Method and system for inhibiting particle shedding during semiconductor valve opening and closing

Abstract

The application discloses a kind of particle drop inhibition control method and system in the process of semiconductor valve opening and closing, it is divided into multiple monitoring areas along the circumferential direction to valve seat sealing surface, the contact pressure value and surface temperature value of each area are collected, local high-pressure area and local high-temperature area are identified and whether position overlap is judged, when position overlap, determine higher particle drop risk level, the lower opening and closing speed and the smaller driving torque are generated higher, according to control driving mechanism executes opening and closing operation, reduce the contact pressure of local high-pressure area and the surface temperature of local high-temperature area;It is also corrected risk assessment weight according to the measured particle concentration in flow channel, stabilize the upstream and downstream pressure difference of valve, coordinate multiple valve opening and closing timing, and reduce opening and closing parameter reference value before predicting that sealing surface wear aggravates.The application can continuously inhibit sealing surface particle drop during the use of valve, reduce the pollution to process fluid.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of semiconductor device control technology, and more specifically, to a method and system for suppressing and controlling particle shedding during the opening and closing process of a semiconductor valve. Background Technology

[0002] Semiconductor processes have extremely high requirements for fluid cleanliness. During the opening and closing of valves in the process pipeline, contact friction and compression occur between the valve core and the valve seat sealing surface, which can easily cause particles to detach from the sealing surface material. These detached particles are transported with the process fluid to the wafer processing location, causing wafer contamination and leading to a decrease in product yield.

[0003] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies typically mitigate them from a materials and maintenance perspective, such as using more wear-resistant sealing materials or periodically replacing valve seats after a preset service life. However, these methods cannot control the valve based on the actual condition of the sealing surface during operation. Uneven local conditions on the sealing surface caused by installation deviations, fluid erosion, or accumulated wear persist throughout the maintenance period, continuously generating particles. Another approach involves monitoring the overall pressure and temperature of the valve and adjusting valve operation accordingly. However, this monitoring only reflects the overall condition of the sealing surface and cannot pinpoint the specific location of anomalies. It cannot identify high-risk areas for particle shedding caused by the combined effects of contact pressure and temperature, making it difficult to dynamically adjust opening and closing speeds and drive torque based on the degree of risk.

[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 suppressing and controlling particulate shedding during the opening and closing process of a semiconductor valve. This method and system have the advantages of being able to locate local abnormal positions on the valve seat sealing surface, quantify the risk of particulate shedding, and dynamically adjust the opening and closing speed and driving torque according to the risk, thereby continuously suppressing particulate shedding from the sealing surface during valve use.

[0006] This application provides a method for suppressing and controlling particle shedding during the opening and closing process of a semiconductor valve, the technical solution of which is as follows: The valve seat sealing surface of the semiconductor valve is divided into multiple monitoring areas along the circumference, and the contact pressure value and surface temperature value of each monitoring area are collected. Based on the contact pressure value and the surface temperature value, identify the local high pressure area and the local high temperature area on the valve seat sealing surface, and record the location distribution of the local high pressure area and the local high temperature area; Determine whether the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap; when the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap, determine that the risk level of particle shedding is higher than the risk level when they do not overlap. Based on the risk level of particle shedding, an opening and closing speed adjustment command and a drive torque adjustment command are generated. The higher the risk level of particle shedding, the lower the corresponding opening and closing speed and the smaller the drive torque. According to the opening and closing speed adjustment command and the driving torque adjustment command, the driving mechanism of the semiconductor valve is controlled to perform opening and closing operations to reduce the contact pressure of the local high pressure area and the surface temperature of the local high temperature area, thereby suppressing the shedding of particles from the valve seat sealing surface.

[0007] Furthermore, identifying localized high-pressure areas and localized high-temperature areas on the valve seat sealing surface includes: When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is greater than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is less than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is defined as a high-pressure low-temperature area. When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is less than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is greater than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is determined to be a high temperature and low pressure area. When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is greater than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is greater than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is determined to be a high-pressure and high-temperature area. The recording of the location distribution of the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area includes recording the location distribution of the high-pressure low-temperature area, the high-temperature low-pressure area, and the high-pressure high-temperature area on the valve seat sealing surface.

[0008] Furthermore, when the peak contact pressure and peak temperature of the high-pressure and high-temperature region increase during two consecutive opening and closing processes, the risk level of particle detachment is determined to be an accelerated escalation level, and an emergency deceleration command is generated to further reduce the opening and closing speed.

[0009] Furthermore, the method also includes: during the opening and closing of the semiconductor valve, collecting particle concentration data within the semiconductor valve flow channel; comparing the particle concentration data with a preset particle concentration range corresponding to the particle detachment risk level to obtain a deviation result; when the deviation result exceeds the allowable range, adjusting the weights of the contact pressure value and the surface temperature value in determining the particle detachment risk level; and updating the opening / closing speed adjustment command and the drive torque adjustment command according to the adjusted weights.

[0010] Furthermore, the drive mechanism that controls the semiconductor valve to perform opening and closing operations includes: Before the valve core contacts the valve seat sealing surface, the drive mechanism is controlled at a first speed to drive the valve core to move toward the valve seat sealing surface; After the valve core contacts the valve seat sealing surface and before the valve seat sealing surface reaches the target closed state, the drive mechanism drives the valve core at a second speed, which is lower than the first speed. After the valve seat sealing surface reaches the target closed state, the drive mechanism is controlled by a holding torque to maintain the closed position of the valve core, and the holding torque is less than the drive torque corresponding to the drive torque adjustment command; wherein, the second speed and the holding torque are determined according to the risk level of particle shedding.

[0011] Furthermore, after controlling the drive mechanism to drive the valve core at the second speed and before controlling the drive mechanism to maintain the closed position of the valve core with a holding torque, the method further includes: The drive mechanism is controlled to drive the valve core to reciprocate slightly near the closed position, causing loose particles on the valve seat sealing surface to fall off. After the reciprocating micro-amplitude vibration ends, the step of maintaining the closed position of the valve core by controlling the drive mechanism with the holding torque is performed.

[0012] Furthermore, it also includes: during the opening and closing of the semiconductor valve, acquiring a first pressure of the fluid upstream of the semiconductor valve and a second pressure of the fluid downstream of the semiconductor valve; calculating the pressure difference between the upstream and downstream of the semiconductor valve based on the first pressure and the second pressure; and adjusting at least one of the output pressure of the upstream fluid supply device and the input pressure of the downstream fluid discharge device based on the pressure difference, so that the pressure difference remains stable during the opening and closing of the semiconductor valve.

[0013] Furthermore, the semiconductor valve is one of multiple valves in the process pipeline, and the method further includes: obtaining the opening and closing plan of each valve in the process pipeline; and coordinating the opening and closing sequence of each valve according to the opening and closing plan of each valve so that each valve does not perform opening and closing operations at the same time.

