Gas supply device, gas supply system, and gas supply method

Abstract

Provided are a gas supply device, a gas supply system, and a gas supply method with which it is possible to efficiently generate and supply industrial gas at a site where the industrial gas is used. This gas supply device comprises: a processing part 1 for obtaining a product gas and a residue gas from a raw-material gas that contains a raw-material gas component; a residue monitoring part for acquiring residue information including information pertaining to the state of the residue gas; and a recovery part for recovering the raw-material gas component from the residue gas. The recovery part 4 has separation / recovery equipment for recovering the raw-material gas component from the residue gas, and a distribution part for distributing the residue gas to the separation / recovery equipment. The distribution part distributes the residue gas by switching recovery units in series, in parallel, or in an independent manner on the basis of the residue information.

Description

Gas supply device, gas supply system, and gas supply method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a gas supply device, a gas supply system, and a gas supply method.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a gas supply device for semiconductor manufacturing equipment. This gas supply device supplies gas to a process chamber, such as a batch-type processing reactor, which processes multiple wafers simultaneously. The gas supply device includes a gas supply source, a gas introduction pipe, a gas main pipe, and multiple branch pipes. The gas main pipe and branch pipes are equipped with pressure-type flow controllers. The pressure-type flow controller includes a pressure detector installed in the gas main pipe and a control valve and an orifice installed in the branch pipe. A flow rate is calculated in a flow rate calculation circuit based on the pressure detected by the pressure detector, and the control valve is controlled by the calculation control circuit based on a flow rate setting signal from a flow rate setting circuit and the flow rate from the flow rate calculation circuit. Examples of gas supply sources include an inert gas supply source and a process gas supply source.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a method and apparatus for supplying a hydride gas used in semiconductor processing at a constant composition. The method involves electrochemically generating a first gas containing a hydride, mixing the first gas with a second gas containing a diluent gas to produce a product gas stream containing the diluent gas and the hydride gas, monitoring the concentrations of the diluent gas and the hydride gas in the gas stream, and running a control program to maintain the ratio of hydride gas to diluent gas at a preset value over time.

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses a gas recovery method in which xenon is adsorbed and recovered using zeolite.

[0005] Patent Document 4 discloses a microchannel chip reaction control system. This microchannel chip reaction control system has at least two microchannels for introducing reagent solutions and a microreaction channel formed by joining the at least two microchannels. The microchannel chip reaction control system also includes an analytical means for analyzing a product produced by a reaction between reagent solutions that join in the microreaction channel, and a control means for controlling the conditions involved in the reaction in the microreaction channel based on the analysis results obtained from the analytical means. In this microchannel chip reaction control system, the control means constantly or for a fixed period of time monitors the temperature of the microchannel chip and the component ratio or component amount in the product produced in the microreaction channel, and by feeding back the monitoring results as needed, it is possible to control the temperature of the microchannel chip and the flow rate and concentration of each reagent solution.

[0006] JP 2011-233841 A U.S. Pat. No. 6,080,297 A JP 2011-057491 A JP 2006-145516 A

[0007] Industrial gases need to be replaced with better alternatives, taking into account various requirements, such as environmental impact (e.g., global warming potential), safety (e.g., toxicity to humans and corrosiveness to equipment and piping), functionality for industrial applications, and cost. However, even if a gas is superior in certain respects, it may not be possible to replace it due to the balance with other requirements. For example, a gas may have a significantly lower global warming potential than a conventional industrial gas but be significantly more expensive. Or, a gas may have better properties for a specific function (e.g., semiconductor wafer etching performance) than a conventional industrial gas, but may have poor chemical stability and be difficult to use due to issues such as concentration control. Some of these issues may be resolved by synthesizing or separating and extracting the industrial gas on-site and making it usable in equipment that uses the industrial gas. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a gas supply device, gas supply system, and gas supply method that can generate industrial gas on-site and supply the gas to the next process.

[0008] In equipment that uses industrial gases, the operating conditions of the equipment are usually optimized on the assumption that the concentration and composition of the supplied industrial gas are constant. For example, if the concentration or composition of the industrial gas is unstable, it can cause a decrease in production yield or quality variations in the equipment that uses the industrial gas. Therefore, a stable supply of industrial gas is desired in gas supply equipment, gas supply systems, and gas supply methods that generate the industrial gas on-site.

[0009] In the supply of industrial gases, there is generally a demand for improving the efficiency of raw gas utilization and reducing the amount of gas that is wasted in order to reduce costs and the environmental impact.

[0010] Thus, it is desirable to provide a gas supply device, a gas supply system, and a gas supply method that can generate industrial gas on-site where the industrial gas is used and supply the gas to the next process. Furthermore, it is desirable for the gas supply device, the gas supply system, and the gas supply method that generate the industrial gas on-site to provide a stable supply of industrial gas, generate the industrial gas efficiently, and reduce the amount of gas that is disposed of.

[0011] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and its purpose is to provide a gas supply device, a gas supply system, and a gas supply method that can efficiently generate and supply industrial gas at the site where the industrial gas is used.

[0012] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the gas supply device of the present disclosure comprises: a processing unit that obtains a product gas and a residual gas from a raw material gas containing raw material gas components; a residue monitoring unit that obtains residual information including information related to the state of the residual gas; and a recovery unit that recovers the raw material gas components from the residual gas, wherein the recovery unit has two or more recovery units that recover the raw material gas components from the residual gas; and a distribution unit that distributes the residual gas to the recovery units, and the distribution unit distributes the residual gas by switching between two or more recovery units in series, in parallel, or individually based on the residue information.

[0013] To achieve the above-mentioned object, the gas supply system according to the present disclosure comprises a gas supply device and a process chamber that consumes gas supplied from the gas supply device, wherein the gas supply device comprises a processing unit that obtains a product gas and a residual gas from a raw material gas containing raw material gas components, a residue monitoring unit that obtains residue information including information related to the state of the residual gas, and a recovery unit that recovers the raw material gas components from the residual gas, wherein the recovery unit comprises two or more recovery units that recover the raw material gas components from the residual gas, and a distribution unit that distributes the residual gas to the recovery units, and the distribution unit distributes the residual gas by switching between two or more recovery units in series, in parallel, or individually based on the residue information.

[0014] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the gas supply method of the present disclosure comprises a product gasification process in which a raw material gas containing raw material gas components is reacted to obtain a product gas and a residual gas; a residue information acquisition process in which residue information including information related to the state of the residual gas is acquired; and a recovery process in which the raw material gas components are recovered from the residual gas, wherein in the recovery process, the residual gas is distributed by switching between two or more recovery units that recover the raw material gas components from the residual gas in series, parallel, or independently based on the residue information.

