IP Library Granted Patent US 12672500
Granted Patent B2
US 12672500 · App. 17/873,843 · Granted Jun 30, 2026

Semiconductor fabrication apparatus

Inventor: Doo Hyun Jeong (Gyeonggi-do, KR)
Assignee: SK hynix Inc.
H10P72/0402F25B41/40H10P72/0434
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12672500
App. No.
17/873,843
Granted
Jun 30, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A semiconductor fabrication apparatus may include a plurality of refrigerant suppliers, a plurality of mixers, a plurality of chambers and a common reservoir. The mixers may commonly receive a refrigerant from the refrigerant suppliers. The chambers may be connected to one of the mixers. The common reservoir may supply the refrigerant to the refrigerant suppliers. The common reservoir may collect the refrigerant from the chambers.

Claims (42)

1 . A semiconductor fabrication apparatus comprising:

a common reservoir configured to include a first reservoir for reserving a first refrigerant and a second reservoir for reserving a second refrigerant;

a refrigerant supplier configured to include a plurality of heaters for heating the first refrigerant supplied from the first reservoir and a plurality of coolers for cooling the second refrigerant supplied from the second reservoir; and

a plurality of mixers each connected to a plurality of chambers in common and configured to mix a high temperature refrigerant supplied from one of the plurality of heaters and a low temperature refrigerant supplied from one of the plurality of coolers, and to supply a mixed refrigerant to one of the plurality of chambers,

wherein the plurality of heaters are each connected in parallel to the plurality of mixers, and

wherein the plurality of coolers are each connected in parallel to the plurality of mixers.

2 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first reservoir, the second reservoir, the plurality of heaters, the plurality of coolers and the plurality of mixers are each detachably installed in a plurality of slots.

3 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein each of the plurality of mixers is further configured to control a flux of a heated first refrigerant supplied from one of the plurality of heaters and a flux of a cooled second refrigerant supplied from one of the plurality of coolers in accordance with a set temperature of the one of the plurality of chambers.

4 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein

a number of the plurality of heaters and a number of the plurality of coolers are adjusted in accordance with a temperature range of a refrigerant required for each of the plurality of chambers, respectively.

5 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the mixed refrigerant used in the plurality of chambers is collected in the first reservoir of the common reservoir.

6 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 5 ,

wherein the first reservoir is connected with the second reservoir,

wherein the first reservoir provides a collected mixed refrigerant to the second reservoir to balance amounts of the first and second refrigerants in the first and second reservoirs, and

wherein the first reservoir and the second reservoir supply the first and second refrigerant to the heaters and the coolers, respectively, under a condition that an amount of the first refrigerant in the first reservoir and an amount of the second refrigerant in the second reservoir are balanced.

7 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a bypass duct directly connected between the plurality of mixers and the first reservoir.

8 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a united information storage configured to store information of the refrigerant supplier, the plurality of mixers and the common reservoir.

9 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 8 , further comprising a controller connected with the united information storage and configured to control the refrigerant supplier, the plurality of mixers and the common reservoir.

10 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the controller is further configured to control a valve between a selected one of the plurality of mixers and a selected one of the plurality of chambers to control a flow direction of the refrigerants between the selected mixer and the selected chamber.

11 . A semiconductor fabrication apparatus comprising:

a plurality of chambers;

a plurality of mixers each connected in parallel to the plurality of chambers and each configured to mix a high temperature refrigerant and a low temperature refrigerant in accordance with a set temperature of one of the plurality of chambers, and supply a mixed refrigerant to the one of the plurality of chambers;

a plurality of heaters each connected in parallel to the plurality of mixers, and each configured to heat a refrigerant supplied from a first reservoir, and supply the high temperature refrigerant to one of the plurality of mixers; and

a plurality of coolers each connected in parallel to the plurality of mixers, each configured to cool a refrigerant supplied from a second reservoir, and supply the low temperature refrigerant to one of the plurality of mixers,

wherein the mixed refrigerant used in the plurality of chambers is collected in the first reservoir.

12 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 11 , wherein

a number of the plurality of heaters and a number of the plurality of coolers are adjusted in accordance with a temperature range of a refrigerant required for each of the plurality of chambers, respectively.

13 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 11 , wherein

the first reservoir, the second reservoir, the plurality of heaters, the plurality of coolers and the plurality of mixers are each detachably installed in a plurality of slots.

14 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 11 ,

wherein

each of the plurality of mixers controls a flux of the high temperature refrigerant supplied from one of the plurality of heaters and a flux of the low temperature refrigerant supplied from one of the plurality of coolers in accordance with a set temperature of the one of the plurality of chambers.

15 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 11 ,

wherein the first reservoir is connected with the second reservoir,

wherein the first reservoir provides a collected mixed refrigerant to the second reservoir to balance amounts of the refrigerants in the first and second reservoirs, and

wherein the first reservoir and the second reservoir supply refrigerants to the heaters and the coolers, respectively, under a condition that an amount of the refrigerant in the first reservoir and an amount of the refrigerant in the second reservoir are balanced.

16 . The semiconductor fabrication apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a bypass duct directly connected between the plurality of mixers and the first reservoir.

17 . An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of heaters each coupled to a first transmission line in common and configured to supply a high temperature refrigerant to the first transmission line;

a plurality of coolers each coupled to a second transmission line in common and configured to supply a low temperature refrigerant to the second transmission line;

a plurality of mixers each coupled to each of the first transmission line, the second transmission line and a third transmission line in common and configured to mix the high temperature refrigerant and the low temperature refrigerant supplied through the first and second transmission lines to provide a mixed refrigerant to one of a plurality of chambers through the third transmission line; and

a common reservoir configured to include a first reservoir for supplying a refrigerant to the plurality of heaters and reserving therein a refrigerant discharged from the plurality of chambers, and a second reservoir for supplying a refrigerant to the plurality of coolers.