Fluid supply line

Abstract

Provided is a fluid supply line capable of sufficiently and uniformly heating a gas flowing through a gas line. A fluid supply line (1) comprises: a first line portion (3A) having a first surface (3C) and a second surface (3D) that extend along the flow direction of a fluid and are positioned opposite each other; a second line portion (3B) which is disposed in parallel with the first line portion (3A), has an end connected to an end of the first line portion (3A), and has a third surface (3E) and a fourth surface (3F) that extend along the flow direction of a fluid and are positioned opposite each other; a gas line (3) in which the first surface (3C) and the third surface (3E) face each other in a direction perpendicular to the flow direction of the fluid; a heater (6A) installed along the second surface (3D) and the fourth surface (3F); and an aluminum block (4) for transferring heat from the heater (6A) to the first surface (3C) and the third surface (3E).

Description

Fluid supply line

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a fluid supply line used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus or the like.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a fluid control device in which a heater is attached to a gas line disposed on a base plate by a heater clip. The gas line is composed of a plurality of joints and a plurality of fluid control devices.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2020 - 159445

[0004] Although the gas line of Patent Document 1 is configured in a straight line, when it is installed in a highly integrated fluid control device, there may be a case where a space for arranging the gas line in a straight line cannot be secured due to layout constraints. In that case, it is conceivable to arrange the joints and the fluid control devices so as to fold the row of gas lines. When the row of gas lines is folded, there is only a narrow space inside the folded gas line, so it is difficult to install a heater. Therefore, it is difficult to heat the gas flowing through the gas line sufficiently and evenly.

[0005] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a fluid supply line capable of heating the gas flowing through the gas line sufficiently and evenly.

[0006] In order to solve the above object, a fluid supply line according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a first line portion having a first surface and a second surface that extend along the flow direction of the fluid and are located on opposite sides of each other, and a second line portion that is arranged in parallel with the first line portion, has an end connected to the end of the first line portion, and has a third surface and a fourth surface that extend along the flow direction of the fluid and are located on opposite sides of each other. The first surface and the third surface face each other in a direction orthogonal to the flow direction of the fluid, a heater installed along the second surface and the fourth surface, and a heat conduction member that transmits heat from the heater to the first surface and the third surface.

[0007] The first line section and the second line section are composed of a plurality of joints and a plurality of fluid control devices fixed to the plurality of joints, the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface are composed of the sides of the plurality of joints and the sides of the plurality of fluid control devices, the first line section has a fifth surface that extends along the direction of fluid flow and is located on the opposite side of the plurality of joints from the surface on which the plurality of fluid control devices are installed, the second line section has a sixth surface that extends along the direction of fluid flow and is located on the opposite side of the plurality of joints from the surface on which the plurality of fluid control devices are installed, and the heat conducting member may be composed of the fifth surface, the sixth surface, and a first heat conducting section that is in contact with the heater, and a second heat conducting section that is connected to the first heat conducting section and is in contact with the first surface and the third surface.

[0008] The device further comprises a base plate on which the gas line, the heater, and the heat conduction member are installed, and an interlocking member disposed between the heat conduction member and the base plate, wherein the gas line is placed on the heat conduction member, and the heat conduction member may be fixed to the base plate with a gap formed between the base plate and the heat conduction member by the interlocking member.

[0009] To solve the above objectives, a fluid supply line according to one aspect of the present disclosure comprises: a first gas line having a first surface and a second surface extending along the direction of fluid flow and located on opposite sides of each other; a second gas line arranged in parallel with the first gas line and having a third surface and a fourth surface extending along the direction of fluid flow and located on opposite sides of each other, wherein the first surface and the third surface face each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow; a heater installed along the second surface and the fourth surface; and a heat conductive member that transmits heat from the heater to the first surface and the third surface.

[0010] According to this disclosure, it is possible to provide a fluid supply line that can sufficiently and uniformly heat the gas flowing through the gas line.

[0011] This is a perspective view of a fluid supply line according to the first embodiment. This is a top view of the fluid supply line in Figure 1. This is a perspective view of a fluid supply line with the heater section removed. This is a perspective view of a gas line. (a) is a perspective view of an aluminum block, and (b) is a side view of an aluminum block. (a) is a side view of a fluid supply line, and (b) is a cross-sectional view of the fluid supply line in (a) along VIb-VIb. This is a perspective view of a fluid supply line according to the second embodiment. This is a top view of the fluid supply line in Figure 7. This is a perspective view of a fluid supply line with the heater section removed.

