Chemical Solution Generator

Abstract

To provide a chemical production apparatus which achieves simplification of a structure, reduction in cost, and facilitation of assembly.SOLUTION: A chemical production apparatus includes: a dilution tank 13; a raw chemical supply pipe 17; a dilution liquid supply pipe 19; a pipe 18 for measurement; an opening / closing valve V15; a detection sensor LS5 for detecting a liquid surface in which raw chemical supplied from the raw chemical supply pipe 17 rises in the pipe 18 for measurement by closing the opening / closing valve 15, and measuring an amount of the raw chemical accumulated in the pipe 18 for measurement as a reference raw chemical amount; and control means 50 which stops supply of raw chemical Q1 when the liquid surface of the raw chemical Q1 rising in the pipe 18 for measurement is detected by a detection sensor LS5 and opens the opening / closing valve V15, thereby stores the reference raw chemical amount of the raw chemical Q1 in the dilution tank 13, and supplies dilution liquid from the dilution liquid supply pipe 19 to the dilution tank 13, and thereby producing a chemical obtained by diluting the raw chemical Q1. The raw chemical supply pipe 17 and the pipe 18 for measurement are composed of a resin tube having flexibility.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a chemical liquid generating device that generates a chemical liquid by diluting a stock solution (base chemical liquid) with a diluting liquid such as pure water to a predetermined concentration. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, in the semiconductor manufacturing process, a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer on which various patterns are formed is polished by a CMP device to flatten the polished surface. After the substrate is polished, a chemical solution diluted to a predetermined concentration is supplied from a chemical solution generator to clean the surface of the substrate, and to peel off or remove adhering metal or excess patterns. In such a chemical solution generator, a raw chemical solution such as an NH4OH solution, an H2O2 solution, or an HF solution is diluted to a predetermined concentration with a diluent such as pure water to generate a chemical solution, and the generated chemical solution is supplied to each CMP device by a pump.

[0003] Among conventional drug solution generating devices, there is one, such as the drug solution supplying device shown in Patent Document 1, which is configured to include a buffer tank (11) for temporarily storing a drug substance, a measuring tank (12) for measuring the drug substance supplied from the buffer tank (11), and a dilution tank (13) for mixing and diluting the drug substance measured in the measuring tank (12) with a diluting liquid such as pure water.

[0004] Furthermore, an automatic chemical dilution device described in Patent Document 2 is also known as a chemical production device having a similar tank arrangement.

[0005] In the above-mentioned drug solution generating device, when the amount of drug substance liquid is considerably small compared to the amount of diluent liquid, for example, when the amount of diluent liquid is 100 to 90 to 1 part of drug substance liquid (ratio 1:100 to 1:90), it is necessary to measure a small amount of drug substance liquid with high accuracy in a measuring tank used in the drug solution generating device. For this reason, in the cited document 1, the shape of the measuring tank (12) is a vertically long cylindrical body, so that a small amount of drug substance liquid can be measured with high accuracy. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-69420 A [Patent Document 2] Jpn. Jpn. Published No. 45-8768 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0007] However, in the above-mentioned conventional drug solution generating device, it is necessary to install a small and specially shaped measuring tank capable of measuring a small amount of drug substance, which may increase the cost of parts and complicate the installation work. In addition, in the case of a configuration in which multiple types of drug substance are measured in separate measuring tanks and introduced into one dilution tank, multiple measuring tanks are required, which increases the cost and requires a larger installation space in the device, which may affect the miniaturization of the device.

