JPH09101050A - Clean room equipment - Google Patents

Abstract

(57) [Abstract] [PROBLEMS] To reduce the fan capacity required for air circulation. SOLUTION: Air is sucked, and this sucked air is cleaned in a clean area 1.
The fan filter unit 5 including the fan 5 for supplying the air to the chamber and the filter 5b for purifying the supplied air is provided in the ceiling portion of the clean area 1, and the air in the area is discharged from the clean area 1.
The return air passages 7, 8, 4 for guiding the exhaust air to the fan filter unit 5 as an object to be sucked by the fan 5a are provided, and the fan filter unit 5, the clean region 1, and the return air passages 7, 8, 4 are provided.
Temperature controller 11a for adjusting the temperature of air circulated over
In a clean room facility in which the panel-shaped temperature controller 11a is used, a panel-shaped temperature controller having a plate-shaped plate surface portion as a heat exchange surface portion A for air is used as the temperature controller 11a.
In the middle of the return air paths 7, 8 and 4, a is arranged such that the heat exchange surface portion A is along the flow direction of the circulating air.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a clean room facility for forming a clean area required in a semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing process, a drug / food manufacturing process, or a biotechnology-related processing process. A fan filter unit including a fan that inhales and supplies the intake air to the clean area and a filter that purifies the supplied air is provided in the ceiling portion of the clean area, and the air in the area is discharged from the clean area. A return air path for guiding the exhausted air to the fan filter unit as an intake target of the fan, and a temperature controller for adjusting the temperature of the air circulated through the fan filter unit, the clean area, and the return air path are provided. Regarding clean room equipment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art The above-mentioned clean room equipment maintains a high cleanliness in a clean area by capturing and removing dust in the circulating air with a filter of a fan filter unit.
The clean area is adjusted to a desired temperature state by adjusting the temperature of the circulating air by a temperature controller. Conventionally, as a clean room facility of this type, for example, Jikken 6-4825.
As seen in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 6, a so-called coil type ventilation type temperature controller having a plurality of tubes for passing a heat medium as an air passage is used as the temperature controller. Was arranged in the return air path in a manner that allows circulating air to pass through.

[0003]

However, in the above conventional type, since the air passage resistance in the ventilated temperature controller is large,
To circulate the required amount of air through the fan filter unit, the clean area, and the return air path, the fan filter unit is equipped with a fan to circulate the air, and a fan to assist circulation that is additionally installed in the return air path. It is necessary to have the ability, and it is also necessary to adopt a ventilation type temperature controller equipped with a dedicated ventilation fan (so-called fan coil unit), which leads to soaring equipment costs and fan power costs. I was invited.

The main object of the present invention is to reduce the fan capacity required for air circulation through the fan filter unit, the clean area, and the return air path.

[0005]

[Means for Solving the Problems]

The structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 1 are as follows.

[Structure] A fan filter unit including a fan that sucks in air and supplies the intake air to a clean area and a filter that purifies the supplied air is provided in a ceiling part of the clean area, and the clean area is provided. Exhaust the air from the area,
A clean room facility provided with a return air path for guiding the exhaust air to the fan filter unit as an intake target of the fan, and a temperature controller for adjusting the temperature of the air circulated through the fan filter unit, the clean region, and the return air path. In the above, as the temperature controller, a plate-like shape,
A panel-shaped temperature controller having the plate surface portion as a heat exchange surface portion for air is adopted, and the panel-shaped temperature controller is arranged in the posture in which the heat exchange surface portion is along the flow direction of the circulating air in the middle of the return air path. To do.

[Operation] In the above configuration, the heat exchange surface portion (that is, the plate-shaped plate surface portion) of the panel-shaped temperature controller in which the circulating air in the return air path is arranged in a posture along the flow direction thereof.
The temperature of the circulating air is adjusted by the cooling action or the heating action of the heat exchange surface portion in the process of passing along.

