Vacuum chamber vacuum level and process gas flow control apparatus and control method
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202311752375.9
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Patents(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-12-19
- Publication Date
- 2026-08-28
- Estimated Expiration
- 2043-12-19
AI Technical Summary
在调整真空室中的真空度时,主控单元先通过控制步进电机调整节流阀的阀门的开启角度,然后再控制真空泵上电启动,由真空泵抽取真空室中的空气,以达到调整真空室中的真空度的目的。另外,在控制流入真空室中的气体时,打开电磁截止阀和启动气体质量流量计,由气体质量流量计通过数字控制进行一种或者多种气体通入量的精确控制。由此可知,本申请可以实现管控真空室的真空度和流入真空室的通入量,提高了对真空镀膜机的管控能力,从而能够使真空镀膜机的应用范围更广,环境适应能力更高。
Smart Images

Figure CN117758226B_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This application relates to the field of vacuum degree and gas flow control technology for vacuum coating equipment, and in particular to a vacuum chamber vacuum degree and process gas flow control device and control method. Background Technology
[0002] Vacuum coating machines require high vacuum levels for coating operations, including various types such as vacuum resistance heating evaporation, electron gun heating evaporation, magnetron sputtering, MBE (molecular beam epitaxy), PLD (laser-dependent deposition), and ion beam sputtering. Each vacuum coating machine contains a vacuum chamber. To meet the requirements of different coating processes, the necessary gases are introduced into the vacuum chamber, and the vacuum level is adjusted to achieve the required coating standards, ensuring that the vacuum coating process meets the required specifications.
[0003] Therefore, when using a vacuum coating machine, it is necessary not only to strictly control the gas entering the vacuum chamber according to the preset coating process, but also to frequently change the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber. For this reason, it is of great significance to develop a device that can support the vacuum coating machine to accurately control the gas entering the vacuum chamber and also meet the requirement of frequently changing the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber. Summary of the Invention
[0004] To improve the control over vacuum coating machines, this application provides a device and method for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of the vacuum chamber.
[0005] In a first aspect of this application, a device for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of a vacuum chamber is provided. The device includes a pumping speed control unit, a gas supply control unit, and a main control unit. The pumping speed control unit includes a vacuum pump, a throttle valve, and a motor. A pumping pipe is provided between the vacuum pump and the vacuum chamber. The throttle valve is installed on the pumping pipe. The motor is used to drive the opening angle of the throttle valve. The gas supply control unit includes a gas mass flow meter and an electromagnetic shut-off valve. A gas supply pipeline is provided between the vacuum chamber and the gas filling device. Both the gas mass flow meter and the electromagnetic shut-off valve are installed on the gas supply pipeline. The main control unit is connected to the vacuum pump, motor, gas mass flow meter and electromagnetic shut-off valve respectively. The main control unit is used to control the gas flow rate entering the vacuum chamber and the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber.
[0006] By adopting the above technical solution, when adjusting the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber, the main control unit first controls the stepper motor to adjust the opening angle of the throttle valve, and then controls the vacuum pump to start, drawing air from the vacuum chamber to achieve the purpose of adjusting the vacuum level. In addition, when controlling the gas flowing into the vacuum chamber, the electromagnetic shut-off valve is opened and the gas mass flow meter is started. The gas mass flow meter uses digital control to precisely control the flow rate of one or more gases. Therefore, this application can control both the vacuum level and the flow rate into the vacuum chamber, improving the control capability of the vacuum coating machine, thereby expanding its application range and increasing its environmental adaptability.
[0007] In one possible implementation: the throttle valve is configured with a maximum opening angle and an angle unit, wherein the maximum opening angle is greater than or equal to the angle unit and the maximum opening angle is an integer multiple of the angle unit.
[0008] In one possible implementation: the motor is a stepper motor, which drives the throttle valve to increase or decrease the opening angle by one angle unit at a time.