[0008] In addition, for example, if the capacity of the metering tank is determined in preparation for dilution at a ratio of 1 part active pharmaceutical ingredient to 100 parts diluent, and dilution is performed at a ratio of 100 parts diluent to n active pharmaceutical ingredients (n: an integer of 2 or more), the amount of active pharmaceutical ingredient must be measured n times in the metering tank and introduced into the dilution tank. This means that the time required to measure the amount of active pharmaceutical ingredient in the metering tank will take n times, which could result in a long time required for producing the active pharmaceutical ingredient.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and its object is to provide a drug solution generating device that can simplify the device structure, reduce the device cost, and facilitate the assembly of the device, while at the same time accurately measuring small amounts of raw drug solution. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] a control means for controlling the supply of the drug substance and the opening and closing valve when the liquid level of the drug substance rising in the metering pipe is detected by the detection sensor, and the drug substance supply amount is measured by the control means for detecting the liquid level of the drug substance supplied from the drug substance supply pipe rising in the metering pipe as a reference drug substance amount when the detection sensor detects the liquid level of the drug substance supplied from the drug substance supply pipe rising in the metering pipe, and measuring the liquid level of the drug substance accumulated in the metering pipe as a reference drug substance amount when the detection sensor detects the liquid level of the drug substance rising in the metering pipe, and measuring the liquid level of the drug substance in the dilution tank as a reference drug substance amount when the detection sensor detects the liquid level of the drug substance supplied from the drug substance supply pipe rising in the metering pipe, and measuring the liquid level of the drug substance accumulated in the metering pipe as a reference drug substance amount when the detection sensor detects the liquid level of the drug substance rising in the metering pipe, and measuring the liquid level of the drug substance in the dilution tank as a reference drug substance amount when the detection sensor detects the liquid level of the drug substance supplied from the drug substance supply pipe According to the present invention, a detection sensor is attached to the metering pipe itself, the upper end of which is connected to the exhaust duct, and it is thus possible to easily and accurately measure small amounts of raw drug solution without the need to install a separate metering tank.

[0011] In addition to the above-mentioned features, the present invention is characterized in that the raw drug solution supply piping and the metering piping are both flexible resin tubes, and the detection sensor is attached to the outer periphery of the metering piping which is made of the resin tube. According to the present invention, the drug substance supply piping and the metering piping are constructed from flexible resin tubes, which makes it easy to install these pipings and also makes it possible to easily install them in a narrow installation space.

[0012] In addition to the above features, the present invention is characterized in that the resin tubes constituting the raw drug solution supply piping and the metering piping are transparent, and the detection sensor is a photoelectric sensor that is fixed so as to be adjustable in position in the vertical direction by gripping the outer periphery of the resin tube constituting the metering piping. Transparent also includes translucency. According to the present invention, since the resin tube is made transparent, it is possible to easily detect the liquid level of the drug substance simply by attaching a detection sensor (photoelectric sensor) directly to the outer periphery of the resin tube. Also, since the detection sensor (photoelectric sensor) is attached directly to the outer periphery of the resin tube, the attachment position of the detection sensor relative to the resin tube can be easily moved up and down for fine adjustment, and thus it can be adjusted so that even a small reference amount of drug substance can be detected with high accuracy.

[0013] In addition to the above-mentioned features, the present invention is characterized in that the detection sensors are attached at a position midway through the resin tube constituting the metering piping for detecting the reference amount of drug substance liquid, and at one or more positions for detecting an amount that is a multiple of the reference amount of drug substance liquid. According to the present invention, by simply installing multiple detection sensors at desired upper and lower positions of the resin tube, it becomes possible to detect not only the standard amount of drug substance liquid, but also multiple times the amount of drug substance liquid. As a result, even if the amount of drug substance liquid to be charged into the dilution tank is 2 times, 3 times, etc. the standard amount of drug substance liquid, it is not necessary to measure it one by one and charge it into the dilution tank one by one, but it is possible to measure an amount of drug substance liquid that is 2 times, 3 times, etc. the standard amount of drug substance liquid at once and charge it into the dilution tank in one operation, simplifying the drug solution production process and shortening the production time.

[0014] In addition to the above-mentioned features, the present invention is characterized in that a plurality of sets of the raw drug solution supply piping and metering piping are provided, the on-off valve and the detection sensor are also provided for each set, and the raw drug solution is supplied from each raw drug solution supply piping, thereby mixing and diluting these raw drug solutions to produce a medicinal solution. According to the present invention, multiple small amounts of drug substance liquids can be easily measured with high accuracy without installing multiple separate measuring tanks, and multiple drug substance liquids can be easily mixed and diluted with high accuracy to produce a drug solution. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to the drug solution producing device of the present invention, it is possible to simplify the device structure, reduce the device cost, and facilitate the device assembly, and it is also possible to accurately measure a small amount of drug substance solution. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a chemical liquid generating device 1-1. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of the essential parts of a drug substance liquid measuring section 30. [Diagram 3] 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of a control unit of the chemical liquid producing device 1-1. FIG. [Figure 4] 4 is an operation flow diagram showing an example of a control method for the chemical liquid generating device 1-1. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a chemical liquid generating device 1-2. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical liquid generating device 1-3. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical liquid generating device 1-4. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. [First embodiment] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical liquid generating device 1-1 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, the chemical liquid generating device 1-1 includes a buffer tank 11, a dilution tank 13, and a supply tank 14, and these tanks are connected by various pipes. In the following description, "up" refers to the direction from the dilution tank 13 to the buffer tank 11, and "down" refers to the opposite direction.

