Liquid handling system with electronic information storage

• US 7,747,344 B2
• Filed: 05/03/2002
• Issued: 06/29/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. (Entegris Incorporated)
• Inventors: Andrews, Robert E, O'Dougherty, Kevin T.
• Primary Examiner(s): SHAPIRO, JEFFERY A
• Application Number:
  US10/139,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20030004608A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,979 Days
• Field of Search: 200/231, 200265-273, 200/281, 200/285, 200/239, 324/696, 324/637, 324/639, 324/663, 702 45- 55, 340/618, 340/620, 3405721-5729, 700/105, 700/110, 700/230, 700/231, 700/239, 700/244, 700265-273, 700281-285, 738/665, 174/47, 137/177, 137/251.1, 137/798, 455/66
• US Class Current: 700/231
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/0283 specially adapted for transferring liquids of high purity
• CPC Class Codes: B67D 7/348 by interrogating an information transmitter, e.g. a transponder B67D7/145 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0617 specially adapted for fluid materials
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0318 Processes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means

Abstract

The present invention relates to a system for handling liquid and a method for the same. The system includes a container capable of holding a liquid. An electronic storage device is coupled with the container for electronically storing information relating to the liquid stored in the container. The system can be configured with an antenna, for storing information to and reading information from the electronic storage device. A microprocessor-based controller, coupled with the antenna, may be employed for controlling processing of the liquid based on information read from the electronic storage device by the antenna.

Claims

1. A liquid handling system comprising:

a container capable of holding a liquid, said container having an opening;

a cap engaged with the opening and sealing the container when liquid is contained therein, said cap having a sealed probe hole therein;

an information storage device mounted on said cap and adapted to electronically store information relating to the liquid;

a connector including a connector head adapted to interconnect with said cap and a probe extending downwardly from the connector head, with a liquid flow passage therein for flow of liquid therethrough; and

an information transmitter mounted on the connector and adapted to wirelessly transmit information to and receive information from the information storage device;

said connector being constructed and arranged so that said probe is insertable through the probe hole in the cap to establish (i) dispensing contact with liquid contained in the container, and (ii) interconnection of the connector head and the cap to permit liquid to flow from said container through said liquid flow passage in said connector, with said information storage device mounted on said cap, and said information transmitter mounted on said connector, adjacently positioned in information processing relationship to one another.

2. The liquid handling system of claim 1, further comprising a controller coupled with the information transmitter, for controlling processing of the liquid based on information read from the information storage device by the information transmitter, wherein the controller comprises a user-interface capable of receiving input from a user.

3. The liquid handling system of claim 2, wherein the controller further controls processing the liquid based on input received from the user via the user-interface.

4. The liquid handling system of claim 3, wherein the controller further controls processing the liquid by comparing the input received from the user via the user-interface to information read from the information storage device to determine whether the liquid in the container should be dispensed to a process.

5. The liquid handling system of claim 2, wherein the user-interface comprises a touch screen adapted to receive input from the user and displaying information about the liquid contained in the container.

6. The liquid handling system of claim 1, wherein said sealed probe hole in said cap is sealed with a rupturable membrane, said information storage device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on the cap, said information transmitter comprises a radio frequency (RF) antenna on the connector head, arranged so that upon interconnection of the connector head and cap, and the RFID tag and the RF antenna are coaxially aligned with one another with a separation therebetween of less than 10 millimeters.

7. The liquid handling system of claim 1, wherein the cap further comprises a vent hole therein.

8. The liquid handling system of claim 6, wherein the rupturable membrane has a scored surface.

9. The liquid handling system of claim 1, wherein the information transmitter comprises a radio frequency (RF) antenna and the information storage device comprises a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

10. The liquid handling system of claim 9, wherein the RFID tag comprises a passive RF transponder and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

73. The liquid handling system of claim 1, further comprising a sensor adapted to monitor at least one physical property of liquid within the container, wherein the information storage device is adapted to receive information from the sensor.

