Liquid supply assembly and liquid supply system
By introducing a reservoir and buffer chamber into the liquid supply system, the liquid flow path is optimized, the problem of severe impact when the liquid enters the pump chamber is solved, a more stable liquid supply is achieved, the generation of bubbles is avoided, and the quality of semiconductor manufacturing is improved.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Utility models(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- HANGZHOU COBETTER SEMICONDUCTOR SEPARATION MEMBRANE CO LTD
- Filing Date
- 2025-09-09
- Publication Date
- 2026-07-21
AI Technical Summary
In existing liquid supply systems, the liquid entering the pump chamber is prone to violent impacts, leading to bubble formation and affecting the coating quality of semiconductor wafers.
A liquid reservoir is introduced into the liquid supply system. The liquid reservoir includes a storage chamber and a buffer chamber. The storage chamber is filled with liquid through the inlet, and the buffer chamber acts as a second buffer to reduce pressure fluctuations of the liquid on the diaphragm valve. The liquid flow path is optimized through the design of the partition wall and the connecting part to prevent air bubbles from entering the pump chamber.
It effectively reduces the generation of bubbles when liquid enters the pump chamber, improves the stability and uniformity of liquid flow, and ensures the coating quality of semiconductor wafers.
Smart Images
Figure CN224538681U_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This utility model relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology, and in particular to a liquid supply component and a liquid supply system. Background Technology
[0002] In the chemical coating process of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, in order to coat the photoresist solution and other chemicals onto the semiconductor wafer in a predetermined amount each time, a liquid supply system as described in patent number JP4265820B2 has been proposed. This system includes a liquid supply pump that draws the chemical solution contained in a chemical solution tank and coats the drawn-in solution onto the semiconductor wafer in a predetermined amount each time. Specifically, the liquid supply pump is a diaphragm pump, which has a diaphragm separating the pump chamber for filling the chemical solution from the working chamber for gas flow. Air is supplied to the working chamber with positive pressure through a regulator, causing the diaphragm to deform towards the pump chamber side, thereby discharging the chemical solution. The liquid supply pump is connected to a vacuum source, and negative pressure is applied to the pump from the vacuum source to increase the volume of the pump chamber, thereby drawing in the chemical solution. With the miniaturization of semiconductor wafers, the impact of micro-bubbles in the photoresist on the coating effect is more significant. Bubbles can lead to uneven photoresist layer thickness, affecting the quality of exposure and development, and in severe cases, may cause pattern transfer failure or device malfunction.
[0003] However, in the liquid supply system described in the aforementioned patent, the upstream of the diaphragm pump is a liquid source. The liquid source is directly connected to the inlet of the diaphragm pump through pipelines and on / off valves. The liquid source is subjected to a large pressure to push the liquid towards the diaphragm pump. Each time the diaphragm pump draws liquid, it also generates a large suction force to draw the liquid into the pump chamber. As a result, the liquid in the liquid source will violently impact the pump chamber of the diaphragm pump due to the large pressure. If the collision of the liquid under large pressure is severe, it may generate bubbles, which will seriously affect the subsequent coating and quality of the wafer.
[0004] Therefore, further improvements to the liquid supply system are still needed to prevent the liquid from generating bubbles due to violent impacts when entering the pump chamber. Utility Model Content
[0005] In view of the shortcomings of the existing technology, the purpose of this utility model is to provide a liquid supply component and a liquid supply system, which solves the problem of excessive fluctuation when liquid enters the pump chamber in the existing liquid supply system.
[0006] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:
[0007] A liquid supply assembly includes a supply pump, the supply pump comprising a variable-volume pump chamber, a pump inlet channel communicating with the pump chamber, and a pump outlet channel; the liquid supply assembly further includes a reservoir.
[0008] The liquid reservoir includes a liquid storage chamber, and the liquid storage chamber includes a liquid inlet located on the wall of the liquid storage chamber;
[0009] The reservoir also includes a buffer chamber located beside the bottom of the reservoir cavity, the height of the buffer chamber being lower than the height of the reservoir cavity, and the volume of the buffer chamber being smaller than the volume of the reservoir cavity;
[0010] A partition wall is provided between the liquid storage chamber and the buffer chamber, and a connecting part is provided on the partition wall. The liquid storage chamber and the buffer chamber are connected through the connecting part. The buffer chamber includes a liquid outlet located on the wall of the buffer chamber. The liquid outlet is connected to the pump inlet channel through a diaphragm valve. The liquid outlet is located within the horizontal projection range of the partition wall above the connecting part.
