Liquid mixing system for semiconductor fabrication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10155208-B2
Application number	US-201414502720-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Sep 30, 2014
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

A liquid measuring beaker is suitable for measuring an amount of a liquid required in a liquid mixing process. The liquid measuring beaker includes a shell and an adjusting partition. The shell defines a reservoir having a volumetric capacity, in which the shell has a first opening passing through a bottom of the shell. The adjusting partition is vertically movable in the reservoir for adjusting the volumetric capacity, in which the adjusting partition has a second opening passing through the adjusting partition.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A liquid measuring beaker suitable for measuring an amount of a liquid required in a liquid mixing process, the liquid measuring beaker comprising:
a shell defining a reservoir having a volumetric capacity, wherein the shell has a first opening passing through a bottom of the shell;
an adjusting partition which is vertically movable in the reservoir for adjusting the volumetric capacity, wherein the adjusting partition has a second opening passing through the adjusting partition, and the adjusting partition has a bottom surface; and
a pipe, wherein one end of the pipe is disposed at the second opening, wherein the bottom surface of the adjusting partition is inclined from an edge of the adjusting partition to the pipe.

2. The liquid measuring beaker of claim 1 , wherein the bottom of the shell has a top surface inclined downward inwardly.

3. The liquid measuring beaker of claim 1 , wherein the shell has a top having a through hole, and the pipe passes through the through hole.

4. The liquid measuring beaker of claim 1 , further comprising:
a screw connected to the adjusting partition; and
a motor connected to the screw for driving the screw to vertically move the adjusting partition.

5. The liquid measuring beaker of claim 4 , wherein the screw is connected to a center of a top surface of the adjusting partition.

6. A liquid supplying system suitable for supplying a required amount of a liquid to a mixing tank, the liquid supplying system comprising:
a liquid measuring beaker configured for measuring and supplying the required amount of the liquid to the mixing tank, the liquid measuring beaker comprising:
a shell defining a reservoir having a volumetric capacity, wherein the shell has a first opening passing through a bottom of the shell; and
an adjusting partition which is vertically movable in the reservoir for adjusting the volumetric capacity, wherein the adjusting partition has a second opening passing through the adjusting partition, and the adjusting partition has a bottom surface inclined upward inwardly, and the bottom surface extends from an edge of the adjusting partition towards a center of the adjusting partition;

a liquid supplying source configured to supply and fill up a portion of the reservoir under the adjusting partition with the liquid through the first opening;
a first pipe, wherein one end of the first pipe is disposed at the second opening;
a second pipe, wherein a first end of the second pipe is disposed at the first opening, and a second end of the second pipe is connected to the mixing tank; and
a third pipe, wherein a first end of the third pipe is connected to the first pipe, and a second end of the third pipe is connected to the liquid supplying source.

7. The liquid supplying system of claim 6 , further comprising:
a first valve disposed in the second pipe adjacent to the first opening; and
a second valve disposed in the first pipe adjacent to the second opening, wherein the liquid supplying source is configured to fill up said portion of the reservoir, a portion of the second pipe between the first valve and the first opening, and a portion of the first pipe between the second opening and the second valve.

8. The liquid supplying system of claim 7 , further comprising a detection sensor disposed in the third pipe between the second opening and the second valve.

9. The liquid supplying system of claim 7 , further comprising two detection sensors disposed in the second pipe, wherein one of the detection sensors is located between the first opening and the first valve, and the other of the detection sensors is located between the first valve and the mixing tank.

10. The liquid supplying system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a third valve disposed in the third pipe between the first valve and the liquid supplying source; and
a fourth valve disposed in the first pipe between the second valve and the liquid supplying source,
wherein when the liquid is injected into the portion of the reservoir through the third pipe and the second pipe, the second valve, the third valve and the fourth valve are opened.

11. The liquid supplying system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a fourth pipe connecting the second valve and a purge gas source;
a fifth pipe connected to the fourth pipe;
a fifth valve disposed in the fourth pipe; and
a sixth valve disposed in the fifth pipe.

12. The liquid supplying system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a sixth pipe connected to the third pipe and a cleaning fluid source and between the third valve and the first opening;
a seventh pipe connected to the third pipe between the third valve and the sixth pipe;
a seventh valve disposed in the sixth pipe; and
an eighth valve disposed in the seventh pipe.

13. The liquid supplying system of claim 6 , wherein the bottom of the shell has a top surface inclined downward inwardly.

14. The liquid supplying system of claim 6 , wherein the shell has a top having a through hole, and the first pipe passes through the through hole.

15. The liquid supplying system of claim 6 , wherein the liquid measuring beaker further comprises:
a screw connected to the adjusting partition; and
a motor connected to the screw for driving the screw to vertically move the adjusting partition.

16. A liquid mixing apparatus, comprising:
a mixing tank;
a plurality of liquid measuring beakers connected to the mixing tank, wherein each of the liquid measuring beakers is configured for measuring and delivering a liquid to the mixing tank and comprises:
a shell defining a reservoir having a volumetric capacity, wherein the shell has a first opening passing through a bottom of the shell;
an adjusting partition which is vertically movable in the reservoir for adjusting the volumetric capacity, wherein the adjusting partition has a second opening passing through the adjusting partition, and the adjusting partition has a bottom surface inclined upward inwardly, and the bottom surface extends from an edge of the adjusting partition towards a center of the adjusting partition; and
a pipe, wherein one end of the pipe is disposed at the second opening; and

a plurality of liquid supplying sources respectively corresponding to the liquid measuring beakers, wherein each of the liquid supplying sources is configured to supply and fill up a portion of the reservoir under the adjusting partition with the liquid through the first opening, wherein the pipe is connected to at least one of the liquid supplying sources so that fluid communication is established between the volumetric capacity and said at least one of the liquid supplying sources through the pipe.

17. The liquid mixing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the bottom of the shell of each of the liquid measuring beakers has a top surface inclined downward inwardly.

18. The liquid mixing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein each of the liquid measuring beakers further comprises:
a screw connected to the adjusting partition; and
a motor connected to the screw for driving the screw to vertically move the adjusting partition.

19. The liquid mixing apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the screw of each of the liquid measuring beakers is connected to the center of the adjusting partition.

20. The liquid mixing apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the shell of each of the liquid measuring beakers is formed from polypropylene or polytetrafluoroethylene.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lin An-Chu
• Chen Ting-Wen
• Hsu Tien-Tze
• Yang Feng-An
• Liao Yuan-Jian

Classifications

• Y10T137/87652

  With means to promote mixing or combining of plural fluids · CPC title

• Y10T137/7303

  Control of both inflow and outflow of tank · CPC title

• B01F5/10

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F15/00344 Primary

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G01F19/00 Primary

  Calibrated capacity measures for fluids or fluent solid material, e.g. measuring cups · CPC title