JP2006514423A - Facilities that enable the use of high-purity purified compounds - Google Patents

Abstract

Systems and methods for supplying compounds to a process. The system includes a housing, which includes a functional component located in the first compartment, a control module element located in the second compartment, and at least one connection line located in the third compartment. At least one compartment is located at a defined location within the housing. Modules are removably stored in their respective compartments.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

  This application claims the priority of the German utility model application No. 20585819.0 filed on April 12, 2002, which is currently pending, the utility model application being incorporated herein by reference.

The present invention is directed to the field of high-purity chemical supply, particularly housing equipment.

Invention BACKGROUND compound supply system (chemical dispense system) (CDS) , and slurry feed systems (slurry dispense system) (SDS) is commonly used to deliver a high purity of the compound in various industries, such as for example the semiconductor industry. CDS and SDS are particularly useful for the manufacture and production of silicon wafers.
In conventional equipment and systems, all components, connection lines and control elements are mounted on the wall of the housing. Equipment is usually designed individually to meet the functional and design requirements of a particular user. This user-specific equipment design and assembly results in high costs and long time consumption for design and assembly. Since each piece of equipment is designed individually, the costs and time associated with maintaining existing equipment will also increase.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention provide a dispensing system that reduces the time and cost associated with system assembly, manufacture, installation, and / or maintenance without limiting individual user requirements. It is aimed.
In one embodiment, the present invention provides a system for supplying a compound to a process comprising three compartments, wherein at least one compartment is located at a defined location on the housing. A functional module is located in the first compartment, a control module is located in the second compartment, and at least one connecting line is located in the third compartment.

  In another embodiment, the present invention is a system for supplying compounds to a process comprising a maintenance module; a sample withdrawal module; an analysis module; a humidifier module; a tank module; a DI module; a mixing module; Sensor module; Series pump; Maintenance module; Sample withdrawal module; Analysis module; Humidifier module; Tank module; DI module; Mixing module; Mixing tank module; Sensor module: Series pump module; And a housing having a first compartment configured and arranged to removably store any of the dual filter modules.

  In yet another embodiment, the present invention provides a method for supplying a compound to a process, the housing including a first compartment configured and arranged to removably store a functional module; As well as a maintenance module; a sample withdrawal module; an analysis module; a humidifier module; a tank module; a DI module; a mixing module; a mixing tank module; a sensor module; a series pump module; Providing a functional module selected from the group consisting of modules.

  Other advantages, novel features, and objects of the invention will become apparent from a non-limiting embodiment of the invention when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, which are intended to be illustrative and not intended to be drawn to scale. Will be apparent from the following detailed description. In the figures, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is typically represented by a single numeral. For clarity, all components in all figures are not numbered, and all components in each embodiment of the present invention are shown where illustration is not necessary for those skilled in the art to understand the invention. Is not shown. In cases where the present specification and a document incorporated by reference include conflicting disclosure, the present specification shall control.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Embodiments of the present invention relate to equipment that makes available high purity compounds, particularly for the semiconductor industry. The equipment can have various components arranged and connected to the housing to perform one or several specially designed functions for making and processing the compound. The housing can include a plurality of compartments for supporting components such as, for example, functional modules, control modules, and / or interface modules. The housing can also include additional compartments for other components, connection lines between the components, and control elements for controlling the components. The housing can take any size or form suitable for a particular purpose and can be formed from any material capable of supporting individual modules. In one embodiment, the housing is a cabinet.

According to one aspect of the present invention, the housing is divided into defined compartments, each of which can store a specific module for a particular application. The compartment can take any size and form to accommodate a particular module, for example, square, rectangular, circular, etc., preferably configured and arranged to provide easy access to the particular module. The The compartment can also be configured and arranged so that the module can be easily removed. For example, the compartment may include a rack.
One or more functional modules can be selected from the available predefined functional modules. Certain components, such as a control module in which a control element is installed, can be coupled to a functional module.

