Three-way valve for conveying chemical liquid medicine in semiconductor manufacturing

Abstract

The invention relates to a three-way valve for conveying chemical liquid medicine in semiconductor manufacturing. The three-way valve sequentially comprises a mechanism body and a mounting bottom plate from top to bottom. A mechanism inlet, a first mechanism outlet and a second mechanism outlet are formed in the mechanism main body, an embedded sleeve is arranged in a working chamber in the mechanism main body, the middle part of the embedded sleeve is communicated with the mechanism inlet, the upper part of the embedded sleeve is communicated with the first mechanism outlet, and the lower part of the embedded sleeve is communicated with the second mechanism outlet; the three-way valve further comprises an executing mechanism assembly and a three-way valve sealing assembly. The sealing structure of a conventional valve is optimized, so that the probability of generating particulate matters is greatly reduced in the operation process of the valve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field related to chemical liquid valves, and in particular to a three-way valve for conveying chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing. Background Art

[0002] The pneumatic three-way diaphragm valve, as a switching control valve, has three valve ports, usually one valve inlet and two valve outlets (usually called one inlet and two outlets), to switch the fluid to different pipelines. In the application of semiconductor production equipment, due to the limited space of precision equipment, the number of pipelines in the equipment, the number of fluid controllers, etc. are also limited. Therefore, the pneumatic three-way diaphragm valve can be used in the form of one valve inlet and two valve outlets to reduce the number of pipeline connection ends of the equipment, thereby saving equipment space.

[0003] After a massive search, it was found that the Chinese patent announcement number is CN2236058Y, which discloses a new three-way diverter regulating valve, including a valve body, a diverter, an adjusting rod and a handwheel. The diverter regulator is a water outlet hole connected to the front and rear sides of a cylindrical body. The fluid is reversed by rotating the diverter regulator. This structure is the reversing principle of most three-way valves. This structure requires the internal regulator to rotate, and the internal regulator and the valve body generate friction, which has the risk of generating particulate matter. This structure is not suitable for use in the field of semiconductor equipment production.

[0004] After massive searches, it was found that the Chinese patent announcement number is CN217784275U, which discloses a manual and automatic dual-purpose pneumatically controlled two-position three-way valve for a wellhead control system, including a valve body, an end cover is installed on the top of the valve body, a pressure rod is installed at the center of the top of the end cover, the bottom of the pressure rod slides through the end cover and is installed with a piston rod, the surface of the bottom of the piston rod is sleeved with a first spring, and the bottom of the piston rod is installed with a first steel ball; a striker is installed at the bottom of the first steel ball, a second steel ball is installed at the bottom of the striker, a valve core sleeve is installed below the striker and above the second steel ball, a plug is inserted at the bottom of the valve body, and the top of the plug fits with the bottom of the second steel ball. The middle of the valve body is the outlet, the bottom is the inlet, and the top is the discharge port. The three-way valve structure of this patent is only suitable for gaseous media, because the three interfaces of the three-way valve mentioned in this patent are spatially arranged in an upper, middle and lower structure, with the upper end being the exhaust port, the middle being the outlet, and the lower end being the inlet. For fluid media, this structure will affect the flow capacity of the valve due to the viscosity coefficient of the fluid and factors of fluid mechanics; at the same time, the structure of this three-way valve, elastic components such as springs, are exposed to the medium, which will cause corrosion to chemical liquid media, and produce particulate matter and metal ions, etc., and is also not suitable for the semiconductor field.

[0005] After massive searches, it was found that the Chinese patent announcement number is CN114949579B, which discloses a three-way valve, including a three-way valve body, a plug and a spring. The three-way valve structure mentioned in this patent cannot be used in the semiconductor field because its material is metal material. Secondly, the reversal of the fluid is achieved by rotating the plug, which has the risk of generating particulate matter and is not suitable for the semiconductor field.

[0006] In summary, the existing three-way valves are not suitable for the semiconductor field due to their existing structural design, sealing structure design, and material problems. At the same time, some of the existing three-way valve parts are difficult to process and it is difficult to achieve the ideal processing level. In addition, the cleanliness of the valve body is not up to standard, and it is easy to contaminate the liquid medicine.

[0007] In view of the above-mentioned defects, the designer actively carried out research and innovation in order to create a three-way valve for chemical liquid delivery in semiconductor manufacturing, so that it has more industrial utilization value. Summary of the invention

[0008] In order to solve any of the above technical problems, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a three-way valve for delivering chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing.

