TW202010965A - Flow control member and method for using the same - Google Patents

Abstract

A flow control member is provided. The flow control member includes a first and a second fixing member. The flow control member further includes a valve base. The valve base is positioned between the first and the second fixing members. The flow control member also includes a valve. The valve is positioned in the valve base and configured to change a flowing amount of a gas passing through the valve base. The first fixing base includes a lateral direction limiting member. The lateral direction limiting member and the valve base are arranged along a lateral direction and abutted against each other. In addition, the valve base is moveable along a traversal direction that is perpendicular to the traversal direction, and a movement of the valve base is limited by the lateral direction limiting member.

Description

Fluid control element and method of use

The embodiments of the present invention relate to a semiconductor processing system and a method of using the same, and particularly to a fluid control element and a method of using the same.

Semiconductor devices are used in a variety of electronic applications, such as personal computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, and other electronic equipment. The manufacture of semiconductor devices is usually by sequentially depositing insulating or dielectric layer materials, conductive layer materials and semiconductor layer materials on a semiconductor substrate, and by various processes such as lithography and lithography processes Patterning to form circuit components and parts on the semiconductor substrate. Usually dozens or hundreds of integrated circuits are manufactured on a semiconductor wafer.

In the integrated circuit manufacturing process, with the increasing demand for production, yield and yield, highly specialized and automated systems have been developed to transfer wafers. Wafers are usually stored in Cassette, and according to different processes, such as sputtering (Sputtering) process, chemical vapor deposition (Chemical Vapor Deposition) process, lithography (Photolithography) process, or etching process, chemical plating ( ECP) process, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) process, etc., require different reaction chambers or reaction tanks. In the above-mentioned part of the reaction chamber or reaction tank, when the wafer is processed, it is necessary to supply or exclude the gas in the reaction chamber or reaction tank through the fluid control element.

Although the existing fluid control elements are sufficient to meet their needs, they are still fully satisfied. Therefore, there is a need to provide a solution for improving the fluid control element.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a fluid control element. The fluid control element includes a first fixed seat and a second fixed seat. The fluid control element further includes a valve seat. The valve seat is disposed between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat. The fluid control element also includes a valve body. The valve body is disposed in the valve seat and configured to change the flow rate of the gas passing through the valve seat. The first fixing seat includes a lateral limiting member. The lateral limiter and the valve seat are arranged along a horizontal axis direction and abut the valve seat. In addition, the valve seat can be moved in a vertical axis direction perpendicular to the horizontal axis direction, and the lateral stopper limits the displacement of the valve seat in the horizontal axis direction.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a method of using a fluid control element. The above method includes fixing a first fixing seat to an upstream gas pipeline. The above method further includes fixing a second fixing seat to a downstream gas pipeline. The above method also includes moving a valve seat into a fixed position between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat. The first fixing seat includes a lateral limiting member. The lateral limiter and the valve seat are arranged along a horizontal axis direction and abut the valve seat. During the movement of the valve seat into the fixed position between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat, the lateral stopper restricts the displacement of the valve seat in the direction of the horizontal axis.

1‧‧‧Processing system

10‧‧‧ Wafer

20‧‧‧Bracket

40‧‧‧ Floor

50a, 50b, 50c

60‧‧‧Runner components

61‧‧‧Main pipeline

63‧‧‧Regional pipeline

65a, 65b, 65c‧‧‧ gas pipeline

651a, 651b, 651c ‧‧‧ upstream section

652a, 652b, 652c ‧‧‧ downstream section

70‧‧‧Fluid Control Components

71‧‧‧Drive components

73a, 73b, 73c ‧‧‧ fluid control element

74‧‧‧First fixed seat

741‧‧‧Body

7414‧‧‧Inner lock with screw hole

7415‧‧‧Through hole

743‧‧‧horizontal stop

7431‧‧‧End

745‧‧‧Axial stopper

746‧‧‧ nozzle

747‧‧‧Longitudinal limit piece

75‧‧‧Second fixed seat

751‧‧‧Body

7513‧‧‧Locating hole

7514‧‧‧Inner lock with screw hole

753‧‧‧horizontal stop

7531‧‧‧End

755‧‧‧Axial stopper

757‧‧‧Longitudinal limit piece

76‧‧‧Valve seat

762‧‧‧Surface

764‧‧‧Lower surface

767‧‧‧Sealing element

77‧‧‧Body

78‧‧‧Control module

781‧‧‧Housing

782‧‧‧Central Department

783‧‧‧Top

784‧‧‧Bottom

785‧‧‧Lock screw hole

786‧‧‧Dummy screw hole

79‧‧‧Limit structure

791‧‧‧ Horizontal limit plane

792‧‧‧Axial limit plane

793‧‧‧Trench

80‧‧‧gas processing equipment

100‧‧‧Processing module

200‧‧‧Load lock module

300‧‧‧Front end module

400‧‧‧Loading port

500‧‧‧wafer transfer module

600‧‧‧Method

601, 602, 603

h1‧‧‧height

F1‧‧‧Lock bolt

X‧‧‧horizontal axis

Y‧‧‧longitudinal axis direction

Z‧‧‧Long axis direction

Figure 1 shows a schematic diagram of a processing system according to some embodiments of the invention.

Figure 2 shows a schematic view of part of a processing system according to some embodiments of the invention.

Figure 3 shows an exploded view of a portion of a fluid control assembly according to some embodiments of the invention.

Figure 4 shows a top view of a portion of a fluid control assembly according to some embodiments of the invention.

Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of a fluid control assembly according to some embodiments of the present invention taken along line A-A in Figure 8.

Figure 6 shows a flowchart of a method of using a fluid control assembly according to some embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 7 shows a schematic diagram of a step in a method of using a fluid control assembly according to some embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 8 shows a schematic diagram of a step in a method of using a fluid control assembly according to some embodiments of the present invention.