[Effect] That is, according to the first aspect of the invention, the circulating air is passed along the plate surface (heat exchange surface) of the panel-like temperature controller, so that ventilation is performed as in the conventional type described above. It is possible to reduce the air passage resistance of the return air passage as compared with the case where the circulating air is passed through the type temperature controller.

As a result, the required capacity of the equipped fan in the fan filter unit can be reduced, and even if a fan for circulation assistance is additionally installed in the return air path, the fan for circulation assistance is required. The capacity can be reduced, and it is no longer necessary to additionally equip the temperature controller with a dedicated ventilation fan.
Equipment costs and fan power costs can be reduced.

By the way, in order to adjust the temperature of the circulating air by using the panel-shaped temperature controller, the panel-shaped temperature controller is arranged with the heat exchange surface portion (plate-shaped plate surface portion) along the flow direction of the circulating air. Although it may be arranged in a clean area, in this case, a temperature difference is likely to occur between a location near the heat exchange surface of the panel temperature controller and a location away from it in the clean area.

On the other hand, in the invention according to claim 1, after the temperature adjustment by the panel temperature controller in the middle of the return air path,
The temperature of the circulating air can be made uniform by agitating the circulating air that occurs during the process of blowing the air to the cleaning zone by the fan filter unit. There is also an advantage in that

The structure, operation, and effect of the invention according to claim 2 are as follows.

[Arrangement] In the invention according to claim 1, the space above the ceiling in the clean area is used as an air supply chamber, and a plurality of the fan filter units are made to suck air from the air supply chamber. The floors in the clean area are arranged in parallel to each other on the ceiling, the underfloor space is used as a return air chamber, and the air adjacent to the clean area is circulated from the return air chamber to the air supply chamber. The return air passage between chambers, these return air chambers, return air passage between chambers,
While the return chamber is formed by the air supply chamber,
The panel-shaped temperature controller is arranged on the area wall portion of the adjacent area in a posture in which the heat exchange surface portion faces the inside of the adjacent area.

[Operation] In the above-mentioned configuration, the adjacent area of the clean area is used for the user side application other than the air conditioning application, such as the antechamber for the clean area and the passage for the worker who goes in and out of the clean area. , This adjacent area is used as a part of the return air path to allow air circulation while simplifying the air passage equipment.

That is, the air in the clean area is discharged to the return air chamber under the floor, and the discharged air is sent to the air supply chamber on the ceiling above the clean area via the adjacent area as the return air passage between chambers. The air in the chamber of this air supply chamber is
Clean air from which dust has been removed is supplied from these fan filter units to a clean area by being sucked into each of a plurality of fan filter units arranged in parallel on the ceiling.

In this circulation form, the panel-like temperature controller arranged on the area wall of the adjacent area with the heat exchange surface facing inward of the area of the adjacent area causes the circulating air to serve as an inter-chamber return air passage. The temperature is adjusted in the process of passing through the above adjacent area.

[Effect] That is, according to the invention of claim 2, since the panel-shaped temperature controller is arranged in the adjacent area originally used for user's purpose, the panel-shaped temperature controller is installed in the equipment construction. Also, maintenance such as inspection and repair of the panel temperature controller after installation can be facilitated.

Further, the panel-shaped temperature controller is arranged in the adjacent area, and the installation and the construction and the maintenance are facilitated as described above, and the air to be temperature-controlled is passed along the heat exchange surface portion which is the plate surface portion. By utilizing the characteristics of the panel-shaped temperature controller, the panel-shaped temperature controller is arranged on the area wall of the adjacent area with its heat exchange surface facing inward of the adjacent area. It is also possible to avoid limiting the effective space in the adjacent area due to the installation of the controller, and the adjacent area can be widely and effectively used for the original user side application.

The structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 3 are as follows.

