TW201901589A - Concentration management device for chemical liquid, method for calculating concentration management fee, concentration management fee calculation system, method for calculating regeneration treatment cost of chemical liquid recovery device, chemical liquid, and regeneration processing cost calculation system - Google Patents

Abstract

The utility model provides a concentration management device and the liquid medicine regenerating unit who uses in the service provision that carries out regeneration treatment to the liquid medicinethat the service provision that goes on managing at the medicament concentration to being arranged in making semiconductor, LCD base plate used and use these devices and the computational system of the related expense of the service provision that provides. Concentration management device (1) is equipped with flow quantity recorder (51~53) at the piping of supply make -up fluid. The piping that the regeneration liquid medicine was being supplied with in liquid medicine regenerating unit (2) is equipped with flow quantity recorder (54). The concentration management of liquid medicine or regeneration treatment's expense are because calculated out by the integrated flow in the specified time limit of flow quantity recorder instrumentation play. Flow quantity recorder (221~225) possess communication function and are connected with network (201). The integrated flow is received and the storage by server system (202) via the network. Server system (202) possesses according to every flow quantity recorder and based on the integrated flow of specified time limit and the calculation portion (205) of computational costs.

Description

   Chemical solution concentration management device, concentration management cost calculation method and concentration management cost calculation system, chemical liquid regeneration device, calculation method for regeneration treatment cost of chemical solution, and regeneration treatment cost calculation system   

The present invention relates to a concentration management device for a chemical liquid that manages the concentration of various chemical liquids repeatedly used in a process of a semiconductor or a liquid crystal display (display) substrate, and uses the concentration management device to control the concentration of the supplied chemical liquid. A method for calculating the concentration management cost of a medicinal solution in a managed service and a concentration management cost calculation system. The present invention relates to the calculation of the cost of regenerating treatment of medicinal solutions in the service of regenerating various medicinal solutions used in the manufacturing process of semiconductor or liquid crystal display substrates, and the service of regenerating the provided medicinal solutions using the medicinal solution regenerating device. Method and system for calculating regeneration processing cost.

In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor or liquid crystal display substrate, for example, various chemical solutions such as a developing solution, an etching solution, a peeling solution, an antistatic agent, and a cleaning solution are used (hereinafter, when it is not necessary to specifically distinguish these chemical solutions, These chemical solutions are collectively referred to as "chemical solutions"). The medicinal solution is used by being managed and maintained at a predetermined concentration required to maximize its performance. In addition, some used chemical liquids are regenerated and reused.

In the conventional technology, a person who uses a medicinal solution (hereinafter, also referred to as a “medicine user”) purchases and uses a concentration management device for managing and maintaining the concentration of a medicinal solution. In addition, a medicinal solution user uses a regenerating treatment device that purchases a medicinal solution in order to regenerate the used medicinal solution into a reusable solution.

For example, the following patent documents have been disclosed for a concentration management device for a chemical solution. The following Patent Document 1 discloses a developer concentration management device that manages the alkali concentration and the dissolved resin concentration of the developer. In addition, Patent Document 2 below discloses an etching solution management device that manages an acid concentration and a dissolved indium concentration. Regarding the regenerating treatment device for a chemical solution, the following Patent Document 3 discloses a regenerating treatment device for a waste developing solution that regenerates the waste developing solution by microfiltration.

Prior art literature Patent literature

Patent Document 1 Japanese Patent No. 2561578

Patent Document 2 Japanese Patent No. 2747647

Patent Document 3 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2005-175118

However, in a state where a concentration management device and a medicinal solution regeneration device are purchased for use as in the conventional technology, a medicinal solution user must operate and manage and maintain these devices after purchasing the concentration management device and the medicinal solution regeneration device. In addition, in the aspect of the conventional technology, for those who manufacture and sell concentration management devices and medicinal solution regeneration devices (hereinafter, also referred to as "device sellers"), the opportunity to obtain the consideration of these devices is only in the device. When to sell.

Therefore, the user of the medicinal solution must bear the temporary and huge cost burden required to purchase the concentration management device and the medicinal solution regeneration device, as well as many operations and burdens on operation and management and maintenance after the purchase. In addition, device sellers have encountered a problem that it is difficult to obtain sufficient benefits if the user of the liquid medicine who intends to purchase the device cannot be found in a limited market and sold to the device.

The present invention has been developed in view of the above problems. The inventors have proposed a service for managing the concentration of a medicinal solution using a concentration management device, and a service for regenerating a used medicinal solution using a medicinal solution regeneration device. That is, the object of the present invention is to provide the above-mentioned proposed new business model that allows medicinal solution users to use medicinal solutions without burdening the aforementioned burden and allows device vendors to continue to obtain benefits. The chemical liquid concentration management device and chemical liquid regeneration device used in the method, and the cost calculation method and cost calculation system for calculating the cost of the service provided by the concentration management and regeneration processing of the chemical liquid.

In order to achieve the aforesaid objective, the concentration control device for a chemical solution of the present invention is a pipe connected to a device that repeatedly uses the chemical solution, and supplies a supplemental solution to the chemical solution used in the device through the pipe to manage the concentration of the chemical solution. Concentration management device; integrated flow meter in piping.

In order to achieve the foregoing object, the medicinal solution regeneration device of the present invention is a medicinal solution regeneration device that regenerates a used medicinal solution and can be reused, and supplies the regenerated medicinal solution to the used equipment; The piping to the equipment has a cumulative flow meter.

According to the concentration management device or the medicinal solution regeneration device of the present invention, since the cumulative flow meter is arranged in the pipe for supplying the replenishment solution or the pipe for regenerating the medicinal solution, it is possible to grasp the supply to the medicine every predetermined period (for example, one week or one month). The amount of replenishment or regenerating liquid for the user's equipment. Therefore, for example, it is possible to calculate the supply cost of the supply amount of the replenishing liquid or the regenerating chemical liquid during the predetermined period by multiplying the cost per unit amount by adding the basic cost based on other expenses, etc. The amount is the cost of the concentration management of the medicinal solution or the cost of regenerating the medicinal solution. Therefore, it is possible to ask the user of the medicinal solution for the cost calculated by the payment.

In order to achieve the aforementioned object, in the concentration control device or the regeneration device for a chemical solution of the present invention, the cumulative flow meter has a communication function.

According to the medicinal solution concentration management device or medicinal solution regeneration device of the present invention, the medicinal solution concentration management device or medicinal solution regeneration device used in the factory of each medicinal solution user has a communication function and can be connected. To the network. Therefore, a server system connected to the network can remotely monitor various measurement data such as the cumulative flow rate of the replenishing liquid and the regenerating chemical liquid measured by the cumulative flow meter. It is not necessary to go to the factory of the medicinal fluid user in order to read the meter of the cumulative flow meter.

In order to achieve the foregoing object, the method for calculating the concentration management cost of a chemical solution of the present invention is to supply a supplementary solution to a chemical solution that is repeatedly used in a device using the chemical solution by a concentration management device through a pipe having a cumulative flow meter, so as to accumulate the flow The cumulative flow rate of the supplied supplement liquid is measured and measured; the cost of the concentration management of the chemical liquid is calculated based on the accumulated flow volume of the supplement liquid for a predetermined period measured by the cumulative flow meter.

In order to achieve the foregoing object, the method for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution of the present invention is to supply the equipment using the medicinal solution through a pipe equipped with an integrated flow meter, and regenerate the used medicinal solution into a reusable medicinal solution. The cumulative flow rate of the regenerating medicinal solution regenerated by the regenerating device is measured by the cumulative flow meter; based on the cumulative flow rate of the regenerating medicinal solution for a predetermined period measured by the cumulative flow meter, the cost of regenerating the medicinal solution is calculated.

According to the method for calculating the concentration management fee or the regeneration treatment cost of the medicinal solution of the present invention, a service provider (hereinafter, also referred to as a “service provider”) that provides the concentration management and regeneration treatment of the medicinal solution is a concentration management device and a regeneration device. The processing device is placed in the factory of the medicinal solution user and is connected to equipment using the medicinal solution for concentration management and regeneration processing. Therefore, the medicinal solution user does not need to purchase a concentration management device or a medicinal solution regeneration device. Since the device is installed in the form of belongings owned by the service provider, the user of the medicinal solution does not have to bear the burden of managing and maintaining the device. The user of the medicinal solution can manage the concentration of the medicinal solution repeatedly used at a predetermined concentration without having to do anything, and can obtain the supply of the regenerate medicinal solution. The service provider can reasonably calculate the cost of the service provided by the concentration management and regeneration processing of the medicinal solution based on the cumulative flow rate measured by the cumulative flow meter.

In order to achieve the foregoing object, the method for calculating the concentration management cost of a chemical solution of the present invention is a piping arrangement for supplying a supplementary liquid in a concentration management device that supplies a supplementary liquid to a chemical liquid that is repeatedly used in a device that uses a chemical liquid, and has a communication function. The method of calculating the concentration management cost of medicinal solution using the network connected to the above-mentioned cumulative flowmeter and the server system includes the following steps: The server system obtains the amount of each cumulative flowmeter via the network. The steps of measuring the accumulated flow; the steps of memorizing the history of the accumulated flow obtained by the server system via the network for each accumulated flow meter; and the server system calculates the medicine for a predetermined period based on the history for each device Steps in the cost of liquid concentration management.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, the concentration management cost calculation system for a chemical solution includes a cumulative flow meter, which is a piping for supplying a supplementary liquid, which is disposed in a concentration management device for supplying a supplementary liquid to a chemical liquid used repeatedly in a device using the chemical liquid. It has a communication function; and a server system, which is connected to the cumulative flow meter via the network; the server system is provided with: a receiving section, which receives the cumulative flow rate measured by the cumulative flow meter via the network; a memory section, which is The cumulative flow rate history received by the receiving unit is memorized for each cumulative flow meter; and the calculation unit calculates the cost of the concentration management of the chemical solution for each device based on the history stored in the memory unit for each device.

In order to achieve the foregoing object, the method for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution of the present invention is to supply the regenerating medicinal solution regenerated by the used medicinal solution regenerating and reusable medicinal solution regeneration device to the used medicinal solution. The piping of the equipment is equipped with a cumulative flow meter with a communication function, and the method of calculating the cost of the regeneration treatment of the medicinal solution by using the network connected to the cumulative flow meter and the server system includes the following steps: the server system via the network The steps of obtaining the cumulative flow rate measured by each cumulative flow meter; the step of memorizing the cumulative flow rate history obtained by the server system according to each cumulative flow meter; and the server system calculates the reservation for each device based on the history Steps in the cost of the regeneration process of the medicinal solution.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the regenerating treatment cost calculation system of the medicinal solution is provided with a cumulative flow meter configured to supply the regenerating medicinal solution regenerated by the used medicinal solution regenerating device to the reusable medicinal solution regeneration device. The piping of the equipment using chemical liquid has communication function; and the server system is connected to the cumulative flowmeter via the network; the server system is equipped with: a receiving section that receives the measurement from the cumulative flowmeter via the network The cumulative flow rate is stored in the memory unit based on the history of the cumulative flow rate received by the receiving unit for each cumulative flow meter; and the calculation unit is calculated based on the history stored in the memory unit for each device for a predetermined period. The cost of regenerating the chemical solution.