[0014] Furthermore, it also includes: recording the peak contact pressure of the local high-pressure area and the peak temperature of the local high-temperature area during each opening and closing process; comparing the peak contact pressure of the same monitoring area with the pressure warning value, counting the number of consecutive times the pressure warning value is exceeded, and comparing the peak temperature of the same monitoring area with the temperature warning value, counting the number of consecutive times the temperature warning value is exceeded; when the number of consecutive times reaches a preset threshold, determining that the monitoring area is in a state of accelerated wear, and predicting the time point when the wear of the monitoring area accelerates; before the time point, acquiring the operating status information of the semiconductor process equipment, and when the operating status information indicates that the process equipment is in a non-wafer processing period, reducing the opening and closing speed reference value corresponding to the opening and closing speed adjustment command and the driving torque reference value corresponding to the driving torque adjustment command.

[0015] Furthermore, this application also proposes a particle shedding suppression control system during the opening and closing process of a semiconductor valve, comprising: The acquisition module divides the valve seat sealing surface of the semiconductor valve into multiple monitoring areas along the circumference, and acquires the contact pressure value and surface temperature value of each monitoring area; The identification module identifies local high-pressure areas and local high-temperature areas on the valve seat sealing surface based on the contact pressure value and the surface temperature value, and records the location distribution of the local high-pressure areas and the local high-temperature areas. The determination module determines whether the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap in position; when the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap in position, the risk level of particle shedding is determined to be higher than the risk level when they do not overlap. The generation module generates opening and closing speed adjustment instructions and driving torque adjustment instructions based on the risk level of particle detachment. The higher the risk level of particle detachment, the lower the corresponding opening and closing speed and the smaller the driving torque. The control module controls the drive mechanism of the semiconductor valve to perform opening and closing operations according to the opening and closing speed adjustment command and the drive torque adjustment command, so as to reduce the contact pressure of the local high pressure area and the surface temperature of the local high temperature area, and suppress the shedding of particles from the valve seat sealing surface.

[0016] Beneficial technical effects compared to existing technologies 1. This application implements online control during valve use, monitors the sealing surface status in real time by collecting contact pressure and surface temperature values ​​in different zones, and dynamically adjusts the opening and closing speed and drive torque according to changes in risk. It can suppress particle shedding without waiting for the maintenance cycle, avoiding the continuous impact of uneven local conditions during the maintenance cycle.

[0017] 2. This application divides the valve seat sealing surface into multiple monitoring areas along the circumference, which can locate the specific locations of pressure and temperature anomalies. By determining the location overlap, it identifies high-risk areas where contact pressure and temperature overlap in a local location. This makes the risk rating based on the spatial coupling relationship directly corresponding to the cause of particle shedding, resulting in higher targeting and accuracy of control.

[0018] 3. This application verifies the accuracy of risk assessment by measuring the concentration of particulate matter in the flow channel, and corrects the weight of contact pressure and surface temperature values ​​in risk assessment when the deviation exceeds the allowable range. This allows the opening and closing speed adjustment command and drive torque adjustment command to be updated in a closed loop according to the actual state of the sealing surface, avoiding the accumulation of deviations caused by relying solely on model estimation.

[0019] 4. This application adjusts the pressure difference between the upstream and downstream of the valve during the opening and closing process to keep it stable, and coordinates the opening and closing sequence of each valve in the process pipeline so that each valve does not perform opening and closing operations at the same time, eliminating the impact of sudden pressure difference and pressure fluctuation of multiple valves on the sealing surface, which complements the adjustment of opening and closing speed and driving torque.

[0020] 5. This application identifies the state of accelerated wear by statistically analyzing the number of times the peak value of each monitoring area exceeds the warning value consecutively, and predicts the time point of accelerated wear. Before the predicted time point and when the process equipment is not in the wafer processing period, the opening and closing speed reference value and the driving torque reference value are lowered in advance. Under the premise of not affecting the wafer processing cycle, the wear of the sealing surface is delayed and the service life of the valve is extended.

[0021] 6. This application controls the valve core to reciprocate with micro-amplitude vibration before the valve core reaches the closed position, so that the particles on the sealing surface that are in a critical loosening state fall off in advance during the controlled stage and are discharged with the downstream purging, thus avoiding such particles from falling off and contaminating the process fluid in subsequent processes. Attached Figure Description

[0022] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application, 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 this application and should not be regarded as a limitation of the scope. For those skilled in the art, other related drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a flowchart illustrating the steps of the method for suppressing and controlling particle shedding during the opening and closing process of a semiconductor valve disclosed in this application. Figure 2 This is a flowchart illustrating the opening and closing operation steps of the drive mechanism for controlling the semiconductor valve as disclosed in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3This is a schematic diagram of the microparticle shedding suppression control system during the opening and closing process of a semiconductor valve disclosed in this application. Detailed Implementation

[0024] 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.

[0025] The implementation details of the technical solution in this embodiment are described in detail below: The particle shedding suppression and control method provided in this embodiment during the opening and closing of semiconductor valves can be applied to process pipeline control scenarios in semiconductor process equipment. During wafer processing, semiconductor process equipment needs to transport various process fluids through process pipelines. Multiple semiconductor valves are installed on these pipelines. Each semiconductor valve includes a valve seat, a valve core, and a drive mechanism that opens and closes the valve core. The drive mechanism can be a combination of a servo motor and a reduction gear. The annular surface on the valve seat that cooperates with the valve core to achieve a seal is the valve seat sealing surface. Due to installation deviations, fluid erosion, and long-term wear, the contact pressure and surface temperature at different circumferential positions on the sealing surface are often not uniform.

[0026] To monitor the local condition of the sealing surface, multiple pressure and temperature detection units are arranged circumferentially around the valve seat sealing surface. A particle detection unit is located within the valve flow channel, and pressure sensors are installed in the upstream and downstream pipelines, connecting to the upstream fluid supply device and the downstream fluid discharge device to form a pressure regulation path. All of these detection units and devices are connected to a controller. During valve opening and closing, the controller determines the particle detachment risk level based on the collected data and issues opening / closing speed adjustment commands and drive torque adjustment commands to the drive mechanism. This suppresses particle detachment caused by uneven local conditions on the sealing surface during valve operation, reducing particle contamination of the process fluid.

