TWI498939B - Thermal treatment device and liquefied gas supply device using the thermal treatment device - Google Patents

Description

Heat treatment device and liquefied gas supply device using the same

The present invention relates to a heat treatment apparatus and a liquefied gas supply apparatus using the same, and more particularly to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for gas represented by gases such as HF, ClF ₃ , BCl ₃ , SiH ₂ Cl ₂ and WF ₆ The liquefaction process of the special material gas and various other process gases and the heat treatment device of the vaporization process, and relates to a liquefied gas supply device for supplying the liquefied gas processed by the heat treatment device.

technical background

Low vapor pressure liquefied gases represented by gases such as HF, ClF ₃ , BCl ₃ , SiH ₂ Cl ₂ and WF ₆ are often used as special material gases and various process gases in semiconductor manufacturing processes and various other processes. The low vapor pressure liquefied gases are typically filled in a high pressure gas container (hereinafter referred to as "container") in a liquid state and delivered to facilities such as semiconductor manufacturing plants and various other processing facilities that consume such liquefied gases. In such cases, the semiconductor manufacturing plant and other various processing devices (hereinafter referred to as "processing devices") that are liquefied gas consuming facilities do not receive the liquefied gases in a gaseous state but in a gaseous state and are used in a gaseous state. At this time, the vessel filled with the liquefied gas is installed in a gas supply facility called a cylinder cabinet and the gas is vaporized into a gaseous state in the vessel and supplied via a pipe connected to the treatment device.

In such manufacturing processes, when the liquefied gas is supplied from the gas supply facility to the processing device via the supply flow path, taking into account the process of supplying the gas Controllability and safety, there are cases where it is necessary to apply a heat treatment such as cooling or a combination of cooling and heating. Conventionally, for such heat treatment devices, the cooling member and the heating member have generally been prepared and separated and used independently.

More specifically, a heating device used in, for example, the liquefied gas supply system shown in Fig. 12 can be cited. Here, a heating member is used to prevent reliquefaction of the material gas in the liquefied gas supply piping system, and is prevented by heating the pipe flow path above the vaporization point of the liquefied material gas fed into the liquefied material gas supply pipe 205. Reliquefaction. Here, 201 is a mass flow controller, 202 is a temperature sensor, 203 is a temperature control circuit, 204 is a heater for a heating material gas supply system pipe, and 205 is a liquefied material gas supply pipe. 206 is a process chamber and 207 is a liquefied material gas storage cylinder (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Regarding the cooling member, for example, a heat treatment device (low temperature liquefied gas cooling device) which generates cold energy using a refrigerator as shown in Fig. 13 can be cited. That is, it is a storage container 102 containing a cryogenic liquefied gas, a condensing tank 104 above the storage container 102, conveying pipes 122 and 124 connecting the condensing tank 104 and the storage container 102, and a gas for condensing the gas in the condensing tank 104. The cooling device of the refrigerator 106. The recondensing device 138 of the refrigerator 106 is installed in the condensing tank 104, and the vaporized gas in the storage container 102 flows into the condensing tank 104 via the conveying pipe 122, and the liquefied gas condensed in the condensing tank 104 overflows through the conveying pipe 124 and It flows into the storage container 102 (see, for example, Patent Document 2). In Fig. 13, 108 is a container body, 110 is a liquid phase component, 112 is a gas phase component, 114 is a sensor, 116 is a condensation tank body, 118 is a liquid phase component, 120 is a gas phase component, and 126 is a shielding box. 140 for freezing The machine body, 144 is a conveying pipe and 146 is a compressor.

Patent Document 1: Japanese Open Unexamined Application 1998-12556 Patent Document 2: Japanese Open Unexamined Application 1999-193979

Disclosure of the present invention

However, it has been detected that the following problems may occur in the heat treatment apparatus as described above or the liquefied gas supply apparatus using the heat treatment apparatuses.

(1) In a semiconductor factory and a manufacturing process facility in which a processing apparatus using a low vapor pressure liquefied gas is installed, there are many cases in which a plurality of cooling processing members and heat treatment members are used, and in order to secure installation of a plurality of heat treatment devices The area tends to be larger. This becomes a major obstacle to the installation and introduction of other equipment in such facilities as the above-mentioned plants that require special facilities such as clean rooms. It also adds to the burden in terms of cost.

(2) When a plurality of cooling treatment members are used, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of separate cooling medium tanks and cause a large loss of energy from the cooling medium tanks due to leakage of cooling source energy.

(3) Due to the increase in the number of components with low reliability and the number of components to be maintained, maintenance projects and repair work are increased.

The object of the present invention is to produce a plurality of cooling sources and heating sources using a single energy source, and to provide a compact but functionally excellent heat treatment apparatus and a liquefied gas supply apparatus using the same. In particular, the object of the present invention is to provide a special material gas or various materials for use in semiconductor manufacturing. The other processing gas is a heat treatment device for performing a plurality of liquefaction processes and a vaporization process using a single device, and a liquefied gas supply device for supplying the liquefied gas processed by the heat treatment device.

The inventors of the present invention have completed the present invention by accumulating specialized research and achieved the above object by a heat treatment apparatus as described below and a liquefied gas supply apparatus using the same.

The present invention is characterized in that a single chiller system is used to generate a plurality of cooling media having different temperatures, and the cooling media is used for cooling treatment or heat treatment in a plurality of heat treatment sections, and at the same time controlling the heat treatment used as the heat treatment section. A heat treatment device that cools at least one of the above-described cooling media of the source.

As described above, since the heat treatment apparatus plays an important role in the manufacturing process of a facility having a facility such as a liquefied gas supply or a liquefied gas consumption facility, high energy efficiency and a plurality of stable cooling source supply and a compact and functional heat treatment apparatus are required. . In accordance with such needs, the present invention makes it possible to provide a compact and functional heat treatment apparatus that produces a plurality of cooling media having different temperatures by using a single freezer system, and uses the cooling media in a plurality of heat treatment zones. The cooling treatment or heat treatment of the segments enables system control and management of the heat treatment process from the generation of the cooling medium to the final heat treatment. In detail, by performing highly precise temperature control on at least one of the cooling mediums and making it a reference cooling source, the cooling medium controlled by the same accuracy is supplied to each heat treatment section while supplying the required heat therein Multiple heat treatment of temperature cooling medium Temperature control in which sections are associated with each other is possible, and control corresponding to conditions such as sample conditions and environmental conditions becomes possible. In addition, the energy corresponding to each cooling medium used for recycling can also be recovered. Here, the "cooling medium" means not only a cooling medium but also a heat medium which can be used as a heating source, and the details thereof will be described later.

The present invention is a heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, characterized by a cooling medium tank comprising a plurality of multi-structured cooling medium tanks for storing the generated cooling medium, wherein the lowest temperature first cooling medium is stored in the innermost first cooling medium tank Having a second low temperature second cooling medium stored in the second cooling medium tank, the third low temperature cooling medium is stored in the third cooling medium tank, and the nth low temperature cooling medium is stored in the nth cooling medium tank The cooling medium is stored in the order from low temperature to high temperature, and at the same time, the cooling medium is supplied from the above-mentioned cooling medium tank to the heat treatment section.

As described above, in the heat treatment apparatus used in facilities such as the liquefied gas supply apparatus and the liquefied gas consumption facility, it is necessary to supply a plurality of types of cooling medium having different temperatures, and depending on the limitations of the installation space of the apparatuses, a compact structure is required. The present invention complies with this need and at the same time constitutes a cooling medium tank having a plurality of multi-structured cooling medium tanks, and is stored in the barrel such that the lowest temperature cooling medium is stored in the order from the innermost barrel to the outermost barrel to the highest temperature cooling medium. It is possible to store a plurality of cooling media to be supplied in order to increase the energy efficiency obtained by the tightness. Unlike conventional methods that require the placement of insulation around each barrel and individual temperature control, this composition allows for simple insulation between the barrels to reduce energy loss, and because of the temperature control of at least one of the cooling medium barrels enables Adjacent cooling to the required precise range Temperature control of the barrel allows the heat treatment unit to be even closer. Here, "multiple structure" is not limited to arranging a plurality of cooling medium barrels in a concentric manner, and includes any multilayer arrangement in which any two cooling medium barrels are partially adjacent to each other in a planar or spatial manner.

The present invention is the above heat treatment apparatus characterized by having at least two heat treatment sections serving as a liquefaction member, a storage member, and a vaporization member, and a function of allowing independent and alternate conversion between the members, using the first cooling described above The medium serves as a cooling source for the heat treatment section of the liquefaction member, and the second cooling medium is used as a cooling source for the heat treatment section of the storage member, and at the same time, the third cooling medium is used as the heat treatment section for the vaporization member The heating source.

