Dry air generation apparatus, dry air generation method, and substrate processing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11229878-B2
Application number	US-201916582082-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2019
Priority date	Sep 25, 2018
Publication date	Jan 25, 2022
Grant date	Jan 25, 2022

Abstract

A dry air generation apparatus includes a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a switching valve, and a controller. The first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are provided in the air flow path, and the moisture contained in the air is removed by cooling the air which flows through the flow path to 0° C. or lower. The switching valve switches the direction of the air flowing through the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. The controller controls the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and the switching valve. The first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are connected in series in the air flow path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A dry air generation apparatus comprising:
a first heat exchanger and a second heat exchanger provided in an air flow path, and each configured to cool air flowing in the air flow path to 0° C. or lower, thereby removing moisture contained in the air;
a switching valve configured to switch a direction of air flowing in the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger;
a first pipe connected to an air inlet;
a second pipe connected to an air outlet; and
a controller configured to control the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and the switching valve,
wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger are connected in series in the air flow path,
the switching valve is provided between a side of the first pipe and the second pipe and a side of one end of the air flow path and a remaining end of the air flow path,
the first heat exchanger is provided on the side of the one end of the air flow path, and
the second heat exchanger is provided on the side of the remaining end of the air flow path,
wherein the controller is configured to:
stop the first heat exchanger after a predetermined time elapses after the second heat exchanger is operated when heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than a predetermined efficiency,
stop the second heat exchanger after a predetermined time elapses after the first heat exchanger is operated when heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency,
control the switching valve to connect the first pipe to the remaining end of the air flow path and to connect the second pipe to the one end of the air flow path when operating the first heat exchanger and stopping the second heat exchanger, and
control the switching valve to connect the first pipe to the one end of the air flow path and to connect the second pipe to the remaining end of the air flow path when stopping the first heat exchanger and operating the second heat exchanger.

2. The dry air generation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a third heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between air flowing in the first pipe and air flowing in the second pipe.

3. The dry air generation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to measure a dew point temperature of air flowing in the second pipe,
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the dew point temperature measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature in a state where the first heat exchanger is operated and the second heat exchanger is stopped; and
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the dew point temperature measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature in a state where the first heat exchanger is stopped and the second heat exchanger is operated.

4. The dry air generation apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to measure a dew point temperature of air flowing in the second pipe,
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the dew point temperature measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature in a state where the first heat exchanger is operated and the second heat exchanger is stopped; and
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the dew point temperature measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature in a state where the first heat exchanger is stopped and the second heat exchanger is operated.

5. The dry air generation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to measure a temperature of air flowing in the second pipe,
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the temperature measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature in a state where the first heat exchanger is operated and the second heat exchanger is stopped; and
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the temperature measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature in a state where the first heat exchanger is stopped and the second heat exchanger is operated.

6. The dry air generation apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to measure a temperature of air flowing in the second pipe,
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the temperature measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature in a state where the first heat exchanger is operated and the second heat exchanger is stopped; and
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the temperature measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature in a state were the first heat exchanger is stopped and the second heat exchanger is operated.

7. The dry air generation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to measure a pressure of air flowing in the first pipe,
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the pressure measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure in a state where the first heat exchanger is operated and the second heat exchanger is stopped; and
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the pressure measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure in a state where the first heat exchanger is stopped and the second heat exchanger is operated.

8. The dry air generation apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to measure a pressure of air flowing in the first pipe,
wherein the controller is configured to:
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the first heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the pressure measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure in a state where the first heat exchanger is operated and the second heat exchanger is stopped; and
determine that the heat exchange efficiency of the second heat exchanger becomes equal to or lower than the predetermined efficiency when the pressure measured by the sensor is equal to or higher than a predetermined pressure in a state where the first heat exchanger is stopped and the second heat exchanger is operated.

9. The dry air generation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a drain pipe connected to the air flow path between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and configured to discharge moisture removed from the air by the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger,
wherein the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger ar

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Chung Jun Young

Classifications

• H10P72/0602

  Temperature monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title

• H10P72/0402

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

• F28D7/0091

  the supplementary medium flowing in series through the units · CPC title

• F24F11/84

  using valves · CPC title