Ultrapure water supply system, control device and program

Abstract

The ultrapure water supply system comprises: a flow pipe (210) for allowing ultrapure water to flow from an ultrapure water manufacturing device (100) to a cleaning device (120); a processing unit (110) arranged on the flow pipe (210); a flow pipe (220) branching out from the flow pipe (210) between the ultrapure water manufacturing device (100) and the processing unit (110) for allowing ultrapure water to flow to the cleaning device (120); and a water quantity control unit (310) arranged on the flow pipe (220) and branching out from the flow pipe (210). a first branch portion of a branch; a water volume control portion (320) for controlling the ultrapure water flowing from the circulation pipe (220) to the cleaning device (120); a comparison portion (510) for comparing a first volume with a second volume, the first volume being the volume of impurities contained in the ultrapure water after being processed by the processing unit (110) and the second volume being the volume of impurities contained in the ultrapure water not processed by the processing unit (110); and a flow path control portion (520) for controlling the water volume control portions (310, 320) according to the comparison result.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an ultrapure water supply system, a control device, and a program. Background Art

[0002] Generally speaking, the quality of ultrapure water supplied from ultrapure water production equipment to the point of use (for example, the location within a semiconductor cleaning device) meets a given standard. However, there are cases where the quality of ultrapure water supplied from the ultrapure water production equipment to the point of use does not meet this standard due to factors such as the dissolution of ionic metal impurities from the supply piping. To address such situations, a technology has been proposed to install a treatment unit between the ultrapure water production equipment and the point of use to remove impurities contained in the ultrapure water (for example, see Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2015 / 045975 Summary of the Invention

[0006] (Problems to be solved by the invention)

[0007] In Reference 1, even when the quality of ultrapure water supplied from the ultrapure water production equipment to the point of use meets a predetermined standard, the water supplied from the ultrapure water production equipment is treated by a treatment unit before being supplied to the point of use. Therefore, there is a problem of not being able to efficiently utilize the system for supplying ultrapure water.

[0008] An object of the present invention is to provide an ultrapure water supply system, a control device, and a program capable of efficiently utilizing a system for supplying ultrapure water.

[0009] (Technical solutions to solve problems)

[0010] The present invention relates to an ultrapure water supply system, comprising: a first flow pipe, which allows ultrapure water to flow from an ultrapure water manufacturing device to a cleaning device; a processing unit, which is arranged on the first flow pipe and processes the ultrapure water; a second flow pipe, which branches out from the first flow pipe between the ultrapure water manufacturing device and the processing unit, and allows ultrapure water to flow to the cleaning device; a first water volume control unit, which is arranged at a first branch portion where the second flow pipe branches off from the first flow pipe; a second water volume control unit, which controls the ultrapure water flowing from the second flow pipe to the cleaning device; a comparison unit, which compares a first volume with a second volume, the first volume being the volume of impurities contained in the ultrapure water after being processed by the processing unit, and the second volume being the volume of impurities contained in the ultrapure water not processed by the processing unit; and a flow path control unit, which controls the first water volume control unit and the second water volume control unit according to the comparison result of the comparison unit.

[0011] In addition, the present invention relates to a control device, comprising: a first water volume control unit, which is arranged at a first branch portion where a second flow pipe branches off from the first flow pipe, the first flow pipe causes ultrapure water to flow from an ultrapure water manufacturing device to a cleaning device, and the second flow pipe branches off from the first flow pipe between the ultrapure water manufacturing device and a treatment unit arranged on the first flow pipe and treating the ultrapure water, and causes ultrapure water to flow to the cleaning device; a second water volume control unit, which controls the ultrapure water flowing from the second flow pipe to the cleaning device; a comparison unit, which compares a first quantity with a second quantity, the first quantity being the quantity of impurities contained in the ultrapure water at a first point that has passed through the treatment unit, and the second quantity being the quantity of impurities contained in the ultrapure water that has flowed from the ultrapure water manufacturing device and has not been treated by the treatment unit; and a flow path control unit, which controls the first water volume control unit and the second water volume control unit according to the comparison result of the comparison unit.

[0012] In addition, the present invention relates to a program for causing a computer to execute the following process: a comparison process, comparing a first quantity and a second quantity, the first quantity being the quantity of impurities contained in the ultrapure water at a first point that has passed through a processing unit, the processing unit being arranged on a first flow pipe that allows ultrapure water to flow from an ultrapure water manufacturing device to a cleaning device, and processes the ultrapure water, the second quantity being the quantity of impurities contained in the ultrapure water that flows from the ultrapure water manufacturing device and has not been processed by the processing unit; and a control process, controlling the ultrapure water flowing in the first flow pipe and the ultrapure water flowing in the second flow pipe according to the result of the comparison.

[0013] (Effects of the Invention)

[0014] In the present invention, the system for supplying ultrapure water can be efficiently utilized. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the ultrapure water supply system of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 Yes Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the first water volume control unit.

[0017] Figure 3 Yes Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the second water volume control unit.

[0018] Figure 4 Yes Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a valve control method performed by a flow path control unit shown in FIG.

