A method and system for compensating for wear of a sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of semiconductor process equipment control, and provides a sealing surface aging compensation method and system for a semiconductor process gas valve. When the valve is closed, the actuator driving current value and the real-time position of the valve core are collected, a closing characteristic curve containing an empty stroke section, a contact transition section and a sealing compression section is generated, the contact starting position deviation of the contact transition section and the current increment deviation of the sealing compression section are extracted from a standard curve, the sealing surface aging deviation value is calculated, the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount are determined, and the valve is controlled to perform compensation when closed next time. Through online quantification and dynamic adaptive compensation of the sealing surface aging, the sealing failure problem caused by the sealing aging of the semiconductor process gas valve under the working conditions of corrosive gas and frequent opening and closing is solved, the reliability is improved, and the service life is prolonged.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor process equipment control technology, and more specifically, to a method and system for compensating for aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve. Background Technology

[0002] In semiconductor manufacturing processes, process gas valves are used to control the delivery and isolation of process media such as etching gases and deposition gases into process chambers. Because semiconductor process gases are often corrosive, and valves need to be frequently opened and closed according to process formulations, valve sealing surfaces are prone to aging phenomena such as wear, elasticity degradation, or chemical corrosion after long-term operation, leading to decreased sealing performance, process gas leakage, and chamber contamination.

[0003] In existing technologies, the treatment of valve sealing surface aging mainly relies on periodic offline disassembly and inspection or closed-position judgment based on fixed thresholds. Offline inspection requires interrupting the semiconductor production line, disassembling the valve for manual inspection, which is costly and cannot reflect the sealing surface condition in real time. Closed-position judgment based on fixed current or torque thresholds can only identify whether the valve has reached the correct position, but cannot quantify the degree of aging of the sealing surface, let alone dynamically adjust the closing control parameters according to the aging state. In addition, although existing mechanical self-compensation structures can compensate for wear clearance to a certain extent, they cannot distinguish between wear-driven aging and elastic degradation-driven aging, and the compensation method is too simplistic, which can easily lead to sealing surface crushing or insufficient compensation.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies urgently need improvement. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this application is to provide a method and system for compensating the aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve. This method and system have the advantages of enabling online accurate quantification and dynamic adaptive compensation of the aging state of the valve sealing surface, thereby improving sealing reliability and valve service life.

[0006] In a first aspect, this embodiment proposes a method for compensating for aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve, the technical solution of which is as follows: During the valve closing process, the actuator's drive current value is collected by a current sensor, and the valve core's real-time position is collected by a position sensor. Based on the correspondence between the drive current value and the real-time position, a shutdown characteristic curve is generated; the shutdown characteristic curve includes an idle travel segment, a contact transition segment, and a sealing compression segment; a pre-stored standard shutdown characteristic curve is obtained, the standard shutdown characteristic curve includes an idle travel segment, a contact transition segment, and a sealing compression segment; Extract the contact start position deviation between the closing characteristic curve and the standard closing characteristic curve in the contact transition section, and the current increment deviation in the sealing compression section, to determine the aging deviation value of the sealing surface; Based on the relative magnitude of the contact start position deviation and the current increment deviation, the aging type of the sealing surface is determined to be either a first aging type or a second aging type; when it is determined to be a first aging type, the target closing position compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing force compensation amount; when it is determined to be a second aging type, the target closing force compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing position compensation amount. Based on the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount, the valve is controlled to perform compensated closing during the next closing.

[0007] Furthermore, determining the aging deviation value of the sealing surface includes: Determine the difference in current slope between the shut-off characteristic curve and the standard shut-off characteristic curve in the sealing compression section; The aging deviation value of the sealing surface is determined based on the comparison result between the current slope difference and the preset slope threshold, and the contact start position deviation.

[0008] Furthermore, determining the target closed position compensation amount and target closed force compensation amount of the valve based on the aging deviation value of the sealing surface includes: Based on the relative magnitude of the contact initiation position deviation and the current increment deviation, the aging type of the sealing surface is determined to be either the first aging type or the second aging type. When it is determined to be the first aging type, the target closing position compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing force compensation amount; When the aging type is determined to be the second type, the target closing force compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing position compensation amount.

[0009] Furthermore, the method also includes: Obtain the corrosivity level of the process gas currently being delivered by the valve; determine the corresponding aging acceleration coefficient based on the corrosivity level; The aging deviation value of the sealing surface is corrected according to the aging acceleration coefficient; wherein the aging acceleration coefficient is positively correlated with the corrosion level.

[0010] Furthermore, the method also includes: Obtain the current process recipe for semiconductor process equipment, wherein the process recipe includes the sealing level requirements for the current process step; According to the sealing rating requirements, adjust the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount; wherein, the compensation amount increases as the sealing rating requirements increase.

[0011] Furthermore, the control of the valve to perform compensatory closure upon the next closure includes: Based on the target closing position compensation amount, the valve closing process is divided into a rapid closing section and a compression sealing section; In the rapid closing section, the control actuator drives the valve core to move in the closing direction at a first speed; in the pressing and sealing section, the control actuator drives the valve core to move to the compensated target closing position at a second speed, and maintains the pressing for a preset time after reaching the compensated target closing position; wherein, the first speed is greater than the second speed.

[0012] Furthermore, in the pressing and sealing section, controlling the actuator to drive the valve core to move to the compensated target closed position at a second speed includes: When the remaining distance between the valve core and the compensated target closed position reaches the preset preload distance, the control actuator drives the valve core to move the preset preload distance with a preset preload force; After the valve core reaches the compensated target closed position, the output force of the actuator is increased to the target closing force and maintained for the preset clamping time; Before the pressing and sealing section is executed, the heating power compensation amount of the sealing surface area is determined according to the aging deviation value of the sealing surface, and the sealing surface area is heated according to the heating power compensation amount.

[0013] Furthermore, after controlling the valve to perform a compensated closure upon the next closure, the method further includes: The current sensor is used to collect the drive current value of the actuator again, and the position sensor is used to collect the actual position of the valve core again. Based on the correspondence between the re-acquired drive current value and the actual position, a compensated shutdown characteristic curve is generated; The compensated shutdown characteristic curve is compared with the standard shutdown characteristic curve to obtain the compensated residual deviation; Based on the compensation residual deviation, the target closing position compensation amount and target closing force compensation amount are corrected for the next closing.

[0014] Furthermore, the contact start position of the contact transition section is the real-time position corresponding to the rise of the drive current value from the stable value of the idle travel section in the closing characteristic curve.

[0015] Secondly, this embodiment also proposes an aging compensation system for the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve, comprising: An actuator, connected to the valve core, is used to drive the valve core to open or close; A current sensor, connected to the actuator, is used to collect the drive current value of the actuator; A position sensor, connected to the valve core, is used to collect the real-time position of the valve core; The controller is connected to the current sensor, the position sensor, and the actuator, respectively. The controller is configured to perform the following steps: During the valve closing process, the current sensor collects the drive current value of the actuator, and the position sensor collects the real-time position of the valve core. Based on the correspondence between the drive current value and the real-time position, a shutdown characteristic curve is generated, which includes an idle travel segment, a contact transition segment, and a sealing compression segment; a pre-stored standard shutdown characteristic curve is obtained, which includes an idle travel segment, a contact transition segment, and a sealing compression segment. The contact start position deviation between the closed characteristic curve and the standard closed characteristic curve in the contact transition section and the current increment deviation in the sealing compression section are extracted, and the sealing surface aging deviation value is calculated by combining the results. Based on the relative magnitude of the contact start position deviation and the current increment deviation, the aging type of the sealing surface is determined to be either a first aging type or a second aging type; when it is determined to be a first aging type, the target closing position compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing force compensation amount; when it is determined to be a second aging type, the target closing force compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing position compensation amount. Based on the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount, the actuator is controlled to drive the valve to perform compensated closing on the next closing.