[0015] It is possible to provide a gas supply device, a gas supply system, and a gas supply method that can efficiently generate and supply industrial gas at the site where the industrial gas is used.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a gas supply device according to the present embodiment and a gas supply system including the same. Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration related to control of the gas supply device according to the present embodiment. Fig. 3 is an explanatory diagram of a separation unit. Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a recovery unit. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram of a first separation recovery machine. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of another processing unit.

[0017] A gas supply device, a gas supply system, and a gas supply method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] 1 shows an example of a flow diagram of a gas supply device 100 according to this embodiment and a gas supply system 200 including the same. First, an overview of the gas supply device 100 and the gas supply system 200 including the same will be described.

[0019] The gas supply device 100 is a device that obtains a product gas from a raw material gas containing raw material gas components (an example of a product gasification process) and directly sends (supplies) this product gas to the next process.

[0020] The gas supply system 200 includes a gas supply device 100 and a process chamber 9 that consumes the product gas supplied from the gas supply device 100. That is, the gas supply device 100 directly delivers the product gas obtained by the gas supply device 100 to the process chamber 9 (an example of a delivery process). In this embodiment, the entire amount of the product gas obtained by the gas supply device 100 may be supplied to the process chamber 9. The product gas may be supplied from the gas supply device 100 to the process chamber 9 by plug flow.

[0021] An example of the process chamber 9 is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus such as an etching apparatus for semiconductor wafers. The process chamber 9 is connected to the gas supply device 100 via, for example, a pipe 73 through which a product gas flows. In this embodiment, the process chamber 9 is directly connected to the gas supply device 100 via the pipe 73, and is supplied with the entire amount of the product gas produced by the gas supply device 100. The product gas produced by the gas supply device 100 may be supplied to the process chamber 9 by flowing through the pipe 73 from the gas supply device 100 in a plug flow manner. After being used in the process chamber 9, the product gas may be exhausted to an external exhaust gas treatment device or the like via a pipe 74 connected downstream of the process chamber 9.

[0022] The gas supply device 100 and a gas supply method using the same will be described in detail below.

[0023] 1 , the gas supply device 100 may include a supply source S of raw material gas components, a processing unit 1 that performs a process (product gasification process) to obtain a product gas and a residue gas from a raw material gas containing the raw material gas components, a monitoring unit 3 that monitors the state of the product gasification process in the processing unit 1, and a recovery unit 4 that recovers the raw material gas components from the residue gas. The gas supply device 100 may be supplied with the raw material gas components from cylinder units S1, S2 that serve as the supply source S of the raw material gas components. The raw material gas components recovered in the recovery unit 4 may be reused in the processing unit 1.

[0024] The raw material gas is a gas that serves as a raw material for obtaining a product gas. The raw material gas includes raw material gas components for obtaining a product gas. The raw material gas may include one or more raw material gas components. The raw material gas may also include a carrier gas such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or an inert gas such as argon. The raw material gas components of the raw material gas will be described later.

[0025] The raw material gas components may be supplied from a supply source S having a gas reservoir such as a gas bottle, cylinder, or tank.

[0026] In this embodiment, the gas supply device 100 exemplifies a case in which the source gas components and source gas are supplied from a supply source S to a processing unit 1 as follows. The supply source S includes cylinders as storage tanks for the source gas components and adjustment mechanisms such as regulators and flow rate control devices that adjust the pressure and flow rate of the gas containing the source gas components discharged from the cylinders. A predetermined supply amount of gas containing the source gas components is discharged from cylinder units S1 and S2 to a group of supply pipes 79 such as pipes 79a and 79b. The gases discharged to the group of supply pipes 79 are mixed, for example, in a mixer 89 to become a source gas, which is then supplied to a pipe 71. The source gas is then supplied to the processing unit 1 from the pipe 71.

[0027] The product gas is a gas that contains components (hereinafter sometimes referred to as product gas components) that are consumed or used in the process chamber 9. The product gas may contain a carrier gas such as nitrogen, carbon dioxide, or an inert gas such as argon. The product gas components of the product gas will be described later.

[0028] 2, the gas supply device 100 may further include a control unit C that controls the operations of the supply source S, the processing unit 1, the monitoring unit 3, and the collection unit 4, and a memory unit M that stores programs for controlling the processing unit 1, the monitoring unit 3, and the collection unit 4, parameters, and information related to the status of various operations. Hereinafter, the operations of the supply source S, the processing unit 1, the monitoring unit 3, and the collection unit 4 may be performed by control or operation commands from the control unit C. In the description of the operations of the supply source S, the processing unit 1, the monitoring unit 3, and the collection unit 4, a description of the control by the control unit C will be omitted as appropriate. The control unit C will be described later.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 1, the processing unit 1 may have a reaction chamber 10 that reacts a raw material gas (an example of a product gasification process) to obtain a product gas or a precursor gas of the product gas containing components of the product gas, and a separation unit 2 that separates the product gas from the raw material gas or the precursor gas (an example of a product gasification process). The processing unit 1 has at least one of the reaction chamber 10 and the separation unit 2. In this embodiment, it is not essential that the processing unit 1 have the reaction chamber 10 and the separation unit 2, but the following description will mainly exemplify a case in which the processing unit 1 has the reaction chamber 10 and the separation unit 2.

[0030] Processing section 1 may be supplied with a source gas containing source gas components from piping 71, which is an inlet that supplies the source gas to processing section 1. Processing section 1 supplies the product gas to process chamber 9 via piping 73, which is an outlet that delivers the product gas. As described above, piping 73, which is an outlet, is directly connected to process chamber 9, so that the product gas obtained in processing section 1 is delivered directly to process chamber 9. Therefore, the product gas obtained in processing section 1 is prevented from being altered by decomposition or side reactions, and is delivered to process chamber 9 with a stable concentration and composition. In other words, the product gas can be generated in gas supply device 100 on-site where it is used, and the product gas can be stably supplied to process chamber 9.

[0031] The reaction chamber 10 is a gas reaction device (reaction section) that may have, for example, a reaction field where a raw material gas is reacted (chemically reacted) to generate a product gas component, and an energy supply source that supplies energy to promote the reaction. Examples of the reaction chamber 10 include a plasma reactor, an electrochemical reactor, a high-temperature reactor, and a photoreactor.