According to the method for calculating the concentration management cost of a medicinal solution or the method for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of a medicinal solution, or the medicinal solution concentration calculation cost calculation system or the medicinal solution regenerating treatment cost calculation system, the medicinal solution concentration management is provided And regenerative service providers (hereinafter also referred to as "service providers") are cumulative flow meters that can be used to remotely monitor each medicinal fluid user by a server system connected to the network. . It is not necessary to go to the factory of the medicinal fluid user to read the meter of the accumulated flow meter. It is possible to calculate a reasonable fee for providing a service that manages the concentration of a medicinal solution or a service that performs a regenerating treatment of a medicinal solution corresponding to a cumulative flow rate of a replenished or regenerated medicinal solution supplied to a device of a medicinal solution user's device, and Able to charge the fee to medicinal fluid users.

According to the present invention, a concentration management device for a chemical liquid having an integrated flow meter can provide a service for managing the concentration of a chemical liquid, a new and unprecedented business method in the industry. According to the present invention, by using a chemical liquid regeneration device having an integrated flow meter, it is possible to realize a novel business method unprecedented in the industry in providing a service for performing a regeneration treatment of a chemical liquid. Therefore, according to the present invention, compared with the conventional situation of selling devices in the past, the service provider can continue to ensure a stable income even if the intention to purchase the device cannot be found in a limited market.

According to the present invention, the user of the medicinal solution does not need to bear the burden of purchasing, operating, managing and maintaining the concentration management device of the medicinal solution, and only needs to pay for the calculation based on the cumulative flow rate of the replenishment solution replenished for the concentration management of the medicinal solution. The cost of the service for the management of the concentration of a chemical solution allows the use of a chemical solution that is constantly managed at a predetermined concentration. According to the present invention, the user of the medicinal solution does not need to bear the burden of purchasing, operating, managing and maintaining the medicinal solution regeneration device, but only pays for the service for the regeneration treatment of the medicinal solution calculated based on the cumulative flow rate of the supplied regenerating medicinal solution. For the cost provided, it is possible to obtain a regenerating solution for use.

According to the present invention, the service provider can also remotely monitor the cumulative flow meters of each concentration management device and each chemical liquid regeneration device used in factories (sites; sites) of a plurality of chemical liquid users.

1‧‧‧Concentration management device

2‧‧‧ medicinal solution regeneration device

10‧‧‧Measurement Department

11, 12‧‧‧ measuring methods

14‧‧‧ sampling pump

15‧‧‧Sampling piping

16‧‧‧ Return piping

17, 18‧‧‧ signal line for measurement data

20‧‧‧ Computing Department

21‧‧‧ Operation Box

22‧‧‧Signal cable

30, 35‧‧‧ Control Department

31, 36‧‧‧ control blocks

32 to 34, 37, 38‧‧‧ control signal lines

41 to 43, 46 to 48‧‧‧ control valves

44, 45‧‧‧ Valve

51 to 54, 221 to 225‧‧‧cumulative flowmeter

61 to 63‧‧‧ filters

70‧‧‧ liquid delivery pump

81 to 83‧‧‧ supply liquid piping

84‧‧‧ Confluence piping

85‧‧‧Pipe for nitrogen

86‧‧‧ Waste liquid recovery piping

87‧‧‧Regenerating medicinal solution supply piping

91, 92‧‧‧Storage Container

93‧‧‧Regeneration medicine liquid storage container

100‧‧‧Development process equipment (equipment used equipment)

161‧‧‧Developer storage tank

162‧‧‧ Overflow tank

163‧‧‧ level meter

164‧‧‧Developing chamber cover

165‧‧‧ roller conveyor

166‧‧‧ substrate

167‧‧‧Developer spray head

171‧‧‧ waste liquid pump

172, 174‧‧‧Circulation pump

173, 175‧‧‧ filters

180‧‧‧Developer solution line

185‧‧‧Circulation pipeline

200‧‧‧Calculation system

201‧‧‧Internet

202‧‧‧Server System

203‧‧‧Receiving Department

204‧‧‧Memory Department

205‧‧‧Calculation Department

206‧‧‧ Display

211 to 215‧‧‧ factories

S1‧‧‧Concentration measurement steps

S2 ‧‧‧ Judgment steps for replenishment

S3‧‧‧Supply liquid supply steps

S4‧‧‧cumulative flow measurement steps

S5‧‧‧ passes judgment step

S6‧‧‧Concentration management cost calculation steps

S11‧‧‧Medicine solution regeneration steps

S12‧‧‧Regenerating solution supply steps

S13‧‧‧Accumulated flow measurement steps

S14‧‧‧ passes judgment step

S15‧‧‧Calculation steps for regeneration processing fee

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a chemical liquid concentration management device.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of a medicinal solution regeneration device.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart of a method for calculating a concentration management cost of a medicinal solution.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a method for calculating a regeneration treatment cost of a chemical solution.

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a concentration management cost calculation system or a regeneration processing cost calculation system for a chemical solution.

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, as long as the shape, size, size ratio, and relative arrangement of the devices and the like described in the following embodiments are not specifically described, the scope of the present invention is not limited to the contents shown in the drawings. The illustration is merely a schematic diagram for illustrative purposes.

In addition, in the following description, specific examples of the chemical solution used in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor or liquid crystal display are appropriately used as a developing solution mainly used in the developing process at 2.38 wt% (hereinafter, wt% is simply described). Tetramethyl ammonium hydroxide (TMAH) (hereinafter, referred to as TMAH) will be described.

However, the medicinal solution to which the present invention is applicable is not limited to this. Examples of other chemical solutions to which the present invention can be applied include, in addition to a developing solution, an etching solution, a peeling solution, an antistatic agent, or a cleaning solution.

Each of these medicinal solutions has various kinds and compositions of medicinal solutions. Examples of the developer include aqueous solutions of inorganic compounds such as potassium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide, sodium phosphate, and sodium silicate; and trimethyl monoethanol ammonium hydroxide (choline). (choline)) and the like. Examples of the etching solution include an aqueous oxalic acid solution, a mixed aqueous solution of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide, a copper sulfate solution, a mixed aqueous solution of phosphoric acid, acetic acid, and nitric acid, hot phosphoric acid, an aqueous cerium ammonium nitrate solution, and a ferric chloride solution. Examples of the stripping solution include a solution of dimethylsulfoxide-based stock solution and pure water, a solution of N-methylpyrrolidone-based stock solution and pure water, and alkanolamine and ethyl acetate. Stripping solutions of aqueous resists such as glycol ether and pure water, and non-aqueous resists such as mixed solutions of monoethanolamine and butyl diglycol and additives液 等。 Liquid and so on.

In the conventional technology, users of chemical liquids of the aforementioned various chemical liquids purchase devices from companies that manufacture and sell concentration management devices and chemical liquid regeneration devices, and connect these devices to equipment using chemical liquids such as developing equipment and etching equipment. , Operate these devices to perform concentration management and regeneration processing of chemical liquid. Therefore, the medicinal solution user must bear the temporary and huge cost burden when purchasing the concentration management device and the medicinal solution regeneration device, the burden of the supply of replenishment liquid and necessary materials during the operation of the device, and the operation and management of the device. Many other homework and burdens.

In addition, from the point of view of device sellers, in the commercial operations of conventional selling devices, the opportunity to recover the value of the device is only at the time of device sales. interest.

In view of the above points, the inventor of the present case has proposed a novel business method. That is, it is a commercial operation that provides a service that uses the concentration management device of a chemical solution to control the concentration of a chemical solution used repeatedly by a user of the chemical solution to a predetermined concentration. In other words, it is a commercial operation to provide a medical liquid regeneration device to regenerate the medical liquid used by the user of the medical liquid into a service that can be reused. These novel business methods will be described.

First, a description will be given of a commercial operation that provides a service for controlling the concentration of a chemical solution.

The service provider of concentration management uses the concentration management device to manage the chemical solution used repeatedly by the user of the chemical solution to a predetermined concentration or a predetermined concentration range desired by the user of the chemical solution. Concentration management is performed by replenishing and replenishing the medicinal solution used repeatedly. The concentration management device repeatedly monitors the concentration of the chemical solution used repeatedly and performs constant monitoring, and controls the control valve included in the piping for replenishing the replenishing liquid so as to replenish an appropriate amount of the necessary replenishing liquid. The replenishment liquid is replenished while measuring the accumulated flow rate with an integrated flow meter provided in a pipe for replenishing the replenishment liquid. The service provider monitors the cumulative flow rate of the replenishment solution to be replenished, and thereby calculates the cost of providing the concentration management service based on the cumulative flow rate per predetermined period (for example, every week or every month, etc.). During the period, the user is requested to pay the fee. This is a summary of a commercial operation that provides services to manage the concentration of medicinal solutions.

The concentration management device used in the service for managing the concentration of a medicinal solution is in the form of an object owned by the service provider, and is operated, managed and maintained by the service provider, and is used for concentration management. Therefore, the user of the medicinal solution does not need to purchase a concentration management device, nor does it need to operate and manage the device. All that is needed is to hire a service provider to manage the concentration of the solution.

The service provider places the concentration management device owned by the service provider in a factory of the medicinal solution user, and connects the device to a medicinal solution-using device (hereinafter, also referred to as a “medicine solution using device”) used by the medicinal solution user. Here, the so-called equipment using a chemical solution means a developing device if the chemical solution is a developing solution, an etching device if it is an etching solution, a peeling device if it is a stripping solution, and so on.

The concentration management is achieved by measuring the concentration of the chemical solution and replenishing the supplemental liquid based on the measured concentration of the chemical solution. But it is not limited to this. For example, it is also possible to perform concentration management by performing a combination with a regeneration treatment of a used chemical solution or the like.

For example, in the case where the TMAH aqueous solution often used in the development processing process is controlled to a concentration of 2.38%, as described in the aforementioned Patent Document 1, the following concentration management is performed. That is, the developer management device repeatedly measures the concentration of the alkali component and the concentration of the dissolved resin, and performs constant monitoring, so that the concentration of the alkali component becomes about 2.38% and the concentration of the dissolved resin is prevented from exceeding the predetermined set concentration to supply the supplementary liquid. Concentration management.

At this time, as for the replenishing solution, the original solution of the developing solution, the fresh solution of the developing solution, and pure water are replenished. The so-called developer solution refers to a developer solution having a high concentration, for example, a TMAH aqueous solution of about 20% to 25%. The so-called new developer solution refers to an unused developer solution, that is, a fresh developer solution that does not contain unnecessary substances such as dissolved resin. For example, an unused 2.38% TMAH aqueous solution. As a replenishing solution, a regenerating solution obtained by removing a dissolving resin and other unnecessary materials from the used developing solution may be used.