[0016] As can be seen from the above, the method and system for compensating the aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve provided in this application collects the drive current value of the actuator and the real-time position of the valve core during the valve closing process, generates a closing characteristic curve including the idle stroke section, the contact transition section, and the sealing clamping section, extracts the contact start position deviation and current increment deviation to determine the aging deviation value of the sealing surface, and determines the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount according to the difference in aging type. Combined with the corrosiveness level of the process gas and the sealing level requirements of the process formula, the compensation amount is dynamically corrected to control the valve to perform segmented compensation closing, and the next compensation parameters are corrected through closed-loop feedback after compensation. This solves the technical problem that semiconductor process gas valves are difficult to maintain reliable sealing after the sealing surface ages under corrosive gas environment and frequent opening and closing conditions. It has the advantages of being able to realize online accurate quantification and dynamic adaptive compensation of the aging state of the valve sealing surface, improving sealing reliability, extending valve service life, and reducing unplanned downtime maintenance. Attached Figure Description

[0017] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention, the accompanying drawings used in the embodiments will be briefly introduced below. It should be understood that the following drawings only show some embodiments of the present invention and should not be regarded as a limitation on the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0018] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of the semiconductor process gas valve sealing surface aging compensation method disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the shutdown characteristic curve disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic flowchart of a method for determining the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount of a valve based on the aging deviation value of the sealing surface, as disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 4 This is a schematic flowchart of a method disclosed in an embodiment of the present invention, in which the actuator is controlled to drive the valve core to move to the compensated target closed position at a second speed in the compression sealing section. Detailed Implementation

[0019] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which these embodiments belong; the terminology used herein and in the specification of the application is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit these embodiments; the terms "comprising" and "having," and any variations thereof, in the specification of these embodiments and the foregoing drawings, are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion. The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification of these embodiments and the foregoing drawings are used to distinguish different objects, not to describe a particular order.

[0020] The implementation details of the technical solution in this embodiment are described in detail below: In semiconductor manufacturing processes, process gas valves frequently deliver corrosive gases and perform opening and closing operations. Their sealing surfaces gradually wear down or lose elasticity over long-term operation. If fixed closing parameters are used, the aged sealing surfaces cannot form an effective seal, leading to leakage in the process chamber, vacuum fluctuations, and affecting wafer processing yield. Therefore, this embodiment provides a method for compensating for the aging of the sealing surfaces of semiconductor process gas valves. By online acquisition of the electromechanical response characteristics during valve closing, the degree of sealing surface aging is quantified, and the closing position and closing force are dynamically adjusted to achieve adaptive compensation of the aged sealing surfaces, thereby ensuring the reliability and stability of process gas delivery.

[0021] Firstly, this application proposes a method for compensating for the aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the method includes: S101, during the valve closing process, the actuator's drive current value is collected by a current sensor, and the valve core's real-time position is collected by a position sensor.

[0022] Specifically, after a semiconductor process equipment completes a certain process step, the controller sends a closing command to the valve actuator, and the valve enters the closing process. For example, after a plasma etching step is completed, if the process recipe requires isolating the etching chamber from the gas delivery pipeline, the controller sends a closing command to the inlet valve actuator, and the valve enters the closing process. At this time, a current sensor continuously collects the current signal of the actuator drive circuit at a sampling frequency of once per millisecond, obtaining the drive current value I. This current sensor is installed in the actuator's motor drive circuit and is used to reflect the magnitude of the electromagnetic drive torque output by the actuator. Simultaneously, a position sensor synchronously detects the displacement of the valve core along the valve axis, obtaining the real-time position L. The position sensor is a linear displacement sensor, rigidly connected to the valve core through a linkage mechanism, directly measuring the remaining travel distance of the valve core relative to the fully open position of the valve. The value of the real-time position L gradually decreases as the valve core moves towards the closing direction. When the valve is in the fully open state, L is the maximum travel value, and when the valve reaches the fully closed position, L approaches zero. During the shutdown process, the controller pairs the drive current value I collected at the same sampling time with the real-time position L to form a continuous current-position data sequence.

[0023] S102, based on the correspondence between the drive current value and the real-time position, a shut-off characteristic curve is generated, the shut-off characteristic curve including an idle travel segment, a contact transition segment and a sealing and pressing segment.

[0024] In addition, a pre-stored standard closing characteristic curve is obtained, which includes an idle travel section, a contact transition section, and a sealing compression section.

[0025] Specifically, the current-position data sequence obtained in S101 is plotted with the real-time position L as the abscissa and the driving current value I as the ordinate to obtain the shutdown characteristic curve of this shutdown process. For example... Figure 2 The figure shows the closing characteristic curve of this embodiment. This curve reflects the dynamic trajectory of the actuator drive current changing with the valve core position throughout the entire process of the valve going from the open state to the closed state.

[0026] In the closing characteristic curve, based on the change in the contact state between the valve core and the sealing surface, the curve is divided into three continuous stages. The idle stroke stage corresponds to the stage where the valve core moves freely from its initial position towards the sealing surface. In this stage, the valve core has not yet made mechanical contact with the sealing surface, and the actuator only needs to overcome the inertia of motion and the guide friction resistance, maintaining the drive current value I in a relatively stable low amplitude range. For example, for a certain type of DC motor actuator, the current value in this segment is stable at around 0.4A, and the curve appears as a gentle line segment with a slope close to zero.

[0027] The contact transition section corresponds to the stage from the initial contact between the valve core's front sealing surface and the valve seat sealing surface to the formation of a preliminary seal. When the valve core moves to the initial contact position, mechanical contact resistance begins to occur between the sealing surfaces, the actuator load suddenly increases, and the drive current value I deviates from the stable state of the no-stroke section and begins to rise significantly. In the closing characteristic curve, the real-time position corresponding to the rise of the drive current value from the stable value of the no-stroke section is the contact start position of the contact transition section. This position is the critical point distinguishing between the no-stroke section and the contact transition section. After entering the contact transition section, as the valve core continues to move in the closing direction, the compression between the sealing surfaces gradually increases, the drive current value continues to climb, and the curve shows a clear upward trend.

[0028] The sealing and clamping section corresponds to the stage where the actuator continuously outputs sealing pressure after the valve core reaches the target closed position. During this stage, the axial displacement of the valve core has essentially reached its limit, and the driving force output by the actuator is mainly used to maintain the clamping force between the sealing surfaces, resulting in a relatively high driving current value I. For example, the current value of the aforementioned DC motor actuator in this section may rise to around 1.5A, and the curve will show a high-level, stable or slowly rising shape, with its average slope significantly less than the rising slope of the contact transition section.

[0029] Through the aforementioned three-segment division, the closing characteristic curve fully records the electromechanical response characteristics of the valve during the closing process, from free movement to mechanical contact and then to pressure maintenance. It is precisely because the idle stroke segment, contact transition segment, and sealing compression segment correspond to different mechanical states and energy transfer modes that the subsequent contact initiation position deviation and current increment deviation extracted based on the curve features of each segment can accurately reflect the degree of geometric wear and material elastic degradation of the sealing surface. This dynamic curve generation method based on the actual valve closing process avoids the errors caused by simple judgments using fixed position thresholds, providing a reliable data foundation for the accurate quantification of the aging state of the sealing surface.

