Intelligent dust collection device

Abstract

An intelligent dust collecting device includes a housing unit, an air pumping unit, a filtering unit, and a monitoring unit. The housing unit includes a shell defining an inner space, a partition wall separating the inner space into a first chamber and a second chamber, and a positioning wall separating the second chamber into an air outlet area and a filtering area. The shell has an air inlet and an air outlet. The partition wall has a through hole. The positioning wall has a mounting hole communicating the air outlet area and the filtering area. The air pumping unit is used to form a negative pressure guiding an air flow to flow in the inner space. The filtering unit is used to filter dust-containing gas and deliver it to the air outlet area. The monitoring unit is used to judge current and pressure values and output a warning signal for a user to judge the running state of the filtering unit and the air pumping unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This utility model relates to an industrial dust removal device, and more particularly to an intelligent dust collection device. Background Technology

[0002] The semiconductor industry has experienced rapid growth in recent years and has become an indispensable industry worldwide. During the manufacturing process of semiconductor wafers, because the circuit structures on the wafers are extremely small, even dust adhering to the wafers can cause short circuits, affecting product performance and yield. Therefore, dust collection systems are typically installed in the wafer processing environment.

[0003] The dust collection system generates negative pressure to draw ambient air into it, filtering out dust, and then discharges the filtered clean air back into the environment. However, as the amount of filtered dust increases, the negative pressure of the dust collection system also rises, requiring the system to operate at higher power to maintain operation. However, the system has a high failure rate under high-power operation. A failure can cause an imbalance in the pressure difference between the dust collection system and the working environment, allowing filtered dust to flow back into the environment, potentially causing short circuits and damage to the wafer circuitry. Therefore, the existing dust collection system still has shortcomings and requires improvement. Utility Model Content

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an intelligent dust collection device that can monitor the operating status in real time.

[0005] This utility model intelligent dust collection device includes a housing unit, an air extraction unit, a filtration unit, and a monitoring unit.

[0006] The housing unit includes an outer shell defining an internal space, a partition wall disposed within the internal space and dividing the internal space into a first chamber and a second chamber spaced laterally, and a positioning wall disposed within the second chamber and dividing the second chamber into an air outlet zone and a filter zone spaced vertically. The outer shell has an air inlet communicating with the first chamber and an exhaust outlet communicating with the air outlet zone. The partition wall has a through hole communicating between the filter zone and the first chamber. The positioning wall has mounting holes communicating between the air outlet zone and the filter zone.

[0007] The air extraction unit is connected to the exhaust port and is used to draw in the gas from the air outlet area, forming a negative pressure that guides the airflow from the air inlet into the first chamber and then through the through hole to the second chamber.

[0008] The filtration unit is disposed within the built-in space of the housing unit and includes a cyclone dust collector disposed in the first chamber, a bag dust collector disposed in the second chamber and positioned by extending through the mounting hole in the positioning wall, and a collection box disposed in the first chamber, located below the cyclone dust collector and communicating with the cyclone dust collector. The cyclone dust collector is used to separate dust from the air flowing in from the air inlet and then transport the air to the filtration zone through the through hole. The bag dust collector is used to separate dust from the air in the filtration zone and then transport it to the air outlet zone. The collection box has an upward-facing collection port for collecting the dust from the cyclone dust collector.

[0009] The monitoring unit connects the housing unit and the extraction unit, and includes a current detector connected to the extraction unit for detecting current values, a pressure detector located at the exhaust port for detecting pressure values, and a controller communicatively connected to the current detector, the pressure detector, the housing unit, the filter unit, and the extraction unit. The controller determines the current and pressure values ​​and outputs warning signals to allow the user to assess the operating status of the filter unit and the extraction unit.

[0010] Preferably, the intelligent dust collection device of this utility model includes a bag dust collector comprising a filter bag disposed in the filtration zone for separating the dust, and a pulse valve disposed in the air outlet zone and communicating with the filter bag and the controller. The pulse valve is used to deliver a high-pressure airflow toward the filter bag, thereby causing the dust adhering to the filter bag to fall off.

[0011] Preferably, the intelligent dust collection device of this utility model includes a bag dust collector comprising a filter bag disposed in the filtration zone for separating the dust, and a pulse valve disposed in the air outlet zone and communicating with the filter bag and the controller. The pulse valve is used to deliver a high-pressure airflow toward the filter bag, thereby causing the dust adhering to the filter bag to fall off.

