System for monitoring environment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11854845-B2
Application number	US-202117449448-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 29, 2021
Priority date	Sep 16, 2020
Publication date	Dec 26, 2023
Grant date	Dec 26, 2023

Abstract

A system for monitoring an environment can be used for monitoring concentrations of airborne contaminants in a plurality of process areas in a clean room. The system includes: a sampling device, configured to collect environmental samples from process areas and including a system sampling pipeline, the environmental sample including air; an analysis device, connected to an output end of the system sampling pipeline; an air supply device, connected to the system sampling pipeline and configured to provide a purge gas to the system sampling pipeline; and a humidification device, configured to provide water mist and connected between the air supply device and the system sampling pipeline.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for monitoring an environment, used for monitoring concentrations of airborne contaminants in a plurality of process areas in a clean room, comprising:
a sampling device, configured to collect environmental samples from process areas and comprising a system sampling pipeline, the environmental samples comprising air;
an analysis device, connected to an output end of the system sampling pipeline;
an air supply device, connected to the system sampling pipeline and configured to provide a purge gas to the system sampling pipeline; and
a humidification device, configured to provide water mist and connected between the air supply device and the system sampling pipeline;
wherein the humidification device comprises:
a humidification pipeline, connected between the system sampling pipeline and the air supply device;
a drying pipeline, independent of the humidification pipeline and connected between the air supply device and the system sampling pipeline; and
a valve, configured to select one of the humidification pipeline and the drying pipeline to be connected to the system sampling pipeline, and another one of the humidification pipeline and the drying pipeline to be disconnected from the system sampling pipeline,
wherein:
when there are residual airborne contaminants that are soluble in water in the system sampling pipeline, the humidification pipeline is selected, and
when there are no residual airborne contaminants that are soluble in water in the system sampling pipeline, the drying pipeline is selected.

2. The system for monitoring the environment of claim 1 , wherein the humidification device further comprises:
a water storage tank, comprising a water storage area and a gas circulation area connected to the water storage area, the humidification pipeline being connected to the gas circulation area; and
an oscillator, located in the water storage area.

3. The system for monitoring the environment of claim 2 , wherein the water storage tank further comprises a mesh structure and the water storage area is connected to the gas circulation area through the mesh structure.

4. The system for monitoring the environment of claim 2 , wherein the water storage tank further comprises a water injection port, configured to connect the water storage area to an external water supply pipeline.

5. The system for monitoring the environment of claim 2 , wherein the humidification device further comprises a circulating pump, connected to the water storage tank.

6. The system for monitoring the environment of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a first processing module, configured to control, based on an analysis result of the analysis device, the valve to select one of the drying pipeline and the humidification pipeline to be connected to the system sampling pipeline, and other one of the drying pipeline and the humidification pipeline to be disconnected from the system sampling pipeline.

7. The system for monitoring the environment of claim 1 , wherein the humidification device further comprises a timing module, configured to set a time period for connection between the humidification pipeline and the system sampling pipeline, and set a time period for connection between the drying pipeline and the system sampling pipeline.

8. The system for monitoring the environment of claim 1 , wherein the system further comprises a humidity sensor, disposed at a port of the system sampling pipeline facing the humidification device and configured to detect a humidity of the purge gas of the system sampling pipeline.

9. The system for monitoring the environment of claim 8 , wherein the system further comprises a second processing module, configured to adjust, according to the humidity, an amount of the water mist provided by the humidification device.

10. The system for monitoring the environment of claim 1 , wherein the sampling device further comprises a plurality of single sampling pipelines; each of the process areas is connected to one of the single sampling pipelines, and the single sampling pipelines connected to different process areas are different;
the sampling device further comprises a sampling valve, configured to connect or disconnect the single sampling pipelines and the system sampling pipeline.

11. The system for monitoring the environment of claim 10 , wherein the system further comprises
a cleaning pipeline, having a first end configured to introduce a clean dry air and a second end connected to the single sampling pipeline, the sampling valve being configured to control the single sampling pipeline to connect to the system sampling pipeline or the cleaning pipeline; and
an air inlet pipeline, having one end connected to the first end of the cleaning pipeline and other end configured to introduce the clean dry air;
the humidification device being further connected between the air inlet pipeline and the cleaning pipeline.

12. The system for monitoring the environment of claim 1 , wherein the sampling device comprises a sampling pump, connected to the process areas and configured to extract the air from the process areas.

Assignees

• Changxin Memory Tech Inc

Inventors

• Wang Xubao
• Ding Yunxiao

Classifications

• H10P72/0604 Primary

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H10P72/1924

  characterised by atmosphere control · CPC title

• H01L21/67253 Primary

  Electricity · mapped topic

• B01D53/22

  by diffusion (manufacturing semi-permeable membranes B01D67/00; form, structure or properties of semi-permeable membranes B01D69/00; material for semi-permeable membranes B01D71/00) · CPC title

• G01N1/2205

  with filters · CPC title