JPS62147249A - Clean room - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To keep the area of equipment in an ultra clean degree and facilitate the maintenance of the equipment as well as the carrying of material into and out of the area of equipment by a method wherein a plurality of ventilating holes are provided between the area of equipment and the area of passages while a partitioning member, movable into left-and-right or up-and-down, is provided therebetween. CONSTITUTION:A plurality of front surface panels 37, 37..., divided so that the side ends thereof are superposed mutually, is attached as a partitioning member which defines the area A of equipment from the area B of passages. A plurality of ventilating holes 38, 38 are formed on a transparent rectangular plates so as to be arranged uniformly on the whole of the surface substantially while running wheels 39a, 39a are attached to the upper part thereof so as to be moveable on rails 39, 39. Further, predetermined clearance is provided between the lower end of the plate and the upper surface of a floor 28 to form a ventilating port 40, through which air in the area A of equipment flows out into the area B of passages. The ventilating holes 38 are made so as to be a bell-type opening, for example, in order to reduce the resistance of air and prevent the generation of eddies.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION "Field of Industrial Application" The present invention relates to a lean room, which is necessary in the field of manufacturing ultra-LSI, RC, etc., when it is desired to maintain a manufacturing environment ultra-clean.

"Prior Art" In general, there is a large amount of dust in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, especially in the pre-process of forming circuit elements on semiconductor wafers.
The cleanliness of the working atmosphere is directly linked to the product yield. For this reason, clean rooms are used to maintain a highly clean working atmosphere for this type of semiconductor device, and for example, a clean room shown in FIG. 5 is known.

In the figure, the reference numeral indicates a clean room, and the entire room is separated from the outside world by an outer partition wall 1.

There is a worker area 2 in the center of this compartment, a high cleanliness area 3.3 on both sides of the area, and an equipment maintenance area 4 on both sides.
．． In particular, the high cleanliness area 3.3 is separated from the equipment maintenance area 4.4 and the work area by an internal partition wall 5.5 placed on the outside and a screen 6.6 placed on the inside. The area is divided into two areas. Note that the inner partition wall 5.5 and the screen 6.6 have their lower ends lower than the position where workpieces are processed on the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 8 installed on the floor 7 of the high cleanliness area 3.3. The structure is such that it is suspended in an extended state, and therefore a gap is formed between it and the floor 7 below.

A high performance filter 9.9 is installed on the ceiling of each of the high cleanliness areas 3, 3, and is connected to the duct IO at the upper part. On the other hand, a pre-filter 11 is provided on the ceiling of the worker area 2 and communicated with the duct 10,
Also, the pre-filter 12.1 is installed on the ceiling of the equipment maintenance area 4°4.
2 is provided and communicates with the high performance filter 9.9. Note that 131 in the figure is a working window provided in the second screen 6, and the worker 14 in the worker area 2 operates the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 8 through this working window 13.

According to this configuration, clean air flows downward from the high-performance filter 9.9 as shown by the arrow, filling the high-cleanliness area 3.3 and cleaning this area. The clean air further flows into the equipment maintenance area 4.4 and the operator area 2 through gaps between the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 8, the inner partition wall 5, and the screen 6, respectively. A portion also flows into the worker area 2 through the work window 13. and,
The air in the device maintenance area 4 flows upward and passes through the prefilter 12.
and directly returned to the high performance filter 9 and circulated as described above. Meanwhile, the air in the worker area 2 also flows upward from the prefilter 11 through the duct IO and back to the high performance filter 9 where it is circulated as described above.

Therefore, in this clean room K, the high cleanliness area 3.3 is under positive pressure, while the operator area 2 and equipment maintenance area 4.4 are under negative pressure. In addition to improving cleanliness, it is possible to stably maintain a high level of cleanliness by preventing air from being drawn in from the worker area 2.
3, the initial cost of the equipment can be reduced, and many effects can be obtained, such as reducing the amount of air supplied and reducing the running cost of electric power.