The concentration measurement is performed by sampling the developing solution repeatedly used in the developing device, and performing the measurement in the measurement section of the density management device. The measurement of the concentration of the alkali component is performed by measuring the conductivity of the developer, and the measurement of the concentration of the dissolved resin is performed by measuring the absorbance at a specific wavelength of the developer. It is known that there is a good correlation between the concentration of these components and the physical property value of the corresponding developer (refer to the aforementioned Patent Document 1). As long as this correlation is used, the concentration of the alkali component is derived from the measured conductivity value, and the dissolved resin concentration is derived from the measured absorbance value.

As a result of the concentration measurement, when the concentration of the alkali component was lower than 2.38%, the concentration management device replenished the stock solution of the developing solution as a replenishment solution. Conversely, when it is higher than 2.38%, the concentration management device replenishes a fresh liquid of pure water or a developing solution as a replenishing solution. Similarly, when the concentration of the dissolved resin exceeds a predetermined set concentration, the concentration management device replenishes a new solution of the developing solution as a replenishing solution.

The replenishing liquid is a medicinal liquid using device that is delivered from a storage container storing the replenishing liquid and a device for supplying the replenishing liquid to a medicinal liquid user through a pipe. A control valve and a cumulative flow meter controlled by the concentration management device are provided in a piping system for replenishing the replenishing liquid. As long as the flow rate per unit time when the control valve is opened is set for each control valve in advance, the concentration management device can supply a proper amount of the control valve by opening the control valve provided for the replenishing fluid to be replenished for a predetermined time. Replenishment fluid. During replenishment, the cumulative flow meter measures the cumulative flow of the replenishment. This cumulative flow rate is the amount of supply of the replenishment liquid to be supplied to the equipment using the chemical liquid.

The service provider calculates the concentration management fee of the medicinal solution based on the cumulative flow rate (supply amount) of the replenishment solution measured by the cumulative flow meter, for example, every month, for every predetermined period. The service provider asks the user of the medicinal solution for the concentration management fee calculated as a consideration for the service of managing the concentration of the medicinal solution.

The medicinal solution user pays the concentration management fee of the medicinal solution every predetermined period, so that the concentration-controlled medicinal solution can be continuously used without purchasing, operating, and maintaining the concentration management device. On the other hand, service providers are able to continue to obtain stable income compared to when they sold devices in the past.

Here, in terms of the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution, there can be various aspects. Hereinafter, some specific examples of the management cost of the concentration of the medicinal solution will be exemplified. However, the method for calculating the concentration management cost of a chemical solution is not limited to these examples. The calculation method of the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution of the present invention includes various cost calculation methods based on the cumulative flow rate (supply amount) of the replenishment solution.

The first method is to calculate the cost as the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution based on the supply cost of the replenishment solution supplied within a predetermined period. This approach is based on the concept of selling supplements.

For example, let the predetermined period be every month. Since the cumulative flow of replenishment is measured with a cumulative flow meter, the supply of replenishment for the current month can be obtained by subtracting the cumulative flow at the time of meter reading the previous month and subtracting the cumulative flow at the time of meter reading this month . Let this supply amount be Q (L / month). Let the supply unit price of the replenishment liquid be A (Japanese yen / L). In this way, the supply cost of the replenishment liquid for this month can be calculated as Q × A (Japanese yen / month). When there are multiple kinds of supplementary liquid, the supply amount is set to Q ₁ , Q ₂ , Q ₃ , ... (L / month), and the unit price of supply is A ₁ , A ₂ , A ₃ , … (Yen / L), the supply cost of the replenishment solution can be calculated as ΣQ _i × A _i (i = 1, 2, 3, ...) (yen / L). Use this fee as the concentration management fee for the drug solution this month.

In the modification, there is a method in which the cost of the supply of the replenishment liquid calculated as described above plus various costs is used as the monthly concentration management cost of the chemical liquid. As far as representative costs are added, there are basic costs. When signing a contract for concentration management service provision, the basic monthly fee is agreed, and whether or not a supplementary liquid is supplied, the basic cost will be included in the concentration management fee of the medicinal solution and a payment will be requested. Of course, without the name of basic costs, equipment management and maintenance costs, and personnel costs, raw material supply costs, and other expenses of the plant operating personnel can also be included in the costs to be added. If it is assumed that the added cost (for example, the basic cost) is Z (Japanese yen / month), the concentration management cost of the medical solution per month becomes Q × A + Z (Japanese yen / month). When there are multiple types of replenishment solution and the added cost is the sum of various costs Z = ΣZ _j , the monthly concentration management cost of the medicinal solution becomes ΣQ _i × A _i + ΣZ _j (i, j = 1, 2 , 3, ...) (yen / month).

In addition, in another modification, there is also an amount obtained by multiplying the supply cost of the replenishment liquid by the addition rate B as the concentration management cost of the medical liquid per month. For example, it is a reasonable idea that the expenses for the supply of raw materials for the replenishment liquid and the management and maintenance costs of the device are linked to the supply of replenishment liquid (this is also related to the operating time of the device). At this time, the supply cost of the supplement solution Q × A (Japanese yen / month) is multiplied by the addition rate B, and the concentration management cost of the chemical solution per month can be obtained as Q × A × B (Japanese yen / month). The addition rate B may also be included in the supply unit price A (yen / L) of the supplement. In addition, when the basic cost and the like are added, the monthly concentration management cost of the medicinal solution is Q × A × B + Z (Japanese yen / month). More generally, the management cost of the concentration of a drug solution per month can be obtained as (ΣQ _i × A _i ) × B + ΣZ _j (i, j = 1, 2, 3, ...) (Japanese yen / month) .

The second method is to use the medical liquid concentration management service provided for a predetermined period to multiply the economic benefits of the medical liquid user by a predetermined ratio, and use the medical liquid concentration management fee for the medical liquid. Those who request money. This approach is based on the concept of dividing the user of the dosing solution with the service provider by generating the economic benefits of the dosing solution user through the provision of the service of concentration management. This method is suitable, for example, when a service for the concentration management of a medical solution is provided to a user of a medical solution that has not previously performed the management of the concentration of a medical solution.

In the case where the concentration management of the medicinal solution is not performed, the medicinal solution user used to dispose of the medicinal solution completely after using it a predetermined number of times and replaced it with a new medicinal solution. Therefore, the liquid performance of the chemical solution varies greatly each time the chemical solution is changed. On the other hand, if the concentration management of the medicinal solution is implemented, the medicinal solution user can enjoy various effects as described below. In other words, the amount of chemical solution used is drastically reduced. It also drastically reduces the amount of liquid waste. In addition, since the liquid performance of the chemical solution is constantly maintained, the manufacturing quality of the semiconductor and the liquid crystal substrate is stable, and the manufacturing yield is improved. There is no need to stop the manufacturing device due to the replacement of the chemical solution, thereby increasing the operating rate of the manufacturing device and increasing the manufacturing volume of semiconductors and liquid crystal substrates.

As a specific example of the calculation of the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution at this time, a few percent of the amount of reduction in the cost of the medicinal solution that is reduced due to the reduction in the amount of the medicinal solution used can be cited as the medicinal solution for the predetermined period. Concentration management costs.

For example, let the predetermined period be every month. It is assumed that before the user of the medicinal solution receives the service of the concentration management of the medicinal solution of the present invention, that is, in the period when the concentration management of the medicinal solution has not been implemented in the past, the purchase amount of the medicinal solution purchased by the medicinal solution user per month is R (L / month). Let the purchase price be C (Japanese yen / L). If the fluctuation in the purchase amount R of the medicinal solution is large, the average value of the purchase amount of the medicinal solution in the past appropriate period is set to R.

The supply amount of the replenishment liquid provided by the service of the concentration management of the chemical liquid of the present invention can be obtained as Q (L / month) from the cumulative flow rate measured by the cumulative flow meter. Multiplying the supply unit price A (JPY / L) of the replenishment solution, the monthly supply cost of the replenishment solution can be calculated as Q × A (JPY / month).

In this way, the amount of reduction in the cost of the medicinal solution that can be obtained as the user of the medicinal solution receives the service of the concentration management of the medicinal solution of the present invention becomes R × C-Q × A (Japanese yen / month). The concentration management cost of the chemical solution per month is set to a ratio D and can be obtained as (R × C-Q × A) × D (Japanese yen / month). Of course, basic costs can also be added. The ratio D is, for example, 10% (0.1) or 20% (0.2) or 30% (0.3).

In the modification, several percent of the reduction in the amount of waste liquid processing cost that is reduced by reducing the amount of waste liquid of the chemical liquid may be used as the concentration management cost of the chemical liquid in a predetermined period.

Let's assume that the monthly waste liquid treatment cost of the chemical solution before the concentration management is implemented is S (Japanese yen / month), and that the monthly liquid waste treatment cost after the concentration management is implemented is T (Japanese yen / month) (where Let S> T), and the reduction in waste liquid treatment costs due to concentration management is ST (Japanese yen / month). The user of the medicinal solution pays Q × A (yen / month) for the supply of the replenishment solution every month due to the concentration management. Therefore, the amount of the economic benefit of the medicinal solution user related to the reduction of the amount of waste liquid is (ST)- Q × A (Japanese yen / month). Multiplying by the ratio D, the monthly concentration management cost of the medicinal solution can be obtained as ((S-T) -Q × A) × D (Japanese yen / month). You can also add basic fees.

As for other variants, the amount of economic benefits for medicinal solution users can be changed to the increase in revenue of medicinal solution users due to improved yields, product quality, and device operation rates. To replace the reduction in the cost of chemical liquids and the reduction in waste liquid treatment costs. In addition, the total amount of the reduction in the cost of the medicinal solution, the reduction in the cost of the disposal of the waste liquid, and the increase in the revenue of the user of the medicinal solution can be subtracted from the supply cost of the replenishment Q × A (Japanese yen / month) The obtained amount is regarded as the amount of the overall economic benefits obtained by the user of the concentration due to the concentration management, and the monthly concentration management fee is calculated. At this time, if the total amount such as the increase in income is U (Japanese yen / month), the concentration management cost becomes (U-Q × A) × D (Japanese yen / month). You can also add basic fees.

In a further modification, by providing a service for the concentration management of a medical solution of the present invention to a user who has already performed the management of the concentration of a medical solution, the user of the drug solution can generate various economic benefits. Calculate these economic benefits in the same way as before, and ask the user of the drug solution as the monthly management fee of the concentration of the drug solution.

Many users of chemical solutions have implemented concentration management of chemical solutions, but they still manage and maintain the concentration of chemical solutions by themselves after purchasing the concentration management device. Therefore, the user of the medicinal solution is responsible for the management of the concentration of the medicinal solution, the burden of the supply of raw materials and materials, and the personnel costs of the operator of the device. In addition, many medicinal solution users are still using old-style concentration management devices, or are using concentration management devices that perform concentration measurement based on the principle of concentration measurement that is not fully optimized for each type of medicinal solution.

In this case, by replacing the concentration management of the conventional technology with the concentration management service of the chemical solution of the present invention, it is possible for the user of the drug solution to reduce the cost of the drug solution and the cost of the waste solution, improve the yield, and improve the product quality. Economic benefits arising from the improvement and stability of equipment, the improvement of equipment operation rate, and the increase in the number of products manufactured. At this time, it is also possible to calculate the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution from the user of the medicinal solution by calculating a few percent of the amount of economic benefits obtained based on the cumulative flow of the replenishing solution in the same manner as described above.