[0009] By adopting the above technical solution, when the maximum opening angle is much larger than the angle unit and the maximum opening angle is an integer multiple of the angle unit, the opening angle of the throttle valve can be precisely controlled by increasing or decreasing the opening angle of the stepper motor by one angle unit. This makes the flow conduction in the pumping pipe controllable, thereby providing technical support for the precise control of the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber.
[0010] In one possible implementation: the number of gas supply pipes is set to multiple, with one gas supply pipe used to transport one type of gas.
[0011] By adopting the above technical solution, the gas supply pipes can provide the vacuum chamber with various types of gas. When the vacuum chamber only needs one type of gas, a single gas supply pipe can be used to transport that type of gas, which can reduce the contamination of that type of gas by other types of gas.
[0012] In one possible implementation: the multiple gas supply pipes have a common point near one end of the vacuum chamber, and a gas mixing box is provided at the common point.
[0013] By adopting the above technical solution, when the vacuum chamber needs to mix gases, the gas mixing box mixes multiple types of gases, thereby meeting the vacuum chamber's requirements for mixed gases and improving the control capability of the vacuum chamber.
[0014] In one possible implementation, the gas mass flow meter, electromagnetic shut-off valve, and gas mixing box are designed as an integrated unit.
[0015] By adopting the above technical solution, the gas mass flow meter, electromagnetic shut-off valve, and gas mixing box are integrated into a single design, which reduces the size of the gas supply control unit, facilitates the safe deployment of the control device of this application, and makes the control device of this application more adaptable to the environment.
[0016] In one possible implementation: the electromagnetic shut-off valve includes a first electromagnetic shut-off valve and a second electromagnetic shut-off valve, and the gas mass flow meter is disposed between the first electromagnetic shut-off valve and the second electromagnetic shut-off valve.
[0017] By adopting the above technical solution, firstly, the first electromagnetic shut-off valve and the second electromagnetic shut-off valve are opened, and the gas mass flow meter is started. The gas mass flow meter precisely controls the gas flow rate according to the preset value, thereby ensuring the gas flow rate entering the vacuum chamber.
[0018] In one possible implementation, the air supply control unit further includes an air intake filter.
[0019] By adopting the above technical solution, the process gas flowing out of the gas filling device also needs to be filtered by the inlet filter to remove impurities in the process gas and prevent these impurities from entering the gas mass flow meter and damaging it.
[0020] In a second aspect of this application, a method for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of a vacuum chamber is provided. The method includes: Receive control mode commands; Match the corresponding adjustment mode according to the control mode command.
[0021] In one possible implementation: the adjustment mode includes a first mode, a second mode, a third mode, a fourth mode, and a fifth mode, each of which corresponds to a different control strategy; The control strategy corresponding to the first mode is as follows: when the motor drives the throttle valve to open at a preset angle, the opening angle of the throttle valve is fixed, and the gas mass flow meters on multiple gas supply pipelines control the mass and flow rate of the gas transmitted in each gas supply pipeline according to a preset numerical ratio, so as to achieve the requirement of prioritizing the control of the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber. The control strategy corresponding to the second mode is as follows: when the motor drives the throttle valve to open at a preset angle, the opening angle of the throttle valve is fixed, and the gas mass flow meters on multiple gas supply pipelines control the mass and flow rate of the gas transmitted in each gas supply pipeline according to preset values, so as to achieve the requirement of prioritizing the control of the gas flow rate entering the vacuum chamber. When the actual vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber exceeds the vacuum degree threshold, the system jumps to the first mode. The control strategy corresponding to the third mode is as follows: the motor drives the throttle valve to open to a preset angle, and at the same time, the gas mass flow meters on multiple gas supply pipelines control the mass and flow rate of the gas transmitted in each gas supply pipeline according to preset values, so as to achieve the requirement of simultaneously controlling the vacuum degree and gas flow rate in the vacuum chamber. When the actual vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber does not reach or exceed the minimum vacuum degree threshold, it jumps to the first mode. The control strategy corresponding to the fourth mode is as follows: Based on the second mode, the value of the gas mass flow meter is controlled to show a linear increase or linear decrease trend within a preset time period, so as to achieve the requirement of smoothly adjusting the gas entering the vacuum chamber. The control strategy corresponding to the fifth mode is as follows: based on the third mode, the value of the gas mass flow meter is controlled to show a linear increase or linear decrease trend within a preset time period, so as to achieve the requirement of smoothly adjusting the gas entering the vacuum chamber.