"Problems to be Solved by the Invention" However, the conventional clean room described above had the following problems.

(+) Since the screen is fixed,
When maintenance of semiconductor manufacturing equipment is frequently performed and objects are carried in and out of the equipment area, the screen becomes an obstacle, making it difficult to perform the work smoothly.

(2) Most of the air supplied to the high cleanliness area is exhausted only from the bottom of the screen, so the velocity of the airflow toward the floor becomes high, causing the airflow to rebound on the floor, causing The accumulated dust flies up into the worker's area, which is inconvenient for maintaining the worker's area at a high level of cleanliness.

(3) Near the screen surface in the worker area (the fifth section above)
In the shaded area S) in the figure, an air vortex is generated, and when dust enters there, it is difficult to quickly discharge it, which becomes an obstacle to maintaining a high level of cleanliness in the worker's area.

The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and it makes the high cleanliness area super clean, prevents air from being drawn in from the worker area, and stably maintains the super cleanliness.
This reduces the amount of air supplied, reduces the running cost of electricity, and reduces the initial cost of equipment.
Furthermore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a clean room in which a worker area can be maintained at a high level of cleanliness, and in which maintenance of semiconductor manufacturing equipment and carrying of items into and out of the equipment area can be easily performed.

``Means for Solving the Problems'' In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention divides the interior of the room into an equipment area where ultra-cleanliness is required and a passage area where high cleanliness is required. At the same time, an air supply unit for blowing out clean air is provided on the ceiling of the device area, and further, an air supply unit is provided above the passage area, adjacent to the air supply unit, and for returning the clean air blown from the air supply unit. In a clean room equipped with an exhaust section, a plurality of ventilation holes are provided almost uniformly over the entire surface between the device section area and the passage section area, and a partition member that is movable left and right or up and down is provided. It is a feature.

``Function'' The equipment area that requires ultra-cleanliness is divided by the passage area and the partition member, so the supplied clean air flows through the equipment area at a predetermined flow rate without being diffused. It is possible to maintain the cleanliness of the device area simply by supplying clean air, and the diffusion and inflow of dust from the passage area is completely prevented. In addition, since multiple ventilation holes are formed on the entire surface of the partition member, air is blown out almost uniformly from the entire surface of the partition member into the passage area, creating a vortex near the surface of the partition member facing the passage area. In addition, by adjusting the inner diameter and number of the ventilation holes, the flow and velocity of air exhausted from other exhaust ports can be controlled.

"Embodiments" Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG. 1 shows the main parts of the clean room, and in the figure, the reference numerals are the clean room, 2I is the ceiling board, and 22 is the floor slab.

A ceiling board 23 is provided in the ceiling part of the room between the ceiling board 2■ and the floor slab 22, and a ceiling board 23 is provided above the ceiling board 23 for blowing air from a main air conditioner (not shown). An air supply duct 24.24 is arranged.

In addition, a ceiling exhaust part 25 is provided at the center of the lower part of the ceiling board 23.
Air supply chambers 26.2, which are air supply units, are located adjacent to each other on both sides (left and right when facing the page).
6 is provided. This air supply chamber 26.26 is
ULs connected to the upper air supply ducts 24, 24 and provided at the lower part of the air supply chamber 26, 26, respectively.
PA filter (or I (E P A filter) 27.2
It communicates with the space below via 7.

On the other hand, a floor part 28 having an opening above the floor slab 22 is installed in the floor part of the room, and an underfloor free access floor 28a is formed between them. moreover,
The interior of the room is divided into a work room 30 and a utility room 31.31 by a back panel 29.29 erected between the outer circumference of the air supply chamber 26.26 and the floor 28.

Near the bottom of the back panel 29.29 is a semiconductor manufacturing equipment 32. ．． 32 is arranged, and the back panel 2
A back panel exhaust port 33, 33 is formed at the lower end of the back panel 9. If the manufacturing equipment 32 protrudes into the utility room 31 for a long time, a louver with a damper will be provided on the back panel 29 near the top of the manufacturing equipment 32, and if the manufacturing equipment 32 will fit into the work room 30, a louver with a damper will be installed on the back panel 29 near the top of the manufacturing equipment 32. A back panel exhaust port 33 is formed by providing a louver with a damper on the back panel 29 near the top.