[0030] S103, extract the contact start position deviation between the closing characteristic curve and the standard closing characteristic curve in the contact transition section, and the current increment deviation in the sealing compression section, and determine the aging deviation value of the sealing surface.

[0031] In this embodiment, after the valve has been installed and commissioned or after the most recent sealing surface maintenance, the controller performs multiple closing operations under standard operating conditions, records the closing characteristic curves of each operation, and averages them to obtain the standard closing characteristic curve. This standard curve also includes a no-travel segment, a contact transition segment, and a sealing compression segment. The standard contact start position is denoted as L0, and the drive current value at the target closing position in the standard sealing compression segment is denoted as I0.

[0032] After each execution of S102 to generate the current closing characteristic curve, the controller first compares the characteristic differences between the current curve and the standard curve in the contact transition section. In the current closing characteristic curve, the current contact start position L1 is determined according to the method described in S102. The difference between the current contact start position L1 and the standard contact start position L0 is calculated to obtain the contact start position deviation ΔL, i.e., ΔL = L0 - L1. If the sealing surface is thinned due to mechanical wear, the valve core needs to move a further distance in the closing direction to contact the valve seat. In this case, L1 is less than L0, and ΔL is a positive value. For example, if the standard contact start position L0 is 8.5 mm and the current contact start position L1 is 8.2 mm, then the contact start position deviation ΔL is 0.3 mm.

[0033] Next, the controller extracts the current increment deviation between the current closing characteristic curve and the standard closing characteristic curve in the sealing and clamping section. The current value after the valve core reaches the target closing position and the actuator enters steady-state clamping is selected as the comparison point. In the current curve, the corresponding drive current value at this position is recorded as I1; in the standard curve, the corresponding drive current value is recorded as I0. The current increment deviation ΔI is the difference between the current value and the standard current value, i.e., ΔI = I1 - I0. If the elastic modulus of the sealing surface decreases due to creep of the elastic material or chemical corrosion, the actuator needs to output a larger current to maintain the same sealing pressure. In this case, I1 is greater than I0, and ΔI is a positive value. For example, if the standard sealing and clamping section current value I0 is 1.5A and the current sealing and clamping section current value I1 is 1.8A, then the current increment deviation ΔI is 0.3A.

[0034] Further, in S103, determining the aging deviation value of the sealing surface includes: determining the difference in current slope between the closing characteristic curve and the standard closing characteristic curve in the sealing compression section; and determining the aging deviation value of the sealing surface based on the comparison result of the current slope difference with a preset slope threshold and the contact start position deviation.

[0035] Specifically, in this embodiment, within the sealing and clamping section, the controller selects a fixed interval after the initial contact position as the slope calculation window, for example, the section from 0.2 mm after the initial contact position to the target closing position. For the standard closing characteristic curve, the average rate of change of the drive current value with real-time position within this window is calculated to obtain the standard current slope K0. For the current closing characteristic curve, the average rate of change is calculated within the same position interval to obtain the current current slope K1. The current slope difference ΔK is the difference between the current current slope K1 and the standard current slope K0, i.e., ΔK = K1 - K0. The standard current slope K0 reflects the linear increase in resistance with displacement of the new sealing surface during clamping, while the current current slope K1 reflects the mechanical response of the sealing surface after aging. When uneven wear or material hardening occurs on the sealing surface, the current slope usually changes. For example, if the standard current slope K0 is 2.0 A per millimeter and the current current slope K1 is 2.5 A per millimeter, then the current slope difference ΔK is 0.5 A per millimeter.

[0036] The preset slope threshold Ks is used to define the allowable range of the current slope difference, for example, Ks is set to 0.4A per millimeter. The controller compares the current slope difference ΔK with the preset slope threshold Ks, and combines this with the contact start position deviation ΔL to comprehensively calculate the sealing surface aging deviation value E. One comprehensive calculation method is as follows: when ΔK is greater than Ks, it indicates that the sealing surface aging has entered the accelerated stage. At this time, the contact start position deviation ΔL and the current increment deviation ΔI are weighted and summed to obtain the aging deviation value E, that is, E = α×ΔL + β×ΔI, where α is the position weight coefficient and β is the current weight coefficient, both of which are pre-calibrated according to the sealing surface material characteristics and valve structure parameters. For example, if α is 0.6 and β is 0.4, if ΔL is 0.3mm and ΔI is 0.3A, then the aging deviation value E is 0.3. When ΔK is less than or equal to Ks, it indicates that the sealing surface aging is in the initial stage. At this time, the contact start position deviation ΔL is used as the aging deviation value E, that is, E = ΔL.

[0037] Through the above comprehensive calculations, the aging deviation value E of the sealing surface quantifies the degree of aging of the sealing surface relative to the standard state. Because the contact initiation position deviation directly reflects the geometric wear of the sealing surface, the current increment deviation reflects the degree of elastic degradation of the sealing material, and the current slope difference can distinguish the aging development stage, the combination of these three factors ensures that the calculation of the aging deviation value includes both the absolute value of aging and the aging trend, thus providing an accurate quantitative basis for determining the subsequent target closing position compensation and target closing force compensation. This aging assessment method based on multi-parameter fusion avoids the one-sidedness that may result from judging by a single index, enabling compensation control to adapt to the performance changes of the sealing surface under different aging mechanisms.

[0038] S104, Based on the aging deviation value of the sealing surface, determine the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount of the valve.

[0039] Specifically, after obtaining the sealing surface aging deviation value E, the controller further calculates the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount based on the sub-parameters in this deviation value, namely the contact start position deviation ΔL and the current increment deviation ΔI. The target closing position compensation amount is denoted as ΔP, which is used to advance the target closing position an additional distance in the closing direction when the valve closes for the next time, in order to compensate for the increased clearance caused by sealing surface wear. The target closing force compensation amount is denoted as ΔF, which is used to increase the actuator's output force when the valve closes for the next time, in order to compensate for insufficient sealing pressure caused by the elastic degradation of the sealing material. The determination of ΔP and ΔF is not simply a linear allocation based on the aging deviation value E, but rather a differentiated setting based on the dominant mechanism of sealing surface aging.

[0040] Further, in S104, the target closing position compensation amount and target closing force compensation amount of the valve are determined based on the aging deviation value of the sealing surface, such as... Figure 3 As shown, it includes: S3001, based on the relative magnitude of the contact start position deviation and the current increment deviation, determine whether the aging type of the sealing surface is a first aging type or a second aging type. Specifically, to distinguish the dominant factors in sealing surface aging, the controller normalizes and compares the contact initiation position deviation ΔL and the current increment deviation ΔI. A position-current equivalent conversion factor λ is introduced, pre-calibrated based on the valve sealing surface structural dimensions and the elastic modulus of the sealing material, to convert the position deviation into an equivalent current deviation. The equivalent position current deviation ΔLeq is calculated as ΔLeq = λ × ΔL and compared with the current increment deviation ΔI. When ΔLeq is greater than ΔI, it indicates that the contact initiation position deviation dominates the aging deviation value E, and geometric wear or material thinning of the sealing surface is the main reason for the decline in sealing performance. In this case, the aging type of the sealing surface is determined to be the first aging type. When ΔLeq is less than ΔI, it indicates that the current increment deviation dominates, and the elastic degradation or chemical corrosion of the sealing material leading to changes in mechanical properties is the main reason for the decline in sealing performance. In this case, the aging type of the sealing surface is determined to be the second aging type. For example, for a valve with a certain type of perfluoroether rubber sealing surface, the calibrated λ is 0.5A per millimeter. If the current ΔL is 0.4mm and ΔI is 0.15A, then ΔLeq is 0.2A, which is greater than 0.15A of ΔI, and is therefore classified as the first aging type. If the current ΔL is 0.1mm and ΔI is 0.25A, then ΔLeq is 0.05A, which is less than 0.25A of ΔI, and is therefore classified as the second aging type.

