Air cleaning device and air cleaning system

Abstract

To provide an air cleaning device capable of removing pollution substances such as siloxane and fine particles.SOLUTION: A light source unit 110 includes at least one ultraviolet laser 112 that generates a laser beam 4 having an intensity sufficient to exert an optical trapping force on pollution substances 2. An attachment unit 120 is transparent to the laser beam 4, and is arranged on an optical path of the laser beam 4 so as to face a space 10 in which air to be cleaned exists.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to air purification technology. [Background technology]

[0002] The manufacturing and inspection of semiconductor devices and other devices is carried out in clean rooms. These clean rooms are equipped with high-performance filters such as ULPA (Ultra Low Penetration Air Filters) and HEPA (High Efficiency Particulate Air Filters) to remove various particles that are dispersed within the clean room. These filters are specified in the JIS standard, and HEPA filters have a particle collection efficiency of over 99.97% for particles with a diameter of 0.3 μm, while ULPA filters have a particle collection efficiency of 99.9995% for particles with a diameter of 0.15 μm.

[0003] However, gaseous siloxane is known to be a substance that cannot be removed by these high-performance filters. Gaseous siloxane is generated from sealing materials such as silicone sealants and silicone gels used to maintain airtightness in clean rooms, or is brought into clean rooms attached to production materials, or brought in from cosmetics used by workers. Meanwhile, optical trapping force (also known as optical tweezers) is known as a technology for holding and moving microparticles using light, and its principle is explained in Patent Documents 2 and 3. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-64231 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-231095 [Patent Document 3] Special Publication No. 5-6136 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] If impurities such as siloxane adhere to semiconductor devices during manufacturing, they can cause deterioration of device characteristics and lead to reduced yields.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made in this situation, and one exemplary purpose of an embodiment thereof is to provide an air cleaning device that can remove pollutants such as siloxanes and particulates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] An air purification device according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises a light source unit including at least one ultraviolet laser that generates a laser beam having an intensity capable of exerting an optical trapping force on pollutants, and an attachment unit that is transparent to the laser beam and is positioned facing a space in which the air to be purified is present on the optical path of the laser beam.

[0008] Any combination of the above elements, or mutual substitution of elements or expressions between methods, devices, systems, etc., are also valid aspects of the present invention or the present disclosure. Furthermore, the description in this section (Means for Solving the Problems) does not explain all essential features of the present invention, and therefore, subcombinations of the described features may also constitute the present invention. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] An air purification device according to an aspect of the present disclosure can remove pollutants. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an air purifying device according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the air purifying device. [Figure 3]1 is a diagram illustrating an air purifying device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an air purifying device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an air purifying device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an air purifying device according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an air purifying device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an air purifying device according to a sixth embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus equipped with an air cleaning device. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 shows a sealed cassette equipped with an air cleaning device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] (Outline of the embodiment) A summary of some exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure is provided below. This summary is intended as a prelude to the more detailed description that follows, or to provide a basic understanding of the embodiments. This summary is intended to briefly explain some concepts of one or more embodiments and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention or disclosure. Furthermore, this summary is not an exhaustive overview of all possible embodiments, nor does it limit essential elements of the embodiments. For convenience, the term "one embodiment" may refer to one embodiment (example or variant) or multiple embodiments (examples or variants) disclosed herein.

[0012] (Outline of the embodiment) An air purifying device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure comprises a light source unit including at least one ultraviolet laser that generates a laser beam having an intensity sufficient to exert an optical trapping force on pollutants, and an attachment unit that is transparent to the laser beam and is disposed on the optical path of the laser beam facing a space where the air to be purified exists. Note that the "intensity sufficient to exert an optical trapping force on pollutants" is difficult to define uniquely because it varies depending on the wavelength, intensity, and concentration of the light, the size and type of the contaminated object, etc., but for example, it can be expressed as an intensity sufficient to exert an optical trapping force on pollutants when siloxane is enclosed inside a housing having a window surface (siloxane concentration is about 400 ng / m 3 ) and then irradiate the window surface with laser light for a certain period of time (approximately 100 hours), and determine whether or not SiO2 deposits are visible on the window surface in relation to the illuminance of the window surface.

[0013] When an ultraviolet laser beam is irradiated onto contaminants such as siloxane, the contaminants are decomposed. The decomposed contaminants are then attracted toward the ultraviolet laser by the optical trapping force of the laser beam and deposited on the adhesions. This purifies the air in the space. Typical target substances that are attracted by the optical trapping force include particles of 0.3 μm or less that remain in the air in a clean room (also called clean air) that has passed through a HEPA filter, particles brought in by people entering and leaving the clean room, and suspended matter of chemical components such as siloxane that produce fine particles such as SiO2 through photodecomposition.

