MATERIAL SUPPLY SYSTEM IN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING PLANT

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the cost of a pure water supply system in a small scale plant manufacturing various products in small amount, without reducing the production efficiency. SOLUTION: The pure water supply system 10 produces pure water of various grades and supplies it to a piping, which passes circulating the use points such as a cleaner 31, a CMP machine 32, and a lithographic machine 33. A control 20, receiving a signal to start the use of the pure water from each point, determines whether it exceeds the supply capacity of the pure water of its grade. If it does not exceed, the control 20 sends a signal to the use point to permit the use of the pure water. When some other use point is using the pure water of the same grade, the control 20 can control the demanding use point, not to use the pure water of the grade, until it is informed of the finish of the current use. COPYRIGHT: (C)2004,JPO