A cooling liquid flow regulating and leakage preventing device for semiconductor temperature control equipment

Abstract

This application relates to the field of temperature control equipment technology, specifically a coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment. The device utilizes a liquid pump in a coolant regulation component to circulate coolant in cooling pipes, which connect the coolant regulation component and the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Several sets of cooling pipes are equipped with flow meters and flow regulation devices, and the cooling pipes run through the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. The coolant regulation component includes a liquid pump and a variable frequency refrigeration compressor, both connected to a main controller. The leak prevention component includes several sets of leakage sensors corresponding to the cooling pipes and a first solenoid valve located on the cooling pipe at the inlet of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Each leakage sensor is externally connected to an alarm and a user controller, which is signal-connected to the main controller. This application enables real-time monitoring of the fluid state in the cooling pipes, ensuring the stability and reliability of the liquid supply during semiconductor manufacturing, thereby improving manufacturing efficiency and product quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of temperature control equipment technology, and in particular to a device for regulating and preventing leakage of coolant flow in semiconductor temperature control equipment. Background Technology

[0002] In the precision environment of semiconductor manufacturing, precision coolant cooling equipment uses advanced vapor compression refrigeration systems to cool the coolant, ensuring it operates within a suitable temperature range. This refrigeration technology is not only highly efficient and energy-saving, but also enables precise control of the coolant temperature, meeting the stringent cooling requirements of semiconductor equipment.

[0003] Driven by a liquid pump, the coolant forms a closed-loop reciprocating circulation system between the precision liquid conditioning equipment and the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. This circulation not only effectively removes the heat generated by the semiconductor equipment during production, maintaining the normal operating temperature of the equipment, but also ensures the stringent temperature and fluid dynamics requirements of the semiconductor process through precise flow control.

[0004] A precision coolant cooling system typically has more than 10 supply lines, each with different flow and temperature parameters set according to its specific application and process requirements. This multi-channel design greatly improves the system's flexibility and reliability, enabling it to simultaneously meet the cooling needs of multiple semiconductor manufacturing devices. For the coolant, pure water or electronic fluorinated liquids are usually used; these liquids have excellent thermal conductivity and chemical stability, making them suitable for precision cooling in semiconductor manufacturing processes.

[0005] However, there is a risk of coolant leakage at the semiconductor end. Once a leakage occurs, it may cause serious contamination to semiconductor equipment and silicon wafers in the production process, and may even lead to production stoppages. Utility Model Content

[0006] In order to overcome the problems existing in the prior art, this application provides a device for regulating and preventing leakage of coolant flow in semiconductor temperature control equipment.

[0007] This application provides a coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment, which adopts the following technical solution: A coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment is disclosed. The device circulates coolant in cooling pipes via a pump in a coolant regulation assembly. The cooling pipes connect the coolant regulation assembly and the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Several sets of cooling pipes are provided, each equipped with a flow meter and flow regulation device. The cooling pipes pass through the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and a leak prevention assembly is installed within the equipment to prevent coolant leakage. This assembly can promptly issue an alarm and shut off the leaking pipe upon detecting a coolant leak, thus preventing contamination of the semiconductor equipment and silicon wafers. The coolant regulation assembly includes a pump and a variable frequency refrigeration compressor, both connected to a host controller. The leak prevention assembly includes several sets of leakage sensors corresponding to the cooling pipes and a first solenoid valve located on the cooling pipe at the inlet of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment. Each leakage sensor is externally connected to an alarm and a user controller, which is signal-connected to the host controller.

[0008] Furthermore, the cooling pipeline includes an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe. The inlet pipe is sequentially equipped with a flow meter, a flow regulating device, and a first solenoid valve. The flow regulating device and the first solenoid valve are connected to the outlet pipe via a connecting pipe. This connecting pipe is used to bypass the coolant in the inlet pipe to the outlet pipe in case of a fault, and a second solenoid valve is installed on the connecting pipe. The leak sensor uses either an ultrasonic sensor or a pressure sensor. The ultrasonic sensor detects the sound waves of leakage on the outer wall of the pipe, while the pressure sensor detects abnormal pressure within the pipe to determine if a leak has occurred.

[0009] Furthermore, the flow regulation device adopts a needle valve for manual flow regulation or an electric regulating valve, wherein the electric regulating valve is connected to the main controller to achieve automatic flow regulation.