[0019] Figure 5 Is used to illustrate Figure 1 Flowchart of an example of an ultrapure water supply method in an ultrapure water supply system shown.

[0020] Figure 6 Yes Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first internal configuration example of a processing unit.

[0021] Figure 7 Yes Figure 1 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a second internal configuration example of a processing unit.

[0022] Figure 8 Yes Figure 1 FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a third internal configuration example of a processing unit.

[0023] Figure 9 It is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the ultrapure water supply system of the present invention.

[0024] Figure 10 Yes Figure 9 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the third water volume control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] (First embodiment)

[0027] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing a first embodiment of the ultrapure water supply system of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the apparatus includes a processing unit 110 , flow pipes 210 , 220 , 230 , and 240 , water volume control units 310 and 320 , measuring units 410 and 420 , a comparison unit 510 , and a flow path control unit 520 .

[0028] FP230193JP

[0029] The processing unit 110 is a device provided on the flow pipe 210, which allows ultrapure water to flow from the ultrapure water production equipment 100 to the point of use (in this embodiment, the cleaning device 120 for cleaning objects). The ultrapure water is water used in semiconductor device manufacturing plants, etc. The processing unit 110 is a unit that removes impurities from the ultrapure water flowing through the flow pipe 210. The processing unit 110 uses, for example, an ion exchanger or a microfiltration membrane (MF), an ultrafiltration membrane (UF), etc. to remove impurities from the ultrapure water. The ion exchanger has an ion removal or ion adsorption function (for example, an ion adsorption membrane or a monolith, an ion exchange resin). The objects removed or adsorbed by the ion exchanger are ionic metal impurities. In addition, the ion exchanger also adsorbs particles based on the electrostatic effect. The processing unit 110 has a structure that makes the amount of impurities in the treated ultrapure water (first amount) become, for example, a value less than 1 ppt when converted to concentration. The processing unit 110 can have a filter, etc. for removing these impurities alone. In addition, the processing unit 110 can also have a combination of filters, etc. for removing these impurities. The processing unit 110 may have a redundant structure so that the filters etc. can be replaced. In addition, a pump for boosting pressure and a heat exchanger may be provided in the upstream stage of the processing unit 110 .

[0030] As the components filled in the treatment unit 110, there can be cited ion exchangers, microfiltration membranes (MF), ultrafiltration membranes (UF), etc. These components can be used alone or in any combination.

[0031] As a specific example of the configuration of the processing unit 110,

[0032] Anionic monoliths

[0033] Cationic monoliths

[0034] Combination of anionic monoliths and cationic monoliths

[0035] Here, the whole block of organic porous body is referred to as a monolith. In addition, an ion exchange resin, a combination of an ion exchange resin and a microfiltration membrane (MF), an ion adsorption membrane, a combination of an ion adsorption membrane and a microfiltration membrane (MF), or a combination of multiple microfiltration membranes (MF) can be provided at their respective front or back stages. Furthermore, the structure of the processing unit 110 can be

[0036] Anion exchange resin

[0037] Cation exchange resin

[0038] Combination of anion exchange resin and cation exchange resin (stacked or mixed bed)

[0039] In addition, an ion adsorption membrane, a combination of an ion adsorption membrane and a microfiltration membrane (MF), or a combination of multiple microfiltration membranes (MF) may be provided at their respective front or rear stages.

[0040] Ion adsorption membrane

[0041] Combination of ion adsorption membrane and microfiltration membrane (MF)

[0042] Microfiltration membrane (MF)

[0043] Ultrafiltration membrane (UF)

[0044] In addition, the monolith described above may be combined with an ion exchange resin, or may be combined with an ion adsorption membrane.

[0045] The ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 is a device for manufacturing ultrapure water for supplying to the cleaning device 120. The structure for manufacturing ultrapure water can be a common structure. The ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100, for example, includes a pretreatment system, a primary pure water system, and a secondary pure water system (subsystem). The primary pure water system is a system provided at the rear stage of the pretreatment system. The secondary pure water system (subsystem) is a system provided at the rear stage of the primary pure water system. Generally speaking, ultrapure water is manufactured by sequentially treating raw water (river water, groundwater, industrial water, etc.) using a pretreatment system, a primary pure water system, and a secondary pure water system. The secondary pure water system consists of, for example, a primary pure water tank that stores pure water produced by the primary pure water system, a heat exchanger (HE), an ultraviolet oxidizer (UVox), a non-regenerative ion exchanger (CP), a membrane degassing device (MD) to remove dissolved gases, and an ultrafiltration membrane (UF) installed in this order. Ultrapure water is produced by sequentially processing the pure water supplied from the primary pure water tank using a pump.

[0046] The cleaning device 120 is a device that cleans wafers, glass substrates, printed circuit boards, metal substrates, and the like using supplied ultrapure water.

