Temperature control device

Abstract

To provide a temperature control device that contributes to preventing global warming while achieving energy and cost savings. [Solution] The system comprises a heat exchanger 2, a water supply circuit 3 that supplies water produced in the semiconductor factory to the heat exchanger, and a control fluid circulation circuit 10 that circulates control fluid between various processes M in semiconductor manufacturing and the heat exchanger. The control fluid circulation circuit comprises a control fluid supply section that supplies control fluid to various processes, a control fluid circulation section that returns the control fluid used in the various processes to the heat exchanger, and a control fluid bypass section that connects the control fluid supply section and the control fluid circulation section. A pump 13 is placed in the middle of the control fluid supply section, a bypass valve 11 is placed in the middle of the control fluid bypass section, and a circulation valve 12 is placed in the middle of the control fluid circulation section. The amount of control fluid flowing to the heat exchanger is adjusted by adjusting the opening of the bypass valve and the circulation valve.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a temperature control device used for controlling the temperature of various processes in the manufacture of semiconductors and the like. More specifically, in temperature control for controlling the temperature of various processes to be temperature-controlled by supplying and circulating a circulating liquid controlled to a predetermined temperature to the various processes, the present invention relates to a temperature control device that contributes to preventing global warming and enables energy saving and cost reduction.

Background Art

[0002] As is well known, in the manufacture of semiconductors and the like, it is necessary to perform temperature control in each process in order to realize film formation with a stable yield and etching with a stable yield.

[0003] Therefore, conventionally, a temperature control device called a chiller has been used for each process. That is, a chiller circulates a circulating liquid between the chiller and various processes to be temperature-controlled, and controls the temperature of the circulating liquid supplied to each process to a predetermined temperature ("set temperature"), thereby performing temperature control of various processes in semiconductor manufacturing.

[0004] Here, the configuration of a general chiller will be described with reference to FIG. 2. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a schematic circuit configuration of a conventionally used chiller. In the figure, 51 is a chiller.

[0005] Generally, a chiller 51 used to control the temperature of various processes in semiconductor manufacturing has a control fluid circulation circuit 53a and 53b for supplying a control fluid controlled to a set temperature to the various processes to be temperature controlled, and for circulating the supplied control fluid, and a refrigerator 52 for controlling the temperature of the control fluid supplied to the various processes to be temperature controlled by the control fluid circulation circuits 53a and 53b to the set temperature. In the figure, 53a is the supply-side control fluid circulation circuit for supplying a control fluid controlled to a set temperature to the various processes to be temperature controlled, and 53b is the circulation-side control fluid circulation circuit for circulating the circulating fluid from the various processes.

[0006] Next, the dotted line 52 in the figure represents a refrigerator, and as is well known, this refrigerator 52 has a refrigeration cycle, which includes a refrigerant circulation circuit 61 for circulating a refrigerant such as Freon gas, and a compressor 55, a condenser 56, an expansion valve 57, and an evaporator 58 are arranged along this refrigerant circulation circuit 61.

[0007] Then, the refrigerant circulation circuit 61 circulates the refrigerant between the compressor 55, condenser 56, expansion valve 57, and evaporator 58. In the evaporator 58, the temperature of the control liquid is controlled to the set temperature by exchanging heat between the control liquid that has returned via the aforementioned circulating control liquid circulation circuit 53b and the refrigerant that has circulated through the refrigerant circulation circuit 61.

[0008] In other words, in the refrigerator 52, the compressor 55 compresses the refrigerant vaporized in the evaporator 58 to a high pressure, the refrigerant that has been made high-pressure by the compressor 55 is condensed in the condenser 56 by heat exchange, the refrigerant liquefied in the condenser 56 is made low-pressure in the expansion valve 57, and then the refrigerant is vaporized in the evaporator 58, thereby removing heat from the circulating liquid that has returned to the evaporator 58 via the circulating side control liquid circulation circuit 53b and lowering the temperature of the circulating liquid.

