KR20150038766A - Chiller for process equipment with leakage blocking function of toxic gas and discoloration detecting device - Google Patents

Abstract

In the present invention, disclosed are a chiller for process equipment with a leakage blocking function of a toxic gas and a discoloration detecting device, capable of detecting the toxic gas generated due to the oxidation of a cooling fluid and blocking a leakage. The present invention includes a tank which receives the cooling fluid of the process equipment, a heater which heats the cooling fluid, and a heat exchanger which exchanges heat with the cooling fluid. Also, the present invention includes a gas discharge tube, a gas reaction discoloration element, an optical sensor, and a controller. The gas discharge tube is mounted on one side of the tank to discharge the toxic gas and a transparent part to transmit light. The gas reaction discoloration element is mounted in the gas discharge tube to observe the gas through a transparent part and is discolored by reaction to the toxic gas. The optical sensor outputs a discoloration detection signal by detecting the discoloration of the gas reaction discoloration element. The controller stops the operation of the heater if the toxic gas is generated over a preset value by processing the discoloration detection signal inputted from the optical sensor. Also, an absorption filter is mounted to filter the toxic gas passing through the gas reaction discoloration element in the path of the gas discharge tube. According to the present invention, workers and the expensive process equipment are safely protected by preventing the toxic gas from being continuously generated by stopping the operation of the heater and previously detecting the toxic gas like a hydrofluoric acid gas.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD [0001] The present invention relates to a chiller and a discoloration detecting apparatus for a process facility having a leakage preventing function of a toxic gas,

The present invention relates to a chiller for a process facility, and more particularly, to a chiller and a color fading detector for a process facility having a function of blocking a toxic gas from leaking, which can detect a toxic gas generated by oxidation of a cooling fluid .

Semiconductor devices can be fabricated by patterning discrete devices and integrated circuits (ICs) on the surface of silicon wafers by photolithography, deposition, plasma etching, And the like are formed and manufactured by a series of semiconductor processes. The quality of the semiconductor device is determined by the quality of the wafer and the precision of the process control. One of the important parameters in semiconductor process control variables is the temperature of the wafer surface.

Chiller for process equipment is a device for producing high quality wafers by controlling the temperature rise of chambers and wafer chucks generated during the process of chemically or physically reacting wafers surface . Such a chiller is widely used not only in the manufacture of semiconductors but also in manufacturing processes of flat panel displays (FPD), light emitting diodes (LEDs) and the like.

The process equipment chiller uses a refrigerating cycle through compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation processes, a refrigeration cycle using an auto cascade method, and a cooling cycle using cooling water. Generally, a chiller is composed of a hybrid type having a refrigeration cycle using a refrigerant and a cooling cycle using cooling water according to a temperature range.

Korean Patent No. 10-1268055 "Industrial Chiller" controls the temperature of a cooling fluid, i.e., a brine circulating in a facility, for example, a semiconductor processing facility, by a refrigeration cycle. The refrigeration cycle basically includes an evaporator, a compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve. The temperature of the cooling fluid is controlled by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the evaporator. A heater is installed in a tank that receives the cooling fluid. The heater heats the cooling fluid contained in the tank to keep the temperature of the cooling fluid constant.

On the other hand, as the cooling fluid, a fluorine solution was used, which was prepared by adding a solution of a mixture of a solution of gallane (trade name: Galden ㄾ SV, HV, ZT, manufactured by Solvay Solexis SpA), Novec (trade name, 3M Novec Engineered Fluid, Fluorinert Electric Liquids, 3M Company, 3M Company) are commonly used. Fluoride solutions are highly toxic to the human body when they are exposed to heat and chemical exposure for long periods of time. In case of the normal operation of the chiller, the fluorine solution circulates through the closed system by the operation of the fluid pump, so it is difficult to judge whether the fluorine solution is altered due to odor or color due to odor or odor.

In the conventional chiller as described above, when the fluorine solution is oxidized due to malfunction of the equipment, mistake of the operator, mixing of impurities, use at a high temperature for a long time, or the like, a toxic gas (hydrofluoric acid gas, etc.) . In addition to the erosion of piping materials such as piping and O-rings, highly toxic H 2 O 2 gases can cause fatal damage to the human body if leaked. However, in the conventional chiller, when the fluorine solution is oxidized, there is no safety device for preventing the leakage of the fluorine solution. This threatens the safety of workers and high-value facilities working in environments where chillers are used.