Next, a description will be given of a commercial operation that provides a service for regenerating and treating a used chemical solution into a reusable service.

The service provider for the regeneration treatment of the medicinal solution uses the medicinal solution regeneration device to remove unnecessary components accumulated in the medicinal solution used by the medicinal solution using equipment, and adjust it to a predetermined concentration or a predetermined concentration range desired by the medicinal solution user. And regeneration can be reused. Regarding the regeneration process, the accumulated unnecessary components are removed by using techniques such as filtration, electrolysis, crystallization, and membrane separation. (The regeneration process is not limited to the above-mentioned methods. Corresponding to the target chemical solution and requirements The removed ingredients are suitably selected using a better technique). The medicinal solution regeneration device supplies a regenerate medicinal solution to a medicinal solution using device by opening a control valve included in a pipe for supplying the regenerate medicinal solution. The regenerating chemical solution is supplied while measuring the cumulative flow rate using an integrated flow meter provided in a pipe supplying the regenerating chemical solution. The service provider monitors the cumulative flow rate of the supplied regenerating medicinal solution, and thereby calculates the cost of the service for regenerating the medicinal solution based on the cumulative flow rate for a predetermined period (for example, every week or every month, etc.). Charge the fee to the medicinal fluid user during each predetermined period. This is a summary of the commercial operation of a service that provides the reprocessing of used chemicals.

The medicinal solution regeneration device used in the service for regenerating the used medicinal solution is operated and managed and maintained by the service provider in the form of belongings owned by the service provider, and is used for the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution. Therefore, the medicinal solution user does not need to purchase a medicinal solution regeneration device, nor does it need to operate and manage the device. All that is needed is to hire a service provider to regenerate the solution.

The service provider places the own medicinal solution regeneration device in the medicinal solution user's factory and connects it to the medicinal solution use equipment used by the medicinal solution user. Here, the so-called chemical liquid uses equipment. If the chemical liquid is a developing solution, it means a developing device, if it is an etching solution, it means an etching device, if it is a peeling solution, it means a peeling device, and so on.

Regarding the regeneration process, the separation and removal techniques such as filtration, electrolysis, crystallization, and membrane separation are used to remove unnecessary substances accumulated in the chemical solution from the chemical solution after being used. Each component of the medicinal solution can also be adjusted by appropriately replenishing the replenishment solution or the like. However, the separation technology used in the regeneration process is not limited to the above-mentioned methods. The so-called unnecessary substance accumulated in the chemical solution refers to a resist component or the like which is eluted from the substrate due to the development process when the chemical solution is a developing solution.

The regenerated medical liquid is a medical liquid use device that is delivered to a user of the medical liquid through a pipe. A control valve and a cumulative flow meter are provided in a piping system for regenerating the chemical liquid. As long as the flow rate per unit time when the control valve is opened is set in advance, an appropriate amount of regenerating chemical liquid can be supplied by opening the control valve for a predetermined time. During the supply of the regenerating medicinal solution, the cumulative flow meter measures the cumulative flow rate of the regenerating medicinal solution. This accumulated flow rate is the supply amount of the regenerating chemical solution supplied to the chemical solution using equipment.

The service provider calculates the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution based on the cumulative flow rate (supply amount) of the regenerating medicinal solution measured by the cumulative flow meter, for example, every month and every predetermined period. The service provider asks the user of the medicinal solution to calculate the regenerating treatment fee of the medicinal solution as the consideration for the service for performing the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution.

The user of the medicinal solution pays the regenerating treatment fee of the medicinal solution every predetermined period, so that the regenerating medicinal solution can be obtained and used without the need to purchase, operate and manage the medicinal solution regeneration device. On the other hand, Compared to the past when devices were sold, service providers are able to continue to receive stable revenue.

Here, there can be various aspects in terms of the cost of the regeneration treatment of the medicinal solution. Hereinafter, some specific examples of the cost of the regeneration treatment of the medicinal solution will be exemplified. However, the method of calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the chemical solution is not limited to these examples. The method of calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution of the present invention includes various methods of calculating the cost based on the cumulative flow rate (supply amount) of the regenerating medicinal solution.

The first method is to calculate the cost as the cost of the regeneration treatment of the medicinal solution based on the supply cost of the regenerating medicinal solution supplied within a predetermined period. This approach is based on the concept of selling reconstituted medicinal solutions.

For example, let the predetermined period be every month. Since the cumulative flow rate of the regenerating medicinal solution is measured by the cumulative flow meter, the cumulative flow rate of the regenerating medicinal solution supplied this month can be obtained by subtracting the accumulated flow rate of the metering point of the previous month from the cumulative flow rate of the meter reading time of the month. Supply amount. Let this supply amount be K (L / month). The supply unit price of the regenerating liquid medicine is E (Japanese yen / L). In this way, the supply cost of the regenerating medicinal solution this month can be calculated as K × E (Japanese yen / month). The fee is used as the regenerating treatment fee of the medicinal solution this month, and the user is requested to pay.

In the modified example, there is a method in which a cost obtained by adding the various kinds of costs to the supply cost of the regenerating chemical solution calculated as described above as the regenerating treatment cost of the chemical solution each month. As far as representative costs are added, there are basic costs. When signing the contract for the service provision of the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution, the basic monthly fee is agreed, and whether or not the regenerating medicinal solution is supplied, the basic cost is included in the regenerating treatment fee of the medicinal solution and the payment is requested. Of course, without the name of basic costs, equipment management and maintenance costs, and personnel costs, raw material supply costs, and other expenses of the plant operating personnel can also be included in the costs to be added. If the added cost (for example, the basic cost) is Z (Japanese yen / month), the cost of regenerating the treatment solution per month becomes K × E + Z (Japanese yen / month). When the added cost is the sum of various costs Z = ΣZ _j , the cost of regenerating the treatment solution per month becomes K × E + ΣZ _j (j = 1, 2, 3, ...) (JPY / month) .

In addition, in another modification, there is also an amount obtained by multiplying the supply cost of the regenerating chemical solution by the addition rate B as the regenerating treatment cost of the chemical solution per month. For example, the funding for the supply of materials and raw materials for the regenerating medicinal solution, the management and maintenance costs of the device, and the like are linked to the supply of the regenerating medicinal solution (this is also related to the operating time of the device). At this time, multiplying the supply cost of the regenerating medicinal solution K × E (yen / month) by the addition rate F, and the regenerating treatment fee of the medicinal solution per month can be calculated as K × E × F (yen / month) . The addition rate F may be included in the supply unit price E (Japanese yen / L) of the regenerating chemical solution. In addition, when the basic cost and the like are added, the cost of regenerating treatment of the chemical solution per month is K × E × F + Z (Japanese yen / month). More generally, the treatment cost of the chemical solution per month can be obtained as (K × E) × F + ΣZ _j (j = 1, 2, 3,...) (Japanese yen / month).

The second method is to use the amount of the economic benefit of the user of the medicinal solution as a result of the regenerating treatment service of the medicinal solution provided for a predetermined period to multiply the predetermined ratio as the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution to the medicinal solution. Those who request money. This method is based on the concept of dividing the user of the drug solution and the service provider by providing the economic benefits of the user of the drug solution by the provision of the service for the regeneration treatment of the drug solution. This method is suitable, for example, when a service for regenerating a medicinal solution is provided to a medicinal solution user who has not performed a regenerating treatment of a medicinal solution in the past.

In the case where the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution is not performed, in the past, the user of the medicinal solution completely discarded the medicinal solution after a predetermined number of uses, and replaced it with a new medicinal solution. Therefore, the amount of waste liquid of the medicinal solution is very large, and a large amount of new medicinal solution must be supplied. On the other hand, if the medicinal solution is regenerated and reused, the medicinal solution user can enjoy various effects as described below. That is, the amount of new chemical solution used is significantly reduced. It also drastically reduces the amount of liquid waste.

As a specific example of the calculation of the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution at this time, a few percent of the amount of reduction in the cost of the medicinal solution due to reduction in the amount of the medicinal solution used can be cited as the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution in a predetermined period cost.

For example, let the predetermined period be every month. It is assumed that before the user of the medicinal solution receives the service for regenerating the medicinal solution of the present invention, that is, during the period when the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution has not been performed in the past, the purchase amount of the medicinal solution purchased by the medicinal solution user per month is M (L / month). Let the purchase price be G (Japanese yen / L). If the fluctuation in the purchase amount M of the medicinal solution is large, the average value of the purchase amount of the medicinal solution in the past appropriate period is set to M.

The supply amount of the regenerating medicinal solution supplied by the provision of the service for the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution of the present invention can be determined as K (L / month) from the cumulative flow rate measured by the cumulative flow meter. Multiplying the supply unit price E (JPY / L) of the replenishment solution, the monthly supply cost of the regenerating medicinal solution can be calculated as K × E (JPY / month).

In this way, the amount of reduction in the cost of the medicinal solution that can be obtained by the user of the medicinal solution by receiving the service of the regeneration treatment of the medicinal solution of the present invention becomes M × G-K × E (Japanese yen / month). The cost of the regeneration treatment of the chemical solution per month is set to the ratio F and can be obtained as (M × G-K × E) × F (Japanese yen / month). Of course, basic costs can also be added. The ratio F is, for example, 10% (0.1) or 20% (0.2) or 30% (0.3).

In the modified example, the reduction amount of the waste liquid processing cost, which is reduced by the reduction of the waste liquid amount of the chemical liquid, may be set as a cost of the regeneration treatment of the chemical liquid in a predetermined period.

When the monthly waste liquid treatment cost of the chemical solution before the regeneration process is implemented is N (yen / month), and the monthly waste liquid treatment cost after the regeneration process is implemented as P (yen / month) (wherein, Suppose N> P), and the reduction in waste liquid treatment costs due to the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution is NP (Japanese yen / month). The user of the medicinal solution pays K × E (Japanese yen / month) for the supply of the regenerate medicinal solution every month due to the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution. Therefore, the amount of economic benefits associated with the reduction of the amount of waste liquid of the medicinal solution user becomes (NP) -K × E (Japanese yen / month). Multiplying by the ratio F, the cost of the regeneration treatment of the chemical solution per month can be obtained as ((N-P) -K × E) × F (Japanese yen / month). You can also add basic fees.

In other modified examples, the amount of the economic benefit of the medicinal solution user may be the sum of the amount of reduction in the cost of the medicinal solution and the amount of reduction in the cost of the waste liquid treatment. The amount obtained by subtracting the supply cost K × E (yen / month) from the total amount of the reduction of the cost of the medicinal solution and the reduction of the disposal cost of the waste liquid can be regarded as the amount of the medicinal solution user. The total amount of economic benefits obtained from the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution is used to calculate the monthly cost of the medicinal solution treatment. At this time, if the sum of the reduction of the cost of the chemical solution and the reduction of the waste liquid processing cost is V (Japanese yen / month), the cost of the regeneration treatment of the chemical liquid becomes (VK × E) × F (Japanese yen / month). You can also add basic fees.