[0041] S3002, when it is determined to be the first aging type, the target closing position compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing force compensation amount; Specifically, when the sealing surface aging type is the first aging type, the controller mainly increases the target closed position compensation amount ΔP to compensate for the gap caused by sealing surface wear. The target closed position compensation amount ΔP is directly related to the contact start position deviation ΔL, and is set to equal ΔL, i.e., 0.4mm. The target closing force compensation amount ΔF is set to a small auxiliary value, calculated based on 30% of the current increment deviation ΔI, i.e., the force compensation amount corresponding to 0.045A, which is only used to maintain the basic sealing pressure. At this time, the weight of the target closed position compensation amount ΔP in the compensation strategy is greater than the weight of the target closing force compensation amount ΔF, ensuring that the valve core eliminates the wear gap through additional stroke displacement, rather than simply relying on increasing the clamping force.

[0042] S3003, when the second aging type is determined, the target closing force compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing position compensation amount.

[0043] Specifically, when the sealing surface aging type is the second aging type, the controller mainly increases the target closing force compensation amount ΔF to compensate for insufficient sealing pressure caused by the elastic degradation of the sealing material. The target closing force compensation amount ΔF is directly related to the current increment deviation ΔI, and is set to be equal to ΔI, i.e., the output force increment corresponding to 0.25A. The target closing position compensation amount ΔP is set to a small auxiliary value, calculated based on 50% of the contact start position deviation ΔL, i.e., 0.05mm, and is only used to compensate for possible minor wear. At this time, the weight of the target closing force compensation amount ΔF in the compensation strategy is greater than the weight of the target closing position compensation amount ΔP, ensuring that the decrease in material elasticity is overcome by increasing the sealing clamping force, and avoiding sealing surface compression damage caused by excessive advancement of the valve core position.

[0044] Based on this, this embodiment differentiates the compensation strategy by distinguishing the dominant type of sealing surface aging. When geometric wear is predominant, position compensation is the primary method, supplemented by force compensation, avoiding sealing surface crushing and actuator overload caused by blindly increasing the closing force. When elastic degradation is predominant, force compensation is the primary method, supplemented by position compensation, avoiding mechanical damage to the sealing surface and valve jamming caused by excessive valve core positioning. Because the relative magnitudes of the contact initiation position deviation and current increment deviation are quantitatively compared, the compensation amount can accurately match the actual aging mechanism of the sealing surface, thereby maximizing the valve's service life while ensuring sealing performance.

[0045] S105, based on the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount, control the valve to perform compensated closing during the next closing.

[0046] Specifically, after the controller completes the compensation calculation in S104, it writes the calculated target closing position compensation amount ΔP and target closing force compensation amount ΔF into the valve control parameter register for use in the next closing operation. When the next process step ends and the controller issues the valve closing command again, the actuator performs the compensation closing operation according to the updated compensation parameters.

[0047] Furthermore, in S105, controlling the valve to perform compensated closure upon the next closure includes: dividing the valve closure process into a rapid closure segment and a sealing compression segment based on the compensation amount for the target closure position; in the rapid closure segment, controlling the actuator to drive the valve core to move in the closing direction at a first speed; in the sealing compression segment, controlling the actuator to drive the valve core to move to the compensated target closure position at a second speed, and maintaining a preset sealing compression time after reaching the compensated target closure position; wherein the first speed is greater than the second speed.

[0048] Specifically, in this embodiment, the total stroke of the valve during the entire closing process, from the initial open position to the final compensated closed position, is denoted as Sttotal. The controller divides the total stroke into two segments: the first segment is the rapid closing segment, with a stroke length denoted as Sfast, corresponding to the area where the valve core moves rapidly from the initial position to near the compensated target closed position; the second segment is the sealing compression segment, with a stroke length denoted as Sslow, corresponding to the valve core moving slowly from the end of the rapid closing segment to the compensated target closed position and performing a sealing operation. The stroke length Sslow of the sealing compression segment is equal to the target closed position compensation amount ΔP plus a fixed buffer distance Sbuffer, i.e., Sslow = ΔP + Sbuffer. Wherein, ΔP is the target closed position compensation amount calculated by S104, and Sbuffer is a safety buffer distance reserved according to the valve's mechanical structure to prevent the rapid closing segment from directly entering the sealing contact area. For example, if ΔP is 0.3mm and Sbuffer is calibrated to 0.5mm, then Sslow is 0.8mm, and the stroke Sfast of the rapid closing segment is Sttotal minus 0.8mm. This division method ensures that the valve core moves rapidly for most of its stroke to reduce process waiting time, with fine compensation control only performed in the final segment of the stroke related to the sealing surface.

[0049] In the rapid closing phase, the actuator drives the valve core to move in the closing direction at a first speed. The controller outputs a first speed command V1 to the actuator, which then drives the valve core to move in the closing direction at speed V1. The first speed V1 is set according to the maximum safe closing speed allowed by the valve structure, balancing closing efficiency and mechanical shock limits. For example, for a certain type of pneumatic actuator, the first speed V1 is set to 50 millimeters per second. In this phase, the actuator only needs to overcome motion inertia and guide friction, and the drive current is maintained at the normal level of the no-stroke phase. The valve core rapidly passes through the Sfast stroke at this speed until it reaches the beginning of the sealing phase.

[0050] Upon entering the sealing section, the controller switches the actuator speed to a second speed, V2, which is significantly smaller than V1 to avoid high-speed impact damage to the sealing surface. Simultaneously, the controller adjusts the actuator's output force target value based on the target closing force compensation amount ΔF. The compensated target closing position Ltarget equals the standard target closing position Lstandard minus the target closing position compensation amount ΔP, i.e., Ltarget = Lstandard - ΔP. Here, Lstandard is the valve's designed closing position, corresponding to the real-time position calibration value when the valve core and seat are just in contact; ΔP is the forward compensation amount in the closing direction, used to compensate for gaps caused by wear on the sealing surface. Since the real-time position L decreases as the valve core moves in the closing direction, Ltarget being less than Lstandard means the valve core needs to advance ΔP distance further in the closing direction than the standard closing position. For example, if Lstandard is 0.1mm and ΔP is 0.3mm, then Ltarget is -0.2mm, meaning the valve core needs to exceed the standard closing position by 0.2mm to achieve an effective seal. The valve core moves to the Ltarget position at a second speed V2, for example, V2 is 5 millimeters per second. When the position sensor detects that the valve core has reached Ltarget, the controller sets the actuator's target output force to Ftarget. Ftarget is obtained by superimposing the standard closing force Fstandard and the target closing force compensation ΔF, i.e., Ftarget = Fstandard + ΔF. Here, Fstandard is the valve's design sealing force, and ΔF is the force compensation calculated by S104. The controller maintains a preset clamping time Thold, which is the pressure holding time set according to the creep characteristics of the sealing material. For example, Thold is set to 200 milliseconds. During this period, the actuator continuously outputs a clamping force of Ftarget, ensuring that the sealing surface fully conforms to the compensated position and eliminating gaps caused by aging.