[0010] Furthermore, the coolant is selected from one or more of pure water, electronic fluorinated liquid, and ethylene glycol aqueous solution. The coolant has good thermal conductivity and chemical stability, making it suitable for precision cooling in semiconductor manufacturing processes.

[0011] Furthermore, the signal connection between the user controller and the host controller adopts RS485 or RS232 communication to ensure the stability and reliability of the transmission of leakage alarm signals and control commands.

[0012] Furthermore, in addition to being connected to the user controller, the leak sensor is also directly connected to the host controller, forming a dual signal transmission path to improve the system's response speed and detection accuracy in response to leaks.

[0013] Furthermore, an interlock control logic is provided between the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve. When the host controller receives a leakage alarm signal and needs to close the channel corresponding to the cooling pipe that the leakage sensor detected, it synchronously controls the first solenoid valve to close and the second solenoid valve to open. This maintains the overall flow stability of the system while cutting off the liquid supply to the faulty channel, reducing the impact on the semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0014] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: 1. This application integrates an intelligent monitoring and rapid response mechanism into the coolant regulation component. When a coolant leak is detected, the system can automatically shut down the affected coolant supply line while ensuring that the normal operation of other coolant supply lines is not affected. This design not only minimizes the potential risk of contamination, but also ensures the continuity and stability of production and reduces economic losses caused by accidental leaks.

[0015] 2. The coolant regulating component in this application is equipped with leakage detection technology and uses ultrasonic or pressure sensors to monitor the fluid status in the pipeline in real time, detect abnormalities in a timely manner and take measures. Through the above-mentioned intelligent design, the precision coolant regulating equipment not only improves the safety and reliability of the semiconductor manufacturing process, but also provides a strong guarantee for the efficient production of the semiconductor industry. 3. This application, by configuring flow meters and manual or electric flow regulating devices on multiple sets of cooling pipes, combined with liquid pumps and variable frequency refrigeration compressors controlled by the main controller, can achieve precise regulation of coolant flow and temperature for the specific needs of each pipe, thus meeting the precision temperature control requirements of semiconductor manufacturing. 4. This application, by installing a leakage sensor in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment, coupled with a dual signal transmission path and a first solenoid valve linked to the host controller, can quickly issue an alarm and cut off the faulty pipeline when a leak is detected, effectively avoiding the risk of coolant leakage causing contamination to the equipment and silicon wafers and production stoppage. 5. In this application, a connecting pipe with a second solenoid valve is added between the liquid inlet pipe and the liquid outlet pipe. With the interlock control logic of the first solenoid valve and the second solenoid valve, the overall flow of the system can be kept stable through bypass when the fault channel is cut off, so as to minimize the interference to the semiconductor manufacturing process and comprehensively improve the accuracy, safety and stability of the semiconductor temperature control equipment. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment.

[0017] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached drawings: 1. Coolant regulating component; 11. Liquid pump; 12. Variable frequency refrigeration compressor; 2. Cooling pipe; 21. Flow meter; 22. Flow regulating device; 23. Leakage prevention component; 231. Leakage sensor; 232. First solenoid valve; 24. Inlet pipe; 25. Outlet pipe; 26. Connecting pipe; 261. Second solenoid valve; 3. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment; 4. Main controller; 5. User controller. Detailed Implementation

[0018] The following is in conjunction with the appendix Figure 1 This application will be described in further detail.

[0019] This application discloses a device for regulating and preventing leakage of coolant flow in semiconductor temperature control equipment.

