Refrigeration – Using electrical or magnetic effect – Thermoelectric; e.g. – peltier effect
Reexamination Certificate
2003-03-05
2003-12-23
Jones, Melvin (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Using electrical or magnetic effect
Thermoelectric; e.g., peltier effect
C062S003700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06666031
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a fluid temperature control apparatus, particularly to a fluid temperature control apparatus suitable for performing precise control of the temperature of corrosive fluid used as processing solution in semiconductor manufacturing apparatus or the like.
2. Description of a Related Art
In the processing of semiconductor such as etching, cleaning, resist peeling or the like, generally, highly pure and highly corrosive chemical fluids are used. Reaction speed of these chemical fluids highly depends on the temperature thereof. In order to precisely control the reaction of a chemical liquid, it is necessary to control the temperature of the chemical fluid with high accuracy within, for example, a range from 15° C. to 85° C. Various temperature control apparatus are used for such temperature control.
FIG. 8
is a schematic plan view showing a structure of a conventional fluid temperature control apparatus.
The fluid temperature control apparatus
100
has a heat transfer chamber
101
formed in a block made of a corrosion resistant material such as fluorocarbon series resin or the like. Heat is transferred from a temperature control apparatus such as a thermoelectric element module or the like to the fluid passing through within the heat transfer chamber
101
. The inside of the heat transfer chamber
101
is divided into four partitions
105
in the depth direction by three flow path forming plates
103
. In one end of each flow path forming plate
103
, opening
107
is formed. The openings
107
are disposed alternately in the ends of the three flow path forming plates
103
. Owing to such constitution, the respective partitions
105
are linked to each other via the openings
107
to form a flow path which meanders within the heat transfer chamber.
To the two partitions
105
at the top and bottom in the heat transfer chamber
101
, pipes are connected which are linked to these partitions
105
, respectively. One of the pipes is a fluid intake pipe
109
and the other thereof is a fluid outlet pipe
111
. The respective pipes are connected to the respective partitions at the position far from the openings
107
of the flow path forming plate
103
. The fluid, which enters into the heat transfer chamber
101
from the fluid intake pipe
109
, is subjected to heat release or heat absorption by the temperature control apparatus while meandering within the heat transfer chamber, and the temperature thereof is controlled. Then, the temperature-controlled fluid is supplied to the next process through the fluid outlet pipe
111
. Detailed information about the fluid temperature control apparatus as shown in
FIG. 8
is disclosed in Japanese patent application publication JP-A-11-67717.
FIGS. 9A and 9B
are schematic views of a structure of another conventional fluid temperature control apparatus.
FIG. 9A
is a side view thereof, and
FIG. 9B
is a sectional view taken along a line IV—IV in FIG.
9
A. The fluid temperature control apparatus
120
has a heat transfer chamber
121
as shown in FIG.
9
A. On the top and bottom surfaces of the heat transfer chamber
121
, heat transfer plates
123
are attached respectively. The heat transfer plates
123
is connected with a temperature control apparatus such as thermoelectric element module and performs heat release or heat absorption on the heat transfer chamber
121
under the control of the temperature control apparatus. Further, the heat transfer chamber
121
has an upper partition
125
and a lower partition
127
of the heat transfer chamber with holes
129
a
and
129
b
that links both partitions to each other. As shown in
FIG. 9B
, each of the upper partition
125
and the lower partition
127
is divided into two portions by a partitioning wall
131
. To the side surfaces of the heat transfer chamber
121
where the holes
129
a
and
129
b
are formed, a fluid intake pipe
133
and a fluid outlet pipe
135
are connected, respectively.
The fluid entered into the hole
129
a
via the fluid intake pipe
133
is divided in the partitions and branched into the upper partition
125
and the lower partition
127
, and flows so as to make a U-turn along the partitioning wall
131
in the respective partitions. During this, the temperature thereof is controlled by the thermoelectric element module or the like. And then, the fluids congregate at the hole
129
b
to flow out from the fluid outlet pipe
135
to the next process.
In the fluid temperature control apparatus as described above, in order to precisely control the temperature of the fluid, it is necessary that the fluid comes into contact with the thermoelectric element evenly while flowing in the flow path. Accordingly, it is necessary to form the flow path so as to reduce as few as possible such portions where the flow of the fluid becomes irregular, for example, where swirl of the fluid is generated in the heat transfer chamber or where the speed of flow gets slow to cause a stagnation. Further, when chemical fluid is removed from the apparatus after operation, in order to prevent the chemical fluid to be used next time from being contaminated thereby, it is necessary to completely empty the apparatus so as to leave no chemical fluid therein. Furthermore, it is preferred to adapt the depth in the heat transfer chamber to be very shallow so that the fluid is subjected effectively to the heat transfer.
However, in the conventional example as shown in
FIG. 8
, since the capacity of the heat transfer chamber
101
is large and the heat transfer chamber
101
is deep, there is a possibility that the performance to transfer the heat to the entire fluid becomes not even. Further, the flow path forming plates
103
are attached to the side surface of the heat transfer chamber
101
and inserted into the grooves formed therein. Due to this, a gap may be generated between the groove and the plate
103
allowing the chemical fluid to enter therein. Thus, a solid may crystallize out there from the chemical fluid. Still further, since the flow path has a meandering configuration as described above, the chemical fluid is apt to be left at the corners of the respective partitions
105
when the chemical fluid is drained.
Still furthermore, in the conventional embodiment as shown in
FIGS. 9A and 9B
, in the flow path constituted of the upper partition
125
and the lower partition
127
, the flow speed of the fluid near the partitioning wall
131
is different from that at the outer side thereof, and the fluid may stagnate at the corners of the respective flow paths.
Accordingly, it is necessary to form the flow path so as not to form a cornered portion or extremely narrow portion. Further, in the case where the flow path has a certain depth, the effect of the temperature controlling member may not reach to the central region of the fluid failing in even temperature control. Accordingly, a fluid temperature control apparatus is required in which the layer of the fluid is made to be as thin as possible to increase the amount of the fluid that comes into contact with the temperature controlling member and which is provided with a flow path generating no swirl nor stagnation. Furthermore, it is more preferred if the chemical fluid can be removed completely.
On the other hand, another problem remains as described below in the conventional fluid temperature control apparatus. Generally, the heat transfer chamber is made by carving a block-like material (heat transfer block) to form concave portions and covering the concave portions with high heat conductive plates. To the plates, thermoelectric element modules for performing the temperature control come into contact therewith, and via the plates, heat exchange is performed between the fluid in the heat transfer chambers and the thermoelectric element modules. The contact points between the heat transfer block and the high heat-conductive plates are made to come into tight contact with each other by means of a sealing member such as an O-ring, and
Kubota Kazuhiko
Ohkubo Hideaki
Jones Melvin
Komatsu Ltd.
Stevens Davis Miller & Mosher LLP
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