In a further modified example, by providing a medical liquid user who has already performed a medical liquid regeneration process to the medical liquid regeneration service of the present invention, it is possible for the medical fluid user to generate various economic benefits. These economic benefits are calculated in the same way as above, and the user of the medicinal solution is charged as the monthly cost of the regeneration treatment of the medicinal solution.

Many medicinal fluid users, even if they have implemented the regenerating treatment of medicinal fluids, still operate and manage the medicinal fluids themselves after purchasing the medicinal fluid regenerating device. Therefore, the user of the medicinal solution is responsible for the expenses for the supply of raw materials and materials and the personnel costs of the operator of the device in the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution. In addition, many medicinal fluid users are still using old-style regeneration treatment devices.

In this case, by replacing the conventional technology regeneration process with the regeneration process of the medicinal solution of the present invention, it is possible for the user of the medicinal solution to bring economic benefits accompanying the reduction of the medicinal solution cost and waste liquid cost. In this case, it is also possible to calculate the cost of the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution from the user of the medicinal solution by calculating a few percent of the amount of the economic benefits obtained based on the cumulative flow of the replenishing solution in the same manner as described above.

Next, a concentration management device for a chemical solution of the present invention will be described. In order to realize the commercial operation of the service for providing the concentration management of the medicinal solution of the present invention, it is not possible to have a concentration management device capable of measuring the supply amount of the replenishment liquid required for the concentration management and having a cumulative flow meter in the supply liquid piping. Missing. Hereinafter, a concentration management device including the integrated flow meter as described above will be described with reference to the drawings.

    [Medicine solution concentration management device]    

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of the concentration control device for a chemical solution according to this embodiment. In the description of this embodiment, it is described that a 2.38% TMAH aqueous solution (developing solution) is used as an example for a chemical solution, and a 20% TMAH aqueous solution (stock solution of a developing solution) is replenished with a replenishing solution and an unused 2.38% TMAH aqueous solution (new solution of developer) and pure water for concentration management of chemical solution.

In FIG. 1, for convenience of explanation, the concentration management device 1 of the developing solution (medicine solution) is shown in a state of being connected to the developing process equipment (chemical solution using equipment) 100. In addition, the concentration management device 1 of the developing solution (medicine solution) is also connected to the storage containers 91 and 92 of the replenishing solution.

First, the development process equipment (medicine liquid use equipment) 100 will be briefly described. However, the development process equipment (medicine solution use equipment) 100 in FIG. 1 is merely an example of the development process equipment (medicine solution use equipment), and is not limited thereto. The developing process equipment (medicine solution using equipment) connected to the concentration management device of the developing solution (chemical solution) of the present invention can also include various aspects different from those in FIG. 1.

The development process equipment 100 is mainly composed of a developer storage tank 161, an over flow tank 162, a development chamber hood 164, a roller conveyor 165, and a developer nozzle 167. Make up. In the developer storage tank 161, a developer (chemical solution) repeatedly used for development processing is stored. The developer storage tank 161 is provided with a liquid level meter 163 and an overflow tank 162, and manages the increase in the amount of liquid caused by the replenishment and replenishment. The developer storage tank 161 and the developer spray head 167 are connected through a developer liquid pipe 180. The developer stored in the developer storage tank 161 is conveyed to the developer spray head 167 through a filter 173 through a circulation pump 172 provided in the developer solution pipe 180. The roller conveyor 165 is disposed above the developer storage tank 161 and conveys a substrate 166 formed with a photoresist film. The developer is poured from the developer spray head 167. The substrate 166 conveyed by the roller conveyor 165 is passed through the deposited developer solution and is immersed in the developer solution. Then, the developer solution is collected in the developer storage tank 161 and stored again. The developer stored in the developer storage tank 161 is drawn by the circulation pump 174, and is returned to the developer storage tank 161 again through a circulation line 185 including a filter 175. By the circulation of the developer through the circulation line 185, the developer in the developer storage tank 161 is constantly stirred. In addition, the deteriorated developer is drained (drained) by activating the waste liquid pump 171.

Next, the density management device 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

The concentration management device 1 according to this embodiment mainly includes a measurement unit 10, a calculation unit 20, a control unit 30, and control valves 41 to 43 and cumulative flow meters 51 to 53 that are arranged in the supplemental liquid supply pipes 81 to 83.

The measurement unit 10 is connected to the developer storage tank 161 via a sampling pipe 15 and a return pipe 16. The measurement unit 10 is connected to the calculation unit 20 through signal data signal lines 17 and 18. The measurement unit 10 is provided with a sampling pump 14 and measurement means 11 and 12. The measuring means 11 and 12 are, for example, a conductivity meter for measuring the concentration of the alkali component in the developing solution, or an absorbance photometer for measuring the concentration of the dissolved resin in the developing solution. The measuring means 11 and 12 are connected in series behind the sampling pump 14. The sampling pipe 15 is connected to the sampling pump 14, and the return pipe 16 is connected to a pipe at the end of the measurement means.

In order to improve the measurement accuracy, the measurement unit 10 is preferably equipped with a temperature adjustment means (not shown) that stabilizes the sampled developer solution at a predetermined temperature. In this case, the temperature adjustment means is preferably provided immediately before the measurement means.

The calculation section 20 includes a calculation block 21 for calculating a component concentration (for example, an alkali component concentration, a dissolved resin concentration, and the like) of the developing solution from the measurement data measured by the measurement section 10. In operation block 21, the component concentration of the developing solution is calculated from the measurement data measured by the measurement unit 10.

The computing unit 20 is connected to the control unit 30 via a signal line 22. The calculation unit and the control unit may be configured integrally by, for example, a computer or the like.

The control unit 30 includes a control block 31. The control unit 30 is connected to control valves 41 to 43 provided in the replenishing liquid supply pipes 81 to 83 via control signal lines 32 to 34. The control block 31 determines the amount of the replenisher to be replenished in accordance with the concentration of the developer solution calculated by the computing unit 20, and controls the opening and closing of the control valve provided in the pipe for supplying the replenisher.

The replenishment liquid supply pipes 81 to 83 are respectively provided with cumulative flow meters 51 to 53 for measuring the accumulated flow rate of the replenishment liquid supplied. There is also a case where an integrated flow meter is not provided in the pure water supplement liquid supply pipe 83.

The operation of the concentration management device 1 of the developer (chemical solution) is as follows.

First, the developer used repeatedly in the development process equipment 100 is sampled by the sampling pump 14, and measurement conditions such as temperature adjustment are appropriately set, and then, for example, the conductivity and absorbance are measured by the measurement means 11 and 12. The measured conductivity value and absorbance value of the developer are transmitted to the calculation unit 20 via the measurement data signal lines 17 and 18.

The computing unit 20 calculates the concentration of the components of the corresponding developing solution based on characteristic values such as conductivity and absorbance of the developing solution measured by the measuring means 11 and 12 of the measuring unit 10. The calculated component concentration of the developer is transmitted to the control unit 30 via the signal line 22.

The control unit 30 compares the component concentration of the developing solution calculated by the calculation unit 20 with a management target value of the component concentration memorized in advance. The control unit 30 calculates the selection of the replenishment liquid that must be replenished to maintain the component concentration at the management target value, the calculation of the supply amount of the replenishment liquid, or the calculation of the time during which the control valve provided in the piping for supplying the replenishment liquid should open. The control unit 30 transmits an opening / closing control signal to any one of the appropriate control valves 41 to 43 provided in the replenishing liquid supply pipes 81 to 83 via the control signal lines 32 to 34.

The control valve receiving the control signal opens the flow path for a predetermined time based on the control signal. The control valve system has preset the flow rate when opening the valve. Therefore, by opening the flow path for a predetermined time, a predetermined amount of replenishment liquid is supplied.

For example, the control system which controls the alkali component concentration of a TMAH aqueous solution (developing solution) to 2.38% is as follows. Here, an example in which a developer solution (20% TMAH aqueous solution) is stored in the storage container 91 and a developer solution (an unused 2.38% TMAH aqueous solution) is stored in the storage container 92 is described. When the concentration of the alkali component measured and calculated by the measuring unit 10 and the computing unit 20 is lower than 2.38%, the control valve 41 provided in the replenishing liquid supply pipe (developing liquid supply pipe) 81 is opened for a predetermined time, and the replenishment has been performed in advance. A stock solution (20% TMAH aqueous solution) of a developer solution in a storage container (developing solution stock solution storage container) 91 is prepared. When the concentration of the alkali component is higher than 2.38%, the control valve 43 provided in the make-up liquid supply pipe (pure water supply pipe) 83 is opened to supply pure water for a predetermined time.

Similarly, the control system for controlling the concentration of the dissolved resin below a predetermined management concentration is as follows. When the concentration of the dissolved resin measured and calculated by the measuring unit 10 and the computing unit 20 is higher than a predetermined management value, the control valve 42 provided in the replenishing liquid supply pipe (developing solution new liquid supply pipe) 82 is opened for a predetermined time. , Replenishing a new solution (unused 2.38% TMAH aqueous solution) of the developer solution that has been prepared in a storage container (new solution storage container) 92 in advance.

The storage container 91 and the storage container 92 are pressurized with nitrogen gas introduced through a nitrogen pipe 85. The replenishment liquid in the storage containers 91 and 92 is pressure-fed out by opening the control valves 41 and 42. The nitrogen piping 85 for introducing nitrogen to the storage container 91 is provided with a control valve 47, and the nitrogen piping 85 for introducing nitrogen to the storage container 92 is provided with a control valve 46. The control valves 46 and 47 are opened and closed appropriately in accordance with the reduction of the replenishing liquid in each of the storage containers 91 and 92 to maintain the internal pressure of each of the storage containers 91 and 92. Valves 44 and 45 are provided on the storage container 91 side of the supplemental liquid supply pipe 81 and the storage container 92 side of the supplemental liquid supply pipe 82. The valves 44 and 45 are normally open. When the storage containers 91 and 92 become empty, the valves 44 and 45 are closed and replaced with new storage containers 91 and 92 filled with replenishment liquid.

As described above, the concentration of the alkali component in the TMAH aqueous solution is controlled to be 2.38%, and the concentration of the dissolved resin is controlled to be below a predetermined management value. The concentration management is performed by, for example, PID control (Proportional-Integral-Differential Control).

The replenisher supply pipes 81 to 83 are provided with cumulative flow meters 51 to 53. The cumulative flow meters 51 to 53 measure the cumulative flow rate of the supplementary liquid supplied through the supplementary liquid supply pipes 81 to 83. The replenishment liquid supplied from the concentration management device 1 merges in the merging line 84 after passing through the cumulative flow meters 51 to 53 and is replenished to the developer storage tank 161 through the circulation line 185. The cumulative flow meters 51 to 53 are preferably equipped with a communication function. With the communication function, you can connect the total flow meter to the network. The measured value of the measured integrated flow rate can be grasped via the network.

The cumulative flow meters 51 to 53 are not limited to being directly connected to the network, and may be indirectly connected to the network. For example, it may be configured to connect the cumulative flow meters 51 to 53 to a computer in charge of the calculation and control functions of the concentration management device 1 in the concentration management device 1 and to connect the concentration management device 1 to the network indirectly, so as to indirectly Connect to the network.