[0009] Furthermore, in conventional chillers 51, a heater 63 is placed in the supply-side control fluid circulation circuit 53a to raise the temperature of the control fluid cooled in the evaporator 58 to the set temperature. In other words, in conventional refrigerators, because fine temperature control is not possible, the control fluid is cooled to a temperature lower than the set temperature, and then heated by the heater 63 to bring the temperature of the control fluid to the set temperature.

[0010] In the diagram, 67 is a driving means for circulating the control fluid within the control fluid circulation circuits 53a and 53b, and is a pump when chilled water is used as the control fluid.

[0011] In the figure, 54 is a cooling water circulation circuit for supplying cooling water to lower the temperature of the refrigerant in the condenser 56 and condense it; 59 is an accumulator; 65 is a control means such as a microcomputer for controlling the operation of the entire device; and 64 is a temperature sensor placed before and after the heater 63. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0012] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-084972 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2002-023862 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 07-151441 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0013] In conventional chillers 51, the control fluid that returns to the refrigerator 52 via the control fluid circulation circuits 53a and 53b is cooled in the refrigerator 52 to a temperature lower than the temperature at which it was circulated by the refrigeration cycle. However, conventional refrigerators have used fluorocarbon gases as refrigerants, which has raised concerns about potential adverse effects on the global environment, such as global warming.

[0014] Furthermore, in conventional refrigeration systems, it was necessary to place compressors, condensers, expansion valves, etc., along the refrigerant circulation circuit to constitute the refrigeration cycle, which resulted in a large number of parts and higher costs.

[0015] Furthermore, as mentioned above, conventional refrigerators employ a system in which the control fluid that returns to the refrigerator 52 via the control fluid circulation circuit 53b is first cooled to a temperature lower than the set temperature in the refrigerator 52, and then heated to the set temperature by the heater 63. This leads to increased energy consumption and consequently higher costs.

[0016] Therefore, the objective of the present invention is to provide a temperature control device that contributes to preventing global warming while also achieving energy savings and cost reductions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0017] Modern semiconductor manufacturing plants are equipped with low-temperature water production facilities to produce and maintain low-temperature water (approximately 15°C), thus ensuring that water maintained at a low temperature (approximately 15°C) is available for use in the factory. The inventor focused on the existence of this low-temperature water and invented this temperature control device.

[0018] In other words, the temperature control device of the present invention is a temperature control device that controls the temperature of various processes in semiconductor manufacturing by supplying a control liquid controlled to a set temperature to the various processes, Heat exchanger, A water supply circuit that supplies water produced by a low-temperature water production facility installed in a semiconductor manufacturing plant to the heat exchanger, The system comprises a control fluid circulation circuit for circulating control fluid between various processes in semiconductor manufacturing and the heat exchanger, In the heat exchanger, the temperature control device controls the temperature of the control liquid to a set temperature by exchanging heat between the equipment water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment via the equipment water supply circuit and the control liquid circulated to the heat exchanger via the control liquid circulation circuit, supplies the control liquid at the set temperature to various processes, and thereafter repeats the cycle of controlling the temperature of the control liquid and supplying the temperature-controlled control liquid to various processes. The control fluid circulation circuit is, It comprises a control fluid supply unit that supplies a control fluid controlled to a set temperature to various processes in semiconductor manufacturing, a control fluid circulation unit that returns the control fluid used in the various processes to the heat exchanger, and a control fluid bypass unit that connects the control fluid supply unit and the control fluid circulation unit, A pump is positioned in the control fluid supply section on the side opposite the heat exchanger from the connection point with the control fluid bypass section, a control fluid bypass valve is positioned in the middle of the control fluid bypass section, and a control fluid circulation valve is positioned in the control fluid circulation section between the connection point with the control fluid bypass section and the heat exchanger. The system is characterized by adjusting the amount of control fluid flowing to the heat exchanger by adjusting the opening of a control fluid bypass valve and a control fluid circulation valve, thereby adjusting the temperature of the control fluid flowing to the pump through the control fluid supply section, and heating the control fluid that has flowed to the pump to a set temperature using the pump's waste heat before supplying it to various processes. [Effects of the Invention]

