Flow-rate regulator device, diluted chemical-liquid supply device, liquid processing apparatus and its operating system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10276408-B2
Application number	US-201514850139-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2015
Priority date	Oct 30, 2013
Publication date	Apr 30, 2019
Grant date	Apr 30, 2019

Abstract

A flow-rate regulator device for controlling a flow rate of a liquid includes a first flow-rate regulator component positioned on an upstream side of a liquid line, and a second flow-rate regulator component positioned on a downstream side of the liquid line and connected in series to the first flow-rate regulator component. The first flow-rate regulator component adjusts a degree of opening such that a flow rate of liquid flowing through the liquid line is set a specified number of times greater than a target flow rate when the second flow-rate regulator component has a full opening, and the second flow-rate regulator component adjusts a degree of opening such that the flow rate of the liquid flowing through the liquid line is to be at the target flow rate when the first flow-rate regulator component is adjusted to have the degree of opening.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A diluted chemical liquid-supply apparatus, comprising:
a chemical-liquid line which flows a chemical liquid supplied from a chemical-liquid supply source;
a liquid-diluent line which flows a liquid diluent supplied from a liquid-diluent supply source;
a mixing device configured to mix the chemical liquid supplied from the chemical-liquid line and the liquid diluent supplied from the liquid-diluent supply line such that a diluted chemical liquid comprising the chemical liquid and the liquid diluent is prepared;
a diluted chemical-liquid line which flows the diluted chemical liquid prepared by the mixing device;
a flow-rate regulator device positioned on the chemical-liquid line such that the flow-rate regulator device is on an upstream side of the mixing device and configured to control a flow rate of the chemical liquid flowing through the chemical-liquid line,
a first drain line which is branching from the diluted chemical-liquid line and drains the diluted chemical liquid flowing through the diluted chemical-liquid line;
a first switching device positioned on a downstream side of the mixing device such that the first switching device is configured to switch a flow of the diluted chemical liquid such that the diluted chemical liquid is drained from the diluted chemical-liquid line through the first drain line;
a bypass line which is branching from the chemical-liquid line on an upstream side of the flow-rate regulator device and merging to the chemical-liquid line on a downstream side of the flow-rate regulator device;
a second switching device positioned on the bypass line such that the second switching device is configured to control a flow rate of the chemical liquid flowing through the bypass line; and
a switching valve positioned on the chemical-liquid line such that the switching valve is on an upstream side of the mixing device and a downstream side of a merging point where the bypass line is merging to the chemical-liquid line and lowers pressure of the chemical liquid flowing in the chemical-liquid line to draw the liquid diluent or the diluted chemical liquid into the chemical-liquid line,
wherein the flow-rate regulator device comprises a first flow-rate regulator component positioned on an upstream side of the chemical-liquid line, and a second flow-rate regulator component positioned on a downstream side of the chemical-liquid line and connected in series to the first flow-rate regulator component, the first flow-rate regulator component is configured to adjust a degree of opening such that after the second flow-rate regulator component is set to a full opening, the first flow-rate regulator component sets a flow rate of the chemical liquid at the first flow-rate regulator component to a specified number of times greater than a target flow rate, and the second flow rate regulator component is configured to adjust a degree of opening such that after the first flow-rate regulator component is set to the flow rate, the second flow-rate regulator component sets the target flow rate of the chemical liquid at the second flow-rate regulator component.

2. A diluted chemical liquid-supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a concentration measuring device configured to measure a concentration of the diluted chemical liquid,
wherein the second flow-rate regulator component of the flow-rate regulator device is configured to fine-adjust the degree of opening based on the concentration measured by the concentration measuring device.

3. A diluted chemical liquid-supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first flow-rate regulator component comprises a needle valve, and the second flow-rate regulator component comprises a needle valve.

4. A diluted chemical liquid-supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a bubble separating device configured to separate the chemical liquid containing bubble from the chemical liquid flowing through the chemical-liquid line and positioned on the chemical-liquid line such that the bubble separating device is on a downstream side of the switching valve and the upstream side of the mixing device; and
a second drain line which drains the chemical liquid containing bubble separated by the bubble separating device.

5. A diluted chemical liquid-supply apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the mixing device comprises a static mixer positioned on an upstream side and a time-lapsing mixer on a downstream side.

6. A diluted chemical liquid-supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a constant-pressure valve positioned on the chemical-liquid line such that the constant-pressure valve is on an upstream side of the flow-rate regulator device.

7. A diluted chemical liquid-supply apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a tank configured to store the diluted chemical liquid prepared by the mixing device.

8. A diluted chemical liquid-supply apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the first flow-rate regulator component comprises a needle valve, and the second flow-rate regulator component comprises a needle valve.

9. A diluted chemical liquid-supply apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the first flow-rate regulator component comprises a needle valve, and the second flow-rate regulator component comprises a needle valve.

10. A liquid processing apparatus, comprising:
a processing device configured to apply liquid processing to a substrate; and
a diluted chemical liquid-supply apparatus configured to supply a diluted chemical liquid to the processing device,
wherein the diluted chemical liquid-supply apparatus comprises a chemical-liquid line which flows a chemical liquid supplied from a chemical-liquid supply source, a liquid-diluent line which flows a liquid diluent supplied from a liquid-diluent supply source, a mixing device configured to mix the chemical liquid supplied from the chemical-liquid line and the liquid diluent supplied from the liquid-diluent supply line such that the diluted chemical liquid comprising the chemical liquid and the liquid diluent is prepared, a diluted chemical-liquid line which flows the diluted chemical liquid prepared by the mixing device, a flow-rate regulator device positioned on the chemical-liquid line such that the flow-rate regulator device is on an upstream side of the mixing device and configured to control a flow rate of the chemical liquid flowing through the chemical-liquid line, a first drain line which is branching from the diluted chemical-liquid line and drains the diluted chemical liquid flowing through the diluted chemical-liquid line, a first switching device positioned on a downstream side of the mixing device such that the first switching device is configured to switch a flow of the diluted chemical liquid such that the diluted chemical liquid is drained from the diluted chemical-liquid line through the first drain line, a bypass line which is branching from the chemical-liquid line on an upstream side of the flow-rate regulator device and merging to the chemical-liquid line on a downstream side of the flow-rate regulator device, a second switching device positioned on the bypass line such that the second switching device is configured to control a flow rate of the chemical liquid flowing through the bypass line, and a switching valve positioned on the chemical-liquid line such that the switching valve is on an upstream side of the mixing device and a downstream side of a merging point where the bypass line is merging to the chemical-liquid line and lowers pressure of the chemical liquid flowing in the chemical-liquid line to draw the liquid diluent or the diluted chemical liquid into the chemical-liquid line, the flow-rate regulator de

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Amiya Michitaka
• Satoh Takami
• Eshima Kazuyoshi
• Nakamura Akihiro
• Tanaka Koji
• Kosai Kazuki

Classifications

• H10P72/0402

  Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence) · CPC title

• H10P72/0414 Primary

  using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles · CPC title

• B01F15/026

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• B01F3/0865

  Operations & Transport · mapped topic

• G05D7/01

  without auxiliary power · CPC title