[0022] By adopting the above technical solution, after receiving the control mode command, the corresponding adjustment mode is matched according to the control mode command. Different types of adjustment modes correspond to different control strategies. Therefore, the control method of this application can meet the different control needs of users for vacuum chambers and improve the control capability of vacuum chambers.
[0023] In summary, this application includes at least one of the following beneficial technical effects: When adjusting the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber, the main control unit first controls the stepper motor to adjust the opening angle of the throttle valve, and then controls the vacuum pump to start, drawing air from the vacuum chamber to adjust the vacuum level. Additionally, when controlling the gas flowing into the vacuum chamber, the electromagnetic shut-off valve is opened and the gas mass flow meter is activated. The gas mass flow meter uses digital control to precisely control the flow rate of one or more gases. Therefore, this application can control both the vacuum level and the flow rate into the vacuum chamber, improving the control capability of the vacuum coating machine and thus enabling it to have a wider range of applications and greater environmental adaptability. Attached Figure Description
[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the vacuum level and process gas flow control device of the vacuum chamber according to an embodiment of this application.
[0025] Figure 2 This is a structural diagram of the gas supply control unit in the vacuum chamber vacuum degree and process gas flow control device of this application embodiment.
[0026] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of a method for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of a vacuum chamber according to an embodiment of this application.
[0027] Figure 4 This is a relationship diagram of different types of adjustment modes in the method embodiments of this application.
[0028] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached diagram: 10, Pumping speed control unit; 11, Vacuum pump; 12, Throttling valve; 13, Motor; 20, Gas supply control unit; 21, Inlet filter; 22, First electromagnetic shut-off valve; 23, Gas mass flow meter; 24, Gas mixing box; 25, Second electromagnetic shut-off valve; 26, Gas outlet; 30, Main control unit; 40, Vacuum gauge. Detailed Implementation
[0029] This specific embodiment is merely an explanation of this application and is not intended to limit it. After reading this specification, those skilled in the art can make modifications to this embodiment without contributing any inventive step, but such modifications are protected by patent law as long as they fall within the scope of the claims of this application.
[0030] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the embodiments of this application clearer, the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of this application, not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of this application, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of this application.
[0031] The following is in conjunction with the instruction manual appendix. Figure 1-4 The embodiments of this application will be described in further detail.
[0032] This application proposes a vacuum degree and process gas flow control device for a vacuum chamber, which is applied to a vacuum coating machine, specifically for controlling the vacuum chamber of the vacuum coating machine. Figure 1 As shown, the vacuum degree and process gas flow control device of the vacuum chamber includes a pumping speed control unit 10, a gas supply control unit 20 and a main control unit 30. The pumping speed control unit 10 and the gas supply control unit 20 are both connected to the vacuum chamber. The main control unit 30 is used to adjust the vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber through the pumping speed control unit 10, and is also used to control the type and flow rate of the gas entering the vacuum chamber through the gas supply control unit 20.
[0033] An air extraction port is provided on the side wall of the vacuum chamber, and an air extraction pipe is connected to the port. The end of the air extraction pipe away from the vacuum chamber is connected to the pumping speed control unit 10. The pumping speed control unit 10 includes a vacuum pump 11, a throttle valve 12, and a motor 13. The extraction end of the vacuum pump 11 is connected to the end of the air extraction pipe away from the vacuum chamber. Air is recovered from the vacuum chamber by the vacuum pump 11 through this pipe, thereby controlling the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber. To control the pumping speed of the vacuum pump 11, the throttle valve 12 is installed on the air extraction pipe. The throttle valve 12 is configured with a maximum opening angle and angle units, where the maximum opening angle >> angle units and is an integer multiple of the angle units. In a specific example, the maximum opening angle is 90°, corresponding to 200 angle units. In other examples, the maximum opening angle and angle units can be set differently, but to accurately control the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber, the maximum opening angle and angle units must satisfy the following condition: maximum opening angle >> angle units and is an integer multiple of the angle units.
