal supports 23 having a rectangular frame shape in parallel in the height direction, thereby forming a plurality of layers.

In addition, it is preferable that the horizontal supports 23 are installed in parallel at intervals in the height direction so that the spacing between the horizontal supports 23 is greater than the height of the FOUP (F) seated on the purge modules (3). do.

The purge modules 3 on which the FOUP F is seated are installed on these horizontal supports 23 at intervals in the horizontal direction to form a plurality of layers.

In addition, the pipe supports 24 supporting the main supply pipe 41 and the main discharge pipe 51 are installed in the lower part of the horizontal supports 23 at intervals in the horizontal direction. These pipe supports 24 support the main supply pipe 41 and the main discharge pipe 51 so that the main supply pipe 41 and the main discharge pipe 51 are installed in the lower part adjacent to the horizontal support 23 .

In this supply part 4, the auxiliary supply pipe 42 branched from the main supply pipe 41 is connected to the purge modules 3 to supply the purge gas to the FOUP (F), and the discharge part 5 is the main discharge pipe 51 ), the auxiliary discharge pipe 52 is connected to the purge modules 3 to discharge the gas inside the FOUP (F) to the outside.

In addition, an operation panel 25 capable of opening and closing the solenoid valves 6 to be described later is installed on the main frame 2 .

The operation panel 25 is installed in the main frame 2, and is connected to the solenoid valves 6 installed in the main supply pipe 41 and the main discharge pipe 51, so that the solenoid valves 6 can be individually opened and closed. have.

By opening and closing the solenoid valves 6 through the operation panel 25, the operator arbitrarily blocks some of the purge modules 3 from being connected to the supply unit 4 and the discharge unit 5, so that the FOUP (F) is seated. It is possible to prevent the purge gas from leaking from the purge module 3 that has not been cleaned or from introducing foreign substances into the discharge pipe 5 through the nozzle 32 of the purge module 3 .

As shown in FIG. 3 , the purge module 3 includes a base plate 31 , nozzles 32 , guide protrusions 33 , a detection sensor 34 , and a differential pressure sensor 35 .

The base plate 31 is installed at intervals in the horizontal direction on the horizontal supports 24, and the FOUP (F) is seated thereon.

At this time, the base plate 31 forms a plurality of layers because the plurality of horizontal supports 24 are installed to be spaced apart from each other in the height direction on the main frame 2 . As a result, in the purge gas supply device 1, the number of purge modules 3 installed in the device increases, so that the number of workable FOUPs F increases at a time.

The nozzles 32 are installed on the upper surface of the base plate 31, are connected to the supply unit 4, and are connected to the discharge nozzles 321 for supplying the purge gas into the FOUP (F) and the discharge unit (5). It consists of a discharge nozzle 322 from which the gas inside the FOUP (F) is discharged.

In addition, pressure sensors (not shown) for measuring the supply pressure and the discharge pressure of the purge gas, respectively, are installed in the nozzles 32 .

The guide projections 33 protrude upward from the upper surface of the base plate 31, and when the FOUP (F) is seated, the ports and the nozzles (32) formed on the FOOP (F) are prevented from being misaligned and at the same time, the seated FOUP (F) is seated. (F) prevents it from being separated by external shock or vibration.

The detection sensor 34 is installed on the upper surface of the base plate 31, and when the FOUP (F) is seated on the upper part of the base plate (31), it is pressed by the FOUP (F) and transmits a seating signal to the control unit (7). It detects whether the loom (F) is seated by outputting it.

The differential pressure sensor 35 determines whether the supply and discharge of the purge gas is normally performed through the difference between the supply pressure and the discharge pressure measured from the pressure sensors installed in the nozzles 32 .

That is, the operator can check whether the supply and discharge of the purge gas from each of the purge modules 3 is smoothly performed through the differential pressure sensor 35 , and the differential pressure value measured by the differential pressure sensor 35 is within the preset range. If it is separated, it can be confirmed that the supply and discharge of the purge gas of the corresponding purge module is not smoothly performed.

Due to this, the operator can prevent the wafer loaded inside the FOUP (F) from being damaged due to poor supply or discharge of the purge gas.

A main supply pipe 41 and a main discharge pipe 51 installed to be supported by the pipe supports 24 of the supply unit 4 and the discharge unit 5 are installed below the purge modules 3, and the main supply pipe 41 ) and branch pipes 42 and 52 branching from the main discharge pipe 51 are connected to the nozzles 32 of the purge modules 3, respectively.