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments or examples to implement different features of the present invention. The following disclosure in this specification describes specific examples of various components and their arrangement, in order to simplify the description of the invention. Of course, these specific examples are not intended to limit the invention. For example, if the following disclosure of this specification describes the formation of a first feature on or above a second feature, it means that it includes an embodiment in which the formed first feature is in direct contact with the second feature It also includes embodiments in which additional features can be formed between the first feature and the second feature, so that the first feature and the second feature may not be in direct contact. In addition, different examples in the description of the present invention may use repeated reference symbols and/or words. These repeated symbols or words are used for the purpose of simplicity and clarity, and are not intended to limit the relationship between the various embodiments and/or the appearance structures.

Furthermore, in order to conveniently describe the relationship between one element or feature part and another (plural) element or (plural) feature part in the drawings, spatially related terms such as "below", "below", "Lower", "above", "upper" and similar terms. It can be understood that, in addition to the orientation shown in the drawings, the spatially related terms cover different orientations of the device in use or operation. The device can also be otherwise positioned (for example, rotated 90 degrees or at other orientations), and the description of the spatially relevant terms used interpreted accordingly. It can be understood that before, during and after the method, additional operation steps may be provided, and in some method embodiments, certain operation steps may be replaced or omitted.

It should be noted that the embodiments discussed herein may not necessarily describe every component or feature that may be present in the structure. For example, one or more components may be omitted from the drawings, for example, when the discussion of components may be sufficient to convey various aspects of the embodiments, they may be omitted from the drawings. Furthermore, the method embodiments discussed here may be discussed in a specific order of execution, but in other method embodiments, they may be performed in any reasonable order.

Figure 1 shows a schematic view of a processing system 1 of some embodiments. In some embodiments, the processing system 1 includes one or more processing equipment, such as three processing equipment 50a, 50b, 50c, a flow channel assembly 60, a fluid control assembly 70, and a gas processing equipment 80. It should be understood that the number of processing devices 50a, 50b, and 50c can be adjusted according to different processing procedures, and is not limited to this embodiment.

The processing equipment 50a, 50b, 50c are configured to execute one or more wafer processing procedures. According to some embodiments, the wafers processed by the processing equipment 50a, 50b, and 50c are made of silicon, germanium, or other semiconductor materials. According to some embodiments, the wafer is made of a compound semiconductor, such as silicon carbide (SiC), gallium arsenide (GaAs), indium arsenide (InAs), or indium phosphide (InP). According to some embodiments, the wafer is made of an alloy semiconductor, such as silicon germanium (SiGe), silicon germanium carbon (SiGeC), gallium arsenide phosphide (GaAsP), or indium gallium phosphide (GaInP). According to some embodiments, the wafer includes a crystalline film layer. For example, the wafer has a crystalline film layer covering a bulk semiconductor. According to some embodiments, the wafer may be a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) or germanium-on-insulator (GOI) substrate.

Multiple device components can be included on the wafer. For example, the device elements formed on the wafer may include a transistor, such as: metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFET), complementary metal oxide semiconductor (complementary metal oxide) semiconductor (CMOS) transistors), bipolar junction transistors (BJT), high voltage transistors, high frequency transistors, p-channel field effect transistors (p-channel and/or n-channel field -effect transistors (PFET) or n-channel field-effect transistors (NFET), etc., and other components. Multiple device components on the wafer can undergo multiple processing processes, such as deposition, Etching, ion implantation, lithography, annealing, and other processes. The wafer is coated with a photoresist layer sensitive to high-energy radiation beams, such as extreme ultraviolet light in this embodiment.

The processing devices 50a, 50b, 50c may include different features according to the differences in processing programs set and executed by the processing devices 50a, 50b, 50c. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the processing equipment 50a includes a processing module 100, a load lock module 200, a front-end module 300, one or more loading ports 400, and one or more wafer transfers Module 500. It should be understood that in the following description about the processing device 50a, some features of the processing device 50a may be replaced or deleted in other embodiments.

In some embodiments, the processing module 100 may be configured to perform any processing procedure on the wafer 10. In some embodiments, the processing procedures performed by the processing module 100 include deposition processes, such as physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), and plasma enhancement Plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and/or other deposition processes. In some embodiments, the processing procedure used by the processing module 100 includes an etching process, such as wet etching, dry etching, or ion beam milling. In some embodiments, the processing program used by the processing module 100 includes a lithography exposure process, an ion implantation process, a heat treatment process, a cleaning process, a test process, or other processing programs related to the wafer 10, and/or the above processes The combination of procedures.

The load lock module 200 is disposed between the processing module 100 and the front-end module 300. The load lock module 200 is configured to maintain the air pressure of the processing module 100 by separating the processing module 100 from the front-end module 300. After the wafer 10 is placed in the load lock module 200, the load lock module 200 performs sealing. The load lock module 200 generates the same air pressure environment as the processing module 100 or the front-end module 300 according to the position of the wafer to be transferred. The air pressure environment in the load lock module 200 can be adjusted by suitable means, such as a pump, by adding gas or creating a vacuum to change the gas content in the load lock module 200. When the air pressure environment in the load lock module 200 reaches the desired pressure, the wafer 10 can be grabbed from the load lock module 200 to the processing module 100 or the front-end module 300.

In some embodiments, the front-end module 300 is a facility interface. In some embodiments, the front-end module 300 includes an equipment front end module (EFEM). In some embodiments, the loading port 400 is disposed adjacent to the front-end module 300. In some embodiments, an overhead hoist transport (OHT, not shown) may be provided above the processing equipment 50a, 50b, 50c. The crane transportation system is configured to transport the carrier 20 for loading the wafer 10, such as a standard mechanical interface (SMIF) or a front opening unified pod (FOUP) to the processing equipment 50a. Loading port 400. When the carrier 20 is located on the loading port 400, the wafer 10 in the carrier 20 is transferred to the front-end module 300 by the wafer transfer module 500.