[0011] This invention relates to a liquid supply assembly with a reservoir upstream of the supply pump. The reservoir includes a storage chamber and a buffer chamber. The storage chamber receives liquid through an inlet, serving as the first buffer during liquid intake, while the buffer chamber acts as the second buffer. The storage chamber isolates liquid disturbances during intake, reducing pressure changes in the pump inlet channel. The buffer chamber, located between the storage chamber and the pump inlet channel, exhibits a much smoother and more delayed liquid level change compared to the storage chamber. This stable liquid level provides a more constant static pressure to the pump inlet channel, reducing pressure fluctuations. The buffer chamber is lower than the storage chamber, ensuring that primarily liquid enters it, preventing gas released from the storage chamber from entering the pump inlet channel. Furthermore, the buffer chamber's volume is smaller than the storage chamber's volume, allowing liquid to flow from the larger storage chamber into the smaller buffer chamber before reaching the pump inlet channel. This contributes to a more uniform and stable liquid flow, reducing turbulence and gas. The liquid supply assembly of this invention generates bubbles. Furthermore, the outlet and pump inlet channel are connected via a diaphragm valve. When the liquid supply assembly is in operation, the pump only begins to draw liquid after the storage chamber is full. Therefore, the full-filled liquid in the storage chamber has a certain pressure, especially near the bottom. A small-volume buffer chamber separates the storage chamber from the pump inlet channel. On one hand, the small volume of liquid within the buffer chamber acts directly on the diaphragm of the diaphragm valve. Compared to the pump inlet channel being directly connected to the bottom of the storage chamber, this reduces the force exerted by the liquid on the diaphragm valve, preventing deformation and thus affecting the valve's opening and closing function. On the other hand, the pump's suction volume is controlled by negative pressure changing the pump chamber's volume. When the liquid supply assembly is in operation, the diaphragm valve is open, and the buffer chamber prevents the large liquid pressure in the storage chamber from directly impacting the pump chamber, thus avoiding violent fluctuations in the liquid during the inlet process and the generation of bubbles.
[0012] The partition wall between the storage chamber and the buffer chamber, along with the connecting portion located on the partition wall, and the outlet positioned above the horizontal projection of the partition wall above the connecting portion, creates a tortuous flow path for the liquid. The liquid must first flow downwards through the connecting portion before entering the buffer chamber and rising to the outlet. During this process, the bubble density is much lower than that of the liquid, exhibiting a strong upward trend. As the liquid flows downwards, the bubbles entrained within resist this downward flow, making it more difficult for the bubbles to be "dragged" into the buffer chamber, thus preventing gas from being carried into the pump chamber. The upward flow of the liquid after entering the buffer chamber helps to smooth the flow of liquid entering the pump inlet channel, reducing turbulence and providing a more uniform inflow to the supply pump. Simultaneously, the partition wall physically separates most of the two chambers, ensuring that the liquid level in the buffer chamber is primarily affected by the pumping rate of the supply pump, significantly reducing the interference of fluctuations during the liquid inlet of the storage chamber on the buffer chamber.
[0013] With this configuration, the liquid in the storage chamber, under the combined action of the connecting part and the partition wall, bends and enters the buffer chamber. This ensures that the liquid in the storage chamber can smoothly enter the buffer chamber from the bottom, making full use of the liquid at the bottom of the storage chamber, while also giving full play to the excellent buffering effect of the buffer chamber and reducing the pressure of the liquid on the diaphragm of the diaphragm valve.
[0014] Preferably, the bottom surfaces of the liquid storage cavity, the connecting part, and the buffer cavity are coplanar to reduce unevenness at the bottom. When the liquid flows from the liquid storage cavity through the connecting part to the buffer cavity, the fluctuations are smaller and it is less likely to release air bubbles.
[0015] Preferably, the outlet is located on the top side of the buffer chamber. This arrangement has several advantages: firstly, the outlet is closer to the top of the storage chamber than the connecting part, resulting in lower hydrostatic pressure; secondly, the vertical upward flow of the liquid from the bottom to the top of the buffer chamber reduces turbulence, making the flow more stable and orderly, and also reduces the amount of liquid stagnating at the top of the buffer chamber, ensuring that all liquid entering the buffer chamber can enter the pump inlet channel through the outlet.
[0016] Preferably, the diaphragm valve includes an outer ring, an inner ring located inside the outer ring, and an actuator. The outer ring and the inner ring are radially spaced to form a communicating cavity. The inner ring forms a valve channel. The actuator is sealed to the outer ring and can be opened and closed to seal the inner ring. The outlet is located at the end of the valve channel and is opened towards the partition wall. The valve channel is perpendicular to the partition wall on the inner wall surface of the buffer cavity.
[0017] With this configuration, the diaphragm of the diaphragm valve is sealed to the outer ring and can be opened and closed to seal the inner ring under the action of the actuator, which is used to open the valve passage and the pump inlet passage. When the liquid in the reservoir passes through the connecting part and enters the buffer chamber after turning 90°, the liquid in the buffer chamber then turns 90° to enter the valve flow channel. This can further reduce the pressure of the liquid in the buffer chamber on the closed valve diaphragm and also help the liquid in the valve passage to be quickly discharged to the pump inlet passage, avoiding liquid residue in the valve passage.