[0047] The circulation pipe 210 is a first circulation pipe that allows ultrapure water to flow from the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 to the cleaning device 120. The circulation pipe 220 is a second circulation pipe that branches out from the circulation pipe 210 between the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 and the treatment unit 110 and flows to the cleaning device 120 (strictly speaking, ultrapure water flows to the cleaning device 120 via the circulation pipe 240 described later). The circulation pipe 230 is a third circulation pipe that returns ultrapure water from the circulation pipe 220 to the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100. In addition, the circulation pipe 230 can be used to allow the ultrapure water from the circulation pipe 220 to flow to a drain tank or a recovery tank (not shown). The circulation pipe 240 is a fourth circulation pipe that allows ultrapure water to flow from the circulation pipe 220 to the cleaning device 120. The branch point where the circulation pipe 220 branches from the circulation pipe 210 is set as the first branch part. In addition, the branch point where the circulation pipe 220 branches into the circulation pipe 230 and the circulation pipe 240 is set as the second branch part. The water volume control unit 310 is a first water volume control unit provided at the first branch portion. The water volume control unit 320 is a second water volume control unit provided at the second branch portion. The water volume control unit 320 controls the flow rate of ultrapure water flowing from the circulation pipe 220 to the cleaning device 120, and the measuring unit 410 is a first measuring unit that measures the first amount of impurities at a first point (first quantity measurement point) of the ultrapure water treated by the treatment unit 110. The measuring unit 420 is a second measuring unit that measures the second amount of impurities at a second point on the circulation pipe 220. The measuring unit 420 can be arranged at a position where it can measure the amount of impurities contained in the ultrapure water that has not been treated by the treatment unit 110, that is, the second amount. For example, the measuring unit 420 can be provided on the circulation pipe 210. In addition, the measuring unit 420 can be as follows Figure 1 As shown, it is disposed on the flow pipe 220. In addition, the flow pipe 240 merges with the flow pipe 210 between the first point and the cleaning device 120.

[0048] Figure 2 Yes Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the water volume control unit 310 shown in FIG. Figure 1 The water volume control unit 310 is shown as Figure 2 As shown, valves 610 and 620 are provided. Valve 610 is a first valve (on-off valve) for adjusting the amount of water flowing to treatment unit 110 . Valve 620 is a second valve (on-off valve) for adjusting the amount of water flowing to flow pipe 220 .

[0049] Figure 3 Yes Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the water volume control unit 320 shown in FIG. Figure 1 The water quantity control unit 320 is shown as follows Figure 3As shown, the flow meter includes a measuring unit 420, a valve 630, and a valve 640. Valve 630 is a third valve (on-off valve) that adjusts the amount of water flowing from flow pipe 220 to flow pipe 230. Valve 640 is a fourth valve (on-off valve) that adjusts the amount of water flowing from flow pipe 220 to flow pipe 240.

[0050] The measuring parts 410 and 420 are equipped with a filter-type sampling mechanism for capturing impurities. The filter-type sampling mechanism includes an ion exchanger. The ion exchanger in this case can be a material with an ion exchange function. The ion exchanger is preferably a block-shaped ion exchanger. In addition, the objects captured by the measuring parts 410 and 420 can be particles with a diameter of 10 nm or more. In addition, the filter-type sampling mechanism for capturing impurities in the measuring parts 410 and 420 includes a filter membrane that can capture particles with a diameter of 10 nm or more and a centrifugal filter membrane. In this case, the filter membrane that can capture particles with a diameter of 10 nm or more is an AAO (Anodic Aluminum Oxide) membrane.

[0051] Here, the analysis method and analytical evaluation of impurities in the measuring units 410 and 420 are described. The ionic metal impurity analysis of the ultrapure water in the measuring units 410 and 420 preferably uses the concentration method disclosed in JP Patent Publication No. 2001-153855. The method is specifically as follows. The ultrapure water produced by the ultrapure water production equipment 100 is passed through the ion exchanger provided by the measuring units 410 and 420 to allow the ion exchanger to capture the ionic impurities contained in the ultrapure water. Next, the eluent is passed through the ion exchanger that has captured the ionic impurities contained in the ultrapure water. Then, a recovered eluent containing the ionic impurities contained in the ultrapure water eluted from the ion exchanger is obtained, and the concentration of each ionic impurity in the recovered eluent is measured. By using the concentration method, metals below 0.1 ng / L can be measured.

[0052] The analysis and evaluation of impurities in the measurement units 410 and 420 employs a concentration method using a monolithic ion exchanger as the ion exchanger. Examples of the structure of the monolithic ion exchanger used herein include the interconnected bubble structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Nos. 2002-306976 and 2009-62512, the co-continuous structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-67982, the particle agglomerate structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-7550, and the particle composite structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-108294. Furthermore, examples of the structure, materials, and properties of the ion exchanger include those disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-195763. In addition, the ion exchange groups introduced into the monolithic ion exchanger, the cation exchange groups introduced into the monolithic organic porous cation exchanger (hereinafter referred to as the monolithic cation exchanger), and the anion exchange groups introduced into the monolithic organic porous anion exchanger (hereinafter referred to as the monolithic anion exchanger) can be listed as disclosed in JP-A-2019-195763.