[0009] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0010] A three-way valve for delivering chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing, which comprises a mechanism body and a mounting base plate from top to bottom;

[0011] The mechanism main body is provided with a mechanism entrance, a first mechanism exit and a second mechanism exit, and an inner nest is provided in the working chamber in the mechanism main body, the middle part of the inner nest is connected with the mechanism entrance, the upper part of the inner nest is connected with the first mechanism exit, and the lower part of the inner nest is connected with the second mechanism exit;

[0012] Also included are an actuator assembly and a three-way valve sealing assembly;

[0013] The actuator assembly comprises an actuator body, an actuator top portion and an actuator bottom portion, the actuator body is mounted on the top of the actuator body, the actuator top portion is mounted on the top of the actuator body, the actuator bottom portion is mounted on the bottom of the actuator body, the mounting base plate is mounted on the bottom of the actuator bottom portion, a first air inlet is mounted on the actuator top portion, and a second air inlet is mounted on the actuator body;

[0014] An upper actuator shaft is installed between the actuator body and the top end of the actuator, and a lower actuator shaft is installed in the bottom end of the actuator;

[0015] The three-way valve sealing assembly includes an upper double-headed diaphragm, a diaphragm connecting column and a lower double-headed diaphragm from top to bottom. The diaphragm connecting column is located in the inner nest. The upper double-headed diaphragm installed on the top of the diaphragm connecting column is connected to the upper actuator shaft above, and the lower double-headed diaphragm installed at the bottom of the diaphragm connecting column is connected to the lower actuator shaft below.

[0016] As a further improvement of the present invention, it also includes a spring assembly located at the inner side of the bottom of the bottom end of the actuator, and the lower actuator shaft is in contact with the spring assembly below.

[0017] As a further improvement of the present invention, the spring assembly includes an inner spring and an outer spring from the inside to the outside, the working stroke of the inner spring is greater than the working stroke of the outer spring, and the spring stiffness of the outer spring is greater than the spring stiffness of the inner spring.

[0018] As a further improvement of the present invention, a first O-ring is installed between the middle of the upper actuator shaft and the actuator body, a third O-ring is installed between the bottom of the upper actuator shaft and the actuator body, and a second O-ring is installed between the top end of the actuator and the actuator body.

[0019] As a further improvement of the present invention, the top end of the actuator, the actuator body, the mechanism main body, the bottom end of the actuator and the mounting base plate are connected together by a plurality of bolts.

[0020] As a further improvement of the present invention, the head of the bolt is located in the first mounting hole in the top end of the actuator, and an open gasket and a flat gasket are installed in sequence from top to bottom between the bottom of the bolt head and the first mounting hole, and the tail of the bolt is installed in the second mounting hole in the mounting base plate through a nut.

[0021] As a further improvement of the present invention, rubber plugs are installed on the outer sides of the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole.

[0022] By means of the above scheme, the present invention has at least the following advantages:

[0023] The present invention optimizes the sealing structure of the previous valve, so that the probability of generating particles during the operation of the valve is greatly reduced.

[0024] The invention has a relatively simple structure, is easy to assemble, has high cleanliness requirements, and can be used in semiconductor wafer wet cleaning processes.

[0025] The above description is only an overview of the technical solution of the present invention. In order to more clearly understand the technical means of the present invention and implement it according to the contents of the specification, the following is a detailed description of the preferred embodiments of the present invention with accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026] In order to more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the drawings required for use in the embodiments are briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show certain embodiments of the present invention and therefore should not be regarded as limiting the scope. For ordinary technicians in this field, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative work.

[0027] Figure 1 It is a schematic diagram of the explosion structure of a three-way valve for delivering chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing according to the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the internal structure on the middle side;

[0029] Figure 3 yes Figure 1 Schematic diagram of the internal structure on the other side;

[0030] Figure 4 yes Figure 2 A schematic diagram of the partial enlarged structure of the sealing assembly of the middle three-way valve;

[0031] Figure 5 yes Figure 2 Schematic diagram of the partial enlarged structure of the upper middle actuator shaft.

[0032] The meanings of the various reference numerals in the figures are as follows.

[0033] Mechanism body 1, inner nesting 2, actuator body 3, upper actuator shaft 4, first O-ring 5, second O-ring 6, actuator top end 7, actuator bottom end 8, lower actuator shaft 9, inner spring 10, outer spring 11, upper double-headed diaphragm 12, diaphragm connecting column 13, lower double-headed diaphragm 14, mounting base 15, bolts 16, nuts 17, flat gasket 18, open gasket 19, rubber plug 20, third O-ring 21, mechanism inlet 22, mechanism first outlet 23, mechanism second outlet 24, first air inlet 25, second air inlet 26. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0034] The specific implementation of the present invention is further described in detail below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and examples. The following examples are used to illustrate the present invention, but are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention.