[0027] This application proposes a method for suppressing and controlling particle shedding during the opening and closing process of a semiconductor valve, such as... Figure 1 As shown, the method includes: S101, the valve seat sealing surface of the semiconductor valve is divided into multiple monitoring areas along the circumference, and the contact pressure value and surface temperature value of each monitoring area are collected; Specifically, the valve seat sealing surface is the annular surface on the valve seat that mates with the valve core to achieve a seal. Dividing the valve seat sealing surface circumferentially into multiple monitoring areas can be understood as dividing the annular surface into N equal fan-shaped monitoring areas, where N is an integer greater than 1 (e.g., N can be 8). This means the boundary between any two adjacent monitoring areas is 45 degrees apart circumferentially. Each monitoring area is equipped with a pressure detection unit and a temperature detection unit. The pressure detection unit can be a thin-film pressure sensor fitted to or embedded within the sealing surface to collect the contact pressure value within that monitoring area when the valve core contacts the valve seat sealing surface. The temperature detection unit can be a thermocouple or thermistor embedded near the sealing surface to collect the surface temperature value of that monitoring area. The contact pressure value, the pressure signal output by the pressure detection unit within the monitoring area, reflects the tightness of the valve core pressing against the valve seat sealing surface; the surface temperature value, the temperature signal output by the temperature detection unit within the monitoring area, reflects the degree of temperature rise of the sealing surface due to friction during opening and closing. The contact pressure and surface temperature values ​​of each monitoring area are collected in real time according to the preset sampling cycle and uploaded to the controller, providing a data basis for subsequent area type determination.

[0028] S102, based on the contact pressure value and the surface temperature value, identify the local high pressure area and the local high temperature area on the valve seat sealing surface, and record the location distribution of the local high pressure area and the local high temperature area.

[0029] Specifically, identifying local high-pressure and local high-temperature areas involves comparing the contact pressure value of each monitoring area with a preset pressure threshold Pth, and comparing the surface temperature value of each monitoring area with a preset temperature threshold Tth. The type of each monitoring area is then determined based on the comparison results. The pressure threshold Pth is determined by multiplying the average contact pressure value Pa of each monitoring area under normal valve closure by a first coefficient k1: Pth = k1 × Pa, where k1 is a real number greater than 1, for example, 1.2. The temperature threshold Tth is determined by multiplying the average surface temperature value Ta of each monitoring area under normal valve opening and closing by a second coefficient k2: Tth = k2 × Ta, where k2 is also a real number greater than 1, for example, 1.5. The average values ​​Pa and Ta can be measured during the valve's factory calibration or during several normal opening and closing cycles in the initial operation phase and stored in the controller as a benchmark for subsequent determinations.

[0030] Furthermore, identifying localized high-pressure areas and localized high-temperature areas on the valve seat sealing surface includes: When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is greater than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is less than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is defined as a high-pressure low-temperature area. When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is less than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is greater than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is determined to be a high temperature and low pressure area. When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is greater than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is greater than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is determined to be a high-pressure and high-temperature area. Specifically, the high-pressure, low-temperature zone indicates that the sealing surface is subjected to excessive clamping force but not significant frictional heat generation. The risk of particle detachment mainly stems from material compression and wear caused by excessive contact pressure. The high-temperature, low-pressure zone indicates significant frictional heat generation on the sealing surface but normal clamping force. The risk of particle detachment mainly comes from softening of the sealing material or thermal stress caused by temperature rise. The high-pressure, high-temperature zone indicates that the sealing surface is simultaneously subjected to excessive clamping force and excessively high surface temperature. These two factors are coupled, and the material is in a state of thermal weakening while being compressed, making this the zone with the highest risk of particle detachment. Monitoring areas where both contact pressure and surface temperature values ​​do not exceed their respective thresholds can be identified as normal zones.

[0031] The aforementioned recording of the location distribution of local high-pressure areas and local high-temperature areas includes recording the location distribution of high-pressure low-temperature areas, high-temperature low-pressure areas, and high-pressure high-temperature areas on the valve seat sealing surface. Specifically, each monitoring area is assigned a unique number, and the area type corresponding to each number and its angular position in the circumferential direction are stored in the controller's memory to form a location distribution record, which can be used to determine whether the local high-pressure areas and local high-temperature areas overlap in location and to determine the risk level of particle shedding.

[0032] The above-mentioned area type determination process can be implemented as follows: For the i-th monitoring area, read its contact pressure value P. i and surface temperature value T i Where i takes any value from 1 to N; if P i Greater than Pth and T i If P is less than Tth, then the i-th monitoring area is determined to be a high-pressure, low-temperature area; if P i Less than Pth and T i If P is greater than Tth, then the i-th monitoring area is determined to be a high-temperature, low-pressure area; if P i Greater than Pth and T i If the value is greater than Tth, the i-th monitoring area is identified as a high-pressure, high-temperature area; otherwise, the i-th monitoring area is identified as a normal area. After traversing all N monitoring areas, the corresponding numbers and angle positions of each type of area are summarized to obtain the positional distribution of the high-pressure, low-temperature, high-temperature, and high-pressure, high-temperature areas on the valve seat sealing surface.

[0033] Furthermore, when the peak contact pressure and peak temperature of the high-pressure and high-temperature region increase during two consecutive opening and closing processes, the risk level of particle detachment is determined to be an accelerated escalation level, and an emergency deceleration command is generated to further reduce the opening and closing speed.

[0034] Specifically, the peak contact pressure is the maximum contact pressure value collected by the pressure detection unit in the high-pressure, high-temperature region during a single opening and closing process, and the peak temperature is the maximum surface temperature value collected by the temperature detection unit in the high-pressure, high-temperature region during a single opening and closing process. After each opening and closing process, the controller records the peak contact pressure P. k The peak contact pressure P recorded during the previous opening and closing process k-1 Compare and assign the recorded peak temperature T k Compared with the peak temperature T recorded during the previous opening and closing process k-1 Compare, where k is the sequence number of the start and stop processes. When P k >P k-1 And T k >T k-1 This indicates that the operating conditions in the high-pressure, high-temperature region are continuously deteriorating between two adjacent opening and closing processes, and the wear of the sealing surface and particle shedding are intensifying. At this point, the particle shedding risk level is determined to be an accelerated escalation level higher than the normal risk level, and an emergency deceleration command is generated. The opening and closing speed is reduced from the current opening and closing speed by a third coefficient k3. The reduced opening and closing speed is equal to the product of the current opening and closing speed and k3, where k3 is a positive real number less than 1, for example, it can be taken as 0.5, so as to reduce the rate of frictional heat generation and reduce the pressure impact between the valve core and the sealing surface through a slower opening and closing process, thereby curbing the accelerated trend of particle shedding.

[0035] The reduced opening and closing speed Vnew is equal to the current opening and closing speed V j The product of the third coefficient k3, i.e., Vnew = V j ×k3.

[0036] This application further proposes the above-mentioned methods for determining whether local high-pressure areas and local high-temperature areas overlap, generating opening and closing speed adjustment commands and drive torque adjustment commands based on the risk level of particle shedding, and controlling the drive mechanism to perform opening and closing operations.