In this supply unit 4, the purge gas supplied from the outside to the main supply pipe 41 is connected to the supply nozzles 321 through the auxiliary supply pipes 42 to supply the purge gas to the inside of the FOUP (F), and the discharge unit (5) allows the process gas of the FOUP (F) discharged from the auxiliary discharge pipes 52 connected to the discharge nozzles 322 to be discharged to the outside through the main discharge pipe 51 .

At this time, the purge gas supply device 1 supplies the purge gas of the FOUP (F) because the supply part 4 is simultaneously connected by the supply nozzles 32 and the auxiliary supply pipes 42 of the plurality of purge modules 3 . When the work is performed, the purge gas is also supplied to the supply nozzle of the purge module where the FOUP (F) is not seated, so that the purge gas is discharged to the outside.

In addition, in the purge gas supply device 1, since the discharge part 5 is simultaneously connected by the discharge nozzles 322 and the auxiliary discharge pipes 52 of the plurality of purge modules 3, the purge gas of the FOUP (F) In the case of supply work, foreign substances are introduced through the discharge nozzle of the purge module where the FOUP (F) is not seated, so that the discharge unit 5 is blocked by the foreign substances or the purge gas cannot be discharged smoothly. problems will arise.

In order to solve this problem, solenoid valves 6 are installed in the main supply pipe 41 and the main discharge pipe 51 .

The solenoid valves 6 are installed in the main supply pipe 41 and the main discharge pipe 51 positioned between the branch pipes 42 and 52 to block the flow of gas.

For example, as shown in FIG. 5 , the purge gas supply device 1 has 20 purge modules 3 installed on the horizontal supports 24, in 19 FOUPs F. When the purge gas is supplied, the FOUP (F) is not seated on one purge module.

At this time, in the purge module in which the FOUP (F) is not seated, the supply nozzles 321 and the discharge nozzle 322 are in an open state, not connected to the FOUP (F), so the purge gas is passed through the supply nozzles 321. is discharged to the outside, and at the same time, external foreign substances are sucked into the discharge unit 5 through the discharge nozzle 322 .

In order to prevent such a problem from occurring, the purge gas supply device 1 arranges the FOUPs (F) in the purge modules (3) in order, and places the FOUPs (F) in the purge modules except for the last purge module. ), and then lock the solenoid valves (6) installed between the purge module located second from the last and the purge module located at the end, The purge gas is prevented from flowing to the outside, and foreign substances are prevented from being sucked into the discharge unit 5 through the discharge nozzle 322 .

That is, the purge gas supply device 1 sequentially installs the FOUPs (F) on the purge modules (3), and then among the purge modules in which the FOUP (F) is seated, the 19th purge module and the purge module are not seated. By closing the solenoid valve (6) installed between the 20th purge modules, the purge gas is supplied and discharged by the FOUP (F) from the first to the 19th purge modules, but in the case of the 19th and 20th purge modules, the solenoid valve ( 6), the main supply pipe 41 and the main discharge pipe 51 are blocked, thereby blocking the supply and discharge of the purge gas.

In addition, the purge gas supply device (1) closes the solenoid valve (6) at an appropriate position in the same manner as above even if the amount of FOUPs (F) that are worked at a time changes It is possible to prevent the discharge or foreign substances from being sucked into the discharge unit (5).

The purge gas supply device 1 configured in this way can check whether the supply and discharge of the purge gas to the FOUP (F) is smoothly performed through the differential pressure sensor 35. (F) It is possible to prevent the wafer loaded inside from being damaged.

In addition, the purge gas supply device 1 is configured to close the main supply pipe 41 and the main discharge pipe 51 by the solenoid valve 6, so that the purge module in which the FOUP (F) is not seated during the purge gas supply operation. It is possible to prevent the purge gas from flowing out from the supply nozzles 321 of (3) or from the exhaust nozzle 322 from being sucked into the discharge part 5 .

6 is a perspective view of an inspection jig applied to a second purge gas supply device according to a second embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 7 is an enlarged perspective view of the inspection jig of FIG. 6 . 8 is a perspective view showing the binder and the auxiliary connecting pipe of FIG. 7, and FIG. 9 is a side cross-sectional view showing the coupling plate and the hermetic ring of FIG.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the inspection jig 8 includes an inspection part body 81 , a main fitting part 82 , auxiliary fitting parts 83 , a main connection pipe 85 , and an auxiliary connection pipe 87 . , is made of binders (89).