The space of the work room 30 is divided into equipment areas A, A above the manufacturing equipment 32 32, and a passage area B where the worker 34 moves approximately in the center of the work room 30. ,
The air supply chambers 26, 26 are located above the device areas A, and the ceiling exhaust section 25 is located above the passage area B.

Further, in the air supply chamber 26.26, an air conditioner 35.35 with a built-in fan is provided on the utility room 31.31 side, and lighting devices 36.36 are installed on both sides of the lower part of the ceiling exhaust section 25. A partition member is provided fixed to the side surface of the air supply chamber 26.26, and at the bottom of the illumination device 36.36 is a partition member that partitions the device area A and the passage area B. A plurality of front panels 37, 37 . ... is installed.

As shown in FIG. 2, this front panel 37 is a transparent rectangular plate with a plurality of ventilation holes 38, 38. ... are arranged and formed almost uniformly over the entire surface, and at the top of the panel 37, there are two lights fixed horizontally (perpendicular to the plane of the paper) at the bottom of the lighting device 36. Running wheels 39a, 3 are provided so that the panel 37 can move on the rails 39.39.
9a is attached. Further, the panel 37 is shaped such that a predetermined gap is formed between its lower end and the upper surface of the floor section 28, and the gap is formed in the device area A.
It serves as a vent hole 40 through which the air inside flows out to the passage area B. In addition, a ventilation hole 38 formed in the panel 37
As shown in FIG. 3, in order to reduce the resistance of the air passing through the hole and to prevent the generation of vortices in front and behind the hole, the panel 37 is formed so that both ends of the hole draw a curve and gradually widen. It has a bell-shaped opening [1 part] that is continuous with the surface, and is configured so that the flow rate of air flowing out to the passage area B can be controlled by changing the inner diameter and number of the ventilation holes 38. has been done.

Furthermore, a working window (not shown) is provided at a predetermined location on the panel 37 for the operator 34 to operate the manufacturing device 32 .

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, a louver 4I with a damper is installed near the bottom of the ceiling exhaust part 25 between the air supply chambers 26.26, and above the louver 4I, the air supply chambers 26.26 Exhaust fan attached to the side of 42.42
is provided.

On the other hand, the floor portion 28 has perforated floors 43, 43. ... are installed, and concrete fixed floors 44, 44 are provided on the manufacturing equipment 32, 32 and the floor of the passage area B.

Next, the operation of the clean room having the above configuration will be explained.

First, air sent from the main air conditioner through the air supply ducts 24 and 24 is sent to the left and right air supply chambers 26 installed on the ceiling.
．． 26. The air supplied to the supply air chamber 26.26 is passed through a ULPA (or r(EPA) filter 27
．． 27 to be cleaned and blown into the device area A. The blown clean air passes mainly through three types of flow paths and is returned to the air supply chamber 26, 26 again.

First, in the first flow path (2), clean air blown from the air supply chamber 26 hits the top surface of the manufacturing equipment 32, passes through the back panel exhaust port 33, reaches the utility room 31, and then passes through the air conditioner 35. A flow path for returning air to the air supply chamber 26 through the air. Next, the second flow path ■ is connected to the air supply chamber 26
After the clean air blown from the air hits the top surface of the manufacturing equipment 32, it passes from the perforated floor 43 to the underfloor free access floor 28.
a, reaches the utility room 31, and then returns air to the air supply chamber 26 via the air conditioner 35. Furthermore, the third flow path {circle around (2)} prevents the clean air blown from the air supply chamber 26 from hitting the manufacturing apparatus 32 and the ventilation holes 38, 38 . ...and flows out into the passage area B through the vent 40 at the bottom, rises and reaches the ceiling exhaust section 25 from the ceiling louver 41 provided above, and then is discharged by the exhaust fan 42. This is a flow path for returning air to the air supply chamber 26.