  In one embodiment, at least the first compartment includes at least one functional module, at least the second compartment includes at least one control module, and at least the third compartment includes a connection line. In another embodiment, several functional modules can be located in several first compartments and several control modules can be located in several second compartments in one housing. , And a plurality of connecting lines can be located in several third compartments. In a preferred embodiment, each of the several first compartments may be a similar size to accommodate any of a number of different functional modules. Similarly, each of the several second compartments may be of a similar size to accommodate any of a number of different control modules, and each of the several third compartments may have a number of different connection lines. May be of similar size to accommodate any of

  According to another aspect of the present invention, the user can combine the modules according to their individual requirements by allowing the user to select a specific function module before installation, thereby enabling future installation. Makes it possible to install them. Similarly, a housing with a defined compartment can also be created in the field, where the user installs the desired functional modules, control modules and connection lines in the field.

  Modules can be selected and installed in a defined compartment, so the system can be easily created according to the user's individual requirements. Users can also install the system with a significant reduction in time and cost. Further, greater flexibility in system installation is possible, allowing the user the flexibility to change system requirements and replace one module with another. This is especially useful if the original functional module is no longer used if the requirements change or if the original module becomes inoperable. Further, the flexibility in module installation can reduce the time and costs associated with maintaining the system.

In other embodiments of the present invention, the system can include at least one interface module for the corresponding functional module. The interface module can be located in the fourth compartment of the housing, facilitating maintenance or easier replacement.
In one embodiment, at least one of the compartments is configured and arranged such that a module located in the corresponding compartment can be removed. In a preferred embodiment, the compartment is designed as a rack.

  In another preferred embodiment, at least one functional module located in the first compartment and / or at least one control module located in the second compartment of the at least one housing can be removed, thereby The first and / or second compartment is designed as a rack. By this method, maintenance and replacement of functional modules and / or control modules can be easily performed.

  In another preferred embodiment of the invention including a connecting hydraulic line, the housing can include a fifth compartment, whereby the hydraulic supply line and the hydraulic discharge line can be separated from each other. In one embodiment, the hydraulic supply line can be located in the third compartment of the housing and the hydraulic discharge line can be located in the fifth compartment of the housing. As a result, supply lines and compartments can be arranged independently of each other, further simplifying the insertion of connection lines.

To the extent that the connecting line includes the hydraulic auxiliary line, the at least one housing may include the sixth compartment to include the auxiliary line. Thereby, an auxiliary line can be arrange | positioned independently from the main line. This also applies to the electrical connection line, which can be located in the seventh compartment.
The housing may further include an air supply channel and a ventilation channel located in one eighth compartment. In a preferred embodiment, the air supply and ventilation channels are separated from the other components.

  It will be appreciated that any combination of the first through eighth compartments may be present in the housing. In addition, any number of individual compartments can be present in the housing. There can be several first through eighth compartments, and thus many identical types of compartments are expected.

  In other embodiments of the invention, each compartment may be located in a defined position of at least one housing. Defining the location of a particular compartment within the at least one housing simplifies the pre-manufacturing and manufacturing of the housing. In addition, it simplifies on-site installation because the components assigned to the individual compartments can be installed in the same location. The electrical connection line, control module, and / or compartment for the air supply or ventilation channel can be installed at the top of the housing and is clearly separated from the other components.

  In other embodiments, several housings can be located near or next to each other and / or connected. Multiple housings are useful for complex devices or when the system is formed from several devices. In general, the housing can be arranged as a cabinet element. Preferably, in each housing, the same type of compartment is located in the same defined position within each housing to simplify installation. The compartment for the supply and ventilation channels is configured so that the supply and ventilation channels of one housing can be connected to the channels of the adjacent housing in the inlet and outlet areas when the housings are connected to each other Can be arranged.

  In yet another embodiment, the electronic control device can be installed in a housing that is separable from at least the main housing. In a preferred embodiment, the electronic control device is located in a separate housing to protect the control device from any potential chemical effects.