[0014] In one embodiment, the intensity of the laser beam is 8 MW / cm 2 Such an intensity can generate a sufficient light trapping force.

[0015] In one embodiment, the ultraviolet laser may be a GaN-based semiconductor laser.In one embodiment, the ultraviolet laser may be a gas laser, such as a HeCd laser.

[0016] In one embodiment, the light source unit may include multiple ultraviolet lasers, which may be arranged adjacently, to increase the volume that can be cleaned at one time and / or the rate at which contaminants are removed.

[0017] In one embodiment, the attachment may be replaceable.

[0018] In one embodiment, the air purification device may include a switching mechanism that can switch the surface on which contaminants are attached to the attachment portion to a clean surface.

[0019] In one embodiment, the switching mechanism may allow the attachment to be interchangeable.

[0020] In one embodiment, the switching mechanism may be capable of rotating a cylindrical attachment portion surrounding the light source portion.

[0021] In one embodiment, the switching mechanism may be capable of winding up the sheet-shaped attachment portion into a roll.

[0022] In one embodiment, the attachment may be a glass window of a CAN package in which the semiconductor laser chip is housed.

[0023] In one embodiment, the air purifying device may further include a filter for purifying air in addition to the light source unit and the attachment unit. The air purifying device may irradiate the air that has passed through the filter with a laser beam.

[0024] An air purification system according to one embodiment includes a filter and any one of the air purification devices described above that irradiates gas that has passed through the filter with a laser beam.

[0025] (Embodiment) Preferred embodiments will be described below with reference to the drawings. The same or equivalent components, parts, and processes shown in each drawing will be designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions will be omitted where appropriate. Furthermore, the embodiments are merely examples and do not limit the disclosure or invention, and all features and combinations thereof described in the embodiments are not necessarily essential to the disclosure or invention.

[0026] In addition, the dimensions (thickness, length, width, etc.) of each component shown in the drawings may be enlarged or reduced as appropriate for ease of understanding. Furthermore, the dimensions of multiple components do not necessarily represent their relative sizes, and even if a component A is depicted as being thicker than another component B in the drawings, it is possible that component A is thinner than component B.

[0027] (Embodiment 1) 1 is a diagram showing an air purifying device 100 according to an embodiment. The air purifying device 100 is installed in a space 10 containing air to be purified that contains pollutants 2, and removes the pollutants 2 from the air. The space 10 may be a closed, localized space, or a large space such as a clean room.

[0028] The air purifying device 100 includes a light source unit 110 and an attachment unit 120 .

[0029] The light source unit 110 includes at least one ultraviolet laser 112. The ultraviolet laser 112 generates a laser beam 4 having an intensity capable of exerting an optical trapping force on the contaminant 2. The ultraviolet laser 112 may be pulsed or may be operated as a continuous wave (CW). For example, the intensity of the laser beam 4 is 8 MW / cm. 2That's all. The wavelength of the laser beam 4 may be selected depending on the type of contaminant 2. For example, if siloxane is the main target, it is preferably 180 nm or more and 450 nm or less. A GaN-based semiconductor laser can be suitably used as the light source unit 110, which allows the size of the air purifier 100 to be made compact. Note that a gas laser such as a HeCd laser, or an ArF or KrF excimer laser may also be used as the light source unit 110. Furthermore, the type of contaminant 2 that can be removed by the air purifier 100 is not limited to siloxane, and the present disclosure is also effective for other substances.

[0030] The attachment portion 120 is transparent to the laser beam 4. The attachment portion 120 is disposed on the optical path of the laser beam 4, facing the space 10 containing the air to be purified. The attachment portion 120 is preferably made of glass or film. The attachment portion 120 may be coated with an AR (Anti-Reflection) coating to suppress reflection of the laser beam 4.

[0031] As will be described later, the contaminant 2 or a substance (decomposition substance) generated by decomposition of the contaminant 2 adheres to and accumulates on the surface of the adhesion portion 120.

[0032] The above is the configuration of the air purifying device 100. Next, the operation thereof will be described.

[0033] 2 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the air purifying device 100. The operation of the air purifying device 100 is divided into four steps S100, S102, S104, and S106. In step S100, contaminants 2 are floating in the space 10.

[0034] In step S102, when the contaminant 2 passes through the optical path of the laser beam 4, the contaminant 2 is irradiated with the laser beam 4.

