Liquid leakage sensor system

Abstract

To provide a liquid leakage sensor system having a high degree of freedom with respect to a place to which a liquid leakage sensor is attached and the number of liquid leakage sensors.SOLUTION: In the liquid leakage sensor system, wireless communication is possible between liquid leakage sensor master device 200 and liquid leakage sensor master device 200, and wireless communication is possible between semiconductor device 1000 including first liquid leakage sensor slave devices 100-1-n to 100-X-n installed inside semiconductor device 1000 and liquid leakage sensor master device 200. And second liquid leakage sensor slave devices 100-Y-1 to 100-Y-n installed outside the semiconductor device 1000, in which the second liquid leakage sensor slave devices 100-Y-1 to 100-Y-n are installed in the liquid supply / discharge pipes P-1 to P-n that connect the outside of the semiconductor device 1000 and the inside of the semiconductor device 1000, and the liquid leakage sensor master device 200 can set the second liquid leakage sensor slave devices 100-Y-1 to 100-Y-n to be valid or invalid via the user interface 400.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The disclosed technology relates to a liquid leakage sensor system. [Background technology]

[0002] A liquid leakage sensor system including a plurality of liquid leakage sensors is known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a liquid leakage sensor and a liquid leakage detection system that, even if multiple liquid leakage sensors are incorporated into a control system in predetermined groups, when an alarm for an abnormality in liquid leakage detection is output, allows the maintenance side of a plant or other system to accurately and easily identify the spatial position / location of the liquid leakage, i.e., which liquid leakage sensor was actually installed and activated to detect the liquid leakage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-156541 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Incidentally, semiconductor manufacturing equipment including semiconductor cleaning equipment and the like is required to be equipped with a liquid leakage sensor, for example, according to industry standards or standards such as the Semiconductor Standards. In factories where semiconductor manufacturing equipment is installed, liquid handling piping is generally installed around the liquid supply and waste equipment, but liquid supply and waste equipment and piping other than that of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment do not necessarily have liquid leakage sensors installed. For example, even in the coating and developing apparatus shown in Figure 1 of Patent Document 1, a liquid leakage sensor is not installed below the piping connecting the outside of the apparatus to the inside of the apparatus.

[0006] In factories where semiconductor manufacturing equipment is installed, when attempting to install a conventional wired liquid leak sensor on piping outside the equipment, the liquid leak sensor had to be connected to the PA (Process Automation) control device in the same way as the liquid supply and waste equipment. However, with wired liquid leakage sensors, the signal wire cannot be made infinitely long, and there are limitations on the number and locations at which liquid leakage sensors can be attached. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technology comprises a liquid leakage sensor master unit, a first liquid leakage sensor slave unit capable of wireless communication with the liquid leakage sensor master unit and intended to be installed inside a semiconductor device, and a second liquid leakage sensor slave unit capable of wireless communication with the liquid leakage sensor master unit and intended to be installed outside the semiconductor device, wherein the second liquid leakage sensor slave unit is installed in a liquid supply / waste piping connecting the outside of the semiconductor device with the inside of the semiconductor device, and the liquid leakage sensor master unit can be configured to enable or disable the second liquid leakage sensor slave unit via a user interface. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] The liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technique has the above-described technical features, and therefore has a high degree of freedom in terms of the locations where the liquid leakage sensors can be attached and the number of such locations. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] Fig. 1 is a three-view diagram showing the appearance of the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 1A is a top view of the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 1B is a front view of the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 1C is a side view of the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1. [Figure 2]Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing that the bracket part 110 and the main body part 120 are detachable in the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2A is an explanatory diagram showing the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1 when the main body part 120 is detached from the bracket part 110. Fig. 2B is an explanatory diagram showing the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1 when the main body part 120 is attached to the bracket part 110. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the liquid leakage sensor system according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The liquid leakage sensor system according to the present disclosure may be implemented as follows.