  A functional module may be any module that performs a desired function. The functional module may be any size and shape that can be installed in a defined compartment. Preferably, the available functional module options available include, but are not limited to: maintenance and sample pulling modules that can include rinse switching; eg, conductivity, titration And analysis modules for measuring particles; humidifier modules for eg saturating process nitrogen; tank modules for use as eg day tanks and / or feed tank modules; DI modules for eg rinsing released compounds A mixing module that can include a valve or a group of valves; preferably a mixing tank module with a sensor for determining the mixing rate; a sensor, for example for sensing the flow rate, pH value and / or density of process compounds Module; series pump module ; Dual pump module; single filter module; dual filter module.

  FIG. 1 schematically shows a full cabinet element 11. The cabinet element 11 comprises an upper section containing two generally square compartments 21 storing functional modules adjacent to each other and a generally square compartment 4 storing control modules; generally storing adjacent interface modules In the middle section, including the arrangement of two square compartments 3 and two generally rectangular compartments 22 located below the compartments 3 adjacent to each other and storing additional functional modules; and Similar to the arrangement, it has a lower section containing the arrangement of compartments 3 and 22.

  FIG. 2 schematically shows the half cabinet element 12. In the upper section there is a generally square compartment 21 for storing functional modules and a generally square compartment 4 for storing control modules. The middle section has a generally square compartment 3 that houses the interface module and a generally rectangular compartment 22 that is located below the compartment 3 and houses other functional modules. The lower section has a similar arrangement as the middle section. The half cabinet element 12 is preferably the same height as the full cabinet element 11 of FIG. 11, but is preferably narrower.

  FIG. 3 schematically shows the 1/2 height cabinet element 13. In the upper section there are two compartments 21 which are generally square and store functional modules next to each other. Next to these is a generally square compartment 4 which houses the control module. In the lower section there is an arrangement of two generally square compartments 3 storing interface modules next to each other and two generally rectangular compartments 22 below which store additional functional modules. The 1/2 height cabinet element 13 is preferably the same width as the full cabinet element 11 of FIG. 1, but the height is preferably lower.

  FIG. 4 schematically shows another embodiment of a half-height half cabinet element 14. In the upper section there is a generally square compartment 21 for the functional module and a generally square compartment 4 for the control module at a distance. In the lower section there is an arrangement consisting of a generally square compartment 3 containing the interface module and a generally rectangular compartment 22 below which contains the other functional modules. The cabinet element 14 is preferably the same width as the half cabinet element 12 of FIG. 2, and is preferably the same height as the half-height cabinet element 13 of FIG.

  1-4 show that the compartments can be arranged like drawers in a bedroom tub. Compartments can be assigned to defined locations within the housing depending on their function. In a preferred embodiment, the same type of compartment is similarly arranged in a separate housing, such as a cabinet element. Furthermore, the compartment can be designed as a rack, can be slid into and out of the housing (not shown), and the modules can be easily changed. In such rack-type mounting methods, fixing elements such as bolts or latches can be used to removably lock the modules located in predetermined positions in the various compartments.

FIG. 5 shows the cabinet element 11 in a perspective view. As shown in FIG. 5, the cabinet element 11 can be closed with a double door 50 to protect the components in the cabinet element from dust and moisture. In the case of the smaller cabinet elements 12 and 14 shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, a single door is preferred.
The housing or cabinet element can also have channels for hydraulic lines (not shown) at different defined locations. If the hydraulic supply line includes main and auxiliary lines and supply and discharge lines, separate channels can be used. In the case of such a channel, not shown in the figure, the channel is assigned to a defined position in the cabinet, as described for the compartment above.