[0020] Reference Figure 1A coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment, wherein a liquid pump 11 in a coolant regulation assembly 1 drives coolant to circulate in a cooling pipe 2, the cooling pipe 2 connecting the coolant regulation assembly 1 and a semiconductor manufacturing equipment 3; the cooling pipe 2 is provided with several sets, each equipped with a flow meter 21 and a flow regulation device 22; the cooling pipe 2 passes through the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 3, and a leak prevention assembly 23 is provided within the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 3 to prevent coolant leakage; the leak prevention assembly 23 can detect coolant leakage... In case of leakage, an alarm is issued promptly and the leaking pipeline is shut off to avoid contamination of semiconductor equipment and silicon wafers. The coolant regulating component 1 includes a liquid pump 11 and a variable frequency refrigeration compressor 12, wherein the liquid pump 11 is a variable frequency pump, and both are connected to the host controller 4. The leak prevention component 23 includes several sets of leak sensors 231 corresponding to the cooling pipelines 2 and a first solenoid valve 232 located on the cooling pipeline 2 at the liquid inlet of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 3. The leak sensors 231 are externally connected to an alarm and connected to the user controller 5, which is signal-connected to the host controller 4. First, the liquid pump 11 in the coolant regulating component 1 starts under the control of the host controller 4, pushing the coolant to circulate in the several sets of cooling pipelines 2 connecting the coolant regulating component 1 and the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 3. During the specific circulation process, the flow meter 21 on each cooling pipeline 2 monitors the coolant flow rate in real time. The operator can adjust the flow rate through the flow regulating device 22. At the same time, the host controller 4 controls the variable frequency refrigeration compressor 12 in conjunction to precisely adjust the coolant temperature to meet the cooling requirements of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 3. Secondly, in the cooling pipe section 2 running through the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 3, an anti-leakage component 23, composed of leakage sensors 231 corresponding to each cooling pipe 2, continuously monitors the pipe status. Once a coolant leak is detected, the leakage sensor 231 immediately triggers an external alarm to sound an alarm, and simultaneously transmits the leak signal to the user controller 5. The user controller 5 then synchronizes the information to the host controller 4 via a signal connection. Finally, after receiving the leak signal, the host controller 4 controls the first solenoid valve 232 located at the inlet of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 3 in the leaking pipe to close, cutting off the coolant supply to the leaking pipe, thereby preventing the leaked coolant from contaminating the semiconductor equipment and silicon wafers. Furthermore, if too many channels are closed, or if the flow rate of the closed channels is too high, it will significantly affect the flow rate and load of the entire pipe network. To adapt to this change, the liquid pump 11 uses a variable frequency pump to adjust the pump frequency to optimize the overall water demand and total load demand, ensuring the stable operation of the system.

[0021] Reference Figure 1The cooling pipeline 2 includes an inlet pipe 24 and an outlet pipe 25. A flow meter 21, a flow regulating device 22, and a first solenoid valve 232 are sequentially installed on the inlet pipe 24. The flow regulating device 22 and the first solenoid valve 232 are connected to the outlet pipe 25 via a connecting pipe 26. The connecting pipe 26 is used to bypass the coolant in the inlet pipe 24 to the outlet pipe 25 in case of a fault, and a second solenoid valve 261 is installed on the connecting pipe 26. The leakage sensor 231 is either an ultrasonic sensor or a pressure sensor. The ultrasonic sensor is used to detect leakage sound waves on the outer wall of the pipe, and the pressure sensor is used to detect abnormal pressure inside the pipe to determine a leak. When the coolant is transported through the inlet pipe 24, the flow rate is first monitored in real time by the flow meter 21 on the pipe, and then the flow rate is regulated by the flow regulating device 22. The coolant then flows through the first solenoid valve 232 to supply coolant to subsequent stages. Meanwhile, the section between the flow regulating device 22 and the first solenoid valve 232 on the inlet pipe 24 is connected to the outlet pipe 25 via the connecting pipe 26. During normal system operation, the second solenoid valve 261 on the connecting pipe 26 remains closed, and the coolant flows along the normal path. When the leakage sensor 231 in the detection stage, such as an ultrasonic sensor, detects leakage sound waves on the outer wall of the pipe, or a pressure sensor detects abnormal pressure inside the pipe and determines that the cooling pipe 2 has a fault, the system triggers a fault response. At this time, the second solenoid valve 261 on the connecting pipe 26 opens, and the coolant in the inlet pipe 24 bypasses to the outlet pipe 25 through the connecting pipe 26, realizing the diversion of coolant under fault conditions and ensuring the orderly operation of the relevant flow paths of the system.

[0022] Reference Figure 1 The flow regulating device 22 employs either a manually adjustable needle valve or an electrically adjustable valve. The electrically adjustable valve is connected to the main controller 4 to achieve automatic flow regulation. Flow regulation in the cooling pipe 2 is achieved through the flow regulating device 22. If a manually adjustable needle valve is used, the operator can directly operate the valve stem to adjust the coolant flow by changing the gap between the valve core and the valve seat. If an electrically adjustable valve is used, it establishes a signal connection with the main controller 4. The main controller 4 can send control commands to the electrically adjustable valve based on the system-set flow parameters or the real-time flow signal fed back from the front-end flow meter 21. Upon receiving the command, the electrically adjustable valve automatically drives the valve core to adjust the valve opening, thereby achieving automatic and precise regulation of the coolant flow in the cooling pipe 2.