[0018] Preferably, the width of the buffer cavity is smaller than the width of the liquid storage cavity, the connecting portion is located in the middle of the bottom side of the liquid storage cavity, and the two inner sidewalls of the liquid storage cavity corresponding to the connecting portion are both guide surfaces.
[0019] When setting the height of the buffer chamber, it is preferable to appropriately increase the height of the buffer chamber to reduce the static pressure of the liquid at the outlet. At the same time, it is also necessary to control the volume of the buffer chamber to avoid it becoming too large and losing its flow stabilization and buffering effect. Therefore, the width of the buffer chamber is smaller than the width of the storage chamber. The connecting part connects the storage chamber and the buffer chamber, so the connecting part needs to connect two different widths. Setting the connecting part in the middle of the bottom side of the storage chamber and providing a guiding surface can optimize the liquid flow path, eliminate dead zones, and allow the liquid at the bottom of the storage chamber to flow into the buffer chamber from both sides to the middle, avoiding flow deviation. At the same time, the narrower connecting part can suppress the transmission of fluctuations, making the liquid level in the buffer chamber more stable and the liquid supply more stable.
[0020] Preferably, the guiding surface is an arc surface or a slope, so that the width of the connecting part gradually decreases from the liquid storage cavity to the buffer cavity; this can guide the direction of liquid flow, reduce the flow dead zone, and at the same time avoid the liquid from fluctuating when passing through the connecting part, thereby reducing turbulence and bubble generation.
[0021] Preferably, both the buffer chamber and the liquid storage chamber are vertically extending cavities of equal diameter; the buffer chamber is located on the side of the liquid storage chamber and is located in the liquid storage container, which facilitates the formation of the chamber and the installation of the structure, and also helps to maintain the fluid stability in each cavity.
[0022] Preferably, the volume ratio of the buffer chamber to the liquid storage chamber is 0.01-0.05, and the vertical height ratio of the buffer chamber to the liquid storage chamber is 0.1-0.25; this ensures that the liquid in the buffer chamber is never too much, so as not to put too much pressure on the diaphragm of the diaphragm valve, and not to cause too much liquid pressure on the pump chamber from the liquid storage chamber when the diaphragm valve is open and the supply pump is drawing liquid, thus affecting the liquid intake. The liquid in the buffer chamber can be smoothly drawn into the pump chamber.
[0023] Preferably, the liquid reservoir includes a main body and a bottom cover fixedly connected to the main body. The bottom of the main body has an open structure, the bottom cover has a connection point with the bottom of the main body, and the bottom of the partition wall is higher than the connection point in the vertical direction.
[0024] With this configuration, the bottom cover and the main body are fixed by welding or bonding. During fixing, the welding liquid or molten liquid will be distributed at the bottom opening of the main body. The bottom of the partition wall is higher than the connection point, which can prevent the welding liquid or molten liquid from contacting the bottom of the partition wall and occupying the space of the connecting part after solidification, thus interfering with the flow of liquid through the connecting part.
[0025] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention also adopts the following technical solution:
[0026] A liquid supply system includes an inlet assembly and a outlet assembly, and further includes the aforementioned liquid supply assembly. The inlet assembly is used to supply liquid to the reservoir, and the outlet assembly is connected to the outlet channel of the supply pump for discharging liquid to the outside.
[0027] Based on the liquid supply system of this utility model, the liquid inlet component is connected to the liquid reservoir. The liquid inlet of the supply pump is improved through the liquid reservoir and buffer chamber, avoiding the generation of bubbles due to violent fluctuations in the liquid during the liquid inlet process, reducing the probability of bubbles entering the pump chamber, so as to ensure the coating quality of the wafer.
[0028] In summary, compared with the prior art, the present invention has at least the following beneficial effects:
[0029] The liquid supply assembly of this invention includes a liquid reservoir upstream of the supply pump. The liquid reservoir comprises a storage chamber and a buffer chamber. The storage chamber receives liquid through an inlet, serving as the first buffer during liquid intake of the entire liquid supply assembly. The buffer chamber serves as the second buffer during liquid intake. This reduces the pressure of the liquid on the diaphragm valve, preventing deformation of the diaphragm and thus affecting its opening and closing function. The buffer chamber prevents the large liquid pressure in the storage chamber from directly impacting the pump chamber, avoiding violent liquid fluctuations and bubble generation during the intake process. This significantly reduces the interference of fluctuations during liquid intake in the storage chamber on the pump's inlet channel. Attached Figure Description
[0030] To more clearly illustrate the specific embodiments of this utility model or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the specific embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are some embodiments of this utility model. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained from these drawings without creative effort.