11. A liquid handling system comprising:

a container having an opening and adapted to hold a liquid;

a cap adapted to couple with the container proximate to the opening to seal liquid within the container, the cap having a sealed probe hole and vent hole therein;

a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag mounted on the cap;

a connector adapted for coupling in adjacent relationship with the cap to permit the liquid to be dispensed from the container through the connector, with the connector including a probe having a liquid flow passage therein, wherein the probe is insertable through the sealed probe hole and into the container to contact the liquid in the container to permit dispensing thereof;

a radio frequency (RF) antenna mounted on the connector and adapted to store information to and read information from the RFID tag, said RF antenna being located adjacent to the RFID tag and in alignment therewith when the connector and cap are interconnected; and

a controller coupled with the RF antenna, the controller being adapted to direct processing of the liquid from the container based on information read from the RFID tag by the RF antenna.

12. The liquid handling system of claim 11, wherein the connector further comprises a connector head of generally cylindrical shape, having a top recess therein, with a port adaptor disposed in the recess in liquid flow communication with the probe, and with the RF antenna being located at a peripheral portion of the connector head, wherein the RFID tag is located on a peripheral portion of the cap, and wherein the connector head overfits the cap when the connector and the cap are interconnected, with a separation between the RF antenna and the RFID tag of less than 10 millimeters.

13. The liquid handling system of claim 12, wherein a pump is coupled with the probe and with the liquid flow passage for pumping liquid through the liquid flow passage in the probe.

14. The liquid handling system of claim 11, wherein the RFID tag comprises a passive RF transponder and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

15. The liquid handling system of claim 14, wherein the EEPROM stores information about the liquid contained in the container.

16. A method of handling liquids utilizing a container adapted to hold a liquid and defining an opening, and utilizing a connector including a connector head and a probe extending from the connector head, with the probe including a liquid flow passage adapted to permit liquid flow therethrough during liquid dispensing operation, and with the connector head including a transmitter, the method comprising:

capping the opening with a cap having a sealed probe hole, to seal the container when liquid is contained therein, the cap having an associated electronic storage and sensing device;

electronically storing information about the liquid in the electronic storage and sensing device;

inserting the probe through the probe hole to establish (i) dispensing contact with liquid contained in the container, and (ii) interconnection of the connector head and cap, with the electronic storage and sensing device and said transmitter adjacently positioned in information processing relationship with one another;

wirelessly reading information from the electronic storage and sensing device;

transmitting said information from the storage and sensing device utilizing said transmitter; and

controlling processing of the liquid from the container based on information read from the electronic storage and sensing device and transmitted by said transmitter.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said transmitter comprises an antenna.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic storage and sensing device comprises a RFID tag including a passive RF transponder and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the EEPROM stores information relating to the liquid contained in the container.

74. The method of claim 16, wherein the electronic storage and sensing device comprises a sensor element, the method further comprising sensing a property of or condition experienced by the liquid using the sensor element.

20. A material handling system comprising:

a container capable of holding a material, said container having an opening;

a cap engaged with the opening and sealing the container when material is contained therein, said cap having a sealed probe hole therein;

an information storage device adapted to electronically store information relating to the material;

an information transmitter for wirelessly storing information to and reading information from the information storage device; and

a connector including a connector head and a probe extending downwardly from the connector head, with a flow passage therein for flow of material therethrough during material dispensing operation;

said information storage device being mounted on one of said cap and said connector, and said information transmitter being mounted on the other of said cap and said connector;

said connector being constructed and arranged so that said probe is insertable through the probe hole in the cap to establish (i) dispensing contact with material contained in said container, and (ii) interconnection of the connector head and said cap, with said information storage device and said information transmitter being adjacently positioned in information processing relationship to one another; and

an inventory management system coupled to said information transmitter, and adapted to execute inventory management decisions based on information received from said information storage device.

21. The material handling system of claim 20, wherein the inventory management system comprises a user-interface capable of receiving input from a user.

22. The material handling system of claim 21, wherein the inventory management system further controls processing the material based on input received by the user-interface from the user.

