Differential pressure flowmeter, flow controller, and apparatus for processing substrate

• US 7,337,677 B2
• Filed: 10/14/2005
• Issued: 03/04/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Mizohata, Yasuhiro
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, JEWEL VERGIE
• Application Number:
  US11/252,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20060112771A1
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 738/615.2, 738/613.56, 73/540.6, 73/542.4, 738/616.1, 738/616.3, 738/616.4
• US Class Current: 73/861.52
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/48 the pressure or differential pressure being created by a capillary element
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence

Abstract

A differential pressure flowmeter comprises a tube having a circular section, a first pressure sensor for measuring a pressure of a liquid flowing into the tube, a second pressure sensor for measuring a pressure of a liquid flowing out of the tube, a storage part for storing information and an operation part for performing various computations. In the differential pressure flowmeter, a laminar flow where a Reynolds number is less than or equal to 2000 is formed within the tube. Outputs from the first pressure sensor and the second pressure sensor are transmitted to the operation part, a pressure difference between both ends of the tube is obtained, and then a flowrate of a liquid flowing through the tube is determined on the basis of the pressure difference and flowrate information stored in the storage part in advance. In the differential pressure flowmeter, after the flow is made laminar completely, the pressure difference is obtained and it is thereby possible to perform measurement of the flowrate stably with high accuracy.

Claims

1. A differential pressure flowmeter for measuring a flowrate of a fluid, comprising:

a circular tube formed in a coil, a flow of a fluid with a Reynolds number less than or equal to 2000 being formed in the circular tube;

a first pressure sensor, placed in an upstream side of said circular tube, for measuring a pressure of said fluid flowing into said circular tube; and

a second pressure sensor, placed in a downstream side of said circular tube, for measuring a pressure of said fluid flowing out of said circular tube.

2. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein

said circular tube is made of resin.

3. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 2, wherein

an outer diameter of said circular tube is 1.5 or more times larger than an inner diameter of said circular tube.

4. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein

said circular tube has flexibility.

5. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein

a length of said circular tube is 130 or more times than an inner diameter of said circular tube.

6. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 1, further comprising

two fittings for attaching both ends of said circular tube detachably to a channel connected to said first pressure sensor and a channel connected to said second pressure sensor, respectively.

7. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 1, wherein

said fluid is liquid, and

an outlet of said second pressure sensor is positioned at the same height with respect to a vertical direction as an inlet of said first pressure sensor or at a higher position than said inlet of said first pressure sensor.

8. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 1, further comprising

a storage part for storing flowrate information in advance, said flowrate information indicating a relation between a pressure difference and a flowrate of said fluid flowing through said circular tube, said pressure difference being a difference between a pressure of said fluid flowing into said circular tube and a pressure of said fluid flowing out of said circular tube;

and

an operation part for obtaining said pressure difference from outputs of said first pressure sensor and said second pressure sensor and determining said flowrate of said fluid on the basis of said flowrate information and said pressure difference.

9. A flow controller for controlling a flowrate of a fluid, comprising:

a differential pressure flowmeter, installed on a conduit through which a fluid flows, for measuring a flowrate of said fluid;

a valve installed on said conduit, for adjusting a flow of said fluid; and

a controller for controlling valve opening of said valve on the basis of a predetermined flowrate and said flowrate of said fluid obtained by said differential pressure flowmeter, wherein

said differential pressure flowmeter comprises

a circular tube in which said flow of said fluid with a Reynolds number less than or equal to 2000 is formed;

a first pressure sensor, placed in an upstream side of said circular tube, for measuring a pressure of said fluid flowing into said circular tube;

a second pressure sensor, placed in a downstream side of said circular tube, for measuring a pressure of said fluid flowing out of said circular tube;

a storage part for storing flowrate information in advance, said flowrate information indicating a relation between a pressure difference and a flowrate of said fluid flowing through said circular tube, said pressure difference being a difference between a pressure of said fluid flowing into said circular tube and a pressure of said fluid flowing out of said circular tube; and

an operation part for obtaining said pressure difference from outputs of said first pressure sensor and said second pressure sensor and determining said flowrate of said fluid on the basis of said flowrate information and said pressure difference.

10. The flow controller according to claim 9, wherein

a length of said circular tube of said differential pressure flowmeter is 130 or more times than an inner diameter of said circular tube.

11. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:

a first conduit through which a first fluid flows;

a second conduit through which a second fluid flows, said second conduit connected to said first conduit;

a flow controller installed on said second conduit, for controlling a flowrate of said second fluid; and

a process bath, located in a downstream side of a connected point of said first conduit and said second conduit, for storing a processing liquid which is a mixture of said first fluid and said second fluid, in which a substrate being dipped, wherein

said flow controller comprises

a differential pressure flowmeter installed on said second conduit, for measuring said flowrate of said second fluid;

a valve installed on said second conduit, for adjusting a flow of said second fluid; and

a controller for controlling valve opening of said valve on the basis of a predetermined flowrate and said flowrate of said second fluid obtained by said differential pressure flowmeter, and

said differential pressure flowmeter comprises

a circular tube in which said flow of said second fluid with a Reynolds number less than or equal to 2000 is formed;

a first pressure sensor, placed in an upstream side of said circular tube, for measuring a pressure of said second fluid flowing in said circular tube;

a second pressure sensor, placed in a downstream side of said circular tube, for measuring a pressure of said second fluid flowing out of said circular tube;

a storage part for storing flowrate information in advance, said flowrate information indicating a relation between a pressure difference and said flowrate of said second fluid flowing through said circular tube, said pressure difference being a difference between a pressure of said second fluid flowing into said circular tube and a pressure of said second fluid flowing out of said circular tube; and

an operation part for obtaining said pressure difference from outputs of said first pressure sensor and said second pressure sensor and determining said flowrate of said second fluid on the basis of said flowrate information and said pressure difference.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein

a length of said circular tube of said differential pressure flowmeter is 130 or more times than an inner diameter of said circular tube.

13. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:

a substrate holding part for holding a substrate;

a first conduit through which a first fluid flows;

a second conduit through which a second fluid flows, said second conduit connected to said first conduit;

a flow controller installed on said second conduit, for controlling a flowrate of said second fluid; and

a processing liquid supply part, located in a downstream side of a connected point of said first conduit and said second conduit, for supplying a processing liquid which is a mixture of said first fluid and said second fluid to said substrate, wherein

said flow controller comprises

a differential pressure flowmeter installed on said second conduit, for measuring said flowrate of said second fluid;

a valve installed on said second conduit, for adjusting a flow of said second fluid; and

a controller for controlling valve opening of said valve on the basis of a predetermined flowrate and said flowrate of said second fluid obtained by said differential pressure flowmeter, and

said differential pressure flowmeter comprises

a circular tube in which said flow of said second fluid with a Reynolds number less than or equal to 2000 is formed;

a first pressure sensor, placed in an upstream side of said circular tube, for measuring a pressure of said second fluid flowing into said circular tube;

a second pressure sensor, placed in a downstream side of said circular tube, for measuring a pressure of said second fluid flowing out of said circular tube;

a storage part for storing flowrate information in advance, said flowrate information indicating a relation between a pressure difference and said flowrate of said second fluid flowing through said circular tube, said pressure difference being a difference between a pressure of said second fluid flowing into said circular tube and a pressure of said second fluid flowing out of said circular tube; and

an operation part for obtaining said pressure difference from outputs of said first pressure sensor and said second pressure sensor and determining said flowrate of said second fluid on the basis of said flowrate information and said pressure difference.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein

a length of said circular tube of said differential pressure flowmeter is 130 or more times than an inner diameter of said circular tube.

15. A differential pressure flowmeter for measuring a flowrate of a fluid, comprising:

a circular tube in which a flow of a fluid with a Reynolds number less than or equal to 2000 is formed;

a first pressure sensor, placed in an upstream side of said circular tube, for measuring a pressure of said fluid flowing into said circular tube;

a second pressure sensor, placed in a downstream side of said circular tube, for measuring a pressure of said fluid flowing out of said circular tube; and

two fittings for detachably attaching both ends of said circular tube to a channel connected to said first pressure sensor and a channel connected to said second pressure sensor, respectively.

16. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 15, wherein said circular tube is made of resin.

17. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 15, wherein

an outer diameter of said circular tube is 1.5 or more times larger than an inner diameter of said circular tube.

18. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 15, wherein

said circular tube has flexibility.

19. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 15, wherein

a length of said circular tube is 130 or more times than an inner diameter of said circular tube.

20. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 15, wherein

said fluid is liquid, and

an outlet of said second pressure sensor is positioned at the same height with respect to a vertical direction as an inlet of said first pressure sensor or at a higher position than said inlet of said first pressure sensor.

21. The differential pressure flowmeter according to claim 15, further comprising

a storage part for storing flowrate information in advance, said flowrate information indicating a relation between a pressure difference and a flowrate of said fluid flowing through said circular tube, said pressure difference being a difference between a pressure of said fluid flowing into said circular tube and a pressure of said fluid flowing out of said circular tube;

and

an operation part for obtaining said pressure difference from outputs of said first pressure sensor and said second pressure sensor and determining said flowrate of said fluid on the basis of said flowrate information and said pressure difference.