[0031] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the liquid supply assembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0032] Figure 2 This is a cross-sectional structural diagram of the liquid supply assembly according to an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0033] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid reservoir and diaphragm valve according to an embodiment of the present utility model;
[0034] Figure 4 This is a top view of the liquid reservoir according to an embodiment of the present invention;
[0035] Figure 5 for Figure 4 A cross-sectional view of point AA in the diagram;
[0036] Figure 6 for Figure 5 A cross-sectional view of section BB in the diagram;
[0037] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the liquid supply system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
[0038] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures
[0039] 10. Supply pump; 11. Pump chamber; 12. Pump inlet channel; 13. Pump outlet channel;
[0040] 20. Liquid reservoir; 21. Liquid storage chamber; 211. Liquid inlet; 22. Buffer chamber; 221. Liquid outlet; 23. Partition wall; 24. Connecting part; 241. Guide surface; 25. Main body; 26. Bottom cover; 261. Edge; 262. Connection point;
[0041] 30. Diaphragm valve; 31. Outer ring; 32. Inner ring; 33. Actuator; 34. Communicating cavity; 35. Valve passage; 36. Diaphragm;
[0042] 40. Liquid inlet assembly; 41. Liquid inlet valve assembly; 42. Filter assembly;
[0043] 50. Drainage assembly. Detailed Implementation
[0044] The technical solution of this utility model will now be clearly and completely described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some, not all, of the embodiments of this utility model. Based on the embodiments of this utility model, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this utility model.
[0045] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that the terms "center," "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "inner," and "outer," etc., indicating the orientation or positional relationship, are based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings and are only for the convenience of describing this utility model and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore should not be construed as a limitation of this utility model. Furthermore, the terms "first," "second," and "third" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance.
[0046] In the description of this utility model, it should be noted that, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installation," "connection," and "joining" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this utility model based on the specific circumstances.
[0047] like Figure 1 and Figure 2 The liquid supply assembly shown includes a supply pump 10 and a reservoir 20. The supply pump 10 includes a variable-volume pump chamber 11, a pump inlet channel 12 communicating with the pump chamber 11, and a pump outlet channel 13. The reservoir 20 is closably connected to the pump inlet channel 12. The pump chamber 11 expands by changing its volume, drawing liquid from the reservoir 20 into the pump chamber 11 through the pump inlet channel 12. Then, the pump chamber 11 shrinks by changing its volume again, discharging liquid from the pump outlet channel 13 into the pump chamber 11. The supply pump 10 is equipped with a deformable diaphragm, which divides the inner cavity of the supply pump 10 into the pump chamber 11, which serves as a liquid chamber, and a working chamber, which serves as a gas chamber. By introducing or extracting gas into the working chamber, the deformable diaphragm can deform and thus change the volume of the pump chamber 11, thereby allowing the pump chamber 11 to draw in or discharge liquid. The supply pump 10 can be an existing diaphragm pump, and its working principle and specific structure will not be described in detail here.
[0048] like Figures 3 to 6As shown, the liquid reservoir 20 in this embodiment includes a liquid reservoir 21, which includes an inlet 211 located on the wall of the liquid reservoir 21 for liquid inlet. The liquid reservoir 20 also includes a buffer chamber 22 located beside the bottom of the liquid reservoir 21. The height of the buffer chamber 22 is lower than the height of the liquid reservoir 21, and the volume of the buffer chamber 22 is smaller than the volume of the liquid reservoir 21. The buffer chamber 22 is closably connected to the pump inlet channel 12 via a diaphragm valve 30. The buffer chamber 22 includes an outlet 221 located on the wall of the buffer chamber 22 for closable connection to the pump inlet channel 12 via the diaphragm valve 30. That is, the diaphragm valve 30 has two states: open and closed. When valve 30 is closed, outlet 221 is not connected to pump inlet channel 12. When diaphragm valve 30 is open, outlet 221 is connected to pump inlet channel 12. A vertically extending partition wall 23 is provided between storage chamber 21 and buffer chamber 22. A connecting part 24 is provided on partition wall 23. Storage chamber 21 and buffer chamber 22 are connected through connecting part 24. Outlet 221 is located above the horizontal projection range of partition wall 23 above connecting part 24. That is, partition wall 23 is vertically set. The horizontal projection range represents the height interval between the highest and lowest points of partition wall 23. The above-mentioned horizontal projection range is formed by projecting in a horizontal direction perpendicular to this height interval. For example, using Figure 5 In this context, the horizontal (left-right) projection of light ensures that the projection range of the partition wall 23 covers the outlet 221. This means the outlet 221 is located diagonally above the connecting portion 24, and its height is higher than the highest point of the connecting portion 24 but not higher than the highest point of the partition wall 23. The connecting portion 24 is a groove / hole structure for connecting two chambers. The connecting portion 24 can be a through hole on the partition wall 23, but not located at the bottom of the partition wall 23. In this case, there is part of the partition wall 23 above and part of the partition wall 23 below the connecting portion 24. The horizontal projection considers the partition wall 23 above the through hole. Alternatively, it can be an opening structure between the bottom of the partition wall 23 and the bottom wall of the reservoir 20, which is the case described below where the bottom surface of the connecting portion 24 and the bottom surfaces of the two chambers are coplanar. In this case, the opening structure of the connecting portion 24 only has the partition wall 23 above it, as shown in the attached diagram. Therefore, there are various ways to set the connecting portion 24, which will not be listed here.