[0012] A fluid supply line according to the first embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, up and down refer to the up and down directions in Figure 1, the fluid flow direction of the first line section 3A is defined as the first flow direction F1, the fluid flow direction of the second line section 3B is defined as the second flow direction F2, and the direction perpendicular to the first flow direction F1 and the second flow direction F2 is defined as the orthogonal direction D1.

[0013] Figure 1 is a perspective view of the fluid supply line 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 2 is a top view of the fluid supply line 1.

[0014] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the fluid supply line 1 comprises a base plate 2, a gas line 3, an aluminum block 4, a plurality of bosses 5 (see Figure 6(b)), and a heater section 6.

[0015] The base plate 2 is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, is flat, and is installed inside a gas box (not shown). The base plate 2 has a plurality of boss insertion holes 2a (see Figure 6(b)). The aluminum block 4 is fixed to the base plate 2 via a plurality of bosses 5, and the gas line 3 is placed on the aluminum block 4.

[0016] Figure 3 is a perspective view of the fluid supply line 1 with the heater section removed. Figure 4 is a perspective view of the gas line 3.

[0017] As shown in Figures 2-4, the gas line 3 has a first line section 3A and a second line section 3B. The first line section 3A has a first surface 3C and a second surface 3D that extend along a first fluid flow direction F1 and are located on opposite sides of each other. The second line section 3B has a third surface 3E and a fourth surface 3F that extend along a second fluid flow direction F2 and are located on opposite sides of each other. The flow direction F1 and the second flow direction F2 are opposite directions. The first surface 3C and the third surface 3E face each other in the orthogonal direction D1.

[0018] The first line section 3A and the second line section 3B each comprise an inlet pipe 7A, an outlet pipe 7B (see Figure 6), a plurality of fittings 8, and a plurality of fluid control devices 9 to 14. The inlet pipe 7A serves as the fluid inlet in the gas line 3. The outlet pipe 7B serves as the fluid outlet in the gas line 3. The plurality of fittings 8 are each block-shaped and are arranged so as to fold back once on the aluminum block 4. The fitting 8 located furthest downstream in the first line section 3A and furthest upstream in the second line section 3B connects the first line section 3A and the second line section 3B. Through this fitting 8, the first fluid flow direction F1 in the first line section 3A is reversed to the second fluid flow direction F2 in the second line section 3B.

[0019] Each of the fluid control devices 9-14 consists of a manual valve 9, automatic valves (e.g., fluid-driven automatic valves) 10-12, a manual regulator (pressure reducing valve) 13, and a pressure gauge 14. Each of the fluid control devices 9-14 is equipped with a fixing part 9A-14A. The fluid control devices 9-14 are fixed to their respective fittings 8 by inserting bolts 15 (only one bolt is given a reference number for simplification in the diagram) into the fixing parts 9A-14A.

[0020] The first surface 3C, the second surface 3D, the third surface 3E, and the fourth surface 3F are composed of the sides of each joint 8 and the sides of the fixing portions 9A to 14A of each fluid control device 9 to 14. The first line section 3A extends along the first flow direction F1 and has a fifth surface 3G (see also Figure 6(b)) located on the opposite side from the surface on which the multiple fluid control devices 9, 10, and 13 of the multiple joints 8 are installed. The second line section 3B extends along the second flow direction F2 and has a sixth surface 3H (see also Figure 6(b)) located on the opposite side from the surface on which the multiple fluid control devices 11, 12, and 14 of the multiple joints 8 are installed.

[0021] Figure 5(a) is a perspective view of the aluminum block 4, and Figure 5(b) is a side view of the aluminum block 4.

[0022] The aluminum block 4, which is a heat-conducting member, has a first block portion 4A and a second block portion 4B. The first block portion 4A has a plate-like portion 4A1 and a projection portion 4A2. The projection portion 4A2 is provided on the upper part of the plate-like portion 4A1 at the center of the direction D1 perpendicular to the plate-like portion 4A1. The second block portion 4B has a first heat-conducting portion 4B1 and a second heat-conducting portion 4B2. The first heat-conducting portion 4B1 is plate-like, and its end is connected to the plate-like portion 4A1 by bolts (not shown). The first heat-conducting portion 4B1 has a plurality of fixing holes 4c formed therein. Each fixing hole 4c is a counterbore. The second heat-conducting portion 4B2 is plate-like, extends along the first flow direction F1, and is provided perpendicular to the first heat-conducting portion 4B1 at the center of the direction D1 perpendicular to the first heat-conducting portion 4B1.