[0035] In order to enable those skilled in the art to better understand the scheme of the present invention, the technical scheme in the embodiment of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below in conjunction with the drawings in the embodiment of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiment is only a part of the embodiment of the present invention, rather than all the embodiments. The components of the embodiment of the present invention generally described and shown in the drawings here can be arranged and designed in various different configurations. Therefore, the following detailed description of the embodiment of the present invention provided in the drawings is not intended to limit the scope of the invention claimed for protection, but merely represents the selected embodiment of the present invention. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without making creative work belong to the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0036] Example

[0037] like Figure 1 to Figure 5 As shown,

[0038] A three-way valve for delivering chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing comprises, from top to bottom, a mechanism body 1 and a mounting base plate 15, an actuator assembly and a three-way valve sealing assembly.

[0039] 1. A mechanism inlet 22, a mechanism first outlet 23 and a mechanism second outlet 24 are installed on the mechanism body 1, and an inner nest 2 is arranged in the working chamber in the mechanism body 1, the middle part of the inner nest 2 is connected to the mechanism inlet 22, the upper part of the inner nest 2 is connected to the mechanism first outlet 23, and the lower part of the inner nest 2 is connected to the mechanism second outlet 24.

[0040] 2. The actuator assembly includes an actuator body 3, an actuator top portion 7 and an actuator bottom portion 8. The actuator body 3 is installed on the top of the actuator body 1, the actuator top portion 7 is installed on the top of the actuator body 3, the actuator bottom portion 8 is installed on the bottom of the actuator body 1, and the mounting base 15 is installed on the bottom of the actuator bottom portion 8. A first air inlet 25 is installed on the actuator top portion 7, and a second air inlet 26 is installed on the actuator body 3.

[0041] An upper actuator shaft 4 is installed between the actuator body 3 and the actuator top end 7 , and a lower actuator shaft 9 is installed in the actuator bottom end 8 .

[0042] A first O-ring 5 is installed between the middle of the upper actuator shaft 4 and the actuator body 3 , a third O-ring 21 is installed between the bottom of the upper actuator shaft 4 and the actuator body 3 , and a second O-ring 6 is installed between the actuator top 7 and the actuator body 3 .

[0043] 3. The three-way valve sealing assembly includes an upper double-headed diaphragm 12, a diaphragm connecting column 13 and a lower double-headed diaphragm 14 from top to bottom. The diaphragm connecting column 13 is located in the inner nest 2. The upper double-headed diaphragm 12 installed on the top of the diaphragm connecting column 13 is connected to the upper actuator shaft 4 above, and the lower double-headed diaphragm 14 installed at the bottom of the diaphragm connecting column 13 is connected to the lower actuator shaft 9 below.

[0044] 4. It also includes a spring assembly located at the inner side of the bottom of the bottom end portion 8 of the actuator, and the lower actuator shaft 9 is in contact with the spring assembly below.

[0045] The spring assembly includes an inner spring 10 and an outer spring 11 from the inside to the outside. The working stroke of the inner spring 10 is greater than the working stroke of the outer spring 11 , and the spring stiffness of the outer spring 11 is greater than the spring stiffness of the inner spring 10 .

[0046] 5. The actuator top portion 7, the actuator body 3, the mechanism body 1, the actuator bottom portion 8 and the mounting base plate 15 are connected together by a plurality of bolts 16.

[0047] The head of the bolt 16 is located in the first mounting hole in the top end portion 7 of the actuator, and an open gasket 19 and a flat gasket 18 are installed in sequence from top to bottom between the lower portion of the head of the bolt 16 and the first mounting hole, and the tail of the bolt 16 is installed in the second mounting hole in the mounting base plate 15 through a nut 17. Rubber plugs 20 are installed on the outside of the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole.

[0048] The first embodiment of the present invention:

[0049] Mechanism body 1: It has a mechanism inlet 22, a mechanism first outlet 23 and a mechanism second outlet 24. At the same time, a centrally placed inner nest 2 is arranged in the working chamber of the mechanism body 1. The middle of the inner nest 2 is connected to the mechanism inlet 22, the upper part of the inner nest 2 is connected to the mechanism first outlet 23, and the lower part of the inner nest 2 is connected to the mechanism second outlet 24, thereby realizing the reversing transmission of the fluid. The inner nest 2 and the mechanism body 1 are machined and integrally formed, which ensures the mechanical strength of the mechanism body 1.