  A cable channel for the feed line can also be included in the housing or cabinet element. The cable channel can include one or more separate compartments to separate the feed line from other components. The cable compartment can take any size and shape that allows the cable to be properly positioned. In one embodiment, the cable channel or compartment is located in the upper section of the cabinet element, preferably above the hydraulic element, separating the feed from the other components. The cable channel can extend partially or completely across the cabinet element. In one preferred embodiment, the cable channel extends completely across the cabinet element. As shown in the embodiment of FIG. 5, the cable channel 52 has a rectangular cross-section, is located on the upper front side of the cabinet element 11 and extends over the entire width of the cabinet element. The cable channel 52 extends across the entire width of the cabinet element and is open at both ends, thus making it easy to connect the cable channels so that when several cabinet elements are combined, a continuous cable channel is formed. The

The air supply and ventilation channels can be located in a defined position on the housing. By defining locations for the air supply and ventilation devices, the housing or cabinet elements can be standardized.
As shown in FIG. 5, the two channels 54, 56 are located along the opposing inner walls of the cabinet element 11. One channel is designed as a supply channel and the other as a ventilation channel. According to the embodiment shown in FIG. 5, the channel 54 is located on the inner surface of the side wall 11a and the other channel 54 is located on the inner surface of the opposite side wall 11b. Both channels 54, 56 have openings 60 and extend toward the interior of the housing, as shown for channel 54 in FIG. Furthermore, the supply and ventilation channels 54, 56 reach the upper end of the cabinet element. When two or more cabinet elements are placed close to each other because the channel reaches the upper end of the cabinet element, the channel of one cabinet element is connected to a short connector ( Can be easily connected using (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 6-8, several cabinet elements can be positioned next to each other to form a complex supply system. Here, the channels for the hydraulic supply line and the electrical line, as well as the cabinet elements, supply and ventilation channels, are located in a defined position and reach both sides of the cabinet element, each corresponding channel of the adjacent cabinet element It can be easily adapted and connected.

  FIG. 6 shows a schematic connection diagram of a fully designed mixing and feeding system with typical functions. In this embodiment, four full cabinet elements 11 of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 are arranged next to each other. As FIG. 6 shows, many of the compartments 21 and 22 (see FIG. 1) are occupied by corresponding functional modules 200, and the two cabinets on the left side of FIG. 6 have only one compartment 21. It is left empty in the upper section because no additional functional modules are needed. In all of the cabinet elements 11, all the compartments 3 (see FIG. 11) are occupied by interface modules 300 for connecting the correspondingly assigned functional modules 200. Furthermore, the compartment 4 (see FIG. 1) has a control module 400 at each cabinet element.

  As shown in FIG. 6, supply lines 42 and 44 run through different horizontal levels and may include corresponding channels as previously described, but are not shown in the figure. The supply line of the upper section of the cabinet element 11 is a hydraulic line 44 including supply and discharge lines. The auxiliary line 42 is in the middle section of the cabinet element 11 and the lower section includes a discharge line 43, which may be a channel. A cable channel can also be used as an electrical line under the cover of the upper section. Although not shown in FIG. 6, such a channel 52 is shown in FIG. As already mentioned, the channels for the supply lines (not shown) can end at corresponding defined locations on the side walls of the cabinet element, thereby bringing these channels into corresponding channels on adjacent cabinet elements. Can be connected.

  FIG. 7 shows a connection diagram of another embodiment of a fully designed delivery system with two transport vessel places, where three of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 are shown. The full cabinet element 11 is used. In this embodiment, not all of the functional module compartments 21 and 22 and the interface module compartment 3 are occupied, which is a smaller number of functional and interface modules 200 than shown in FIG. This is because only 300 is needed.

FIG. 8 shows a fully optimized system with a space consisting of two full cabinet elements of the type shown in FIGS. 1 and 5 and having two transport container parts.
FIG. 9 shows a diagram of a refill element that requires only a half cabinet element 12 of the type shown in FIG. The upper compartment 21 of this embodiment is vacant.

