Water level sensor alarm
AssigneeTaiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.
InventorsChun-Shuo CHEN, Hsuan-Yuan Wu, Kai Yuan Chan, Chien Chou Ko
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Abstract
The present disclosure describes a system configured to prevent a false low water alarm in a semiconductor processing system. The system includes a liquid reservoir configured to hold a liquid and a sensor system configured to delay an alarm for a predetermined duration of time. In some embodiments, the sensor system includes a sensor configured to determine a level of the fluid in the liquid reservoir and send a signal indicating the level of the fluid to an alarm system and a delay circuit coupled to the fluid level sensor and configured to delay the signal to the alarm system for the predetermined duration of time.
Claims20
A method, comprising:
- sensing a liquid level in a tank with a sensor;
- detecting, with the sensor, a change in the liquid level for a predetermined time period;
- in response to detecting a low liquid level event signal from the sensor, activating a delay circuit;
- and
- activating a switch to divert the low liquid level event signal to an alarm system based on the low liquid event signal persisting for the predetermined time period.
A system, comprising:
- a liquid reservoir;
- and
- a sensor system, comprising a fluid sensor configured to determine a fluid level in the liquid reservoir and to send an alarm signal to a switch, wherein the alarm signal indicates the fluid level, wherein:
- the switch is coupled to a semiconductor processing tool and a delay circuit;
- the delay circuit is configured to delay sending the alarm signal to the semiconductor processing tool;
- and
- the semiconductor processing tool is configured to shut down in response to the alarm signal indicating that the fluid level is low.
A system, comprising:
- a first fluid level sensor disposed at a level to ensure a predetermined fluid content in a reservoir;
- a first delay circuit coupled to the first fluid level sensor and configured to delay a first alarm signal from the first fluid level sensor from being transmitted to a semiconductor processing tool;
- a second fluid level sensor positioned approximately level with the first fluid level sensor;
- a second delay circuit coupled to the second fluid level sensor and configured to delay a second alarm signal from the second fluid level sensor from being transmitted to the semiconductor processing tool;
- and
- a switch configured to send the first alarm signal to the semiconductor processing tool or the first delay circuit, wherein the semiconductor processing tool is configured to shut down in response to the first alarm signal or the second alarm signal indicating a low fluid level.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.