In addition, the network to which the cumulative flow meter is connected may be a local area network in the factory, or a wide area network such as the Internet.

As described above, the concentration management device for a chemical solution of the present invention realizes the concentration management of the chemical solution, and measures the cumulative flow rate of the supplied supplemental solution.

After all, the concentration management device 1 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example. The concentration management device of the medicinal solution of the present invention is not limited to this aspect. The concentration management device 1 shown in FIG. 1 is a device in which each constituent element is integrated. However, the measurement unit 10 and the replenishing liquid supply pipes 81 to 83 may be configured independently. The internal configuration and the like of the measurement unit 10 are not limited to those shown in FIG. 1, and various aspects can be adopted depending on the type of the medicinal solution and the like.

In short, the medicinal solution concentration management device of the present invention is characterized by having a piping for replenishing the replenishment solution in the concentration management device capable of replenishing the reusable medicinal solution and managing the concentration of the medicinal solution. Cumulative flow meter. In addition, another feature is that the cumulative flow meter has a communication function.

As for a cumulative flowmeter having a communication function, for example, a Corioris type digital flow sensor FD-S series from KEYENCE Corporation is known. By installing a communication unit, it is possible to communicate various data such as measured integrated flow data with a personal computer or the like. Therefore, it is possible to monitor the accumulated traffic remotely.

    [Medicine liquid regeneration device]    

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the use of the medicinal solution regeneration apparatus according to the present embodiment. In the description of the present embodiment, a chemical solution regeneration device for regenerating a developing solution by removing a resist component stored in the developing solution with a filter will be described. However, the configuration of the chemical liquid regeneration device is not limited to this. As for the chemical liquid regeneration device, in addition to the state removed by the filter, it can also be used for electrolysis, crystallization, membrane separation, etc. according to the type of chemical liquid and the nature of unnecessary components in the chemical liquid. Technology will remove various aspects such as ingredient removal.

In FIG. 2, for convenience of explanation, the chemical liquid regeneration device (developing liquid regeneration device) 2 is shown in a state of being connected to the developing process equipment (chemical liquid using equipment) 100. The development process equipment (medicine-use equipment) 100 is the same as that in FIG. 1, and therefore description thereof is omitted.

The chemical liquid regeneration device (developing liquid regeneration device) 2 of this embodiment mainly includes filters 61 to 63, a regenerating chemical liquid storage container (regenerating developing liquid storage container) 93, a liquid feed pump 70, a cumulative flow meter 54, and a control unit. 35 and so on.

The used developing solution discharged (discharged) from the developing process equipment 100 is guided to the filters 61 to 63 of the chemical liquid regeneration device 2 through the waste liquid recovery pipe 86. In the filters 61 to 63, a resist component and the like in the used developing solution are filtered and removed. As shown in FIG. 2, it is preferable that a plurality of filters of the chemical liquid regeneration device 2 be provided in parallel. The reason for adopting this method is to improve the regenerating processing ability of the developer, and the maintenance performance when the filter is clogged is excellent.

A regenerating developing solution which has been regenerated by removing unnecessary substances by the filters 61 to 63 is stored in a regenerating chemical solution storage container 93. The regenerated developing solution stored in the regenerated chemical solution storage container 93 is returned to the developing process apparatus 100 through the regenerating solution supplying pipe (regenerating developing solution supplying pipe) 87 via the liquid feeding pump 70.

The regeneration chemical liquid supply pipe 87 includes a control valve 48 and an integrated flow meter 54 in addition to the liquid feed pump 70. The control valve 48 and the liquid feeding pump 70 are connected to a control block 36 included in the control unit 35 via control signal lines 37 and 38, respectively. The control block 36 controls the operation of the liquid feeding pump 70 and the control valve 48 to send the regenerated developing solution to the developing process equipment 100. By the control signal of the control block 36, the liquid-feeding pump 70 is driven, and the control valve 48 is opened, whereby the regenerated developer is delivered.

When the regenerating developing solution is transported, the cumulative flow rate of the regenerating developing solution supplied through the regenerating chemical solution supplying pipe 87 is measured using the cumulative flow meter 54 provided in the regenerating chemical solution supplying pipe 87.

The cumulative flow meter 54 is preferably equipped with a communication function. With the communication function, you can connect the total flow meter to the network. The measured value of the measured integrated flow rate can be grasped via the network.

The cumulative flow meter 54 is not limited to being directly connected to the network, and may be indirectly connected to the network. For example, the accumulation flow meter 54 may be indirectly connected to the network by connecting the developer (chemical solution) regeneration device 2 to the network.

In addition, the network to which the cumulative flow meter is connected can be a local area network within the factory or a wide area network such as the Internet.

As described above, with the medicinal solution regeneration device of the present invention, the medicinal solution regeneration process is realized, and the cumulative flow rate of the supplied regenerate medicinal solution is measured.

After all, the medicinal solution regeneration device 2 of this embodiment shown in FIG. 2 is merely an example. The medicinal solution regeneration device of the present invention is not limited to this aspect. The medicinal solution regeneration device 2 shown in Fig. 2 is a device in which each constituent element is integrated, but the control unit 35, the regenerating medicinal solution storage container 93, the filters 61 to 63, and the like may be configured independently. In addition, when the regenerating chemical solution is replenished as one of the replenishment solutions for the concentration management of the chemical solution, the chemical solution regeneration device may not need to have the control unit 35, and the concentration management device 1 controls the control valve 48 and the liquid delivery pump 70 .

In short, the medicinal solution regenerating device for medicinal solution of the present invention is characterized in that the piping for supplying regenerating medicinal solution in the medicinal solution regenerating device capable of regenerating the used medicinal solution and being reusable has a cumulative flow rate. meter. In addition, another feature is that the cumulative flow meter has a communication function.

As a cumulative flow meter having a communication function, for example, a Coriolis force type digital flow sensor FD-S series from KEYENCE is known. By installing a communication unit, it is possible to communicate various data such as measured cumulative flow data with a personal computer or the like. Therefore, it is possible to monitor the accumulated traffic at the remote end.

    [Calculation method of concentration management cost of medicinal solution]    

Next, a method for calculating the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining a method for calculating the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution according to this embodiment.

When describing the method for calculating the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution according to this embodiment, the concentration management device is configured to be connected to the medicinal solution using equipment as shown in FIG. 1. That is, the concentration management device is connected to the medicinal solution storage tank of the medicinal solution use device via a sampling pipe so that the concentration of the medicinal solution stored in the medicinal solution storage tank of the medicinal solution use device can be measured by the concentration management device. At the same time, the concentration management device and the medicinal solution using equipment are connected to the medicinal solution storage tank through the piping provided with the cumulative flow meter so that the medicinal solution storage tank can be replenished with supplementary liquid.

As shown in FIG. 3, the method for calculating the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution according to this embodiment includes the following steps: a concentration measuring step S1, which measures the concentration of the medicinal solution used repeatedly in the medicinal solution using equipment; Whether to judge step S2 is to judge whether the replenishment is necessary or not based on the concentration measured in the concentration measurement step S1. The replenishment step S3 is to supply replenishment to the medicinal solution using the equipment to manage the concentration of the medicinal solution; The flow measurement step S4 is to measure the cumulative flow rate of the replenishment solution replenished; the predetermined period passes the determination step S5 to determine whether the period for concentration management has passed the predetermined period; and the concentration management cost calculation step S6 is to be performed from the accumulation The cumulative flow rate measured in the flow rate measurement step S4 calculates the concentration management cost of the chemical solution.

Among them, the concentration measurement step S1, the judgment of whether to replenish liquid replenishment step S2, and the replenishment liquid supply step S3 are, in most cases, the steps usually included in the concentration management method of a medicinal solution. The method for calculating the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution of the present invention is characterized by including a cumulative flow rate measurement step S4, a predetermined period of time passing a determination step S5, and a concentration management cost calculation step S6.

Hereinafter, steps S1 to S6 will be specifically described.

The concentration measurement step S1 is a step of measuring the concentration of the chemical liquid used repeatedly in the chemical liquid using equipment by the concentration management device. The concentration management device samples the chemical solution from the chemical solution storage tank and measures the component concentration. The measured component concentration refers to the concentration of the component of the medicinal solution that is the target of concentration management.

The concentration management device determines whether it is necessary to replenish the chemical solution based on the measured concentration of the chemical solution. When it is necessary to replenish the replenishment solution, the concentration management device also judges which replenishment solution should be replenished. In this case, it is judged in step S2 whether or not the replenishment of liquid is required.

The concentration measurement step S1 and the replenishment liquid replenishment determination step S2 form a loop that is performed repeatedly. That is, iteratively proceed: Measure the concentration to determine if replenishment is needed. By this loop, the concentration of the chemical solution is constantly monitored.

When it is determined in step S2 whether the replenishment of the replenishment liquid is necessary, the replenishment of the replenishment liquid is "required", and an appropriate amount of replenishment liquid is replenished. This is the replenishing liquid supply step S3. When it is judged in step S2 whether the replenishment of the replenishment liquid is necessary or not, the replenishment liquid is not replenished. The proper concentration of the replenishment solution is used to control the concentration of the medicinal solution to a desired concentration.

For example, in the case where the concentration of the TMAH aqueous solution belonging to the developer is controlled at 2.38%, as long as the concentration measured in the concentration measurement step S1 is lower than 2.38%, the developer's original solution is replenished as the replenisher, otherwise, as long as If it is higher than 2.38%, pure water (or a new solution of developer) is replenished as a replenishment solution. In this way, the developer was maintained and managed at 2.38%.

When replenishing the medicinal solution with the replenishing solution in the replenishing liquid supply step S3, the cumulative flow rate of the supplied replenishing liquid is measured with an integrated flow meter provided in a pipe for supplying the replenishing liquid. This is the cumulative flow measurement step S4. The replenishing liquid supply step S3 and the cumulative flow measurement step S4 are usually performed simultaneously. That is, the cumulative flow rate is measured while supplying the replenishment liquid.

The determination step S5 passes through the predetermined period to determine whether the predetermined period has elapsed. When the predetermined period has not elapsed, steps S1 to S4 are repeatedly performed, whereby the concentration of the chemical solution used repeatedly in the chemical solution using equipment is managed and the cumulative flow rate of the supplementary solution is measured. When the predetermined period has elapsed, the process proceeds to the next density management cost calculation step S6.

In the concentration management cost calculation step S6, the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution is calculated for a predetermined period based on the cumulative flow rate of the replenishment liquid measured in the cumulative flow measurement step S4. As long as the difference between the cumulative flow rate during the current meter reading and the cumulative flow rate during the previous meter reading is taken, the supply amount of replenishment liquid in this period can be obtained. The cumulative flow rate of the replenishment solution for the predetermined period calculated as described above is multiplied by the supply unit price of the replenishment solution, etc., to calculate the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution. The specific calculation formula of the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution can adopt various aspects. Some calculation examples are as described above, so detailed descriptions are omitted here. In addition, when there is no special instruction, after the current calculation of the concentration management cost of the chemical solution, the concentration measurement step S1 is started in order to calculate the concentration management cost of the chemical solution in the next predetermined period.