[0050] Actuator assembly: Assembled above the mechanism body 1, the actuator assembly 100 mainly includes an actuator body 3, an upper actuator shaft 4, a first O-ring 5, a second O-ring 6, and an actuator top portion 7. The actuator body 3 and the actuator top portion 7 are both designed with an air inlet structure (i.e., a first air inlet 25 and a second air inlet 26) used as a pneumatic input port.

[0051] At the same time, a second O-ring 6 is installed between the actuator body 3 and the actuator top portion 7 to ensure the sealing of the structure. An O-ring groove is designed in the middle of the upper actuator shaft 4 for installing the first O-ring 5. The upper actuator shaft 4 divides the chamber formed by the actuator body 3 and the actuator top portion 7 into two closed chambers. The first O-ring 5 is mainly used to ensure the sealing of the pneumatic input.

[0052] The lower part of the actuator body 3 and the upper part of the actuator top part 7 are both designed with cylindrical annular fixing grooves to ensure the installation and operation stability of the upper actuator shaft 4. At the same time, a third O-ring 21 is installed between the upper actuator shaft 4 and the lower annular fixing groove. The actuator bottom end 8 and the lower actuator shaft 9 are mainly installed below the mechanism body 1. A cylindrical annular fixing groove is designed below the actuator bottom end 8 to ensure the stability of the lower actuator shaft.

[0053] Spring assembly: installed in the bottom end 8 of the actuator, an inner spring 10 and an outer spring 11 are installed, the inner spring 10 is sleeved in the outer spring 11, the working stroke of the inner spring 10 is longer than the working stroke of the outer spring 11, and the spring stiffness of the outer spring 11 is greater than the spring stiffness of the inner spring 10 to provide a hierarchical elastic force.

[0054] The three-way valve sealing assembly mainly includes an upper double-headed diaphragm 12, a diaphragm connecting column 13, and a lower double-headed diaphragm 14. The two ends of the diaphragm connecting column 13 are each connected to a double-headed diaphragm, and the other side of the double-headed diaphragm is respectively connected to the upper actuator shaft 4 and the lower actuator shaft 9.

[0055] At the same time, the periphery of the upper double-headed diaphragm 12 is clamped and fixed between the mechanism body 1 and the actuator body 3, and the periphery of the lower double-headed diaphragm 14 is clamped between the mechanism body 1 and the bottom end 8 of the actuator. At the same time, sealing ribs are processed on the platform where the mechanism body and the diaphragm contact, so that the diaphragm produces a certain elastic deformation to achieve a sealing effect.

[0056] Open the air source to make the actuator assembly move downward as a whole, and the upper double-headed diaphragm 12 above is pressed on the upper part of the inner nesting. At this time, the inlet is connected with the first outlet 23 of the mechanism.

[0057] When the gas source is turned off, the actuator assembly moves upward as a whole, and the lower double-headed diaphragm 14 below is pressed against the lower part of the inner nest. At this time, the inlet is connected to the second outlet 24 of the mechanism, thereby realizing the reversal of the fluid.

[0058] The installation base plate 15 is connected to the installation floor by bolts. The installation base plate 15 is provided with waist holes for easy installation on the equipment pipeline.

[0059] Figure 3The figure is a schematic diagram of bolt fixing of the three-way valve. The valve is fastened by four bolts 16, four nuts 17, four flat washers 18, and four open washers 19. After installation, the bolt heads and nuts are sealed with rubber plugs 20 for dust prevention.

[0060] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the actuator structure of the three-way valve. Usually, only one of the first air inlet 25 and the second air inlet 26 is ventilated, and the other inlet is sealed.

[0061] The present invention mainly provides a three-way valve, which optimizes the processing method of parts and components through a new structural design, making the processing of parts and components more convenient.

[0062] The present invention solves the problem of leakage caused by uneven force on the diaphragm connecting rod during high-frequency switching of the three-way valve, thereby enhancing the sealing performance.

[0063] The invention provides an assembly scheme for a three-way valve. The three-way valve is more convenient to assemble and has a longer service life.

[0064] The present invention enables the inner cavity of the valve body to meet high cleanliness requirements and reduces or avoids the problem of particle generation.

[0065] The three-way valve of the present invention is a one-inlet and two-outlet type, which optimizes the installation space in semiconductor equipment.

[0066] In addition, when necessary, the three-way valve can realize the two-in-one-out function.

[0067] The standard parts used in this application document can all be purchased from the market and can be customized according to the description in the specification and drawings. The specific connection methods of each part adopt conventional means such as mature bolts, rivets, welding, etc. in the prior art. The machinery, parts and equipment all adopt conventional models in the prior art. The control method is automatically controlled by a controller. The control circuit of the controller can be implemented by simple programming by technicians in this field, which is common knowledge in this field. The present invention is mainly used to protect mechanical devices, so the present invention will no longer explain the control method and circuit connection in detail. The peripheral controller mentioned in the specification can control the electrical components mentioned in this article, and the peripheral controller is a conventional known device.