[0037] S103, determine whether the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap; when the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap, determine that the risk level of particle shedding is higher than the risk level when they do not overlap. Specifically, the determination of overlapping positions is based on the position distribution recorded in S102. Since each monitoring area has been assigned a number and its area type and angular position in the circumferential direction have been recorded, overlapping positions can be understood as the existence of a monitoring area that belongs to both a local high-pressure area and a local high-temperature area. In this embodiment, a high-pressure and high-temperature area is itself a monitoring area where the contact pressure value is greater than the pressure threshold Pth and the surface temperature value is greater than the temperature threshold Tth. Therefore, when a high-pressure and high-temperature area exists in the current identification result, it can be determined that the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap; when only a high-pressure and low-temperature area and a high-temperature and low-pressure area exist in the identification result, and no high-pressure and high-temperature area exists, it is determined that the positions do not overlap.

[0038] As another implementation method, high-pressure low-temperature regions and high-temperature low-pressure regions that are circumferentially adjacent can also be considered as overlapping regions. Let the circumferential angular position of a certain high-pressure low-temperature region be φa, the circumferential angular position of a certain high-temperature low-pressure region be φb, and the circumferential angular span of a single monitoring area be φr, and then: φr = 360 / N In the formula, N represents the number of monitoring areas. When the circumferential angular interval between two monitoring areas satisfies: |φa φb|<θ0 When the positions of the local high-pressure region and the local high-temperature region overlap, θ0 is a preset angle threshold, which is a positive real number greater than zero and less than φr, i.e., satisfying: 0<θ0<φr In the formula, |φa φb| represents the absolute value of the difference in circumferential angular position between two monitoring areas. Since θ0 is less than the circumferential angular span of a single monitoring area, this determination method only considers high-pressure and high-temperature situations that fall within the same or adjacent monitoring areas as overlapping positions. This is used to cover situations where high-pressure and high-temperature areas do not fall within the same monitoring area but are actually adjacent to each other on the sealing surface, thus avoiding missed judgments due to the continuous abnormal state being interrupted by the boundary of the monitoring area.

[0039] Specifically, the particle detachment risk level is used to quantify the likelihood of particle detachment from the valve seat sealing surface. It can be divided into multiple levels from low to high, such as Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. When the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area do not overlap, the pressure and temperature anomalies on the sealing surface are dispersed at different locations, and the sealing material is less affected by the combined effects of pressure and temperature. In this case, it is determined to be a lower Level 1 or Level 2. When the locations overlap, the sealing material at the overlapping location is under compression and is in a thermally weakened state after heating, making it more prone to generating abrasive debris and detachment. The risk level determined in this case is higher than that in the non-overlapping state, for example, it is upgraded to Level 2 or Level 3. If the aforementioned accelerated escalation level determination results are further combined, when the peak contact pressure and peak temperature of the high-pressure and high-temperature area both increase in two adjacent opening and closing processes, the highest risk level, Level 3, is taken.

[0040] S104, Based on the risk level of particle shedding, generate an opening / closing speed adjustment command and a driving torque adjustment command. The higher the risk level of particle shedding, the lower the corresponding opening / closing speed and the smaller the driving torque.

[0041] Specifically, the opening / closing speed adjustment command and the drive torque adjustment command are control commands issued by the controller to the drive mechanism. The opening / closing speed adjustment command indicates the speed at which the drive mechanism moves the valve core during the opening and closing process, while the drive torque adjustment command indicates the drive torque applied to the valve core by the drive mechanism. Speed ​​adjustment coefficients and torque adjustment coefficients can be preset for different particle shedding risk levels. The speed adjustment coefficient corresponding to level j is denoted as kv. j The corresponding torque adjustment coefficient is denoted as kt. j Where j is the level number. After determining the risk level of particle detachment, the opening and closing speed V of this opening and closing process is... j and driving torque M j Calculate using the following two formulas: V j = Vb × kv j M j = Mb × kt j In the formula, Vb is the preset opening and closing speed reference value, Mb is the preset driving torque reference value, and Vb and Mb are the conventional opening and closing speed and conventional driving torque used by the valve when the risk level is the lowest, which can be measured and stored during the valve calibration stage; kv j and kt j All are real numbers greater than zero and less than or equal to 1, that is, they satisfy: 0 <kv j ≤ 1, 0 <kt j ≤ 1 Furthermore, the higher the level, the smaller the corresponding coefficient, which satisfies the following: kv1>kv2>kv3, kt1>kt2>kt3 From the above two equations, it can be seen that the higher the risk level of particle shedding, the larger j is, and the corresponding kv j and kt j The smaller the value, the faster the opening and closing speed V. j The lower and the driving torque M j The smaller the value, the lower the opening and closing speed. This reduces the relative sliding rate between the valve core and the sealing surface, thus mitigating frictional heat generation. The reduced driving torque also reduces the pressure impact of the valve core on the sealing surface. Together, these factors reduce the contact pressure in local high-pressure areas and the surface temperature in local high-temperature areas.

[0042] S105, according to the opening and closing speed adjustment command and the driving torque adjustment command, control the driving mechanism of the semiconductor valve to perform opening and closing operations, so as to reduce the contact pressure of the local high pressure area and the surface temperature of the local high temperature area, and suppress the shedding of particles from the valve seat sealing surface.

[0043] Specifically, the drive mechanism can be an electric actuator connected to the valve core drive, such as a combination of a servo motor and a reduction mechanism. The controller sends opening / closing speed adjustment commands and drive torque adjustment commands to the drive mechanism, which drives the valve core to complete the opening and closing operation according to the opening / closing speed and drive torque indicated by the commands. Since the commands are generated based on the risk level of particle shedding, the higher the risk level, the lower the opening / closing speed and drive torque. The clamping force of the valve core acting on the local high-pressure area decreases accordingly, reducing the contact pressure in that area. At the same time, the slower opening / closing speed reduces frictional heat generation, and the surface temperature of the local high-temperature area also decreases. This simultaneously suppresses particle shedding from the sealing surface material due to abnormal conditions from both pressure and temperature dimensions.

[0044] In S105, the drive mechanism that controls the semiconductor valve performs an opening and closing operation, such as... Figure 2 As shown, it includes: S2001, before the valve core contacts the valve seat sealing surface, the drive mechanism is controlled at a first speed to drive the valve core to move toward the valve seat sealing surface; Specifically, at this stage, the valve core has not yet come into contact with the valve seat sealing surface, and there is no friction or compression. Therefore, a faster initial speed V1 can be used to drive the valve core closer to the sealing surface to shorten the opening and closing time. The initial speed V1 can be set according to the valve specifications or determined based on the opening and closing speed reference value Vb.