In some embodiments, the wafer transfer module 500 is located in the front-end module 300. In other embodiments, the processing apparatus 50a includes a plurality of wafer transfer modules 500. One of the wafer transfer modules 500 is disposed in the front-end module 300, and the other of the wafer transfer modules 500 is located in the processing module 100.

In some embodiments, the movement of the wafer transfer module 500 in the six-axis direction may be performed simultaneously or partially simultaneously to grasp and transport the wafers at different locations within the processing equipment 50a. For example, the wafer 10 can be transferred between the carrier 20 and the load lock module 200 through the wafer transfer module 500. Alternatively, the wafer 10 may be transferred into one or more processing cavities of the load lock module 200 and the processing module 100 through the wafer transfer module 500.

Referring again to FIG. 1, according to some embodiments, the flow channel assembly 60 includes a main pipe 61, an area pipe 63, and one or more gas lines, such as gas lines 65a, 65b, and 65c.

The main pipe 61 is fluidly connected between a gas processing device 80 and the area pipe 63. The main duct 61 allows the gas from the area duct 63 to flow to the gas processing apparatus 80. In some embodiments, the processing system 1 includes a plurality of regional pipes 63. The area duct 63 is fluidly connected to the main duct 61, and the gas from each area duct 63 flows to the gas processing apparatus 80 via the main duct 61. In some embodiments, the main duct 61 and the area duct 63 are located under the floor 40 (FIG. 2) where the processing equipment 50a, 50b, and 50c are placed.

The gas lines 65a, 65b, and 65c are each fluidly connected between the area pipe 63 and the processing equipment 50a, 50b, and 50c. The gas lines 65a, 65b, 65c can be connected to any part of the processing equipment 50a, 50b, 50c. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the gas line 65 a is connected between the processing module 100 of the processing device 50 a and the area pipe 63. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the gas lines 65 a, 65 b, and 65 c are located at the upstream end of the flow channel assembly 60.

The number of gas lines can be adjusted according to demand. In some embodiments, the number of gas lines is equal to the number of processing equipment. In other embodiments, the number of gas lines is greater than the number of processing equipment. Some processing equipment may be connected to one or more gas lines, and some processing equipment may not be connected to gas lines.

In some embodiments, the cross-sectional area of the gas lines 65a, 65b, and 65c is smaller than the cross-sectional area of the regional duct 63. In some embodiments, the gas lines 65a, 65b, and 65c can be easily installed on or removed from the area pipe 63 to facilitate rapid removal, replacement, or addition of the processing equipment 50a, 50b, and 50c.

In some embodiments, the fluid control assembly 70 includes a fluid driving element 71 and one or more fluid control elements, such as fluid control elements 73a, 73b, and 73c. The fluid drive element 71 is located on the area pipe 63. Furthermore, the fluid driving element 71 is configured to generate an exhaust gas flow in the area duct 63 and the gas lines 65a, 65b, 65c, as shown by the arrows in FIG.

The position of the fluid driving element 71 can be adjusted according to requirements. For example, the fluid driving element 71 is disposed near the end of the area pipe 63 connecting the main pipe 61. The fluid driving element 71 may include a fan, a blower, or a pump. The fluid driving element 71 creates an exhaust gas flow to exhaust the gas in the processing equipment 50a, 50b, 50c from the processing equipment 50a, 50b, 50c to the gas processing equipment via the gas lines 65a, 65b, 65c, the area piping 63, the main piping 61 80.

The fluid control elements 73a, 73b, and 73c are mounted on the gas lines 65a, 65b, and 65c, respectively. In some embodiments, the fluid control elements 73a, 73b, 73c include throttle valves. The exhaust gas flow from the processing equipment 50a, 50b, 50c can be adjusted by adjusting the setting angle of the valve in the throttle valve by suitable means, such as a motor.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 1, the gas line 65a includes an upstream section 651a and a downstream section 652a. The upstream section 651a is connected to the processing equipment 50a to receive the gas discharged from the processing equipment 50a. The downstream section 652 is connected to the area duct 65 to exhaust gas to the area duct 63. In an embodiment, the downstream section 652a is separated from the upstream section 651a. The downstream section 652a is connected to the upstream section 651a through the fluid control element 73a. The gas from the processing equipment 50a passes through the upstream section 651a, the fluid control element 73a, and the downstream section 652a in order to be discharged to the area pipe 63. The gas lines 65b and 65c also have similar upstream section 651b and 651c and downstream section 652b and 652c, and are connected through corresponding fluid control elements 73b and 73c.

The gas processing facility 80 is connected to one end of the main pipe 61. According to manufacturing requirements, the gas processing apparatus 80 may be provided with one or more components for processing gas. For example, the gas processing device 80 includes a fan assembly for driving gas flow, a filter assembly for filtering gas, or a gas cooling assembly for cooling gas.

In some embodiments, the processing equipment 50a, 50b, 50c contains toxic gases. Through the configuration of the above-mentioned flow path assembly 60 and the fluid control assembly 70, the toxic gas in the processing equipment 50a, 50b, 50c can be discharged to the gas processing equipment 80 through the flow path assembly 60 and further processed. In this way, the contamination of the wafer 10 with toxic gases in the processing equipment 50a, 50b, 50c can be avoided. Thus, the processing yield of the processing system 1 can be improved. On the other hand, since the processing equipment 50a, 50b, and 50c contain toxic gases that have been processed through the gas processing equipment 80 before being discharged to the external environment, the plant personnel can be protected from hazards.