[0012] Preferably, in the intelligent dust collection device of the present invention, the partition wall further has an opening connecting the filter zone and the first chamber and located below the through hole, and a valve that is switchably disposed in the opening and connected to the controller. The housing unit further includes a connecting wall formed at the bottom of the filter zone and inclined downward toward the opening and connected to the partition wall. The connecting wall is used to guide the dust falling off the filter bag to the collection box.

[0013] Preferably, in the intelligent dust collection device of this invention, the monitoring unit further includes a display that is communicatively connected to the controller and is used to display the current and pressure values.

[0014] Preferably, in the intelligent dust collection device of this invention, the air extraction unit is a permanent magnet blower.

[0015] Preferably, the intelligent dust collection device of this utility model further includes a management unit that is communicatively connected to the monitoring unit. The management unit includes a calculation module that is communicatively connected to the controller and is used to receive the current value and the pressure value and draw several analysis graphs, a communication module that is communicatively connected to the calculation module and is used to convert the analysis graphs into several chart signals, and a data module that is communicatively connected to the communication module and is used to store the chart signals.

[0016] The beneficial effects of this utility model are as follows: the monitoring unit monitors the operation of the air extraction unit and the filter unit, and can close the valve to prevent dust backflow when the air extraction unit and the filter unit malfunction, while displaying the warning information to help the user troubleshoot the problem. Attached Figure Description

[0017] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the first embodiment of the intelligent dust collection device of this utility model; Figure 2 This is a system configuration diagram illustrating the connection relationship between the monitoring unit and other components in the first embodiment; and Figure 3 This is a system configuration diagram illustrating the second embodiment of the intelligent dust collection device of this utility model. Detailed Implementation

[0018] Before this utility model is described in detail, it should be noted that similar elements are represented by the same reference numerals in the following description.

[0019] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0020] See Figure 1 and Figure 2 This is a first embodiment of the intelligent dust collection device of the present invention, comprising a housing unit 1, an air extraction unit 2 connected to the housing unit 1, a filter unit 3 disposed within the housing unit 1, and a monitoring unit 4 connecting the housing unit 1 and the air extraction unit 2. It should be noted that this first embodiment is described in the case of a cleanroom in a semiconductor factory used for wafer processing.

[0021] The housing unit 1 includes an outer shell 11 surrounding and defining an internal space 10; a partition wall 12 disposed in the internal space 10 and dividing the internal space 10 into a first chamber 101 and a second chamber 102 that are laterally spaced; a positioning wall 13 disposed in the second chamber 102 and dividing the second chamber 102 into an air outlet zone 1021 and a filter zone 1022 that are vertically spaced; and a connecting wall 14 formed at the bottom of the filter zone 1022 and inclined downward to connect with the partition wall 12. The outer shell 11 has an air inlet 111 communicating with the first chamber 101 and an exhaust port 112 communicating with the air outlet zone 1021. The partition wall 12 has a through hole 121 communicating between the filter zone 1022 and the first chamber 101, an opening 122 communicating between the filter zone 1022 and the first chamber 101 and located below the through hole 121, and a valve 123 that is slewable and operablely disposed in the opening 122. The positioning wall 13 has mounting holes 131 that connect the air outlet area 1021 and the filter area 1022.

[0022] The extraction unit 2 is connected to the exhaust port 112 and is used to draw in gas from the air outlet zone 1021, forming a negative pressure that guides the airflow from the air inlet 111 into the first chamber 101 and then through the through hole 121 to the second chamber 102. The extraction unit 2 preferably employs a permanent magnet blower. This permanent magnet blower directly couples the permanent magnet motor to the blades, eliminating the gearbox found in traditional blowers and avoiding the additional energy consumption caused by friction between mechanical parts. Therefore, through the contactless transmission characteristic of the permanent magnet blower, operating efficiency can be improved compared to existing blowers, and energy savings of 68% can be achieved.

