Interface module with safety interlock system, storage medium, and safety verification method
AssigneeASM IP Holding B.V.
InventorsMasashi Nakano, Wataru Kobayashi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Examples of an interface module includes a fan filter unit having a fan and a filter, a housing surrounding a space adjacent to the filter, the housing includes a door, an upper housing surrounding a space adjacent to the fan, a first port provided in the upper housing, a second port communicating to a FFU internal space, the FFU internal space is a space between the fan and the filter in the fan filter unit, and a differential pressure gauge connected to the first port and the second port to detect a differential pressure between an interior of the upper housing and the FFU internal space.
Claims15
An interface module comprising:
- a fan filter unit (FFU) having a fan, a filter, and an FFU internal space between the fan and the filter;
- a housing surrounding a space adjacent to the filter, the housing includes a door;
- an upper housing surrounding a space adjacent to the fan;
- a first port provided in the upper housing;
- a second port communicating to the FFU internal space;
- a differential pressure gauge connected to the first port and the second port to detect a differential pressure between an interior of the upper housing and the FFU internal space;
- a nitrogen gas source;
- a nitrogen gas supply pipe connecting the nitrogen gas source to the upper housing;
- a solenoid valve attached to the nitrogen gas supply pipe;
- a limit switch installed on the solenoid valve;
- a clean dry air source;
- a clean dry air supply pipe connecting the clean dry air source to the upper housing,
- a valve attached to the clean dry air supply pipe;
- and
- a flow meter installed on the clean dry air supply pipe.
A safety verification method comprising:
- receiving a command to replace a N2 gas in a housing with clean dry air (CDA);
- conducting a gas replacement operation, the gas replacement operation includes disabling N2 gas supply to the housing, providing the CDA to the housing, exhausting a gas in the housing, and rotating a fan for supplying the CDA to the housing;
- proving that the gas replacement operation has continued for a predetermined period of time;
- and
- permitting opening of a door of the housing after the proving,
- wherein an absence of the N2 gas supply is verified by mutually monitoring a solenoid valve for regulating the N2 gas supply and an output of a limit switch installed to the solenoid valve.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.