The features of the fluid control elements 73a, 73b, and 73c of the fluid control module 70 described above are described below. In the following description, the mutual positions of the elements will be explained by the horizontal axis direction X, the vertical axis direction Y, and the long axis direction Z, where the horizontal axis direction X, the vertical axis direction Y, and the long axis direction Z are perpendicular to each other.

Referring to FIG. 3, according to some embodiments of the present invention, the fluid control element 73a of the fluid control assembly 70 includes a first fixed seat 74, a second fixed seat 75, a valve seat 76, a valve body 77, and a control module 78. It should be understood that, in the following description about the fluid control element 73a, some features of the fluid control element 73a may be replaced or deleted in other embodiments.

In some embodiments, the valve seat 76 has a substantially circular ring structure, and a passage 761 penetrates the upper surface 762 and the lower surface 764 of the shaft seat 76 in the axial direction Z. In some embodiments, the valve seat 76 includes a plurality of limit structures, for example, four limit structures 79. The two limiting structures 79 are adjacent to the upper surface 762 and are arranged along a horizontal axis direction X (Figure 4 shows only one limiting structure 79 adjacent to the upper surface 762). The other two limiting structures 79 are adjacent to the lower surface 764 and arranged along the horizontal axis direction X (Figure 4 shows only one limiting structure 79 adjacent to the lower surface 764).

In some embodiments, the limiting structure 79 includes a lateral limiting plane 791. The lateral limiting plane 791 is vertically adjacent to the upper surface 762 or the lower surface 764. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 4, the lateral limiting plane 791 is not perpendicular to the horizontal axis direction X, and the lateral limiting plane 791 gradually expands toward the longitudinal axis direction Y. The effect produced by this feature will be detailed in the description of FIG. 6. The angle θ between the lateral limiting plane 791 and the horizontal axis direction X may be between about 89 degrees and about 87 degrees. In other embodiments, the limiting structure 79 is not provided with a lateral limiting plane 791. On a plane perpendicular to the long axis direction Z, the valve seat 76 has a rectangular or circular cross section.

Referring again to FIG. 3 and with reference to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the limiting structure 79 includes an axial limiting plane 792. The axial limiting plane 792 is located on the opposite side of the lateral limiting plane 791 connecting the upper surface 762 or the lower surface 764. Also, in the long axis direction Z, the axial limit plane 792 is spaced apart from the upper surface 762 or the lower surface 764 by a height h1 and is parallel to the upper surface 762 or the lower surface 764. In other embodiments, the limiting structure 79 is not provided with a lateral limiting plane 791.

In some embodiments, the limiting structure 79 includes a trench 793. The groove 793 is formed on the lateral limiting plane 791 and extends a distance in the longitudinal axis direction Y. The extending distance of the groove 793 in the longitudinal axis direction Y may be greater than the width of the lateral limiting plane 791 in the longitudinal axis direction Y. The lower inner wall surface of the groove 793 may be in the same plane as the axial limit plane 792. In other embodiments, the limiting structure 79 is not provided with trenches 793.

The valve body 77 is disposed in the valve seat 76 and is configured to rotate around a rotation axis parallel to the direction Y of the longitudinal axis. In some embodiments, the valve seat 76 and the valve body 77 are part of a throttle valve. By adjusting the rotation angle of the valve body 77, the flow from the upstream section 651a (Figure 2) and through the valve seat is changed 76 is parallel to the airflow rate of the downstream section 652a (Figure 2).

The first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75 are respectively fixed to openings adjacent to the upstream section 651a (FIG. 2) and the downstream section 652a (FIG. 2 ). In some embodiments, the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75 are configured with one or more limiters to simplify the step of placing the valve seat into the fixing position between the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75 And increase alignment accuracy.

In some embodiments, the first fixing seat 74 includes a base 741, two lateral limiters 743, two axial limiters 745, and a longitudinal limiter 747. The seat body 741 is a substantially circular ring-shaped structure. A plurality of positioning holes 7413 are formed on the seat body 741 and penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the seat body 741 in the axial direction Z. The positioning hole 7413 is used for passing a locking element (for example, a bolt, not shown) to fix the first fixing seat 74 to the end of the upstream section 651a (Figure 2). In addition, as viewed in the longitudinal axis direction Y, an inner locking screw hole 7414 forms the front side of the seat body 741 for the locking bolt F1 fixing the valve seat 76 to be disposed therein. In addition, two through holes 7415 are formed on the left and right sides of the seat body 741 for the nozzle 746 to pass through. The nozzle 746 can be used to allow the cleaning liquid to enter the valve seat 76 and clean the valve seat 76 without disassembling the valve seat 76 to prolong the service life of the components. In one embodiment, when the valve seat 76 is not provided and the nozzle 76 is used to clean the valve seat 76, the former can only be cleaned for about one week, while the latter can be extended to one month or more It takes a long time to clean.

In some embodiments, when viewed in the longitudinal axis direction Y, two lateral stoppers 743 are provided on the left and right sides of the seat body 741. That is, the two lateral stoppers 743 are arranged along the horizontal axis direction X. In some embodiments, each lateral stop 743 is disposed adjacent to the outer edge of the seat 741. Each lateral stop 743 extends from the seat body 741 toward the second fixing seat 75 and ends at an end surface 7431. In the embodiment where the valve seat 76 is provided with an axial limit plane 792, the height of the lateral limiter 743 in the long axis direction Z is the same as the height h1 of the axial limit plane 792 and the upper surface 762.

In some embodiments, the side of each lateral stop 743 near the center of the seat body 741 is flat. The above-mentioned plane may extend perpendicular to the horizontal axis direction X. Alternatively, the above-mentioned plane may be angled with respect to the horizontal axis direction X, and gradually expand outward in the vertical axis direction Y. In addition, the side of the two lateral stoppers 743 away from the center of the seat body 741 is a curved surface. The curvature of the curved surface is the same as the curvature of the outer surface of the seat body 741 in the radial direction.