When the air flowing through this flow path (3) flows out to the passage area B, the air flows through the numerous ventilation holes 38, 38 formed in the front panel 37.
．． ... and flows out uniformly from the entire surface of the front panel, so air vortices are less likely to be generated near the surface of the front panel 37 on the passage area side. Also, the front panel ventilation holes 38.38. By changing the number and the size of the inner diameter, it is possible to control the amount of air flowing out from the front panel 37, and also to control the amount of air flowing out from the front panel 37.
It becomes possible to control the air flow m from the

Therefore, by appropriately adjusting the flow rate of air from this vent 40, it is possible to reliably prevent the dust deposited on the floor 28 from flying up due to the airflow flowing through it.

Note that if equipment (not shown) that requires exhaust to the outside is installed inside the clean room, the flow path
Any air flowing through the building is drawn into the device, passes through the device, and is then exhausted to the outside of the building through an exhaust duct (not shown).

Here, the required cleanliness of the clean room is class 10 (target particle size ≧
0.1 μm) 1 The working sound 34 is class 100 (target particle size ≧ 0°1 μm) in the passage area B where it moves, and ultra cleanliness is maintained in the equipment area A and high cleanliness is maintained in the passage area B. It is necessary to

Further, the clean air in the device region A has a higher degree of cleanliness than the clean air in the passage region C, and the passage region B can be cleaned using the clean air flowing out from the device region A.

Therefore, in this clean room K, since the equipment area A is surrounded by the back panel 29 and the front panel 37, the equipment area A, which is an ultra-clean area, is under positive pressure, while the equipment area A is a high-clean area. The passage area B and the utility room 31 are pressure-proofed, and only by supplying a small amount of clean air (in this embodiment, the flow velocity of clean air in the device area can be reduced to 0.2 m/s or less). In addition to bringing the device area A to a desired level of cleanliness, the diffusion and inflow of dust from the passage area B is completely prevented, and ultra-cleanliness can be stably maintained.

In addition, since the air supply channel (air supply channel) <26.26 which is the air supply section is provided only at the top of the device area A, A, clean air is not blown out from the entire surface of the ceiling, so the absolute amount of air supplied is It becomes possible to reduce the UL
Since the PA filter 27 only needs to be provided in the supply chamber 26, 26, the running cost of electric power such as driving power of the fan can be reduced, and the initial cost of the equipment can be reduced.

Further, since the front panel 37 can be moved left and right along the rails 39, maintenance of the manufacturing equipment 32 and carrying of items into and out of the equipment area A can be easily performed.

Furthermore, since the air supplied to the device area A can be exhausted from three types of channels, there is no need to make the entire surface of the floor 28 a perforated floor 43, and the device area A and the passage area B By simply providing a small opening just below the interface between the passage area B and the manufacturing equipment 32.
It can be set to 4. As a result, when the worker 34 walks, by walking on the fixed floor 44 in the passage area B,
By separating the fixed bed 44 of the passage area B and the fixed bed 44 of the manufacturing device 32.32, vibrations generated during walking are suppressed and vibrations are prevented from being transmitted to the manufacturing device 32.32. Worker 34 is able to walk while walking.
In addition, there is no discomfort felt when walking on a fully grating floor.

Next, a second embodiment will be described using FIG. 4.

In this second embodiment, the front panel 37 in the clean room K of the first embodiment is configured as follows. In FIG. 4, the same components as those in the first embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 are designated by the same reference numerals, and their explanations will be omitted.

In the figure, the reference numeral 45 denotes a screen, which is provided at the interface between the device region A and the passage region B. A large number of fine ventilation holes (not shown) are formed on the entire surface of the screen 45, and the screen 45 can be moved vertically by a winding rod 46 having a rotation mechanism provided at the upper end thereof. It is fixed to the lower part of the illumination device 36 in a state where it is held in place.