[0053] In addition, as the particle analysis in the ultrapure water performed by the measuring parts 410 and 420, it is preferable to adopt a microscope direct inspection method in which a SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) is used to observe the particles captured by membrane filtration. Generally speaking, a liquid particle counter is often used for analysis. However, the analysis using a liquid particle counter can only detect particles with a particle size greater than 20 nm, and the detection efficiency is low. By using a microscope direct inspection method, the composition analysis of the particles can be performed, and the source of the particles can be determined. The filter sampling mechanism provided in the measuring parts 410 and 420 for analyzing and evaluating the water quality of ultrapure water does not have to be provided all the time. The filter sampling mechanism provided in the measuring parts 410 and 420 is preferably capable of sampling at arbitrary timing and regular timing. The filter sampling mechanism provided in the measuring parts 410 and 420 is preferably capable of capturing (concentrating) the part of the impurities (for example, a reagent kit, a component, a bracket, etc., hereinafter referred to as a sample) so that it can be loaded and unloaded from the measuring parts 410 and 420. Furthermore, samples removed from the measuring units 410 and 420, after impurities have been captured (concentrated), are analyzed while avoiding contaminants. Sampling is performed in the measuring units 410 and 420, and each sample removed from the measuring units 410 and 420 does not necessarily need to be analyzed. Samples removed from the measuring units 410 and 420 are stored while avoiding contaminants, and can be analyzed collectively or only partially when necessary.

[0054] The comparison unit 510 compares the first quantity measured by the measuring unit 410 with the second quantity measured by the measuring unit 420. For example, the comparison unit 510 may compare the concentration-converted value of the first quantity measured by the measuring unit 410 (hereinafter referred to as the first concentration) with the concentration-converted value of the second quantity measured by the measuring unit 420 (hereinafter referred to as the second concentration). The flow control unit 520 controls the water quantity control unit 310 and the water quantity control unit 320 based on the comparison result of the comparison unit 510. Specifically, the flow control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of each of the valves 610, 620, 630, and 640 based on the comparison result of the comparison unit 510. More specifically, when the first quantity is less than the second quantity, the flow control unit 520 opens the valves 610, 620, and 630 and closes the valve 640. In other cases, the flow channel control unit 520 closes the valves 610 and 630 and opens the valves 620 and 640 .

[0055] Figure 4 Yes Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a method for controlling the valves 610 , 620 , 630 , and 640 by the flow path control unit 520 . Figure 4 The example shown is an example of a correspondence relationship used when the comparison unit 510 compares the first concentration and the second concentration. Figure 4 As shown, the flow control unit 520 establishes a correspondence between the magnitude relationship between the first concentration after the first quantity measured by the measuring unit 410 is converted into a concentration and the second concentration after the second quantity measured by the measuring unit 420 is converted into a concentration, and the contents of the opening and closing control of the valves 610, 620, 630, and 640. The flow control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of each valve 610, 620, 630, and 640 with reference to the comparison result of the comparison unit 510 and the corresponding relationship. For example, when the comparison result of the comparison unit 510 is sent to the flow control unit 520 and the first concentration is lower than the second concentration, the flow control unit 520 controls the valves 610, 620, 630, and 640 using a method that establishes a correspondence with the situation where the first concentration is lower than the second concentration based on the corresponding relationship. Figure 4 In the example shown, in this case, the flow control unit 520 controls valves 610, 620, and 630 to be open, and controls valve 640 to be closed. In addition, when the comparison result of the comparison unit 510 is sent to the flow control unit 520 and the first concentration is equal to the second concentration, the flow control unit 520 controls valves 610, 620, 630, and 640 using a method that establishes a correspondence with the case where the first concentration is equal to the second concentration. Figure 4In the example shown, in this case, the flow path control unit 520 controls valves 610 and 630 to be closed, and controls valves 620 and 640 to be open. This correspondence can be stored in the flow path control unit 520. Alternatively, this correspondence can be stored in an external storage medium accessible to the flow path control unit 520.

[0056] In addition, the comparison result can be given a certain degree of margin. For example, if Figure 4 , when the concentration measured by measurement unit 410 becomes lower than the concentration measured by measurement unit 420 and becomes equal to each other, flow control unit 520 controls valves 610 and 630 to be closed and valves 620 and 640 to be open. For example, when the concentration measured by measurement unit 410 becomes lower than the concentration measured by measurement unit 420 and becomes close to being equal to each other, flow control unit 520 may control valves 610 and 630 to be closed and valves 620 and 640 to be open. This margin can be preset or calculated based on the concentration. If such a margin is used, for example, if the first concentration measured by measurement unit 410 is lower than the second concentration measured by measurement unit 420 and the difference between the first and second concentrations is greater than a given value (margin value), flow control unit 520 controls valves 610, 620, and 630 to be open and valve 640 to be closed. In addition, in other cases, the flow path control unit 520 controls the valves 610 and 630 to be in the closed state, and controls the valves 620 and 640 to be in the open state.