[0032] The reaction chamber 10 may be, for example, a thrust flow type reaction apparatus, and the container that defines the space that serves as the reaction field may be in the form of a pipe or a tank. The size (device scale) of the reaction chamber 10 is not limited, and it may be a so-called micro reaction device, such as a microfluidic chip, a microreactor, or a MEMS (Micro Electro Mechanical Systems).

[0033] In the reaction chamber 10, a product gas or a precursor gas is produced from a raw material gas. The raw material gas may be supplied to the reaction chamber 10 through a pipe 71. The precursor gas is supplied to the separation unit 2 through a pipe 72 connecting the reaction chamber 10 and the separation unit 2. When a product gas is produced in the reaction chamber 10, the product gas may be supplied from the reaction chamber 10 to a pipe 73.

[0034] In the reaction chamber 10, it is preferable to cause a reaction in which 1 kJ or more of energy is input and output per 1 mol of the product gas component produced by the reaction, that is, a reaction in which the absolute value of the reaction enthalpy (ΔH) is 1 kJ / mol or more.

[0035] The separation unit 2 is a separation mechanism that separates a product gas and a residue gas from a precursor gas, or separates a product gas and a residue gas from a raw material gas. Hereinafter, the precursor gas and the raw material gas may be collectively referred to simply as a precursor, etc.

[0036] For example, the separation unit 2 may have a separation membrane that separates the product gas and the residue gas from the precursors, etc. Examples of the separation membrane include an organosilica membrane, a zeolite membrane, a polyimide membrane, and a silicone membrane. The separation membrane may be selected depending on the components contained in the precursors, etc., the components contained in the product gas, and the components contained in the residue gas, and is not limited to the examples given above.

[0037] 3, the separation unit 2 may include a first separator 21 and a second separator 22. The first separator 21 and the second separator 22 may each have a separation membrane appropriate for the components of the gas to be separated. As an example, the first separator 21 and the second separator 22 may be arranged in series.

[0038] 3 shows a case where the first separator 21 includes a membrane part 211 having a cylindrically formed separation membrane and a cylindrical container 219 that houses the membrane part 211. In the first separator 21, for example, precursors or the like supplied from a pipe 72 are introduced into the cylindrical membrane part 211, and residual gas that has permeated the separation membrane is exhausted to a pipe 81. A pump 81a such as a dry pump may be provided in the pipe 81. The precursors or the like from which some or all of the residual gas has been removed are supplied to a pipe 29 that connects the first separator 21 and the second separator 22.

[0039] The second separator 22 may include a membrane part 221 and a container 229, similar to the first separator 21. In the second separator 22, for example, precursors or the like supplied from a pipe 29 are introduced into the cylindrical membrane part 221, and residual gas that has permeated the separation membrane is exhausted to a pipe 82. A pump 82a such as a dry pump may be provided in the pipe 82. The product gas obtained by removing the residual gas from the precursors or the like is supplied to a pipe 73.

[0040] The separation membrane of membrane part 211 and the separation membrane of membrane part 221 may be the same membrane or may be different types of separation membranes. In this embodiment, the separation membrane of membrane part 211 and the separation membrane of membrane part 221 are different types of separation membranes that allow different permeable components to be separated, and the following description will be given as an example.

[0041] The monitoring unit 3 executes a monitoring step of monitoring the state of the product gasification process in the processing unit 1 and acquiring information related thereto. The monitoring unit 3 may be one or more measuring devices, analyzing devices, detecting devices, or a combination of these. The monitoring unit 3 may acquire, as the state of the product gasification process in the processing unit 1, information related to the state of the reaction in the reaction chamber 10 (reaction information) and information related to the state of separation in the separation unit 2 (hereinafter, such information related to the state of the product gasification process in the processing unit 1 will be referred to as state information). The state information is stored in the memory unit M (see FIG. 2 ) as needed.

[0042] The state information may include the state of the product gas, precursor gas, and residual gas, such as concentration, mass, composition, and composition information correlated or corresponding thereto; state such as temperature and pressure, and material state information correlated or corresponding thereto; and flow rate (flow velocity), and flow rate information correlated or corresponding thereto.

[0043] Hereinafter, the state information, in particular, the composition information of the product gas, the material state information of the product gas, and the flow rate information of the product gas, may be collectively referred to as product information. Also, below, the state information, in particular, the composition information of the residual gas, the material state information of the residual gas, and the flow rate information of the residual gas, may be collectively referred to as residue information. Also, below, the state information, in particular, the information relating to the state of separation in the separation unit 2 may be collectively referred to as separation information.

[0044] As an example, the monitoring unit 3 includes a product monitoring unit 30 that executes a product information acquisition step to acquire product information, and residue monitoring units 31 and 32 that execute a residue information acquisition step to acquire residue information. As one form of monitoring the state of the processing unit 1, the monitoring unit 3 can monitor the product gas flowing through the pipe 73, which is the delivery unit. As another form of monitoring the state of the processing unit 1, the monitoring unit 3 can also monitor the residue gas flowing through the pipes 81 and 82.

[0045] The product monitoring unit 30 and the residue monitoring units 31, 32 may be one or more measuring devices, analytical devices, detection devices, or a combination thereof. Examples of the product monitoring unit 30 and the residue monitoring units 31, 32 include an ultrasonic gas concentration meter, a gas analyzer using NDIR (Non-Dispersive Infrared Absorption), and a gas analyzer using vacuum deep ultraviolet spectroscopy, which can acquire at least one piece of information related to the concentration and composition of the product gas and the residue gas. For example, an ultrasonic gas concentration meter can acquire information related to the concentration and composition of the product gas and the residue gas. A gas analyzer using NDIR or vacuum deep ultraviolet spectroscopy can acquire information related to the absorbance of the product gas and the residue gas. Other examples of the product monitoring unit 30 and the residue monitoring units 31, 32 are measuring instruments such as mass flowmeters and flow rate meters that acquire information related to the mass of the product gas and the residue gas. The product monitoring unit 30 and residue monitoring units 31 and 32 are not limited to these, and may be selected appropriately depending on the state of the product gas and residue gas.

[0046] The product monitor 30 may be installed online or in-line with the piping 73 .

[0047] The residue monitoring units 31 and 32 may be installed online or inline in the pipes 81 and 82 .