[0049] It should also be noted that in this embodiment, the liquid storage chamber 21 and the buffer chamber 22 are partially connected by the partition wall 23, such as... Figure 5As shown, the partition wall 23 is part of the side wall of the liquid storage chamber 21, and the partition wall 23 is the entire side wall of the buffer chamber 22. This facilitates the manufacturing of the liquid storage chamber 21, the buffer chamber 22, and the partition wall 23, and also helps to reduce the volume of the liquid reservoir 20. Of course, in other embodiments, the partition wall 23 is not shared between the liquid storage chamber 21 and the buffer chamber 22. The two opposite side walls of the liquid storage chamber 21 and the buffer chamber 22 are spaced apart, wherein the opposite side walls of the liquid storage chamber 21 and / or the opposite side walls of the buffer chamber 22 constitute the partition wall 23.
[0050] Based on the above structure, the liquid flow path is as follows: the liquid enters the storage chamber 21 through the inlet 211, and the liquid at the bottom of the storage chamber 21 enters the buffer chamber 22 through the connecting part 24 until the storage chamber 21 and the buffer chamber 22 are completely filled. Then, the diaphragm valve 30 is opened to connect the buffer chamber 22 with the pump inlet channel 12, and then the supply pump 10 is put into operation to draw the liquid into the pump chamber 11.
[0051] Therefore, the liquid storage chamber 21 receives liquid through the liquid inlet 211, serving as the first buffer when the entire liquid supply assembly receives liquid, while the buffer chamber 22 serves as the second buffer when the liquid supply assembly receives liquid from the supply pump 10. The liquid storage chamber 21 can isolate liquid disturbances at the inlet end, reducing pressure changes in the pump inlet channel 12 of the supply pump 10. Preferably, the liquid inlet 211 is located in the upper part of the liquid storage chamber 21, but not at the top of the liquid storage chamber 21, and the distance from the connecting part 24 is greater than the distance from the top of the liquid storage chamber 21, avoiding liquid fluctuations during liquid intake from interfering with the liquid in the buffer chamber 22. In particular, in this embodiment, the liquid storage chamber 21 is filled with liquid, that is, when the supply pump 10 draws away a portion of the liquid, the liquid storage chamber 21 is replenished with a portion of the liquid through the liquid inlet 211, always keeping the liquid storage chamber 21 and the buffer chamber 22 full, avoiding the formation of cavities in the liquid storage chamber 21, and also reducing liquid fluctuations and the generation of bubbles.
[0052] The buffer chamber 22 is located between the liquid storage chamber 21 and the pump inlet channel 12. Its liquid level change is much smoother and slower than that of the liquid storage chamber 21. The stable liquid level provides a more constant static pressure for the pump inlet channel 12, reducing pressure fluctuations. The height of the buffer chamber 22 is lower than that of the liquid storage chamber 21 to ensure that basically only liquid enters the buffer chamber 22, preventing gas from gas-liquid separation in the liquid storage chamber 21 from entering the pump inlet channel 12. At the same time, the volume of the buffer chamber 22 is smaller than that of the liquid storage chamber 21. The liquid flows from the larger liquid storage chamber 21 into the smaller buffer chamber 22 and then flows to the pump inlet channel 12, which helps to make the liquid flow more uniform and stable, reducing turbulence and bubble generation.
[0053] The outlet 221 and the pump inlet channel 12 are connected by a diaphragm valve 30, which can be opened and closed. When the liquid supply assembly of this invention is working, the pump 10 only begins to draw liquid after the reservoir 21 is full. Therefore, the full reservoir 21 has a certain pressure, especially the pressure is greater closer to the bottom of the reservoir 21. A small-volume buffer chamber 22 separates the reservoir 21 from the pump inlet channel 12. On one hand, the small volume of liquid within the buffer chamber 22 acts on the diaphragm of the diaphragm valve 30, compared to the pump... The inlet channel 12 is directly connected to the bottom of the storage chamber 21, which can reduce the force of liquid pressure on the diaphragm of the diaphragm valve 30, and avoid affecting the deformation of the diaphragm and thus the opening and closing function of the diaphragm valve 30. On the other hand, the liquid intake of the supply pump 10 is controlled by changing the volume of the pump chamber 11 by negative pressure. When the liquid supply component is working, the diaphragm valve 30 is in the open state. The buffer chamber 22 can prevent the large liquid pressure in the storage chamber 21 from directly impacting the pump chamber 11 and avoid the generation of bubbles due to violent fluctuations in the liquid during the liquid intake process.
