Electrical transmission or interconnection systems – Plural supply circuits or sources – Substitute or emergency source
Reexamination Certificate
1999-03-23
2001-10-16
Jackson, Stephen W. (Department: 2836)
Electrical transmission or interconnection systems
Plural supply circuits or sources
Substitute or emergency source
C307S080000, C307S085000, C307S086000, C307S116000, C307S140000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06304005
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fabrication apparatus for fabricating semiconductor devices and the like, and a power supply system in the fabrication plant.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor fabrication plant for fabricating semiconductor devices has a clean room containing a number of fabrication apparatuses, e.g., various processing apparatuses for fabrication steps such as lithography, testing apparatuses, and transfer apparatuses. The plant also has a power supply system for supplying power for operating these various apparatuses. This power supply system includes an installed power source for transforming commercial electric power supplied from an electric power company outside the plant and supplying the transformed power into the plant.
Normally, to start the operation of a fabrication apparatus, an operator (machine operator) operates a power ON switch to start supplying power to the fabrication apparatus to activate it. To stop the operation, the operator operates a power OFF switch to stop the supply of power from the installed power source to the fabrication apparatus to thereby stop the apparatus.
When the plant is in operation, however, trouble rarely occurs to make it necessary to urgently stop the operation of a fabrication apparatus. As a means for urgently stopping a fabrication apparatus, therefore, an emergency stop switch operable by an operator is usually arranged near the apparatus. When the operator operates this switch, an emergency stop circuit (EMO) operates to shut off power supply from the installed power source to all apparatuses such as a fabrication apparatus, air conditioner, and light source, thereby urgently stopping these apparatuses. However, if power supply to all apparatuses is abruptly shut off, the system may run away from the control when reactivated.
When the plant is in operation, supply of power sometimes stops owing to an unexpected power failure (including an instantaneous power failure) such as the power failure of a commercial power source or failure of a power source in the plant. If this is the case, power supply to the emergency stop circuit also stops, and a fail safe function of the emergency stop circuit sets the same state as when the emergency stop switch is pressed, thereby shutting off power supply from the installed power source.
To restart the operation of an apparatus, it is necessary to wait until an operator turns on the power switch after the installed power source is recovered. That is, even when an apparatus stops due to an instantaneous power failure, the operation of the apparatus cannot be restarted without the operation by an operator. When a large number of fabrication apparatuses are installed in the plant, it takes a long time for the operator to turn on the power sources of all fabrication apparatuses. This interferes with an increase in productivity.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention has been made in consideration of the above situation, and has as its object to provide fabrication arrangements capable of achieving high safety and high productivity at the same time.
It is another object of the present invention to urgently and safely stop an apparatus in operation and, when the apparatus stops due to, e.g., a power failure or power source failure, reduce the time required to reactivate the apparatus, thereby increasing the productivity.
To achieve the above objects, a power supply apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises first switching means for connecting and disconnecting a supply path of supplying first power to an apparatus as an object of power supply, second switching means for switching circuits to close the first switching means by receiving supply of second power by which power supply is maintained even when the first power stops, and third switching means for opening and closing a circuit in a supply path of supplying the second power to the second switching means.
According to another aspect of the present invention, a fabrication apparatus including the above power supply apparatus is provided.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a fabrication apparatus including an emergency stop circuit which is an emergency stop switch is provided. This apparatus has a first electromagnetic switch for supplying and shutting off power to the apparatus and a second electromagnetic switch for controlling power supply to an electromagnetic coil of the first electromagnetic switch. Power is supplied to the electromagnetic coil of the first electromagnetic switch from the primary side of the first electromagnetic switch via a contact of the second electromagnetic switch. An uninterruptible power source supplies power to an electromagnetic coil of the second electromagnetic switch (relay) via the emergency stop circuit. This emergency stop switch is inserted midway along a power line to the electromagnetic coil of the second electromagnetic switch.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a fabrication apparatus including an emergency stop means is provided. This apparatus has a controller which, when the apparatus stops operating owing to a power failure, automatically reactivates the apparatus after power is recovered. If the emergency stop means stops the operation of the fabrication apparatus, the controller does not automatically reactivate the apparatus even after power is recovered.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a power supply system for a fabrication apparatus having an emergency stop function using an emergency stop switch. When the fabrication apparatus stops operating due to power failure, the power supply system automatically resupplies power to the fabrication apparatus after power is recovered. If the emergency stop function stops the operation of the fabrication apparatus, the power supply system does not automatically resupply power to the fabrication apparatus even after power is recovered.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, a method of fabricating a device is provided. This method fabricates a device by fabrication steps including steps of preparing the above fabrication apparatus and fabricating the device by using the fabrication apparatus.
According to still another aspect of the present invention, the above power supply apparatus supplies power to a plurality of fabrication apparatuses installed in a fabrication plant.
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Aoki Shuji
Imai Shunzo
Canon Kabushiki Kaisha
DeBeradinis Robert L.
Fitzpatrick ,Cella, Harper & Scinto
Jackson Stephen W.
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