TWM595887U - Miniature gas supply controller - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a micro gas supply controller, which includes: a sensor, at least one cabinet door opening detector, a control unit, a gas pipeline module, a flow control switch, and a timer. The sensor is used to measure the environmental data of the storage cabinet. The at least one cabinet door opening detector is used to detect whether the at least one cabinet door of the storage cabinet is opened. The control unit is electrically connected to the sensor and at least one cabinet door opening detector to generate at least one control signal to control the flow control switch to turn on or off. The timer is used to calculate the actual turn-on time of the flow control switch, and the control unit is used to determine whether an abnormal signal is issued. With the micro gas supply controller of the present invention, when the control unit sends out the abnormal signal, it can be checked whether gas is not input to the storage cabinet or a gas leakage occurs to maintain the temperature or humidity of the storage cabinet.

Description

Micro gas supply controller

This new type relates to a micro gas supply controller.

The conventional storage cabinet is used to store processed or unprocessed wafers or semiconductor components. In order to protect the wafer or semiconductor components in the storage cabinet from the environment (such as temperature or humidity), the conventional storage cabinet Gas must be input to maintain the temperature and humidity of the storage cabinet. The conventional way of inputting gas is to input gas continuously throughout the day, which increases the cost of gas. In addition, there is no other mechanism to detect whether gas is actually input to the storage cabinet or a leak occurs, and it may happen that the gas is not input to the storage cabinet, resulting in failure to maintain the temperature and humidity of the storage cabinet.

The new model provides a micro gas supply controller. In an embodiment, the micro gas supply controller includes: a sensor, at least one cabinet door opening detector, a control unit, a gas pipeline module, a flow control switch, and a timer. The sensor is disposed in a storage cabinet, used for measuring environmental data of the storage cabinet, and providing at least one sensing data. The at least one cabinet door opening detector is disposed on at least one cabinet door of the storage cabinet body to detect whether the at least one cabinet door is opened and provides at least one cabinet door opening signal. The control unit is electrically connected to the sensor and at least one cabinet door opening detector, and generates at least one control signal according to the at least one sensing data and at least one cabinet door opening signal. The gas pipeline module is used to supply gas to the storage cabinet. The flow control switch is electrically connected to the control unit and is arranged in the gas pipeline module, and controls the opening or closing of the flow control switch according to the at least one control signal to control the opening or closing of the gas pipeline module. The timer is electrically connected to the flow control switch, and is used to calculate an actual opening time of the flow control switch, and provide at least one timing data to the control unit, and the control unit is used to determine whether an abnormal signal is issued. With the micro gas supply controller of the present invention, the control unit can be used to judge whether the abnormal signal is issued based on the actual opening time, and can check whether the gas is not input to the storage cabinet or a gas leakage occurs in order to advance Identify and solve problems, and maintain the temperature or humidity of the storage cabinet.