In the semiconductor manufacturing process and various other processes, various types of liquefied gases are used and various cooling media having different temperatures are required for liquid phase and gas phase cooling treatment and heat treatment, liquid to gas phase transformation treatment, gaseous to liquid state. The phase conversion treatment, and further the temperature maintenance process of storing the liquid phase and the gas phase gas. The present invention provides a cooling source for a heat treatment section using a plurality of cooling media having different temperatures as a liquefaction member as described above correspondingly to processing conditions, as a cooling source of the heat treatment section of the storage member, and as a vaporization member The heat source of the heat treatment section is made possible by a plurality of liquefaction treatments and vaporization treatments using a single apparatus.

The present invention is the above heat treatment apparatus characterized by pre-converting the supply paths of the first to third cooling mediums described above, or from the function of the liquefaction member or the storage member to the function of the vaporization member, or Pre-converted to the control temperature of each function when it is in the state of ensuring any of these functions after conversion.

As described above, in the heat treatment apparatus, the functions as the liquefaction member and the storage member and the function as the sub-vaporization member are functions of independently processing the liquefied gas and at the same time their controlled temperature plays an important role as described above. However, when these functions are alternately switched, although the processing function of rapidly switching the liquefied gas is relatively easy, it is difficult to ensure rapid temperature conversion of the members in which the gas phase and the liquid phase coexist. The present invention rapidly ensures functions to allow stable supply of liquefied gas by pre-converting the actual operating temperature of each component to a controlled temperature of each function as it ensures any function of any of the components comprising the heat treatment section.

The present invention is the above heat treatment apparatus characterized by using heat from a heat radiation section of the refrigerator as a heating source for temperature control of the temperature controlled cooling medium.

The freezer for generating a cooling medium is provided with a compression section and a heat radiation section for reheating and expanding the heat medium of the refrigerator. At the same time, in order to generate a plurality of cooling media, a heat source for temperature control of the cooling medium becomes necessary. Unlike the conventional concept of naturally radiating heat from the heat radiating section, the present invention uses this heat as a heat source for a temperature controlled cooling medium, and by utilizing the energy of the entire heat treatment apparatus including the refrigerator, it is possible to provide A compact but functional heat treatment unit with high energy efficiency and highly precise temperature control with special features added.

The present invention is the above heat treatment apparatus, characterized in that the vaporization member has a capacity that the third cooling medium can contact the gas to be gasified. The space through which the outer circumference and the bottom of the apparatus flow, and at the same time has a nozzle for vertically spraying the third cooling medium to the bottom of the container on the bottom surface of the space.

In order to stably supply a material such as a liquefied gas using a vaporization member, it is important to use a heat of vaporization to maintain the liquidus temperature and a temperature condition at the start of supply after the supply has started. At this time, it is difficult to supplement the temperature loss of the liquid phase liquefied gas which is particularly filled in the pressure vessel or other equivalent container from the liquid phase surface of the central portion of the container by using the conventional jacket type heating method, so that it is difficult to stably supply the liquid phase. gas. The invention is characterized in that the space through which the third cooling medium can contact the outer circumference and the bottom of the container is ensured to ensure that the heating source is supplied from the periphery of the container and the third cooling medium is sprayed vertically to the bottom of the container using the nozzle to be in the liquid. The phase center produces an upward flow and convection in the liquid phase to ensure a uniform liquidus temperature. With this composition, the liquefied gas in the vessel can be uniformly vaporized from the liquid phase and the liquefied gas can be stably supplied.

The present invention is a liquefied gas supply device that supplies a liquefied gas from a container filled with a liquefied gas to a separate gas consuming facility in a gaseous state via a piping system, characterized in that at any one of the above-described heat treatment devices is passed through the above-mentioned pipe The gaseous liquefied gas supplied is subjected to liquefaction treatment and vaporization treatment, or liquefaction treatment, storage treatment and vaporization treatment.

The liquefied gas supply device plays an important role in a facility such as a semiconductor process, and at the same time, even when a liquefied gas system filled in a container (hereinafter referred to as a "filled container") is supplied in a gaseous state to a gas consuming facility that is separately disposed at a distance It is necessary to supply liquefied gas stably. especially in When a low vapor pressure liquefied gas is used, the problem of a reduction in the supply volume caused by pressure loss in the reliquefaction and gas supply flow paths in the conventional liquefied gas supply device has not been sufficiently solved. In view of such problems, the present invention is characterized in that the above-described heat treatment apparatus is used to perform a liquefaction treatment and a vaporization treatment, or a liquefaction treatment, a storage treatment, and a vaporization treatment, so as to provide a flow rate required to stably supply a supply while preventing a gaseous supply pipe (main and It is possible to reliquefy in the secondary pipe and to ensure a liquefied gas supply from the filling vessel to the gaseous supply pressure of the treatment unit. That is, by forcibly liquefying the supplied gasified liquefied gas in the vicinity of or inside the processing apparatus, it is regasified, and then it is fed to the processing apparatus in a gaseous state instead of directly supplying it as gas consumption. The reprocessing of the gas supply line and the supply of gaseous pressure can be prevented in the treatment unit of the facility.

The present invention is the above liquefied gas supply device characterized by having at least two of the above heat treatment devices, using a plurality of cooling media at different temperatures generated at the heat treatment devices, Performing liquefaction treatment on the gaseous liquefied gas at a first heat treatment device using a minimum temperature cooling medium, or further performing a storage treatment on the liquid liquefied gas using a second low temperature cooling medium, Performing vaporization treatment on the stored liquefied gas at a further heat treatment device using a cooling medium having a higher temperature than the first two types of cooling medium, Enabling switching between the liquefaction and storage treatment and the vaporization treatment, and at the same time as the conversion, having automatic conversion between the cooling medium supplied to the first heat treatment apparatus and the cooling medium supplied to the other heat treatment apparatus Cooling medium flow path conversion system.

As described above, in the liquefied gas supply apparatus used in various manufacturing processes, heat treatment under various temperature conditions is required, and stable supply of various cooling sources having high energy efficiency in a compact but functionally excellent heat treatment apparatus is required. There are also cooling treatment modes and heat treatment modes in the liquid phase and the gas phase, performing phase treatment from liquid to gas phase and phase treatment from gas to liquid, and additionally maintaining temperature maintenance in the liquid phase and the gas phase, and The transition between these heat treatment modes and the transition between the cooling process temperature and the heat treatment temperature. The present invention converts a cooling medium supply flow path to a plurality of heat treatment sections by using a single device to generate a plurality of cooling media of different temperatures, and converts the heat treatment mode, or converts between the cooling process temperature and the heat treatment temperature to provide It is possible to stably supply a liquefied gas supply device for liquefied gas.

As described above, the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention or the liquefied gas supply apparatus using the same is capable of providing stable supply of liquefied gas by performing a plurality of liquefaction treatments and vaporization treatments using a single apparatus for semiconductor manufacturing. Low vapor pressure material gases and other liquefied gases such as various process gases.

Best configuration for implementing the present invention

The configuration in which the present invention is implemented will be described below using the drawings. Here, the basic configuration is a heat treatment device that uses a single chiller system to produce a plurality of cooling media at different temperatures, using the cooling media in a plurality of heat treatment zones Performing a cooling treatment or a heat treatment, controlling a temperature of at least one of the cooling mediums, and using the temperature-controlled cooling medium as a reference cooling source for heat treatment of the heat treatment section.

<Embodiment of Basic Composition of Heat Treatment Apparatus of the Present Invention>

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a schematic view showing an embodiment of a basic constitution of a heat treatment apparatus (hereinafter referred to as "this apparatus") of the present invention. Here, the case where three types of heat treatments - liquefaction, storage, and vaporization - are performed using three kinds of cooling media of three different temperatures as shown in Table 1.

The device 3 is composed of the following components: a "cooling medium generating unit 7" comprising a refrigerator 71 that generates cooling energy as a cooling source, a flow path 72 for transporting the heat medium of the refrigerator, and having three cooling buckets (first a cooling medium tank 7a, a second cooling medium tank 7b, and a cooling medium tank 73 of the third cooling medium tank 7c); and a "heat treatment unit (liquefied gas supply facility) 3u" containing a substance to be heat-treated (such as liquefaction) The gas liquefaction member 3a, the storage member 3b storing the liquefied material, and the vaporization member 3c for vaporizing the gas.