    [Calculation method of regeneration cost of medicinal solution]    

Next, a method for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution according to this embodiment will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining a method for calculating a regenerating treatment cost of a medicinal solution according to this embodiment.

In describing the method for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution according to the present embodiment, the medicinal solution regenerating device is configured as a device connected to a medicinal solution using device as shown in FIG. 2. That is, the medicinal solution regeneration device and the medicinal solution storage device of the medicinal solution use device are drained so that the medicinal solution can be regenerated in the medicinal solution storage tank of the medicinal solution use device. The piping is connected, and at the same time, the medicinal solution regeneration device and the medicinal solution using equipment can be replenished to the medicinal solution storage tank of the medicinal solution using device, and the medicinal solution using device is connected with a piping having an integrated flow meter.

The method for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution according to this embodiment includes the following steps: the medicinal solution regeneration step S11, which regenerates and reuses the medicinal solution used by the medicinal solution using equipment; Supply the regenerating chemical solution to the medicinal solution using device; the cumulative flow measurement step S13 is to measure the cumulative flow of the regenerating chemical solution supplied; after a predetermined period of time passes the determination step S14, it is judged to regenerate the chemical solution and supply the regenerating chemical solution Whether the predetermined period has passed; and the regeneration processing cost calculation step S15 is to calculate the regeneration processing cost of the medicinal solution from the cumulative flow rate measured in the cumulative flow measurement step S13.

Among them, the medicinal solution regeneration step S11 and the regenerating medicinal solution supplying step S12 are, in most cases, steps usually included in a medicinal solution regeneration processing method. The method for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution of the present invention is characterized by including a cumulative flow rate measurement step S13, a predetermined period passing determination step S14, and a regenerating treatment cost calculation step S15.

The steps S11 to S15 will be specifically described below.

The medicinal solution regeneration step S11 is a step of regenerating the medicinal solution used by the medicinal solution using equipment into a medicinal solution that can be reused. The medicinal solution regeneration device receives the used medicinal solution discharged from the medicinal solution storage tank, separates and removes unnecessary components contained therein, and thereby regenerates and reuses the used medicinal solution. For example, a step of micro-filtering a resist component from a used developer with a filter, and the like.

The regenerating chemical solution is supplied as a regenerating chemical solution to the chemical solution using equipment. This is the regeneration chemical solution supply step S12. The regeneration chemical solution is conveyed through a pipe provided with a cumulative flow meter.

When the regenerating medicinal solution is supplied to the medicinal solution using equipment, the cumulative flow meter provided in the piping measures the cumulative flow rate of the supply. That is, the measurement of the accumulated flow rate is performed while supplying the regenerating chemical solution. This is the cumulative flow measurement step S13. Thereby, the supply amount of the regenerating medicinal solution can be grasped.

The determination step S14 passes through the predetermined period to determine whether the predetermined period has passed. In this aspect, when the predetermined period has not elapsed, the medicinal solution regeneration step S11, the regenerating medicinal solution supplying step S12, and the cumulative flow measurement step S13 are repeated, whereby the medicinal solution storage of the medicinal solution using equipment is performed. Regeneration of the medicinal solution stored in the tank. In addition, supply of the regenerated regeneration chemical solution to the chemical solution storage tank is performed. When the predetermined period has elapsed, the process proceeds to the next regeneration processing cost calculation step S15.

In the regeneration treatment cost calculation step S15, the regeneration treatment cost of the chemical solution is calculated based on the accumulated flow rate of the regeneration chemical solution measured in the cumulative flow measurement step S13. As long as the difference between the accumulated flow rate during the current meter reading and the accumulated flow rate during the previous meter reading is taken, the supply amount of the regenerating liquid medicine in this period can be obtained. The cumulative flow rate of the regenerating medicinal solution for the predetermined period calculated as described above is multiplied by the supply unit price of the regenerating medicinal solution and the like to calculate the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution. The specific calculation formulas for the regeneration treatment cost of the chemical solution can adopt various aspects. Some calculation examples are the same as above, so they are omitted here. In addition, when there is no special instruction, after performing the calculation of the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution this time, the medicinal solution regeneration step S11 is started in order to calculate the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution in the next predetermined period.

Regarding the supply of the regenerating medicinal solution, a few modified examples are conceivable. For example, the regenerating medicinal solution is supplied only when there is a supply request for the regenerating medicinal solution from the medicinal solution using equipment. For example, a concentration management device is used together with a medicinal solution regeneration device, and a regenerating medicinal solution is supplied as one of the supplemental liquids for concentration management.

Regardless of the modification, the method for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution according to the present invention is characterized in that the cumulative flow rate of the regenerating medicinal solution supplied is measured with an integrated flow meter provided in a pipe for supplying the regenerating medicinal solution. While supplying the regenerating medicinal solution, the cost of the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution is calculated based on the measured cumulative flow rate for a predetermined period.

    [Calculation method and calculation system for the concentration management cost of chemical liquids using the Internet]    

Next, a method for calculating the concentration management cost of a chemical solution using a network connected to a cumulative flow meter with a communication function and a computer, and a system for calculating the concentration management cost of a chemical solution will be described. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of a chemical liquid concentration management cost calculation system in a factory including a cumulative flow meter of a chemical liquid user and a server system of a service provider for the concentration management of the chemical liquid connected via a network.

A system 200 for calculating the concentration management cost of a chemical solution according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 5 includes: a server system 202 owned by a service provider of a service that manages the concentration of a chemical solution; and a cumulative flow meter 221 225 to 225 are connected via the network 201, and are installed in each of the factories 211 to 215 of the medicinal solution user, and have communication functions (that is, five cumulative flow meters installed in each of the five factories).

The number of cumulative flow meters and server systems constituting the concentration management cost calculation system 200 of the chemical solution is not limited to the number shown in FIG. 5. The chemical liquid concentration management system of the present invention is only required to include at least one cumulative flow meter and a server system connected via a network.

Although not shown in detail in FIG. 5, a concentration management device for a chemical solution is connected to the chemical solution using equipment in each factory. The concentration management device supplies supplemental liquid to the chemical liquid used repeatedly in the chemical liquid using equipment, and manages the concentration of the chemical liquid. Cumulative flowmeters 221 to 225 having a communication function are provided in a pipe for supplying a supplementary liquid to a chemical liquid using device through a concentration management device. The cumulative flow meters 221 to 225 measure the supply amount of the replenishing liquid supplied to the chemical liquid use equipment as the cumulative flow rate.

As for the cumulative flowmeter with communication function, it is possible to use KEYENCE's Coriolis digital flow sensor FD-S series. Measurement data such as accumulated traffic can be obtained remotely via networks such as the Internet.

The server system 202 includes a receiving unit 203, a memory unit 204, and a calculation unit 205. The server system 202 is provided with a display 206. The server system 202 sequentially sends a measurement data transmission request signal to each of the cumulative flow meters 221 to 225 connected to the network 201 in such a manner as to cause the cumulative flow rate measurement data to be transmitted. The cumulative flow meters 221 to 225 transmit measurement data of the cumulative flow rate to the server system 202 in response to the transmission request signal.

In this way, the receiving unit 203 of the server system 202 obtains measurement data of the accumulated flow rate from each of the accumulated flow meters 221 to 225. At this time, together with the measurement data of the integrated flow rate, the individual identification number (so-called device ID) of the integrated flow meter and the measurement date (that is, the date and time when the measurement is performed) are acquired. It is also possible to set the communication date instead of the measurement date.

The server system 202 supplements and records the measured value of the accumulated flow rate and the measurement date to the memory based on the individual identification numbers of each of the accumulated flow meters 221 to 225. And a hard disk (hard disc).

The steps of obtaining the measurement data from the cumulative flow meter are continuously repeated at predetermined time intervals (for example, one minute interval or one hour interval, etc.), thereby memorizing the change in the supply amount of the replenishing liquid (that is, the history of the accumulated flow rate).

Since the storage unit 204 of the server system 202 stores the history of the accumulated flow rate for each of the accumulated flow meters 221 to 225, it is possible to grasp the supply amount of the replenishing liquid every predetermined period (for example, one week or one month). For example, in the case of grasping the supply amount of replenishment liquid for each month, by subtracting the accumulated flow rate at the meter reading date of the previous month from the accumulated flow rate at the meter reading date of the previous month, the supply of replenishment liquid for the current month can be obtained. the amount.

The server system 202 further calculates the concentration management fee of the chemical solution in the predetermined period from the supply amount of the replenishing solution in the predetermined period. For example, when the concentration management of the medicinal solution needs to be calculated every month, the medicine is calculated by multiplying the cumulative flow rate obtained as described above, for example, by multiplying the cost (unit price) per unit volume of the replenishing solution. Liquid concentration management costs. It is only necessary to program the calculation formula of the concentration management cost and the constant required for calculation in the calculation unit 205 of the server system 202.

In this way, the service provider of the concentration management is able to request the user of the drug solution for the drug solution concentration management fee that is reasonably calculated based on the cumulative flow of the replenishment solution every predetermined period. If the server system 202 is connected to the computer of the medicinal solution user who is the payer of the medicinal solution concentration management fee through a network, the request for the medicinal solution concentration management fee can also be automatically performed by the server system 202 Electronically. At this time, as long as the server system 202 is programmed to automatically electronically prepare a request form for the concentration management cost of the medicinal solution calculated by the electronic payment method, the electronic payment method is automatically performed in each predetermined period. Only the user of the drug solution can be sent.

The user of the medicinal solution pays the concentration management fee of the medicinal solution to end the provision of the service for managing the concentration of the medicinal solution every predetermined period. As described above, it is possible to calculate the concentration management cost of the chemical solution while calculating the concentration management cost of the chemical solution concentration while monitoring the supply of the replenishment liquid required for the concentration management of the chemical solution at a remote location using the network. method. It can provide a service that manages the concentration of chemical liquids while monitoring the cumulative flow rate of the replenishment liquid supplied for the concentration management of chemical liquids remotely through the network.

The network 201 according to the present embodiment is not limited to a cumulative flow meter provided in an individual factory. For example, a small-scale local network may include a plurality of production lines in a large-scale factory, and a cumulative flow meter installed in each of the production lines may be connected together. For example, it is possible to separate the methods such as a factory with a cumulative flow meter installed in China, a factory with a cumulative flow meter installed in Taiwan, a factory with a cumulative flow meter installed in Korea, and a factory with a cumulative flow meter installed in Japan. World-scale networks (such as the Internet) connected to cumulative flow meters installed in factories around the world.

    [Calculation method and calculation system for regenerating treatment cost of medical solution using network]    

Next, a method for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution and a system for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution using a network connected to a cumulative flow meter with a communication function and a computer will be described. The schematic diagram for explaining the medicinal solution regeneration processing cost calculation system according to the present embodiment is substantially the same as FIG. 5, and therefore is described using FIG. 5. In the present embodiment, FIG. 5 is a calculation of the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution of the service system of the service provider provided with the cumulative flow meter of the medicinal solution user's factory and the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution via the network. Schematic of the system.