[0023] Reference Figure 1The coolant is selected from one or more of pure water, electronic fluorinated liquid, and ethylene glycol aqueous solution. This coolant possesses excellent thermal conductivity and chemical stability, making it suitable for precision cooling in semiconductor manufacturing processes. The device uses one or more of pure water, electronic fluorinated liquid, and ethylene glycol aqueous solution as the coolant. Due to their excellent thermal conductivity and chemical stability, these coolants circulate in cooling pipe 2 under the drive of the liquid conditioning equipment. During circulation, the coolant efficiently absorbs the heat generated by the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 3 during operation. Simultaneously, due to its stable chemical properties, it does not react with the equipment components, maintaining a stable cooling capacity. This precisely meets the stringent requirements for thermal conductivity efficiency and chemical safety of the cooling medium in semiconductor manufacturing processes, ensuring the precision of the process.

[0024] Reference Figure 1 The signal connection between the user controller 5 and the host controller 4 uses RS485 or RS232 communication to ensure the stability and reliability of the transmission of leak alarm signals and control commands. When the leak prevention component 23 detects a coolant leak, the leak sensor 231 transmits the leak signal to the user controller 5. Simultaneously, a stable signal connection is established between the host controller 4 and the user controller 5 via RS485 or RS232 communication. Specifically, after receiving the leak signal, the user controller 5 accurately transmits the leak alarm signal to the host controller 4 through this communication link. The host controller 4 formulates a corresponding control strategy based on the signal and then transmits control commands such as cutting off the leaking pipeline back to the user controller 5 and related actuators through the same communication path. The entire signal transmission process relies on the stability of RS485 or RS232 communication to ensure efficient and reliable transmission of leak alarm signals and control commands, guaranteeing a rapid system response to leaks.

[0025] Reference Figure 1 In addition to being connected to the user controller 5, the leak sensor 231 is also directly connected to the host controller 4, forming a dual signal transmission path to improve the system's response speed and detection accuracy in response to leaks. When the leak sensor 231 detects a leak in the cooling pipe 2, it simultaneously activates the dual signal transmission path. One signal is transmitted directly to the host controller 4, and the other is transmitted to the user controller 5, which then forwards the signal to the host controller 4. This dual transmission design not only avoids the signal delay or interruption problems that may occur with a single transmission path, allowing the host controller 4 to receive leak information more quickly, but also allows the two signals to corroborate each other, reducing the possibility of false alarms or missed alarms and significantly improving the system's response speed and detection accuracy in response to leaks.

[0026] Reference Figure 1An interlock control logic is provided between the first solenoid valve 232 and the second solenoid valve 261. When the host controller 4 receives a leakage alarm signal and needs to close the channel corresponding to the leaking cooling pipe 2 detected by the leakage sensor 231, it synchronously controls the first solenoid valve 232 to close and the second solenoid valve 261 to open. This maintains the overall system flow stability while cutting off the liquid supply to the faulty channel, reducing the impact on the semiconductor manufacturing process. The first solenoid valve 232 and the second solenoid valve 261 have a pre-set interlock control logic. When the host controller 4 receives a leakage alarm signal and determines that it needs to close the channel corresponding to the leaking cooling pipe 2 detected by the leakage sensor 231, it will immediately trigger the interlock control command. The command acts synchronously on two solenoid valves. On the one hand, it controls the first solenoid valve 232 on the leaking pipe to close, cutting off the coolant supply to the faulty channel and preventing the leak from expanding. On the other hand, it synchronously controls the second solenoid valve 261 on the connecting pipe 26 to open, allowing the coolant in the inlet pipe 24 to bypass to the outlet pipe 25 through the connecting pipe 26. This compensates for the flow loss after the faulty channel is cut off, maintains the overall flow stability of the entire cooling system, and minimizes interference with the semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0027] Working Principle: During operation, the liquid pump 11 in the coolant regulating component 1, under the control of the main controller 4, pushes pure water into the cooling pipeline 2, which consists of several sets of inlet pipes 24 and outlet pipes 25, forming a circulation between the coolant regulating component 1 and the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 3. During the circulation process, the flow meter 21 on the inlet pipe 24 monitors the flow rate in real time. The operator can adjust the flow rate manually via a needle valve, or the main controller 4 can control an electric regulating valve for automatic adjustment. At the same time, the variable frequency refrigeration compressor 12, in conjunction with the main controller 4, precisely controls the coolant temperature to meet the process requirements of semiconductor manufacturing. Secondly, in the section of the cooling pipeline 2 that runs through the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 3, the anti-leakage component 23, composed of ultrasonic or pressure-type leak sensors 231, continuously monitors the pipeline status. Once a leak is detected, the leak sensor 231 transmits the signal quickly to the main controller 4 through a dual path: direct connection and transmission via the user controller 5, simultaneously triggering an alarm. Finally, after receiving the leakage signal, the host controller 4, based on the interlock logic of the first solenoid valve 232 and the second solenoid valve 261, synchronously controls the first solenoid valve 232 at the inlet of the leakage pipe to close and the second solenoid valve 261 on the connecting pipe 26 to open. This not only cuts off the fault channel to prevent contamination, but also bypasses the coolant to the outlet pipe 25 through the connecting pipe 26, maintaining the overall flow stability of the system and ensuring the continuous operation of the semiconductor manufacturing process.