FIG. 10 shows a view of a supply element having a 1/2 height cabinet element 13 of the type shown in FIG. In this embodiment, all compartments 21, 22, 3 and 4 are occupied by corresponding functional modules 200, interface modules 300 and control modules 400.
FIG. 11 shows a diagram of a relatively simple supply element having a 1/2 height half cabinet element 14 of the type shown in FIG. In this embodiment, all compartments are occupied by corresponding modules.

FIG. 12 shows a diagram of a sample withdrawal element that includes a half height half cabinet element 14 of the type shown in FIG. In this embodiment, the upper compartment 21 is not occupied.
As the comparison of the embodiment of FIGS. 7-12 and the embodiment of FIG. 6 shows, the same or similar arrangements and procedures can be selected for the supply elements 42-44.

  If an electronic control unit is required, the control unit is not affected by the compound and is located in an additional cabinet element independent of other cabinet elements that can provide sufficient protection to meet industry standards. be able to. FIG. 13 shows an additional cabinet element 16 that includes an electrical controller. As shown in FIG. 13, only a small cabinet element 16 would be required for the controller. This example embodiment has a cable channel 52 in the upper front, similar to the cabinet element 11 shown in FIG. The cable channel 52 also extends over the entire width of the cabinet element 16 and corresponds to the cable channel 52 of the cabinet element 11 shown in FIG. As further shown in FIG. 13, the control panel 58 can also be positioned in the front. The control panel 58 is part of a control module (not shown) located in a rack (not shown).

  As shown in FIGS. 6 to 12, different functional modules 200 exist in the compartments 21 and 22 of the individual cabinet elements depending on the desired application. The functional module can have any size and shape that can be stored in a defined functional module compartment. The functional module can be selected from a predefined functional module. Examples of different functional modules available for introduction into the compartments 21 and 22 are shown in FIG. Preferably, the defined functional module 200 may include: a maintenance module; a sample withdrawal module that can include a rinse switch; an analysis module, eg, for measuring conductivity, titration and particles; Humidifier module for saturating; tank module that can be used as day tank and / or feed tank module; DI module for rinsing, for example, release compounds; mixing module that can include valves or valve groups; preferably Has a sensor for determining the mixing rate; a mixing tank module; for example, a sensor module for determining the flow rate, pH value and / or density of a process compound; a series pump module; a dual pump module; a single filter module ; Preliminary double filter module.

  FIG. 15 shows two different functional modules. In the example embodiment shown, the functional module has a base plate 202 and a side plate 204 each having a hydraulic element. The hydraulic elements of the base plate 202 can be connected to the hydraulic elements of the side plate 204 via connection lines or tubes. The base plate 202 for the functional module shown in FIG. 15 is designed so that it can be introduced and maintained in a rack (not shown) of cabinet elements, with the side edges fitting into the rails. The side plate 204 can be secured to one of the side walls of the cabinet element.

  Similarly, interface modules can be selected for a specific application and stored in a defined compartment. The interface module can have any size and shape that can be stored in a defined interface module compartment. Figures 16a and 16b show different embodiments of an interface module 300 that can be stored in the compartment 3 of the cabinet element. Preferably, the prescribed interface module 300 available is a rinse interface module; an analysis interface module; a control interface module; a FAB supply interface module; a humidifier interface module; a dropper interface module; a DI interface module; a sample withdrawal interface module; A series pump interface module; a series pump interface module; a filter interface module; and a FAB return interface module. Interface modules are generally operably coupled to associated functional modules.

17 is a front view (a) and a perspective view (b) of the cabinet element shown in FIG. 5 in which the functional module 200 is installed. The door is open for good visibility. Cabinet element 11 in FIG. 17, includes a dual pump module 200 ₁ and a double filter module 200 _2, which in the embodiment shown, are located in the upper section of the cabinet element 11. Figure 17 also includes a tank module 200 _3, which is located in the lower section of the cabinet element 11.