Furthermore, a screen 45 is provided at the lower end of the screen 45.
A weight 47 is attached to prevent loosening or shaking, and a gap 40 is formed between the lower end of the weight 47 and the floor 28. Further, at a predetermined location of the screen 45, there is a work window (
(not shown) is provided. Note that a foot switch 48 may be provided on the floor 28 to automatically control the rotation mechanism at the top of the screen 45 to open and close the screen 45 up and down. In other respects, the configuration is the same as that of the first embodiment.

Therefore, in the clean room configured in this way, when the airflow flowing through the flow path (3) flows out to the passage area B, it passes through the many ventilation holes formed in the screen 45 and flows out uniformly from the entire surface of the screen 45. Therefore, air vortices are not generated near the surface of the screen 45 on the passage area side, and by changing the diameter and number of the ventilation holes formed in the screen 45, the air exhausted from the ventilation holes 40 can be reduced. It is possible to control the flow rate and flow rate.

Furthermore, the screen 45 is easy to construct and can be opened and closed easily. Other functions and effects are the same as those of the first embodiment.

"Effects of the Invention" As explained above, the present invention divides a room into an equipment area where ultra-cleanliness is required and a passage area where high cleanliness is required, and a ceiling in the equipment area. In a clean room, an air supply section for blowing out clean air is provided, and a ceiling exhaust section is provided above the passage area, adjacent to the air supply section, and for returning the clean air blown from the air supply section. It has a plurality of ventilation holes almost uniformly over the entire surface between the device area and the passage area, and is provided with a partition member that is movable left and right or up and down, so it is an ultra-clean area. While the equipment area is under positive pressure, the passage area, which is a high cleanliness area, is pressure-proof, making it possible to achieve the desired level of cleanliness in the equipment area by simply supplying a small amount of clean air. It is possible to completely eliminate the intrusion of dust and maintain ultra-cleanliness stably, and the air supply section is only installed above the equipment area, making it possible to blow clean air from the entire surface of the ceiling. Since there is no ULPA filter, it is possible to reduce the absolute amount of air supplied, and since the ULPA filter only needs to be installed in the air supply section, it is possible to reduce the running cost of electric power such as fan drive power, and the initial cost of the equipment. .

Furthermore, in the present invention, since the partition member is configured to be movable, it is possible to easily maintain the manufacturing equipment and carry objects in and out of the equipment area. Also,
Since ventilation holes are formed uniformly over the entire surface of the partition member, air vortices are less likely to be generated near the surface of the partition member on the passage area side, and the inner diameter and number of ventilation holes can be adjusted. By doing so, it is possible to control the flow rate of air flowing out from the vent at the bottom of the partition member, prevent dust accumulated on the floor from flying up, and maintain high cleanliness in the passage area.

[BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS] Figures 1 to 4 show embodiments of the present invention. Figure 1 shows the first embodiment and is a side sectional view of a clean room, and Figure 2 is a side sectional view of the clean room. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the ventilation hole portion of the front panel of FIG. 2; FIG. 4 is a side sectional view of a portion of the clean room showing the second embodiment; FIG. 5 shows a conventional technique and is a side sectional view of a clean room. A... Device area, B... Passage area, 25... Ceiling exhaust section, 26... Air supply chamber (air supply section), 37 ...Front panel (partition member), 38...Vent hole, 45...
・Screen (partition member) Figure 1

Claims (1)

[Claims] The room is divided into an equipment area that requires ultra-cleanliness and a passage area that requires high cleanliness, and an air supply unit that blows clean air is installed on the ceiling of the equipment area, and In a clean room in which a ceiling exhaust section is provided in the upper part of the section area adjacent to the air supply section and returns the clean air blown out from the air supply section, the entire surface area is provided between the equipment section area and the passage section area. 1. A clean room characterized by having a plurality of ventilation holes substantially uniformly arranged therein, and provided with a partition member that is movable left and right or up and down.