[0051] The ratio of the first speed V1 to the second speed V2 is preset according to the valve size and the characteristics of the sealing material, and V1 is usually 5 to 10 times V2. In the example above, V1 is 50 mm per second and V2 is 5 mm per second, with V1 being 10 times V2. This speed difference ensures the high efficiency of the rapid closing section and the smoothness of the compression sealing section, avoiding the wasted process time caused by low speed throughout the process, while also avoiding impact damage to the sealing surface caused by high speed throughout the process.

[0052] Based on this, this embodiment achieves a balance between closing efficiency and sealing quality by dividing the closing process into a rapid closing section and a compression sealing section, and setting different movement speeds and compression parameters for each. Since the target closing position compensation and target closing force compensation only take effect within the compression sealing section, the compensation control can precisely act on the contact area of ​​the sealing surface without affecting most of the valve's closing stroke. This segmented compensation closing method not only meets the semiconductor process's requirement for rapid valve response but also ensures effective sealing of the aged sealing surface through low-speed compression and holding time, thereby improving the reliability and stability of semiconductor process gas valves during long-term operation.

[0053] Furthermore, in the compression sealing section, the control actuator drives the valve core to move to the compensated target closed position at a second speed, such as... Figure 4 As shown, it includes: S4001, when the remaining distance between the valve core and the compensated target closed position reaches the preset preload distance, the actuator is controlled to drive the valve core to move the preset preload distance with a preset preload force; Specifically, within the compression sealing section, the controller calculates in real-time the remaining distance between the current real-time position of the valve core and the compensated target closing position. When this remaining distance decreases to the preset preload distance, the controller switches the actuator's output force from the following force during the idle stroke to the preset preload force, driving the valve core to continue moving in the closing direction at a second speed. The preset preload distance is a distance parameter pre-calibrated based on the hardness of the sealing surface material and the valve structure dimensions, used to establish a buffer contact zone before the valve core finally reaches the sealing surface. The preset preload force is a transitional force value less than the target closing force, used to ensure that the valve core initially contacts the sealing surface with a lower force before entering the final compression state, avoiding stress concentration and localized damage caused by the actuator directly impacting the sealing surface at high speed with the target closing force. For example, the preset preload distance is calibrated to 0.2 mm, and the preset preload force is set to 70% of the target closing force. When the valve core moves past this preset preload distance with the preset preload force, initial contact has been established between the sealing surfaces, but the final sealing pressure has not yet been reached, providing a smooth transition for the subsequent final compression.

[0054] S4002, after the valve core reaches the compensated target closed position, the output force of the actuator is increased to the target closed force and the preset clamping time is maintained; Specifically, when the position sensor detects that the valve core's real-time position has reached the compensated target closed position, the controller sends a force-increasing command to the actuator, raising the output force from the preset preload force to the target closing force. This force-increasing process lasts for an extremely short time to ensure that the sealing surface reaches the designed sealing pressure within a short period. After reaching the target closing force, the controller starts timing and maintains this output force for a preset clamping time. The preset clamping time is a time parameter pre-set based on the creep recovery characteristics of the sealing material and the process gas pressure level, used to ensure that the sealing surface undergoes sufficient elastic deformation and stable fit at the compensated position. For example, the preset clamping time is set to 200 milliseconds. During this holding period, the actuator continuously outputs the target closing force, and the sealing surface completes micro-deformation filling under constant pressure, eliminating surface unevenness gaps caused by aging.

[0055] S4003, before the pressing and sealing section is executed, the heating power compensation amount of the sealing surface area is determined according to the aging deviation value of the sealing surface, and the sealing surface area is heated according to the heating power compensation amount.

[0056] Specifically, before entering the sealing section, the controller queries a pre-stored heating power compensation mapping table based on the aging deviation value of the sealing surface to determine the corresponding heating power compensation amount. This mapping table, established through experimental calibration, records the heating requirements of the sealing surface corresponding to different aging deviation value ranges. The basic calculation logic for the heating power compensation amount is that the heating power compensation amount equals the heating power conversion coefficient multiplied by the aging deviation value of the sealing surface, where the heating power conversion coefficient is pre-determined based on the temperature and elastic modulus characteristic curve of the sealing surface material. For example, when the aging deviation value of the sealing surface is 0.3, the heating power compensation amount obtained from the mapping table is 15W. At the end of the rapid closing section and before the sealing section begins, the controller outputs this heating power compensation amount to the heating element installed near the valve seat or valve core sealing surface to continuously heat the sealing surface area. The heating duration is synchronized with the execution time of the sealing section until the sealing section ends. When the temperature of the sealing surface increases, the elastic modulus of the sealing material decreases moderately, and the mobility of the molecular chain segments increases, enabling the material to produce a greater amount of elastic deformation under the same clamping force. This allows it to better fill the micro-defects of the sealing surface and compensate for the elastic degradation caused by aging.

[0057] Furthermore, in step S105, after controlling the valve to perform compensated closure upon the next closure, the steps of closed-loop correction and contact start position determination are also included. Specifically, this includes: re-acquiring the actuator's drive current value using the current sensor, and re-acquiring the valve core's actual position using the position sensor; generating a compensated closure characteristic curve based on the correspondence between the re-acquired drive current value and the actual position; comparing the compensated closure characteristic curve with the standard closure characteristic curve to obtain the compensation residual deviation; and correcting the target closure position compensation amount and target closure force compensation amount for the next closure based on the compensation residual deviation.

[0058] Specifically, during the compensated shutdown process of S105, the current sensor and position sensor continuously collect data and temporarily store it in the controller's data buffer. After the compensated shutdown is completed, the controller extracts the drive current value and actual position data sequence recorded during this shutdown process from the buffer. Based on the correspondence between the drive current value and the actual position, it generates a compensated shutdown characteristic curve. This curve also includes the idle stroke section, the contact transition section, and the sealing compression section, recording the actual electromechanical response of the valve under the action of the compensation parameters.

[0059] The compensated closing characteristic curve is compared with the standard closing characteristic curve to obtain the compensated residual deviation. The controller extracts the contact start position in the contact transition section and the current value in the sealing and clamping section of the two curves for comparison. The compensated contact start position is denoted as L1comp, and the difference between it and the standard contact start position L0 is used to obtain the residual position deviation ΔLres, which is equal to L0 minus L1comp. The compensated sealing and clamping section current value is denoted as I1comp, and the difference between it and the standard sealing and clamping section current value I0 is used to obtain the residual current deviation ΔIres, which is equal to I1comp minus I0. The compensated residual deviation Eres is calculated based on the weighted average of the residual position deviation and the residual current deviation. Eres is equal to γ ​​multiplied by ΔLres plus δ multiplied by ΔIres, where γ is the residual position weighting coefficient and δ is the residual current weighting coefficient, both of which are pre-calibrated according to the valve structure parameters. For example, if γ is 0.5, δ is 0.5, L0 is 8.5mm, L1comp is 8.4mm, then ΔLres is 0.1mm; if I0 is 1.5A, I1comp is 1.6A, then ΔIres is 0.1A, and the compensation residual deviation Eres is 0.1.