  FIG. 18 shows the arrangement of two cabinet elements adjacent to each other and an additional cabinet element 16 with a control device. As shown in FIG. 18, the cable channels 52 of the individual cabinet elements 11, 16 are in line with each other, thus forming a continuous cable channel. Furthermore, FIG. 18 also shows that the adjacent supply and exhaust channels 54, 56 of the two cabinet elements 11 are basically located directly adjacent to each other and can therefore be easily connected using connectors (not shown). Indicates that

  Finally, for reasons related to completeness, in FIGS. 1-4 and 6-12, the compartments for the corresponding elements are only schematically represented in terms of details and arrangement, and in practice Point out that the compartments take up more space and have different ratios.

  Although several embodiments of the present invention are described and illustrated herein, various other methods for performing the functions described herein and / or for obtaining results or advantages are described. And the structure can be easily predicted by those skilled in the art, and each such variation or modification is considered within the scope of the present invention. For example, it should be understood that the functional modules, interface modules, and connection lines can be interconnected by known methods, depending on the needs of the desired application.

  More generally, those skilled in the art will appreciate that all parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations described herein are meant to be exemplary, and that actual parameters, dimensions, materials, and configurations are within the scope of the present invention. It will be readily understood that the teachings of the above depend on the particular application in which it is used. Those skilled in the art will recognize, or be able to ascertain using no more than routine experimentation, many equivalents of the specific embodiments described herein. Therefore, it should be understood that the foregoing embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and that the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents. is there. The present invention is directed to each individual feature, system, material and / or method described herein. Further, any combination of two or more of such features, systems, materials and / or methods is within the scope of the present invention, provided that such features, systems, materials and / or methods do not contradict each other. included.

  In the claim (and the above specification), all transitional phrases such as “comprising”, “including”, “carrying”, “having”, “containing” ) "," Involving "and others mean open-ended, ie" including but not limited to ". Of the transitive phrases, only “consisting of” and “consisting essentially of” are limited respectively as described in US Patent Office Manual 211.103 of the Patent Examination Procedure. Should be a (closed) or semi-closed transitive phrase.

Preferred non-limiting embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of a full cabinet element for inserting different modules and connecting lines; Is a schematic representation of a half cabinet element; 1 is a schematic representation of a 1/2 height cabinet element; 2 is a schematic representation of a 1/2 height half cabinet element; 2 is a perspective view of the cabinet element of FIG. 1; 1 is a schematic representation of a device including four full cabinet elements; Continuation of FIG. 6; Continuation of FIG. 6-1; Continuation of FIG. 6-2;

1 is a schematic representation of a device comprising three full cabinet elements; Continuation of FIG. 7; 1 is a schematic representation of a device including two full cabinet elements; 1 is a schematic representation of an apparatus including one half cabinet element; 1 is a schematic representation of an apparatus including one half height cabinet element; Fig. 2 is a schematic illustration of another device including one 1/2 height cabinet element; 1 is a schematic representation of an apparatus including one half height half cabinet element; Fig. 4 is an embodiment of an additional cabinet element including an electrical device. The hydraulic connection diagram of a functional module is shown.

Two different functional modules are shown in perspective view. Two different functional modules are shown in perspective view. It is a hydraulic connection diagram of an interface module. It is a hydraulic connection diagram of an interface module. It is a front view of the cabinet element which has the function module incorporated. FIG. 17b is a perspective view of the cabinet element of FIG. 17a. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an arrangement of two cabinet elements containing functional modules and an additional cabinet element containing an electrical controller.

Claims (28)