At the cooling medium generating unit 7, a cooling source (heat medium of the refrigerator) generated by the refrigerator 71 is supplied to the first cooling medium tank 7a of the cooling medium tank 73 via the flow path 72. The cooling medium in the first cooling medium tank 7a is cooled, and with this cooling, the cooling medium in the second cooling medium tank 7b is cooled via the partition wall Wa, and further the cooling medium in the third cooling medium tank 7c is blocked via the partition wall Wb. Cooling, and thus storing a cooling medium of a specified temperature in each of the cooling medium tanks within a specified time. The first, second, and third circulation pumps Pa, Pb, and Pc supply the stored cooling medium in each of the cooling medium tanks to the heat treatment unit 3, forming a self-liquefaction member heat treatment section 3a, a storage member heat treatment section 3b, and a vaporization member. Each of the heat treatment sections 3c is returned to the circulation system of each of the cooling medium tanks to perform cooling treatment and heat treatment of each heat treatment section. The cooling medium generating unit 7 and the heat treatment unit 3u are separately described in detail below.

[Regarding Cooling Medium Generation Unit 7]

Desirably, the cooling medium generating unit 7 for the apparatus is composed of an integrated unit having three layers of a cooling medium tank for generating a cooling medium, as shown in FIG. It is also desirable to control the temperature of at least one of the cooling medium drums and use it as a reference cooling source for heat treatment of the apparatus. It clarifies the control criteria for the heat treatment of the entire apparatus using a single cooling source system, and at the same time, for each heat treatment section, it arbitrarily controls the required cooling medium by adjusting the structure of each cooling medium tank and the supply rate of the cooling medium. Supply is possible. Here, when the temperature difference between the second cooling medium in the second cooling medium tank 7b and the third cooling medium in the third cooling medium tank 7c is large, the second cooling medium tank 7b and the third cooling medium are required. The partition wall Wb between the tubs 7c is formed in a two-layer structure and generates an air layer inside thereof. borrow This reduces the cooling energy loss and reduces the burden of temperature control. The cooling medium generating unit 7 has the following features.

(i) It is characterized by having a freezer 71 as a single system for generating a plurality of cooling media. That is, unlike the conventional method, three systems are required to produce three types of cooling medium. More specifically, it is characterized in that the cooling source (heat medium of the refrigerator) generated by the refrigerator 71 is distributed through the flow path 72 so as to be immersed in the first cooling medium to specifically cool the first cooling medium tank 7a. A cooling medium, and the cooling energy transmitted from the cooling medium tank 1 cools the second cooling medium tank 7b and the third cooling medium tank 7c via the partition walls Wa and Wb. Here, the refrigerator 71 is not limited to any particular type, and the vapor compression refrigerator as shown in Fig. 2 can be used. It is a highly versatile refrigerator composed of a compressor 71a, a condenser 71b, a receiver 71c, an expansion valve 71d, and an evaporator 71e, and a medium such as ammonia, hydrocarbon, and carbon dioxide can be used as the heat medium. It is also possible to use an absorption type refrigerator such as water or ammonia as a heat medium, or a freezer of an adsorption type refrigerator using zeolite or silicone as a heat medium.

(ii) The cooling medium tank 73 characterized in that the cooling medium is generated and stored is composed of a plurality of multi-structure cooling medium tanks 7a, 7b, 7c, ..., and stores the lowest temperature in the innermost first cooling medium tank 7a. a cooling medium around the second low temperature second cooling medium is stored in the second cooling medium tank 7b, the third low temperature cooling medium is stored in the third cooling medium tank 7c, and the nth low temperature cooling medium is stored in the first The cooling medium is stored in the order of the low temperature to the high temperature in the n cooling medium tanks 7n, and the cooling medium is supplied from the respective cooling medium tanks to the heat treatment unit 3u (Fig. 2 shows a case where n is 3, And the same is true in the following). Unlike conventional methods that require insulation layers to be placed around each barrel and individually control the temperature, this composition allows for simple insulation between the barrels to reduce energy loss in the cooling medium tank 73 and is allowed to be in the barrel of the cooling medium. At least one of the temperature controls controls the temperature of the adjacent cooling medium barrel within a desired precise range.

(iii) characterized in that the partition wall Wa made of metal (for example, aluminum or stainless steel) between the first cooling medium tank 7a and the second cooling medium tank 7b is promoted from the first cooling medium tank 7a to the first The cooling of the second cooling medium tank 7b can be easily transmitted, and is suppressed from the second cooling medium tank 7b to the third cooling medium tank 7c by using the partition wall Wb having a two-layer structure made of metal with an air layer therebetween. Cooling the structure that can be transported. It is also necessary to cover the outer circumference of the third cooling medium tank 7c with a two-layer structure having an air or a vacuum layer therebetween to prevent heat conduction from the surrounding air while preventing condensation caused by ambient moisture.

(iv) FIG. 2 shows a flow path 72 for introducing a cooling source from the refrigerator 71 to the first cooling medium tank 7a in the cooling medium generating unit 7 to cool the cooling medium in the barrel to a temperature lower than a specified temperature, and by being mounted on The heaters Hb and Hc in the second cooling medium tank 7b and the cooling medium tank 7c, and the cooling medium temperature control sections 74b and 74c control the cooling medium stored in each of the tanks at a specified temperature. Here, it is necessary to have agitators Ma, Mb, and Mc in each of the cooling medium in order to increase the heat diffusion of the cooling medium. However, it is not necessary to control the number of cooling medium tanks at the specified temperature to be two, and if the structure of the cooling medium tank 73 and the use conditions of the cooling medium are set, heat balance is established at each cooling medium barrel, and the control can be used as a reference by control. (Refer to cooling medium) The temperature of one of the cooling media in the cooling medium tank controls the temperature of the cooling medium in each of the cooling medium drums. That is, it is characterized in that the heaters Hb and Hc and the temperature sensors Sb and Sc are respectively immersed in the second cooling medium in the second cooling medium tank 7b and the third cooling medium in the third cooling medium tank 7c. Measuring the temperature of the cooling medium, and using the heaters Hb and Hc to the second cooling medium tank 7b that is excessively cooled by the cooling energy from the first cooling medium tank 7a via the partition wall Wa and from the second cooling medium via the partition wall Wb The third cooling medium tank 7c, which can be overcooled by the cooling of the tub 7b, applies heat appropriately to feedback control the temperature to control it at a specified temperature. For the first cooling medium tank 7a which does not require high cooling medium temperature accuracy, only the flow path 72 from the first cooling energy of the refrigerator 71 is connected and without the heater and the temperature sensor installed There are no special problems in function.

(v) The temperature distribution in each of the cooling medium tanks in the cooling generating unit 7 having the above structure is shown in FIG.

Since the first cooling medium in the first cooling medium tank 7a of the innermost region is cooled by the cooling energy from the flow path 72 of the refrigerator 71 as described, it has the lowest temperature among the three cooling mediums, and the refrigerator The start of 71 is such that the temperature is, for example, -10 to -5 °C. Here, since the temperature of the first cooling medium is not temperature-controlled unlike the second and third cooling mediums, the fluctuation of the operating conditions of the refrigerator 71 (such as the ambient temperature around the refrigerator) causes it to be within a specific range. fluctuation.

Unlike the first cooling medium tank 7a, the second cooling medium tank 7b is not cooled by the refrigerator 71, but is cooled by cooling which is transmitted from the partition wall Wa of the first cooling medium tank 7a which is internally contacted with the second cooling medium. Here, due to its Will be directly affected by the temperature fluctuation of the first cooling medium, so that the heater Hb is installed at the second cooling medium tank 7b, so that the temperature of the second cooling medium is constantly controlled by, for example, heating control of the heater Hb, for example, About 0 ° C, and different from the first cooling medium tank 7a, it is maintained at a constant temperature. Here, the heat from the radiant section of the chiller 71 (specifically, the condenser 71b meets the requirements) may be used instead of the heating control of the heater Hb, and the temperature of the temperature-controlled third cooling medium may be adjusted as a heating source. . Since the apparatus forms a heat treatment apparatus integrated with the refrigerator 71, energy efficient and highly accurate temperature control can be realized without using the function of the heater Hb by effectively utilizing the energy of the entire heat treatment apparatus including the refrigerator 71. . Further, energy efficiency can be further improved by replacing it with heating control (described later) of the heater Hc.

Like the second cooling medium tank 7b, the third cooling medium tank 7c is not cooled by the refrigerator 71, but is cooled by cooling which is transmitted from the partition wall Wb of the second cooling medium tank 7b which is internally contacted with the third cooling medium. Here, only the transmission cooling energy is used, and the temperature of the third cooling medium tank 7c will fluctuate due to thermal disturbance from the surrounding air and other factors, but as in the case of the second cooling medium tank 7b, by the third cooling medium tank The heater Hc is installed at 7c, and the temperature of the third cooling medium is controlled by, for example, about 15 ° C ± 1 ° C by thermal control using the heater Hc. Here, it is also possible to use the heat from the radiant section of the refrigerator 71 (specifically, the condenser 71b meets this requirement) instead of the heating control of the heater Hc.