[Structure] In the invention according to claim 1, the above-ceiling space of the clean area is used as an air supply chamber, and a plurality of the fan filter units are made to suck air from the air supply chamber. The floors in the clean area are arranged in parallel to each other on the ceiling, the underfloor space is used as a return air chamber, and the air adjacent to the clean area is circulated from the return air chamber to the air supply chamber. The return air passage between chambers, these return air chambers, return air passage between chambers,
While the return chamber is formed by the air supply chamber,
The panel temperature controller is arranged in the return air chamber.

[Operation] In the above-mentioned configuration, as in the case of the invention according to claim 2 described above, the air adjacent to the clean area is used as a part of the return air path to simplify the air passage equipment, Cycle.

In this circulation mode, the temperature of the circulating air is adjusted by the panel-shaped temperature controller arranged in the underfloor return air chamber in the course of passing through the underfloor return air chamber.

[Effect] That is, according to the invention of claim 3, since the panel-shaped temperature controller is arranged in the return air chamber under the floor, the panel-shaped temperature controller of the type that supplies the liquid as the heat medium is used. In this case, even if a liquid leak occurs, the leaked liquid may enter the clean area or the adjacent area and hinder the work in the clean area or the adjacent area. It is possible to reliably prevent a situation such as a failure.

By disposing the panel-like temperature controller in the return air chamber under the floor as described above, the adjacent area is used as a part of the return air path (inter-chamber return air passage) while the adjacent area is originally used. Needless to say, it can be widely and effectively used for the user side use of.

The structure, operation and effect of the invention according to claim 4 are as follows.

[Structure] In the invention according to claim 1, the space above the ceiling in the clean area is used as an air supply chamber, and a plurality of the fan filter units are provided in the clean area in a form of sucking air from the air supply chamber. The floors in the clean area are arranged in parallel to each other on the ceiling, the underfloor space is used as a return air chamber, and the air adjacent to the clean area is circulated from the return air chamber to the air supply chamber. The return air passage between chambers, these return air chambers, return air passage between chambers,
While the return chamber is formed by the air supply chamber,
The panel temperature controller is arranged in the air supply chamber.

[Operation] In the above-described structure, the air passage facility is simplified by utilizing the adjacent area of the clean area as a part of the return air passage, as in the case of the invention according to claim 2 or claim 3 described above. In this condition, air circulation is performed.

In this circulation mode, the temperature of the circulating air is adjusted by the panel-shaped temperature controller arranged in the air supply chamber above the ceiling during the passage of the air supply chamber.

[Effect] That is, according to the invention of claim 4, since the panel-shaped temperature controller is arranged in the air supply chamber on the back of the ceiling, the fan filter is combined with the plurality of fan filter units arranged side by side on the ceiling. Units and temperature controllers, which are the main components of this type of clean room equipment, can be installed on the ceiling, which allows installation and maintenance of these main components to other areas. You can concentrate and work efficiently without the need to move to a large work area.

By disposing the panel-like temperature controller in the air supply chamber above the ceiling in this way, as in the case of the third aspect of the invention, the adjacent region is provided with a part of the return air path (inter-chamber return air flow). It is needless to say that the adjacent area can be widely and effectively used for the original user's purpose even though it is used as a road.

[0031]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 is a clean area for performing work requiring a clean atmosphere such as manufacturing of semiconductor integrated circuits and chemicals / foods, and 2 is an adjoining area separated from a clean area 1 by a partition wall 3. The space above the ceiling of the clean area 1 is the air supply chamber 4, and the ceiling of the clean area 1 has a fan 5 that sucks the air in the air supply chamber 4 and supplies the intake air to the clean area 1.
The fan filter unit 5 including a and a filter 5b (for example, a HEPA filter or a ULPA filter) that purifies the supplied air is densely arranged in parallel.

The floor 6 of the clean area 1 is a perforated plate-like or grid-like floor that can be vented, and the space under the floor of the clean area 1 is the clean area 1
As a return air chamber 7 for receiving air exhausted from the floor 6 through the floor 6.