[0045] For example, V1 = α × Vb, where α is a real number greater than 1, to ensure that the first speed V1 is higher than the opening and closing speed corresponding to each risk level.

[0046] S2002, after the valve core contacts the valve seat sealing surface and before the valve seat sealing surface reaches the target closed state, the driving mechanism drives the valve core at a second speed, the second speed being lower than the first speed; Specifically, the moment when the valve core contacts the valve seat sealing surface can be determined by the contact pressure value output by the pressure detection unit changing from zero to non-zero. The target closed state, i.e., the closed state where the valve core reaches the preset closing stroke end point and the sealing surface meets the sealing requirements, can be determined by the valve position sensor detecting whether the valve core stroke has reached the preset stroke end point. The second speed V2 is determined based on the risk level of particle shedding; for example, the opening and closing speed V obtained from S104 can be used... j This is directly taken as the second velocity V2, that is, V2 equals Vb and kv. j The product of the two speeds. Since the second speed is lower than the first speed, the valve core presses against the sealing surface at a low speed, which can significantly reduce the impact load and frictional heat at the moment of contact, and prevent the working conditions in the high-pressure and high-temperature area from deteriorating further.

[0047] S2003, after the valve seat sealing surface reaches the target closed state, the drive mechanism is controlled by a holding torque to maintain the closed position of the valve core, the holding torque being less than the drive torque corresponding to the drive torque adjustment command; wherein, the second speed and the holding torque are determined according to the risk level of particle shedding.

[0048] Specifically, the closed position refers to the position of the valve core after reaching the target closed state. After reaching the target closed state, the valve core no longer needs to continue feeding; it only needs to overcome fluid pressure and rebound to maintain the seal. Therefore, the holding torque Mh can be less than the drive torque M indicated by the drive torque adjustment command in S104. j For example, Mh equals M j The product of the holding torque and the holding coefficient kh, where kh is a positive real number less than 1. Both the holding torque and the second speed are determined based on the risk level of particle shedding. The higher the risk level, the lower the second speed and the smaller the holding torque. The continuous pressing force of the valve core on the sealing surface is smaller, and the contact pressure in the local high-pressure area can be maintained at a low level, avoiding creep wear of the sealing material under long-term closed state.

[0049] Furthermore, after controlling the drive mechanism to drive the valve core at the second speed, and before controlling the drive mechanism to maintain the closed position of the valve core with the holding torque, the method further includes: controlling the drive mechanism to drive the valve core to reciprocate slightly near the closed position, so that loose particles on the valve seat sealing surface fall off; after the reciprocating slightly vibrates, performing the step of controlling the drive mechanism to maintain the closed position of the valve core with the holding torque.

[0050] Specifically, reciprocating micro-vibration refers to the drive mechanism driving the valve core to make small-amplitude reciprocating movements along the opening and closing direction near the closed position. The amplitude on one side is denoted as A, the vibration frequency as f, and the number of reciprocations as n. Here, A is a tiny displacement much smaller than the total stroke of the valve core, for example, it can be on the order of one-thousandth of the total stroke, and n is a preset positive integer. During the process of the valve core pressing against the sealing surface at a second velocity, loose particles that were originally adhered or stuck on the sealing surface may be in a critical state of being about to detach. If these particles detach during the process after the valve is put into use, they will directly contaminate the semiconductor process fluid flowing through the valve. Therefore, before maintaining the closed position, a controlled small-amplitude alternating load is applied to the sealing surface through reciprocating micro-vibration, causing the loose particles in the critical state to detach prematurely under the vibration and be discharged with the downstream purge airflow. The amplitude A, frequency f, and number of reciprocations n can also be determined according to the risk level of particle detachment. The higher the risk level, the more reciprocations n can be set to more thoroughly remove the loose particles. After the reciprocating micro-vibration ends, the valve core is maintained in the closed position by the torque control drive mechanism. At this time, the remaining particles on the sealing surface are firmly adhered, which greatly reduces the risk of them falling off during subsequent normal use.

[0051] Furthermore, the method also includes: during the opening and closing of the semiconductor valve, collecting particle concentration data within the semiconductor valve flow channel; comparing the particle concentration data with a preset particle concentration range corresponding to the particle detachment risk level to obtain a deviation result; when the deviation result exceeds the allowable range, adjusting the weights of the contact pressure value and the surface temperature value in determining the particle detachment risk level; and updating the opening / closing speed adjustment command and the drive torque adjustment command according to the adjusted weights.

[0052] Specifically, particle concentration data is collected by a particle detection unit arranged within the flow channel of the semiconductor valve. This unit can be a laser particle counter with its detection window facing the fluid within the flow channel. It outputs the number of particles per unit volume of fluid, i.e., the particle concentration data, denoted as C, according to a preset sampling period. The preset particle concentration range corresponds one-to-one with the particle shedding risk level; the preset particle concentration range corresponding to level j is denoted as Cj. j min to C j max, where C j min is the lower limit of concentration at this level, C j `max` represents the upper limit of the concentration at this level, and `j` represents the level number. The preset particle concentration range corresponding to each level can be obtained during the valve calibration stage by measuring and statistically analyzing the particle concentration in the flow channel during the opening and closing process at a known risk level.

[0053] Specifically, the particle concentration data is compared with a preset particle concentration range to obtain the deviation result. This involves comparing the particle concentration C collected before the end of the current opening / closing process with the preset particle concentration range corresponding to the level used to determine the particle shedding risk level. If C is greater than C0... j When the maximum value is reached, the deviation is C and C. j The difference between the maximum values ​​is denoted as the positive deviation; when C is less than Cmax j At min, the deviation is C j The difference between min and C is denoted as the negative deviation; when C falls within C... j min to C j When the deviation is within the range of `max`, the deviation is zero. The allowable range is defined by a preset deviation limit ΔC0, where ΔC0 is a real number greater than zero. A deviation exceeding ΔC0 is considered to be outside the allowable range. A positive deviation exceeding the allowable range indicates that the actual number of particles detached from the sealing surface is greater than the level estimated based on the current risk level, meaning the risk assessment based on the contact pressure and surface temperature values ​​is overly optimistic. Conversely, a negative deviation exceeding the allowable range indicates that the current risk assessment is overly conservative.