[0060] Based on the residual deviation, the compensation amounts for the target closing position and target closing force are corrected for the next closing operation. When the residual deviation Ers is greater than zero, it indicates that the current compensation is insufficient and the aging gap of the sealing surface has not been fully compensated. In the next closing operation, the compensation amount for the target closing position ΔP is increased by a correction step ΔPstep, and the compensation amount for the target closing force ΔF is increased by a correction step ΔFstep. When the residual deviation Ers is less than zero, it indicates that the current compensation is excessive and the valve core is overly pressing against the sealing surface. In the next closing operation, the compensation amount for the target closing position ΔP is decreased by a correction step, and the compensation amount for the target closing force ΔF is decreased by a correction step. For example, if ΔPstep is calibrated to 0.05mm and ΔFstep is calibrated to 0.05A, and Ers is 0.1, then the next ΔP will be increased by 0.05mm and ΔF will be increased by 0.05A. This correction mechanism allows the compensation amount to adaptively adjust with the continuous changes in the aging state of the sealing surface, avoiding long-term cumulative errors caused by fixed compensation parameters.

[0061] Furthermore, the contact start position of the contact transition section is the real-time position corresponding to the rise of the drive current value from the stable value of the idle travel section in the closing characteristic curve.

[0062] Specifically, during valve closing, the controller performs real-time differential processing on the drive current values ​​collected by the current sensor, calculating the rate of change of current between adjacent sampling points. During the idle stroke, before the valve core contacts the sealing surface, the drive current value fluctuates slightly around the average idle stroke current value, with the rate of change remaining within a stable range close to zero. The controller sets a current rise threshold, pre-calibrated based on the current noise level and actuator response characteristics during the idle stroke, typically 2 to 3 times the average idle stroke current change rate. When the rate of change of current at multiple consecutive sampling points exceeds this threshold, and the drive current value shows a continuous upward trend, the controller determines that the valve core has begun to contact the sealing surface. The corresponding real-time position at this point is the contact start position of the contact transition section.

[0063] For example, during the idle stroke, the drive current value stabilizes around 0.4A, and the current change rate at adjacent sampling points fluctuates within ±0.02A per millimeter. The controller sets the current rise threshold to 0.05A per millimeter. When the valve core moves to a certain real-time position, the current change rates at the subsequent three consecutive sampling points are 0.06, 0.08, and 0.10A per millimeter, respectively, all exceeding the threshold of 0.05A per millimeter. Furthermore, the drive current value increases continuously from 0.41A to 0.43A and then to 0.46A. The controller records the real-time position of 8.5mm corresponding to this starting point of the rise as the contact start position, which is the critical point between the idle stroke and the contact transition phase.

[0064] Based on this, this embodiment achieves closed-loop verification and adaptive parameter correction of the compensation effect by generating a compensated closing characteristic curve and calculating the compensation residual deviation after compensation closure. Since the compensation residual deviation reflects the difference between the actual compensation amount and the ideal compensation state, the compensation parameters for the next closure can be dynamically adjusted based on the actual execution results, rather than relying on a fixed aging model prediction. The closed-loop correction mechanism based on measured feedback effectively suppresses compensation errors caused by sensor drift, ambient temperature fluctuations, and changes in process gas composition, ensuring that the semiconductor process gas valve maintains precise sealing compensation control throughout long-term operation. Simultaneously, the contact start position is determined using the current change rate threshold method, avoiding misjudgments caused by mechanical assembly differences in fixed position thresholds. This allows the division of the three-segment closing characteristic curve to accurately adapt to the individual characteristics of each valve, providing a reliable basic position reference for the accurate calculation of aging deviation values.

[0065] Furthermore, in some of the above embodiments, the step of correcting the aging deviation value of the sealing surface based on the corrosivity level of the process gas can be further refined. The method further includes: obtaining the corrosivity level of the process gas currently being transported by the valve; determining the corresponding aging acceleration coefficient based on the corrosivity level; and correcting the aging deviation value of the sealing surface based on the aging acceleration coefficient; wherein the aging acceleration coefficient is positively correlated with the corrosivity level.

[0066] Specifically, when a semiconductor process equipment executes the current process recipe, the controller reads the type of process gas required for the current step from the recipe database of the process equipment management system. Based on the chemical corrosion characteristics of the process gas, the controller consults a pre-established corrosion level classification table to determine the corrosion level of the current process gas. This classification table divides commonly used process gases in semiconductor processes into three corrosion levels. Low corrosion levels correspond to inert gases such as nitrogen, argon, and helium, which hardly react chemically with sealing materials. Medium corrosion levels correspond to fluorine-containing gases such as nitrogen trifluoride and sulfur hexafluoride, which can cause slow chemical corrosion of sealing materials under specific conditions. High corrosion levels correspond to highly reactive gases such as chlorine, hydrogen chloride, and hydrogen fluoride, which can cause significant chemical reactions with sealing materials and accelerate material degradation. For example, if the current process step is tungsten etching and the recipe gas is chlorine, the controller, after consulting the classification table, determines the current corrosion level to be high corrosion.

[0067] The aging acceleration coefficient is determined based on the corrosion level. The controller has a built-in mapping table between corrosion level and aging acceleration coefficient. This mapping table was established through accelerated aging experiments on the same type of valve under different corrosive gas environments, recording the aging acceleration coefficient corresponding to each corrosion level. The aging acceleration coefficient is used to quantify the degree to which different corrosive gases accelerate the aging process of the sealing surface. For example, the aging acceleration coefficient for a low corrosion level is 1.0, indicating that this type of gas has no additional accelerating effect on the aging process; the aging acceleration coefficient for a medium corrosion level is 1.3, indicating that this type of gas increases the aging rate of the sealing surface by approximately 30%; and the aging acceleration coefficient for a high corrosion level is 1.8, indicating that this type of gas increases the aging rate of the sealing surface by approximately 80%. These coefficient values ​​are comprehensively calibrated based on the mass loss rate and mechanical property degradation rate of the sealing surface material in the corresponding gas environment.

[0068] The aging deviation value of the sealing surface is corrected based on the aging acceleration coefficient. The controller records the aging deviation value of the sealing surface calculated in S103 as E, and the aging acceleration coefficient obtained in S107 as k. The corrected aging deviation value E' is calculated by the following formula: E' equals k multiplied by E. Where E is the original aging deviation value obtained by comparing the current closing characteristic curve with the standard curve, k is the aging acceleration coefficient corresponding to the current process gas, and E' is the corrected aging deviation value, used for calculating the target closing position compensation and target closing force compensation in subsequent S104. For example, if E calculated in S103 is 0.3, and the current process gas is chlorine with a high corrosive level, the corresponding aging acceleration coefficient k is 1.8, then the corrected E' is 0.54. This corrected aging deviation value E' is greater than the original value E, indicating that in a corrosive gas environment, the actual aging degree of the sealing surface is more severe than reflected by the simple electromechanical characteristic curve, thus requiring a larger compensation to offset the synergistic effect of corrosion and wear.

[0069] The aging acceleration coefficient is positively correlated with the corrosion level. This positive correlation means that the aging acceleration coefficient increases monotonically with increasing corrosivity of the process gas. The aging acceleration coefficient is 1.0 for low corrosion levels, 1.3 for medium corrosion levels, and 1.8 for high corrosion levels, increasing sequentially. The physical essence of this positive correlation lies in the fact that the higher the corrosivity of the gas, the stronger the chemical reactivity with the sealing surface material. Under the same mechanical wear, chemical corrosion causes additional volume loss and surface roughening of the sealing surface material, reducing the effective contact area and increasing microscopic leakage channels. Therefore, the aging deviation calculated solely based on the mechanical closure characteristic curve fails to capture the contribution of chemical corrosion. Only by introducing an aging acceleration coefficient greater than 1.0 can the true aging state of the sealing surface in a corrosive process gas environment be fully reflected.