That is, the clean air is supplied to the clean area 1 by the group of fan filter units 5 arranged in parallel, and the air in the clean area 1 is discharged from the floor 6 to the return air chamber 7 under the floor to clean the air. The entire region 1 is made into a laminar downward flow region of clean air.

The adjacent area 2 is used as an inter-chamber return air passage 8 that guides return air from the underfloor return air chamber 7 to the air supply chamber 4 above the ceiling. A series of return air paths are formed by the adjacent area 2 as the inter-return air passage 8 and the air supply chamber 4 on the ceiling, and basically, the fan 5 of the fan filter unit 5 is formed.
a) air supply chamber 4-clean area 1-return air chamber 7-
Air is circulated through the return air passage 8 between the chambers, and in this air circulation, the filter 5 of the fan filter unit 5 is
The clean area 1 is maintained at a high degree of cleanliness by capturing dust by b to purify the circulating air and by forming the laminar downward flow area of the clean air in the clean area 1 as described above.

Reference numeral 11a in the figure denotes a temperature controller for adjusting the temperature of the air circulated as described above. As the temperature controller 11a, the overall shape is a plate shape, and the plate surface portion of the plate shape is against the air. A panel-shaped temperature controller serving as the heat exchange surface portion A is adopted, and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the heat exchange surface portion A of the panel-shaped temperature controller 11a faces inward of the adjacent area 2. In the posture, they are arranged on each of the two area wall portions in the adjacent area 2.

That is, in the adjacent area 2 as the inter-chamber return air passage 8, the circulating air is passed along the heat exchange surface portion A of the panel-like temperature controller 11a in the posture along the flow direction. , This circulating air is used for heat exchange surface A
The temperature is adjusted by the cooling action or the heating action of the above, whereby the clean zone 1 is adjusted to a desired temperature state.

The panel-like temperature controller 11a has a structure in which a large number of passages for the heat medium are formed between plate members joined to each other on their plate surfaces, or the plate-like shape is formed as a box-shaped body. , A structure that allows a heat medium to pass through the inside of the box, or a structure in which a thermocouple type cooling element or a heating element is attached to a plate member having good heat conductivity, and further a structure in which an electric heating coil is attached to the plate member Various structures can be adopted, and when a heat medium is used, as the heat medium, cold water or hot water, brine or steam, or various refrigerants such as evaporation process refrigerant and condensation process refrigerant in a heat pump can be used. The heat medium of can be adopted.

Reference numeral 12 denotes an exhaust passage for discharging a part of the circulating air to the outside of the system from the clean area 1 or the return air chamber 7, and 13 denotes an external air conditioner for the circulating air after discharging a part of the circulating air to the exhaust passage 12. It is a fresh air introduction path for mixing fresh air whose temperature and humidity has been pre-processed by 14, and maintains a fresh atmosphere in the clean area 1 by partially discharging the circulating air and introducing fresh air.

The adjacent area 2 is used as the inter-chamber return air passage 8 and the main portion 8b (that is, the main portion of the adjacent area 2) except for the space above the ceiling 8a and the space under the floor 8c is used for other than air conditioning. Also used for user applications. When the main portion 8b of the return air passage 8 is used for the user side application other than the air conditioning application,
As described above, by disposing the panel-shaped temperature controller 11a in the area wall portion of the adjacent area 2, the main portion 8b of the return air passage 8 is
It can be used for various applications other than air conditioning applications, as a stable airflow region that is less affected by airflow turbulence due to the temperature controller 11a, and in a state where the use space is less restricted by the installation of the temperature controller 11a. Is done.

[Other Embodiments] Next, other embodiments will be listed. (1) When the required cleanliness of the clean area 1 is low, the fan filter units 5 may be installed side by side on the ceiling of the clean area 1 in a sparse state with a space between each other. In some cases, a configuration in which only one fan filter unit 5 is provided on the ceiling may be adopted.