[0054] The contact pressure and surface temperature values ​​have different weights in determining the risk level of particle detachment, i.e., their proportions in the risk score. The risk score S can be calculated using the following formula: S = w P ·(P i / Pth) + w T ·(T i / Tth) In the formula, P i Let T be the contact pressure value of the i-th monitoring area. i Let be the surface temperature value of the i-th monitoring area, Pth be the pressure threshold, Tth be the temperature threshold, wP be the weight of the contact pressure value, and wT be the weight of the surface temperature value. Both wP and wT are positive real numbers, and their sum is 1. In the formula, i is the number of the high-pressure, high-temperature area identified in this study. When multiple high-pressure, high-temperature areas exist, the risk score for each area is calculated, and the maximum value is taken as the risk score S of the sealing surface. After obtaining the risk score S, the particle detachment risk level is determined according to the numerical range of S. A first interval boundary S1 and a second interval boundary S2 are preset, where S1 and S2 are both positive real numbers, and S1 is less than S2. When S is less than S1, it is determined to be the first level; when S is greater than or equal to S1 and less than S2, it is determined to be the second level; and when S is greater than or equal to S2, it is determined to be the third level.

[0055] When the deviation result is a positive deviation and exceeds the allowable range, it indicates that the current weight setting underestimates the risk. In this case, at least one of the weights wP (contact pressure value) and wT (surface temperature value) should be increased by an adjustment step size β. Taking an increase in both as an example, the increased weights are as follows: wP' = wP × (1 + β) wT' = wT × (1 + β) Then normalize according to the constraint that the sum of the weights is 1, to obtain the adjusted weights: wP'' = wP' / (wP' + wT') wT'' = wT' / (wP' + wT') When the deviation result is a negative deviation and exceeds the allowable range, it indicates that the current weight setting overestimates the risk. In this case, at least one of wP and wT should be reduced by an adjustment step size β. The reduced weights are as follows: wP' = wP × (1 β) wT' = wT × (1 β) Normalize in the same way as described above. Where β is a real number greater than zero and less than 1, wP' and wT' are intermediate weights after a single adjustment, wP'' and wT'' are the weights actually used after normalization, and the sum of wP'' and wT'' is 1.

[0056] The risk score S is recalculated based on the adjusted weights: S = wP'' × (P i / Pth) + wT'' × (T i / Tth) In the formula, Pi is the contact pressure value of the i-th monitoring area, and T i Let S be the surface temperature value of the i-th monitoring area, Pth be the pressure threshold, and Tth be the temperature threshold. The particle shedding risk level is redefined according to the numerical range of S, and the opening / closing speed V in S104 is used as the reference. j and driving torque M j The calculation method is used to regenerate the instructions: V j = Vb × kv j M j = Mb × kt j In the formula, Vb is the reference value for opening and closing speed, Mb is the reference value for driving torque, and kv j The speed adjustment factor corresponding to the redefined level, kt j This corresponds to the torque adjustment coefficient for that level, thus updating the opening / closing speed adjustment command and the drive torque adjustment command. Therefore, the measured particle concentration within the flow channel serves as a check on the accuracy of the risk assessment, allowing the weights to be continuously adjusted according to changes in the actual state of the sealing surface, forming a closed loop between risk assessment and command generation.

[0057] Furthermore, the method further includes: during the opening and closing of the semiconductor valve, acquiring a first pressure of the fluid upstream of the semiconductor valve and a second pressure of the fluid downstream of the semiconductor valve; calculating the pressure difference between the upstream and downstream of the semiconductor valve based on the first pressure and the second pressure; and adjusting at least one of the output pressure of the upstream fluid supply device and the input pressure of the downstream fluid discharge device based on the pressure difference, so that the pressure difference remains stable during the opening and closing of the semiconductor valve.

[0058] Specifically, the first pressure P1 is acquired by a pressure sensor located in the upstream pipeline of the semiconductor valve, and the second pressure P2 is acquired by a pressure sensor located in the downstream pipeline of the semiconductor valve. The pressure difference ΔP is calculated using the following formula: ΔP = P1 P2; where P1 is the pressure of the fluid upstream of the valve, and P2 is the pressure of the fluid downstream of the valve. The pressure difference remains stable during opening and closing if ΔP satisfies the following stability condition: |ΔP| ΔPref| ≤ δP; where ΔPref is the preset target differential pressure, which is the target value set according to process requirements and can be measured and locked before the valve opening and closing action begins; δP is the allowable fluctuation amount, which is a real number greater than zero.

[0059] When the above stability conditions are exceeded and the pressure difference is too high, i.e., when ΔP > ΔPref + δP, it indicates that the pressure difference across the valve core is too large. This increases the fluid impact force on the valve core during opening and closing, exacerbating the stress and wear on the sealing surface. In this case, the output pressure of the upstream fluid supply device can be reduced, or the input pressure of the downstream fluid discharge device can be increased, or both can be implemented simultaneously, to bring ΔP back to the range defined by the stability conditions. When the above stability conditions are exceeded and the pressure difference is too low, i.e., when ΔP < ΔPref... When δP is reached, the opposite adjustment is performed: either increasing the output pressure of the upstream fluid supply device, or decreasing the input pressure of the downstream fluid discharge device, or both simultaneously. The upstream fluid supply device is the device that supplies process fluid upstream of the valve, such as an air pump or an upstream flow control valve; the downstream fluid discharge device is the device that extracts or discharges process fluid downstream of the valve, such as a vacuum pump or an exhaust control valve, and its input pressure is the pressure on the downstream side of the pipeline. Through this adjustment, the forces on both sides of the valve core remain stable during opening and closing, avoiding the impact of sudden pressure changes on the sealing surface and further reducing the risk of particle shedding.

[0060] Furthermore, the semiconductor valve is one of multiple valves in the process pipeline, and the method further includes: obtaining the opening and closing plan of each valve in the process pipeline; and coordinating the opening and closing sequence of each valve according to the opening and closing plan of each valve so that each valve does not perform opening and closing operations at the same time.

[0061] Specifically, the start-up and shutdown plan refers to the scheduled opening or closing times and action types for each valve in the process pipeline within the current process cycle, which can be issued by the process equipment controller. Coordinating the opening and closing sequence of each valve involves staggering the operation times of multiple valves so that at any given time, only one valve is in the process of opening or closing, and the timing of the start of opening or closing operations for two adjacent valves satisfies the following: t s,m+1 t s,m ≥ Δt0 In the formula t s,m Let t be the start time of the m-th valve performing the opening / closing operation. s,m+1 For the start time of the next valve to perform an opening / closing operation, Δt0 is a preset interval, and Δt0 satisfies: Δt0 ≥ Tc + Tr In the formula, Tc is the duration of a single valve opening and closing action, Tr is the time required for the pipeline pressure to return to a stable state after the opening and closing action is completed, and both Tc and Tr can be obtained by actual measurement during the valve calibration stage, and Δt0 is a real number greater than zero.