[0018] The buffer tank 11 is a tank for storing a certain amount of drug substance liquid in the drug substance generating device 1-1. A pipe 16 for supplying drug substance liquid Q1 (NH4OH solution in this example) from a drug substance liquid supply unit (not shown) is connected to the lower part of the buffer tank 11. An opening / closing valve V11 for supplying drug substance liquid Q1, an opening / closing valve V12 for supplying a cleaning liquid such as deionized water (DIW), and an opening / closing valve V13 for supplying a purge pressure gas such as purge pressure air are connected in parallel to the pipe 16.

[0019] The buffer tank 11 is also provided with four liquid level sensors LS1, LS2, LS3, and LS4 for detecting the liquid level of the active pharmaceutical ingredient contained in the tank. Each of the liquid level sensors LS1, LS2, LS3, and LS4 is provided at a predetermined position in the vertical direction along the side wall of the buffer tank 11 so as to detect different liquid levels in the buffer tank 11. An exhaust pipe HEX1 is connected to the top of the buffer tank 11, and its upper end is connected to an exhaust duct HEX5 provided at the top of the buffer tank 11. The exhaust duct HEX5 sends the mist and gas of the evaporated pharmaceutical ingredient to a pharmaceutical mist treatment facility (not shown).

[0020] A drug substance supply pipe 17 is connected to the bottom surface of the buffer tank 11 in order to supply the drug substance in the buffer tank 11 to the dilution tank 13. An opening / closing valve V14 is connected to the drug substance supply pipe 17 near the bottom of the buffer tank 11, and the downstream end of the drug substance supply pipe 17 is attached to a metering pipe 18 (on the side surface thereof). The opening / closing valve V14 opens and closes the drug substance supply pipe 17.

[0021] One end of the metering pipe 18 is raised upward, and its upper part becomes the exhaust pipe HEX2, and its upper end is connected to the exhaust duct HEX5. An opening and closing valve V15 is connected to the other end of the metering pipe 18, and its lower end is inserted into the dilution tank 13. The opening and closing valve V15 opens and closes the metering pipe 18. The metering pipe 18 and the exhaust pipe HEX2 are composed of a single resin tube described below. The metering pipe 18 constitutes a part of the drug substance metering section 30 described below. The metering pipe 18 is raised vertically, and a detection sensor LS5 consisting of a liquid level sensor that detects the liquid level of the drug substance rising in the metering pipe 18 is installed midway, and a detection sensor LS6 consisting of a liquid level sensor that detects the liquid level of the drug substance rising in the metering pipe 18 is installed above the detection sensor LS5. In addition, a detection sensor LS7 consisting of a liquid level sensor is also installed downstream (on-off valve V15 side) of the position of the raw drug solution supply pipe connection part 171 to which the raw drug solution supply pipe 17 is connected to the metering pipe 18. The metering pipe 18, the detection sensors LS5, LS6, LS7, and the on-off valve V15 constitute a raw drug solution metering unit 30 that measures the amount of reference raw drug solution to be charged into the dilution tank 13.

[0022] 2 is a schematic perspective view of the main part of the drug substance measurement section 30. In the figure, the measurement pipe 18 and the drug substance supply pipe 17 are both flexible transparent resin tubes, and in this example, transparent resin tubes made of fluororesin are used. The downstream end of the drug substance supply pipe 17 is connected to the measurement pipe 18 at a drug substance supply pipe connection part 171.

[0023] The drug substance supply pipe 17 is connected to the side of the metering pipe 18 at the drug substance supply pipe connection part 171, and this connection can be easily and reliably performed by heat welding because both the drug substance supply pipe 17 and the metering pipe 18 are made of the same material (fluororesin). The two detection sensors LS5 and LS6 attached to the metering pipe 18 above the drug substance supply pipe connection part 171 and the one detection sensor LS7 attached to the metering pipe 18 below the drug substance supply pipe connection part 171 are all liquid level sensors as described above, and are photoelectric sensors of the same configuration that detect the liquid level by using reflection or transmission of light. These detection sensors LS5, LS6, and LS7 are configured to include sensor main parts LS51, LS61, and LS71 that emit and receive light, and mounting parts LS53, LS63, and LS73 that are directly wound around and attached to the outer periphery of the resin tube that constitutes the metering pipe 18.

