Refrigeration – Using electrical or magnetic effect – Thermoelectric; e.g. – peltier effect
Reexamination Certificate
2000-10-16
2001-10-09
Bennett, Henry (Department: 3744)
Refrigeration
Using electrical or magnetic effect
Thermoelectric; e.g., peltier effect
C062S003700
Reexamination Certificate
active
06298669
ABSTRACT:
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a pipe cooler which performs temperature control by cooling (or heating) erosive fluid (liquid which is apt to be damaged by metal irons, such as developing liquid, photo resist or the like) flowing in such a flow path as a pipe or the like in a semiconductor-related device manufacturing apparatus, and a small-sized temperature controlling apparatus using the pipe cooler.
PRIOR ART
As shown in
FIG. 6
, when developing liquid, photo resist, or the like which is supplied to a semiconductor wafer W intermittently is temperature-controlled, that is, when erosive fluid flowing in a flow path intermittently is temperature-controlled with a high accuracy, the temperature control of the fluid has been conventionally preformed by causing fluid to be temperature-controlled to flow in an anti-corrosive tube
63
made of fluorocarbon resin (trade name: Teflon) or the like, configuring a heat exchange portion
62
such that constant-temperature water
65
which has been temperature-controlled to a target temperature of the fluid in a constant-temperature water circulating apparatus
61
is caused to flow outside the tube
63
, and circulating the constant-temperature water
65
in a circulating flow path
64
.
For this reason, the constant-temperature water circulating apparatus
61
and the circulating flow path
64
for flow of constant-temperature water are required. Since these apparatuses require a large space for installation, such an arrangement is employed in many cases that the constant-temperature water circulating apparatus
61
is installed on a first floor of a building and a coater/developer main body of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is installed on a second floor thereof. As a result, a leading of a long piping for constant-temperature water with a high head becomes necessary.
Also, in the long piping for constant-temperature water with a high head, a high head pump must be used as the pump for flow of constant-temperature water, which leads to increase in pump power for circulating constant-temperature water other than the corrosive water, which results in increase in electric power.
Furthermore, as mentioned above, in the long piping for constant-temperature water with a high head, since heat radiation and heat absorption from the piping are increased, it becomes necessary to further increase the cooling capacity of the constant-temperature water circulating apparatus
61
.
Also, as an apparatus for temperature-controlling erosive fluid, there is one using a Peltier element as shown in FIG.
7
.
In a temperature controlling apparatus shown in
FIG. 7
, a Peltier element
71
serving as a thermo module is fixedly brought in close contact with a surface of heat exchange block
72
having a large heat capacity, which performs heat exchange with erosive fluid flowing in a flow path
74
, and heat transferring means
73
is fixedly brought in close contact with a portion of the Peltier element
71
which is opposed to the heat exchange block
72
, so that the erosive fluid is temperature-controlled to a target temperature by operation control of the Peltier element
71
.
In the temperature controlling apparatus, since the heat exchange block
72
is disposed on a heat absorbing side (namely, a cooling surface side) of the Peltier element
71
and the heat transferring means
73
is disposed on a heat radiation side (namely, a heating surface side) of the Peltier element
71
, the erosive fluid flowing in the flow path
74
is cooled by the Peltier element
71
through the heat exchange block
72
and the heat radiated from the erosive fluid is transferred to the heat radiating side of the Peltier element
71
to be radiated by heat conduction to cooling water flowing in a pipe
75
within the heat transferring means
73
.
However, in the conventional temperature controlling apparatus shown in
FIG. 7
, (1) a heat conduction area is limited by the shape/size of the thermo module, so that it is difficult to reduce heat resistances of both the heat radiating side and the heat absorbing side.
Furthermore, (2) since the shape/size of the thermo module is limited, there is no degree of freedom for designing the temperature controlling apparatus optimally so as to coincide with the size required for the heat exchanger.
Form the above, there is a problem that a temperature difference between the heat radiating side and the heat absorbing side applied to the thermo module can not be effectively utilized so that the heat exchanger is large-sized or electric power can not be utilized effectively.
DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a pipe cooler where installation of a large-sized constant-temperature water circulating apparatus is not required in a case that strong erosive fluid such as metal corrosion fluid is temperature-controlled with a high accuracy and which allows simplification and small-sizing of an apparatus, and a small-sized temperature controlling apparatus using the pipe cooler.
Another object of the invention is to provide a pipe cooler which solves the problems in the above conventional art when the erosive fluid is temperature-controlled, and a small-sized temperature controlling apparatus using the pipe cooler.
In order to the solve the above problems, a pipe cooler according to the present invention comprises at least one heat pipe having an end portion for heat exchange and a heat conduction extending portion extending form the end portion, a heat exchange block for performing heat exchange with the end portion of the at least one heat pipe, at least one Peltier element which is fixedly brought in close contact with a surface of the heat exchange block, and heat transferring means which is provided on a surface of each Peltier element which is opposed to the heat exchange block, wherein heating medium about the heat conduction extending portion is temperature-controlled by controlling the Peltier element via the heat exchange block and the heat pipe.
The heat transferring means may be structured so as to radiate heat from the heating surface of the Peltier element by water cooling or air cooling.
According to a specific embodiment of the present invention, the heat exchange block has a polygonal sectional configuration, the heat exchange block is mounted at its one end face with end portions of a plurality of heat pipes in an embedded state, and the Peltier elements are mounted to a plurality of side faces around the one end face.
According to one embodiment of the present invention, the heat transferring means comprises cooling plates each having a flow passage for cooling water therein, and the flow passages of the respective cooling plates are connected mutually by a pipe.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, the heat transferring means comprises cooling plates each having a plurality of fins for heat radiation, a rectangular cover is mounted to the heat exchange block so as to enclose the fins of the respective cooling plates, and a fan is provided inside the cover.
Also, according to the present invention, there is provided a small-sized temperature controlling apparatus comprising a pipe cooler which has the above structure, a heating medium accommodating casing which encloses the heat conduction extending portion of the heat pipe, a heating medium chamber which is formed inside the heating medium accommodating casing, and heating medium which is accommodated within the heating medium chamber so as to come in contact with the heat conduction extending portion of the heat pipe.
According to a preferable specific embodiment of the present invention, a tube for allowing flow of fluid to be temperature-controlled is provided so as to surround the heat conduction extending portion of the heat pipe and contact with the heating medium.
In the present invention, the heating medium may be liquid or solid. When the liquid is used, it is preferable that a pump casing is provided at one end of the heating medium accommodating casing and a pump for circu
Maruyama Hidetoshi
Sakama Hiroyuki
Bennett Henry
Jones Melvin
Oblon & Spivak, McClelland, Maier & Neustadt P.C.
SMC Corporation
LandOfFree
Pipe cooler and small-sized temperature controlling... does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Pipe cooler and small-sized temperature controlling..., we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Pipe cooler and small-sized temperature controlling... will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2599196