The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the conventional chiller. An object of the present invention is to provide a chiller and a discoloration detecting apparatus for a process facility having a function of detecting a toxic gas generated due to oxidation of a cooling fluid and preventing the leakage of the toxic gas.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a chiller for a process facility having a function of preventing leakage of toxic gases. A chiller for a process facility having a leakage preventing function of a toxic gas according to the present invention comprises a tank for containing a cooling fluid of a process facility, a heater for heating the cooling fluid, and a process facility having a cooling fluid and a heat exchanger for heat exchange A gas exhaust tube mounted on one side of the tank for discharging toxic gas generated in the tank and having a transparent portion for transmitting light; A gas reaction discoloration body mounted in the gas discharge tube so as to be observable through a transparent portion, the gas reaction discoloration body being colored by reacting with a toxic gas; An optical sensor for detecting discoloration of the gas-responsive color change body and outputting a discoloration detection signal; And a controller for processing the discoloration detection signal input from the optical sensor and stopping operation of the heater when it is determined that the toxic gas is generated above the set value.

Further, an adsorption filter for filtering the toxic gas passing through the gas reactive coloring material in the gas exhaust tube is further mounted. The adsorption filter, for example, filters the hydrofluoric acid gas with a clean gas to create a safe environment.

According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a discoloration detection apparatus comprising: a gas discharge tube having a passage for discharging a toxic gas and having a transparent portion for observation from the outside; A gas reaction discoloration body mounted in the passage so as to be observed through a transparent part, the gas reaction discoloration body being colored by reacting with a toxic gas; And an adsorption filter mounted to filter the toxic gas passing through the gas-responsive chromatic bodies in the passages.

The chiller and the color change detection apparatus for a process facility having the function of preventing leakage of the toxic gas according to the present invention can prevent the toxic gas such as hydrofluoric acid gas and the like from being continuously detected by stopping the operation of the heater , The operator and the expensive process equipment can be safely protected. In addition, it is possible to create a safe environment for the operator by filtering the toxic gas.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a chiller for a process facility according to the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of a color fading detector in a chiller for a process facility according to the present invention.
3 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment of a chiller for a process facility according to the present invention.
4 is a graph showing the concentration of hydrofluoric acid gas generated when 3M FC-3283 is used as a cooling fluid in the chiller according to the present invention.
5 is a graph showing the concentration of hydrofluoric acid gas generated when 3M FC-40 is used as a cooling fluid in the chiller according to the present invention.
FIG. 6 is a graph showing the concentration of hydrofluoric acid gas generated when SOLVAY HT-170 is used as a cooling fluid in the chiller according to the present invention.

Other objects, specific advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and preferred embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of a chiller and a color fading detector for a process facility having a leakage preventing function of a toxic gas according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring to FIG. 1, a chiller 100 for a process facility according to the present invention includes a refrigeration cycle using a brine as a cooling fluid 2 and a cooling cycle using a refrigerant (freon gas) As shown in FIG. Brine is a fluorine solution, and Galden, Novebe, Fluari nut solutions can be used. The process equipment 10 may be a semiconductor process equipment such as a deposition equipment for depositing wafers and an etcher for etching, but may be a process equipment for manufacturing FDP, LED, and the like.

The cooling fluid (2) is contained in the tank (20). A vent hole 22 is formed on one side of the tank 20 for the purpose of discharging a toxic gas, for example, a fluorine gas which is extremely harmful to the human body, which is generated by the oxidation of the fluorine solution. The cooling fluid 2 circulates between the chamber 20 of the process facility 10 and the tank 20 along a pipeline 24 by the operation of the pump 30. The heater 32 is provided in the tank 20 so as to heat the cooling fluid 2 contained in the tank 20 by the heating means.

The chiller 100 according to the present invention has a cooling device 40 for controlling the temperature of the cooling fluid 2 supplied to the chamber 12 of the process facility 10 by heat exchange with the refrigerant . The cooling device 40 is composed of a heat exchanger 42, a compressor 44, a condenser 46 and an expansion valve 48. The refrigerant circulates through the pipeline 50 to the heat exchanger 42, the compressor 44, the condenser 46 and the expansion valve 48. The heat exchanger (42) is constituted by an evaporator (42a) installed in the tank (20). The compressor (44), the condenser (46) and the expansion valve (48) are installed outside the tank (20). The condenser 46 is cooled by process cooling water supplied externally through the pipeline 52.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a chiller 100 for a process facility according to the present invention includes a discoloration detecting device 60 for detecting gas discharged from a gas outlet 22 of a tank 20. The discoloration detection apparatus 60 is composed of a gas outlet tube 62, a gas reaction color change body 64 and a photosensor 66. The gas discharge tube (62) has a passage (62a) communicating with the gas discharge port (22) to discharge the hydrofluoric acid gas.