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the novel micro gas supply controller. With reference to FIG. 1, in one embodiment, the novel micro gas supply controller can be used to control the input gas to a storage cabinet, for example, to control the input of nitrogen (N ₂ ) to a storage cabinet, but is not limited to the above. The micro gas supply controller 10 includes: a sensor 11, at least one cabinet door opening detector 12, a control unit 13, a gas pipeline module 14, a flow control switch 15 and a timer 16. The sensor 11 is disposed in a storage cabinet 20 for measuring environmental data of the storage cabinet 20 to provide at least one sensing data. In one embodiment, the sensor 11 is used to measure the temperature and humidity of the storage cabinet 20 to generate a temperature sensing data and a humidity sensing data. In one embodiment, the storage cabinet 20 may be a wafer storage cabinet that stores processed or unprocessed wafers or semiconductor components. The at least one cabinet door opening detector 12 is disposed on at least one cabinet door 211 of the storage cabinet 20 to detect whether the at least one cabinet door 211 is open and provide at least one cabinet door opening signal. In an embodiment, the storage cabinet 20 includes a plurality of sub-cabinets 21, each sub-cabinet 21 has a cabinet door 211, and each cabinet door 211 is provided with a cabinet door opening detector 12. In one embodiment, the storage cabinet 20 includes four sub-cabinets 21, four cabinet doors 211, and four cabinet door opening detectors 12. The control unit 13 is electrically connected to the sensor 11 and at least one cabinet door opening detector 12, and generates at least one control signal according to the at least one sensing data and at least one cabinet door opening signal. The control unit 13 can be a controller, a microprocessor or the like. The gas pipeline module 14 is used to supply gas to the storage cabinet 20. In one embodiment, the gas pipeline module 14 supplies nitrogen (N ₂ ) to the storage cabinet 20. The flow control switch 15 is electrically connected to the control unit 13, and the flow control switch 15 is disposed on the gas pipeline module 14. According to the at least one control signal, the flow control switch 15 is controlled to be turned on or off to control the gas line module 14 to be turned on or off. In an embodiment, the control unit 13 further includes a first comparator 131 for comparing with a temperature setting value or a humidity setting value according to the temperature sensing data or the humidity sensing data, if the temperature sensing If the measured data is greater than the temperature setting value, or the humidity sensing data is greater than the humidity setting value, an opening control signal is generated, the flow control switch 15 is controlled to be turned on, and the gas line module 14 is turned on to supply gas to the storage The cabinet 20 reduces the temperature or humidity of the storage cabinet 20 to the temperature set value or the humidity set value to maintain the temperature or humidity in the storage cabinet 20. When the temperature or humidity of the storage cabinet 20 is reduced to the temperature setting value or the humidity setting value, a shutdown control signal is generated to control the flow control switch 15 to close, so that the gas pipeline module 14 is closed to save gas the cost of. In one embodiment, when one of the cabinet doors 211 of the storage cabinet 20 is opened for wafer extraction or placement, it will cause the input gas (eg, nitrogen N ₂ ) of the storage cabinet 20 Leakage into the atmosphere causes the temperature and humidity in the storage cabinet 20 to increase. Therefore, the control unit 13 generates an opening control signal according to at least one cabinet door opening detection signal, controls the flow control switch 15 to open, and opens the gas pipeline module 14 to supply gas to the storage cabinet 20, The temperature or humidity of the storage cabinet 20 is reduced to the temperature set value or the humidity set value to maintain the temperature or humidity in the storage cabinet 20. In one embodiment, according to the at least one cabinet door opening signal, the control unit 13 controls one of the flow control switches 15 to set an opening time. That is, when one of the cabinet doors 211 of the storage cabinet 20 is opened, the control unit 13 controls the flow control switch to open for a period of time to supplement the input gas into the storage cabinet 20. In one embodiment, the set opening time may be calculated according to the volume of the storage space of the storage cabinet 20 and the diameter of the gas pipeline module 14. For example, if the volume of a sub-cabinet 21 of the storage cabinet 20 is 1 cubic meter (M ³ ), the set open time is 100 minutes. In an embodiment, according to the number of the at least one cabinet door opening signal, the control unit 13 controls the set opening time of the flow control switch 15. That is, if the two cabinet doors 211 of the storage cabinet 20 are opened at the same time, the set opening time should be doubled. As in the above embodiment, if the two cabinet doors 211 of the storage cabinet 20 are opened at the same time, the set opening time is 200 minutes. The timer 16 is electrically connected to the flow control switch 15 to calculate an actual opening time of the flow control switch 15 and provide at least one timing data to the control unit 13 to determine whether an abnormal signal is issued . In an embodiment, the timer 16 may be provided in the control unit 13 or may be an element in the