[0028] The above are all preferred embodiments of this application, and are not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Therefore, all equivalent changes made in accordance with the structure, shape and principle of this application should be covered within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A device for regulating and preventing leakage of coolant flow in semiconductor temperature control equipment, characterized in that: The coolant is circulated in the cooling pipe (2) by the liquid pump (11) in the coolant regulating assembly (1), and the cooling pipe (2) is connected to the coolant regulating assembly (1) and the semiconductor manufacturing equipment (3). The cooling pipe (2) is provided in several groups, and each cooling pipe (2) is equipped with a flow meter (21) and a flow regulating device (22). The cooling pipe (2) passes through the semiconductor manufacturing equipment (3), and a part of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment (3) is provided with a leak-proof component (23) to prevent coolant leakage. The leak-proof component (23) can issue an alarm and cut off the leaking pipe in time when a coolant leak is detected, so as to avoid contamination of the semiconductor equipment and silicon wafers. The coolant regulating assembly (1) includes a liquid pump (11) and a variable frequency refrigeration compressor (12), wherein the liquid pump (11) is a variable frequency pump and both are connected to the main controller (4). The anti-leakage component (23) includes several sets of leakage sensors (231) corresponding to the cooling pipe (2) and a first solenoid valve (232) located on the cooling pipe (2) at the liquid inlet of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment (3). The leakage sensor (231) is externally connected to an alarm and connected to a user controller (5). The user controller (5) is signal-connected to the host controller (4).

2. The coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cooling pipeline (2) includes an inlet pipe (24) and an outlet pipe (25). A flow meter (21), a flow regulating device (22) and a first solenoid valve (232) are installed sequentially on the inlet pipe (24). The flow regulating device (22) and the first solenoid valve (232) are connected to the outlet pipe (25) through a connecting pipe (26). The connecting pipe (26) is used to bypass the coolant in the inlet pipe (24) to the outlet pipe (25) in case of failure. A second solenoid valve (261) is installed on the connecting pipe (26).

3. The coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment according to claim 2, characterized in that: The leakage sensor (231) is an ultrasonic sensor or a pressure sensor.

4. The coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flow regulating device (22) adopts a needle valve for manual flow regulation or an electric regulating valve, wherein the electric regulating valve is connected to the host controller (4) to realize automatic flow regulation.

5. The coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The coolant is selected from one or more of pure water, electronic fluorinated liquid, and ethylene glycol aqueous solution.

6. The coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: The signal connection between the user controller (5) and the host controller (4) adopts RS485 communication or RS232 communication.

7. The coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: In addition to being connected to the user controller (5), the leakage sensor (231) is also directly connected to the host controller (4) to form a dual signal transmission path.

8. The coolant flow regulation and leak prevention device for semiconductor temperature control equipment according to claim 1, characterized in that: An interlock control logic is provided between the first solenoid valve (232) and the second solenoid valve (261). When the host controller (4) receives a leakage alarm signal and needs to close the channel corresponding to the cooling pipe (2) that was detected by the leakage sensor (231), it synchronously controls the first solenoid valve (232) to close and the second solenoid valve (261) to open. While cutting off the liquid supply to the faulty channel, it maintains the overall flow stability of the system and reduces the impact on the semiconductor manufacturing process.

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