[0023] As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the plate-shaped portion 4A1 of the first block portion 4A is located on the downstream side of the first line portion 3A and abuts against the joint 8, fixing portions 13A and 14A located on the upstream side of the second line portion 3B. The projection 4A2 of the first block portion 4A is located above the joint 8. The first heat conduction passage portion 4B1 of the second block portion 4B is located below the first line portion 3A and the second line portion 3B and abuts against the fifth surface 3G, the sixth surface 3H, and the heater 6A. The second heat conduction portion 4B2 of the second block portion 4B is located between the first line portion 3A and the second line portion 3B and abuts against the first surface 3C and the third surface 3E. The second heat conduction portion 4B2 is configured to protrude above the fixing portions 9A to 14A in the vertical direction.

[0024] Figure 6(a) is a side view of the fluid supply line 1, and Figure 6(b) is a cross-sectional view of the fluid supply line 1 in Figure 6(a) along VIb-VIb.

[0025] As shown in Figure 6(b), each boss 5, which is an interlocking member, is inserted into each boss insertion hole 2a of the base plate 2. Each boss 5 is configured so that it cannot be pulled out of the boss insertion hole 2a to the upper side of the base plate 2. Each boss 5 has an internal thread formed on its inner circumference. The aluminum block 4 is fixed to the base plate 2 by inserting a bolt 5A into the fixing hole 4c of the first heat conduction part 4B1 and screwing it into the boss 5. Since the upper end of the boss 5 protrudes above the upper surface of the base plate 2, a gap 5b is formed between the base plate 2 and the aluminum block 4. In this way, the aluminum block 4 is fixed to the base plate 2 with a gap 5b formed between the base plate 2 and the aluminum block 4 by the multiple bosses 5.

[0026] As shown in Figure 1, the heater section 6 comprises a pair of heaters 6A and a clip 6B. The pair of heaters 6A are made of thin sheet metal such as stainless steel, a sheet heater (rubber heater), and a heat insulating material such as silicone sponge, and are substantially rectangular in shape. The pair of heaters 6A are installed along the second surface 3D, the fourth surface 3F, and the side surfaces of the plate-like section 4A1 and the first heat conductive section 4B1, respectively. The end of the heater 6A installed on the second surface 3D side is configured to extend downward. Each heater 6A is configured to protrude above the fixing sections 9A to 14A in the vertical direction.

[0027] The clip 6B is U-shaped and formed by bending a thin sheet metal such as stainless steel, and has a pair of side plates 6B1 and a connecting portion 6B2. The pair of side plates 6B1 of the clip 6B elastically clamp the pair of heaters 6A from the outside, thereby attaching the pair of heaters 6A to the gas line 3 and the aluminum block 4.

[0028] The heat from the pair of heaters 6A heats the gas (e.g., hydrogen fluoride) flowing in through the inlet pipe 7A and passing through the joints 8 and fluid control devices 9-14, preventing the gas from liquefying at room temperature. The heat from the pair of heaters 6A is transmitted to the first surface 3C of the first line section 3A and the third surface 3E of the second line section 3B via the first heat conduction section 4B1 and the second heat conduction section 4B2 of the aluminum block 4. In this way, by providing the aluminum block 4, the heat from the heaters 6A can be transmitted to the first surface 3C and the third surface 3E, which are the inner surfaces of the first line section 3A and the second line section 3B, making it possible to heat the gas sufficiently and evenly. Therefore, in a configuration in which the gas line 3 is folded, the gas flowing through the gas line 3 can be heated sufficiently and evenly while reducing the footprint in the arrangement direction. Furthermore, heat from the pair of heaters 6A is transmitted through the first block portion 4A of the aluminum block 4 to the joint 8 located at the furthest downstream side of the first line portion 3A and the furthest upstream side of the second line portion 3B, as well as to the fixed portions 13A and 14A. This also ensures that the gas flowing through the gas line 3 is heated sufficiently and evenly.