[0034] Motor 13 is connected to throttle valve 12. Motor 13 is a stepper motor used to drive throttle valve 12 to open or close. In this example, stepper motor 13 drives throttle valve 12 to increase or decrease the opening angle by one angle unit at a time, stopping when it reaches the maximum opening angle or stopping when it decreases to 0 degrees. In practical applications, as the opening angle of throttle valve 12 gradually increases from 0° towards the maximum opening angle, the space available for airflow in the pumping pipe increases, resulting in a higher pumping speed of vacuum pump 11 recovering air from the vacuum chamber, reaching its maximum at the maximum opening angle. Conversely, as the opening angle of throttle valve 12 decreases from the maximum opening angle towards 0°, the space available for airflow in the pumping pipe decreases, resulting in a lower pumping speed of vacuum pump 11 recovering air from the vacuum chamber, reaching zero at 0°.
[0035] An air inlet is provided on the side wall of the vacuum chamber, and a gas supply pipe is connected to the air inlet. The end of the gas supply pipe away from the vacuum chamber is connected to a gas loading device, which stores various types of gases and supplies the vacuum chamber with the required gases. In order to control the flow rate and mass of the gas entering the vacuum chamber from the gas loading device, a gas supply control unit 20 is set on the gas supply pipe. In order to reduce the size of the gas supply control unit 20 and facilitate its installation, all the components of the gas supply control unit 20 are integrated into one design, that is, all the components of the gas supply control unit 20 are mounted on the same circuit board.
[0036] like Figure 2As shown, the gas supply control unit 20 includes an inlet filter 21, a first electromagnetic shut-off valve 22, a gas mass flow meter 23, a gas mixing box 24, and a second electromagnetic shut-off valve 25. In a specific example, multiple gas supply pipelines are provided, with each pipeline used to transport one type of gas. Each gas supply pipeline is equipped with an inlet filter 21, a first electromagnetic shut-off valve 22, a gas mass flow meter 23, and a second electromagnetic shut-off valve 25. The multiple gas supply pipelines have a common point near the vacuum chamber, and the gas mixing box 24 is located at this common point. When the gas required in the vacuum chamber is a mixed gas, the gas mixing box 24 first mixes the gas before it enters the vacuum chamber.
[0037] It should be noted that the gas mixing box 24 can have one outlet 26 at its output end, through which a gas supply pipe located between the outlet 26 and the aforementioned inlet will transfer the gas in the gas mixing box 24 to the vacuum chamber. Alternatively, the gas mixing box 24 can have multiple outlets 26 at its output end, the same number as the gas supply pipes. In this case, multiple inlets are also provided, with one inlet corresponding to one outlet 26 and connected by one gas supply pipe. Thus, when the vacuum chamber does not require gas mixing, a single gas supply pipe can be used to transfer one type of gas, thereby reducing gas contamination.
[0038] In addition, a detection port is provided on the side wall of the vacuum chamber, and a vacuum gauge 40 is sealed on the detection port. The vacuum gauge 40 is connected to the main control unit 30. The vacuum gauge 40 is used to detect the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber and send it to the main control unit 30 in real time.
[0039] The main control unit 30 is connected to the vacuum pump 11, stepper motor 13, air inlet filter 21, electromagnetic shut-off valves 25 (first electromagnetic shut-off valve 2522 and second electromagnetic shut-off valve 25), flow meter in the gas box, gas mixing box 24, and vacuum gauge 40. When adjusting the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber, the main control unit 30 first controls the stepper motor 13 to adjust the opening angle of the throttle valve 12, and then controls the vacuum pump 11 to start, drawing air from the vacuum chamber to adjust the vacuum level. When controlling the gas flowing into the vacuum chamber, the first electromagnetic shut-off valve 22 and the second electromagnetic shut-off valve 25 are opened, and the air inlet filter 21 and gas mass flow meter 23 are activated. The gas filter 21 first filters impurities from the gas, and then the gas mass flow meter 23 precisely controls the flow rate of the process gas. In one specific example, the main control unit 30 is a VCM controller. In other examples, the main control unit 30 can be other types of controllers, as long as they can be used to control the vacuum chamber; this application does not impose any limitations on this.