[0048] The recovery unit 4 is a recovery mechanism that performs a recovery process to recover raw gas components from the residual gas as the gas to be treated (residual gas). The recovery unit 4 may, for example, have a separation membrane that separates the raw gas components from the gas to be treated and recovers the raw gas components. Examples of separation membranes include organosilica membranes, zeolite membranes, polyimide membranes, silicone membranes, carbon membranes, ionic liquid membranes, graphite oxide membranes, MXene membranes, and metal organic frameworks (MOF) membranes. The separation membrane may be selected depending on the components contained in the precursor, etc., the components contained in the product gas, and the components contained in the residual gas, and is not limited to the examples given above.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 1 , the recovery unit 4 includes a first recovery unit 4A that receives a supply of residual gas from a pipe 81 and delivers a concentrated gas obtained by recovering raw material gas components from the residual gas to a pipe 83, and a second recovery unit 4B that receives a supply of residual gas from a pipe 82 and delivers a concentrated gas obtained by recovering raw material gas components from the residual gas to a pipe 84. The first recovery unit 4A and the second recovery unit 4B may have basically the same structure. An example is shown in which a gas pump mechanism such as a dry pump is disposed in the pipes 81 and 82 to suck the residual gas from the separation unit 2 and deliver it to the recovery unit 4. Below, the first recovery unit 4A is illustrated and will be described as the recovery unit 4. In this embodiment, the first recovery unit 4A and the second recovery unit 4B have the same basic configuration, so a separate description of the second recovery unit 4B will be omitted in principle, with supplementary information provided as needed.

[0050] The recovery section 4 (first recovery section 4A) may, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, have one or more recovery units having separation membranes and a distribution section 5 that distributes the gas to be treated to these recovery units. FIG. 4 illustrates a case in which the recovery section 4 has two or more recovery units as recovery units. Specifically, this illustrates a case in which the recovery section 4 has a first separation recovery device 41 (first recovery unit), a second separation recovery device 42 (second recovery unit), and a third separation recovery device 43 (third recovery unit) as recovery units. Hereinafter, the first separation recovery device 41, the second separation recovery device 42, and the third separation recovery device 43 may be collectively referred to simply as recovery units.

[0051] As shown in Figure 5, the first separation and recovery device 41 has a membrane section 410 having a separation membrane (e.g., cylindrical), a cylindrical container 419 that houses the membrane section 410, an inlet pipe 411 that introduces the gas to be treated into the container 419, an outlet pipe 412 that sends out concentrated gas in which the raw gas components have been concentrated to the next process, and an exhaust pipe 413 that exhausts waste gas (gas to be discarded), which is the residue of the gas to be treated after the concentrated gas has been recovered, outside the system.

[0052] In the example shown in FIG. 5 , of the gas to be treated introduced from the inlet pipe 411 into the first separation and recovery unit 41 (inside the container 419), some or all of the components other than the raw material gas components permeate the membrane unit 410 and are sent as waste gas via the exhaust pipe 413 to the exhaust pipe 85 (see FIG. 4 ) and exhausted to the outside of the system. In the case of the second recovery unit 4B, the waste gas is sent to the exhaust pipe 86 (see FIG. 4 ) and exhausted to the outside of the system. Of the gas to be treated introduced into the container 419, the gas that does not permeate the membrane unit 410, i.e., the concentrated gas in which the raw material gas components are concentrated, is sent to the delivery pipe 412. Nitrogen gas (N ) supplied to a dry pump or the like used for sending the gas to be treated may also be supplied to the first separation and recovery unit 41. The nitrogen gas supplied to the first separation and recovery unit 41 may be discarded together with the waste gas.

[0053] The second separation / recovery device 42 and the third separation / recovery device 43 shown in FIG. 4 may have the same structure as the first separation / recovery device 41 .

[0054] Of the gas to be treated introduced into the second separation and recovery machine 42 from the inlet pipe 421, some or all of the components other than the raw gas components permeate the membrane section 420 and are sent as waste gas via the exhaust pipe 423 to the exhaust pipe 85 (exhaust pipe 86 in the case of the second recovery section 4B) and discharged outside the system, and the concentrated gas is sent to the delivery pipe 422.

[0055] Of the gas to be treated introduced into the third separation and recovery machine 43 from the inlet pipe 431, some or all of the components other than the raw gas components permeate the membrane section 430 and are sent as waste gas via the exhaust pipe 433 to the exhaust pipe 85 (exhaust pipe 86 in the case of the second recovery section 4B) and discharged outside the system, and the concentrated gas is sent to the delivery pipe 432.

[0056] The separation membranes of the recovery units may be the same in size, structure, or type, or may be different from one another. For example, the membrane parts 410, 420, and 430 may be the same separation membrane, or may be different separation membranes.

[0057] Valve devices 41a, 42a, 43a that switch between a state in which the flow of the gas to be treated is permitted and a state in which the flow of the gas is prohibited may be disposed in the inlet pipes 411, 421, 431. Valve devices 41b, 42b, 43b that switch between a state in which the flow of the concentrated gas is permitted and a state in which the flow of the concentrated gas is prohibited may be disposed in the outlet pipes 412, 422, 432. The valve devices 41a, 42a, 43a and the valve devices 41b, 42b, 43b may be closed when there is no need to pass gas through the inlet pipes 411, 421, 431 or the outlet pipes 412, 422, 432 or when gas should not be passed ..., and may be opened when gas should be passed through the inlet pipes 411, 421, 431 or the outlet pipes 412, 422, 432.

[0058] 4, the distribution unit 5 is a flow path switching mechanism that can control the supply of gas, change of supply destination, and stop of supply, such as a valve device or flow rate control device that distributes the gas to the collection units. The distribution unit 5 distributes the gas to be treated to two or more collection units by switching between series, parallel, or independently based on status information. In this embodiment, the concept of distribution also includes cases where the gas to be treated is not supplied.

[0059] In this embodiment, as an example, the distribution unit 5 includes three-way valves 51, 52, and 53, a pipe 510 connecting the three-way valves 51 and 52, a pipe 520 connecting the three-way valves 52 and 53, and a pipe 530 connecting the three-way valve 53 and the pipe 83 or the pipe 84.

[0060] Pipe 510 is connected to a delivery pipe 412 through which concentrated gas is delivered from the first separation and recovery machine 41, and is capable of receiving a supply of concentrated gas from the first separation and recovery machine 41 via delivery pipe 412. Similarly, pipe 520 is connected to a delivery pipe 422, and is capable of receiving a supply of concentrated gas from the second separation and recovery machine 42. Furthermore, pipe 530 is connected to a delivery pipe 432, and is capable of receiving a supply of concentrated gas from the third separation and recovery machine 43.