[0057] The following is for Figure 1 A method for supplying ultrapure water in the ultrapure water supply system shown in FIG. Figure 5 Is used to illustrate Figure 1Flowchart of an example of an ultrapure water supply method in an ultrapure water supply system shown in FIG. Here, the process in which the comparison unit 510 compares the first concentration and the second concentration is described as an example. First, the processing unit 110 is installed in the circulation pipe 210 (step S1). Thereafter, the flow path control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of the valves 610, 620, 630, and 640 so that the ultrapure water supplied from the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 flows to the cleaning device 120 via the circulation pipe 210 and the processing unit 110 (step S2). At this time, the flow path control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of the valves 610, 620, 630, and 640 so that the ultrapure water supplied from the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 also flows to the measuring unit 420. Specifically, the flow path control unit 520 opens the valves 610, 620, and 630 and closes the valve 640. Next, the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 starts the supply of ultrapure water (step S3). Thereafter, the comparison unit 510 compares the measurement result of the measuring unit 410 (for example, the concentration of impurities or the number of particles) with the measurement result of the measuring unit 420 (the concentration of impurities). The flow path control unit 520 determines whether the concentrations of impurities measured by the respective measuring units 410 are equal to each other based on the comparison result of the comparison unit 510 (step S4). When the concentrations of impurities measured by the measuring units 410 and 420 are equal to each other, the flow path control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of the valves 610, 620, 630, and 640 so that the ultrapure water supplied from the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 flows to the cleaning device 120 via the circulation pipe 220 (step S5). Specifically, the flow path control unit 520 closes the valves 610 and 630 and opens the valves 620 and 640.

[0058] The flow control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of the valves 610, 620, 630, and 640 as described above, so that when the concentration of impurities in the ultrapure water flowing from the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 exceeds a specified value, such as right after the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 is started, the ultrapure water from the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 is supplied to the cleaning device 120 through the treatment unit 110. Thereafter, when the concentration of impurities in the ultrapure water flowing from the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 is below a specified value, the ultrapure water from the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 is supplied to the cleaning device 120 without passing through the treatment unit 110. Furthermore, after the ultrapure water from the ultrapure water production equipment 100 is supplied to the cleaning device 120 without passing through the treatment unit 110, if the concentration of impurities contained in the ultrapure water flowing from the ultrapure water production equipment 100 again exceeds the specified value, the ultrapure water from the ultrapure water production equipment 100 can be supplied to the cleaning device 120 again through the treatment unit 110. When the ultrapure water from the ultrapure water production equipment 100 is controlled to be supplied to the cleaning device 120 without passing through the treatment unit 110, the ultrapure water does not flow through the treatment unit 110. Therefore, the treatment unit 110 can be removed from the flow pipe 210. In addition, when the treatment unit 110 is removed from the flow pipe 210, the flow path control unit 520 can control the valves 610 and 630 to be closed and the valves 620 and 640 to be open. In addition, the flow path control unit 520 may control the valves 610 , 620 , and 640 to be in an open state, and control the valve 630 to be in a closed state.

[0059] The timing at which the flow control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of valves 610, 620, 630, and 640 is the timing at which the inflow of ultrapure water into the desired flow pipe and the blocking are switched. For example, when the path for making ultrapure water flow to the cleaning device 120 is switched to the path from the flow pipe 210 via the flow pipes 220 and 240, the flow control unit 520 opens valves 620 and 640 at the same timing as the timing at which valves 610 and 630 are closed. The same timing preferably refers to being completely consistent with each other. The same timing can also refer to: even if they are not completely consistent with each other, the difference between these timings is within a given range. The timing at which valve 610 is closed is also the same as the timing at which valve 630 is closed. The timing at which valve 620 is opened is also the same as the timing at which valve 640 is opened. For example, the flow path control unit 520 may open the valves 620 and 640 within a predetermined time after the valves 610 and 630 are controlled to be closed.

[0060] Furthermore, the water amount control units 310 and 320 , the valves 610 , 620 , 630 , and 640 , the comparison unit 510 , and the flow path control unit 520 constitute a control device.

[0061] The following is for Figure 1 An example of the internal configuration of the processing unit 110 will be described. Figure 6 Yes Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a first internal configuration example of the processing unit 110. Figure 6 In the example shown, Figure 1 The illustrated processing unit 110 includes two removal elements 1100 and 1101 and four valves 1110 to 1113. A series of removal elements 1100 and valves 1110 and 1111, in the order of valve 1110, removal element 1100, and valve 1111, is connected in parallel with a series of removal elements 1101 and valves 1112 and 1113, in the order of valve 1112, removal element 1101, and valve 1113, from upstream. Valves 1110 to 1113 are sixth valves that control the flow of ultrapure water from flow pipe 210 to flow through either of the two removal elements 1100 and 1101. The flow path control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of valves 1110 to 1113 based on the comparison result of the comparison unit 510 between the first and second quantities. At this time, if the first amount is less than the second amount but close to the second amount (for example, if the first amount is a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the second amount), the flow path control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of valves 1110 to 1113 to switch the removal element through which the ultrapure water flows to another removal element. Alternatively, if a value less than the second amount is preset as an allowable amount and the first amount reaches the allowable amount, the flow path control unit 520 can control the opening and closing of valves 1110 to 1113 to switch the removal element through which the ultrapure water flows to another removal element.