[0040] To further illustrate the process of the main control unit 30 controlling the vacuum chamber, this application proposes a method for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of the vacuum chamber. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the main process flow description of the vacuum level and process gas flow control method of the vacuum chamber is as follows.
[0041] Step S1: Receive control mode command. Specifically, the control mode command is an instruction input by an external device, used to request the main control unit 30 to manage the vacuum chamber. External devices include electronic devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and computers. Alternatively, the control mode command can be pre-configured in the main control unit 30, which can be periodically triggered by the main control unit 30 to periodically manage the vacuum chamber.
[0042] Step S2: Match the corresponding adjustment mode according to the control mode command.
[0043] First, multiple adjustment modes are pre-defined in the main control unit 30, each corresponding to a control strategy. In a specific example, the adjustment modes include a first mode, a second mode, a third mode, a fourth mode, and a fifth mode. The first mode is assigned to a control mode command with control mode command 0, the second mode to a control mode command with control mode command 1, the third mode to a control mode command with control mode command 2, the fourth mode to a control mode command with control mode command 3, and the fifth mode to a control mode command with control mode command 4.
[0044] Therefore, when: When the main control unit 30 receives 0, it will automatically match to the first mode; When the main control unit 30 receives a 1, it will automatically match to the second mode; When the main control unit 30 receives 2, it will automatically match to the third mode; When the main control unit 30 receives 3, it will automatically match to the fourth mode; When the main control unit 30 receives 4, it will automatically match to the fifth mode.
[0045] In this example, modes one, two, three, four, and five correspond to different control strategies. Figure 4 As shown, the control strategies corresponding to each adjustment mode are as follows: The control strategy corresponding to the first mode is to prioritize the control of the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber. First, a vacuum level value, the opening angle of the throttle valve 12, and the numerical ratios of the gas mass flow meters 23 on multiple gas supply pipelines are preset. After the control process is initiated, the motor 13 drives the throttle valve 12 to rotate to the preset opening angle and maintains it stationary. Simultaneously, the gas mass flow meters 23 automatically adjust the mass and flow rate of the gas transmitted in each gas supply pipeline according to the preset numerical ratios, either increasing or decreasing them, so that the vacuum chamber reaches the preset vacuum level value. The control strategy corresponding to the second mode is to prioritize the control of the gas flow rate entering the vacuum chamber. First, a vacuum threshold, the opening angle of the throttle valve 12, and the values of the gas mass flow meters 23 on multiple gas supply pipes are preset. After the control process is initiated, the motor 13 drives the throttle valve 12 to rotate to the preset opening angle and holds it stationary. Simultaneously, the gas mass flow meters 23 automatically adjust the mass and flow rate of the gas transmitted in each gas supply pipe according to the preset values. At this time, due to the increase in gas, the actual vacuum level in the vacuum chamber is uncontrolled. However, as long as the actual vacuum level does not exceed the vacuum threshold, it remains unchanged. When the actual vacuum level exceeds the vacuum threshold, it switches to the first mode, ensuring that the actual vacuum level in the vacuum chamber remains below the vacuum threshold. The control strategy corresponding to the third mode is to simultaneously control the vacuum level and gas flow rate in the vacuum chamber. First, a minimum vacuum threshold, the opening angle of the throttle valve 12, and the values of the gas mass flow meters 23 on multiple gas supply pipelines are preset. After the control process is initiated, the motor 13 drives the throttle valve 12 to rotate to the preset opening angle. Simultaneously, the gas mass flow meters 23 automatically adjust the mass and flow rate of the gas transmitted in each gas supply pipeline according to the preset values. At this time, the main control unit 30 automatically compares the actual vacuum level with the vacuum threshold and then dynamically adjusts the opening angle of the throttle valve 12, either increasing or decreasing it, to ensure that the vacuum level in the vacuum chamber is higher than the minimum vacuum threshold. If the throttle valve 12 has already opened to its maximum opening angle, but the actual vacuum level still cannot reach or exceed the minimum vacuum threshold, the system switches to the first mode to ensure that the actual vacuum level in the vacuum chamber meets the requirements. The control strategy corresponding to the fourth mode is as follows: Based on the second mode, the main control unit 30 controls the value of the gas mass flow meter 23 to show a linear increase or linear decrease trend within a preset time period, so as to achieve a smooth adjustment of the gas entering the vacuum chamber. Meanwhile, other control strategies in this mode are the same as those in the second mode. The control strategy corresponding to the fifth mode is as follows: Based on the third mode, the main control unit 30 controls the value of the gas mass flow meter 23 to show a linear increase or linear decrease trend within a preset time period, so as to achieve a smooth adjustment of the gas entering the vacuum chamber. At the same time, other control strategies in this mode are the same as those in the third mode.