(vi) FIG. 2 shows a case where three cooling medium tanks are arranged in a concentric manner to form a triple structure, but in this device, the structure is not limited thereto, but is a package. Any two layers of cooling media are arranged in any of a plurality of layers that are partially adjacent to one another in a planar or spatial manner. More specifically, the first cooling medium tank 7a, the second cooling medium tank 7b, and the third cooling medium tank 7c may be continuously adjacent in a planar manner as shown in FIGS. 4(A)-(D), or may be cooled. a structure in which the media barrel is adjacent to the two cooling medium tanks, or a first cooling medium tank 7a, a second cooling medium tank 7b, and a third cooling medium tank 7c in a space manner as shown in FIGS. 4(E)-(H) Continuously adjacent structures, and structures that combine such arrangements.

[About heat treatment unit 3u]

The heat treatment unit 3u has a function of liquefying the gaseous liquefied gas supplied in a gaseous state and immediately storing it in the form of a liquid liquefied gas (hereinafter referred to as "liquefaction storage mode") and regasifying the previously stored liquefied gas and The function of supplying in a gaseous state (hereinafter may be referred to as "re-evaporation mode"). Here, in the composition as shown in FIG. 1, the liquefaction member 3a, the storage member 3b, and the vaporization member 3c are connected via the connection section 3d, and due to equipment such as a liquid supply pump installed in the connection section 3d The target substance such as a liquefied gas can be successively processed in a continuous manner.

Here, as shown in Fig. 5, the liquefaction member 3a is attached to the liquefied gas introduction pipe 3e, and a heat treatment unit 3u is produced, which is placed on the upper portion of the storage member 3b as a pre-cooling device for liquefying the liquefied gas. The liquefied gas introduction pipe 3e of the first cooling medium cooling liquefaction member 3a supplied from the first cooling medium tank 7a and introduced from the cooling medium introduction section 3aa at the lower portion of the liquefaction member 3a by the cooling medium circulation pump Pa, the self-cooling member 3a The upper cooling medium discharge section 3ab is discharged and returned to the first cooling medium tank 7a to continuously circulate the new first cooling medium. Introducing liquefied gas into a gaseous state The liquefied gas in the tube 3e flows along the liquefied gas introduction pipe 3e while being condensed as it is rapidly cooled by the liquefaction member 3a, and is stored in a liquid state in the storage member 3b located at the lower portion of the liquefaction member 3a. Further, the outer surface of the storage member 3b, and the cooling medium introduction pipe 3aa and the cooling medium discharge pipe 3ab are covered with the heat insulating covers 3be and 3ae to reduce the cooling energy loss and prevent condensation.

As shown in Fig. 5, the storage member 3b is equipped with a cooling jacket 3bb in such a manner that it surrounds the container 3ba storing the liquefied gas introduced from the liquefied gas introduction pipe 3e, and the cooling medium introduction port 3bc is attached to the cooling jacket 3bb. The lower portion and the cooling medium discharge port 3bd are installed above the cooling jacket 3bb, and the cooling medium flows through the space 3be inside the cooling jacket 3bb, and thus the storage member 3b has a second medium circulation pump Pb allowing the second cooling medium to be used The structure that circulates between the second cooling medium tanks 7b. The outer surface of the cooling jacket 3bb, and the cooling medium introduction port 3bc and the cooling medium discharge port 3bd have a heat insulating covering pipe to reduce cooling energy loss and prevent condensation at the outer surface of the cooling jacket 3bb and the surface of the cooling medium circulation pipe.

The vaporization member 3c basically has the same structure as the storage member 3b shown in Fig. 5, and is composed of a container 3ca (not shown) for storing a liquefied gas and a cooling jacket 3cb (not shown) around the container 3ca, which The cooling jacket 3cb allows the third cooling medium to be circulated and supplied between the third cooling medium tanks 7c using the third cooling medium circulation pump Pc (not shown). It is also equipped with a liquefied gas discharge pipe 3f for discharging the vaporized liquefied gas.

In addition to these structures, various other types of structures can be applied. For example, as shown in FIG. 6, there is a bubble method of vaporizing a liquid liquefied gas stored in a container 3ba by introducing a carrier gas into a liquid phase, and here In the method, a carrier gas introduction section 3cc is installed and a carrier gas introduction pipe 3cd is inserted in the vicinity of the lowest layer of the liquid phase liquefied gas. Even in the case where it is difficult to ensure a sufficient supply rate due to the low vapor pressure, the gas supply capacity can be improved by causing the liquefied gas to accompany the carrier gas having the supply ability. Further, when it is required to supply a low concentration liquefied gas or when a plurality of types of gases are mixed and used, the liquefied gas according to the operating conditions can be supplied by causing the liquefied gas to accompany the gas such as an inert gas or other type of gas as a carrier gas.

At this time, controlling the amount of liquefied gas accompanying the carrier gas (this is commonly referred to as "absorption rate") can be accomplished by controlling the flow rate of the carrier gas. That is, in the case where it is controlled so that the liquidus temperature is substantially constant, the suction rate can be increased by installing the mass flow controller 3mf in the carrier gas flow path and the carrier gas flow rate can be increased by controlling it. Further, in a case where the liquefied gas is accompanied by the carrier gas, a method of allowing the carrier gas to flow over the surface of the liquid phase without using bubbles, or a method of further adding a carrier gas to the carrier gas by the autonomous vaporization member 1b may be used. . For the carrier gas, it is necessary to use a gas of a type that does not hinder the gas consumption process. Generally, inert gases such as He, Ar, and N ₂ are mainly used, but when SiHCl _{3 is} used as the liquefied gas as in the epitaxial wafer processing process, H _{2 is required} .

It is also possible to use a structure as shown in Fig. 6(B) in which a nozzle 3cf for vertically ejecting the third cooling medium onto the bottom surface of the container 3ca is mounted on the bottom surface of the inner space 3ce of the cooling jacket 3cb. By having a third cooling medium, the outer circumference and the bottom of the cooling jacket 3cb can be contacted while flowing to supply the space 3ce for heating energy from the periphery of the container 3ca, and the third cooling medium is vertically sprayed to the container 3ca. a bottom surface to promote from the third cooling medium to the container 3ca or By providing heat transfer from the liquefied gas stored therein to the conduction process as indicated by arrows Fa and Fb, a stable supply of liquefied gas can be provided and rapid thermal replenishment for temperature fluctuations of the liquefied gas can be ensured. Further, as shown in FIG. 6(B), by installing the immersion heater Hn in the cooling medium introduction system to heat the supplied third cooling medium, the liquefied gas can be supplied with a further stable pressure because it can correspond to The supply rate of the liquefied gas (i.e., the amount of vaporization) rapidly replenishes the heat of vaporization carried away from the liquid liquefied gas.

[Another constituent embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention]

Another constituent embodiment of the heat treatment apparatus of the present invention is described below based on Fig. 7 . Although the basic assembly is the same as that shown in FIG. 1 above, it has at least two heat treatment units 3u each serving as the liquefaction member 3a, the storage member 3b, and the vaporization member 3c, and the cooling medium circulation conversion system is produced by the cooling medium. The unit 7, the three circulating pumps Pa, Pb and Pc and the four flow path switching valves V1-V4 are composed to have the function of independently and alternately converting the heat treatment units. Figure 7 shows the case where the heat treatment unit 3uA shown on the left side of the figure is in the "liquefied storage mode" and the heat treatment unit 3uB shown on the right side of the figure is in the "re-evaporation mode" (step 1), and in the mode after the specified duration Convert between (step 2). By periodically repeating this conversion (step 3), the liquefied gas supplied in a gaseous state can be regasified to continuously supply the liquefied gas.

[About cooling medium circulation conversion system]

Specifically, the cooling medium used in each step is converted using the flow path switching valves V1 - V4, and the operation modes of the heat treatment unit 3uA and the heat treatment unit 3uB, the heat treatment target, and the cooling medium used are as shown in Table 2.