[0061] The three-way valve 51 is connected to the pipe 81, the inlet pipe 411, and the pipe 510, and is switchable between a first state in which the gas to be treated supplied from the pipe 81 is supplied to the first separation and recovery machine 41 via the inlet pipe 411 and is not supplied to the pipe 510, and a second state in which the gas is supplied to the pipe 510 and is not supplied to the inlet pipe 411 or the first separation and recovery machine 41.

[0062] The three-way valve 52 is connected to the pipe 510, the inlet pipe 421, and the pipe 520, and is switchable between a first state in which the gas to be treated supplied from the pipe 510 is supplied to the second separation and recovery machine 42 via the inlet pipe 421 but is not supplied to the pipe 520, and a second state in which the gas is supplied to the pipe 520 but is not supplied to the inlet pipe 421 or the second separation and recovery machine 42.

[0063] The three-way valve 53 is connected to the pipe 520, the inlet pipe 431, and the pipe 530, and is switchable between a first state in which the gas to be treated supplied from the pipe 520 is supplied to the third separation and recovery machine 43 via the inlet pipe 431 but not to the pipe 530, and a second state in which the gas is supplied to the pipe 530 but not to the inlet pipe 431 or the third separation and recovery machine 43.

[0064] The distribution unit 5 connects two or more recovery units in series or switches between them individually by switching the states of the three-way valves 51, 52, and 53, and supplies the gas to be treated to these recovery units to obtain concentrated gas.

[0065] As shown in Fig. 1, the concentrated gas delivered to the pipes 83 and 84 is returned to the cylinder units S1 and S2, mixed again in the mixer 89, and reused as a raw material gas. Note that Fig. 1 illustrates a case in which the concentrated gas delivered to the pipes 83 and 84 is returned to the cylinder units S1 and S2, but the concentrated gas delivered to the pipes 83 and 84 is not limited to being returned to the cylinder units S1 and S2, and may also be returned to the pipes 79a and 79b or to the mixer 89. The configuration of the pipes when the concentrated gas is reused as a raw material gas is not limited to the example shown in this embodiment, and can be modified as appropriate.

[0066] In this way, concentrated gas is obtained from the residual gas and reused on-site as raw material gas, thereby reducing the amount of raw material gas used in the gas supply device 100, and thereby enabling the product gas to be efficiently generated and supplied by the gas supply device 100 on-site where it is to be used.

[0067] 2, the operation control of the control unit C and the gas supply device 100 will be described. As described above, the operation control of the gas supply device 100 may be performed by the control unit C. That is, the operation and control of the processing unit 1, the monitoring unit 3, and the collection unit 4 may be performed based on commands from the control unit C.

[0068] The control unit C is a central control mechanism of the gas supply apparatus 100 that controls the supply source S, the processing unit 1, the monitoring unit 3, and the recovery unit 4. The control unit C includes one or more processors. In one embodiment, the "processor" may be, but is not limited to, a general-purpose processor or a dedicated processor specialized for a specific process. The processor may be, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or the like. The control unit C may control the entire gas supply apparatus 100, including the processing unit 1, the monitoring unit 3, and the recovery unit 4.

[0069] The memory unit M can store programs and parameters for controlling the gas supply device 100, such as the supply source S, the processing unit 1, the monitoring unit 3, and the recovery unit 4, as well as status information related to the status of various operations. The memory unit M can include any memory module including an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), a ROM (Read-Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The memory unit M can function as, for example, a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit M is not limited to being built into the gas supply device 100, but may also be an external database or an external memory module connected via a digital input / output port such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) port.

[0070] The supply source S, processing unit 1, monitoring unit 3, recovery unit 4, memory unit M, and control unit C may be electrically connected so as to be able to communicate with each other via a transmission path such as a bus, as shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 illustrates a case in which a setting value input unit 18 for inputting setting information for the gas supply device 100, such as setting parameters for the reaction in the reaction chamber 10 (see FIG. 1 ) of the processing unit 1 and the separation process in the separation unit 2 (see FIG. 1 ), is further connected to an alarm unit 19 for notifying status information and other operational information of the gas supply device 100. An example of the alarm unit 19 is a speaker or monitor that notifies status information stored in the memory unit M and other operational information of the gas supply device 100 by voice (e.g., alarm sound) or image display. If the alarm unit 19 has a monitor, the monitor may be a touch panel and also serve as the setting value input unit 18.

[0071] 1 , the control unit C may control the state of the processing unit 1 based on the setting parameters and status information (particularly, product information) acquired by the monitoring unit 3. In other words, the processing unit 1 may control the state of its processing based on the setting parameters and status information. The control unit C may control the reaction of the source gas in the reaction chamber 10 of the processing unit 1 based on the setting parameters and status information. The control unit C may control the state of separation in the separation unit 2 based on the setting parameters and status information.

[0072] For example, the control unit C may control the state of the reaction in the reaction chamber 10 and the state of the separation in the separation unit 2 so that at least one of the concentration and composition of the product gas is kept constant.

[0073] Specifically, for example, if the concentration of a specified component in the product gas or the composition of the product gas differs from a target value (one example of the above-mentioned setting parameter, the target quality of the product gas supplied to the process chamber 9), the amount of energy supplied to the reaction field in the reaction chamber 10 may be increased or decreased depending on the degree of the difference, thereby controlling the reaction in the reaction chamber 10 to promote or suppress the concentration of the specified component in the product gas or the composition of the product gas to approach the target value.

[0074] Furthermore, for example, if the concentration of a predetermined component in the product gas or the composition of the product gas differs from a target value (one example of the above-mentioned setting parameter, the target quality of the product gas supplied to the process chamber 9), at least one of the supply rate of the raw material gas supplied from the supply source S (cylinder units S1, S2), the supply pressure of the raw material gas, and the supply ratio of the raw material gas components may be changed depending on the degree of the difference, thereby changing the supply rate, supply pressure, and supply ratio of the gas components supplied to the reaction chamber 10 and the separation unit 2, thereby promoting or suppressing the reaction in the reaction chamber 10 so that the concentration of the predetermined component in the product gas or the composition of the product gas approaches the target value, or controlling the state of separation in the separation unit 2 (for example, the gas separation performance such as the permeability coefficient).

[0075] These controls enable the product gas to be efficiently generated by the gas supply device 100 at the site where the product gas is to be used. Furthermore, when the product gas is generated by the gas supply device 100 at the site where the product gas is to be used, the product gas can be supplied stably.

[0076] Examples of the amount of energy supplied to the reaction field in the reaction chamber 10 include the plasma output in a plasma reactor, the current output in an electrochemical reactor, the amount of heat supplied in a high-temperature reactor, and the amount of light in a photoreactor.