23. The material handling system of claim 22, wherein the material comprises a liquid, and the inventory management system further controls processing the liquid by comparing the input received by the user-interface from the user to information read from the information storage device to determine whether the liquid in the container should be dispensed to a process.

24. The material handling system of claim 21, wherein the user-interface comprises a touch screen capable of receiving input from the user and displaying information about the material contained in the container.

25. The material handling system of claim 20, wherein said sealed probe hole in said cap is sealed with a rupturable membrane, said information storage device comprises a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag on the cap, said information transmitter comprises a radio frequency (RF) antenna on the connector head, arranged so that upon interconnection of the connector head and cap, and the RFID tag and the RF antenna are coaxially aligned with one another with a separation therebetween of less than 10 millimeters.

26. The material handling system of claim 20, wherein the information storage device is mounted on the cap and the information transmitter is mounted on the connector.

27. The material handling system of claim 20, wherein the information storage device is mounted on the connector and the information transmitter is mounted on the cap.

28. The material handling system of claim 20, wherein the information transmitter comprises a radio frequency (RF) antenna and the information storage device comprises a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

29. The material handling system of claim 28, wherein the RFID tag comprises a passive RF transponder and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

75. The material handling system of claim 20, further comprising at least one sensor element adapted to sense a property of or condition experienced by the liquid.

76. The material handling system of claim 75, wherein the at least one sensor element is integrated with the information storage device.

30. A liquid handling system comprising:

a container having an interior for holding a liquid and defining an opening;

a cap engaged with the container adjacent the opening;

an information storage device coupled to any of the container and the cap and adapted to store information relating to the liquid; and

a connector adapted for physically coupling to any of the container and the cap adjacent the opening and having an information transmitter adapted to wirelessly obtain information from the information storage device, wherein the connector includes a downwardly extending probe insertable through the cap and having a passage therein adapted to permit liquid to flow through the probe, and wherein the information storage device and information transmitter are vertically aligned with and adjacent to one another when the connector is physically coupled to any of said container and said cap; and

a control element communicatively coupled to the connector and adapted to responsively allow or deny access to the liquid, based on said information, for dispensation of said liquid to a process tool.

31. The liquid handling system of claim 30, wherein said control element has an associated user-interface capable of receiving input from a user.

32. The liquid handling system of claim 31, wherein the control element further controls processing of the liquid based on input received from the user via the user-interface.

33. The liquid handling system of claim 32, wherein the control element further controls processing of the liquid by comparing an input received from the user via the user-interface to information obtained from the information storage device.

34. The liquid handling system of claim 31, wherein the user-interface comprises a touch screen capable of receiving input from the user and displaying information about the liquid contained in the container.

35. The liquid handling system of claim 30, wherein the information storage device is mounted on the cap and the information transmitter is mounted on the connector.

36. The liquid handling system of claim 30, wherein the information transmitter comprises a radio frequency (RF) antenna and the information storage device comprises a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

37. The liquid handling system of claim 36, wherein the RFID tag comprises a passive RF transponder and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

60. A liquid handling system with electronic information storage, comprising a multiplicity of liquid storage and dispensing systems as claimed in claim 30, wherein at least some of said containers contain different liquids than other containers, and wherein the multiplicity of liquid storage and dispensing systems are operatively linked to a unitary user interface by their connectors.

61. The liquid handling system of claim 60, wherein containers of said multiplicity of liquid storage and dispensing systems are situated in a plurality of drawers, with each drawer containing a plurality of positions, and each position configured to hold a single container, and wherein the unitary user interface includes a display screen arranged to graphically display each of the containers in its corresponding drawer and position within the drawer.

62. The liquid handling system of claim 61, wherein the display screen is arranged to graphically display each of said containers (i) in a first color when the container is correctly matched to a connector, and (ii) in a second color when the container is incorrectly matched to a connector.

63. The liquid handling system of claim 62, wherein said first color is green, and said second color is red.

64. The liquid handling system of claim 63, wherein the containers in said drawers contain liquids for manufacturing integrated circuits.