[0024] The detection sensor LS5 is installed at a position where the volume inside the metering pipe 18 from the on-off valve V15 to the detection sensor LS5 is the same as the volume of a predetermined reference amount of drug substance liquid.

[0025] The detection sensor LS6 is an excess liquid level detection sensor for detecting when the liquid level exceeds the position of the detection sensor LS5 and issuing an alarm signal.

[0026] The detection sensor LS7 is a liquid level sensor that detects when the on-off valve V15 is opened and the drug substance liquid in the metering pipe 18 becomes empty.

[0027] The on-off valve V15 is a valve that is driven to open and close by compressed air, and is connected to an air supply pipe V151 (see FIG. 2) made of a resin tube.

[0028] Returning to Fig. 1, the dilution tank 13 is a tank that dilutes the drug substance contained therein with a diluting solution such as pure water, and more specifically, it is a tank that contains a standard amount of drug substance or a multiple of that amount, and further introduces (supplies) a diluting solution such as pure water from the outside to dilute the drug substance at a predetermined dilution rate to obtain a drug substance with a concentration that is actually used. A liquid level sensor LS8 that confirms (detects) that no diluted drug substance remains inside the dilution tank 13, and three liquid level sensors LS9, LS10, and LS11 that respectively detect the liquid level at a predetermined height inside the dilution tank 13 are installed on the outer peripheral side wall of the dilution tank 13 toward the top and bottom.

[0029] The tip of a pipe 19 for supplying a diluent, which is equipped with a diluent supply valve V16, is inserted into the dilution tank 13. One end of a pipe 20 for discharging a chemical solution, which is equipped with a discharge valve V17, is connected to the bottom end of the dilution tank 13, and the other end of the pipe 20 is inserted into the supply tank 14.

[0030] The supply tank 14 is a tank for storing the chemical solution (diluted chemical solution) diluted to a predetermined concentration (predetermined dilution rate) in the dilution tank 13, and for supplying the chemical solution to a place where the chemical solution is used, such as a CMP device. In the supply tank 14, liquid level sensors LS12, LS13, LS14, LS15, and LS16 for monitoring the amount of the stored chemical solution are installed at different positions in the vertical direction. In the supply tank 14, a pipe 21 for supplying the stored chemical solution to the place where the chemical solution is used, and a chemical solution return pipe 22 for returning the chemical solution that has not been supplied to the place where the chemical solution is used, i.e., that has not been used, to the supply tank 14 are installed. In other words, the chemical solution that has been supplied to the place where the chemical solution is used by the pipe 21 but not used is returned to the supply tank 14 through the pipe 22 and circulated.

[0031] 3 is a schematic diagram of the control section of the liquid chemical generating device 1-1. As shown in the figure, the control section of the liquid chemical generating device 1-1 includes a control means 50 that receives input signals detected by the detection sensors (liquid level sensors) LS1 to LS16, and electromagnetic valves SV11 to SV17 whose on / off is controlled by the control means 50. The control means 50 is composed of a microcomputer, a sequence circuit, and the like. Each of the electromagnetic valves SV11 to SV17 is an electromagnetic valve installed midway through a pipe that sends compressed air, and sends / cuts off the compressed air passing through the pipe. Each of the electromagnetic valves SV11 to SV17 is turned on / off by a control signal from the control means 50.

[0032] The control means 50 controls the drug solution generating device 1-1 as follows. In FIG. 1, the opening and closing valves V11 to V17 are initially closed. First, the electromagnetic valve SV11 is opened to open the opening and closing valve V11, and the drug solution Q1 is supplied from a drug solution supply unit (not shown) through the pipe 16 into the buffer tank 11. When the liquid level of the drug solution that has flowed into the buffer tank 11 rises and the liquid level is detected by the liquid level sensors LS1 and LS2 in turn, and then the liquid level sensor LS3 detects it, the opening and closing valve V11 is closed to stop the supply of the drug solution. If the liquid level rises further for some reason and the liquid level sensor LS4 detects the liquid level, an alarm signal is output to warn that the liquid level has exceeded a predetermined full liquid level. If the liquid level falls due to use of the drug solution and the liquid level sensor LS2 detects the liquid level, the opening and closing valve V11 is opened again, the drug solution is supplied until the liquid level reaches the position of the liquid level sensor LS3, and the opening and closing valve V11 is closed. This keeps the liquid level in the buffer tank 11 between the liquid level sensors LS2 and LS3.