[0035] As shown in step S104, the contaminants 2 are decomposed into decomposed substances 3 by the laser irradiation. The decomposed substances 3 are attracted toward the light source unit 110 by the optical trapping force of the laser beam 4.

[0036] Then, as shown in step S106, the decomposed substance 3 is deposited on the adhering portion 120.

[0037] The above is the operation of the air purifying device 100. This air purifying device 100 can remove pollutants that cannot be removed by a high-performance filter.

[0038] Furthermore, since the adhesion portion 120 is provided, contaminants do not directly adhere to the light-emitting surface of the ultraviolet laser 112, which makes it less likely that the performance of the ultraviolet laser 112 will deteriorate. Therefore, the air cleaning ability can be stably exhibited for a long period of time.

[0039] Furthermore, the air purifying device 100 does not require a fan, is vibration-free in principle, and is capable of localized purification, so it can be installed in narrow spaces, such as inside a furnace, an air chamber, or an air flow path.

[0040] The present disclosure is not limited to a specific configuration, but rather encompasses various devices and methods that can be understood as the configuration of Fig. 1 or derived from the above description. Below, more specific configuration examples and examples will be described not to narrow the scope of the present disclosure, but to aid in understanding and clarify the essence and operation of the present disclosure and the present invention.

[0041] In Examples 1 to 5, the configurations of the light source unit 110 and the attachment unit 120 will be described.

[0042] Example 1 3 is a diagram illustrating an air purifying device 100A according to the first embodiment. The light source unit 110A includes a plurality of ultraviolet lasers 112 arranged in an array on a plane. The ultraviolet lasers 112 may be packaged in a can. The ultraviolet lasers 112 may be arranged in a matrix as shown in FIG. 4, in a staggered pattern, or in a single row.

[0043] If the decomposed material 3 continues to accumulate on the same part of the attachment part 120A arranged in front of the ultraviolet laser 112, there is a problem that the transmittance of the laser beam 4 decreases. Therefore, it is preferable that the attachment part 120A is replaceable.

[0044] According to this configuration, the light emitting portion of the light source section 110A can be made larger in area, which in turn makes it possible to increase the volume that can be cleaned at one time and / or to increase the rate of removal of contaminants.

[0045] Example 2 4 is a diagram illustrating an air purifying device 100B according to Example 2. The light source unit 110B includes a plurality of ultraviolet lasers 112 arranged on a spherical surface. The light source unit 110B is surrounded by a spherical attachment portion 120B.

[0046] Although the plurality of ultraviolet lasers 112 are arranged on a spherical surface in FIG. 4, the plurality of ultraviolet lasers 112 may also be arranged in a cylindrical shape.

[0047] Example 3 5 is a diagram showing an air purifying device 100C according to a third embodiment. The attachment unit 120C has a cylindrical shape surrounding the light source unit 110C. The attachment unit 120C is rotatable in the circumferential direction (i) around a rotation axis 122, which is the center of the cylinder, and a rotation mechanism 124 rotates the attachment unit 120C over time. This changes the area where the decomposition substance 3 accumulates over time, thereby solving the problem of a decrease in the transmittance of the laser beam 4.

[0048] The air purifying device 100C may include a slide mechanism 126 in addition to or instead of the rotation mechanism 124. The adhesion part 120C is translatable in the axial direction of the cylinder. The slide mechanism 126 moves the adhesion part 120C in the up and down direction (ii) over time. This changes the area where the decomposition substance 3 accumulates over time, thereby solving the problem of reduced transmittance of the laser beam 4.

[0049] Example 4 FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an air purifying device 100D according to a fourth embodiment. The attachment portion 120D is in a sheet form and can be wound up in a roll. A rotation mechanism 128 rotates a roll 125 around which the sheet-like attachment portion 120D is wound. The rotation direction (i) may be the direction in which the attachment portion 120D is fed out or the direction in which it is wound up. This solves the problem of a decrease in the transmittance of the laser beam 4, since the area where the decomposition substance 3 accumulates changes over time.

[0050] The air purifying device 100D may further include a slide mechanism 129 in addition to the rotation mechanism 128. The slide mechanism 129 translates the roll-shaped adhesion part 120D in the axial direction (ii) of the cylinder. This causes the area where the decomposition substance 3 accumulates to change over time, thereby solving the problem of a decrease in the transmittance of the laser beam 4.

[0051] Example 5 7 is a diagram showing an air purifying device 100E according to Example 5. In this example, the ultraviolet laser 112 is a semiconductor laser chip housed in a CAN package, and the glass window of the CAN package functions as the attachment portion 120E.