The flow path switching valve V1 has a second cooling medium that is supplied by the second cooling medium circulation pump Pb pressure feed to either of the two cooling target heat treatment units 3uA or the heat treatment unit 3uB (FIG. 7 shows feeding it to the heat treatment unit) In the case of 3uA), and at the same time, the third cooling medium supplied by the third cooling medium circulation pump Pc is fed to the function of another heat treatment unit (which is the heat treatment unit 3uB in the case shown in Fig. 7). The flow path switching valve V2 has a function of switching the flow path so that the second and third cooling mediums returned from the heat treatment unit 3uA or the heat treatment unit 3uB are returned to the second cooling medium tank 7b and the third cooling medium tank 7c, respectively. The flow path switching valve V3 and the flow path switching valve V4 are for controlling whether to feed the first cooling medium to either of the two liquefied members 3aA or 3aB, and FIG. 7 shows that the first cooling medium is circulated to the composition. Heat treatment unit 3uA liquefaction member 3aA, not supplied The case of the liquefied member 3aB constituting the heat treatment unit 3uB.

These four flow path reversing valves V1-V4 are activated together when switching the operation modes of the two heat treatment units 3uA and 3uB. Figure 7 shows an example of a flow path reversing valve V1-V4 consisting of a 2-position 4-way reversing valve, but it goes without saying that a combination of a 3-way flow reversing valve or a combination of a switching function reversing valve can be used. Achieve the same function.

[About heat treatment unit 3uA and 3uB]

In this apparatus, the heat treatment units 3uA and 3uB have functions corresponding to the "liquefied storage mode" and the "re-evaporation mode" in this individual order in Fig. 7. In the step 1 shown in Table 2, the gaseous liquefied gas is introduced into the heat treatment unit 3uA via the open switching valve 33a and the liquefied gas introduction pipe 3eA, and is liquefied by the liquefaction member 3aA and stored by the storage member 3bA, and simultaneously The vaporized liquefied gas is discharged through the liquefied gas discharge pipe 3fB and the opened switching valve 33d. Further, in step 2, it is introduced into the heat treatment unit 3uB via the open switching valve 33b and the liquefied gas introduction pipe 3eB, and at the same time, the regasified liquefied gas is discharged through the liquefied gas discharge pipe 3fA and the opened switching valve 33c. .

That is, when the heat treatment unit 3uA is in the "liquefaction storage mode", the reversing valve 33a is opened and the reversing valve 33c is closed, and at the heat treatment unit 3uB in the "re-evaporation mode", the reversing valve 33b is closed and the reversing valve 33d opens. Conversely, when the heat treatment unit 3uB is in the "liquefaction storage mode", the reversing valve 33b is opened and the reversing valve 33d is closed, and at the heat treatment unit 3uA in the "re-evaporation mode", the reversing valve 33a is closed and the reversing valve 33c opens. In Fig. 7, the reversing valves 33a-33d are shown in an open state in white. It is shown in black as closed.

The two heat treatment units 3uA and 3uB are designed to continuously supply the liquefied gas by alternately switching control to operate the functions of the "liquefaction storage mode" and the "re-evaporation mode". The conversion is performed when the amount of remaining liquid in the heat treatment unit 3uB in the "re-evaporation mode" falls below a specified level. Since the detection of the remaining amount is usually done by measuring the weight, the two slots are mounted such that they are on the load cell 32.

Further details of the heat treatment unit 3uA in the "liquefied storage mode" are provided below. The first cooling medium (for example, -10 to -5 ° C) is cyclically supplied to the heat treatment unit 3uA, and the gaseous liquefied gas supplied via the opened switching valve 33a is cooled and liquefied at the liquefaction member 3a, and the liquid liquefied gas gradually It is stored in this storage member 3bA. Since the storage member 3bA is cooled by the second cooling medium (for example, 0 ° C) circulating therearound, its internal pressure can be kept low enough to allow continuous liquefaction and storage of the liquefied gas. Since the switching valve 33c is closed during this period, the liquefied gas is not supplied from the heat treatment unit 3uA, and thus only the liquefied gas supplied in a gaseous state is exclusively liquefied and stored. When the amount stored in this manner reaches a predetermined design amount, the switching valve 33a of the heat treatment unit 3uA is automatically turned off, and at the same time, the set temperature of the temperature control is automatically switched from the previous liquefaction setting to the re-vaporization mode setting. At the same time, the pump Pb conveying the second cooling medium to the heat treatment unit 3uA and the pump Pa conveying the first cooling medium to the liquefaction member 3aA are stopped. When the temperature of the liquefied gas stored in the heat treatment unit 3uA reaches a new set temperature, the pump Pb is restarted, and the standby liquid temperature is turned on/off to maintain the "re-evaporation mode" temperature. This enables the liquid to be placed on the side of the alternate "liquefied storage mode" The temperature is pre-transferred to the "re-evaporation mode" temperature setting to avoid under-pressure conditions during mode switching. As a method of directly measuring the temperature of the liquefied gas instead of the temperature measurement, FIG. 7 shows an example of using the method, which is operated by detecting the vapor pressure of the liquefied gas by the pressure sensor 34A based on the specific temperature and saturated vapor pressure map of the liquefied gas. . The method of directly inserting the temperature sensor into the stored liquefied gas should be apparently used as an alternative method for detecting the temperature of the liquefied gas.

At the same time, at the heat treatment unit 3uB in the "re-evaporation mode", since the switching valve 33b is closed, the supply of the gaseous liquefied gas is not performed. Further, since the first cooling medium is not supplied to the liquefaction member 3aB due to the flow path switching valves V3 and V4, the condensing function is not activated. Further, since the switching valve 33d is opened, the gas phase section existing in the upper portion of the liquid phase liquefied gas stored in the vaporization member 3cB is in a dischargeable state. In the case where liquefied gas is consumed in such facilities equipped with the liquefied gas discharge pipe 3fB, the pressure of the gas phase section is lowered via the liquefied gas discharge pipe 3fB, but the liquid phase liquefied gas inside the vaporization member 3cB is rapidly vaporized to compensate Pressure loss. Since the third cooling medium (for example, 15 ° C) is supplied to the vaporization member 3cB, the liquefied gas in the vaporization member 3cB is maintained at 15 ° C, and the gaseous liquefied gas which is stabilized at a pressure equal to the saturated vapor pressure at 15 ° C is supplied. When the amount of gas in the vaporization member 3cB falls below a specified level, it is switched to the heat treatment unit 3uA which has stored the liquefied gas in the liquefaction storage mode. At this time, the flow path switching valves V1 - V4 and the switching valves 33a and 33b are immediately reversed, and the pumps Pa and Pb are opened, the switching valve 33c is opened, and the switching valve 33d is opened.

The two heat treatment units 3uA and 3uB are each additionally equipped with the above-mentioned cold However, the temperature control function of the medium circulation system is to cool it and maintain its temperature at a specific level. That is, it has a member for measuring the liquefaction temperature of the liquefaction member 3a (3aA and/or 3aB), a member for measuring the storage temperature of the storage member 3b (3bA and/or 3bB), and the measurement vaporization member 3c (3cA and / Or a component of the liquid liquefied gas temperature in 3cB), and a member (not shown) for controlling the liquefaction temperature, the storage temperature, and the temperature of the liquid liquefied gas to cool the liquefied gas supplied in a gaseous state to a sufficiently low temperature for supply Liquefaction, and then temperature control to regasify and supply it. More specifically, it is required to control the temperature control of the heat treatment unit 3uA in the "liquefaction storage mode" so that the wall surface temperature of the bottom portion of the container 3ba becomes a predetermined temperature; on the other hand, the temperature control of the heat treatment unit 3uB in the "re-evaporation mode" The pressure sensor 34B installed in the liquefied gas introduction pipe 3fB of the vaporization member 3c is continuously monitored and feedback control is used to calculate the liquid temperature from the "saturated vapor pressure ratio versus temperature" characteristic curve unique to the liquefied gas using the monitored pressure value. Become the predetermined temperature.

The case where the conversion function between the "liquefaction storage mode" and the "re-evaporation mode" is provided by the two heat treatment units 3uA and 3uB is described above, but the device is not limited to this configuration, and a single storage tank 31 may be used. Batch conversion between liquefaction storage mode and re-vaporization mode.

<Composition Example of Liquefied Gas Supply Device of the Present Invention>

Fig. 8 is a schematic view showing a basic constitutional embodiment of a liquefied gas supply device (hereinafter referred to as "this supply device") of the present invention. It consists of a dedicated liquefied gas chamber (hereinafter referred to as a separate chamber from a chamber in which the treatment device 5 as a consumption facility is disposed (hereinafter referred to as "cleaning chamber 30"). The main liquefaction supply facility 1 in the "liquefied gas supply chamber 10"), the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facility 3 (corresponding to the heat treatment device 3) disposed adjacent to the processing device, the main piping system 2 connecting the two, and the connection pair The liquefied gas supply facility 3 and the secondary piping system 4 of the processing unit 5. In Fig. 1, the processing device 5 is disposed on the clean room floor 30a in the clean room 30, and the auxiliary liquefied gas supply device 3 is disposed on the inflatable floor 30b. The liquefied gas filled in the filling container 1a of the main liquefied gas supply facility 1 is vaporized at the main vaporization member 1b. The gaseous liquefied gas is fed to the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facility 3 in a gaseous state via the main piping system 2 having the main pipe 2a. The liquefied gas fed in a gaseous state is reliquefied by the reliquefaction member 3a of the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facility 3, and then stored in the storage member 3b in a liquid state. The stored liquefied gas is vaporized at the sub-vaporization member 3c. The liquefied gas converted to the gaseous state is fed to the treatment device 5 in a gaseous state by the secondary piping system 4 having the secondary conduit 4a. The exhaust gas from the processing device 5 including the fed liquefied gas is discharged through the exhaust gas treatment device 6.