[0023] The filter unit 3 is disposed within the internal space 10 of the housing unit 1, and includes a cyclone dust collector 31 disposed in the first chamber 101, a bag dust collector 32 disposed in the second chamber 102 and positioned by extending through the mounting hole 131 of the positioning wall 13, and a collection box 33 disposed in the first chamber 101, located below the cyclone dust collector 31 and communicating with the cyclone dust collector 31. The cyclone dust collector 31 is used to separate dust from the air flowing in from the air inlet 111, and then transport the air to the filtration zone 1022 through the through hole 121. The bag dust collector 32 is used to separate dust from the air in the filtration zone 1022 and then transport it to the air outlet zone 1021. The collection box 33 has an upward-facing collection port 330.

[0024] Specifically, the cyclone dust collector 31 has a cylindrical space 310. Air flowing in from the air inlet 111 can enter the cylindrical space 310 and rotate at high speed within it. Larger dust particles are separated from the air due to centrifugal force and fall downwards to the collection port 330 of the collection box 33 for collection. The gas that has undergone preliminary filtration is discharged upwards into the first chamber 101 and, guided by the negative pressure generated by the suction unit 2, is transported to the filtration zone 1022 through the through hole 121.

[0025] The baghouse dust collector 32 includes a filter bag 321 disposed in the filtration zone 1022 for separating dust, and a pulse valve 322 disposed in the outlet zone 1021 and connected to the filter bag 321. The filter bag 321 is preferably made of woven fabric, non-woven fabric, polyester fiber (PET), etc., and has several fiber gaps formed on its surface (not shown in the figure). Air in the filtration zone 1022 passes through the filter bag 321 under negative pressure. Since the spacing of the fiber gaps is smaller than the size of the dust particles, the dust is blocked and adheres to the surface of the filter bag 321. The filtered clean air flows to the outlet zone 1021 and is then discharged to the external environment from the exhaust port 112 via the extraction unit 2. The pulse valve 322 is used to deliver a high-pressure airflow to the filter bag 321, causing the dust adhering to the filter bag 321 to fall onto the connecting wall 14, and then slide on the connecting wall 14 to the opening 122. At this time, if the valve 123 is in the open state, the dust can pass through the opening 122 and be collected by connecting the collection port 330 of the collection box 33 to the opening 122.

[0026] The monitoring unit 4 includes a current detector 41 connected to the extraction unit 2 and used to detect current values, a pressure detector 42 located at the exhaust port 112 and used to detect pressure values, a controller 43 communicatively connected to the current detector 41, the pressure detector 42, the housing unit 1, the extraction unit 2, and the filter unit 3, and a display 44 communicatively connected to the controller 43 and used to display the current and pressure values. The controller 43 is used to determine the current and pressure values ​​and output a warning signal for the user to determine the operating status of the filter unit 3 and the extraction unit 2. It is worth mentioning that the controller 43 can control the opening and closing of the valve 123, and closes the valve 123 when the extraction unit 2 stops, thereby preventing dust from flowing from the opening 122 to the second chamber 102 and being discharged to the external environment due to the pressure difference between the internal space 10 and the external environment, thereby preventing dust from adhering to the wafer in the external environment and causing damage to the wafer's circuitry.

[0027] Specifically, as the amount of dust adhering to the surface of the filter bag 321 increases, the airflow decreases, thereby increasing the negative pressure within the internal space 10. This forces the suction unit 2 to operate at higher power consumption to maintain the airflow intensity within the internal space 10. Therefore, after real-time detection and feedback from the current detector 41 and the pressure detector 42 to the controller 43, the user can view the operating status of the suction unit 2 and the filter unit 3 on the display 44 at any time. Furthermore, the user can preset normal operating thresholds for the current and pressure values, allowing the controller 43 to determine and output a warning signal when the current and pressure values ​​are outside these thresholds. For example, if the controller 43 receives a pressure value higher than the normal operating threshold while the current value is within the normal operating threshold, it displays "Filter bag blocked" on the display 44; if the pressure value is within the normal operating threshold while the current value is higher, it displays "Suction unit motor malfunction" on the display 44. The warning information can help the user identify the faulty component and troubleshoot the problem in a short time.

[0028] See Figure 3 This is a second embodiment of the intelligent dust collection device of the present invention. The difference between this second embodiment and the first embodiment is that this second embodiment further includes a management unit 5 that is communicatively connected to the controller 43 of the monitoring unit 4. It should be noted that this second embodiment is described in the case where the semiconductor factory is equipped with multiple cleanrooms, and each cleanroom is equipped with several intelligent dust collection devices for use with wafer fabrication machines.