[0062] Figure 7 Yes Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a second internal configuration example of the processing unit 110 . Figure 7 In the example shown, Figure 1The illustrated processing unit 110 includes three removal elements 1120, 1121, and 1122, and six valves 1130 to 1135. A series of removal elements 1120 and valves 1130 and 1131 are connected in series in the order of valve 1130, removal element 1120, and valve 1131 from upstream; a series of removal element 1121 and valves 1132 and 1133 are connected in series in the order of valve 1132, removal element 1121, and valve 1133 from upstream; and a series of removal element 1122 and valves 1134 and 1135 are connected in series in the order of valve 1134, removal element 1122, and valve 1135 from upstream. Valves 1130 to 1135 are sixth valves that control the flow of ultrapure water from flow pipe 210 through any of the three removal elements 1120, 1121, and 1122. The flow control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of valves 1130-1135 based on the comparison result of the first and second amounts by the comparison unit 510. In this case, if the first amount is less than the second amount but close to the second amount (for example, if the first amount is a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the second amount), the flow control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of valves 1130-1135 to switch the removal element through which the ultrapure water flows to another removal element. Alternatively, if a value less than the second amount is preset as an allowable amount and the first amount reaches the allowable amount, the flow control unit 520 can control the opening and closing of valves 1130-1135 to switch the removal element through which the ultrapure water flows to another removal element.

[0063] Figure 8 Yes Figure 1 FIG3 is a diagram showing a third internal configuration example of the processing unit 110. Figure 8 In the example shown, Figure 1The illustrated processing unit 110 includes four removal elements 1140, 1141, 1142, and 1143, and four valves 1150 to 1153. A series of removal elements 1140, 1141 and valves 1150, 1151, connected in series (from upstream): valve 1150, removal element 1140, removal element 1141, valve 1151; and a series of removal elements 1142, 1143 and valves 1152, 1153, connected in series (from upstream): valve 1152, removal element 1142, removal element 1143, valve 1153. Valves 1150 to 1153 serve as a sixth valve that controls the flow of ultrapure water from flow pipe 210 through either of the two series. The flow control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of valves 1150-1153 based on the result of the comparison unit 510 comparing the first and second quantities. In this case, if the first quantity is less than the second quantity but close to the second quantity (for example, if the first quantity is a value obtained by subtracting a predetermined value from the second quantity), the flow control unit 520 controls the opening and closing of valves 1150-1153 to switch the flow of ultrapure water to another flow. Alternatively, if a value less than the second quantity is pre-set as an allowable value and the first quantity reaches the allowable value, the flow control unit 520 can control the opening and closing of valves 1150-1153 to switch the flow of ultrapure water to another flow. Furthermore, valves similarly controlled by the flow control unit 520 may be provided between the removal member 1140 and the removal member 1141, and between the removal member 1142 and the removal member 1143.

[0064] In this way, the processing unit 110 is provided with a plurality of removal components, and the removal components have a redundant structure. Moreover, according to the amount of impurities contained in the ultrapure water flowing through the removal components, the flow control unit 520 uses the sixth valve to switch the removal components through which the ultrapure water flows. In this way, the supply of ultrapure water to the cleaning device 120 can be continuously performed. In addition, a pump can be provided in the processing unit 110, and the pump can be used to supply ultrapure water. The location where the pump is provided is, for example, the front stage of the removal components. The specific redundant structure of the removal components in the processing unit 110 is not limited to Figures 6-8 The redundant structure shown. In addition, the above description does not exclude the processing unit 110 having only one removal component from the present invention. In addition, Figures 6-8 The removal members 1100 , 1101 , 1120 to 1122 , and 1140 to 1143 shown are, for example, ion exchangers, microfiltration membranes (MF), ultrafiltration membranes (UF), etc., and are as described above as the members filled in the treatment unit 110 .

[0065] In this method, as described above, when the ultrapure water production equipment 100 is started up, the ultrapure water from the ultrapure water production equipment 100 is supplied to the cleaning device 120 after passing through the treatment unit 110. Based on the result of comparing the amount (concentration) of impurities in the ultrapure water in the flow pipe supplied from the ultrapure water production equipment 100 to the cleaning device 120 without passing through the treatment unit 110 with the amount (concentration) of impurities in the ultrapure water passing through the treatment unit 110, the path of the ultrapure water supplied to the cleaning device 120 is switched to a path that does not pass through the treatment unit 110. By using this method, not only can the ultrapure water production equipment 100 be started up quickly, but the operation of the ion exchange filter constituting the treatment unit 110 can also be optimized. Therefore, the system for supplying ultrapure water can be efficiently utilized.