[0054] The arrangement of the partition wall 23 and the connecting part 24, as well as the height of the outlet 221, creates a tortuous flow path for the liquid. The liquid must first flow downward through the connecting part 24 before entering the buffer chamber 22 and rising to the outlet 221. During this process, the density of the bubbles is much smaller than that of the liquid, resulting in a strong upward trend. When the liquid flows downward, the bubbles entrained within it resist this downward flow, making it more difficult for the bubbles to be "dragged" into the buffer chamber 22, thus preventing gas from being carried into the pump chamber 11. After entering the buffer chamber 22, the liquid flows upward, which helps to make the liquid flow into the pump inlet channel 12 more stable, reducing turbulence and providing a more uniform inflow to the supply pump 10. At the same time, the partition wall 23 physically separates most of the two chambers, so that the liquid level in the buffer chamber 22 is mainly affected by the suction rate of the supply pump 10, greatly reducing the interference of fluctuations in the liquid storage chamber 21 during liquid inflow to the buffer chamber 22.
[0055] With this configuration, the liquid in the storage chamber 21, under the action of the connecting part 24 and the partition wall 23, bends and enters the buffer chamber 22. This ensures that the liquid in the storage chamber 21 can smoothly enter the buffer chamber 22 from the bottom, making full use of the liquid at the bottom of the storage chamber 21, and also gives full play to the excellent buffering effect of the buffer chamber 22, reducing the pressure of the liquid on the diaphragm of the diaphragm valve 30.
[0056] Preferably, the volume ratio of the buffer chamber 22 to the liquid storage chamber 21 is 0.01-0.05. Figure 5As shown, the vertical height of the buffer chamber 22 is L1, and the vertical height of the liquid storage chamber 21 is L2, with L1:L2 = 0.1-0.25. This ensures that the liquid in the buffer chamber 22 will never be too much, so as not to put too much pressure on the diaphragm of the diaphragm valve 30, nor to put too much liquid pressure on the pump chamber 11 when the diaphragm valve 30 is opened and the supply pump 10 is sucking liquid, thus affecting the liquid suction volume. The liquid in the buffer chamber 22 can be smoothly sucked into the pump chamber 11.
[0057] like Figure 5 As shown, the bottoms of the storage chamber 21, the connecting portion 24, and the buffer chamber 22 are coplanar to maintain a flat bottom. Preferably, in this embodiment, the connecting portion 24 is located between the bottom of the partition wall 23 and the bottom wall of the reservoir 20. When the liquid flows from the storage chamber 21 through the connecting portion 24 to the buffer chamber 22, the fluctuations are smaller, and it is less likely to release air bubbles. Of course, in other embodiments, the bottoms of the storage chamber 21, the connecting portion 24, and the buffer chamber 22 may not be coplanar. The bottoms of the connecting portion 24 and the buffer chamber 22 may be lower or higher than the storage chamber 21 to guide the liquid through the connecting portion 24 and into the buffer chamber 22.
[0058] As a preferred option, such as Figure 5 As shown, the reservoir 20 includes a main body 25 and a bottom cover 26 fixedly connected to the main body 25. The bottom of the main body 25 has an open structure, and the bottom side of the main body 25 has a region that protrudes to the side, corresponding to the buffer cavity 22. The bottom cover 26 has a ring edge 261 that protrudes towards the main body 25. The edge of the bottom cover 26 and the bottom open structure of the main body 25 have a connection point 262 to form a relatively closed space inside the reservoir 20. The space inside the edge 261 and the internal space of the main body 25 together form the reservoir cavity 21, the connecting part 24 and the buffer cavity 22. The inner surface of the bottom cover 26 is the bottom surface of the reservoir cavity 21, the connecting part 24 and the buffer cavity 22.
[0059] The bottom cover 26 is fixed to the main body 25 by welding or bonding. During fixing, the welding liquid or molten liquid will be distributed at the bottom opening of the main body 25. The bottom of the partition wall 23 is higher than the connection 262, which can prevent the welding liquid or molten liquid from contacting the bottom of the partition wall 23 and occupying the space of the connecting part 24 after solidification, thus interfering with the flow of liquid through the connecting part 24. Furthermore, the edge 261 of the bottom cover 26 adopts a structure with the inner side higher than the outer side, and the bottom opening structure of the main body 25 adopts a structure with the inner side lower than the outer side. Thus, when the edge 261 of the bottom cover 26 and the bottom opening structure of the main body 25 are joined, the inner side of the connection 262 abuts and is flush, and the outer side of the connection 262 forms a larger gap to accommodate more welding liquid or molten liquid, preventing excess welding liquid or molten liquid from entering the inner side of the connection 262 and forming a protrusion on the inner wall of the reservoir 20, thus interfering with the flow of liquid.