[0019] The temperature control device of the present invention controls the temperature of the control liquid supplied to various processes in semiconductor manufacturing to a set temperature without using a chiller as in the conventional method. Instead, it uses equipment water produced in a low-temperature water production facility that produces and maintains equipment water at approximately 15°C in a semiconductor factory, and heat exchanges this equipment water with the control liquid to bring the temperature of the control liquid to a predetermined temperature. Therefore, unlike when a chiller is used, there is no need to use refrigerants such as CFCs, which are thought to have adverse effects on the global environment, thus contributing to the prevention of global warming.

[0020] Moreover, since a chiller is not used, there is no need to arrange a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, etc., the number of parts can be reduced, and the cost can be suppressed.

[0021] Furthermore, as a method of heating the control liquid cooled below the set temperature by heat exchange to the set temperature, without using a conventional heater, by driving a pump for sending the control liquid to various processes, the heat of the motor that generates heat is used. Therefore, unlike the case of using a heater, the cost can be suppressed, and electricity for driving the heater is not required, achieving energy saving.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0022] [Figure 1] It is a block diagram for explaining the configuration of an embodiment of the temperature control device of the present invention. [Figure 2] It is a block diagram for explaining a conventional chiller.

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0023] In the temperature control device of the present invention, temperature control of various processes is performed by supplying a control liquid controlled to a set temperature to various processes in the manufacture of semiconductors, etc., and it has a heat exchanger that sets the temperature of the control liquid to the set temperature by heat exchange.

[0024] Moreover, in the temperature control device of the present invention, it is installed in a semiconductor manufacturing factory and is connected to a low-temperature water production facility that produces low-temperature water ( "equipment water") at about 15°C, and has an equipment water supply circuit that supplies the equipment water to the heat exchanger.

[0025] Furthermore, the temperature control device of the present invention is equipped with a control fluid circulation circuit for circulating the control fluid between various processes in semiconductor manufacturing and the heat exchanger. In the heat exchanger, the equipment water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment via the equipment water supply circuit and the control fluid circulated to the heat exchanger via the control fluid circulation circuit are subjected to heat exchange, thereby setting the temperature of the control fluid to the set temperature. The control fluid at the set temperature is then supplied to the various processes, and the cycle of temperature control of the control fluid and supplying the temperature-controlled control fluid to the various processes is repeated thereafter.

[0026] Furthermore, the control fluid circulation circuit comprises a control fluid supply unit that supplies control fluid controlled to a set temperature to various processes in semiconductor manufacturing, a control fluid circulation unit that returns the control fluid used in the various processes to the heat exchanger, and a control fluid bypass unit that connects the control fluid supply unit and the control fluid circulation unit.

[0027] Furthermore, a pump is positioned on the side of the heat exchanger that connects to the control fluid bypass section in the control fluid supply section, and this pump is inverter controlled.

[0028] Furthermore, a control fluid bypass valve is placed in the middle of the control fluid bypass section, and a control fluid circulation valve is also placed in the middle of the control fluid circulation section between the connection point with the control fluid bypass section and the heat exchanger.

[0029] Then, by adjusting the opening of the control fluid bypass valve and the control fluid circulation valve, the amount of control fluid flowing to the heat exchanger is adjusted, thereby adjusting the temperature of the control fluid flowing to the pump side through the control fluid supply section. Furthermore, the control fluid that has flowed to the pump is heated to a set temperature by the exhaust heat of the pump, and then the control fluid heated to the set temperature is supplied to the various processes.

[0030] Here, the current temperature of the control fluid returning from various processes is measured, and based on this measured temperature of the control fluid, the drive of the pump, the opening of the control fluid bypass valve, and the opening of the control fluid circulation valve are controlled, thereby controlling the temperature of the control fluid supplied to the various processes to the set temperature. This makes it possible to control the temperature of the control fluid supplied to the various processes with high precision.