[0068] In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that the terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside" and the like indicate positions or positional relationships based on the positions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the present invention. In addition, the terms "first", "second", etc. are only used for descriptive purposes, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, features defined as "first", "second", etc. may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of the features. In the description of the present invention, unless otherwise specified, "multiple" means two or more.

[0069] In the description of the present invention, it should be noted that, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, the terms "installed", "connected", and "connected" should be understood in a broad sense, for example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection, it can be a mechanical connection, it can be an electrical connection, it can be a direct connection, it can be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal communication of two components. For ordinary technicians in this field, the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention can be understood according to specific circumstances.

[0070] It should be noted that when an element is referred to as being "fixed to" or "disposed on" another element, it can be directly on the other element or indirectly on the other element. When an element is referred to as being "connected to" another element, it can be directly connected to the other element or indirectly connected to the other element.

[0071] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. It should be pointed out that a person skilled in the art can make several improvements and modifications without departing from the technical principles of the present invention, and these improvements and modifications should also be regarded as within the scope of protection of the present invention.

Claims

1. A three-way valve for delivering chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing, comprising, from top to bottom, a mechanism body (1) and a mounting base plate (15); Features: The mechanism body (1) is provided with a mechanism inlet (22), a mechanism first outlet (23) and a mechanism second outlet (24); an inner nest (2) is provided in a working chamber in the mechanism body (1); the middle portion of the inner nest (2) is connected to the mechanism inlet (22); the upper portion of the inner nest (2) is connected to the mechanism first outlet (23); and the lower portion of the inner nest (2) is connected to the mechanism second outlet (24); Also included are an actuator assembly and a three-way valve sealing assembly; The actuator assembly comprises an actuator body (3), an actuator top end (7) and an actuator bottom end (8), wherein the actuator body (3) is mounted on the top of an actuator body (1), the actuator top end (7) is mounted on the top of the actuator body (3), the actuator bottom end (8) is mounted on the bottom of the actuator body (1), the mounting base plate (15) is mounted on the bottom of the actuator bottom end (8), a first air inlet (25) is mounted on the actuator top end (7), and a second air inlet (26) is mounted on the actuator body (3); An upper actuator shaft (4) is installed between the actuator body (3) and the actuator top end (7), and a lower actuator shaft (9) is installed in the actuator bottom end (8); The three-way valve sealing assembly comprises, from top to bottom, an upper double-headed diaphragm (12), a diaphragm connecting column (13) and a lower double-headed diaphragm (14), wherein the diaphragm connecting column (13) is located in the inner nest (2), the upper double-headed diaphragm (12) installed on the top of the diaphragm connecting column (13) is connected to the upper actuator shaft (4) above, and the lower double-headed diaphragm (14) installed on the bottom of the diaphragm connecting column (13) is connected to the lower actuator shaft (9) below.

2. A three-way valve for delivering chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a spring assembly located at the inner side of the bottom of the bottom end portion (8) of the actuator, and the lower actuator shaft (9) is in contact with the spring assembly below.

3. A three-way valve for delivering chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that: The spring assembly comprises an inner spring (10) and an outer spring (11) from the inside to the outside, the working stroke of the inner spring (10) is greater than the working stroke of the outer spring (11), and the spring stiffness of the outer spring (11) is greater than the spring stiffness of the inner spring (10).

4. A three-way valve for delivering chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: A first O-type sealing ring (5) is installed between the middle of the upper actuator shaft (4) and the actuator body (3), a third O-type sealing ring (21) is installed between the bottom of the upper actuator shaft (4) and the actuator body (3), and a second O-type sealing ring (6) is installed between the top end (7) of the actuator and the actuator body (3).

5. A three-way valve for delivering chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that: The actuator top end (7), the actuator body (3), the actuator main body (1), the actuator bottom end (8) and the mounting base plate (15) are connected together via a plurality of bolts (16).

6. A three-way valve for delivering chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that: The head of the bolt (16) is located in a first mounting hole in the top end (7) of the actuator, and an open gasket (19) and a flat gasket (18) are installed in sequence from top to bottom between the lower part of the head of the bolt (16) and the first mounting hole, and the tail of the bolt (16) is installed in a second mounting hole in the mounting base plate (15) through a nut (17).

7. A three-way valve for delivering chemical liquid in semiconductor manufacturing as claimed in claim 6, characterized in that: Rubber plugs (20) are installed on the outer sides of the first mounting hole and the second mounting hole.

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