[0060] Preferably, both the buffer chamber 22 and the liquid storage chamber 21 are vertically extending cavities of equal diameter. The buffer chamber 22 is located on the side of the liquid storage chamber 21 and is located in the liquid storage container 20. That is, the main body 25 of most of the buffer chambers 22 and the liquid storage chamber 21 forms vertically extending cavities of equal diameter. Cavities with this structure are easier to process, facilitate the formation of chambers and the installation of structures, and also help maintain the fluid stability in each cavity.
[0061] like Figure 5 As shown, the outlet 221 is located on the top side of the buffer chamber 22. With this arrangement, on the one hand, the outlet 221 is closer to the top of the storage chamber 21 than the connecting part 24, and the static pressure of the liquid is smaller; on the other hand, the vertical upward flow of the liquid from the bottom to the top of the buffer chamber 22 can reduce turbulence, make the flow more stable and orderly, and also reduce the liquid stagnating at the top of the buffer chamber 22, so that the liquid entering the buffer chamber 22 can enter the pump inlet channel 12 through the outlet 221.
[0062] The diaphragm valve 30 includes an outer ring 31, an inner ring 32 located inside the outer ring 31, and an actuator 33. The outer ring 31 and the inner ring 32 are radially spaced to form a communicating cavity 34. The inner ring 32 forms a valve passage 35. The actuator 33 is sealed to the outer ring 31 and can open and close to seal the inner ring 32. Specifically, the diaphragm 36 of the diaphragm valve 30 is sealed to the outer ring 31 and can open and close to seal the inner ring 32 under the action of the actuator 33, for opening the valve passage 35 and the pump inlet passage 12.
[0063] Preferably, the outer ring 31 and inner ring 32 are fixedly mounted on the outer wall of the reservoir 20, forming an integral structure with the reservoir 20, resulting in a high degree of integration. The actuator 33 is independent of the reservoir 20. This arrangement makes the diaphragm valve 30 easy to disassemble, allowing for maintenance or replacement of the diaphragm 36 and actuator 33 without disassembling the entire reservoir 20. The entire diaphragm valve 30 and reservoir 20 have a compact structure, resulting in a shorter flow path for the liquid to the supply pump 10, smaller fluctuations in liquid flow, and easier control of the liquid volume.
[0064] The outlet 221 is located at the end of the valve channel 35 and is opened towards the partition wall 23. The valve channel 35 is perpendicular to the partition wall 23 on the inner wall of the buffer chamber 22. The buffer chamber 22 and the storage chamber 21 are basically parallel. When the liquid in the storage chamber 21 enters the buffer chamber 22 after turning 90°, the liquid in the buffer chamber 22 then turns 90° into the valve flow channel. This can further reduce the pressure of the liquid in the buffer chamber 22 on the closed valve diaphragm and also help the liquid in the valve channel 35 to be quickly discharged to the pump inlet channel 12, avoiding liquid residue in the valve channel 35.
[0065] like Figure 6As shown, the connecting part 24 is located in the middle of the bottom side of the liquid storage chamber 21, and the two inner sidewalls of the liquid storage chamber 21 corresponding to the connecting part 24 are both guide surfaces 241. When setting the height of the buffer chamber 22, it is preferable to appropriately increase the height of the buffer chamber 22 to reduce the static pressure of the liquid at the outlet 221. At the same time, it is also necessary to control the volume of the buffer chamber 22 to avoid the buffer chamber 22 becoming too large and losing its flow stabilization and buffering effect. Therefore, the width of the buffer chamber 22 is smaller than the width of the liquid storage chamber 21. The connecting part 24 connects the liquid storage chamber 21 and the buffer chamber 22. Therefore, the connecting part 24 needs to connect two different widths. Setting the connecting part 24 in the middle of the bottom side of the liquid storage chamber 21 and providing the guide surface 241 can optimize the liquid flow path, eliminate dead zones, and allow the liquid at the bottom of the liquid storage chamber 21 to flow into the buffer chamber 22 from both sides to the middle, avoiding flow deviation. At the same time, the narrower connecting part 24 can suppress the transmission of fluctuations, making the liquid level in the buffer chamber 22 more stable and the liquid supply more stable.
[0066] Preferably, the guiding surface 241 is an arc surface or a slope, so that the width of the connecting part 24 gradually decreases from the liquid storage cavity 21 to the buffer cavity 22; this can guide the direction of liquid flow, reduce dead zones, and prevent liquid from undulating when passing through the connecting part 24, thus reducing turbulence and bubble generation; for example Figure 6 As shown, in this embodiment, the guide surface 241 is an arc surface, that is, a rounded corner is provided at the entrance of the connecting part 24 to form the guide surface 241.