[0077] The control unit C controls the distribution unit 5 of the recovery unit 4 based on the setting parameters and the status information, particularly the residue information, acquired by the monitoring unit 3, and distributes the gas to be treated to two or more recovery units by switching between series, parallel, or individual operation. Note that information related to the performance and characteristics of the separation membranes of the first separation recovery unit 41, the second separation recovery unit 42, and the third separation recovery unit 43 (see FIG. 4) is another example of the setting parameters.

[0078] The following describes an example of distribution by the distributor 5 in the collection unit 4 based on the control of the control unit C. The following describes the distributor 5 of the first collection unit 4A as an example, but the same applies to the distributor 5 of the second collection unit 4B.

[0079] 4 shows an example in which the first separation and recovery unit 41, the second separation and recovery unit 42, and the third separation and recovery unit 43 have separation membranes with the same characteristics. In the distribution unit 5, when the three-way valves 51, 52, and 53 are in the first state, the first separation and recovery unit 41, the second separation and recovery unit 42, and the third separation and recovery unit 43 are connected in series in this order, and the gas to be treated flows through them in this order.

[0080] For example, when the amount of raw gas components in the residual gas supplied from pipe 81 as the gas to be treated is large (for example, when the concentration of the raw gas components is high or the flow rate of the residual gas is high), it may be possible to improve the recovery rate of the raw gas components in the concentrated gas by connecting two or more recovery units in series and bringing the gas to be treated into contact with a separation membrane with a larger area.

[0081] For example, in the distribution section 5, if the three-way valves 51 and 53 are in the first state and the three-way valve 52 is in the second state, the first separation and recovery unit 41 and the third separation and recovery unit 43 are connected in series in this order, the gas to be treated flows through them in this order, and the gas to be treated does not flow through the second separation and recovery unit 42. For example, if the amount of raw material gas components in the residue gas supplied from the pipe 81 as the gas to be treated is not particularly large, it may be possible to use one or two recovery units (in this example, the first separation and recovery unit 41 and the third separation and recovery unit 43) for recovery processing and rest the remaining recovery unit (in this example, the second separation and recovery unit 42).

[0082] In another example, in the distribution section 5, when the three-way valve 51 is in the first state and the three-way valves 52 and 53 are in the second state, only the first separation and recovery machine 41 is used alone for recovery processing.

[0083] By changing the combination of the states of the three-way valves 51, 52, and 53 in the distribution unit 5, two or more recovery units used in the recovery process can be connected in series, or one recovery unit can be switched independently. Hereinafter, the combination of the states of the three-way valves 51, 52, and 53 in the distribution unit 5 may be referred to as the distribution state of the distribution unit 5. Also, below, changing (switching) the combination of the states of the three-way valves 51, 52, and 53 may be referred to as changing the distribution state of the distribution unit 5.

[0084] That is, the control unit C (see Figures 1 and 2) changes the distribution state of the distribution unit 5 to a state in which two or more recovery units are connected in series in an arrangement according to the concentration (residue information) of the raw material gas components in the residual gas, and may also switch the distribution state of the distribution unit 5 to a state in which the recovery unit is alone, thereby distributing (supplying) the residual gas to these recovery units in series or to a single recovery unit.

[0085] In addition, if there is a recovery unit that is out of service due to the distribution state of the distribution section 5, maintenance work such as replacing the separation membrane can be performed on the out-of-service recovery unit during the period it is out of service.

[0086] In the above example, as shown in Figure 1, the control unit C changes the distribution state of the distribution unit 5 according to the concentration (residue information) of the raw material gas components in the residual gas, and switches the combination and connection state (series, individual) of the recovery units to be used. However, changing the distribution state of the distribution unit 5 is not limited to being done according to the concentration of the raw material gas components in the residual gas.

[0087] For example, the control unit C may change the distribution state of the distributor 5 in accordance with the composition of the gas in the residual gas (another example of residue information). Specifically, the control unit C may change the distribution state of the distributor 5 by selecting a recovery unit that is suitable for the type of raw material gas component in the residual gas or a by-product gas (e.g., a gas generated in the reaction chamber 10 and contained in the residual gas). That is, the control unit C can select at least one recovery unit that is suitable for the composition of the residual gas and change the distribution state of the distributor 5 so that the residual gas is supplied to the selected recovery unit as the gas to be treated. For example, if the recovery unit 4 has a recovery unit (first recovery unit) using a first separation membrane and another recovery unit (second recovery unit) using a different type of separation membrane from the first recovery unit, the control unit C can change the distribution state of the distributor 5 so that the residual gas is supplied to a more suitable recovery unit based on the residue information and information related to the type of separation membrane of each recovery unit.

[0088] The control unit C may select at least one recovery unit that is compatible with the composition in the residual gas, and when changing the distribution state of the distribution unit 5 so as to supply the residual gas as the gas to be treated to the selected recovery unit, the control unit C may change the distribution state of the distribution unit 5 so as to connect two or more recovery units in series in an arrangement according to the composition of the residual gas, and supply the residual gas to the recovery unit.

[0089] A specific example is as follows: When the separation membranes of the first separation recovery unit 41 and the second separation recovery unit 42 shown in Fig. 4 are suitable for gas type A (an example of a raw material gas component) (for example, they do not allow gas type A to pass through), and the separation membrane of the third separation recovery unit 43 is unsuitable for gas type A (for example, they allow gas type A to pass through), the control unit C (see Figs. 1 and 2) may change the distribution state of the distribution unit 5 so that the first separation recovery unit 41 and the second separation recovery unit 42 are used in series or independently for recovery processing.

[0090] Furthermore, if the separation membrane of the first separation and recovery device 41 is not compatible with gas type B (an example of a by-product) (for example, is easily degraded by gas type B), and the separation membranes of the second separation and recovery device 42 and the third separation and recovery device 43 are compatible with gas type B, the control unit C (see Figures 1 and 2) may change the distribution state of the distribution unit 5 so that the second separation and recovery device 42 and the third separation and recovery device 43 are used in series or individually for recovery processing.

[0091] In the above example, the controller C shown in FIG. 1 changes the distribution state of the distributor 5 in accordance with the residue information, and switches the combination and connection state of the collection units to be used between series and individual. However, the change in the distribution state of the distributor 5 and the change in the combination and connection state of the collection units to be used in accordance with the residue information are not limited to the above example. By changing the layout of the valves and piping of the collection unit 4 and distributor 5, it is possible to change the distribution state of the distributor 5 in accordance with the residue information, and switch the combination and connection state of the collection units to be used between series, parallel, or individual.