65. The liquid handling system of claim 30, wherein said container is portable in character, and contains a liquid photoresist material.

77. The liquid handling system of claim 30, wherein the control element is integrated with the connector.

38. A liquid handling system comprising:

a container having an opening and adapted to hold a liquid;

a cap having a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag mounted thereon and adapted for coupling with the container along the opening for sealing the liquid in the container;

a connector including a liquid flow passage therein, wherein the connector has a radio frequency (RF) antenna mounted thereon for reading information from the RFID tag and the connector is adapted for physically coupling with the cap for dispensing the liquid from the container through the liquid flow passage in the connector, with the RFID tag in information transmission relationship with the RF antenna when the connector is coupled with the cap; and

a controller coupled with the RF antenna for processing the liquid based on the information read from the RFID tag.

39. The liquid handling system of claim 38, wherein the connector further comprises:

a connector head; and

a probe extending from the connector head and insertable through a center of the cap and into the opening, the probe having said liquid flow passage therein, and the RF antenna being aligned with and in proximity to said RFID tag, with a separation therebetween of less than 10 millimeters when the connector is coupled with the cap.

40. The liquid handling system of claim 39, further comprising a pump coupled with the probe and adapted to pump or extract liquid through the liquid flow passage.

41. The liquid handling system of claim 38, wherein the RFID tag comprises a passive RF transponder and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

42. The liquid handling system of claim 41, wherein the EEPROM stores information about the liquid contained in the container.

56. The liquid handling system of claim 38, wherein said radio frequency (RF) antenna is further adapted to direct information to the RFID tag.

43. A method of handling liquids utilizing a container adapted to hold a liquid and defining a container opening, the container having a cap coupled thereto along the container opening, the cap having an information storage device and defining a cap opening, the method comprising:

storing information about the liquid in the information storage device;

mounting to the cap a connector having a probe defining a liquid flow passage therein adapted to dispense fluid from the container and having an information transmission assembly adapted to transmit information to and from the information storage device, wherein the information transmission assembly is automatically placed in communicable proximity with the information storage device during the mounting step;

wirelessly reading the information from the information storage device; and

controlling processing of the liquid based on the information with a controller in at least intermittent communication with the information transmission assembly, wherein said processing of the liquid includes dispensing of liquid from the container through the liquid flow passage of said connector.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the information storage device comprises a RFID tag including a passive RF transponder and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the EEPROM stores information relating to the liquid contained in the container.

46. A material identification system comprising:

a container adapted to hold a material and defining a container opening;

a cap engaged with the container adjacent the container opening;

an information storage device coupled to any of the container and the cap, and adapted to store information relating to a material disposed within the container;

an information communication device adapted to wirelessly read the information from the information storage device; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the information communication device to receive the information and adapted to regulate processing of the material based on the information, wherein the connector includes a flow passage adapted for dispensing material from the container, and the information communication device is disposed in or on the connector.

47. The material identification system of claim 46, wherein the controller includes a user-interface adapted to receive input from a user.

48. The material identification system of claim 47, wherein the controller further regulates processing of the material based on input received from the user via the user-interface.

49. The material identification system of claim 48, wherein the controller further regulates processing of the material by comparing the input received by the user-interface from the user to information read from the information storage device to determine whether the material should be processed.

50. The material identification system of claim 47, wherein the user-interface comprises a touch screen capable of receiving input from the user and displaying information about the material.

51. The material handling system of claim 46, wherein the information storage device is coaxially aligned with the information communication device with a separation distance therebetween of less than 10 millimeters.

52. The material handling system of claim 46, wherein the cap contains a vent hole therein, and the cap contains a material dispensing hole therein through which a portion of the connector extends.

53. The material handling system of claim 46, wherein the information communication device comprises a radio frequency (RF) antenna and the information storage device comprises a passive radio frequency identification (RFID) tag.

54. The material handling system of claim 53, wherein the RFID tag comprises a passive RF transponder and an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM).