[0066] (Second embodiment)

[0067] Figure 9 1 is a diagram showing a second embodiment of the ultrapure water supply system of the present invention. Figure 9 As shown, the apparatus includes a processing unit 110, flow tubes 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250, water volume control units 310, 320, and 330, a measuring unit 410, a comparing unit 510, and a flow path control unit 521. The processing unit 110, flow tubes 210, 220, 230, and 240, water volume control units 310, 320, measuring units 410, 420, and comparing unit 510 are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0068] Flow pipe 250 is a fifth flow pipe that branches from flow pipe 210 at a third branch point between the point where measurement unit 410 is located and the point where flow pipe 240 and flow pipe 210 merge, and directs ultrapure water toward ultrapure water production equipment 100. Flow pipe 250 can also be used to direct ultrapure water from flow pipe 210 toward a drain tank or recovery tank (not shown). Water volume control unit 330 is a third water volume control unit located at the third branch point.

[0069] Figure 10 Yes Figure 9 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the water volume control unit 330. Figure 9 The water volume control unit 330 is shown as follows Figure 10As shown, there are valves 650 and valves 660. Valve 650 is a fifth valve (on-off valve) for adjusting the amount of water flowing to the circulation pipe 250. Valve 660 is a sixth valve (on-off valve) for adjusting the amount of water flowing to the cleaning device 120. For example, after the treatment unit 110 is removed from the circulation pipe 210, in order to blow the circulation pipe 210, the flow control unit 521 controls valves 610 and 650 to be open and controls valve 660 to be closed. In this way, after the treatment unit 110 is removed, the ultrapure water from the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 flows to the cleaning device 120 via the circulation pipes 210, 220, and 240, and returns to the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 via the circulation pipes 210 and 250. In addition, in order to blow the circulation pipe 230, the flow control unit 521 controls valves 620 and 630 to be open. In addition, the flow path control unit 521 not only controls the opening and closing states of valves 610, 620, 630, 640, 650, and 660 to be fully open or fully closed, but also controls the opening and closing states so that the required amount of ultrapure water flows through each of the flow pipes 210, 220, 230, 240, and 250.

[0070] Furthermore, the water amount control units 310 , 320 , 330 , the measuring units 410 , 420 , the valves 610 , 620 , 630 , 640 , 650 , 660 , the comparison unit 510 , and the flow path control unit 521 constitute a control device.

[0071] In this embodiment, as described above, when the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 is started, the ultrapure water from the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 is supplied to the cleaning device 120 after passing through the treatment unit 110. According to the result of comparing the amount (concentration) of impurities in the ultrapure water in the flow pipe supplied from the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 to the cleaning device 120 without passing through the treatment unit 110 with the amount (concentration) of impurities in the ultrapure water passing through the treatment unit 110, the path of the ultrapure water supplied to the cleaning device 120 is switched to a path not passing through the treatment unit 110. By such a method, not only can the ultrapure water manufacturing equipment 100 be started quickly, but also the use of the ion exchanger, microfiltration membrane (MF), ultrafiltration membrane (UF), etc. constituting the treatment unit 110 is optimized. Therefore, the system for supplying ultrapure water can be efficiently utilized. Furthermore, a flow pipe 250 is provided to return the ultrapure water flowing in the flow pipe 210 to the recovery tank or the drain tank. Thus, for example, if the treatment unit 110 is removed from the flow tube 210, the flow tube 210 can be blown to allow ultrapure water to flow. Furthermore, when maintenance is performed on the ultrapure water production facility 100 or the quality of the ultrapure water deteriorates, for example, the treatment unit 110 can be replaced in the flow tube 210, and ultrapure water supplied from the ultrapure water production facility 100 can be supplied through the flow tube 210 where the treatment unit 110 is installed. This shortens startup time and allows ultrapure water to be supplied without stopping the operation of the cleaning device 120.

[0072] While the above description describes each component sharing its own functions (processing), this distribution is not limited to the aforementioned method. Furthermore, the aforementioned configuration of the components is merely an example and is not limiting. Furthermore, the various embodiments may be combined. Furthermore, in addition to being performed by the flow path control units 520 and 521 as described above, it is also conceivable that the open and closed states of valves 610 , 620 , 630 , 640 , 650 , and 660 may be controlled by an administrator who manages the system.

[0073] The processing performed by the measuring units 410, 420, the comparing unit 510, and the flow control units 520, 521 can also be performed by logic circuits individually designed for their intended purpose. Alternatively, a computer program (hereinafter referred to as a program) describing the processing as a procedure can be recorded on a recording medium readable by a control device equipped with the measuring units 410, 420, the comparing unit 510, and the flow control units 520, 521, so that the control device can read and execute the program recorded on the recording medium. Recording media readable by the control device include removable recording media such as floppy disks (registered trademark), magneto-optical disks, DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), CDs (Compact Discs), Blu-ray Discs (registered trademark), and USB (Universal Serial Bus) memories, as well as memories such as ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and HDDs (Hard Disc Drives) built into the control device. The program recorded in the recording medium is read by the CPU provided in the control device, and the same processing as described above is performed under the control of the CPU. Here, the CPU operates as a computer that executes the program read from the recording medium on which the program is recorded.

[0074] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present invention within the scope of the present invention.