[0031] Furthermore, the equipment water supply circuit comprises an equipment water supply section for supplying equipment water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment to the heat exchanger, and an equipment water bypass section for returning the equipment water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment back to the low-temperature water production equipment without supplying it to the heat exchanger. A valve for the equipment water bypass is placed in the middle of the equipment water bypass section, and a valve for the equipment water supply is placed in the middle of the connection point between the equipment water supply section and the equipment water bypass section and the heat exchanger. This makes it possible to adjust the amount of equipment water supplied to the heat exchanger and to control the temperature of the control fluid with greater precision.

[0032] At this time, the current temperature of the control fluid returning from the various processes and the temperature of the equipment water coming out of the heat exchanger are measured, and based on these measured temperatures of the control fluid and equipment water, the drive of the pump, the opening of the control fluid bypass valve, the opening of the control fluid circulation valve, the opening of the equipment water bypass valve, and the opening of the equipment water supply valve are controlled, thereby controlling the temperature of the control fluid supplied to the various processes to the set temperature. This makes it possible to control the temperature of the control fluid supplied to the various processes with high precision. [Examples]

[0033] An embodiment of the temperature control device of the present invention will be described below. The temperature control device of this embodiment is a device that controls the temperature of a control liquid supplied to various processes in the manufacturing of semiconductors and the like, and controls the temperature of these processes to a set temperature.

[0034] Furthermore, the temperature control of the control fluid is performed in a heat exchanger, where the control fluid is heat-exchanged with equipment water produced in a low-temperature water production facility that produces and maintains low-temperature water (hereinafter referred to as "equipment water") at approximately 15°C in a semiconductor factory. Accordingly, the temperature control device in this embodiment is intended for cases where the set temperature of the control fluid is 15°C or higher, which is the temperature of the equipment water. For this reason, temperature control for various processes that require a control fluid with a target set temperature lower than 15°C is excluded from this application.

[0035] An embodiment of the temperature control device of the present invention will be described using Figure 1. Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating the configuration of the temperature control device of this embodiment. In the figure, M represents the various processes in semiconductor manufacturing that are the target of temperature control, and the part indicated by 1 in the figure is the part of the temperature control device of this embodiment. Also, in the figure, 4 is a low-temperature water production facility installed in a semiconductor manufacturing plant, and this low-temperature water production facility produces and maintains facility water at approximately 15°C.

[0036] Furthermore, the temperature control device in this embodiment has a heat exchanger for bringing the temperature of the control fluid to the set temperature through heat exchange. Specifically, in the figure, 2 is the heat exchanger, and a water supply circuit is connected to the heat exchanger 2 for supplying water at approximately 15°C to the heat exchanger 2.

[0037] In the diagram, 3 is the equipment water supply circuit, which is connected to the low-temperature water production equipment 4 installed in the semiconductor manufacturing plant and supplies the equipment water, which is produced at a low temperature of approximately 15°C in the low-temperature water production equipment 4, to the heat exchanger 2.

[0038] As mentioned above, modern semiconductor manufacturing plants are equipped with low-temperature water production facilities that produce and maintain low-temperature (approximately 15°C) water, thus providing facility water maintained at a low temperature (approximately 15°C). The inventors of this invention plan to use this facility water for heat exchange.

[0039] The water supply circuit 3 is described below. In this embodiment, the water supply circuit 3 has a water supply unit 3a for supplying water produced and maintained in the low-temperature water production equipment 4 to the heat exchanger 2, and a water circulation unit 3b for returning the water whose temperature has risen due to heat exchange in the heat exchanger 2 back to the low-temperature water production equipment 4. The tip of the water supply unit 3a and the base of the water circulation unit 3b are connected to the heat exchanger 2. In the figure, 16b is a pressure sensor, 7 is a constant flow valve, 8 is a temperature control valve, and 17b is a flow meter. In this embodiment, these sensors 16b, constant flow valve 7, temperature control valve 8, and flow meter 17b are located along the water supply unit 3a. Also, in the figure, 18 is a temperature measuring device for measuring the temperature of the water coming out of the heat exchanger 2. However, the constant flow valve 7 and temperature control valve 8 are not necessarily required and may not be provided.