The inspection unit body 81 is formed in a bar shape having a predetermined thickness and length.

In addition, a main fitting part 82 is installed on one surface of the inspection part body 81 .

In addition, auxiliary fittings 83 are installed at intervals on the other surface 810 of the inspection unit body 81 .

At this time, although not shown in the drawings, connection holes (not shown) connecting the main fitting part 82 and each auxiliary fitting part 83 are formed inside the inspection part body 81 .

The main fitting part 82 is installed on one surface of the inspection part body 81 , and the main connector 85 is coupled to one side thereof.

At this time, the main connector 85 is installed so that the end is connected to a measuring device (not shown), and wound by the pulley 25 installed in the main frame (2).

This main connection pipe 85 is usually wound and stored on the pulley 25, and is configured to be unwound and used only when the inspection jig 8 is used, so that the main connection pipes 85 are twisted or purge gas is removed. It is possible to prevent contact with the FOUPs (F) being supplied.

The auxiliary fittings 83 are installed at intervals on one surface 810 of the jig body 81 , and the auxiliary connecting pipes 87 are coupled to each other.

The auxiliary connecting pipes 87 are respectively inserted into the nozzle holes 921 of the second nozzle 9 shown in FIG. 9 during the inspection and purge gas flowing through the nozzle holes 921 inside the jig body 81 . move to

In the inspection jig 8 configured as described above, a plurality of auxiliary fittings 83 are installed on the jig body 81 , and auxiliary connection pipes 87 connected to the auxiliary fittings 83 are respectively connected to the second nozzle ( By being inserted into each of the nozzle holes 921 of 9), it is possible to perform a particle inspection and a purge gas supply and discharge pressure inspection for the plurality of second nozzles 9 at a time.

At this time, the purge gas flowing out through the nozzle hole 921 of the second nozzle 9 flows into the measuring device (not shown) through the auxiliary connecting pipe 87 -> the jig body 81 -> the main connecting pipe 85. It becomes possible to perform particle inspection and purge gas outflow pressure inspection by the measuring instrument.

That is, the inspection jig 8 inspects the presence or absence of particles in the purge gas flowing out from the second nozzle 9 , thereby preventing the wafer loaded in the FOUP F from being damaged by the particles. , by measuring the outlet pressure of the purge gas, it is possible to prevent damage to the wafer that occurs when the outlet pressure of the purge gas differs from the preset pressure.

The binding body 89 is installed at a point adjacent to the end of the auxiliary connecting pipe 87 .

In addition, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 , the binder 89 is formed of a hollow disk-shaped fixing plate 895 mounted on an outer peripheral surface spaced apart from the end of the auxiliary connection pipe 87 by a predetermined distance, and a disk with one side open. and a coupling plate 891 having a through hole 8911 formed in the center thereof, and an airtight ring 893 formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and coupled to the bottom surface of the opening of the coupling plate 891 .

The fixing plate 895 is mounted and coupled to an outer circumferential surface of a point spaced apart from the end of the auxiliary connecting pipe 87 .

In addition, the fixing plate 895 is seated in the seating groove 922 of the connection protrusion 92 of the second nozzle 9 when assembling with the second nozzle 9 of FIG. 87) into the nozzle hole 921 of the second nozzle 9, auxiliary connection until the fixing plate 895 is seated in the seating groove 922 of the connection protrusion 92 of the second nozzle 9 Insert the tube (87).

The coupling plate 891 is formed in a disk shape with one side open, and a through hole 8911 through which the auxiliary connecting pipe 87 passes is formed in the center.

At this time, as the inner diameter of the through hole 8911 of the coupling plate 891 is formed to be larger than the outer diameter of the auxiliary connecting pipe 87 , the coupling plate 891 is movable along the auxiliary connecting pipe 87 . At this time, the coupling plate 891 is movably installed in the auxiliary connecting pipe 87 in a direction in which the opening faces the end of the auxiliary connecting pipe 87 .

In addition, as the inner diameter of the through hole 8911 of the coupling plate 891 is formed to be smaller than the outer diameter of the fixing plate 895 , the range of movement of the coupling plate 891 is limited by the fixing plate 895 .