[0046] In summary, the implementation principle of the vacuum degree and process gas flow control method of the vacuum chamber in this application embodiment is as follows: First, after receiving the control mode command, the main control unit 30 matches the corresponding adjustment mode according to the control mode command. Different types of adjustment modes correspond to different control strategies. Therefore, the control method of this application can meet the different control needs of users for the vacuum chamber and improve the control capability of the vacuum chamber.
[0047] To better execute the above method, this application also provides a vacuum level and process gas flow terminal for a vacuum chamber, the terminal including a memory and a processor.
[0048] The memory can be used to store instructions, programs, code, code sets, or instruction sets. The memory may include a program storage area and a data storage area. The program storage area may store instructions for implementing an operating system, instructions for at least one function, and instructions for implementing the vacuum level and process gas flow rate methods of the aforementioned vacuum chamber; the data storage area may store data related to the vacuum level and process gas flow rate methods of the aforementioned vacuum chamber.
[0049] A processor may include one or more processing cores. The processor executes instructions, programs, code sets, or instruction sets stored in memory, and calls data stored in memory to perform various functions and process data as described in this application. The processor may be at least one of a specific application-specific integrated circuit, a digital signal processor, a digital signal processing device, a programmable logic device, a field-programmable gate array, a central processing unit, a controller, a microcontroller, and a microprocessor. It is understood that, for different devices, the electronic devices used to implement the above-described processor functions may also be other types, and the embodiments of this application do not specifically limit the specific implementation.
[0050] This application also provides a computer-readable storage medium, such as a USB flash drive, a portable hard drive, a read-only memory (ROM), a random access memory (RAM), a magnetic disk, or an optical disk, and other media capable of storing program code. This computer-readable storage medium stores a computer program that can be loaded by a processor and executed to determine the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of the aforementioned vacuum chamber.
[0051] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of this application and an explanation of the technical principles employed. Those skilled in the art should understand that the scope of disclosure in this application is not limited to technical solutions formed by specific combinations of the above-described technical features, but should also cover other technical solutions formed by arbitrary combinations of the above-described technical features or their equivalents without departing from the foregoing disclosed concept. For example, technical solutions formed by substituting the above features with (but not limited to) technical features with similar functions disclosed in this application.