In some embodiments, the two axial stoppers 745 are disposed adjacent to the end surface 7431 on the side of the two lateral stoppers 743 near the center of the seat body 741. The two axial limiters 745 are perpendicular to the two lateral limiters 743 and extend toward the center of the seat body 741. This feature can be more clearly shown in FIG. The length of the two axial stoppers 745 in the longitudinal axis direction Y may be greater than or equal to the length of the two lateral stoppers 743 in the longitudinal axis direction Y. The length of the two axial stoppers 745 in the longitudinal axis direction Y may be the same as the extending distance of the groove 793 in the longitudinal axis direction Y. In some embodiments, the two axial stoppers 745 are omitted. In some embodiments, the longitudinal stopper 747 is disposed on the left side of the seat body 741 when viewed in the horizontal axis direction X. In some embodiments, the longitudinal limiting member 747 is disposed adjacent to the outer edge of the seat body 741 and extends from the seat body 741 toward the second fixing seat 75.

In some embodiments, the second fixing base 75 includes a base 751, two lateral limiters 753, two axial limiters 755, and a longitudinal limiter 757. The seat body 751 is an annular structure, and a plurality of positioning holes 7513 are formed on the seat body 751 and penetrate the upper and lower surfaces of the seat body 751 in the axial direction Z. The positioning hole 7513 is used for passing a locking element (for example, a bolt) to fix the second fixing seat 75 to the opening of the downstream section 652a (Figure 2). In addition, as viewed in the longitudinal axis direction Y, an inner locking screw hole 7514 forms an outer surface of the front side of the seat body 751 for the locking bolt F1 fixing the valve seat 76 to be disposed therein.

In some embodiments, viewed in the longitudinal axis direction Y, two lateral stoppers 753 are provided on the left and right sides of the seat body 751. That is, the two lateral stoppers 753 are arranged along the lateral axis direction X. In some embodiments, each lateral position-limiting member 753 is disposed adjacent to the outer edge of the seat body 751, extends from the seat body 751 toward the first fixing seat 74, and ends at an end surface 7531. In the embodiment where the valve seat 76 is provided with an axial limit plane 792, the height of the lateral limiter 753 in the long axis direction Z is the same as the height of the axial limit plane 792 from the lower surface 764.

In some embodiments, the side of each lateral stopper 753 near the center of the seat 751 is flat. The above-mentioned plane may extend perpendicular to the horizontal axis direction X. Alternatively, the above-mentioned plane may have an angle with respect to the horizontal axis direction X, and gradually expand outward in the vertical axis direction Y. In addition, the side of the two lateral stoppers 753 away from the center of the seat body 751 is curved. The curvature of the curved surface is the same as the curvature of the outer surface of the seat body 751 in the radial direction.

In some embodiments, the two axial stoppers 755 are disposed adjacent to the end surface 7531 on the side of the two lateral stoppers 753 near the center of the seat body 751. The two axial stoppers 755 are perpendicular to the two lateral stoppers 753 and extend toward the center of the seat body 751. The length of the two axial stoppers 755 in the longitudinal axis direction Y may be greater than or equal to the length of the two lateral stoppers 753 in the longitudinal axis direction Y. The length of the two axial stoppers 755 in the longitudinal axis direction Y may be the same as the extending distance of the groove 793 in the longitudinal axis direction Y. In some embodiments, the two axial stoppers 755 are omitted. In some embodiments, the longitudinal stopper 757 is disposed on the left side of the seat body 751 when viewed in the horizontal axis direction X. In some embodiments, the longitudinal stopper 757 is disposed adjacent to the outer edge of the seat body 751 and extends from the seat body 751 toward the first fixing seat 74.

It should be understood that although in the embodiment of FIG. 3, the valve seat 76 includes four limiting structures 79, the number of limiting structures is not limited to this. In the remaining embodiments, the valve seat 76 only includes two limiting structures 79. The two limiting structures 79 are respectively disposed adjacent to the upper surface 762 and the lower surface 764. The above two limiting structures 79 may be located on the same side or different sides of the valve seat 76. In the remaining embodiments, the valve seat 76 includes only one limiting structure. The above-mentioned limiting structure 79 is disposed adjacent to the upper surface 762 or the lower surface 764.

In addition, the number of lateral stoppers 743 of the first fixing seat 74 and the number of lateral stoppers 753 of the second fixing seat 75 are also not limited to the above-mentioned embodiments. In an embodiment, the number of the lateral limiting members 743 of the first fixing seat 74 is equal to the number of the limiting structures on the upper surface 762 of the adjacent valve seat 76 and corresponds to the limiting of the upper surface 762 of the adjacent valve seat 76 Bit structure 79 is set. Moreover, the number of the lateral stoppers 753 of the second fixed seat 75 is equal to the number of the limit structures 79 of the lower surface 764 of the adjacent valve seat 76, and corresponds to the limit structure of the lower surface 764 of the adjacent valve seat 76 .

The control module 78 is configured to drive the rotation of the valve body 77. In some embodiments, the control module 78 includes a housing 781. The housing 781 defines a space for accommodating a plurality of electronic components (not shown) of the control module 78. In some embodiments, the housing 781 is connected to the front side of the valve seat 76 when viewed in the longitudinal axis direction Y. The height of the housing 781 in the long axis direction Z is greater than the height of the valve seat 76 in the long axis direction Z. In detail, the housing 781 includes a central portion 782, a top portion 783, and a bottom portion 784. The central portion 782 is connected to the outer surface of the valve seat 76 and has the same height as the valve seat 76 in the long axis direction Z. The top portion 783 is provided above the central portion 782 and does not overlap the valve seat 76 in the longitudinal axis direction Y. The bottom portion 784 is provided below the central portion 782 and does not overlap the valve seat 76 in the longitudinal axis direction Y.