[0092] As described above, the first recovery section 4A and the second recovery section 4B have the same basic configuration, but the combination of recovery units in the first recovery section 4A and the second recovery section 4B and the separation membranes used in each recovery unit may be different depending on the composition of the target gas to be recovered. Furthermore, the operation control and distribution state of the distribution section 5 of the first recovery section 4A and the operation control and distribution state of the distribution section 5 of the second recovery section 4B may also be different depending on the composition of the target gas to be recovered.

[0093] The source gas, product gas, and residue gas that can be used in the gas supply device 100 according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0094] The source gas may contain at least one component selected from a CF-based gas, a CHF-based gas, a chlorine-based gas, a bromine-based gas, an iodine-based gas, and a hydride-based gas as a source gas component. The source gas may be a mixture of these exemplary gases, and may contain at least one component selected from these exemplary gases.

[0095] Examples of CF-based gases are CF4, C2F6, and C4F8.

[0096] Examples of CHF-based gases are CH3F, CHF3, and C3H2F4.

[0097] Examples of chlorine-based gases are ClF3, HCl, and Cl2.

[0098] Examples of bromine-based gases are BrF, BrCl, and Br2.

[0099] Examples of iodine-based gases are IF, IBr, and ICl, I2.

[0100] Examples of hydride-based gases are AsH3, GeH4, and SiH4.

[0101] The raw material gas components that the raw material gas may contain are not limited to the gases exemplified above. For example, the raw material gas may contain components that serve as sources of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, etc., depending on the product gas to be produced. Specifically, the raw material gas may contain, for example, CO, CO, hydrocarbon gas, HO, H, N, and ammonia as sources of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen.

[0102] Examples of product gas components of the product gas are CF, COF, AsH, GeH, GeH, SiH, SiH, and GeH. The product gas may be a mixture of these example gases, and the product gas may include at least one component selected from these example gases.

[0103] Specific examples of combinations of source gases, precursor gases, and product gases in the gas supply device 100 are as follows:

[0104] A raw material gas containing CF4 and CO2 as raw material gas components can be reacted to obtain a precursor gas or product gas containing CF4, CO2, and COF2, a product gas consisting of CF4, or a product gas consisting of COF2. The product gas consisting of CF4 can be obtained by separating CF4 as a product gas from a precursor gas containing CF4, CO2, and COF2 using the separation unit 2. The product gas consisting of COF2 can be obtained by separating COF2 as a product gas from a precursor gas containing CF4, CO2, and COF2 using the separation unit 2. If the residual gas contains CF4 or CO2, these can be recovered and reused as raw material gas components.

[0105] A source gas containing H as a carrier gas and ASH as a source gas component can produce a product gas containing ASH at a higher concentration (e.g., twice the concentration) than the source gas, with H as the carrier gas. In this case, in processing unit 1, the source gas is not reacted in reaction chamber 10, or is introduced to separation unit 2 bypassing reaction chamber 10, where H is separated from the source gas as a residual gas, and the remainder is obtained as a product gas. If ASH is contained in the residual gas, it can be recovered and reused as a source gas component.

[0106] A precursor gas containing H as a carrier gas and GeH as a source gas component can be reacted to obtain a precursor gas or product gas containing GeH and GeH, with H as the carrier gas. The ratio of GeH, GeH, and H can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of energy supplied to the reaction site in the reaction chamber 10 to increase or decrease the amount of GeH produced, or by separating GeH and H from the precursor gas as residual gas in the separation unit 2, and obtaining the remainder as product gas. If GeH is included in the residual gas, it can be recovered and reused as a source gas component.

[0107] A precursor gas or product gas containing SiH, GeH, and SiH, GeH, and having H as a carrier gas, can be obtained by reacting a source gas containing H as a carrier gas. The ratio of SiH, GeH, SiH, GeH, and H can be adjusted by increasing or decreasing the amount of energy supplied to the reaction site in the reaction chamber 10 or by increasing or decreasing the amount of components separated from the precursor gas and left as a residue gas in the separation unit 2. If the residue gas contains SiH or GeH, these can be recovered and reused as source gas components.

[0108] As described above, it is possible to provide a gas supply device, a gas supply system, and a gas supply method that can efficiently generate and supply industrial gas at the site where the industrial gas is used.

[0109] [Other Embodiments] (1) In the above embodiment, the processing section 1 shown in Fig. 1 has the reaction chamber 10 and the separation section 2. However, the reaction chamber 10 is not essential to the processing section 1, and the processing section 1 may not have the reaction chamber 10.

[0110] When the processing unit 1 does not have a reaction chamber 10, the raw material gas components of the raw material gas may be the same as the product gas components of the product gas. The separation unit 2 may concentrate the raw material gas components (i.e., the product gas components) from the raw material gas to obtain the product gas. A specific example of this concentration would be the following: When the raw material gas contains 5% by volume of B2H6 and 95% by volume of N2, and the product gas component of the product gas is B2H6, a gas enriched in B2H6 (e.g., a gas containing 20% ​​by volume of B2H6 and 80% by volume of N2) is obtained as the product gas.

[0111] If the processing section 1 does not have a reaction chamber 10, the status information does not include information relating to the state of the reaction in the reaction chamber 10, but includes only information relating to the state of separation in the separation section 2 (separation information). If the processing section 1 does not have a reaction chamber 10, the status information may be separation information. That is, the separation information includes at least one of product information and residue information.

[0112] If the processing unit 1 does not have a reaction chamber 10, the control unit C may control the state of separation in the separation unit 2 so that at least one of the concentration and composition of the product gas is constant. For example, if the concentration of a predetermined component in the product gas or the composition of the product gas differs from a target value, at least one of the supply rate of the raw material gas supplied from the supply source S, the supply pressure of the raw material gas, and the supply ratio of the raw material gas components may be changed depending on the degree of the difference, thereby changing the supply rate of the raw material gas supplied to the separation unit 2, the supply pressure of the raw material gas, and the supply ratio of the raw material gas components, thereby adjusting the state of separation in the separation unit 2 (e.g., gas separation performance such as the permeability coefficient) so that the concentration of the predetermined component in the product gas or the composition of the product gas approaches the target value.

[0113] (2) In the above embodiment, the separation unit 2 has been described as having the first separator 21 and the second separator 22. However, depending on the compositions and required specifications of the feed gas and the product gas, the separation unit 2 may have only the first separator 21, or may have, in addition to the first separator 21 and the second separator 22, one or more separators having separation membranes appropriate for the components of the gas to be separated.