[0033] 4 is an operation flow diagram showing an example of a control method after the amount of the active pharmaceutical ingredient liquid in the buffer tank 11 reaches a predetermined level. As described above, when it is detected that the amount of the active pharmaceutical ingredient liquid in the buffer tank 11 has reached a predetermined amount (for example, when the liquid level has reached the position of the liquid level sensor LS3), the on-off valve V14 is opened (step 1). This introduces the active pharmaceutical ingredient liquid into the active pharmaceutical ingredient liquid supply pipe 17, and the active pharmaceutical ingredient liquid also flows into the metering pipe 18, so that the active pharmaceutical ingredient liquid accumulates in the active pharmaceutical ingredient liquid supply pipe 17 between the on-off valve V14 and the on-off valve V15 and in the metering pipe 18, and the liquid level rises in the metering pipe 18. When the detection sensor LS5 detects the liquid level rising in the metering pipe 18 ("Y" in step 2), the on-off valve V14 is closed (step 3), thereby stopping the inflow of the active pharmaceutical ingredient liquid into the metering pipe 18. Although not described in this operational flow, when the detection sensor LS6 detects the liquid level, an alarm is issued to warn that the drug substance liquid may overflow from the metering pipe 18.

[0034] Next, when the on-off valve V15 is opened (step 4), the drug substance liquid in the metering pipe 18 flows down into the dilution tank 13 due to its own weight. At this time, since the on-off valve V14 is closed, the drug substance liquid in the drug substance liquid supply pipe 17 remains in the drug substance liquid supply pipe 17 and does not flow down because the atmospheric pressure and surface tension are greater than its own weight. Then, after the liquid level in the metering pipe 18 drops and the detection sensor LS7 detects the liquid level ("Y" in step 5), the on-off valve V15 is closed (step 6). As a result, the reference amount of drug substance liquid that had accumulated above the on-off valve V15 in the metering pipe 18 flows down into the dilution tank 13.

[0035] Next, if the standard amount of bulk drug solution is added to the dilution tank 13 only once for dilution, then "n times" in step 7 is "one time", and so the process proceeds to step 8. However, if "n times" is "multiple times", steps 1 to 6 above are repeated multiple times, thereby adding multiple times of bulk drug solution to the dilution tank 13.

[0036] When the process of introducing the drug substance into the dilution tank 13 is completed, the on-off valve V16 is then opened (step 8), and diluent such as pure water is supplied to the dilution tank 13 through the piping 19. When the liquid level sensor LS10 detects the liquid level in the dilution tank 13 ("Y" in step 9), the on-off valve V16 is closed (step 10). This results in a drug substance diluted with the diluent. Although not described in this operation flow, when the liquid level sensor LS11 detects the liquid level, it issues an alarm to indicate that the diluted drug substance may overflow from the dilution tank 13.

[0037] Next, the on-off valve V17 is opened (step 11), and the chemical liquid in the dilution tank 13 flows down into the supply tank 14 under its own weight. This flow continues until the liquid level sensor LS8 confirms (detects) that no chemical liquid remains in the dilution tank 13 (step "Y"), and then the on-off valve V17 is closed (step 13). As a result of the above, a chemical liquid that is an accurate dilution of a small amount of the original chemical liquid is obtained.

[0038] In the above operation example, a reference amount of bulk drug solution is added once or multiple times into the dilution tank 13, and then the dilution solution is added. However, the bulk drug solution and the dilution solution may be added simultaneously in parallel into the dilution tank 13, or the dilution solution may be added first into the dilution tank 13, and then the bulk drug solution is added.

[0039] In the above-mentioned chemical liquid generating device 1-1, the buffer tank 11, the metering pipe 18, the dilution tank 13, and the supply tank 14 are connected to the exhaust duct HEX5 via exhaust pipes HEX1, HEX2, HEX3, and HEX4, respectively, so that harmful gases and mist generated from the chemical liquid are collected in the exhaust duct HEX5 and sent to a chemical liquid mist processing facility (not shown) where they are processed to become harmless.

[0040] The chemical liquid contained in the supply tank 14 is supplied to a location where the chemical liquid is used, such as a CMP device, through a pipe 21, and the chemical liquid that is not used at the location where the chemical liquid is used is returned to the supply tank 14 through a pipe 22.

[0041] 1, purge pressure gas can be supplied into each tank and piping by opening the on-off valve 13, and cleaning liquid such as pure water can be supplied into each tank and piping by opening the on-off valve V12. By supplying the cleaning liquid, the wetted parts that come into contact with the drug substance or the diluted drug substance, such as the buffer tank 11, dilution tank 13, supply tank 14, and piping 16, 17, 18, and 20, are cleaned when the dilution operation of the drug substance ends or starts, and by supplying purge pressure gas after cleaning, droplets remaining in the cleaned parts are purged.