In some embodiments, the top portion 783 and the bottom portion 784 are penetrated by an external locking screw hole 785 and a dummy screw hole 786, respectively. On the top 783, the outer locking screw holes 785 are aligned with the inner locking screw holes 7414 of the first fixing seat 74. In addition, a dummy screw hole 786 is provided adjacent to the inner locking screw hole 7514 and faces the outer surfaces of the seat bodies 741 and 754 of the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75 in the radial direction (vertical long axis direction Z). On the bottom 784, the outer locking screw holes 785 are aligned with the inner locking screw holes 7514 of the second fixing base 75, and the dummy screw holes 786 are disposed adjacent to the inner locking screw holes 7514.

FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of a method 600 for using the fluid control element 73a according to some embodiments of the present invention. For the sake of example, the process is illustrated with the schematic diagrams in Figures 3-5 and 7-8. In different embodiments, some stages may be replaced or eliminated.

The method 600 includes operation 601, fixing the first fixing seat 74 to the upstream section 651a of the gas line 65a. In some embodiments, the first fixing seat 74 may use a plurality of locking elements (not shown) to pass through the positioning hole 7413 (Figure 3) to fix the upstream section 651a of the gas line 65a, as shown in Figure 7 Show. After the first fixed seat 74 is fixed to the upstream section 651a of the gas line 65a, the two lateral stoppers 743 of the first fixed seat 74 are arranged along the horizontal axis direction X, and the longitudinal stoppers 747 of the first fixed seat 74 On the rear side in the longitudinal axis direction Y, as shown in FIG. 3.

The method 600 further includes operation 602, fixing the second fixing seat 75 to the downstream section 652a of the gas line 65a. In some embodiments, the second fixing base 75 may use a plurality of locking elements (not shown) to pass through the positioning hole 7513 (Figure 3) to fix the downstream section 652a of the gas line 65a, as shown in Figure 7 Show. After the second fixed seat 75 is fixed to the downstream section 652a of the gas line 65a, the two lateral stoppers 753 of the second fixed seat 75 are arranged along the horizontal axis direction X, and the longitudinal stoppers 757 of the second fixed seat 75 On the rear side of the longitudinal axis direction Y.

In addition, the method 600 includes operation 603 to move the valve seat 76 into a fixed position between the first fixed seat 74 and the second fixed seat 75. In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 7, after the first fixed seat 74 and the second fixed seat 75 are disposed on the fixed gas line 65 a, the first fixed seat 74 and the second fixed seat 75 are not connected. The distance between the first fixed seat 74 and the second fixed seat 75 is equal to or slightly larger than the height of the valve seat 76.

In the embodiment where the valve seat 76 has a lateral limit plane 791 of the limit structure 79, before performing operation 603, the orientation of the valve seat 76 is first determined according to the limits of the first fixed seat 74 and the second fixed seat 75 The position of the positioning member is adjusted so that the limiting structure 79 is aligned with the two lateral limiting members 743 of the first fixing seat 74 and the two lateral limiting members 753 of the second fixing seat 75. In detail, in the embodiment shown in FIG. 7, the turning of the valve seat 76 is based on the two lateral limiters 743 of the first fixed seat 74 and the two lateral limiters 753 of the second fixed seat 75 Location. After the steering adjustment of the valve seat 76 is completed, the passage 761 of the valve seat 76 extends parallel to the long axis direction Z, and the four limiting structures 79 of the valve seat 76 are aligned with the four of the first fixed seat 74 and the second fixed seat 75 Lateral stopper 743, 753. In addition, before performing operation 603, two sealing elements 767 (eg, O-ring) may be provided on the upper and lower surfaces 761, 762 of the valve seat 76 to couple the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing at the valve seat 76 After seat 75, airtightness is increased.

Next, the valve seat 76 is moved to advance the valve seat 76 toward the distance between the first fixed seat 74 and the second fixed seat 75 in the direction shown by the arrow in FIG. 7 (direction parallel to the longitudinal axis direction Y). When the valve seat 76 approaches the first fixed seat 74 and the second fixed seat 75, the valve seat 76 will be abutted by the lateral stop 743 of the first fixed seat 74 and the lateral stop 753 of the second fixed seat 75. Therefore, the displacement of the valve seat 76 in the horizontal axis direction X is restricted by the lateral stop 743 of the first fixed seat 74 and the lateral stop 753 of the second fixed seat 75.

Referring to FIG. 5, in the embodiment where the valve seat 76 has a limit structure 79, the lateral limiter 743 of the first fixed seat 74 and the lateral limiter 753 of the second fixed seat 75 are at least directly in contact with the limit structure 79 To limit the displacement of the valve seat 76 in the horizontal axis direction X. In some embodiments, since the lateral limit plane 791 is not parallel to the surface of the corresponding lateral limiter 753/743 and is inclined relative to the surface of the lateral limiter 753/743, when the valve seat 76 continues toward the longitudinal axis direction Y When advancing, the friction between the lateral limiting plane 791 and the lateral limiting member 753 gradually increases. After feeling this resistance, the installer can know that the valve seat 76 is about to reach the position, and then fine-adjust the position of the valve seat 76.

In addition, in the embodiment where the limiting structure 79 of the valve seat 76 has an axial limiting plane 792, the end surfaces 7453 and 7553 of the lateral limiting members 753 of the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75 are direct contact limiting The axial limit plane 792 of the structure 79 limits the displacement of the valve seat 76 in the long axis direction Z. Furthermore, in the embodiment where the limiting structure 79 of the valve seat 76 has a groove 793 and the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75 include axial limiting members 745, 755, the valve seat 76 moves to the first fixing Between the seat 74 and the second fixed seat 75, the axial stopper 745, 755 slides in the groove 793 to limit the displacement of the valve seat 76 in the horizontal axis direction X and the long axis direction Z.