The system 200 for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution according to the present embodiment shown in FIG. 5 includes: a server system 202 owned by a service provider of a service for regenerating the medicinal solution; and a cumulative flow meter. 221 to 225 are connected via the network 201, and are installed in each of the factories 211 to 215 of the medicinal solution user, and have communication functions (that is, five cumulative flow meters installed in each of the five factories).

The number of cumulative flow meters and server systems constituting the calculation system 200 for regenerating treatment costs of chemical liquids is not limited to the number shown in FIG. 5. The regenerating treatment cost calculation system of the medicinal solution of the present invention is only required to include at least one cumulative flow meter and a server system connected via a network.

Although not shown in detail in FIG. 5, a medicinal solution regeneration device is connected to the medicinal solution using equipment in each factory. With the medicinal solution regeneration device, the medicinal solution used in the medicinal solution using device is regenerated and can be reused, and the regenerating medicinal solution is supplied to the medicinal solution using device. The piping for supplying the regenerating medicinal solution to the medicinal solution using equipment by the medicinal solution regenerating device is provided with cumulative flow meters 221 to 225 having a communication function. The cumulative flow meters 221 to 225 measure the supply amount of the regenerating chemical liquid supplied to the chemical liquid using equipment as the integrated flow rate.

As for the cumulative flowmeter with communication function, it is possible to use KEYENCE's Coriolis digital flow sensor FD-S series. Measurement data such as accumulated traffic can be obtained remotely via networks such as the Internet.

The server system 202 includes a receiving unit 203, a memory unit 204, and a calculation unit 205. The server system 202 is provided with a display 206. The server system 202 sequentially sends a measurement data transmission request signal to each of the cumulative flow meters 221 to 225 connected to the network 201 in such a manner as to cause the cumulative flow rate measurement data to be transmitted. The cumulative flow meters 221 to 225 transmit measurement data of the cumulative flow rate to the server system 202 in response to the transmission request signal.

In this way, the receiving unit 203 of the server system 202 obtains measurement data of the accumulated flow rate from each of the accumulated flow meters 221 to 225. At this time, together with the measurement data of the integrated flow rate, the individual identification number (so-called device ID) of the integrated flow meter and the measurement date (that is, the date and time when the measurement is performed) are acquired. It is also possible to set the communication date instead of the measurement date.

The server system 202 is based on the individual identification numbers of each of the cumulative flowmeters 221 to 225, and supplements and records the measured value of the accumulated cumulative flow and the measurement date to the memory and hard disk for each cumulative flowmeter 221 to 225. The memory unit 204 is configured to memorize.

The steps of obtaining measurement data from the cumulative flow meter are continuously repeated at predetermined time intervals (for example, one minute interval or one hour interval, etc.), thereby memorizing the change in the supply amount of the regenerating medicinal solution (that is, the history of the accumulated flow rate).

Since the storage unit 204 of the server system 202 stores the history of the cumulative flow rate for each of the cumulative flow meters 221 to 225, it is possible to grasp the supply amount of the regenerating chemical solution every predetermined period (for example, one week or one month). For example, in a case where the supply amount of the regenerating chemical solution is grasped every month, the regenerating chemical solution of the current month can be obtained by subtracting the cumulative flow rate of the current meter reading day from the cumulative flow rate of the meter reading date of the current month. Of supply.

The server system 202 further calculates the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution in the predetermined period from the supply amount of the regenerating medicinal solution in the predetermined period. For example, when it is necessary to calculate the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution every month, it is calculated by multiplying the cumulative flow rate obtained as described above, for example, by multiplying the cost (unit price) per unit supply amount of the regenerating medicinal solution. Expenses for regenerating treatment of medicinal solution. It is only necessary to program the calculation formula of the regeneration processing cost, the constant required for calculation, and the like in the calculation unit 205 of the server system 202 first.

In this way, the service provider for regenerating the medicinal solution can request the medicinal solution user to charge the medicinal solution for the regenerating medical solution reasonably calculated based on the cumulative flow rate of the regenerating medical solution every predetermined period. If the server system 202 is connected to the computer of the medicinal solution user who is the payer of the medicinal solution regeneration processing fee through a network, the payment for the medicinal solution regeneration processing fee can also be automatically performed by the server system 202. Electronically. At this time, as long as the server system 202 is programmed to automatically prepare an electronically-requested medicinal solution processing fee calculation request form by electronic means, the request form is automatically electronically made within a predetermined period. Only the user of the drug solution can be sent.

The user of the medicinal solution pays the regenerating treatment fee of the medicinal solution to end the provision of the service for managing the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution every predetermined period. As described above, the calculation of the regenerating treatment cost of the medicinal solution can be calculated while monitoring the supply amount of the regenerating chemical solution provided by the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution at various locations using the network. method. It can provide a service that regenerates the used chemical liquid while monitoring the cumulative flow of regenerating the regenerating chemical liquid that can be reused in various places through the network while monitoring remotely the regeneration of the chemical liquid.

The network 201 according to the present embodiment is not limited to a cumulative flow meter provided in an individual factory. For example, a small-scale local area network in which a plurality of production lines are installed in a large-scale factory and the cumulative flow meters installed in the production lines are connected together. For example, it is possible to separate the methods such as a factory with a cumulative flow meter installed in China, a factory with a cumulative flow meter installed in Taiwan, a factory with a cumulative flow meter installed in Korea, and a factory with a cumulative flow meter installed in Japan. World-scale networks (such as the Internet) connected to cumulative flow meters installed in factories around the world.

The content described in the above embodiments with reference to the drawings can be similarly implemented for various chemical solutions used in the manufacturing process of semiconductors and liquid crystal display substrates.

According to the present invention, the user of the medicinal solution does not need to bear the burden of purchasing, operating, managing and maintaining the concentration management device and the medicinal solution regeneration device, and only needs to pay the concentration management fee and the regeneration processing fee to be able to use and manage the desired concentration. The medicinal solution can be obtained and used. Therefore, the medicinal solution user can enjoy the reduction of costs associated with the purchase and management of the device, the reduction of the cost of medicinal solution supply and waste liquid treatment, the improvement of the operating rate and yield of the production line, and the quality of the manufactured substrate. The various economic benefits that arise from the promotion.

According to the present invention, a service provider can obtain a more sustainable and stable income than a vending device through a business method that can be implemented with the present invention. In addition, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a chemical liquid concentration management device and a chemical liquid regeneration device which are indispensable for realizing the novel business method. According to the present invention, it is also possible to remotely monitor the cumulative flow meter used in the plant of each user by a server system connected to the network.

Claims (10)

    A medicinal solution concentration management device is a medicinal solution concentration management device that is connected to a device that repeatedly uses a medicinal solution by piping, and supplies the medicinal solution used in the device with a supplementary liquid through the piping to manage the concentration of the medicinal solution. ; The piping is provided with a cumulative flow meter.         For example, the concentration management device for a medicinal solution according to claim 1, wherein the cumulative flow meter has a communication function.         A method for calculating the concentration management cost of a medicinal solution is to supply a replenishment solution to the aforementioned medicinal solution repeatedly used in the equipment using the medicinal solution through a piping provided with a cumulative flow meter, and use the aforementioned cumulative flow meter to measure The cumulative flow rate of the supplied supplement liquid; based on the accumulated flow rate of the supplement liquid for a predetermined period measured by the cumulative flow meter, the cost of the concentration management of the chemical liquid is calculated.         A method for calculating the concentration management cost of a medicinal solution is to arrange a cumulative flow meter with a communication function in a piping for supplying the replenishment solution in a concentration management device for supplying the replenishment solution to the medicinal solution repeatedly used in equipment using the medicinal solution. The method for calculating the cost of the concentration management of the medicinal solution by using the network connected to the cumulative flow meter and the server system includes the following steps: the server system obtains the measurement of each cumulative flow meter through the network A step of accumulating the obtained cumulative flow; a step of memorizing the history of the accumulated flow obtained by the foregoing server system via the foregoing network for each of the foregoing accumulated flowmeters; and the foregoing server system is based on the foregoing history, according to each of the foregoing The device calculates the cost of the concentration management of the chemical solution in a predetermined period.         A system for calculating the concentration management cost of a chemical solution, comprising: an accumulative flow meter, and a piping for supplying the supplementary liquid, which is arranged in a concentration management device for supplying the supplementary liquid to the chemical liquid repeatedly used in equipment using the chemical liquid; A communication function; and a server system connected to the cumulative flow meter via a network; the server system includes: a receiving unit configured to receive the cumulative flow rate measured by the cumulative flow meter via the network; a memory unit, The history of the accumulated flow rate received by the receiving unit is memorized for each of the accumulated flow meters; and the calculation unit calculates the foregoing of the predetermined period for each of the devices based on the history stored in the memory unit. The cost of drug solution concentration management.         A medicinal solution regeneration device is a medicinal solution regeneration device that regenerates a used medicinal solution and can reuse it, and supplies the regenerated medicinal solution to a used device; Cumulative flow meter.         The medicinal solution regeneration device according to claim 6, wherein the cumulative flow meter has a communication function.         A method for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of a medicinal solution is to supply the equipment using the medicinal solution to the equipment using the medicinal solution and regenerating the used medicinal solution by regenerating the reusable medicinal solution regenerating device through a pipe having an integrated flow meter. While measuring the cumulative flow rate of the regenerating medicinal solution, the cumulative flow rate is measured by the cumulative flow meter; and based on the cumulative flow rate of the regenerating medicinal solution for a predetermined period of time measured by the cumulative flow meter, the cost of regenerating the medicinal solution is calculated.         A method for calculating the regenerating treatment cost of a medicinal solution is provided in a piping arrangement for supplying a regenerating medicinal solution regenerated by a used medicinal solution regenerating device to a reusable medicinal solution to an apparatus using the medicinal solution. The cumulative flow meter with a communication function uses a network connected to the cumulative flow meter and the server system to calculate the cost of the regenerating treatment of the medicinal solution. The method includes the following steps: the server system obtains each The steps of the cumulative flow rate measured by the aforementioned cumulative flow meter; the steps of memorizing the history of the cumulative flow rate obtained by the aforementioned server system according to each of the aforementioned cumulative flow meters; and the aforementioned server system is based on the aforementioned history, The device calculates the cost of the regeneration treatment of the chemical solution in a predetermined period.         A medicinal solution regenerating treatment cost calculation system includes a cumulative flow meter configured to supply a regenerating medicinal solution regenerated by a used medicinal solution regenerating device capable of reusing the used medicinal solution to the medicinal solution. The piping of the liquid equipment has a communication function; and the server system is connected to the cumulative flow meter via a network; the server system is provided with a receiving section that receives the cumulative flow meter measurement via the network The measured cumulative flow rate; the memory unit stores the history of the cumulative flow rate received by the receiving unit for each of the cumulative flow meters; and the calculation unit, based on the history stored in the memory unit, presses Each of the aforementioned devices calculates the cost of the regeneration treatment of the aforementioned chemical solution for a predetermined period.