[0042] As described above, the drug solution generating device 1-1 according to this embodiment includes the dilution tank 13, the drug solution supply pipe 17 that supplies drug solution to the dilution tank 13, the dilution solution supply pipe 19 that supplies dilution solution to the dilution tank 13, the metering pipe 18 that is attached to the downstream end of the drug solution supply pipe 17, has one end raised and its upper end connected to the exhaust duct HEX5 and the other end inserted into the dilution tank 13 via the opening / closing valve V15, and has a lower end that is inserted into the dilution tank 13 by closing the opening / closing valve V15. The system is equipped with a detection sensor LS5 that detects the liquid level of the drug solution rising in the metering piping 18 and measures the liquid volume of the drug substance accumulated in the metering piping 18 as a reference drug substance liquid volume, and a control means 50 that, when the liquid level of the drug substance rising in the metering piping 18 is detected by the detection sensor LS5, stops the supply of the drug substance and opens the opening / closing valve V15, thereby storing the reference volume of drug substance in the dilution tank 13, and supplies dilution liquid from the dilution liquid supply piping 19 to the dilution tank 13 to produce a drug solution by diluting the drug substance.

[0043] According to this drug solution generating device 1-1, a detection sensor LS5 is attached to the metering pipe 18, the upper end of which is connected to the exhaust duct HEX5, and a small amount of drug substance solution can be easily and accurately measured without the need to install a separate metering tank.

[0044] In addition, in this drug solution generating device 1-1, the drug solution supply pipe 17 and the metering pipe 18 are both made of flexible resin tubes, so that the installation work of these drug solution supply pipe 17 and the metering pipe 18 in the device is easy, and they can be easily installed in a narrow installation space in the device. In this embodiment, the other pipes 16, 19, 20, 21, and 22 are also made of flexible resin tubes made of the same material as the drug solution supply pipe 17 and the metering pipe 18. In other words, the drug solution supply pipe 17 and the metering pipe 18 are made of flexible resin tubes that are inexpensive and easy to route, so that it is possible to reduce parts costs, simplify assembly work, and save installation space. In this embodiment, resin tubes made of fluororesin are used for all pipes that come into contact with drug solution, etc., so that it is possible to handle various drug solutions.

[0045] In this embodiment, since the metering pipe 18 is made of a flexible resin tube, even if the reference amount of the drug substance is small, the amount can be measured easily and accurately. That is, by selecting the inner diameter of the resin tube from among standard resin tubes, a resin tube with an optimal inner diameter according to the reference amount of the drug substance can be easily obtained, and even if the amount of the reference amount of the drug substance is, for example, several milliliters, the amount can be measured accurately.

[0046] In addition, in the drug solution generating device 1-1, the resin tubes constituting the drug substance supply pipe 17 and the metering pipe 18 are made transparent, and the detection sensor LS5 is configured as a photoelectric sensor that is fixed so that its position can be adjusted in the vertical direction by gripping the outer periphery of the resin tube constituting the metering pipe 18, so that the liquid level of the drug substance can be easily detected simply by directly attaching the detection sensor (photoelectric sensor) to the outer periphery of the resin tube. Also, since the detection sensor (photoelectric sensor) is directly attached to the outer periphery of the resin tube, the attachment position of the detection sensor relative to the resin tube can be easily moved up and down for fine adjustment, and thus it can be adjusted so that even a small reference amount of drug substance can be detected with high accuracy.

[0047] Second Embodiment Fig. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical liquid generating device 1-2 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the chemical liquid generating device 1-2 shown in the figure, the same or corresponding parts as those of the chemical liquid generating device 1-1 shown in Fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Note that matters other than those described below are the same as those in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

[0048] The drug solution generating apparatus 1-2 shown in the figure differs from the drug solution generating apparatus 1-1 shown in Fig. 1 only in the configuration of the drug substance solution metering section 30. That is, in the drug substance solution metering section 30 according to this embodiment, another detection sensor LS5-2 consisting of a liquid level sensor that detects the liquid level of the drug substance solution rising in the metering pipe 18 is installed above the detection sensor LS5 of the metering pipe 18, and the detection sensor LS6 is installed further above the detection sensor LS5-2. The installation position of the detection sensor LS5-2 is set so that the volume in the metering pipe 18 from the position of the detection sensor LS5 to the position of the detection sensor LS5-2 matches the volume of the reference drug substance solution amount.