Since the operation of installing and removing the filling container 1a transferred from the liquefied gas manufacturing plant is completely and only completed in the liquefied gas supply chamber 10, it can be avoided in the cleaning room 5 of the general operator working and arranging the processing device 5. The dangerous work of opening the pipeline in the atmosphere. Therefore, it is conventionally impossible to completely separate all the liquefied gases including the low vapor pressure liquefied gas from the clean room 30, and to provide a concentrated supply, remarkably improved safety and work efficiency. The constituent elements of each unit are described below.

[Main liquefied gas supply facility 1]

In detail, as shown in FIG. 9, the main liquefied gas supply facility 1 is in its The outer casing 1z houses a filling container 1a filled with a liquid liquefied gas, and the outer casing 1Z is equipped with a built-in temperature control system (not shown) which is composed of the following components: the temperature of the liquefied gas in the filling container 1a is lowered to the main vaporization The cooling section 1c of the predetermined temperature of the member 1b, and the vaporization heat loss when the liquefied gas is replenished and supplied, causes the liquefied gas temperature to not reach the heating section 1d lower than the predetermined temperature. For the cooling section 1c, if it can cool the gas from the bottom, side or ambient temperature (usually 10-30 ° C) of the filling container 1a by approximately 10 ° C, it is sufficient and can be applied, for example, from The method of the cooling medium unit 1e shown in Fig. 9 as a cooling medium for the cooling source. For the heating section 1d, a method of filling the bottom or side of the container 1a with, for example, heating using a heat source such as heated air or a lamp can be applied.

Here, the facility is also equipped with means (not shown) for measuring the liquid-phase liquefied gas temperature To in the filling container, and means for controlling the liquid-phase liquefied gas temperature To in the filling container (not shown). However, the pressure vessel for transfer is also the filling vessel 1a, and is a pressure vessel for transporting back and forth between the liquefied gas manufacturing plant and the liquefied gas supply device, and it is difficult to directly place the temperature sensor to measure the temperature of the liquefied gas in the vessel. Here, by continuously monitoring the pressure of the vaporized liquefied gas using a pressure sensor (not shown) at the outlet pipe and using this pressure value, the "saturated vapor pressure ratio versus temperature" characteristic unique to the liquefied gas can be calculated. The liquid phase temperature of the liquefied gas in the vessel 1a is filled, and this method is required from the viewpoint of the rapidity and accuracy of the measurement. In this apparatus, it is necessary to employ a feedback control method to maintain the liquidus temperature obtained in this manner at a predetermined temperature.

Since the amount of remaining liquefied gas in the filling container 1a is usually detected by The weighing is completed, so that the filling container 1a is mounted on the load meter 1f, and when the remaining amount becomes low, the filling container 1a is replaced.

[Main gas supply pipeline system 2]

The main pipe 2a (i.e., the main pipe system 2) between the main liquefied gas supply facility 1 and the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facility 3 has no special specifications except for a pipe diameter suitable for the flow rate of the liquefied gas supply, and is generally used for semiconductor liquefaction. Their specifications in the gas supply line will be sufficient. Further, members such as thermal insulation and heating means required for the purpose of preventing reliquefaction in the main pipe 2a are not required at all in the prior art. However, as described above, since many low vapor pressure liquefied gases are corrosive and toxic, stainless steel pipes (SUS) to which internal surface treatment or inner surface processing is applied are generally used. In the main gaseous supply piping system 2, it is necessary to measure the distribution of the ambient temperature Ta of the system, estimate the lower limit of the fluctuation range of the ambient temperature Ta of the main gaseous supply piping system 2 from the data, and supply the liquid phase in the main liquefied gas supply facility 1 The control temperature of the liquefied gas temperature To is set below the lower limit.

[Sub-liquefied gas supply facility 3]

The auxiliary liquefied gas supply facility 3 needs to reliquefy the gaseous liquefied gas supplied from the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facility 3 and the main piping system 2, and temporarily store it in the form of a liquid liquefied gas, and to make the previously stored liquefied gas It is regasified and supplied to the processing device in a gaseous state. In this supply device, these functions can be ensured by using the above-described heat treatment device 3.

At this time, the liquefied gas supplied from the filling container 1a in a gaseous state is controlled at, for example, 10 ° C, that is, at a temperature lower than any portion of the ambient temperature Ta. The gasification is continued so that it will not be reliquefied in the main pipe 2a, and thus it can be continuously liquefied in the liquefaction member 3a by, for example, cooling it to below -5 °C at the liquefaction member 3a.

On the other hand, at the vaporization member 3c in the "re-evaporation mode", the sub-pipe 4a connected to the treatment device 5 and the gas phase section existing in the upper portion of the liquid-phase liquefied gas stored in the vaporization member 3c are connected in an open state. And it is in a state in which the liquefied gas can flow out.

When the liquefied gas is consumed at the treatment device 5, the pressure of the gas phase section is lowered, but the liquid phase liquefied gas in the vaporization member 3c is rapidly vaporized to compensate for the pressure loss. Since the third cooling medium (for example, 15 ° C) is supplied to the periphery of the vaporization member 3c, the liquefied gas in the vaporization member 3c is maintained at 15 ° C, and thus will be stabilized at a pressure equal to, for example, a saturated vapor pressure of 15 ° C. The gaseous liquefied gas is supplied to the processing device 5. Here, the sub-pipe 4a connecting the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facility 3 and the processing apparatus 5 is usually installed inside the clean room and the ambient temperature Tb around the pipe is 20-23 °C. Therefore, the liquefied gas having a saturation temperature of 15 ° C flowing in the sub-pipe 4a continuously obtains heat from the pipe environment, and thus re-liquefaction does not occur in the sub-pipe 4a.

[Sub-gaseous supply piping system 4]

This is the sub-pipe 4a between the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facility 3 and the treatment device 5 as a gas-consuming facility, that is, the sub-pipe system 4. As in the case of the main pipe 2a, there is no special specification other than the pipe diameter suitable for the flow rate of the liquefied gas supply, and the specifications generally used in the semiconductor liquefied gas supply pipe will be sufficient. In addition, in the prior art, components such as thermal insulation and heating devices are required for the purpose of preventing reliquefaction in the pipeline. No need. Like the main duct system 2, a material such as SUS can be used for the sub duct 4a, and it is necessary to control the temperature by measuring the ambient temperature Tb of the sub duct system 4.

[How to operate this device]

In order to effectively utilize the above functions, the following process is required to operate the device.

(1) Process for main gasification of liquefied gas filled in the filling container 1a (2) Process for supplying gasification liquefied gas mainly through main pipe 2a (3) Process for reliquefying liquefied gas supplied in a gaseous state (4) Process for storing liquid reliquefied liquefied gas (5) Process of sub-gasification liquid liquefied gas (6) Process for supplying vaporized liquefied gas to the processing device 5 via the sub-pipe 4a (7) A process for replenishing the liquid liquefied gas used in the process (5) by using the liquefied gas stored in the process (4)

Following these steps, by immediately forcing the liquefied gas supplied in the gaseous state to be liquefied in the vicinity of the processing device 5, re-gasifying it, and then supplying it to the processing device 5, even when a low vapor pressure liquefied gas is used, It is prevented from reliquefying in the gaseous supply piping (main piping 2a and secondary piping 4a), ensuring the gaseous supply pressure of the filling vessel 1a to the processing apparatus 5, and stably supplying the required flow rate.