[0040] Furthermore, this embodiment includes a water bypass section 3c, the base end of which is connected to the water supply section 3a and the tip end of which is connected to the water circulation section 3b, and is used when the water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment 4 is returned to the low-temperature water production equipment 4 without being supplied to the heat exchanger 2.

[0041] Specifically, a water bypass valve 5 is located in the middle of the water bypass section 3c, and a water supply valve 6 is located in the water supply section 3a between the connection point with the water bypass section 3c and the heat exchanger. By adjusting the opening of the water bypass valve 5 and the water supply valve 6, the water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment 4 is split into the water supply section 3a and the water bypass section 3c, and the amount of water supplied to the heat exchanger 2 is adjusted. It is also possible to return the entire amount of water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment 4 to the low-temperature water production equipment 4 without supplying it to the heat exchanger 2.

[0042] Next, in the figure, 10 is a control fluid circulation circuit for circulating control fluid between the various processes M in semiconductor manufacturing and the heat exchanger 2. This control fluid circulation circuit 10 supplies control fluid controlled to a set temperature to the various processes M, thereby controlling the temperature of the various processes.

[0043] The control fluid circulation circuit 10 is described below. The control fluid circulation circuit 10 has a control fluid supply unit 10a that connects the heat exchanger 2 and various processes M. The base end of the control fluid supply unit 10a is connected to the heat exchanger 2 and the tip end is connected to the various processes M, and it is used to supply control fluid controlled to a set temperature to the various processes M.

[0044] Furthermore, the control fluid circulation circuit 10 has a control fluid circulation section 10b that connects the heat exchanger 2 and various processes M, and this control fluid circulation section 10b is used to return the control fluid, which has been used in the various processes M and whose temperature has risen, back to the heat exchanger 2.

[0045] Furthermore, the control fluid circulation circuit 10 includes a control fluid bypass section 10c that connects the control fluid supply section 10a and the control fluid circulation section 10b. This control fluid bypass section 10c is used to supply the control fluid returning from the various processes M to the control fluid supply section 10a without returning it to the heat exchanger 2. In other words, depending on the temperature of the control fluid returning from the various processes M, it may not be necessary to return the entire amount of the returned control fluid to the heat exchanger 2, and if the entire amount were returned to the heat exchanger 2, the temperature may be lower than the set temperature. Therefore, in this embodiment, considering the case where the temperature of the control fluid returning from the various processes M is lower than the set temperature, a control fluid bypass section 10c is provided to supply part or all of the control fluid returning from the various processes M to the control fluid supply section 10a without returning it to the heat exchanger 2.

[0046] In this embodiment, a control fluid bypass valve 11 is placed in the middle of the control fluid bypass section 10c, and a control fluid circulation valve 12 is placed in the middle of the control fluid circulation section 10b between the connection point with the control fluid bypass section 10c and the heat exchanger 2. By adjusting the opening of the control fluid bypass valve 11 and the control fluid circulation valve 12, the amount of control fluid flowing to the heat exchanger 2 is adjusted, thereby adjusting the temperature of the control fluid supplied to the various processes M through the control fluid supply section 10a.

[0047] Next, in the figure, 13 is a pump for circulating the control fluid within the control fluid circulation circuit 10. In this embodiment, the pump 13 is located in the control fluid supply unit 10a on the side opposite the heat exchanger from the connection point with the control fluid bypass unit 10c, that is, on the way between the connection point with the control fluid bypass unit 10c and the various processes M in the control fluid supply unit 10a. As a result, the temperature of the control fluid flowing through the control fluid supply unit 10a is heated by the waste heat of the pump 13.

