Heat exchange – With timer – programmer – time delay – or condition responsive... – Having heating and cooling capability
Reexamination Certificate
2000-05-12
2002-07-09
Ciric, Ljiljana (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
With timer, programmer, time delay, or condition responsive...
Having heating and cooling capability
C165S228000, C165S007000, C062S271000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06415859
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a dehumidified/humidified air supply apparatus for keeping the inside of a semiconductor production apparatus, etc., at a fixed humidity.
BACKGROUND ART
In order to dehumidify the inside of a semiconductor production apparatus or the like, it has been hitherto adopted that a refrigerating machine is installed directly to a semiconductor production apparatus. The refrigerating machine cools the inside air to a targeted dew point to liquefy and remove moisture from the air, and then circulate the air in the semiconductor production apparatus. The refrigerating machine contains a compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, etc. and thus it has a vibration problem. Further, the condenser needs means for radiating heat to the outside and its construction is complicated. A heat exchanger and an electric heater are required to adjust the humidity of the inside of the semiconductor production apparatus. In addition, means for discharging water which is liquefied and removed for dehumidification and means for supplying water for humidification are needed.
An object of the present invention is to supply a dehumidified/humidified air supply apparatus which is designed in a simple construction, produces little vibration and needs neither supply nor discharge of liquid water.
DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION
The present invention provides a dehumidified/humidified air supply apparatus comprising: first and second air passages A, B including heaters
5
,
6
disposed at an upstream side thereof, dehumidifier/humidifier
10
having two portions
10
a
,
10
b
disposed at a downstream side thereof and a blower
2
; driver
17
for moving the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
between the two portions
10
a
,
10
b
, connected to the first air passage A carry out moisture desorption to supply humidified air, and the other portion
10
b
of the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
is subjected to moisture absorption by the air of the second air passage B.
According to the invention, when the air of the first air passage A is heated by the heater
5
at the upstream side of the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
, moisture is supplied from the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
into the air, which means that humidified air is supplied in the first air passage A while the moisture absorption is carried out by the dehumidified dehumidifier/humidifier
10
in the second air passage B. On the other hand, when the air of the first air passage A is not heated by the heater
5
at the upstream side of the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
, the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
absorbs the moisture in the air, which means the supply of dehumidified air in the first air passage A and also the dehumidification of the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
in the second air passage B by actuating the heater
6
of the second air passage B. The dehumidifier/humidifier
10
is moved between the portion
10
a
connected to the first air passage A and the portion
10
b
connected to the second air passage B, by the driver
17
.
When the dehumidified air is supplied by the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
as described above, the moisture is removed by the air heated by the heater
6
of the second air passage B, so that no liquid water occurs. When the humidified air is supplied by the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
, the moisture is supplied from the second air passage B, so that it is required to supply liquid water. Further, the invention can be achieved with a simple construction containing only the heaters
5
,
6
such as an electric heater, the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
and the blower
2
, and induce little vibration.
Further, the invention is characterized in that the dehumidified/humidified air supply apparatus is installed to a semiconductor production apparatus having humidity detector
30
therein provided, the semiconductor production apparatus being connected to the first air passage A, through which the air in the semiconductor production apparatus is circulated; and a controller
31
for actuating the heater
5
of the first air passage A and stopping the heater
6
of the second air passage B, when humidity of an inside of the semiconductor production apparatus is lower than a target humidity, and stopping the heater
5
of the first air passage A and actuating the heater
6
of the second air passage B, when the humidity of the inside of the semiconductor production apparatus is higher than the target humidity.
According to the invention, the humidity detector such as a dew point instrument
30
is provided in the semiconductor production apparatus. The air in the semiconductor production apparatus is circulated through the first air passage A. Further, the controller is provided to control as follows. When the humidity of the inside of the semiconductor production apparatus is lower than the target humidity, that is, humidification is needed, the heater
5
of the first air passage A is actuated and the heater
6
of the second air passage B is stopped. Thereby, moisture is supplied from the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
to the first air passage A. Accordingly, humidified air is supplied to the semiconductor production apparatus, while the air in the second air passage B is dehumidified by the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
because the heater
6
is not stopped. Conversely, when the humidity of the inside of the semiconductor production apparatus is higher than the target humidity, that is, dehumidification is needed, the heater
5
of the first air passage A is stopped and the heater
6
of the second air passage B is actuated, thereby the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
absorbs the moisture in the air of the first air passage A, which means the supply of dehumidified air to the semiconductor production apparatus and also the dehumidification of the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
in the second air passage B by actuating the heater
6
of the second air passage B. The dehumidifier/humidifier
10
is moved between the portion
10
a
connected to the first air passage A and the portion
10
b
connected to the second air passage B, by the driver
17
.
When the dehumidified air is supplied to the semiconductor production apparatus by the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
as described above, the moisture is removed by the air heated by the heater
6
of the second air passage B, so that no liquid water occurs. When the humidified air is supplied to the semiconductor production apparatus by the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
, the moisture is supplied from the second air passage B, so that it is required to supply liquid water. Further, the invention can be achieved with a simple construction containing only the heaters
5
,
6
such as a electric heater, the dehumidifier/humidifier
10
and the blower
2
, and the air in the semiconductor production apparatus is controlled to have the target humidity without inducing significant vibration.
Further, the invention is characterized in that the controller calculates a difference between the humidity of the inside of the semiconductor production apparatus and the target humidity, and in the case where the difference is equal to or less than a predetermined value, controls the heater
5
of the first air passage A or the heater
6
of the second air passage B to operate with a power proportional to the difference.
According to the invention, the controller calculates the difference between the humidity of the inside of the semiconductor production apparatus and the target humidity, and controls the heater
5
,
6
of the first air passage A or the second air passage B to operate with a power proportional to the difference when the difference is equal to or lower than the predetermined value, whereby the humidity of the inside of the semiconductor production apparatus is prevented from hunting around the target humidity and it is quickly set to the target humidity. When the difference exceeds the predetermined value, the heater operates with its one hundred percent power.
Further, the invention is characterized in that when the humidity of the inside of the semiconductor production a
Kametani Keiichiro
Ota Shigehito
Ciric Ljiljana
Daikin Industries Ltd.
Wenderoth , Lind & Ponack, L.L.P.
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