[0062] Therefore, if multiple valves operate simultaneously, the pressure fluctuations in the flow path caused by each valve's opening and closing will superimpose in the pipeline, resulting in drastic fluctuations in the pressure difference between the upstream and downstream of each valve, thus undermining the aforementioned effect of stable pressure difference control. However, with the staggered arrangement as described above, the opening and closing action of the previous valve and the pressure fluctuations it causes have subsided within the sum of Tc and Tr before the next valve begins to open or close. This allows the pressure fluctuations in the pipeline to subside gradually, and each valve completes its opening and closing under relatively stable pressure difference conditions.

[0063] Furthermore, the method also includes: Record the peak contact pressure of the local high-pressure area and the peak temperature of the local high-temperature area during each opening and closing process; compare the peak contact pressure of the same monitoring area with the pressure warning value, and count the number of consecutive times the pressure warning value is exceeded; compare the peak temperature of the same monitoring area with the temperature warning value, and count the number of consecutive times the temperature warning value is exceeded; when the number of consecutive times reaches a preset threshold, it is determined that the monitoring area is in a state of accelerated wear, and the time point of accelerated wear in the monitoring area is predicted; before the time point, the operating status information of the semiconductor process equipment is obtained; when the operating status information indicates that the process equipment is in a non-wafer processing period, the opening and closing speed reference value corresponding to the opening and closing speed adjustment command and the driving torque reference value corresponding to the driving torque adjustment command are reduced.

[0064] Specifically, the meanings of peak contact pressure and peak temperature are consistent with the above, namely, the maximum value of the contact pressure collected by the pressure detection unit and the maximum value of the surface temperature collected by the temperature detection unit in the corresponding monitoring area during a single opening and closing process. The peak contact pressure and peak temperature of the i-th monitoring area during the k-th opening and closing process are denoted as follows: P k,i = max{P i (t)}, where t is the sampling time during the k-th opening and closing process; T k,i = max{T i (t)}, where t is the sampling time during the k-th opening and closing process; In the formula P i (t) represents the contact pressure value of the i-th monitoring area at time t, where T i (t) represents the surface temperature value of the i-th monitoring area at time t, where i is the number of the monitoring area, k is the sequence number of the opening and closing process, and max represents taking the maximum value in the sampling sequence.

[0065] The pressure warning value Pw and the temperature warning value Tw are greater than the pressure threshold Pth and the temperature threshold Tth, respectively, which means that the following conditions are met: Pw>Pth,Tw>Tth Pw and Tw can be set according to the allowable contact stress and allowable operating temperature of the sealing surface material.

[0066] For each monitoring area, the controller sequentially sends P k,i Compared with Pw, T k,i Compared with Tw, the comparison result is expressed as an over-limit indication: eP k,i = 1, when P k,i >Pw;eP k,i = 0, when P k,i ≤ Pw eT k,i = 1, when T k,i >Tw;eT k,i = 0, when T k,i ≤ Tw In the formula eP k,i Let eT be the out-of-limit indication of the peak contact pressure of the i-th monitoring area during the k-th opening and closing process. k,i This is the out-of-limit indication value for the temperature peak. The number of consecutive start-stop processes with an indication value of 1 after the most recent start-stop process where the indication value was 0 is counted in this monitoring area; this number is denoted as the consecutive count mi. In other words, mi is the number of consecutive eP values. k,i All are 1 or multiple consecutive eT k,i The cumulative count, where all are 1. When the following condition is met: mi ≥ m0 When the monitoring area is in a state of accelerated wear, m0 is a preset threshold, which is an integer greater than 1. In other words, when the peak contact pressure of a monitoring area exceeds Pw or the peak temperature exceeds Tw during m0 consecutive opening and closing cycles, it is determined to be in a state of accelerated wear. This state of accelerated wear means that the damage rate of the sealing material in the monitoring area has increased significantly, and if the current opening and closing parameters are maintained, a large number of particles will quickly detach.

[0067] The predicted time point for increased wear in the monitored area can be extrapolated based on the increase in peak values ​​during the most recent opening and closing processes. Taking the peak contact pressure of the i-th monitored area during the most recent m0 ​​opening and closing processes, the average increment is calculated: ΔP k,i = (P k,i P k m0,i ) / m0 In the formula, P k,i P represents the peak contact pressure during the most recent opening and closing process (i.e., k) in the i-th monitoring area. k m0,i The peak contact pressure is the value of the m0th opening and closing process before the kth time. Dividing the difference between the peak pressure and the peak pressure by m0 gives the average peak increment ΔP for each opening and closing process. k,i Since the monitored area has been identified as being in a state of accelerated wear, and its peak value has exceeded the pressure warning value Pw, the moment when the peak value reaches the higher upper limit value Plim is taken as the time point of accelerated wear, where Plim satisfies: Plim>Pw Plim can be set based on the contact pressure corresponding to severe damage to the sealing surface material. When the peak increment is approximately linear, the remaining number of opening and closing cycles nk is estimated using the following formula: nk = (Plim P k,i ) / ΔP k,i In the formula, nk represents the number of valve openings and closings required for the peak value Plim to be reached for the first time from the current state. This is then converted to a time point based on the valve's opening and closing frequency. tp = tc + nk / fv In the formula, tc represents the current time, fv represents the valve's opening and closing frequency (the average number of opening and closing processes per unit time), and tp represents the predicted time point when wear intensifies in the monitored area. When predicting the time point based on the temperature peak, the same method can be used, simply replacing the contact pressure peak with the temperature peak and the upper limit of the peak with the corresponding upper limit of the temperature.

[0068] Before tp, the controller acquires operating state information of the semiconductor process equipment. The operating state information includes one or more of the current process step being executed by the process equipment, the wafer transfer state, and the equipment maintenance state, which can be issued by the controller of the process equipment through a communication interface. When the operating state information indicates that the process equipment is in a non-wafer processing period, a reference value reduction operation is performed. The non-wafer processing period refers to a period in which the process equipment does not perform processing operations on wafers, such as an interval period between batches or a standby period for maintenance. When reducing, the opening / closing speed reference value and the driving torque reference value are adjusted to: Vb' = Vb × kb1 Mb' = Mb × kb2 Where kb1 is a first reduction coefficient and kb2 is a second reduction coefficient, both are real numbers greater than zero and less than 1, that is, satisfying 0 < kb1 < 1 and 0 < kb2 < 1. After the reference values are reduced, according to the calculation method of each level of opening / closing speed and driving torque in the aforementioned S104, the opening / closing speed and driving torque of each level are respectively: V j ' = Vb' × kv j = Vb × kb1 × kv j M j ' = Mb' × kt j = Mb × kb2 × kt j That is, the opening / closing speed and driving torque of each level are correspondingly reduced along with the reduction of the reference values, so that the monitoring area with increased wear bears lower contact pressure and lower surface temperature in subsequent opening and closing operations, which delays the development of wear on the sealing surface, and since the reduction is performed during the non-wafer processing period, it will not affect the normal wafer processing tact.

