Heat exchange – With timer – programmer – time delay – or condition responsive... – Having heating and cooling capability
Reexamination Certificate
1999-09-27
2001-08-28
Ford, John K. (Department: 3743)
Heat exchange
With timer, programmer, time delay, or condition responsive...
Having heating and cooling capability
C165S228000, C165S230000, C165S060000, C165S065000, C062S003400, C062S310000, C261S151000, C261S152000, C261S153000, C261S157000, C236S04400R
Reexamination Certificate
active
06279650
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a temperature-humidity controller for a semiconductor device fabricating equipment, in which a humidifying or dehumidifying process of a processing air is simultaneously performed while the air is passed through a cooled water flow, and a controlling method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in the fabricating processes of the semiconductor device, precise process conditions are required. In order to satisfy the conditions, it is necessary to properly control a temperature and a humidity of processing air which is supplied to a semiconductor device fabricating equipment (hereinafter, semiconductor equipment). In a conventional production system, a temperature-humidity controller (THC) for the semiconductor equipment is provided in an air supplying portion thereof so as to properly control the temperature and the humidity of the processing air. The air is treated to have a constant temperature and humidity by the THC, and then supplied to the semiconductor equipment. Therefore, the semiconductor device of good quality which satisfies the process conditions can be fabricated.
As shown in
FIG. 1
, the THC for the semiconductor equipment typically comprises a chemical filter, a dehumidifying means, a heating means and a humidifying means. They are separately disposed and communicated with each other by ducts. Therefore, if the air is introduced from the outside, a particular element, for example, ammonia contained in the air is filtered out by the chemical filter. Then, the air which the ammonia is filtered out is supplied through the duct to the dehumidifying means.
Sequentially, a predetermined amount of moisture contained in the air is removed by the dehumidifying means. The air is moved through the duct to the heating means and heated at a predetermined temperature. The air is then moved through the duct to the humidifying means so as to compensate for the moisture which is excessively eliminated by the dehumidifying means. After compensation of the moisture, the air is supplied to the semiconductor equipment.
Therefore, the air is supplied to the semiconductor equipment after being controlled through the above mentioned processes so as to have a proper temperature and a proper humidity (e.g. 23° C., 40%).
In the above THC, the dehumidifying means generally comprises a compressor and a cooling pipe. A cooling gas, e.g. Freon is introduced into the cooling pipe. The air is contacted with the cooling pipe so as to be cooled, whereby the moisture in the air is facilely removed.
However, in the dehumidifying means which employs the Freon, there are some problems that environment and noise problems are arisen, due to the using of the Freon, and an occupation area of the equipment is increased.
Further, since each of the means which comprises of the equipment is separately disposed and connected with each other by the ducts, it is very difficult to maintain entirely the equipment.
To solve the problems, there is proposed an improved THC in which a semiconductor device instead of the Freon is employed.
FIG. 2
is a perspective view showing a conventional THC in which a semiconductor device is used.
As shown in
FIG. 2
, an air supplying port
102
is disposed at one side, e.g. an upper side of a housing
101
. A chemical filter
110
by which a component of ammonia contained in the air is filtered and held to a desired amount (e.g., less than 1 ppb) is mounted at a lower portion of the air supplying port
102
.
Meanwhile, through openings A are formed at both sides of the housing
101
. A pair of dehumidifying means
120
are inserted into each through openings A. In the dehumidifying means
120
, their surfaces are rapidly cooled by an operation of semiconductor devices so as to lower a temperature of the air, thereby dehumidifying the moisture contained in the air.
The dehumidifying means
120
comprises a cooling plate
121
, a heat insulating plate
122
, a radiating plate
123
and a cover plate
124
. The cooling plate
121
is provided with a plurality of cooling fins
121
a
which are serially arranged and the semiconductor devices which are not shown. The heat insulating plate
122
serves to prevent a heat exchange between the semiconductor devices. The radiating plate
123
discharges the heat from the semiconductor devices to the outside. The cover plate
124
protects the semiconductor from a shock.
And, another through openings B are formed at the sides of the housing
101
. A pair of heating means
130
are inserted into the through openings B. The heating means
130
are rapidly heated by a coil
131
and increases the temperature of the air, thereby compensating the temperature of the air which is cooled by the dehumidifying means
120
.
Further, a humidifying means
140
is disposed at the lower portion of the housing
101
. The humidifying means
140
sprays moisture through a ultrasonic oscillator so as to supplement the moisture of the air which is excessively dehumidified by the dehumidifying means
120
.
As described above, the dehumidifying means
120
, the heating means
130
and the humidifying means
140
which comprise the THC
100
for the semiconductor equipment are mounted on or inserted into the housing
101
and forms one unit.
Here, the semiconductor device is made of one of Bi
2
Te
3
, Bi
2
Se
3
and Sb
2
Te
3
which have a good function of heat transfer.
The operation of the conventional THC like above will be described more fully.
The air which is introduced through the air supplying port
102
into the housing
101
is filtered by the chemical filter
110
, and flows into the dehumidifying means
120
. The air flows through the cooling fins
121
a
and is cooled. Therefore, the moisture contained in the air is rapidly liquidized and then fallen to the lower of the housing
101
.
Sequentially, the air which is passed through the dehumidifying means
120
is introduced into the heating means
130
so as to compensate the temperature of the air which is cooled by the dehumidifying means
120
. The air is then introduced into the humidifying means
140
which is disposed at the lower portion of the housing
101
.
At this time, the humidifying means
140
sprays the moisture through the ultrasonic oscillator so as to supplement the moisture of the air which is excessively dehumidified by the dehumidifying means
120
.
And then, the air is supplied through a blower (not shown) to the semiconductor equipment.
However, in the conventional THC as described above, there are some problems as follows:
First, since, after dehumidifying the air, it is necessary to heat and humidify again the air to obtain a desired temperature and humidity of the air, the processes for treating the air are complicated. And since the dehumidifying and humidifying processes are compulsively performed, energy loss is increased.
In addition, since the (heating type or ultrasonic type) humidifying means should be precisely controlled, it is very difficult to obtain a desired precision and it is frequently out of order.
Further, since the dehumidifying, heating and humidifying processes are separately controlled, the controlling operation is complicate and hard.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a temperature-humidity controller for a semiconductor device fabricating equipment, in which a humidifying or dehumidifying process for the air is simultaneously performed while the air is passed through a cooled water flow, and a controlling method thereof.
To achieve the above objects and other advantages, there is provided a method of controlling a temperature and humidity of air for a semiconductor equipment comprising the steps of: introducing a processing air; passing the air through injected water thereby simultaneously performing dehumidifying and humidifying processes of the air; heating the air which is dehumidified and humidified; supplying the heated air to the semiconductor equipment.
At this time, it is preferable that
Dann Dorfman Herrell and Skillman
Dasan C & I Co., Ltd.
Ford John K.
Skillman Henry H.
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