[0011] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a three-view diagram showing the appearance of the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 1A is a top view of the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 1B is a front view of the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 1C is a side view of the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1. As shown in FIG. 1A, the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to the first embodiment includes a bracket part 110 and a main body part 120. The liquid leakage sensor slave 100 (simply referred to as a "liquid leakage sensor" when referring to the sensor alone) according to the disclosed technology operates on the principle of, for example, customizing a photoelectric sensor and detecting a liquid leakage based on the difference in the light reception level when no liquid is detected (light incident) and when liquid is detected (light blocked).

[0012] Fig. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing that the bracket part 110 and the main body part 120 are detachable in the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1. Fig. 2A is an explanatory diagram showing the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1 when the main body part 120 is detached from the bracket part 110. Fig. 2B is an explanatory diagram showing the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to embodiment 1 when the main body part 120 is attached to the bracket part 110. As shown in FIG. 2B, the liquid leak sensor slave 100 according to the first embodiment is capable of wireless communication with the liquid leak sensor master 200. More specifically, the liquid leak sensor slave 100 according to the first embodiment uses a wireless communication technology for communication between digital devices in close proximity. The wireless communication used by the liquid leak sensor slave 100 according to the disclosed technology may be, for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark) or RFID (Radio Frequency Identifier). RFID is a contactless communication technology used in contactless IC cards such as transportation IC cards, expressway ETC cards, employee ID cards, and car smart keys. 2, the bracket unit 110 has two knockout holes (punched holes) for screw attachment so that it can be attached to the semiconductor device 1000 (see FIG. 3 described later) or liquid crystal manufacturing equipment with screws. The bracket unit 110 may be bonded and fixed to the semiconductor device 1000 or liquid crystal manufacturing equipment using an adhesive. The liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to the present disclosure has a structure in which the bracket portion 110 and the main body portion 120 are detachable, so that the bracket portion 110 can be fixed to the semiconductor device 1000 or the liquid crystal manufacturing equipment, and the main body portion 120 can be easily replaced, for example, for battery replacement.

[0013] As such, the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 according to the disclosed technology uses wireless communication technology, so it is not restricted by cable routing, reduces installation labor, and can be installed in a wide range of locations.

[0014] Fig. 3 is a configuration diagram showing the configuration of the liquid leakage sensor system according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 3, the liquid leakage sensor system according to embodiment 1 is made up of a plurality of liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 (100-X-1 to 100-Xm, 100-Y-1 to 100-Yn, 100-Z-1) and a liquid leakage sensor master unit 200. The liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 is installed, for example, in the semiconductor device 1000, and is connected to the device control unit 300 of the semiconductor device 1000 so as to be able to constantly send and receive electrical signals. The semiconductor device 1000 is, for example, a device related to the manufacture of semiconductors, such as a semiconductor cleaning device. A user can operate the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 from the user interface 400 of the semiconductor device 1000 via the device control unit 300. 3, P-1, P-2, ..., Pn each represent a liquid supply / waste pipe P. In this manner, in the example of FIG. 3, n liquid supply / waste pipes P (P-1, P-2, ..., Pn) are shown in the semiconductor device 1000. The multiple liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 include those (100-X-1 to 100-Xm) installed inside the semiconductor device 1000 and those (100-Y-1 to 100-Yn, 100-Z-1) installed outside the semiconductor device 1000. Of the liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 installed outside the semiconductor device 1000, the difference between 100-Y-1 to 100-Yn and 100-Z-1 will become clear from the explanation below.

[0015] The liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technology, simply put, is a conventional system that was composed of liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 (100-X-1 to 100-Xm) installed inside a semiconductor device 1000, but has expanded the group of sensors that can be managed to include liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 (100-Y-1 to 100-Yn, 100-Z-1) installed outside the semiconductor device 1000. As described above, the liquid leakage sensor slave unit 100 according to the disclosed technology is a wire-less unit that uses wireless communication technology, and therefore the liquid leakage sensor slave unit 100 installed outside the semiconductor device 1000 can be installed by the end user.