(2) When the adjacent area 2 used for the return air passage 8 between the chambers is used for the user side application other than the air conditioning application, the specific application is to enter and exit the clean room 1 in the antechamber. It may be used for any purpose, such as a passage for workers or articles, an auxiliary work area associated with the clean area 1, or an area for arranging devices that contribute to work in the clean area 1.

(3) In the above-described embodiment, the panel-like temperature controllers 11a are arranged side by side in the area walls facing each other in the adjacent area 2 as the inter-chamber return air passage 8. As shown in (a) or (b) of 3, the panel-shaped temperature controller 11a is provided only on the one area wall of the adjacent area 2.
You may employ the structure which arrange | positions.

(4) In the above-described embodiment, the panel-shaped temperature controller 11a is arranged in the adjacent area 2 as the inter-chamber return air passage 8, but the panel-shaped temperature controller 11a has the heat exchange surface portion A. It may be arranged in the air supply chamber 4 above the ceiling as shown in FIG. 4 or in the return air chamber 7 under the floor as shown in FIG. 5 in a posture along the flow direction of the circulating air. .

Further, in this way, the panel-shaped temperature controller 11a
Are arranged in the air supply chamber 4 under the ceiling or the return air chamber 7 under the floor, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG.
Panel-shaped temperature controller 11a with the posture facing the inside of the chamber
Instead of arranging on the wall of the chamber, a panel-shaped temperature controller 11a may be arranged inside the chamber in a hollow posture.

(5) When the panel-shaped temperature controller 11a is arranged in a hollow posture so as to follow the flow of the circulating air instead of being arranged on the region wall or the chamber wall, the panel-shaped temperature controller 11 is arranged.
As a, it is preferable to adopt a type in which both of the plate surface portions are heat exchange surface portions A.

(6) As shown in FIG. 6, a panel-shaped temperature controller 11a may be arranged in each of the air supply chamber 4 under the ceiling and the return air chamber 7 under the floor.

(7) As shown in FIG. 7, the air supply chamber 4
Alternatively, a configuration in which the panel-shaped temperature controller 11a is arranged in each of the adjacent regions 2 as the inter-chamber return air passage 8 may be adopted.

(8) As shown in FIG. 8, the return air chamber 7
Alternatively, a configuration in which the panel-shaped temperature controller 11a is arranged in each of the adjacent regions 2 as the inter-chamber return air passage 8 may be adopted.

(9) As shown in FIG. 9, a panel-like temperature controller 11a is arranged in each of the air supply chamber 4, the return air chamber 7, and the adjacent area 2 as the inter-chamber return air passage 8. May be adopted.

(10) As shown in FIG. 10, the present invention is embodied in a structure in which the adjacent area 2 formed between the two clean areas 1 serves as a common inter-chamber return air passage 8 for the clean areas 1 on both sides. May be.

(11) As indicated by the dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 3 to 10, in the air supply chamber 4 and the return air chamber 7, the circulation air is agitated for the purpose of assisting the air circulation and soaking the temperature. An auxiliary fan F may be additionally provided to do so.

(12) The panel-shaped temperature controller 11a may have various structures, and a large number of fins may be provided on the heat exchange surface portion A, or the heat exchange surface portion A may have an uneven surface shape. Various heat exchange surface expansion structures may be adopted for the heat exchange surface portion A.

(13) In the present invention, the entire return air path for returning air from the clean area 1 to the fan filter unit 5 or the inter-chamber return air passage 8 as a part thereof is formed by a dedicated duct. Also, in this case, the panel-shaped temperature controller 11a may be arranged in the middle of the return air path of the duct formation, with the heat exchange surface portion A of the panel-like temperature controller 11a arranged along the flow direction of the circulating air. Good.

In the claims, reference numerals are provided for convenience of comparison with the drawings, but the present invention is not limited to the configuration of the attached drawings by the entry.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an overall front view of a clean room facility showing an embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a main part showing an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is an overall front view of a clean room facility showing another embodiment.