[0029] The management unit 5 includes a calculation module 51, communicatively connected to the controller 43, for receiving the current and pressure values ​​and plotting them into several analytical graphs; a communication module 52, communicatively connected to the calculation module 51, for converting the analytical graphs into several chart signals; and a data module 53, communicatively connected to the communication module 52, for storing the chart signals. Specifically, the calculation module 51 can plot the current and pressure values ​​detected at different time points into several line graphs for the user to view the operating status of the suction unit 2 and the filter unit 3 over a period of time. The communication module 52 preferably uses communication languages ​​such as Mobus RTU, Modbus TCP, TCP IP, or SEMISECS / GEM to ensure that the line graphs can be quickly and accurately converted into chart signals before being transmitted to the data module 53. It should be noted that, in addition to storing the chart signals transmitted by its own communication module 52 for the user to view, the data module 53 can also connect to other intelligent dust collection devices within the semiconductor factory and store the chart signals of those other intelligent dust collection devices. Therefore, the user can monitor the operational status of all intelligent dust collection devices in the semiconductor factory in real time by accessing the data module 53.

Claims

1. An intelligent dust collection device; characterized in that: The intelligent dust collection device includes a housing unit, an extraction unit connected to the housing unit, a filter unit disposed within the housing unit, and a monitoring unit connecting the housing unit and the extraction unit. The housing unit includes an outer shell defining an internal space, a partition wall disposed within the internal space and dividing the internal space into a first chamber and a second chamber spaced laterally, and a positioning wall disposed within the second chamber and dividing the second chamber into an air outlet zone and a filter zone spaced vertically. The outer shell has an air inlet communicating with the first chamber and an exhaust outlet communicating with the air outlet zone. The partition wall has a through hole communicating between the filter zone and the first chamber. The positioning wall has mounting holes communicating between the air outlet zone and the filter zone. The extraction unit is connected to the exhaust outlet and is used to draw in gas from the air outlet zone, creating a negative pressure that guides airflow from the air inlet into the first chamber and then through the through hole to the second chamber. The filter unit is disposed within the internal space of the housing unit and includes a cyclone dust collector disposed within the first chamber. A baghouse dust collector is positioned in the second chamber and through the mounting hole in the positioning wall, and a collection box is located in the first chamber below and connected to the cyclone dust collector. The cyclone dust collector separates dust from the air flowing in from the air inlet and then transports the air to the filtration zone through the through hole. The baghouse dust collector separates dust from the air in the filtration zone and then transports it to the air outlet zone. The collection box has an upward-facing collection chamber for collecting the dust from the cyclone dust collector. The monitoring unit is connected to the housing unit and the exhaust unit, and includes a current detector connected to the exhaust unit for detecting current values, a pressure detector located at the exhaust port for detecting pressure values, and a controller that is communicatively connected to the current detector, the pressure detector, the housing unit, the filter unit, and the exhaust unit. The controller is used to determine the current values ​​and the pressure values, and outputs a warning signal for the user to determine the operating status of the filter unit and the exhaust unit.

2. The intelligent dust collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The baghouse dust collector includes a filter bag disposed in the filtration zone for separating the dust, and a pulse valve disposed in the air outlet zone, connected to the filter bag and communicatively connected to the controller. The pulse valve is used to deliver a high-pressure airflow toward the filter bag, thereby causing the dust adhering to the filter bag to fall off.

3. The intelligent dust collection device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The partition wall also has an opening that connects the filter zone and the first chamber and is located below the through hole, and a valve that is switchably disposed in the opening and connected to the controller. The housing unit also includes a connecting wall formed at the bottom of the filter zone and inclined downward toward the opening and connected to the partition wall. The connecting wall is used to guide the dust falling off the filter bag to the collection box.

4. The intelligent dust collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The monitoring unit also includes a display that is communicatively connected to the controller and is used to display the current and pressure values.

5. The intelligent dust collection device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air extraction unit is a permanent magnet blower.

6. The intelligent dust collection device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The intelligent dust collection device also includes a management unit that is communicatively connected to the monitoring unit. The management unit includes a calculation module that is communicatively connected to the controller and is used to receive the current value and the pressure value and draw several analysis graphs, a communication module that is communicatively connected to the calculation module and is used to convert the analysis graphs into several chart signals, and a data module that is communicatively connected to the communication module and is used to store the chart signals.

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