[0016] That is, the liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technique has as its basic configuration liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 (100-X-1 to 100-Xm) installed inside the semiconductor device 1000 as objects of management, and can optionally add liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 (100-Y-1 to 100-Yn) that measure liquid supply and waste piping P located outside the semiconductor device 1000, for example, in the vicinity. The procedure for adding liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 as objects of management in the liquid leakage sensor system may be performed, for example, by a program executed by the device control unit 300 of the semiconductor device 1000.

[0017] The program executed by the device control unit 300 of the semiconductor device 1000 has a function that allows the liquid leak sensor slave units 100 to be managed to be set to be enabled or disabled, for example. In particular, it is desirable that the liquid leak sensor slave units 100 installed outside the semiconductor device 1000 can be set to be enabled or disabled. In the example of FIG. 3, the liquid leak sensor slave units 100 (100-Y-1 to 100-Yn) installed to measure any of the liquid supply and waste pipes P are set to be enabled, and the unused liquid leak sensor slave unit 100 (100-Z-1) is set to be disabled. Note that setting a certain liquid leak sensor slave unit 100 to be "enabled" may also be expressed as "activating." Also, setting a certain liquid leak sensor slave unit 100 to be "disabled" may also be expressed as "deactivating." The actual work of setting the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 to be enabled or disabled is performed by the end user via the user interface 400, for example, a keyboard, a mouse, or the like.

[0018] Regarding the liquid leakage sensor slave 100 that is installed outside the semiconductor device 1000, a situation may occur in which, after it has been installed once, it is desired to turn it off (to disable it) later. Generally, while leaks inside semiconductor manufacturing equipment can cause serious problems such as equipment failure, leaks from piping outside the equipment may not cause serious problems. For example, it is possible that a leak may occur in a location that will not cause a serious problem. However, in reality, it is difficult to install leak sensors only in locations that will cause serious problems and not in locations that will not cause serious problems. One reason for this is that the piping outside the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is very long. For example, if a wireless leak sensor is placed under a certain location on a pipe, it may be discovered later that there is a leak at that location, but that there is no problem.On the other hand, if the leak sensor is left ON, the sensor may react too sensitively to a leak that does not pose a serious problem. Thus, unlike leakage from inside semiconductor manufacturing equipment, when it comes to leakage from piping outside the equipment, it is possible that a situation may arise where the device is installed but then turned off (disabled).

[0019] Which liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 are valid and which liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 are invalid may be displayed on a user interface 400 connected to the device control unit 300, for example, on a display. In addition to displaying whether the sensor is valid or invalid, the user interface 400 connected to the device control unit 300 has the basic function of displaying the sensed status (presence or absence of leakage, normal / abnormal, etc.) for each of the managed leakage sensor slave units 100. Furthermore, if necessary, the device control unit 300 may be programmed to stop the semiconductor device 1000 when, for example, any of the liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 (100-X-1 to 100-Xm) installed inside the semiconductor device 1000 senses a state in which there is a liquid leak. Alternatively, the device control unit 300 may be programmed to only issue an alarm without stopping the semiconductor device 1000 when, for example, any of the liquid leakage sensor slave units 100 (100-Y-1 to 100-Yn) installed outside the semiconductor device 1000 senses a state in which there is a liquid leak.

[0020] One aspect of the liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technology comprises a liquid leakage sensor master unit 200, a first liquid leakage sensor slave unit capable of wireless communication with the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 and intended to be installed inside the semiconductor device 1000, and a second liquid leakage sensor slave unit capable of wireless communication with the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 and intended to be installed outside the semiconductor device 1000, wherein the second liquid leakage sensor slave unit is installed in a liquid supply / waste piping P connecting the outside of the semiconductor device 1000 with the inside of the semiconductor device 1000, and the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 can be set to enable or disable the second liquid leakage sensor slave unit via a user interface 400. The first liquid leakage sensor slave unit intended to be installed inside the semiconductor device 1000 is the aforementioned liquid leakage sensor slave unit 100 (100-X-1 to 100-Xm). The second liquid leakage sensor slave unit intended to be installed outside the semiconductor device 1000 is the aforementioned liquid leakage sensor slave unit 100 (100-Y-1 to 100-Yn, 100-Z-1). With this configuration, the liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technology has the advantage of providing a high degree of freedom in terms of the locations and number of liquid leakage sensors to be attached.