[0049] According to this drug solution generating device 1-2, by using the detection sensor LS5, it is possible to supply the reference amount of drug substance solution to the dilution tank 13 as in the first embodiment, and further by using the detection sensor LS52, it is possible to supply twice the amount of drug substance solution to the dilution tank 13 at one time. Therefore, in the case of the first embodiment, when the drug substance solution to be supplied to the dilution tank 13 is twice the amount of the reference drug substance solution, it is necessary to measure the amount of drug substance solution to be supplied to the dilution tank 13 once and to charge the drug substance solution to the dilution tank 13, but in the case of this second embodiment, it is possible to charge twice the amount of drug substance solution to the dilution tank 13 in one step, and the dilution time can be effectively shortened.

[0050] When measuring multiple amounts of drug substance liquid, such as three or more times the amount of drug substance liquid, at one time, a configuration can be achieved in which multiple amounts of drug substance liquid can be measured at one time by installing additional detection sensors (not shown) above the detection sensor LS52 of the metering pipe 18 at a distance that corresponds to the volume of the reference drug substance liquid. Since the metering pipe 18 is a resin tube, its height (length) can be easily extended, and the number of detection sensors required can be easily attached.

[0051] As described above, in this embodiment, the detection sensors LS5, LS52,... are attached at a position to detect the reference amount of drug substance liquid in the middle of the resin tube constituting the metering piping 18 and at one or more positions to detect the amount of a multiple of the reference amount of drug substance liquid, so that not only the reference amount of drug substance liquid but also multiple amounts of drug substance liquid can be detected by simply installing multiple detection sensors LS5, LS52,... at desired upper and lower positions of the resin tube. As a result, even if the amount of drug substance liquid to be charged into the dilution tank 13 is 2 times, 3 times,... the reference amount of drug substance liquid, it is not necessary to measure it once and charge it into the dilution tank once, but an amount of drug substance liquid 2 times, 3 times,... the reference amount of drug substance liquid can be measured at once and charged into the dilution tank in one operation, so that the process of producing the drug solution can be simplified and the production time can be shortened.

[0052] Third Embodiment Fig. 6 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical liquid generating device 1-3 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. In the chemical liquid generating device 1-3 shown in the figure, the same or corresponding parts as those of the chemical liquid generating device 1-1 shown in Fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Note that matters other than those described below are the same as those in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

[0053] The difference between the drug solution generating device 1-3 shown in the figure and the drug solution generating device 1-1 shown in Figure 1 is that, in order to dilute two kinds of drug substance solutions Q1 and Q2 by charging and mixing them in a dilution tank 13, a buffer tank 11', a drug substance solution supply pipe 17', a measurement pipe 18', various on-off valves V11' to V15', and detection sensors (liquid level sensors) LS1' to LS7' are provided as means for supplying a standard drug substance solution amount of drug substance solution Q2, which are equivalent to the buffer tank 11, a pipe 16', a drug substance solution supply pipe 17', a measurement pipe 18', various on-off valves V11' to V15', and detection sensors (liquid level sensors) LS1' to LS7, in the first embodiment. In this example, for example, an NH4OH solution is used as the drug substance solution Q1, and for example, an H2O2 solution or an HF solution is used as the drug substance solution Q2. Taking into consideration the dilution ratio of each of the drug substances Q1 and Q2, the inner diameters of drug substance supply pipe 17 and metering pipe 18, and drug substance supply pipe 17' and metering pipe 18' may be made different.

[0054] As in this embodiment, by installing multiple sets of raw drug solution supply pipes 17, 17' and metering pipes 18, 18', and installing opening and closing valves V11-V15, V11'-V15' and detection sensors LS1-LS7, LS1'-LS7' for each set, and supplying different types of raw drug solutions Q1, Q2 from each raw drug solution supply pipe 17, 17', the liquid amounts of the multiple types of raw drug solutions Q1, Q2 can be easily measured with high accuracy, and a drug solution can be easily produced by precisely mixing and diluting the multiple types of raw drug solutions Q1, Q2.

[0055] When three or more kinds of drug substance solutions are used, three or more sets of means for supplying the above-mentioned standard amount of drug substance solution are installed. In some cases, the same kind of drug substance solution may be supplied from both buffer tanks 11, 11'.