With reference to FIG. 7 and with reference to FIG. 3, in the embodiment where the first fixed seat 74 and the second fixed seat 75 include longitudinal stoppers 747, 757, operation 603 may abut the valve seat 76 to the longitudinal stopper Stop at 747 or longitudinal stop 757. At this time, the longitudinal stopper 757 and the valve seat 76 are aligned along the longitudinal axis direction Y and abut against the valve seat 76 to restrict the displacement of the valve seat 76 in the longitudinal axis direction Y. In the embodiment where the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75 are not provided with longitudinal stoppers 747, 757, operation 603 may be performed on the outer surface of the valve seat 76 and the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75. Stop when the outer surface is flush.

Continuing to refer to FIG. 8, after the valve seat 76 reaches the fixing position between the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75, the outer surfaces of the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75 are covered by the housing 78. The valve seat 76 is fixed on the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75 through the locking element F1. In some embodiments, the two locking elements F1 are provided in the outer locking screw holes 785 of the housing 78 and the inner locking screw holes 7414, 7514 of the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75 (Figure 3 ), the valve seat 76 is fixed on the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75. In addition, two abutment bolts F2 are provided in two dummy screw holes 786 of the housing 78.

In the step of removing the valve seat 76 from the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75, the operator may first remove the two locking elements F1. Next, the operator can rotate the two abutment bolts F2 to move the two abutment bolts F2 inward. When the two abutment bolts F2 abut the outer surfaces of the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75, a reaction force will push the valve seat 76 away from the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75. Fixed position. Then, the operator can pull the valve seat 76 away from the fixed position between the first fixed seat 74 and the second fixed seat 75. By abutting the reaction force generated by the bolt F2, the valve seat 76 can be removed from the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing seat 75 without excessively applying external force, thereby avoiding the first fixing seat 74 and the second fixing The stopper of the seat 75 is deformed by external force and increases the service life of the fluid control element 73a.

Referring again to FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the structural features and usage of the fluid control elements 73b, 73c of the fluid control assembly 70 are similar to the structural features and usage of the fluid control element 73a. Repeat.

The processing system of the embodiment of the present invention includes a fluid control element for controlling the gas flow, wherein the fluid control element includes three separable components, and the valve seat with the valve body can be provided in two by extraction Above the fixed seat. Since the assembly efficiency of the fluid control element is simplified, it can reduce the downtime of the processing system for maintenance, thereby reducing the production cost. On the other hand, since the fluid control element can be easily assembled, it is possible to avoid the accident of public security accidents caused by the operator working in a dangerous environment for a long time.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a fluid control element. The fluid control element includes a first fixed seat and a second fixed seat. The fluid control element further includes a valve seat. The valve seat is disposed between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat. The fluid control element also includes a valve body. The valve body is disposed in the valve seat and configured to change the flow rate of the gas passing through the valve seat. The first fixing seat includes a lateral limiting member. The lateral limiter and the valve seat are arranged along a horizontal axis direction and abut the valve seat. In addition, the valve seat can be moved in a vertical axis direction perpendicular to the horizontal axis direction, and the lateral stopper limits the displacement of the valve seat in the horizontal axis direction.

In the above embodiment, the valve seat includes a lateral limiting plane. The lateral limit plane directly contacts the lateral limiter in the horizontal axis direction.

In the above embodiment, the valve seat further includes an axial limiting plane. The axial limit plane is located on one side of the lateral limit plane and directly contacts one end face of the lateral limit piece. Thus, the axial limit plane limits the displacement of the valve seat in the direction of the long axis. The above-mentioned long axis direction is perpendicular to the horizontal axis direction and the vertical axis direction.

In the above embodiment, the first fixing seat includes an axial stopper. The axial limiter is connected to the side of the lateral limiter facing the lateral limit plane. In addition, the valve seat includes a chute. The chute is formed above the lateral limit plane and extends along the longitudinal axis. The axial limiter is arranged in the chute. Thus, the chute restricts the displacement of the valve seat in the direction of the long axis. The long axis direction is perpendicular to the horizontal axis direction and the vertical axis direction.

In the above embodiment, the lateral limiting plane is inclined with respect to the lateral limiting member.

In the above embodiment, at least one of the first fixing seat and the second fixing seat includes a longitudinal limiter, the longitudinal limiter and the valve seat are arranged along the longitudinal axis and abut the valve seat, to Limit the displacement of the valve seat in the direction of the longitudinal axis.

In the above embodiment, the fluid control element further includes a locking bolt, an abutment bolt, and a housing. The casing is connected to the valve seat and covers an outer surface of the first fixed seat or the second fixed seat. The casing is penetrated by an external locking screw hole and a dummy screw hole. Moreover, an inner locking screw hole is aligned with the outer locking screw hole and formed on the outer surface. When the valve seat is fixed between the first fixing seat and the second fixing seat, the locking bolts are arranged in the outer locking screw holes and the inner locking screw holes. When the valve seat is separated from the first fixing seat and the second fixing seat, the locking element is separated from the inner locking screw hole, and the abutment bolt is disposed in the dummy screw hole and abuts the outer surface.

Some embodiments of the present invention provide a method of using a fluid control element. The above method includes fixing a first fixing seat to an upstream gas pipeline. The above method further includes fixing a second fixing seat to a downstream gas pipeline. The above method also includes moving a valve seat into a fixed position between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat. The first fixing seat includes a lateral limiting member. The lateral limiter and the valve seat are arranged along a horizontal axis direction and abut the valve seat. During the movement of the valve seat into the fixed position between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat, the lateral stopper restricts the displacement of the valve seat in the direction of the horizontal axis.