[0029] The aluminum block 4 is fixed to the base plate 2 with a gap formed between the base plate 2 and the aluminum block 4 by the boss 5. As a result, a layer of air is created between the aluminum block 4 and the base plate 2, making it difficult for heat transferred from the heater 6A to the aluminum block 4 to escape to the base plate 2, thereby improving the efficiency of heating via the aluminum block 4.

[0030] Next, a fluid supply line according to a second embodiment of this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, "up" and "down" refer to the up and down directions in Figure 7, the fluid flow direction of the first gas line 103A and the second gas line 103B will be defined as the flow direction F3, and the direction perpendicular to the flow direction F3 and the up and down direction will be defined as the orthogonal direction D2. The same reference numerals will be used for the same components as in the fluid supply line 1 of the first embodiment, and their descriptions will be omitted.

[0031] Figure 7 is a perspective view of the fluid supply line 101 according to the second embodiment. Figure 8 is a top view of the fluid supply line 101. Figure 9 is a perspective view of the fluid supply line 101 with the heater section removed.

[0032] As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the fluid supply line 101 comprises a base plate (not shown), a first gas line 103A, a second gas line 103B, an aluminum block 104, a plurality of bosses (not shown), and a heater section 106. The base plate (not shown) is made of a metal material such as stainless steel, is flat, and is installed inside a gas box (not shown). The aluminum block 104 is fixed to the base plate, and the first gas line 103A and the second gas line 103B are placed on the aluminum block 104.

[0033] As shown in Figures 7-9, the first gas line 103A has a first surface 103C and a second surface 103D that extend along the fluid flow direction F3 and are located on opposite sides of each other. The second gas line 103B has a third surface 103E and a fourth surface 103F that extend along the fluid flow direction F3 and are located on opposite sides of each other. The first surface 103C and the third surface 103E face each other in the orthogonal direction D2.

[0034] The first gas line 103A and the second gas line 103B each comprise an inlet pipe 7A, an outlet pipe 7B, a plurality of fittings 8, and a plurality of fluid control devices 9 to 14. The inlet pipe 7A serves as the fluid inlet for the first gas line 103A and the second gas line 103B. The outlet pipe 7B serves as the fluid outlet for the first gas line 103A and the second gas line 103B. The plurality of fittings 8 are each block-shaped and arranged in a row on the aluminum block 104. Each of the fluid control devices 9 to 14 is equipped with a fixing part 9A to 14A.

[0035] The first surface 103C, the second surface 103D, the third surface 103E, and the fourth surface 103F are composed of the sides of each joint 8 and the sides of the fixing portions 9A to 14A of each fluid control device 9 to 14. The first gas line 103A and the second gas line 103B extend along the flow direction F3 and have a fifth surface 103G and a sixth surface (not shown) located on the opposite side from the surface on which the multiple fluid control devices 9 to 14 of the multiple joints 8 are installed.

[0036] The aluminum block 104, which is a heat-conducting member, has a first heat-conducting portion 104A and a second heat-conducting portion 104B. The first heat-conducting portion 104A is plate-shaped and extends along the flow direction F3. The first heat-conducting portion 104A has a plurality of fixing holes (not shown) similar to the plurality of fixing holes 4c in the first embodiment. The second heat-conducting portion 104B is plate-shaped, extends along the flow direction F3, and is provided in the center of the first heat-conducting portion 104A in the direction D2 perpendicular to it.

[0037] The first heat conduction section 104A is located below the first gas line 103A and the second gas line 103B, and is in contact with the fifth surface 103G, the sixth surface (not shown), and the heater 106A described later. The second heat conduction section 104B is located between the first gas line 103A and the second gas line 103B, and is in contact with the first surface 103C and the third surface 103E. The second heat conduction section 104B is configured to protrude above the fixing sections 9A to 14A in the vertical direction.

[0038] Similar to the aluminum block 4 in the first embodiment, the aluminum block 104 in this embodiment is fixed to the base plate with a gap formed between the base plate and the aluminum block 104 by a plurality of bosses (not shown).

[0039] As shown in Figure 7, the heater section 106 comprises a pair of heaters 106A and a pair of clips 6B. The pair of heaters 106A are made of thin sheet metal such as stainless steel, sheet heaters (rubber heaters), and insulating materials such as silicone sponge, and are substantially rectangular in shape. The pair of heaters 106A are installed along the second surface 103D, the fourth surface 103F, and the side surface of the first heat conduction section 104A of the aluminum block 104, respectively. Each heater 106A is configured to protrude above the fixing sections 9A to 14A in the vertical direction.