55. The material handling system of claim 54, wherein said information communication device is further adapted to direct information to the information storage device for storage in the EEPROM.

57. A storage and dispensing system for storage and dispensing of liquid, comprising:

a portable container containing a semiconductor processing liquid and including a container opening;

a cap securable to said container proximate to the container opening and having an associated a radio frequency identification tag, the cap being arranged when secured to the opening to seal the container for containment of liquid therein;

a connector including a connector head and a probe extending therefrom, wherein the probe has a liquid flow passage therethrough, the probe is adapted for insertion through the cap into the container, the connector is adapted to engage the cap, and the connector is arranged for flow of liquid from the container through the probe to a location exterior of the container when pumping action is applied to the connector;

a pump operatively coupled to the probe to apply pumping action to the connector for pumping semiconductor processing liquid from the container to a liquid-using process tool during dispensing operation; and

a controller communicatively coupled to the pump;

wherein the connector head includes a radio frequency antenna arranged to communicate (i) with the radio frequency identification tag in the cap when the connector is engaged with the cap, and (ii) with the controller;

wherein the antenna and the radio frequency identification tag in the cap are separated by a distance of less than 10 millimeters when the connector is engaged with the cap; and

wherein the controller is arranged to control the pumping action in accordance with information obtained from the radio frequency identification tag in said cap, and communicated by the radio frequency antenna to the controller.

58. A storage and dispensing system for storage and dispensing of liquid, comprising:

a portable container containing a semiconductor processing liquid and including a container opening;

a cap securable to said opening and including an associated electronic information storage component, said cap being arranged when secured to said opening to seal the container for containment of said liquid therein; and

a connector engageable with the cap, the connector including a connector head and a probe extending therefrom, wherein the probe has a flow passage therethrough, the probe is insertable through the cap into the container, and the connector is arranged for flow of liquid from the container through the probe to a location exterior of the container when pumping action is applied to the connector;

wherein said connector head includes an antenna adapted to communicate (i) wirelessly with the electronic information storage component associated with the cap when the connector is engaged with the cap, and (ii) with a controller arranged to control said pumping action in accordance with information obtained from said electronic information storage component, and communicated by said antenna to the controller.

59. The storage and dispensing system of claim 58, wherein the electronic information storage component comprises an electronic storage element selected from the group consisting of EEPROMs, EPROMs, PROMs and RAMs.

66. A liquid storage and dispensing system comprising:

a portable container including an opening communicating with an interior volume for holding liquid;

a cap engageable with the container proximate the opening to seal liquid in the interior volume of the container;

an RFID tag mounted on the cap, and arranged to contain information relating to any of the liquid and use of said liquid;

a connector engageable with the cap, said connector including (i) a tube arranged to extend through the cap into the interior volume of the container when the connector is engaged with the cap, to enable withdrawal of liquid from the container when pumping action is exerted on the liquid through the connector, and (ii) an RF antenna arranged to reside in information communicating proximity to the RFID tag when the connector is engaged with the cap, and to transmit information received from the RFID tag, for use in storage and/or dispensing of the liquid.

67. The liquid storage and dispensing system of claim 66, wherein said information communicating proximity of the RF antenna to the RFID tag is less than 10 millimeters.

68. The liquid storage and dispensing system of claim 66, further comprising pumping circuitry coupled to the connector to exert said pumping action on the liquid through the connector.

69. The liquid storage and dispensing system of claim 68, wherein the pumping circuitry includes a pump operatively coupled with a pump controller arranged to modulate pumping action of said pumping circuitry.

70. The liquid storage and dispensing system of claim 69, wherein the pump controller is operatively arranged to receive signals from the RF antenna and responsively modulate said pumping action.

71. The liquid storage and dispensing system of claim 66, operatively coupled with an integrated circuitry manufacturing tool for dispensing of an integrated circuitry manufacturing liquid to the tool.

72. The liquid storage and dispensing system of claim 71, operatively arranged for transmission of information from the RFID tag to the tool.