Enclosed Flow Switch and Isolation Valve for Semiconductor Vent Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current semiconductor processing systems face inefficiencies and increased costs due to oversizing of vent and inert/diluent flows to mitigate risks associated with hazardous materials, leading to unnecessary emissions and higher operational expenses.
Innovation Solution
A flow control arrangement incorporating a housing with an isolation valve and flow switch, which closes when the fluid flow exceeds a predetermined shutoff trigger, allowing for undersized vent and inert/diluent flows that match the actual processing needs, reducing emissions and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If vent flow and inert/diluent flow rates are oversized to match the maximum flow rating of the flow control device, then safety risk mitigation is improved, but operational costs and environmental emissions increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the vent flow and inert/diluent flow rates based on the actual flow rate of hazardous materials detected by the flow switch. Instead of maintaining fixed oversized flow rates, the system continuously adapts the safety flows to match the actual processing needs, thereby maintaining safety while reducing unnecessary energy consumption and emissions.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow switch provides real-time feedback on the actual flow rate of hazardous materials to the control system. This feedback mechanism enables the system to adjust vent and inert/diluent flow rates dynamically, ensuring that safety flows are appropriately sized based on actual conditions rather than worst-case assumptions, thus resolving the contradiction between safety and efficiency.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If vent flow and inert/diluent flow rates are sized according to maximum flow rating, then hazard protection is improved, but actual processing efficiency deteriorates due to unnecessary flow rates
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static oversized flow rates to dynamic flow rate adjustment based on actual processing needs. The vent and inert/diluent flows are continuously adapted to match the actual hazardous material flow rate, eliminating unnecessary flows that reduce processing efficiency while maintaining adequate hazard protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the flow rate parameters of vent and inert/diluent flows from fixed maximum values to variable values that track the actual hazardous material flow rate. This parameter adjustment allows the system to maintain safety margins while optimizing processing efficiency by eliminating excess flows.
3Reliability
If flow control devices are housed within ventilated enclosures, then leakage risk mitigation is improved, but system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the flow switch from the enclosed housing and positions it in the flow line where it can directly monitor the hazardous material flow. This eliminates the need for complex ventilated enclosures and internal wiring, simplifying the system while maintaining leakage risk mitigation through direct flow monitoring and automatic shutoff capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The flow switch acts as an intermediary device that directly interfaces with the hazardous material flow to detect flow rate conditions. By positioning the flow switch in the flow line rather than within the enclosure, the system eliminates the need for complex enclosure ventilation systems while maintaining safety through direct flow monitoring.
Data Source
AI summary
A flow control arrangement includes a housing, an isolation valve, and a flow switch. The housing seats an inlet conduit and an outlet conduit. The isolation valve is arranged in the housing and is connected to the inlet conduit. The flow switch is arranged in the housing, is connected to the isolation valve, and fluidly couples the outlet conduit to the isolation valve. The flow switch further has a shutoff trigger and is operatively connected to the isolation valve to close the isolation valve when flow traversing the isolation valve is greater than the shutoff trigger. Semiconductor processing systems and flow control methods are also provided.