[0048] In other words, driving the pump requires driving a motor, and driving a motor naturally generates heat. Therefore, in this embodiment, the pump 13 for circulating the control fluid is placed in the middle of the control fluid supply unit 10a, and the heat generated when driving the pump 13 is used to add the waste heat from the pump 13 to the control fluid that has flowed through the control fluid supply unit 10a, thereby raising the temperature of the control fluid that has flowed through the control fluid supply unit 10a. For example, if the set temperature of the control fluid supplied to various processes M is set to 20°C, and the temperature of the equipment water is 15°C, the temperature of the control fluid coming out of the heat exchanger 2 will be 15°C, which is about 5°C lower than the set temperature. In such cases, the waste heat from the pump 13 is used to raise the temperature of the control fluid. Thus, unlike conventional chillers, this embodiment can raise the temperature of the control fluid that has been cooled by the heat exchanger without using a heater to heat the control fluid, making it possible to achieve energy savings and cost savings.

[0049] Therefore, in this embodiment, the amount of control fluid flowing to the heat exchanger 2 is adjusted by adjusting the opening of the control fluid bypass valve 11 and the control fluid circulation valve 12, thereby adjusting the temperature of the control fluid flowing to the pump 13 side through the control fluid supply unit 10a. At the same time, the control fluid that has flowed to the pump 13 side is heated to the set temperature by the waste heat of the pump 13, and as a result, the control fluid at the set temperature is supplied to various processes, making it possible to control the temperature of various processes with greater precision.

[0050] Here, 14 in the figure is an inverter device. In this embodiment, an inverter device is connected to the pump 13, and the operation of the pump is inverter-controlled by the inverter device 14. By adjusting the operating frequency of the pump, the power consumption of the pump is adjusted, which in turn adjusts the amount of heat discharged from the pump that is input to the control fluid, thereby controlling the temperature of the control fluid. Specifically, when it is desired to raise the temperature of the control fluid, the power consumption is increased by raising the operating frequency of the pump, which increases the amount of heat input to the control fluid passing through the pump 13, thereby raising the temperature of the control fluid supplied to the various processes M. On the other hand, when it is desired to suppress the rise in the temperature of the control fluid, the power consumption is reduced by lowering the operating frequency of the pump, which reduces the amount of heat input to the control fluid, thereby suppressing the rise in the temperature of the control fluid supplied to the various processes M.

[0051] In the figure, 15 is a tank for storing the control fluid, 16a is a sensor for measuring the pressure of the control fluid supplied to various processes M, 17a is a flow meter for measuring the flow rate of the control fluid supplied to various processes M, and 18 in the figure is a temperature measuring means for measuring the temperature of the equipment water coming out of the heat exchanger 2.

[0052] Next, in the figure, 19a and 19b are temperature controllers. That is, in this embodiment, temperature controllers 19a and 19b are provided, and the drive of the pump 13, the opening degree of the control fluid bypass valve 11, the opening degree of the control fluid circulation valve 12, the opening degree of the equipment water bypass valve 5, and the opening degree of the equipment water supply valve 6 are adjusted by the control of these temperature controllers 19a and 19b.

[0053] Specifically, the temperature controllers 19a and 19b measure the current temperature of the control fluid used in various processes M and circulated to the control fluid circulation section 10b. The temperature controller 19a then compares the measured control fluid temperature with the set temperature, controls the drive of the pump 13 via the inverter device 14, and further controls the opening of the control fluid bypass valve 11 and the control fluid circulation valve 12, thereby controlling the temperature of the control fluid supplied to the various processes to the set temperature.

[0054] Furthermore, the temperature controller 19b compares the measured temperature of the control fluid with the temperature of the equipment water coming out of the heat exchanger 2, as measured by the temperature measuring device 18. Based on the comparison result, it adjusts the opening of the equipment water bypass valve 5 and the equipment water supply valve 6 to adjust the amount of equipment water supplied to the heat exchanger 2, thereby adjusting the cooling temperature of the control fluid in the heat exchanger 2.