And is attached to the outer surface of the gas discharge tube 62 so that the observation window 62b can observe the inside of the passage 62a from the outside as a transparent part. In another embodiment, the gas discharge tube 62 may be made of transparent Teflon (trade name, Teflon, manufactured by Tuftp). The gas discharge tube 62 may be installed outside the chiller 100 by a pipeline extending out of the chiller 100 from the gas outlet 22.

The gas reaction coloring body 64 is mounted in the passage 62a adjacent to the observation window 62b so as to be discolored in response to the HF gas discharged along the passage 62a. The gas reaction chromatic body 64 is mounted in the passage 62a so as to allow the discharge of the hydrofluoric acid gas along the passage 62a. In one example, the gas responsive color former 64 may be composed of litmus paper. The litmus test paper is made by absorbing the litmus solution into the filter paper and has two colors, red and blue. The blue litmus test paper has a characteristic that the pH changes from red to red on the acid side. Therefore, blue litmus test paper becomes red in response to hydrofluoric acid gas. As another example, the gas-responsive color change body 64 may be formed by coating a carrier such as silica gel or alumina with a coloring reagent. The discoloration of the gas reaction chromatic body 64 can be easily observed through the observation window 62b.

The light sensor 66 includes a light emitting element 66a for emitting an optical signal to the gas reactive color former 64 and a light receiving element 66a for receiving an optical signal reflected from the gas reactive color former 64 and outputting a color fading detection signal (66b). A controller 70 is connected to the light receiving element 66b of the optical sensor 66. [ The light receiving element 66b outputs a color fading detection signal and inputs it to the controller 70. [ The controller 70 processes the discoloration detection signal inputted from the light receiving element 66b to detect the generation of the hydrofluoric acid gas and controls the operation of the heater 32 when it is determined that the hydrofluoric acid gas is generated above the set value.

The adsorption filter 80 is housed in the passage 62a of the gas discharge tube 62 so as to filter the hydrofluoric acid gas that has passed through the gas reaction color former 64 with a clean gas. The adsorption filter 80 may be composed of activated carbon, zeolite, or the like. The hydrofluoric acid gas is filtered through the adsorption filter (80) and then discharged to the atmosphere.

Referring again to FIG. 1, a level sensor 90 is installed on the upper portion of the heater 32 to sense the level of the cooling fluid 2. The level sensor 90 detects the water level of the cooling fluid 2 and inputs the water level value to the controller 70. When the water level of the cooling fluid 2 is lowered to such an extent that the heater 32 is exposed, a large amount of hydrofluoric acid gas is generated rapidly. When the level of the cooling fluid 2 is lowered to such an extent that the heater 32 is exposed, the controller 70 controls the operation of the heater 32 So that the operation of the chiller 100 for the process facility is stopped.

Hereinafter, the operation of the chiller for a process facility according to the present invention having such a configuration will be described.

1 and 2, the cooling fluid 2 pumped from the tank 20 by the operation of the pump 30 is supplied to the chamber 12 of the process facility 10 to control the temperature of the chamber 12 And then is returned to the tank 20. Subsequently, by the operation of the pump 30, the cooling fluid 2 is sent to the evaporator 42a along the pipeline 24. The temperature of the cooling fluid 2 is lowered by heat exchange between the cooling fluid 2 and the refrigerant in the evaporator 42a.

On the other hand, when the chiller 100 for the process facility is broken and the operator mistakes the operation, the fluorine solution is excessively caused by the heaters, that is, the heater 32, the pump 30, the chamber 12 of the semiconductor process facility 10, When heated or mixed with impurities in the fluorine solution, fluorine reacts with hydrogen to generate hydrofluoric acid gas, and the hydrofluoric acid gas is collected in the tank 20.

The hydrofluoric acid gas in the tank 20 is discharged through the gas discharge tube 62. The gas reaction chromatic body 64 is discolored by the hydrofluoric acid gas. The light emitting element 66a transmits the optical signal to the gas reaction color former 64. [ The light receiving element 66b receives the optical signal reflected from the gas reaction coloring body 64, outputs a color fading detection signal, and inputs the color fading detection signal to the controller 70. [ The controller 70 processes the discoloration detection signal inputted from the light-receiving element 66b to detect the generation of hydrofluoric gas.

The controller 70 stops the operation of the heater 32 to stop the generation of toxic hydrofluoric acid gas continuously. At this time, the controller 70 activates an emergency light, an alarm, or the like to indicate that the operator detects an error and evacuates or solves the problem. On the other hand, the controller 70 may be configured to stop the operation of the heater 32 when the discoloration detection signal inputted from the optical sensor 66 continues for a predetermined time or longer.