[0070] Furthermore, in some of the above embodiments, the step of adjusting the compensation amount according to the sealing level requirements of the process recipe can be further refined. The method further includes: obtaining the current process recipe of the semiconductor process equipment, the process recipe including the sealing level requirements of the current process step; adjusting the target shut-off position compensation amount and the target shut-off force compensation amount according to the sealing level requirements; wherein the compensation amount increases as the sealing level requirements increase.

[0071] Specifically, when semiconductor process equipment executes a process recipe, the controller communicates with the main control system of the process equipment to read the identifier of the currently executing process step and its corresponding set of process parameters. This set of process parameters includes a sealing level requirement parameter, which characterizes the stringency of the current process step's gas sealing performance within the process chamber. This sealing level requirement is set by the process engineer based on the characteristics of the step when preparing the process recipe, and is typically divided into three levels: low sealing level, medium sealing level, and high sealing level. Low sealing level corresponds to steps with relatively relaxed vacuum requirements, such as chamber pre-cleaning and general gas replacement; medium sealing level corresponds to steps requiring a stable process atmosphere, such as conventional chemical vapor deposition and physical vapor deposition; high sealing level corresponds to steps with extremely stringent requirements for chamber vacuum and leakage rate, such as high-precision plasma etching and epitaxial growth. For example, if the current process step is tungsten etching, the controller reads from the process recipe that the sealing level requirement for this step is high sealing level.

[0072] Specifically, a corresponding sealing level compensation coefficient is determined based on the sealing level requirements. The controller has a built-in mapping table between sealing level requirements and sealing level compensation coefficients. This mapping table is pre-set according to the allowable leakage rate indicators corresponding to different sealing levels in the semiconductor process specifications. The sealing level compensation coefficient is denoted as m, and is used to quantify the amplification requirements of valve compensation for different sealing levels. The sealing level compensation coefficient m for a low sealing level is 1.0, indicating that no additional compensation is needed; m for a medium sealing level is 1.2, indicating that a 20% compensation margin needs to be added to the basic compensation amount; and m for a high sealing level is 1.5, indicating that a 50% compensation margin needs to be added to the basic compensation amount. The calibration of these coefficient values ​​is based on the fact that the higher the sealing level requirement, the lower the tolerance of the process steps for minor leakage, thus requiring a larger compensation amount to ensure that the sealing surface, even in an aged state, can still achieve an effective sealing contact area and sealing pressure equivalent to a new valve.

[0073] Specifically, based on the sealing level compensation coefficient, the target closing position compensation and the target closing force compensation are adjusted. The controller records the target closing position compensation determined in S104 as ΔP and the target closing force compensation as ΔF. The adjusted target closing position compensation is recorded as ΔPadj, and the adjusted target closing force compensation is recorded as ΔFadj. The adjustment formula is: ΔPadj = m × ΔP; ΔFadj = m × ΔF.

[0074] Where m is the sealing level compensation coefficient obtained from S110, ΔP and ΔF are the basic compensation amounts determined based on the aging deviation value of the sealing surface, and ΔPadj and ΔFadj are the final compensation amounts used when S105 performs compensated closure. For example, if the basic compensation amount ΔP determined in S104 is 0.3mm, and ΔF is the force increment corresponding to 0.2A, and the current process step is a high sealing level with m of 1.5, then the adjusted ΔPadj is 0.45mm, and ΔFadj is the force increment corresponding to 0.3A. This adjusted compensation amount is greater than the basic compensation amount, ensuring that the valve performs more sufficient closure compensation in process steps requiring a high sealing level.

[0075] The compensation amount increases with the increase of the sealing level requirement. Specifically, the above-mentioned correlation logic manifests as follows: when the sealing level requirement increases from low to high through medium to high levels, the sealing level compensation coefficient m successively takes values ​​of 1.0, 1.2, and 1.5 and increases monotonically, thereby causing the adjusted target closing position compensation amount ΔPadj and target closing force compensation amount ΔFadj to increase synchronously. The physical essence is that low-sealing-level process steps allow for extremely small amounts of process gas leakage, at which point the basic compensation amount is sufficient to meet the process requirements; however, high-sealing-level process steps require the chamber to maintain ultra-high vacuum or precise gas partial pressure during the process, and any potential leakage channels caused by sealing surface aging must be completely eliminated. Therefore, a larger position advance and clamping force are needed to ensure the complete closure of the microscopic gaps in the sealing surface. This method of dynamically adjusting the compensation amount according to the process formula allows the same valve to adaptively switch the compensation intensity in different process steps, avoiding over-compensation and sealing surface wear in low-requirement steps while ensuring absolute sealing reliability in high-requirement steps.

[0076] Based on this, this embodiment introduces the sealing level requirements of the process formulation as a secondary correction parameter for the compensation amount, achieving precise matching between valve compensation control and semiconductor process requirements. Because the same valve in semiconductor process equipment may sequentially execute multiple process steps with drastically different sealing level requirements within a single production cycle, a fixed compensation amount cannot accommodate all process scenarios. This method of dynamically adjusting the compensation amount based on the process formulation allows the valve compensation strategy to adapt in real time as process steps switch, ensuring zero leakage in high-sealing-level steps while optimizing the valve's lifespan in low-sealing-level steps. This improves the overall reliability and economy of semiconductor process gas valves in multi-process integrated production environments.

[0077] The technical solution provided in this application achieves fully automated monitoring of the aging state of the sealing surface by disabling online generation of characteristic curves and dual-deviation extraction. Aging deviation values ​​can be determined without interrupting the semiconductor process, significantly improving equipment utilization. By differentiating the aging types of the sealing surface and employing differentiated position and force compensation strategies, this solution can implement precise compensation for different aging mechanisms such as geometric wear or elastic degradation, avoiding sealing surface crushing or excessive compression damage caused by a uniform compensation method, effectively extending valve service life. Dynamic correction of the compensation amount based on the corrosiveness level of the process gas and the sealing level requirements of the process formula enables the valve to adaptively maintain optimal sealing strength in scenarios involving multiple process gas switching and multi-step execution, balancing the zero-leakage requirement of high-sealing-level steps with life protection for low-sealing-level steps. By employing segmented closure, preloaded force transition, sealing surface heating, and closed-loop residual correction, this solution improves closure efficiency while suppressing impact damage to the aging sealing surface and achieves long-term adaptive optimization of compensation parameters. This solves the sealing failure problem of semiconductor process gas valves under corrosive environments and frequent opening and closing conditions, achieving the technical effect of ensuring the safety, stability, and economy of process gas transportation.