[0056] Furthermore, when it is desired to supply a drug substance liquid in an amount multiple times the reference drug substance liquid amount, the configuration used in the second embodiment may be appropriately applied to this third embodiment.

[0057] [Fourth embodiment] Fig. 7 is a schematic diagram showing a chemical liquid generating device 1-4 according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. In the chemical liquid generating device 1-4 shown in the figure, the same or corresponding parts as those of the chemical liquid generating device 1-1 shown in Fig. 1 are denoted by the same reference numerals. Note that matters other than those described below are the same as those in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 to 4.

[0058] The difference between the drug solution generating device 1-4 shown in the figure and the drug solution generating device 1-1 shown in Figure 1 is that another drug solution supply pipe 17-2 is branched from the drug solution supply pipe 17 connected to the buffer tank 11, and the drug solution supply pipe 17-2 is provided with an on-off valve V14-2, a metering pipe 18-2, detection sensors LS5-2, LS6-2, LS7-2, an on-off valve V15-2, etc., which are equivalent to the on-off valve V14, the metering pipe 18, the detection sensors LS5, LS6, LS7, and the on-off valve V15 described in Figure 1. By configuring in this way, it is possible to measure the same type of drug solution at two or three times the amount of the reference drug solution at once and charge it into the dilution tank 13 in one operation. This embodiment can also be configured in combination with the second and third embodiments.

[0059] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims and the technical ideas described in the specification and drawings. Any shape, structure, or material not directly described in the specification and drawings is within the scope of the technical ideas of the present invention as long as it provides the functions and effects of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, photoelectric sensors are used as the detection sensors LS5 to LS7, but other various types of liquid level sensors such as electrostatic sensors may be used. For the other liquid level sensors LS1 to LS4, LS8 to LS16, electrostatic sensors or other various types of liquid level sensors may be used. In addition, the embodiments described above and shown in each figure can be combined with each other as long as there is no contradiction in their purpose and configuration. In addition, even if only a part of the contents described above and in each figure can be an independent embodiment, and the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to one embodiment combining the above description and each figure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0060] 1. Chemical solution generator 13 Dilution tank 17 Drug substance supply piping 18 Metering piping 19 Diluent supply piping 50 Control Means V15 Opening and closing valve HEX5 Exhaust Duct LS5~LS7 Detection sensor (liquid level sensor) Q0 Diluent Q1 Drug Substance Solution

Claims

1. A dilution tank; A drug substance supply pipe for supplying a drug substance to the dilution tank; A diluent supply pipe for supplying a diluent to the dilution tank; a metering pipe attached to the downstream end of the drug substance supply pipe, one end of which is raised and connected to an exhaust duct at its upper end, and the other end of which has an opening / closing valve and a lower end of which is inserted into the dilution tank; a detection sensor that detects the liquid level of the drug substance supplied from the drug substance supply pipe rising in the metering pipe as a result of the on-off valve being closed, and measures the amount of the drug substance liquid accumulated in the metering pipe as a reference drug substance liquid amount; a control means for stopping the supply of the drug substance and opening the on-off valve when the liquid level of the drug substance rising in the metering pipe is detected by the detection sensor, thereby storing the reference amount of drug substance in the dilution tank, and supplying a diluent from the diluent supply pipe to the dilution tank to produce a drug solution by diluting the drug substance; A chemical solution generating device comprising:

2. The chemical solution generating device according to claim 1, The drug solution generating device is characterized in that the raw drug solution supply pipe and the metering pipe are both flexible resin tubes, and the detection sensor is attached to the outer periphery of the metering pipe made of the resin tube.

3. The chemical solution generating device according to claim 2, A drug solution generating apparatus characterized in that the resin tubes constituting the raw drug solution supply piping and the metering piping are transparent, and the detection sensor is a photoelectric sensor that is fixed so that its position can be adjusted in the vertical direction by grasping the outer periphery of the resin tube constituting the metering piping.

4. The chemical solution generating device according to claim 3, The drug solution generating device is characterized in that the detection sensors are attached at a position to detect the reference amount of drug substance liquid midway through the resin tube that constitutes the metering piping, and at one or more positions to detect an amount that is a multiple of the reference amount of drug substance liquid.

5. The chemical solution generating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, The drug solution generating device is characterized in that a plurality of sets of the drug substance supply pipes and metering pipes are provided, the opening / closing valves and detection sensors are also provided for each set, and the drug substance is supplied from each drug substance supply pipe, thereby producing a mixed and diluted drug solution.

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