A system for supplying compounds to a process,
A first housing including a first compartment, a second compartment, and a third compartment;
Functional module located in the first compartment;
A control module located in the second compartment;
At least one connecting line located in the third compartment;
Wherein at least one of the first, second and third compartments is located at a defined position of the housing,
Said system.   The first compartment is a maintenance module; a sample; a withdrawal module; an analysis module; a humidifier module; a tank module; a DI module; a mixing module; a mixing tank module; a sensor module; a series pump module; And the system of claim 1, wherein the system is configured and arranged to separately store any of the dual filter modules.   The system of claim 1, further comprising an interface module located in the fourth compartment of the housing.   The system of claim 3, wherein the interface module is positioned to be removable in the fourth compartment.   The system of claim 5, wherein the fourth compartment includes a rack.   The system according to 1, wherein at least one of the functional module and the control module is removable.   The system of claim 6, wherein at least one of the first compartment and the second compartment includes a rack.   The system of claim 3, wherein the at least one connection line is a supply line.   The system of claim 8, further comprising at least one drainage line located in the fifth compartment of the housing.   The system of claim 9, further comprising at least one hydraulic assistance line located in the sixth compartment of the housing.   The system of claim 10, further comprising at least one electrical connection line located in the seventh compartment of the housing.   The system of claim 1, wherein the housing further includes an air supply channel and a ventilation channel. A second housing located beside the first housing, the second housing comprising:
A first compartment constructed and arranged to connect to the first compartment of the first housing;
A second compartment constructed and arranged to connect to the second compartment of the first housing;
A third compartment configured and arranged to connect to the third compartment of the first housing;
The system of claim 1, comprising: A functional module located in the first compartment of the second housing;
A control module located in the second compartment of the second housing; and at least one connection line located in the third compartment of the second housing;
Further including
Wherein the first compartment of the first housing has a defined position in the first housing corresponding to the defined position of the first compartment of the second housing,
The system of claim 13.   The system of claim 14, wherein the second and third compartments of the first housing each have a defined position within the first housing corresponding to the second and third compartments of the second housing.   The system of claim 1, further comprising a housing for the electrical control device. Housing
Two or more first compartments, each identical to each other; and two, three or more fourth compartments, each identical to each other;
The system of claim 4, comprising: A system for supplying compounds to a process,
A housing containing a first compartment;
Where the first compartment is
Sample module; Drawer module; Analysis module; Humidifier module; Tank module; DI module; Mixing module; Mixing tank module; Sensor module; Series pump module; Dual pump module; Single filter module; ,
The system configured and arranged to removably store any of the above.   The system of claim 18, wherein the housing further comprises a second compartment configured and arranged to removably store the control module.   20. The system of claim 19, wherein the housing further comprises a third compartment configured and arranged to removably store at least one connection line. Housing
Rinse interface module; analytical interface module; control interface module; FAB supply interface module; humidifier interface module; titrator interface module; DI interface module; sample withdrawal interface module; dual pump interface module; And FAB return interface module,
21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a fourth compartment configured and arranged to separately removably store each of the first. Two or more first housings that are identical to each other; and two or three or more fourth housings that are identical to each other;
The system of claim 21, further comprising: A first compartment constructed and arranged to connect to the first compartment of the first housing;
A second compartment constructed and arranged to connect to the second compartment of the first housing;
A third compartment configured and arranged to connect to the third compartment of the first housing; and a fourth compartment configured and arranged to connect to the fourth compartment of the first housing;
The system of claim 21, further comprising a second housing comprising:   24. The system of claim 23, wherein the first housing is the same as the second housing. A method for supplying a compound to a process comprising:
Providing a housing including a first compartment, wherein the first compartment is configured and arranged to removably store a functional module; and
Sample module; Drawer module; Analysis module; Humidifier module; Tank module; DI module; Mixing module; Mixing tank module; Sensor module; Series pump module; Dual pump module; Single filter module; ,
Providing a functional module selected from the group consisting of:
Said method.   The housing further comprises a second compartment, a third compartment, and a fourth compartment, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth compartments is located at a defined location of the housing. 24. The method according to 24. Sample module; Drawer module; Analysis module; Humidifier module; Tank module; DI module; Mixing module; Mixing tank module; Sensor module; Series pump module; Dual pump module; Single filter module; ,
Providing a second functional module selected from the group consisting of:
Positioning the second functional module in the other first compartment of the housing;
25. The method of claim 24, further comprising:   The system of claim 1, wherein the control module is operatively coupled to the functional module to control operation of the functional module.

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