control unit 13. In an embodiment, the control unit 13 further includes a second comparator 132 for comparing the actual opening time of the flow control switch 15 and the set opening time, if the actual opening time is greater than the set opening time, the The control unit 13 sends out the abnormal signal. That is, under normal circumstances, after the flow control switch 15 is turned on for the set on time, the temperature or humidity in the storage cabinet 20 should be reduced to the temperature set value or the humidity set value, then the flow control switch 15 should be shut down. However, under abnormal circumstances, the input gas may not be input to the storage cabinet 20, or the pipeline of the gas pipeline module 14 or the storage cabinet 20 leaks, causing the temperature in the storage cabinet 20 or Humidity cannot be reduced to the temperature setting value or the humidity setting value, according to the sensing data of the sensor 11, the flow control switch 15 is always on, so the actual opening time is greater than the set opening time, it means an abnormality has occurred Status, the control unit 13 sends out the abnormal signal. In an embodiment, the micro gas supply controller 10 further includes an alarm 17 for issuing an alarm when the control unit 13 emits the abnormal signal. The alarm 17 may be a buzzer, a warning light, etc., to notify the operator, let the operator or on-site personnel know that the micro gas supply controller 10 has abnormality, so as to check the gas pipeline module 14 or the storage cabinet as soon as possible Components such as the body 20 enable the micro gas supply controller 10 to return to normal as soon as possible, and provide gas to the storage cabinet 20 to maintain the temperature and humidity of the storage cabinet 20. In an embodiment, the micro gas supply controller further includes a manual switch 18 disposed on the gas pipeline module 14 to manually control the gas pipeline module 14 to be turned on or off. If the flow control switch 15 is abnormal, the operator can manually switch the manual switch 18 to control the opening or closing of the gas line module 14, for example, switch the manual switch 18 to ON to make the gas The pipeline module 14 is turned on to supply gas to the storage cabinet 20 to prevent the temperature or humidity in the storage cabinet 20 from increasing. In an embodiment, the gas pipeline module 14 further includes a first branch 141 and a second branch 142, the flow control switch 15 is disposed on the first branch 141, and the manual switch 18 is disposed on the The second branch 142. That is, the flow control switch 15 controls the opening or closing of the first branch 141, and the manual switch 18 controls the opening or closing of the second branch 142. The gas pipeline module 14 further includes a first pipeline 143 and a second pipeline 144. The first pipeline 143 receives gas from a gas supply source, that is, the first pipeline 143 is connected to a gas Supply source (not shown). The second pipeline 144 is connected to the storage cabinet 20 to input gas to the storage cabinet 20. The gas line module 14 further includes a first three-way valve 145 and a second three-way valve 146. The first three-way valve 145 is connected to the first pipeline 143, the first branch 141 and the second branch 142, that is, after the gas is input from the first pipeline 143, the gas passes through the first three The valve 145 can distribute gas to the first branch 141 and the second branch 142. The second three-way valve 146 is connected to the second pipeline 144, the first branch 141 and the second branch 142, that is, the gas can pass through the first branch 141 or the second branch 142 The second three-way valve 146 is connected to the second pipeline 144 to deliver gas to the storage cabinet 20. Therefore, when the components in the micro gas supply controller 10 (for example: the sensor 11, the control unit 13, or the flow control switch 15) are normal, the manual switch 18 is switched off, so that the second branch 142 is closed, by The flow control switch 15 controls the opening or closing of the first branch 141, and the first branch 141 provides gas to the storage cabinet 20. When the components in the micro gas supply controller 10 (for example: the sensor 11, the control unit 13 or the flow control switch 15) are abnormal, the first branch 141 cannot provide gas to the storage cabinet 20, the manual The switch 18 is switched on, so that the gas is input to the storage cabinet 20 through the second branch 142. Using the micro gas supply controller 10 of the present invention, the control unit 13 can be used to determine whether the abnormal signal is issued according to the actual opening time, and whether the gas is not input to the storage cabinet 20 or a gas leak occurs In order to find and solve problems early, and maintain the temperature or humidity of the storage cabinet 20. In addition, the manual switch 18 of the micro gas supply controller 10 of the present invention can ensure that gas can be supplied to the storage cabinet 20, and there is no possibility that gas cannot be supplied to the storage cabinet 20 due to component abnormality. In order to maintain the temperature or humidity of the storage cabinet 20. The above-mentioned embodiments are only to illustrate the principle and efficacy of the novel, but not to limit the novel. Modifications and changes made by those skilled in the art to the above embodiments still do not violate the spirit of the new model. The scope of the rights of this new model shall be as listed in the scope of patent application mentioned later.