[0055] In this embodiment, when controlling the temperature of the control fluid supplied to various processes M, the temperature controller 19a and 19b measure the current temperature of the control fluid, compare the measurement result with a preset set temperature of the control fluid, and control the drive of the pump 13 via the inverter device 14 so that the control fluid supplied to the various processes M reaches the set temperature. The opening of the control fluid bypass valve 11, the control fluid circulation valve 12, the equipment water bypass valve 5, and the equipment water supply valve 6 are also adjusted. In this way, the temperature of the control fluid supplied to the various processes M is controlled to the set temperature.

[0056] For example, if the control fluid circulated from various processes M is at a higher temperature than the set temperature and needs to be cooled to the set temperature before being supplied to the various processes M, the control fluid bypass valve 11 is closed and the control fluid circulation valve 12 is opened, and the heat exchanger 2 removes more heat from the control fluid than the amount of heat input by the pump 13, thereby controlling the control fluid to the set temperature before supplying it to the various processes M.

[0057] On the other hand, if the control fluid circulated from the various processes M is below the set temperature and needs to be heated before being supplied to the various processes M, the control fluid bypass valve 11 is opened, the control fluid circulation valve 12 is closed, and the operating frequency of the pump 13 is increased by the control of the inverter device 14 to increase power consumption, thereby increasing the amount of heat input to the control fluid, and thereby controlling the control fluid to the set temperature before supplying it to the various processes M.

[0058] In addition, by appropriately adjusting the opening of the equipment water bypass valve 5 and the equipment water supply valve 6, the equipment water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment 4 is branched to the equipment water supply section 3a and the equipment water bypass section 3c, and the amount of equipment water supplied to the heat exchanger 2 is adjusted, thereby adjusting the amount of heat exchange between the control fluid and the equipment water in the heat exchanger 2. This makes it possible to control the temperature of the control fluid with even greater precision.

[0059] Thus, in this embodiment, when controlling the control liquid supplied to various processes in semiconductor manufacturing to a set temperature, instead of using a chiller as in the conventional method, the temperature of the control liquid is brought to a predetermined temperature by exchanging heat between the equipment water produced in a low-temperature water production facility that produces and maintains equipment water at approximately 15°C in the semiconductor factory and the control liquid, thereby eliminating the need to use refrigerants such as CFCs, which are thought to have adverse effects on the global environment, as opposed to the use of chillers.

[0060] Furthermore, since a chiller is not used, there is no need to install a compressor, condenser, expansion valve, etc., which reduces the number of parts and lowers costs.

[0061] Furthermore, as a method for heating the control fluid below the set temperature to the set temperature, instead of using conventional heaters, this method utilizes the heat generated by the motor that drives the pumps that deliver the control fluid to various processes. Unlike methods using heaters, this reduces costs and eliminates the need for electricity to drive the heater, thus achieving energy savings.

[0062] In the above explanation, we described a case where the equipment water supply circuit 3 for supplying equipment water to the heat exchanger 2 is equipped with an equipment water bypass section 3c. However, the equipment water bypass circuit 3c is not necessarily required, and the entire amount of equipment water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment can be supplied to the heat exchanger 2 without the equipment water bypass section 3c. In that case, the temperature controller 19b, the equipment water bypass valve 5, and the equipment water supply valve 6 become unnecessary, and furthermore, the constant flow valve 7 and the temperature control valve 8 become unnecessary. [Industrial applicability]