In addition, the coupling plate 891 is a ring-shaped airtight ring 893 is coupled to the bottom surface 8910, which is a surface facing the end of the auxiliary connection pipe 87 .

In addition, the opening of the coupling plate 891 is formed to have the same size as the outer diameter of the connection protrusion 92 of the second nozzle 9 of FIG. 9 to be described later, so that when assembling with the second nozzle 9, the opening is 9) is coupled to the connection protrusion 92 in an interference fit manner.

The airtight ring 893 is formed in a hollow cylindrical shape and is coupled to the bottom surface 8910 of the coupling plate 891 .

In addition, the outer diameter and inner diameter of the airtight ring 893 is formed larger than the outer diameter of the fixing plate (895).

In addition, the airtight ring 893 is inserted into the insertion groove 923 of the connection protrusion 92 of the second nozzle 9 when assembling the second nozzle 9 of FIG. 9 to be described later. While preventing the purge gas from flowing out of the nozzle hole 921, it is possible to effectively prevent the inflow of particles from the outside.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view illustrating a second nozzle applied to the inspection jig of FIG. 7 , and FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view illustrating a state in which the binder of FIG. 8 is connected to the nozzle of FIG. 10 .

The second nozzle 9 of Fig. 10 is a device installed on the base plate 31 of the purge module 3 of Figs. applies.

In addition, the second nozzle 9 is formed of a plate material and both sides of the support plate 91 are bolted to the base plate 31 of the purge module 3, and the second nozzle 9 is formed of a circular plate and is connected to the upper surface of the support plate 91 and is located in the center. It consists of a connection protrusion 92 in which the nozzle hole 921 is formed.

In addition, the connection protrusion 92 has a flat top surface, and the purge gas flows out from the nozzle hole 921 .

In addition, in the center of the upper surface of the connection protrusion 92, a circular seating groove 922 is formed inside and in which the fixing plate 895 of the binding body 89 of the inspection jig 8 of FIG. 7 described above is seated. .

In addition, on the outside of the seating groove 922 of the upper surface of the connection protrusion 92, it is formed inward from the upper surface and is connected along a circular arc, and the airtight ring 893 of the binding body 89 of the inspection jig 8 is inserted into the insertion groove. (923) is formed.

As shown in FIG. 11 , the binder 89 is first inserted into the nozzle hole 921 of the second nozzle 9 through the auxiliary connecting pipe 87 by the operator. At this time, the operator inserts the end of the auxiliary connection pipe 87 into the nozzle hole 921 until the fixing plate 895 of the binder 89 is seated in the seating groove 922 of the nozzle 9 .

In this state, after the coupling plate 891 moves to the end along the auxiliary connecting pipe 87, the coupling plate 891 is inserted into the connection protrusion 92 of the second nozzle 9 in an interference fit manner. It is coupled to the second nozzle 9, and the airtight ring 893 installed on the bottom surface of the coupling plate 891 at this time is inserted into the insertion groove 923 of the connection protrusion 92 of the second nozzle 9. A space between the coupling plate 891 and the upper surface of the connection protrusion 92 is reduced by the airtight ring 893, as well as the coupling operation of the auxiliary connection pipe 87 and the second nozzle 9 can be made simple and robust. It is sealed so that airtightness can be maintained even when external shocks and vibrations occur.

As described above, the second purge gas supply device according to the second embodiment of the present invention includes a plurality of second nozzles 9 formed in the purge module 3 by the inspection jig 8 before supplying the purge gas to the FOUP (F). It can be confirmed in advance whether the purge gas is normally discharged from the second nozzles 9 by performing particle inspection and outflow pressure inspection of the purge gas flowing out from the .

In addition, in the inspection jig 8 of the present invention, the coupling plate of the binding body is installed to be movable along the auxiliary connecting pipe and at the same time formed to correspond to the size and shape of the connecting protrusion of the nozzle, the connecting protrusion is forced into the opening during inspection work As it is inserted in this way, even if external shock and vibration occur, the auxiliary connector is prevented from being released from the nozzle, thereby increasing the accuracy and reliability of the inspection.