[0067] like Figure 7 As shown, the liquid supply system of this embodiment of the present invention, in addition to the liquid supply components of the above embodiments, also includes a liquid inlet component 40 and a liquid outlet component 50. The liquid inlet component 40 includes a liquid inlet valve group 41 and a filter component 42. The liquid inlet valve group 41 is connected to the filter component 42, and the filter component 42 is connected to the liquid storage chamber 21 in the liquid storage tank 20 for liquid inlet to the liquid storage tank 20. The liquid outlet component 50 includes a liquid outlet valve, which is closably connected to the pump outlet channel 13 of the supply pump 10 for external liquid outlet. In this embodiment of the liquid supply system, the liquid inlet component 40 is connected to the liquid storage tank 20. The liquid storage chamber 21 and the buffer chamber 22 improve the liquid inlet of the supply pump 10, avoid violent fluctuations in the liquid during the liquid inlet process and generate bubbles, and reduce the probability of bubbles entering the pump chamber 11 to ensure the coating quality of the wafer.
[0068] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of this utility model and should not be construed as limiting the scope of protection of this utility model. Any non-substantial changes and substitutions made by those skilled in the art based on this utility model shall fall within the scope of protection claimed by this utility model.
Claims
1. A liquid supply assembly, comprising a supply pump (10), said supply pump (10) including a pump chamber (11) with variable volume, a pump inlet channel (12) communicating with said pump chamber (11), and a pump outlet channel (13); characterized in that, The liquid supply assembly also includes a reservoir (20). The liquid reservoir (20) includes a liquid storage chamber (21), and the liquid storage chamber (21) includes a liquid inlet (211) located on the wall of the liquid storage chamber; The reservoir (20) also includes a buffer chamber (22) located beside the bottom of the reservoir (21). The height of the buffer chamber (22) is lower than the height of the reservoir (21), and the volume of the buffer chamber (22) is smaller than the volume of the reservoir (21). A partition wall (23) is provided between the liquid storage chamber (21) and the buffer chamber (22). A connecting part (24) is provided on the partition wall (23). The liquid storage chamber (21) and the buffer chamber (22) are connected through the connecting part (24). The buffer chamber (22) includes an outlet (221) located on the wall of the buffer chamber. The outlet (221) is connected to the pump inlet channel (12) through a diaphragm valve (30). The outlet (221) is located within the horizontal projection range of the partition wall (23) above the connecting part (24).
2. The liquid supply assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The bottom surfaces of the liquid storage chamber (21), the connecting part (24), and the buffer chamber (22) are coplanar.
3. The liquid supply assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The liquid outlet (221) is located on the top side of the buffer chamber (22).
4. The liquid supply assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The diaphragm valve (30) includes an outer ring (31), an inner ring (32) located inside the outer ring (31), and an actuator (33). The outer ring (31) and the inner ring (32) are radially spaced to form a communicating cavity (34). The inner ring (32) forms a valve passage (35). The actuator (33) is sealed to the outer ring (31) and can openably and closeably seal the inner ring (32). The outlet (221) is located at the end of the valve channel (35) and the outlet (221) is opened towards the partition wall (23). The valve channel (35) is perpendicular to the partition wall (23) on the inner wall surface of the buffer cavity (22).
5. The liquid supply assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, The width of the buffer cavity (22) is smaller than the width of the liquid storage cavity (21). The connecting part (24) is located in the middle of the bottom side of the liquid storage cavity (21). The two inner sidewalls of the liquid storage cavity (21) corresponding to the connecting part (24) are both guide surfaces (241).
6. The liquid supply assembly as claimed in claim 5, characterized in that, The guide surface (241) is an arc surface or a slope, so that the width of the connecting part (24) gradually decreases from the liquid storage cavity (21) to the buffer cavity (22).
7. The liquid supply assembly as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that, Both the buffer cavity (22) and the liquid storage cavity (21) are vertically extending cavities of equal diameter.
8. The liquid supply assembly as claimed in claim 1 or 7, characterized in that, The volume ratio of the buffer chamber (22) to the liquid storage chamber (21) is 0.01-0.05, and the vertical height ratio of the buffer chamber (22) to the liquid storage chamber (21) is 0.1-0.
25.
9. The liquid supply assembly as claimed in claim 2, characterized in that, The liquid reservoir (20) includes a main body (25) and a bottom cover (26) fixedly connected to the main body (25). The bottom of the main body (25) is an open structure. The bottom cover (26) has a connection point (262) with the bottom of the main body (25). The bottom of the partition wall (23) is higher than the connection point (262) in the vertical direction.
10. A liquid supply system, comprising a liquid inlet assembly (40) and a liquid outlet assembly (50), characterized in that, It also includes a liquid supply assembly as described in any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the liquid inlet assembly (40) is used to supply liquid to the liquid reservoir (20), and the liquid outlet assembly (50) is connected to the pump outlet channel (13) of the supply pump (10) for external liquid discharge.