[0063] The temperature control device of the present invention is applicable to a wide range of temperature control devices that control the temperature of various processes by circulating a control fluid between each process and a heat exchanger in the manufacturing of semiconductors and the like. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0064] 1. Temperature control device 2 Heat exchanger 3 Equipment water supply circuit 3a Equipment water supply section 3b Equipment water circulation section 3c Equipment water bypass section 4 Low temperature water production equipment 5. Valve for bypassing the water supply in the facility 6. Valves for supplying water to facilities 7. Constant flow valve 8. Temperature control valve 10 Control fluid circulation circuit 10a Control fluid supply unit 10b Control fluid circulation section 10c Control fluid bypass section 11. Control fluid bypass valve 12 Control fluid circulation valve 13 pumps 14. Inverter device 15 tanks 16a, 16b sensors 17a, 17b flowmeter 18 Temperature measuring device 19a, 19b Temperature controller

Claims

1. A temperature control device that controls the temperature of various processes in semiconductor manufacturing by supplying a control liquid controlled to a set temperature to the various processes, Heat exchanger (2), A water supply circuit (3) supplies water produced by a low-temperature water production facility (4) installed in a semiconductor manufacturing plant to the heat exchanger (2), The semiconductor manufacturing process includes a control fluid circulation circuit (10) for circulating a control fluid between various processes (M) and the heat exchanger (2), In the heat exchanger (2), the temperature control device exchanges heat between the equipment water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment (4) via the equipment water supply circuit (3) and the control liquid circulated to the heat exchanger (2) via the control liquid circulation circuit (10) to set the temperature of the control liquid to a set temperature, supplies the control liquid at the set temperature to various processes, and thereafter repeats the cycle of temperature control of the control liquid and supply of the temperature-controlled control liquid to various processes. The control fluid circulation circuit (10) is The system comprises a control fluid supply unit (10a) that supplies a control fluid controlled to a set temperature to various processes (M) in semiconductor manufacturing, a control fluid circulation unit (10b) that returns the control fluid used in the various processes (M) to the heat exchanger (2), and a control fluid bypass unit (10c) that connects the control fluid supply unit (10a) and the control fluid circulation unit (10b), A pump (13) is positioned in the control fluid supply section (10a) on the side opposite the heat exchange section from the connection point with the control fluid bypass section (10c), a control fluid bypass valve (11) is positioned in the control fluid bypass section (10c), and a control fluid circulation valve (12) is positioned in the control fluid circulation section (10b) on the side between the connection point with the control fluid bypass section (10c) and the heat exchanger (2). A temperature control device characterized by adjusting the amount of control fluid flowing to the heat exchanger (2) by adjusting the opening of the control fluid bypass valve (11) and the control fluid circulation valve (12), thereby adjusting the temperature of the control fluid flowing to the pump (13), and heating the control fluid that has flowed to the pump (13) to a set temperature using the waste heat from the pump (13) before supplying it to various processes.

2. The temperature control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the pump (13) is controlled by an inverter.

3. The temperature control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that it measures the current temperature of the control fluid and controls the operation of the pump (13) and the opening of the control fluid bypass valve (11) and the control fluid circulation valve (12) based on the measured temperature of the control fluid.

4. The aforementioned equipment water supply circuit (3) is The system comprises a water supply unit (3a) for supplying water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment (4) to the heat exchanger (2), and a water bypass unit (3c) for returning the water supplied from the low-temperature water production equipment (4) to the low-temperature water production equipment (4) without supplying it to the heat exchanger (2), A water bypass valve (5) is placed in the middle of the water bypass section (3c), and a water supply valve (6) is placed in the middle of the connection point between the water bypass section (3c) and the heat exchanger (2) in the water supply section (3a). A temperature control device according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the amount of equipment water supplied to the heat exchanger (2) is controlled by adjusting the opening degree of the equipment water bypass valve (5) and the opening degree of the equipment water supply valve (6).

5. The temperature control device according to claim 4, characterized in that it measures the current temperature of the control fluid and controls the operation of the pump (13) and the opening of the control fluid bypass valve (11), the control fluid circulation valve (12), the equipment water bypass valve (5), and the equipment water supply valve (6) based on the measured temperature of the control fluid.

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