In addition, the particle inspection system (1) of the present invention is configured such that an airtight ring is installed on the lower surface of the coupling plate so that the airtight ring is inserted into the insertion groove of the connection protrusion of the nozzle during the inspection operation. It is possible to further increase the accuracy and reliability of the inspection by thoroughly preventing

1: Purge gas supply device 2: Main frame
21: vertical frame 22: horizontal frame
23: horizontal support 24: pipe support
3: purge module 31: base plate
32: nozzle 33: guide projection
34: detection sensor 35: differential pressure sensor
4: supply part 5: discharge part
6: solenoid valve 7: control unit
8: inspection jig 81: inspection unit body
82: main fitting part 83: auxiliary fitting part
85: main connector 87: auxiliary connector
89: binding body 9: second nozzle

Claims (8)

In the purge gas supply device for supplying a purge gas to the inside of a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod), which is a case where wafers are loaded, to discharge the process gas inside the FOUP:
a main frame made of at least one layer and formed so that the FOUPs can be installed on each layer;
purge modules installed on at least one of the layers of the main frame and on which the FOUPs are seated;
a supply unit including a main supply pipe receiving a purge gas from the outside, and auxiliary supply pipes branching from the main supply pipe and respectively connected to the purge modules to supply the purge gas to the FOUPs;
a discharge unit including a main discharge pipe for discharging the process gas of the FOUPs to the outside, and auxiliary discharge pipes branching from the main discharge pipe and connected to the purge modules, respectively, for discharging the process gas of the FOUPs;
It includes solenoid valves installed in the supply part and the exhaust part to block the flow of gas,
The solenoid valves are
The purge gas supply apparatus, which is installed in the main supply pipe and the main discharge pipe, and is installed between the auxiliary supply pipes and the auxiliary discharge pipes, respectively. The method according to claim 1, wherein the mainframe is
It is formed in a hexahedral frame shape by vertical frames and horizontal frames, and horizontal supports are installed to be spaced apart in the height direction to form a plurality of layers,
The purge gas supply apparatus, characterized in that the purge modules are installed on the horizontal supports. The method according to claim 2, wherein the purge module is
a base plate on which the FOUP is seated;
nozzles installed on the upper surface of the base plate and supplying and discharging a purge gas into and out of the FOUP seated on the base plate;
guide protrusions for guiding the FOUP seated on the base plate;
and a differential pressure sensor for measuring a pressure difference between the gas supplied and discharged from the nozzles. The method according to claim 3, wherein the purge gas supply device is
Further comprising an inspection jig for inspecting particles and outlet pressure of the purge gas flowing out from the nozzles supplying the purge gas to the inside of the FOUP,
The inspection jig is
a jig body formed as a housing;
a main connector connected to one surface of the jig body and having an end connected to a measuring device;
auxiliary connectors connected to the other surface of the jig body;
a main fitting part coupling the jig body and the main connector;
and auxiliary fittings for coupling the jig body and the auxiliary connecting pipes, respectively,
The auxiliary connecting pipes are respectively inserted into the nozzle holes of the nozzles. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the nozzle is
Particle inspection jig, comprising: a support plate formed of a plate material and coupled to the upper surface of the base plate; The method according to claim 5, wherein the inspection jig further comprises binders installed on each of the auxiliary connectors,
The binder is
It is formed of a plate material with one side open, and includes a coupling plate having a through hole through which the auxiliary connection pipe passes in the center,
The through hole of the coupling plate is formed with an inner diameter greater than the outer diameter of the auxiliary connection pipe and is movable along the auxiliary connection pipe,
The opening of the coupling plate is formed in the same shape as the connection protrusion of the nozzle, and the inner diameter is formed to have the same size as the outer diameter of the connection protrusion, so that the coupling plate is press-fitted into the connection protrusion of the corresponding nozzle when assembling. A purge gas supply device, characterized in that coupled to. The method according to claim 6, wherein the coupling plate is a ring-shaped airtight ring is coupled to the lower surface facing the nozzle when assembling,
The purge gas supply apparatus, characterized in that the upper surface of the connection protrusion of the nozzle is formed on the outside of the nozzle hole is formed with an insertion groove into which the airtight ring is inserted. The method according to claim 7, wherein the binder further comprises a fixing plate,
The fixing plate is formed of a plate material coupled to the auxiliary connecting pipe at a point adjacent to the end of the auxiliary connecting pipe,
The fixing plate is formed with an outer diameter larger than the through hole of the coupling plate, is formed with an outer diameter smaller than the airtight ring,
The purge gas supply device, characterized in that the connection protrusion of the nozzle is formed with a seating groove on the upper surface of which the fixing plate is seated.

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