Octec, Inc.

Ckd Corporation

Tokyo Electron Limited

Shigenobu Itoh

Katsuya Okumura

Kazuhiro Sugata

Kazuhiro Arakawa

Hiroshi Tomita

Tetsuya Toyoda

Shoichi Kitagawa

A chemical liquid supply system that prevents the generation of heat during operation in a pump and allows downsizing the discharge pump for instilling a chemical liquid from a tip nozzle. Compressed air is supplied to an upper space of a resist bottle and the chemical liquid is conferred positive pressure and sent out to a pump chamber of a discharge pump, thereby the pump chamber is filled with a resist liquid. This eliminates the need of a conventional construction where a spring or others are used to drive a flexible membrane of the discharge pump to the operation chamber side to take in the resist liquid. As a result, no electric motor is used, so there is obviously no risk of heat damage to a semiconductor wafer and the discharge pump itself can be further downsized.

Chemical liquid supply system

An openingof a supply/withdrawal passageis positioned at the center part of the internal wall surfaceof the operating chamber(concave area), and a pinthat protrudes toward the diaphragmis provided in a position that is offset from the center of the wall surface. When the diaphragmis deformed toward the operating chamberby the suction of an operation air into the operating chamberduring drawing in the chemical liquid, a part of the diaphragmopposing to the pinrides on the pinand this part becomes a slightly convex shape toward the pump chamber. When the operation air is supplied from the openinginto the operating chamberduring the discharge of the chemical liquid, the deformation begins first from the part of the diaphragmriding on the pin

Pump for supplying chemical liquids

A seal structure in which a sealing memberfitted in the seal holding partis elastically deformed to hermetically seal a flow passage joining portion. The seal holding partopening on a flow passage side and including a first retaining surface, a second retaining surface, and a circumferential surface. The sealing memberincludes a first surfacein contact with the first retaining surface, a second surfacein contact with the retaining surface, and an inner surfacelocated inside the seal holding partand tapered to have a diameter becoming smaller from the first surfaceside to the second surfaceside. An engagement portionengaged in the seal holding partis formed protruding from an outer surfacelocated on the circumferential surfaceside and on the first surfaceside. When the sealing memberis fitted in the seal holding partwhile the engagement portionis pressed, the sealing memberis placed such that the inner surfaceon the first surfaceside protrudes inward and the outer surfaceis in contact with the circumferential surface

Seal structure, fluid device, integrated valve, and sealing member

Growing community of inventors

Komaki, Japan

Shigenobu Itoh