[0078] Secondly, this embodiment also proposes an aging compensation system for the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve, comprising: An actuator, connected to the valve core, is used to drive the valve core to open or close; A current sensor, connected to the actuator, is used to collect the drive current value of the actuator; A position sensor, connected to the valve core, is used to collect the real-time position of the valve core; The controller is connected to the current sensor, the position sensor, and the actuator, respectively. The controller is configured to perform the following steps: During the valve closing process, the current sensor collects the drive current value of the actuator, and the position sensor collects the real-time position of the valve core. Based on the correspondence between the drive current value and the real-time position, a shutdown characteristic curve is generated, which includes an idle travel segment, a contact transition segment, and a sealing compression segment; a pre-stored standard shutdown characteristic curve is obtained, which includes an idle travel segment, a contact transition segment, and a sealing compression segment. The contact start position deviation between the closed characteristic curve and the standard closed characteristic curve in the contact transition section and the current increment deviation in the sealing compression section are extracted, and the sealing surface aging deviation value is calculated by combining the results. Based on the relative magnitude of the contact start position deviation and the current increment deviation, the aging type of the sealing surface is determined to be either a first aging type or a second aging type; when it is determined to be a first aging type, the target closing position compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing force compensation amount; when it is determined to be a second aging type, the target closing force compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing position compensation amount. Based on the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount, the actuator is controlled to drive the valve to perform compensated closing on the next closing.

[0079] This system can be used to perform the aging compensation method for the sealing surface of semiconductor process gas valves as described in the first aspect, which will not be elaborated further here.

[0080] The semiconductor process gas valve sealing surface aging compensation system provided in this embodiment achieves online monitoring and automatic compensation of the valve sealing surface aging state through hardware collaboration of actuators, current sensors, position sensors, and controllers. Because the current sensor is directly connected in series in the actuator drive circuit, the system can accurately acquire the motor load current reflecting the contact resistance of the sealing surface; because the position sensor is rigidly connected to the valve core, the system can accurately track the displacement trajectory of the valve core during its full closing stroke; and because the controller integrates a complete algorithm for signal acquisition, curve generation, deviation calculation, and compensation control, the system can independently complete the aging compensation closed loop without relying on external detection equipment. This mechatronics system architecture enables the semiconductor process gas valve to maintain stable sealing performance over a long period under corrosive gas environments and frequent opening and closing conditions, reducing the risk of process gas leakage and chamber contamination due to seal failure, and improving the operational reliability and maintenance economy of semiconductor production equipment.

[0081] The above description is merely an embodiment of this application and is not intended to limit the scope of protection of this application. Various modifications and variations can be made to this application by those skilled in the art. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included within the scope of protection of this application.

Claims

1. A method for compensating for aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve, characterized in that, include: During the valve closing process, the actuator's drive current value is collected by a current sensor, and the valve core's real-time position is collected by a position sensor. Based on the correspondence between the drive current value and the real-time position, a shutdown characteristic curve is generated; the shutdown characteristic curve includes an idle travel segment, a contact transition segment, and a sealing compression segment; a pre-stored standard shutdown characteristic curve is obtained, the standard shutdown characteristic curve includes an idle travel segment, a contact transition segment, and a sealing compression segment; Extract the contact start position deviation between the closing characteristic curve and the standard closing characteristic curve in the contact transition section, and the current increment deviation in the sealing compression section, to determine the aging deviation value of the sealing surface; Based on the relative magnitude of the contact start position deviation and the current increment deviation, the aging type of the sealing surface is determined to be either the first aging type or the second aging type; when it is determined to be the first aging type, the target closing position compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing force compensation amount. When the aging type is determined to be the second type, the target closing force compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing position compensation amount; Based on the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount, the valve is controlled to perform compensated closing during the next closing.

2. The method for compensating for aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The determination of the aging deviation value of the sealing surface includes: Determine the difference in current slope between the shut-off characteristic curve and the standard shut-off characteristic curve in the sealing compression section; The aging deviation value of the sealing surface is determined based on the comparison result between the current slope difference and the preset slope threshold, and the contact start position deviation.

3. The method for compensating for aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the corrosivity level of the process gas currently being delivered by the valve; determine the corresponding aging acceleration coefficient based on the corrosivity level; The aging deviation value of the sealing surface is corrected according to the aging acceleration coefficient; wherein the aging acceleration coefficient is positively correlated with the corrosion level.

4. The method for compensating for aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the current process recipe for semiconductor process equipment, wherein the process recipe includes the sealing level requirements for the current process step; According to the sealing rating requirements, adjust the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount; wherein, the compensation amount increases as the sealing rating requirements increase.

5. The method for compensating for aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The control of the valve to perform compensated closure upon the next closure includes: Based on the target closing position compensation amount, the valve closing process is divided into a rapid closing section and a compression sealing section; In the rapid closing section, the control actuator drives the valve core to move in the closing direction at a first speed; in the pressing and sealing section, the control actuator drives the valve core to move to the compensated target closing position at a second speed, and maintains the pressing for a preset time after reaching the compensated target closing position; wherein, the first speed is greater than the second speed.

6. The method for compensating for aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve according to claim 5, characterized in that, In the pressing and sealing section, controlling the actuator to drive the valve core to move to the compensated target closed position at a second speed includes: When the remaining distance between the valve core and the compensated target closed position reaches the preset preload distance, the control actuator drives the valve core to move the preset preload distance with a preset preload force; After the valve core reaches the compensated target closed position, the output force of the actuator is increased to the target closing force and maintained for the preset clamping time; Before the pressing and sealing section is executed, the heating power compensation amount of the sealing surface area is determined according to the aging deviation value of the sealing surface, and the sealing surface area is heated according to the heating power compensation amount.

7. The method for compensating for aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, After controlling the valve to perform a compensated closure on the next closure, the following is also included: The current sensor is used to collect the drive current value of the actuator again, and the position sensor is used to collect the actual position of the valve core again. Based on the correspondence between the re-acquired drive current value and the actual position, a compensated shutdown characteristic curve is generated; The compensated shutdown characteristic curve is compared with the standard shutdown characteristic curve to obtain the compensated residual deviation; Based on the compensation residual deviation, the target closing position compensation amount and target closing force compensation amount are corrected for the next closing.

8. The method for compensating for aging of the sealing surface of a semiconductor process gas valve according to claim 1, characterized in that, The contact start position of the contact transition section is the real-time position corresponding to the rise of the drive current value from the stable value of the idle travel section in the closing characteristic curve.

9. A sealing surface aging compensation system for a semiconductor process gas valve, characterized in that, include: An actuator, connected to the valve core, is used to drive the valve core to open or close; A current sensor, connected to the actuator, is used to collect the drive current value of the actuator; A position sensor, connected to the valve core, is used to collect the real-time position of the valve core; The controller is connected to the current sensor, the position sensor, and the actuator, respectively. The controller is configured to perform the following steps: During the valve closing process, the current sensor collects the drive current value of the actuator, and the position sensor collects the real-time position of the valve core. Based on the correspondence between the drive current value and the real-time position, a shutdown characteristic curve is generated, which includes an idle travel segment, a contact transition segment, and a sealing compression segment; a pre-stored standard shutdown characteristic curve is obtained, which includes an idle travel segment, a contact transition segment, and a sealing compression segment. The contact start position deviation between the closed characteristic curve and the standard closed characteristic curve in the contact transition section and the current increment deviation in the sealing compression section are extracted, and the sealing surface aging deviation value is calculated by combining the results. Based on the relative magnitude of the contact start position deviation and the current increment deviation, the aging type of the sealing surface is determined to be either a first aging type or a second aging type; when it is determined to be a first aging type, the target closing position compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing force compensation amount; when it is determined to be a second aging type, the target closing force compensation amount is set to be greater than the target closing position compensation amount. Based on the target closing position compensation amount and the target closing force compensation amount, the actuator is controlled to drive the valve to perform compensated closing on the next closing.

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