Claims
1. A method for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of a vacuum chamber, implemented using a vacuum chamber vacuum level and process gas flow rate control device, characterized in that... : The vacuum level and process gas flow control device of the vacuum chamber includes: a pumping speed control unit (10), a gas supply control unit (20), and a main control unit (30); the pumping speed control unit (10) includes a vacuum pump (11), a throttle valve (12), and a motor (13); a pumping pipe is provided between the vacuum pump (11) and the vacuum chamber; the throttle valve (12) is installed on the pumping pipe; and the motor (13) is used to drive the throttle valve (12) to open at an angle; the gas supply control unit (20) includes a gas mass flow meter (23). The vacuum chamber and the gas filling device are connected by a gas supply pipe, and the gas mass flow meter (23) and the electromagnetic shut-off valve are both installed on the gas supply pipe. The main control unit (30) is connected to the vacuum pump (11), the motor (13), the gas mass flow meter (23) and the electromagnetic shut-off valve respectively. The main control unit (30) is used to control the gas flow rate entering the vacuum chamber and the vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber. There are multiple gas supply pipes, and one gas supply pipe is used to transport one type of gas. Methods for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate in a vacuum chamber include: Receive control mode commands; Match the corresponding adjustment mode according to the control mode command; The adjustment modes include a first mode, a second mode, a third mode, a fourth mode, and a fifth mode, each corresponding to a different control strategy. The control strategy corresponding to the first mode is: when the motor (13) drives the throttle valve (12) to open at a preset angle, the opening angle of the throttle valve (12) is fixed, and the gas mass flow meter (23) on the multiple gas supply pipelines controls the mass and flow rate of the gas transmitted in each gas supply pipeline according to a preset numerical ratio, so as to achieve the requirement of prioritizing the control of the vacuum degree of the vacuum chamber. The control strategy corresponding to the second mode is as follows: when the angle of the throttle valve (12) driven by the motor (13) reaches the preset angle, the opening angle of the throttle valve (12) is fixed, and the gas mass flow meter (23) on the multiple gas supply pipelines controls the mass and flow rate of the gas transmitted in each gas supply pipeline according to the preset value, so as to achieve the requirement of prioritizing the control of the gas flow rate entering the vacuum chamber. When the actual vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber exceeds the vacuum degree threshold, it jumps to the first mode. The control strategy corresponding to the third mode is as follows: the motor (13) drives the throttle valve (12) to open to a preset angle, and at the same time, the gas mass flow meter (23) on the multiple gas supply pipelines controls the mass and flow rate of the gas transmitted in each gas supply pipeline according to the preset value, so as to achieve the requirement of simultaneously controlling the vacuum degree and gas flow rate in the vacuum chamber. When the actual vacuum degree in the vacuum chamber does not reach or does not exceed the minimum vacuum degree threshold, it jumps to the first mode. The control strategy corresponding to the fourth mode is: based on the second mode, control the value of the gas mass flow meter (23) to show a linear increase or linear decrease trend within a preset time period, so as to achieve the requirement of smoothly adjusting the gas entering the vacuum chamber. The control strategy corresponding to the fifth mode is as follows: Based on the third mode, the value of the gas mass flow meter (23) is controlled to show a linear increase or linear decrease trend within a preset time period, so as to achieve the requirement of smoothly adjusting the gas entering the vacuum chamber.
2. The method for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of the vacuum chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The throttle valve (12) is provided with a maximum opening angle and an angle unit, wherein the maximum opening angle is an integer multiple of the angle unit.
3. The method for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of the vacuum chamber according to claim 2, characterized in that: The motor (13) is a stepper motor (13), and the stepper motor (13) drives the opening angle of the throttle valve (12) to increase or decrease by one angle unit at a time.
4. The method for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of the vacuum chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The multiple gas supply pipes have a common point at one end near the vacuum chamber, and a gas mixing box (24) is provided at the common point.
5. The method for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of a vacuum chamber according to claim 4, characterized in that: The gas mass flow meter (23), electromagnetic shut-off valve, and gas mixing box (24) are designed as an integrated unit.
6. The method for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of a vacuum chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The electromagnetic shut-off valve includes a first electromagnetic shut-off valve (22) and a second electromagnetic shut-off valve (25), and the gas mass flow meter (23) is disposed between the first electromagnetic shut-off valve (22) and the second electromagnetic shut-off valve (25).
7. The method for controlling the vacuum level and process gas flow rate of a vacuum chamber according to claim 1, characterized in that: The air supply control unit (20) also includes an air intake filter (21).
Citation Information
Patent Citations
Fluid control system and fluid control method
US20130255793A1