10: Micro gas supply controller 11: Sensor 12: Cabinet door open detector 13: Control unit 14: Gas pipeline module 15: Flow control switch 16: Timer 17: Alarm 18: manual switch 20: storage cabinet 21: Sub-cabinet 211: Cabinet door 131: First comparator 132: Second comparator 141: The first branch 142: Second Branch 143: The first pipeline 144: Second pipeline 145: The first three-way valve 146: Second three-way valve

FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the novel micro gas supply controller.

10: Micro gas supply controller

11: Sensor

12: Cabinet door open detector

13: Control unit

14: Gas pipeline module

15: Flow control switch

16: Timer

17: Alarm

18: manual switch

20: storage cabinet

21: Sub-cabinet

211: Cabinet door

131: First comparator

132: Second comparator

141: The first branch

142: Second Branch

143: The first pipeline

144: Second pipeline

145: The first three-way valve

146: Second three-way valve

Claims (9)

A micro gas supply controller, including: A sensor is installed in a storage cabinet for measuring environmental data of the storage cabinet to provide at least one sensing data; At least one cabinet door opening detector is provided on at least one cabinet door of the storage cabinet body to detect whether the at least one cabinet door is opened and provide at least one cabinet door opening signal; A control unit, electrically connected to the sensor and at least one cabinet door opening detector, and generating at least one control signal according to the at least one sensing data and at least one cabinet door opening signal; A gas pipeline module for supplying gas to the storage cabinet; A flow control switch, electrically connected to the control unit, is provided in the gas pipeline module, and controls the opening or closing of the flow control switch according to the at least one control signal to control the opening or closing of the gas pipeline module ;and A timer, electrically connected to the flow control switch, is used to calculate an actual opening time of the flow control switch, and provides at least one timing data to the control unit, and the control unit is used to determine whether an abnormal signal is issued. The micro gas supply controller according to claim 1, wherein the sensor is used to measure the temperature and humidity of the storage cabinet to generate a temperature sensing data and a humidity sensing data. The micro gas supply controller according to claim 2, wherein the control unit further includes a first comparator for comparing with a temperature setting value or a humidity setting value based on the temperature sensing data or the humidity sensing data, If the temperature sensing data is greater than the temperature setting value, or the humidity sensing data is greater than the humidity setting value, an open control signal is generated to control the flow control switch to open. The micro gas supply controller of claim 1, wherein the control unit controls one of the flow control switches to set an opening time according to the at least one cabinet door opening signal. The micro gas supply controller of claim 4, wherein the control unit further includes a second comparator for comparing the actual opening time of the flow control switch and the set opening time, if the actual opening time is greater than the set opening At this time, the control unit sends out the abnormal signal. The micro gas supply controller according to claim 5 further includes an alarm, which is used to issue an alarm when the control unit issues the abnormal signal. The micro gas supply controller according to claim 4, wherein the storage cabinet includes a plurality of sub-cabinets, each sub-cabinet has a cabinet door, and each cabinet door is provided with a cabinet door opening detector. According to the micro gas supply controller of claim 7, wherein the control unit controls the set opening time of the flow control switch according to the number of the at least one cabinet door opening signal. For example, the micro gas supply controller of claim 1, further includes a manual switch, which is provided on the gas pipeline module to manually control the opening or closing of the gas pipeline module.

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