[Temperature Control in Supply Device of the Present Invention]

As shown in FIG. 10, the supply device of the present invention is characterized in that the liquid liquefied gas temperature (main liquid phase temperature) To in the filling container 1a is set lower than that of the main piping system 2 in the main liquefied gas supply facility 1. Ambient temperature Ta The lowest level, and in the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facility 3 of the supply unit of the present invention, the liquefaction temperature Tc or Tc and the storage temperature Ts are set lower than the liquid phase liquefied gas temperature To, and the liquid phase liquefied gas temperature Tg (the vice The liquidus temperature is set to a minimum temperature lower than the ambient temperature Tb. Hereinafter, the predetermined main liquid phase temperature is referred to as "Tset 1", and the predetermined liquefaction temperature (the sidewall surface temperature at the bottom of the storage tank 31a in the "reliquefaction storage mode") is referred to as "Tset 2", and the sub-vaporization temperature is referred to. (the liquidus temperature in the storage tank 31b in the "re-evaporation mode") is called "Tset 3"

With the conventional supply method, it is difficult to supply via the pipeline due to the problem of reliquefaction and insufficient supply pressure (i.e., differential pressure ΔP of the main liquefied gas supply facility 1 to the treatment device 5) especially when using a low vapor pressure liquefied gas. Low vapor pressure liquefied gas. On the other hand, the supply device of the present invention sets the flow through the main liquefied gas separately from the pressure required by the processing device 5 by introducing a liquefied gas relay section as the auxiliary liquefied gas supply means 3 installed in the middle of the gaseous supply pipe. The mechanism of the pressure of the liquefied gas of the main pipe 2a between the supply facility 1 and the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facility 3 becomes possible. Due to this configuration, the problem of reliquefaction in the pipe and the insufficient pressure in the pipe can be eliminated by reducing the saturated vapor temperature of the liquefied gas flowing in the main pipe 2a to such a degree that it does not cause reliquefaction in the pipe. .

More specifically, if the liquidus temperature (Tset 1) (for example, 10 ° C) of the main liquefied gas supply facility 1 is set to be lower than any portion of the ambient temperature Ta of the main pipe 2a (for example, 15 to 30 ° C), Then, reliquefaction in the main pipe 2a can be prevented. Further, under this condition, the temperature (Tset 2) of the storage tank 31a for reliquefaction in the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facility 3 is set to (example) For example, 0 ° C, and controlling it within approximately ± 2 ° C, a gaseous supply pressure of about 20-30 kPa can be obtained, and thus the function of the supply device of the present invention is effectively utilized. Further, if the liquidus temperature (Tset 3) in the storage tank 31b for re-vaporization is set to, for example, 15 ° C, that is, higher than the temperature of the Tset 2 for reliquefaction and at the same time always lower than the processing apparatus 5 The ambient temperature Tb (e.g., 20-25 ° C) of any portion of the medium gas supply conduit, and controlled within ± 2 ° C, can positively supply the pressure of approximately 30-100 kPa necessary for the processing device 5.

That is, as shown in FIG. 10, in this temperature control system, by maintaining the main liquidus temperature To at a temperature of at least 3 ° C or 5 ° C, even lower than the ambient temperature (the ambient temperature of the main piping system 2) The control range of Ta) is to perform vaporization. Thereby, the heat flow at the surface of the pipe wall in the main pipe 2a is maintained in the direction from the surrounding environment outside the pipe toward the gasification liquefied gas in the pipe. This means that the liquefied gas in a saturated vapor state at the vaporization temperature will continue to obtain heat from the outside of the pipe and transfer to the degree of superheated vapor throughout the flow through the pipe, and thus will not occur as in the conventional method. The liquefied gas in the pipeline is reliquefied.

Further, when the main liquefied gas supply facility 1 is placed in the chamber 10 different from the clean room 30 in which the treatment device 5 is disposed, if it is assumed that, for example, 15 ° C is the lowest temperature of the temperature around the main pipe 2a, it will be sufficient. Because the main pipe 2a only passes through the process building. In this case, if the liquidus temperature in the filling container 1a in the main liquefied gas supply facility 1 is set and precisely controlled to a temperature sufficiently lower than 15 ° C, or approximately 10 ° C ± 2 ° C, the above object can be achieved.

Further, in the supply device of the present invention, it is preferred to follow the operation listed in 1.1-1.3 with respect to the initial supply of the liquefied gas.

1.1 The liquid liquefied gas temperature is lowered to below the standard control temperature by cooling the packed vessel with a cooling source prior to initial supply of the liquefied gas, and below the minimum temperature of the main piping system and the ambient temperature.

1.2 Supply of gaseous liquefied gas from the filling container.

1.3 The liquid liquefied gas which is further cooled by the supply of the gas is controlled at a standard control temperature by heating with a heat source.

That is, by following these steps, even by initially cooling the filling vessel to a temperature below the standard control temperature and below the minimum temperature of the main piping system and the ambient temperature before initially supplying the liquefied gas, The reliquefaction in the supply line is also surely prevented when the lowest temperature of the main piping system is lower than the ambient temperature, and the gaseous supply pressure is ensured due to subsequent temperature rise and proper temperature control.

[Other Configuration Examples of Liquefied Gas Supply Facility of the Present Invention]

The above configuration embodiment illustrates a case where a main liquefied gas supply facility is connected to a secondary liquefied gas supply facility; however, the present invention is constructed by connecting one or more auxiliary liquefied gas supply facilities to a main liquefied gas supply facility. A liquefied gas supply facility (hereinafter referred to as "device 2") which is composed of a main pipe and can simultaneously supply a liquefied gas to a plurality of auxiliary liquefied gas supply facilities by an autonomous liquefied gas supply facility is possible.

As illustrated in Fig. 11, the apparatus 2 is a specific example of three auxiliary liquefied gas supply facilities 3x, 3y and 3z connected to one main liquefied gas supply facility. In this specific example, the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facilities 3x, 3y and 3z It can be placed in the area of the same clean room with a uniform ventilation temperature, or it can be placed in the area of different clean rooms 30x, 30y and 30z with different ventilation temperatures.

As explained above, also in the apparatus 2, the gaseous supply pressure in the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facilities 3x, 3y and 3z can be set independently of the gaseous supply pressure of the main liquefied gas supply facility. That is, in the apparatus 2, the main liquefied gas supply facility 1, the main duct 2a, the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facilities 3x, 3y and 3z, and the auxiliary duct systems 4x, 4y and 4z are independent, and thus the main duct system 2 Branches may be provided, and the liquefied gas from the main liquefied gas supply facility 1 may be supplied by operating the auxiliary liquefied gas supply facilities 3x, 3y, and 3z under various conditions. For example, various liquefied gases having a controlled secondary gaseous supply pressure may be supplied to the processing devices 5x, 5y, and 5z. Further, the secondary airflow may be supplied to the processing devices 5x, 5y, and 5z under various conditions.

[potential industrial application]

A heat treatment apparatus for a special material gas for semiconductors used in semiconductor manufacturing or FDP fabrication and a liquefied gas supply apparatus using the same have been generally described; however, the present invention is not limited to liquefied gases for such electronic devices and may be It is used in liquefied gases used in various processes or various liquid heat treatment processes. Further, it can be used as a manufacturing process which requires heat treatment only when a plurality of temperature conditions are required to supply only a cooling medium device having the same temperature or can be used, particularly under various temperature conditions. For example, it is suitable for a treatment process for switching between cooling and heating in a process such as gas absorption or purification.

1‧‧‧Main liquefied gas supply facility

1a‧‧‧filled container

1b‧‧‧Main vaporization components

1c‧‧‧cooling section

1d‧‧‧heating section

1e‧‧‧Cooling unit

1f‧‧‧ load meter

1z‧‧‧shell

2‧‧‧Main piping system

2a‧‧‧Main pipeline

3‧‧‧ Heat treatment unit (sub-liquefied gas supply facility)

3a‧‧‧liquefaction components

3aa‧‧‧Cooling medium introduction tube

3aA‧‧‧liquefaction components

3ab‧‧‧Cooling medium discharge pipe

3aB‧‧‧Liquidized components

3ae‧‧‧Insulation cover

3b‧‧‧Storage components

3bA‧‧‧ storage components

3ba‧‧‧ Container

3bb‧‧‧cooling jacket

3bB‧‧‧ storage components

3bc‧‧‧ Cooling medium inlet

3bd‧‧‧Cooling medium discharge

3be‧‧‧Insulation cover

3c‧‧‧Sub-vaporization components

3ca‧‧‧container

3cA‧‧‧vaporization components

3cb‧‧‧cooling jacket

3cB‧‧‧vaporization components

3cc‧‧‧carrier gas introduction section

3cd‧‧‧carrier gas introduction tube

3ce‧‧‧ space

3cf‧‧‧ nozzle

3d‧‧‧Connecting parts

3e‧‧‧liquefied gas introduction pipe

3eA‧‧‧liquefied gas introduction pipe

3f‧‧‧liquefied gas discharge pipe

3fA‧‧‧liquefied gas discharge pipe

3fB‧‧‧liquefied gas discharge pipe

3mf‧‧‧Flow Controller

3u‧‧‧heat treatment unit (liquefaction supply unit)