[0114] (3) In the above embodiment, the stripping unit 4 has been described as having the first stripping unit 4A and the second stripping unit 4B. However, depending on the compositions and required specifications of the source gas and the product gas, the stripping unit 4 may have only the first stripping unit 4A, or may have one or more additional stripping units in addition to the first stripping unit 4A and the second stripping unit 4B.

[0115] (4) In the above embodiment, the processing unit 1 has been described as having the reaction chamber 10 and the separation unit 2. The precursor gas produced in the reaction chamber 10 is supplied from the reaction chamber 10 to the separation unit 2 via the piping 72 connecting the reaction chamber 10 and the separation unit 2. However, the processing unit 1 is not limited to having the reaction chamber 10 and the separation unit 2, and may include other devices and mechanisms.

[0116] For example, as shown in Fig. 6, the processing unit 1 may have a storage unit 12 such as a storage container for storing a precursor gas. Fig. 6 shows a case in which the storage unit 12 is connected to the reaction chamber 10 and the separation unit 2 via a pipe 72a connected to a pipe 72. A portion of the precursor gas produced in the reaction chamber 10 may be stored in the storage unit 12. Furthermore, the precursor gas may be supplied from the storage unit 12 to the separation unit 2.

[0117] For example, when the amount of precursor gas supplied from reaction chamber 10 to separation unit 2 increases or decreases, the excess precursor gas can be temporarily stored in storage unit 12, and when a shortage of precursor gas occurs, precursor gas can be supplied from storage unit 12 to separation unit 2 to make up for this. This allows separation unit 2 to separate product gas from the precursor gas stored in storage unit 12. Therefore, it may be possible to ensure a stable supply of product gas when generating the product gas at the site where it is used.

[0118] (5) In the above embodiment, the processing unit 1 includes the reaction chamber 10 and the separation unit 2. However, the separation unit 2 is not essential to the processing unit 1, and the processing unit 1 may not include the separation unit 2.

[0119] When the processing unit 1 does not have the separation unit 2, the precursor gas described in the above embodiment becomes the product gas. When the processing unit 1 does not have the separation unit 2, the gas supply device 100 does not need to have the recovery unit 4.

[0120] The configurations disclosed in the above embodiments (including other embodiments, the same applies hereinafter) can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments, as long as no contradiction occurs. Furthermore, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples, and the embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited thereto and can be appropriately modified within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0121] The present disclosure can be applied to a gas supply device, a gas supply system, and a gas supply method.

[0122] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1: Processing section 10: Reaction chamber 100: Gas supply device 12: Storage section 18: Set value input section 19: Notification section 2: Separation section 200: Gas supply system 21: First separator 22: Second separator 211: Membrane section 219: Container 221: Membrane section 229: Container 29: Piping 3: Monitoring section 30: Product monitoring section 31: Residue monitoring section 32: Residue monitoring section 4: Recovery section 41: First separation recovery machine (recovery unit) 410: Membrane section 411: Inlet piping 412: Delivery piping 413: Exhaust piping 419: Container 41a: Valve device 41b: Valve device 42: Second separation recovery machine (recovery unit) 420: Membrane section 421 : Introduction pipe 422 : Delivery pipe 42a : Valve device 42b : Valve device 423 : Exhaust pipe 43 : Third separation and recovery machine (recovery unit) 430 : Membrane section 431 : Introduction pipe 432 : Delivery pipe 433 : Exhaust pipe 43a : Valve device 43b : Valve device 4A : First recovery section 4B : Second recovery section 5 : Distribution section 51 : Three-way valve 510 : Pipe 52 : Three-way valve 520 : Pipe 53 : Three-way valve 530 : Pipe 71 : Pipe (introduction section) 72 : Pipe 73 : Pipe (delivery section) 74 : Pipe 79 : Supply pipe group 79a : Pipe 79b : Pipe 81 : Pipe 81a : Pump 82 : Pipe 82a : Pump 83 : Piping 84 : Piping 85 : Exhaust pipe 86 : Exhaust pipe 89 : Mixer 9 : Process chamber C : Control unit M : Memory unit S : Supply source S1 : Cylinder unit S2 : Cylinder unit

Claims

1. A gas supply device comprising: a processing unit that obtains a product gas and a residual gas from a raw material gas containing raw material gas components; a residue monitoring unit that obtains residue information including information related to the state of the residual gas; and a recovery unit that recovers the raw material gas components from the residual gas, wherein the recovery unit has two or more recovery units that recover the raw material gas components from the residual gas; and a distribution unit that distributes the residual gas to the recovery units, and the distribution unit distributes the residual gas by switching the two or more recovery units in series, in parallel, or independently based on the residue information.

2. The gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the recovery unit has a gas separation membrane.

3. The gas supply device according to claim 1, wherein the recovery unit has a gas separation membrane, and the recovery section has two or more recovery units, including a first recovery unit and a second recovery unit having a different type of separation membrane from that of the first recovery unit.

4. A gas supply device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the distributor selects at least one of the recovery units that is compatible with the composition of the residual gas, and supplies the residual gas to the selected recovery unit.

5. The gas supply device according to claim 4, wherein the distributor connects two or more recovery units in series in an arrangement according to the composition of the residual gas, and supplies the residual gas to the recovery units.

6. A gas supply device as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the distribution section connects two or more recovery units in series in an arrangement according to the concentration of the raw material gas components in the residual gas, and supplies the residual gas to the recovery units.

7. A gas supply system comprising a gas supply device and a process chamber that consumes gas supplied from the gas supply device, wherein the gas supply device has a processing unit that obtains a product gas and a residual gas from a raw material gas containing raw material gas components, a residue monitoring unit that obtains residue information including information related to the state of the residual gas, and a recovery unit that recovers the raw material gas components from the residual gas, wherein the recovery unit has two or more recovery units that recover the raw material gas components from the residual gas, and a distribution unit that distributes the residual gas to the recovery units, and the distribution unit distributes the residual gas by switching between two or more recovery units in series, in parallel, or independently based on the residue information.

8. A gas supply method comprising: a product gasification process for reacting a raw material gas containing raw material gas components to obtain a product gas and a residue gas; a residue information acquisition process for acquiring residue information including information relating to the state of the residue gas; and a recovery process for recovering the raw material gas components from the residue gas, wherein in the recovery process, the residual gas is distributed by switching between two or more recovery units that recover the raw material gas components from the residue gas in series, parallel, or independently based on the residue information.

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