[0052] In Example 5, air purifying device 100E may be constructed using a CAN package manufactured for a different purpose that was determined to be defective in inspections of optical axis, optical output, etc., i.e., a CAN package that would have been discarded and not shipped as a product. In this configuration, it is difficult to replace only the glass window, which is attachment portion 120E, so the entire CAN package must be replaced. However, if a CAN package that would have been discarded is reused, the cost problem can be solved.

[0053] In the sixth to eighth embodiments, the installation location of the air purifying device 100 and the like will be described.

[0054] Example 6 FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an air purifying device 100F according to a sixth embodiment. The air purifying device 100F includes a light source unit 110, an attachment unit 120, and a chamber 130. The interior of the chamber 130 corresponds to the space 10 in FIG. 1. The chamber 130 is provided with an air inlet 132 and an outlet 134. A high-performance filter (not shown) is disposed upstream of the air purifying device 100A, and clean air 6a from which particles have been removed is introduced into the chamber 130 through the inlet 132. The air purifying device 100F removes pollutants from the clean air 6a and discharges cleaner air 6b through the outlet 134.

[0055] Example 7 FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200 equipped with an air purifier 100. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200 may be an exposure apparatus, an etching apparatus, an epitaxial growth apparatus, a film formation apparatus, or the like. In addition to a main body 210, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200 includes a cassette loader 220, a sealed cassette 230, and the air purifier 100. The cassette loader 220 transports a sealed cassette 230 containing wafers 232 into the main body 210. The air purifier 100 is installed on a transport path 222 for the sealed cassette 230. Air 6a purified by a high-performance filter 310 such as a ULPA filter or a HEPA filter is sent into a chamber 130 of the air purifier 100. The air purifier 100, together with the high-performance filter 310, forms an air purification system 300.

[0056] According to the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 200 of FIG. 9, contaminants adhering to the sealed cassette 230 can be removed before reaching the main body 210, and contamination of the inside of the main body 210 can be prevented.

[0057] In addition to semiconductor manufacturing equipment, the air cleaning device 100 may be installed in an inspection device or an analysis device in a path for inserting a sample or wafer.

[0058] Example 8 10 is a diagram showing a sealed cassette 230 equipped with an air cleaning device 100. The air cleaning device 100 is built into the sealed cassette 230 that houses wafers 232. The air cleaning device 100 may operate before or after the wafers 232 are housed in the cassette. The air cleaning device 100 may also operate while the cassette is being transported by the cassette loader 220 of FIG. 9.

[0059] The embodiments merely illustrate the principles and applications of the present invention, and many modifications and changes in arrangement are permitted to the embodiments as long as they do not deviate from the spirit of the present invention as defined in the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 2. Pollutants 3 Decomposed substances 4 laser beam 10 Space 100 Air Purifier 110 Light source section 112 Ultraviolet laser 120 Attachment 130 Chamber 200 Semiconductor manufacturing equipment 210 Main Unit 220 Cassette Loader 222 Transport Route 230 sealed cassette 232 wafers

Claims

1. a light source unit including at least one ultraviolet laser that generates a laser beam having an intensity sufficient to exert an optical trapping force on the contaminant; an attachment portion that is transparent to the laser beam and is disposed on an optical path of the laser beam facing a space where air to be cleaned exists; An air purifying device comprising:

2. The intensity of the laser beam is 8 MW / cm ２ 2. The air purifying device according to claim 1, wherein:

3. 2. The air purifying device according to claim 1, wherein the ultraviolet laser is a GaN-based semiconductor laser.

4. 4. The air purifying device according to claim 1, wherein the light source unit includes a plurality of the ultraviolet lasers, and the plurality of ultraviolet lasers are arranged adjacent to each other.

5. 4. The air purifying device according to claim 1, further comprising a switching mechanism that can switch the surface on which contaminants are attached to the attachment portion to a clean surface.

6. The air purifying device according to claim 5, wherein the switching mechanism makes the attachment portion replaceable.

7. The air purifying device according to claim 5 , wherein the switching mechanism is capable of rotating the cylindrical attachment portion surrounding the light source portion.

8. The air purifying device according to claim 5, wherein the switching mechanism is capable of winding up the sheet-shaped attachment portion into a roll.

9. 4. The air purifying device according to claim 3, wherein the attachment portion is a glass window of a CAN package in which the semiconductor laser chip is housed.

10. 4. The air purifying device according to claim 1, further comprising a filter for purifying air in addition to the light source unit and the attachment unit, and the laser beam is irradiated onto air that has passed through the filter.

11. A filter, an air purifying device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which irradiates the gas that has passed through the filter with the laser beam; An air purification system comprising:

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