3uA‧‧‧heat treatment unit

3uB‧‧‧heat treatment unit

3x‧‧‧Sub-liquefied gas supply facility

3y‧‧‧Sub-liquefied gas supply facility

3z‧‧‧Sub-liquefied gas supply facility

4‧‧‧Subpipe system

4a‧‧‧Sub-pipe

4x‧‧‧Sub piping system

4y‧‧‧Subpipe system

4z‧‧‧Sub piping system

5‧‧‧Processing device

5x‧‧‧Processing device

5y‧‧‧Processing device

5z‧‧‧Processing device

6‧‧‧Exhaust gas treatment device

7‧‧‧Cooling medium generating unit

7a‧‧‧First cooling medium bucket

7b‧‧‧Second cooling medium tank

7c‧‧‧ third cooling medium barrel

10‧‧‧Liquified gas supply room

30‧‧‧Clean room

30a‧‧‧Clean floor

30b‧‧‧Inflatable bottom plate

30x‧‧ clean room

30y‧‧‧Clean room

30z‧‧ clean room

31a‧‧‧ Storage tank

31b‧‧‧ storage tank

32‧‧‧ load meter

33a‧‧‧Reversing valve

33b‧‧‧Reversing valve

33c‧‧‧Reversing valve

33d‧‧‧Reversing valve

34A‧‧‧pressure sensor

34B‧‧‧pressure sensor

71‧‧‧Freezer

71a‧‧‧Compressor

71b‧‧‧Condenser

71c‧‧‧ Receiver

71d‧‧‧Expansion valve

71e‧‧‧Evaporator

72‧‧‧ flow path

73‧‧‧Cooling medium tank

74b‧‧‧Cooling medium temperature control section

74c‧‧‧Cooling medium temperature control section

102‧‧‧ storage container

104‧‧‧Condensation tank

106‧‧‧Freezer

108‧‧‧ container body

110‧‧‧liquid components

112‧‧‧ gas phase parts

114‧‧‧Sensor

116‧‧‧Condensation tank body

118‧‧‧liquid components

120‧‧‧ gas phase parts

122‧‧‧Transportation pipeline

124‧‧‧Transportation pipeline

126‧‧ ‧ shadow box

138‧‧‧Recondensing device

140‧‧‧Freezer body

144‧‧‧Transportation pipeline

146‧‧‧Compressor

201‧‧‧Quality Flow Controller

202‧‧‧temperature sensor

203‧‧‧ Temperature Control Circuit

204‧‧‧heater

205‧‧‧Liquid material gas supply pipeline

206‧‧‧Processing chamber

207‧‧‧Liquid material gas storage tank

Fa‧‧ arrow

Fb‧‧ arrow

Hb‧‧‧heater

Hc‧‧ heater

Hn‧‧‧heater

Ma‧‧‧Agitator

Mb‧‧‧ blender

Mc‧‧‧Agitator

Wa‧‧‧ partition wall

Wb‧‧‧ partition wall

Pa‧‧ Circulating pump

Pb‧‧ Circulating pump

Pc‧‧ Circulating pump

Sb‧‧‧Temperature Sensor

Sc‧‧‧Temperature Sensor

Ta‧‧‧ ambient temperature

Tb‧‧‧ ambient temperature

Tc‧‧‧Liquidization temperature

Tg‧‧‧ liquid liquefied gas temperature

To‧‧‧ liquid liquefied gas temperature

Tset1‧‧‧predetermined main liquidus temperature

Tset2‧‧‧Predetermined liquefaction temperature

Tset3‧‧‧Sub-vaporization temperature

V1‧‧‧ flow path reversing valve

V2‧‧‧ flow path reversing valve

V3‧‧‧ flow path reversing valve

V4‧‧‧ flow path reversing valve

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a view showing a basic configuration example of a heat treatment apparatus (invention apparatus of the present invention) of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an explanatory view showing a cooling medium generating unit of the apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is an explanatory view showing a temperature distribution of a cooling medium tank constituting a cooling medium generating unit of the apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing the structure of a cooling medium tank constituting a cooling medium generating unit of the apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is an explanatory view showing the structure of a liquefaction member constituting a heat treatment unit of the apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is an explanatory view showing another configuration example of a liquefaction member constituting a heat treatment unit of the apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is an explanatory view showing another configuration example of the apparatus of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is an explanatory view showing a basic configuration example of a liquefied gas supply facility (supplying device of the present invention) of the present invention.

Fig. 9 is an explanatory view showing a main liquefied gas supply facility of the supply device of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is an explanatory view for explaining the temperature setting of the supply device of the present invention.

Fig. 11 is an explanatory view showing another configuration example of the supply device of the present invention.

Figure 12 is a graphical representation of the future development of a gas supply facility.

Figure 13 is a diagram illustrating the future development of a cooling member.

3a‧‧‧liquefaction components

3b‧‧‧Storage components

3c‧‧‧Sub-vaporization components

3d‧‧‧Connecting parts

3u‧‧‧heat treatment unit (liquefaction supply unit)

7‧‧‧Cooling medium generating unit

7a‧‧‧First cooling medium bucket

7b‧‧‧Second cooling medium tank

7c‧‧‧ third cooling medium barrel

71‧‧‧Freezer

72‧‧‧ flow path

73‧‧‧Cooling medium tank

74b‧‧‧Cooling medium temperature control section

Hb‧‧‧heater

Hc‧‧ heater

Pa‧‧ Circulating pump

Pb‧‧ Circulating pump

Pc‧‧ Circulating pump

Claims (8)

A heat treatment apparatus characterized in that a plurality of cooling mediums having different temperatures are respectively generated in a plurality of cooling medium tanks using a single refrigerator system, each of the cooling medium barrels having a partition wall shared by one or two cooling mediums, using the partition walls Cooling medium is subjected to cooling treatment or heat treatment in a plurality of heat treatment sections, and simultaneously controls temperature of at least one of the cooling medium to be used as a reference cooling source for heat treatment of the heat treatment section, wherein the first cooling medium is frozen The machine is cooled to a minimum temperature between the cooling medium, and the remaining cooling medium is cooled by the adjacent cooling medium via the shared partition wall, respectively. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, characterized in that the lowest temperature first cooling medium is stored in the innermost first cooling medium tank, and the second low temperature second cooling medium is stored in the second cooling medium The third low temperature cooling medium is stored in the third cooling medium tank, and the nth low temperature cooling medium is stored in the nth cooling medium tank to store the cooling medium in order from low temperature to high temperature. n is an integer greater than 3, and the cooling medium is supplied to the heat treatment sections simultaneously from the cooling medium barrels. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it has at least two heat treatment sections as liquefaction members, storage members and vaporization members, and allows independent and alternate conversion between the members. a function of using the first cooling medium as a cooling source for the heat treatment section of the liquefaction member, using the second cooling medium as a cooling source for the heat treatment section of the storage member, and simultaneously using the third cooling medium as described above a heating source for the heat treatment section of the vaporization member. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the supply of the first to third cooling mediums is previously converted when it is switched from its function as the liquefaction member or the storage member to its function as a vaporization member The path or pre-conversion to the control temperature of each function when it is in the state of ensuring any of these functions after the transition. A heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the heat from the heat radiation section of the refrigerator is used as the temperature control heating source for the temperature controlled cooling medium. The heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vaporization member has a space through which the third cooling medium can contact the outer circumference and the bottom of the container for storing the target gas to be vaporized, and has the above-mentioned The bottom surface of the space sprays the third cooling medium vertically to the nozzle at the bottom of the container. A liquefied gas supply device for supplying a liquefied gas from a container filled with the liquefied gas in a gaseous state to a separate gas consuming facility via a piping system, characterized by using any one of claims 1-6 Any one of the heat treatment apparatuses performs liquefaction treatment and vaporization treatment, or liquefaction treatment, storage treatment, and vaporization treatment on the gaseous liquefied gas supplied through the pipeline. The liquefied gas supply device of claim 7, characterized in that at least two of the above heat treatment devices are used, and a plurality of cooling media at different temperatures generated at the heat treatment devices are used, and the first heat treatment device has the lowest use. Temperature cooling medium to the above gas The liquefied gas is subjected to liquefaction treatment, or the liquid liquefied gas is further subjected to storage treatment using a second low-temperature cooling medium, and the liquefied gas having the higher temperature than the former two kinds of cooling medium is used at the other heat treatment device. Performing a vaporization process that enables switching between the liquefaction and storage process and the vaporization process described above, and at the same time as the conversion, has cooling that is automatically supplied to the first heat treatment device and to the other heat treatment device A cooling medium flow path conversion system that converts between media.