In some embodiments, the valve seat includes a lateral limiting plane that directly contacts the lateral limiting member in the horizontal axis direction and is inclined relative to the lateral limiting member. During the movement of the valve seat into the fixed position between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat, the resistance between the lateral limiter and the lateral limit plane is gradually increased.

In some embodiments, the above method further includes disposing a bearing bolt in a dummy screw hole connected to the valve seat. The dummy screw hole faces an outer surface of the first fixing base or the second fixing base. In addition, the above method includes rotating the abutment bolt to make the abutment bolt abut the outer surface of the first fixing seat or the second fixing seat, and pushing the valve seat away from the fixing position between the first fixing seat and the second fixing seat.

The above outline illustrates the features of several embodiments of the present invention, so that those with ordinary knowledge in the art can understand the subsequent detailed description of the present invention more easily. Anyone with ordinary knowledge in the technical field should understand that this specification can be easily used as a basis for changes or design of other structures or processes to perform the same purposes and/or obtain the same advantages as the embodiments of the present invention. Any person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field can also understand that the structure or process equivalent to the above does not deviate from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and can be changed or replaced without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention With retouch.

651a‧‧‧Upstream section

652a‧‧‧Downstream section

73a‧‧‧fluid control element

74‧‧‧First fixed seat

743‧‧‧horizontal stop

75‧‧‧Second fixed seat

753‧‧‧horizontal stop

757‧‧‧Longitudinal limit piece

76‧‧‧Valve seat

767‧‧‧Sealing element

77‧‧‧Body

79‧‧‧Limit structure

X‧‧‧horizontal axis

Y‧‧‧longitudinal axis direction

Z‧‧‧Long axis direction

Claims (10)

A fluid control element includes: a first fixed seat; a second fixed seat; a valve seat, disposed between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat; and a valve body, disposed in the valve seat And is configured to change the flow rate of the gas passing through the valve seat; wherein, the first fixed seat includes a lateral stopper, the lateral stopper and the valve seat are arranged along a horizontal axis and abut the valve seat; Wherein, the valve seat can be moved in a vertical axis direction perpendicular to the horizontal axis direction, and the lateral stopper limits the displacement of the valve seat in the horizontal axis direction. The fluid control element as described in item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the valve seat includes a lateral limiting plane that directly contacts the lateral limiting member in the lateral axis direction. The fluid control element as described in item 2 of the patent application scope, wherein the valve seat further includes an axial limit plane, the axial limit plane is located on one side of the lateral limit plane and directly contacts the lateral limit An end face of the member; wherein, the axial limiting plane limits the displacement of the valve seat in a long axis direction, the long axis direction being perpendicular to the horizontal axis direction and the longitudinal axis direction. The fluid control element as described in item 2 of the patent application scope, wherein the first fixing seat includes an axial limiter, the axial limiter is connected to a side of the lateral limiter facing the lateral limit plane; And the valve seat includes a sliding groove formed on the lateral limiting plane and extending along the longitudinal axis; wherein, the axial limiting member is disposed in the sliding groove, and the sliding groove restricts The displacement of the valve seat in a long axis direction, the long axis direction being perpendicular to the horizontal axis direction and the longitudinal axis direction. The fluid control element as described in item 2 of the patent application scope, wherein the lateral limiting plane is inclined with respect to the lateral limiting member. The fluid control element according to item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein at least one of the first fixing seat and the second fixing seat includes a longitudinal stopper, the longitudinal stopper and the valve seat are along the longitudinal axis The direction is aligned and abuts against the valve seat to limit the displacement of the valve seat in the direction of the longitudinal axis. The fluid control element as described in item 1 of the scope of the patent application further includes: a locking bolt; an abutting bolt; a housing that connects the valve seat and covers one of the first fixed seat or the second fixed seat An outer surface, wherein the housing is penetrated by an outer locking screw hole and a dummy screw hole, and an inner locking screw hole is aligned with the outer locking screw hole and formed on the outer surface; when the valve seat is fixed on the When the first fixing seat and the second fixing seat are located, the locking bolt is disposed in the outer locking screw hole and the inner locking screw hole; and when the valve seat is separated from the first fixing seat and the second When the fixing base is separated, the locking element is separated from the inner locking screw hole, and the abutment bolt is disposed in the dummy screw hole and abuts the outer surface. A method of using a fluid control element includes: fixing a first fixing seat to an upstream gas pipe; fixing a second fixing seat to a downstream gas pipe; and moving a valve seat into the first fixing seat and the second A fixed position between the fixed seats; wherein, the first fixed seat includes a lateral stopper, the lateral stopper and the valve seat are arranged along a horizontal axis and abut the valve seat, and move on the valve seat In the process of entering the fixed position between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat, the lateral stopper restricts the displacement of the valve seat in the lateral axis direction. The method of using a fluid control element as described in item 8 of the patent application range, wherein the valve seat includes a lateral limit plane that directly contacts the lateral limit member in the lateral axis direction and is opposite to the lateral direction The limiter is inclined; wherein, during the movement of the valve seat into the fixed position between the first fixed seat and the second fixed seat, the amount between the lateral limiter and the lateral limit plane is gradually increased resistance. The method of using a fluid control element as described in item 8 of the patent application scope further includes: setting abutment bolt in a dummy screw hole connected to the valve seat, the dummy screw hole facing the first fixing seat or the first An outer surface of the two fixing seats; and rotating the abutment bolt to make the abutment bolt abut the outer surface of the first fixing seat or the second fixing seat, and push the valve seat away from the first fixing seat The fixed position with the second fixing seat.

Images