[0021] Another aspect of the liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technology is that the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 stores information regarding the location where the first liquid leakage sensor slave unit is installed, and if the location where the first liquid leakage sensor slave unit is installed is inside the semiconductor device 1000, it cannot be set to be disabled. With this configuration, the liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technique has the effect of preventing the first liquid leakage sensor slave unit installed inside the semiconductor manufacturing equipment from being turned off by mistake.

[0022] Another aspect of the liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technique is that the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 is connected to the semiconductor device 1000 so as to be able to send and receive electrical signals to and from the semiconductor device 1000. Furthermore, the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 may be supplied with electricity from a power source common to the semiconductor device 1000. With this configuration, the liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technology can prevent a situation in which the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is operating but the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 is electrically down and unable to detect a liquid leakage. When the semiconductor manufacturing equipment goes down electrically, the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 also goes down electrically. However, in this case, since the semiconductor manufacturing equipment is not operating, there is no problem with the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 going down.

[0023] Another aspect of the liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technology comprises a liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 and a liquid leakage sensor slave unit 100 capable of wireless communication with the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200, wherein the liquid leakage sensor master unit 200 stores information relating to the location where the liquid leakage sensor slave unit 100 is installed, and when the location where the liquid leakage sensor slave unit 100 is installed is inside the semiconductor device 1000, it cannot be set to be disabled, and when the location where the liquid leakage sensor slave unit 100 is installed is outside the semiconductor device 1000, it can be set to be enabled or disabled. With this configuration, the liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technology also has the advantage of providing a high degree of freedom in terms of the locations and number of liquid leakage sensors to be attached. [Industrial Applicability]

[0024] The liquid leakage sensor system according to the disclosed technique can be applied to the technical field of detecting leakage of chemical liquids in semiconductor manufacturing equipment including semiconductor cleaning equipment, for example, and has industrial applicability. [Explanation of symbols]

[0025] 100 liquid leakage sensor slave unit, 110 bracket unit, 120 main body unit, 200 liquid leakage sensor master unit, 300 device control unit, 400 user interface, 1000 semiconductor device.

Claims

1. A liquid leak sensor master unit, a first liquid leakage sensor slave capable of wirelessly communicating with the liquid leakage sensor master and intended to be installed inside a semiconductor device; a second liquid leakage sensor slave capable of wirelessly communicating with the liquid leakage sensor master and intended to be installed outside the semiconductor device; the second liquid leakage sensor slave is installed on a liquid supply / waste pipe connecting the outside of the semiconductor device with the inside of the semiconductor device, The liquid leakage sensor master unit can be set to enable or disable the second liquid leakage sensor slave unit via a user interface. Leak sensor system.

2. the liquid leakage sensor master stores information about a location where the first liquid leakage sensor slave is installed; If the location where the first liquid leakage sensor slave is installed is inside the semiconductor device, it cannot be set to be disabled. The liquid leakage sensor system according to claim 1 .

3. the liquid leakage sensor master unit is connected to the semiconductor device so as to be able to send and receive electrical signals; The liquid leakage sensor system according to claim 1 .

4. A liquid leak sensor master unit, a liquid leakage sensor slave unit capable of wireless communication with the liquid leakage sensor master unit, The liquid leakage sensor master stores information about the location where the liquid leakage sensor slave is installed, If the location where the liquid leakage sensor slave unit is installed is inside a semiconductor device, it cannot be set to be disabled, When the location where the liquid leakage sensor slave unit is installed is outside the semiconductor device, the liquid leakage sensor slave unit can be set to be enabled or disabled. Leak sensor system.

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