FIG. 4 is an overall front view of a clean room facility showing another embodiment.

FIG. 5 is an overall front view of a clean room facility showing another embodiment.

FIG. 6 is an overall front view of a clean room facility showing another embodiment.

FIG. 7 is an overall front view of a clean room facility showing another embodiment.

FIG. 8 is an overall front view of a clean room facility showing another embodiment.

FIG. 9 is an overall front view of a clean room facility showing another embodiment.

FIG. 10 is an overall front view of a clean room facility showing another embodiment.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Clean Area 4 Air Supply Chamber 5 Fan Filter Unit 5a Fan Filter Unit Fan 5b Fan Filter Unit Filter 6 Floor 7 Return Air Chamber 2 Adjacent Area of Clean Area 8 Inter-chamber Return Air Passage 11a Temperature Controller A Heat Exchange Surface

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A fan filter unit (5) comprising a fan (5) for sucking in air and supplying the sucked air to a clean zone (1), and a filter (5b) for purifying the supplied air. A return air path that is provided on the ceiling of the clean area (1), discharges the air in the clean area (1), and guides the discharged air to the fan filter unit (5) as an intake target of the fan (5a). (7, 8, 4) is provided, and a temperature controller (11a) for adjusting the temperature of the air circulated over the fan filter unit (5), the clean region (1), and the return air path (7, 8, 4). In the clean room facility provided with, a panel-shaped temperature controller having a plate shape and having a plate surface portion as a heat exchange surface portion (A) for air is adopted as the temperature controller (11a). Adjust the air conditioner (11a) Road (7,
The clean room facility in which the heat exchange surface portion (A) is arranged in the flow direction of the circulating air in the middle of (8, 4). 2. The air supply chamber (4) is defined as the space above the ceiling of the clean area (1), and a plurality of the fan filter units (5) are made to suck air from the air supply chamber (4). The floors (6) of the clean zone (1) have a ventilation structure, and the space under the floor is a return air chamber (7), which are arranged side by side on the ceiling of the clean zone (1). The adjacent area (2) is defined as an inter-chamber return air passage (8) for sending circulating air from the return air chamber (7) to the supply air chamber (4), and the return air chamber (7) and the inter-chamber return air passage are provided. (8), while the return air path is formed by the air supply chamber (4), the panel-shaped temperature controller (11a) has a heat exchange surface portion (A) inside the adjacent area (2). The clean route according to claim 1, wherein the clean route is arranged on the area wall portion of the adjacent area (2) so as to face to the side. Equipment. 3. The air supply chamber (4) is defined as the space above the ceiling of the clean area (1), and a plurality of the fan filter units (5) are made to suck air from the air supply chamber (4). The floors (6) of the clean zone (1) have a ventilation structure, and the space under the floor is a return air chamber (7), which are arranged side by side on the ceiling of the clean zone (1). The adjacent area (2) is defined as an inter-chamber return air passage (8) for sending circulating air from the return air chamber (7) to the supply air chamber (4), and the return air chamber (7) and the inter-chamber return air passage are provided. (8) The clean room facility according to claim 1, wherein the panel-shaped temperature controller (11a) is arranged in the return air chamber (7), while the return air path is formed by the air supply chamber (4). 4. The air supply chamber (4) is defined as the space above the ceiling of the clean area (1), and a plurality of the fan filter units (5) are made to suck air from the air supply chamber (4). The floors (6) of the clean zone (1) have a ventilation structure, and the space under the floor is a return air chamber (7), which are arranged side by side on the ceiling of the clean zone (1). The adjacent area (2) is defined as an inter-chamber return air passage (8) for sending circulating air from the return air chamber (7) to the supply air chamber (4), and the return air chamber (7) and the inter-chamber return air passage are provided. (8) The clean room facility according to claim 1, wherein the panel-shaped temperature controller (11a) is arranged in the air supply chamber (4), while the return air path is formed by the air supply chamber (4).