[0075] This application claims priority based on Japanese patent application No. 2020-154530 filed on September 15, 2020, and all contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Claims

1. An ultrapure water supply system comprising: a first flow pipe for allowing ultrapure water to flow from the ultrapure water production equipment to the cleaning device; a processing unit, which is provided on the first flow pipe and processes the ultrapure water; a second flow pipe branching from the first flow pipe between the ultrapure water production equipment and the processing unit, allowing the ultrapure water to flow to the cleaning device; a first water volume control unit provided at a first branching portion where the second flow pipe branches from the first flow pipe; a second water flow control unit for controlling the flow of ultrapure water from the second flow pipe to the cleaning device; a comparing unit that compares a first amount, which is an amount of impurities contained in the ultrapure water treated by the treatment unit, with a second amount, which is an amount of impurities contained in the ultrapure water not treated by the treatment unit; as well as A flow path control unit controls the first water volume control unit and the second water volume control unit according to a comparison result of the comparison unit.

2. The ultrapure water supply system according to claim 1, wherein: The ultrapure water supply system includes a second branch portion, the second branch portion branches into a third flow pipe for returning ultrapure water from the second flow pipe to the ultrapure water production equipment, and a fourth flow pipe for flowing ultrapure water from the second flow pipe to the cleaning device. The second water volume control unit is disposed at the second branch portion.

3. The ultrapure water supply system according to claim 2, wherein: The first water flow control unit includes a first valve for adjusting the amount of water flowing from the first flow pipe to the treatment unit, and a second valve for adjusting the amount of water flowing from the first flow pipe to the second flow pipe. The second water flow control unit includes a third valve for adjusting the amount of water flowing from the second flow pipe to the third flow pipe, and a fourth valve for adjusting the amount of water flowing from the second flow pipe to the fourth flow pipe. The flow path control unit controls opening and closing of each of the first valve, the second valve, the third valve, and the fourth valve.

4. The ultrapure water supply system according to claim 3, wherein: When the first amount is less than the second amount and the difference between the first amount and the second amount is greater than a given value, the flow path control unit opens the first valve, the second valve, and the third valve and closes the fourth valve. In all other cases, the flow path control unit closes the first valve and the third valve and opens the second valve and the fourth valve.

5. The ultrapure water supply system according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein: The ultrapure water supply system comprises: a fifth flow pipe branching from the first flow pipe between a first quantity measurement point for measuring the first quantity and a confluence point between the fourth flow pipe and the first flow pipe, for allowing ultrapure water to flow to the ultrapure water production equipment; as well as The fifth valve adjusts the amount of water flowing from the first flow pipe to the fifth flow pipe.

6. The ultrapure water supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The ultrapure water supply system comprises: a first measuring unit that measures the first quantity; and a second measuring section that measures the second quantity, The first measuring unit and the second measuring unit include an ion exchanger that captures the impurities.

7. The ultrapure water supply system according to claim 6, wherein: The ion exchanger is a monolithic ion exchanger.

8. The ultrapure water supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The ultrapure water supply system comprises: a first measuring unit that measures the first quantity; and a second measuring section that measures the second quantity, The first measuring section and the second measuring section include a filter membrane capable of capturing fine particles having a diameter of 10 nm or more as the impurities and a centrifugal filtration mechanism.

9. The ultrapure water supply system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The processing unit has: a plurality of removal members connected in parallel to each other to remove the impurities from the ultrapure water flowing into the treatment unit; as well as A sixth valve allows the ultrapure water to flow through any one of the plurality of removal members.

10. The ultrapure water supply system according to claim 9, wherein: The flow path control unit controls the sixth valve to switch the removal member that allows the ultrapure water to flow, based on a result of the comparison between the first amount and the second amount by the comparison unit.

11. A control device comprising: a first water volume control unit, disposed at a first branching portion of a second flow pipe branching from the first flow pipe, the first flow pipe allowing ultrapure water to flow from an ultrapure water production device to a cleaning device, the second flow pipe branching from the first flow pipe between the ultrapure water production device and a treatment unit disposed on the first flow pipe and treating the ultrapure water, and allowing the ultrapure water to flow to the cleaning device; a second water flow control unit for controlling the flow of ultrapure water from the second flow pipe to the cleaning device; a comparing unit configured to compare a first amount, which is an amount of impurities contained in the ultrapure water at a first point that has passed through the treatment unit, with a second amount, which is an amount of impurities contained in the ultrapure water that has flowed from the ultrapure water production equipment and has not been treated by the treatment unit; as well as A flow path control unit controls the first water volume control unit and the second water volume control unit according to a comparison result of the comparison unit.

12. A computer-readable recording medium having a program recorded thereon, the program being configured to cause the computer to execute the following process: a comparison process, comparing a first amount and a second amount, wherein the first amount is the amount of impurities contained in the ultrapure water at a first point after passing through a treatment unit, the treatment unit being provided on a first flow pipe that allows ultrapure water to flow from an ultrapure water production device to a cleaning device and treats the ultrapure water, and the second amount is the amount of impurities contained in the ultrapure water that has flowed from the ultrapure water production device and has not been treated by the treatment unit; and The control process controls the ultrapure water flowing in the first circulation pipe and the ultrapure water flowing in the second circulation pipe according to the comparison result.

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