[0040] A pair of clips 6B are positioned at both ends of the first gas line 103A and the second gas line 103B, respectively. The pair of side plates 6B1 of each clip 6B elastically clamp the pair of heaters 106A from the outside, thereby mounting the pair of heaters 106A to the first gas line 103A, the second gas line 103B, and the aluminum block 104. The heat from the pair of heaters 106A warms the gas (e.g., hydrogen fluoride) that flows in through the inlet pipe 7A and passes through the joints 8 and fluid control devices 9-14, preventing the liquefaction of gases that would normally liquefy at room temperature.

[0041] The fluid supply line 101 of this embodiment can achieve the same effects as the fluid supply line 1 of the first embodiment. With the fluid supply line 101, since there is no need to provide heaters between the adjacent first gas line 103A and second gas line 103B, the number of heaters can be reduced.

[0042] This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above. Those skilled in the art can make various additions and modifications within the scope of this disclosure.

[0043] For example, although the heat conduction members were the aluminum blocks 4 and 104, the members are not limited to those made of aluminum as long as they are made of a material having high heat conductivity. Although the boss 5 was used as the interposed member, it is not limited to the boss 5 as long as a gap 5b can be formed between the aluminum block 4 and the base plate 2.

[0044] In the above-described embodiment, the fluid control devices 1 and 101 include a manual valve, an automatic valve, a pressure gauge, and a regulator as fluid control devices, but may also include a mass flow controller, a filter, etc. in addition to these. The aluminum blocks 4 and 104 may be subjected to a surface treatment for improving heat transfer efficiency, such as anodizing or mirror finishing.

[0045] 1, 101: fluid control device, 2: base plate, 3: gas line, 3A: first line part, 3B: second line part, 3C, 103C: first surface, 3D, 103D: second surface, 3E, 103E: third surface, 3F, 103F: fourth surface, 3G, 103G: fifth surface, 3H: sixth surface, 4, 104: aluminum block, 5: boss, 5b: gap, 6A, 106A: heater, 8: joint, 9 to 14: fluid control devices, 103A: first gas line, 103B: second gas line

Claims

1. A fluid supply line comprising: a first line section having a first surface and a second surface extending in the direction of fluid flow and located opposite to each other; a second line section arranged in parallel to the first line section, with its end connected to the end of the first line section, and having a third surface and a fourth surface extending in the direction of fluid flow and located opposite to each other, wherein the first surface and the third surface face each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow; heaters installed along the second surface and the fourth surface; and heat conductive members that transmit heat from the heaters to the first surface and the third surface.

2. The fluid supply line according to claim 1, wherein the first line section and the second line section are composed of a plurality of joints and a plurality of fluid control devices fixed to the plurality of joints, the first surface, the second surface, the third surface, and the fourth surface are composed of the sides of the plurality of joints and the sides of the plurality of fluid control devices, the first line section has a fifth surface that extends along the direction of fluid flow and is located on the opposite side of the plurality of joints from the surface on which the plurality of fluid control devices are installed, the second line section has a sixth surface that extends along the direction of fluid flow and is located on the opposite side of the plurality of joints from the surface on which the plurality of fluid control devices are installed, and the heat conducting member is composed of the fifth surface, the sixth surface, and a first heat conducting section that is in contact with the heater, and a second heat conducting section that is connected to the first heat conducting section and is in contact with the first surface and the third surface.

3. The fluid supply line according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: a base plate on which the gas line, the heater, and the heat conduction member are installed; and an interlocking member disposed between the heat conduction member and the base plate, wherein the gas line is placed on the heat conduction member, and the heat conduction member is fixed to the base plate with a gap formed between the base plate and the heat conduction member by the interlocking member.

4. A fluid supply line comprising: a first gas line having a first surface and a second surface extending in the direction of fluid flow and located on opposite sides of each other; a second gas line arranged in parallel with the first gas line and having a third surface and a fourth surface extending in the direction of fluid flow and located on opposite sides of each other, wherein the first surface and the third surface face each other in a direction perpendicular to the direction of fluid flow; a heater installed along the second surface and the fourth surface; and a heat conductive member that transmits heat from the heater to the first surface and the third surface.

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