Fluid supply system, wafer processing system, and method of supplying fluid to wafer processing equipment

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015027552-A1
Application number	US-201313948837-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 23, 2013
Priority date	Jul 23, 2013
Publication date	Jan 29, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fluid supply system includes a pressure tank configured to contain a pressurized gas and a fluid, a delivery point configured to be connected to a point of use, a recirculation piping connecting the pressure tank to the delivery point, and a return pump connected to the recirculation piping. The recirculation piping defines a circulation path for the fluid from the pressure tank through the delivery point and back to the pressure tank. The return pump is downstream of the delivery point and upstream of the pressure tank in the circulation path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A fluid supply system, comprising:
a pressure tank configured to contain a pressurized gas and a fluid; a delivery point configured to be connected to a point of use; a recirculation piping connecting the pressure tank to the delivery point, the recirculation piping defining a circulation path for the fluid from the pressure tank through the delivery point and back to the pressure tank; and a return pump connected to the recirculation piping, the return pump downstream of the delivery point and upstream of the pressure tank in the circulation path.

2 . The fluid supply system of claim 1 , wherein the pressure tank is configured to contain the pressurized gas at a pressure sufficient to move the fluid from the pressure tank via a supply portion of the recirculation piping to the delivery point.

3 . The fluid supply system of claim 2 , wherein the return pump is configured to move the fluid from the delivery point via a return portion of the recirculation piping back to the pressure tank, the return pump connected to the return portion of the recirculation piping.

4 . The fluid supply system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a sensor connected to the recirculation piping, the sensor configured to detect a parameter of a flow of the fluid in the recirculation piping; and a controller connected to the sensor, the controller configured to control the flow of the fluid in the recirculation piping based on the parameter detected by the sensor.

5 . The fluid supply system of claim 4 , wherein the sensor comprises at least one of a pressure sensor or a flow meter.

6 . The fluid supply system of claim 4 , wherein
the parameter comprises a flow rate of the flow of the fluid; the sensor comprises a flow meter connected to the recirculation piping, the flow meter configured to detect the flow rate of the flow of the fluid; and the controller is configured to control a speed of the return pump based on the flow rate detected by the flow meter.

7 . The fluid supply system of claim 6 , wherein
the parameter further comprises a pressure of the fluid in the flow; the sensor comprises a pressure sensor connected to the recirculation piping, the pressure sensor configured to detect the pressure of the fluid in the flow; and the controller is configured to control an amount of the pressurized gas in the pressure tank based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

8 . The fluid supply system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a filter in the recirculation piping upstream of the delivery point in the circulation path, the filter configured to remove particles greater than a predetermined size from the fluid flowing in the recirculation piping toward the delivery point.

9 . The fluid supply system of claim 1 , wherein, upstream of the delivery point in the circulation path, the recirculation piping is free of pumping mechanisms connected thereto.

10 . A wafer processing system, comprising:
a pressure tank containing a pressurized gas and a fluid; a delivery point; a supply piping connected between the pressure tank and the delivery point, wherein a pressure of the pressurized gas in the pressure tank is sufficient to move the fluid from the pressure tank via the supply piping to the delivery point; wafer processing equipment connected to the delivery point, the wafer processing equipment configured to process semiconductor wafers with the fluid supplied to the delivery point from the pressure tank; a return piping connected between the pressure tank and the delivery point; and a return pump connected to the return piping, the return pump configured to move the fluid from the delivery point back to the pressure tank.

11 . The wafer processing system of claim 10 , further comprising:
a flow meter connected to the return piping, the flow meter configured to detect a flow rate of the fluid in the return piping; and a controller connected to the flow meter and the return pump, the controller configured to control a speed of the return pump based on the flow rate detected by the flow meter.

12 . The wafer processing system of claim 11 , wherein the controller is configured to control the speed of the return pump to maintain the flow rate of the fluid in the return piping constant.

13 . The wafer processing system of claim 11 , further comprising:
a pressure sensor connected to the supply piping, the pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure of the fluid flowing in the supply piping, wherein the controller is configured to control an amount of the pressurized gas in the pressure tank based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor.

14 . The wafer processing system of claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to control the amount of the pressurized gas in the pressure tank to maintain the pressure of the fluid flowing in the supply piping toward the delivery point constant.

15 . The wafer processing system of claim 11 , wherein the fluid comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of slurry for chemical mechanical planarization or polishing, deionized water mixed with CO 2 , and a wafer processing chemical.

16 . The wafer processing system of claim 11 , wherein the supply piping is free of pumping mechanisms connected thereto.

17 . A method of supplying a fluid to wafer processing equipment, the method comprising:
delivering the fluid from a pressure tank via a supply piping to a delivery point, the delivery point connected to the wafer processing equipment, the pressure tank containing the fluid and a pressurized gas of a pressure sufficient to move the fluid from the pressure tank via the supply piping to the delivery point; and returning the fluid from the delivery point via a return piping back to the pressure tank by a return pump connected to the return piping.

18 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
detecting a flow rate of the fluid in the return piping; and controlling a speed of the return pump based on the detected flow rate.

19 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
detecting a pressure of the fluid flowing in at least one of the supply piping or the return piping; and controlling an amount of the pressurized gas in the pressure tank based on the detected pressure.

20 . The method of claim 17 , further comprising:
circulating the fluid from the pressure tank via the supply piping to the delivery point and then via the return piping back to the pressure tank even if the wafer processing equipment does not withdraw the fluid from the delivery point.

Assignees

• Taiwan Semiconductor Mfg
• Taiwna Semiconductor Mfg Company Ltd

Inventors

• Hsu Ching-Jung
• Hung Yung-Ti
• Hsu Chun-Feng
• Cheng Nan-Peng

Classifications

• H10P72/0402 Primary

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

• Y10T137/85954

  Closed circulating system · CPC title

• Y10T137/0368

  By speed of fluid · CPC title

• Y10T137/794

  With means for separating solid material from the fluid · CPC title

• Y10T137/0379

  By fluid pressure · CPC title