Next, the hydrofluoric acid gas is filtered by the adsorption filter 80 through the gas reaction chromatic body 64, filtered by the clean gas, and discharged to the atmosphere. For example, the hydrofluoric acid gas reacts with calcium hydroxide (Ca (OH) 2) of the adsorption filter 80 to generate water and calcium fluoride (CaF2). Therefore, the operator can effectively monitor the generation of hydrofluoric acid gas while preventing the discharge of hydrofluoric acid gas, thereby creating a safe environment for the operator.

3 shows another embodiment of a chiller for process equipment according to the present invention. The chiller 200 according to another embodiment is different from the chiller 100 shown in FIG. 3 in that the evaporator 42a is disposed outside the tank 20. In FIG.

4 is a graph showing the concentration of hydrofluoric acid gas generated when 3M FC-3283 is used as a cooling fluid in a chiller for a process facility according to the present invention. When the heater is maintained at a high temperature for a certain time, the FC-3283 cooling fluid is oxidized for a short period of time to generate HF gas and return to a stable state. 5 is a graph showing the concentration of hydrofluoric acid gas generated when 3M FC-40 is used as a cooling fluid in a chiller for a process facility according to the present invention. The FC-40 cooling fluid has a characteristic that it generates more HF gas than the FC-3283 for a long time and returns a bad smell. 6 is a graph showing the concentration of hydrofluoric acid gas generated when the HT-170 of SOLVAY is used as a cooling fluid in the chiller according to the present invention. The HT-170 cooling fluid continues to generate HF gas even after the heating of the heater has stopped and has a characteristic odor. Therefore, the controller should be controlled differently depending on the characteristics of the cooling fluid used. For example, in the case of the FC-3283 cooling fluid, since there is a characteristic of returning after the occurrence of HF temporarily, it is necessary to monitor the generation of toxic gas for a certain period of time. In addition, once the toxic gas is detected, the HT-170 cooling fluid must immediately stop operating the heater.

While the present invention has been described in connection with what is presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments, but, on the contrary, It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. For example, in place of the freon gas, the process cooling water or air can be used as a refrigerant, or a cooling fluid can be cooled using a thermo-electric module. In this case, it is not necessary to use a compressor and an expansion valve. Instead, a chiller can be constructed by passing process cooling water through the pipeline or by installing additional thermoelectric elements and installing a heat exchanger instead of the condenser. Therefore, the scope of the present invention should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments but should be interpreted by the claims.

10: process equipment 20: tank
30: Pump 32: Heater
40: cooling device 42: heat exchanger
60: discoloration detection device 62: gas discharge tube
62a: passage 62b: observation window
64: gas reaction discoloration body 66: light sensor
70: controller 80: adsorption filter
90: level sensor 100, 200: chiller for process equipment

Claims (7)

1. A process equipment chiller comprising: a tank for containing a cooling fluid of a process facility; a heater for heating the cooling fluid; and a heat exchanger for heat exchange with the cooling fluid,
A gas discharge tube mounted on one side of the tank for discharging toxic gases generated in the tank, the gas discharge tube having a transparent portion for transmitting light;
A gas reaction discoloration body mounted in the gas discharge tube so as to be observed through the transparent portion and being discolored by reacting with the toxic gas;
An optical sensor for detecting discoloration of the gas reactive color material and outputting a discoloration detection signal;
And a controller for processing the discoloration detection signal input from the optical sensor and stopping the operation of the heater when it is determined that the toxic gas is generated above a set value. The method according to claim 1,
And an adsorption filter for filtering the toxic gas passing through the gas reactive chromatic body in the gas exhaust tube. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2,
Further comprising a level sensor installed on the heater for detecting the level of the cooling fluid,
Wherein the controller is configured to stop the operation of the heater when a level value inputted from the level sensor is equal to or lower than a set water level value at which the level value is set. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the heat exchanger has a leakage preventing function of a toxic gas installed in the tank. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the heat exchanger has a leakage preventing function of toxic gas installed outside the tank. A gas discharge tube having a passage for discharging the toxic gas and having a transparent portion for observation from the outside;
A gas reaction discoloration body mounted in the passage so as to be observed through the transparent portion and being discolored by reacting with the toxic gas;
And an adsorption filter mounted to filter the toxic gas passing through the gas reactive color material in the passage. The method according to claim 6,
An optical sensor for detecting discoloration of the gas reactive color material and outputting a discoloration detection signal;
Further comprising a controller for processing the discoloration detection signal input from the optical sensor to determine that the toxic gas has occurred above a set value.

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