[0069] In addition, this embodiment also proposes a particle shedding suppression control system during the opening and closing process of a semiconductor valve, as Figure 3 shown, comprising: an acquisition module 301, which divides the valve seat sealing surface of the semiconductor valve into a plurality of monitoring areas along the circumferential direction, and acquires the contact pressure value and surface temperature value of each said monitoring area; an identification module 302, which identifies local high-pressure areas and local high-temperature areas on the valve seat sealing surface according to the contact pressure values and the surface temperature values, and records the position distribution of the local high-pressure areas and the local high-temperature areas; The determination module 303 determines whether the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap in position; when the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap in position, it determines that the risk level of particle shedding is higher than the risk level when they do not overlap. The generation module 304 generates an opening and closing speed adjustment command and a driving torque adjustment command based on the particle detachment risk level. The higher the particle detachment risk level, the lower the corresponding opening and closing speed and the smaller the driving torque. The control module 305 controls the drive mechanism of the semiconductor valve to perform opening and closing operations according to the opening and closing speed adjustment command and the drive torque adjustment command, so as to reduce the contact pressure of the local high pressure area and the surface temperature of the local high temperature area, and suppress the shedding of particles from the valve seat sealing surface.

[0070] It is understood that the modules in the above system can be software functional modules in the controller, implemented by the processor executing corresponding program instructions, or they can be hardware circuits or a combination of software and hardware. This embodiment does not make specific limitations in this regard. The acquisition module 301, identification module 302, judgment module 303, generation module 304 and control module 305 can be integrated in the same controller. This controller can be a valve controller set locally on the valve, or it can be a higher-level control system for the process pipeline. Each module can also be distributed and set in different control devices according to actual needs. This embodiment also does not make specific limitations in this regard.

[0071] It should also be understood that Figure 3 The module division shown is only an example. In practical applications, modules can be merged or split according to functional requirements. For example, the identification module 302 and the judgment module 303 can be merged into the same risk assessment module. The system may also include other modules for performing additional steps in the aforementioned method embodiments, such as collecting particle concentration data in the flow channel and correcting the weights, calculating and adjusting the pressure difference between the upstream and downstream of the valve, coordinating the opening and closing sequence of each valve in the process pipeline, recording the peak values ​​of each opening and closing process and predicting the time point of wear aggravation, etc. The corresponding extended modules all fall within the protection scope of this embodiment.

[0072] The specific working processes of each module mentioned above, including the method for dividing the monitoring area, the criteria for determining the area type, the method for determining the risk level of particle shedding, and the calculation formulas for opening and closing speed and driving torque, can be referred to the corresponding descriptions in the foregoing method embodiments. To avoid repetition, they will not be repeated here. This system can be used to execute the particle shedding suppression and control method in the opening and closing process of the semiconductor valve as described in any of the foregoing method embodiments, achieving the same technical effect as in the method embodiments.

[0073] 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 suppressing and controlling particle shedding during the opening and closing process of a semiconductor valve, characterized in that, include: The valve seat sealing surface of the semiconductor valve is divided into multiple monitoring areas along the circumference, and the contact pressure value and surface temperature value of each monitoring area are collected. Based on the contact pressure value and the surface temperature value, identify the local high pressure area and the local high temperature area on the valve seat sealing surface, and record the location distribution of the local high pressure area and the local high temperature area; Determine whether the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap in location; when the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap in location, determine that the risk level of particle shedding is higher than the risk level when they do not overlap; the location overlap means that there is a monitoring area that belongs to both the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area. Based on the risk level of particle shedding, an opening and closing speed adjustment command and a drive torque adjustment command are generated. The higher the risk level of particle shedding, the lower the corresponding opening and closing speed and the smaller the drive torque. According to the opening and closing speed adjustment command and the driving torque adjustment command, the driving mechanism of the semiconductor valve is controlled to perform opening and closing operations to reduce the contact pressure of the local high pressure area and the surface temperature of the local high temperature area, and to suppress the shedding of particles from the valve seat sealing surface. The identification of local high-pressure areas and local high-temperature areas on the valve seat sealing surface includes: When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is greater than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is less than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is defined as a high-pressure low-temperature area. When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is less than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is greater than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is determined to be a high temperature and low pressure area. When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is greater than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is greater than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is determined to be a high-pressure and high-temperature area. The recording of the location distribution of the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area includes recording the location distribution of the high-pressure low-temperature area, the high-temperature low-pressure area, and the high-pressure high-temperature area on the valve seat sealing surface.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the peak contact pressure and peak temperature of the high-pressure and high-temperature zone increase during two consecutive opening and closing processes, the risk level of particle detachment is determined to be an accelerated escalation level, and an emergency deceleration command is generated to further reduce the opening and closing speed.

3. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: During the opening and closing process of the semiconductor valve, particle concentration data within the flow channel of the semiconductor valve are collected; The particle concentration data is compared with the preset particle concentration range corresponding to the particle shedding risk level to obtain the deviation result; When the deviation exceeds the allowable range, the weights of the contact pressure value and the surface temperature value in determining the risk level of particle shedding are adjusted. Based on the adjusted weights, update the opening / closing speed adjustment command and the drive torque adjustment command.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The drive mechanism that controls the semiconductor valve to perform opening and closing operations includes: Before the valve core contacts the valve seat sealing surface, the drive mechanism is controlled at a first speed to drive the valve core to move toward the valve seat sealing surface; After the valve core contacts the valve seat sealing surface and before the valve seat sealing surface reaches the target closed state, the drive mechanism drives the valve core at a second speed, which is lower than the first speed. After the valve seat sealing surface reaches the target closed state, the drive mechanism is controlled by a holding torque to maintain the closed position of the valve core, and the holding torque is less than the drive torque corresponding to the drive torque adjustment command; wherein, the second speed and the holding torque are determined according to the risk level of particle shedding.

5. The method according to claim 4, characterized in that, After the drive mechanism is controlled to drive the valve spool at a second speed, and before the drive mechanism is controlled to maintain the closed position of the valve spool with a holding torque, the method further includes: The drive mechanism is controlled to drive the valve core to reciprocate slightly near the closed position, causing loose particles on the valve seat sealing surface to fall off. After the reciprocating micro-amplitude vibration ends, the step of maintaining the closed position of the valve core by controlling the drive mechanism with the holding torque is performed.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: During the opening and closing process of the semiconductor valve, the first pressure of the fluid upstream of the semiconductor valve and the second pressure of the fluid downstream of the semiconductor valve are obtained; Calculate the pressure difference between the upstream and downstream of the semiconductor valve based on the first pressure and the second pressure; Based on the pressure difference, at least one of the output pressure of the upstream fluid supply device and the input pressure of the downstream fluid discharge device is adjusted to keep the pressure difference stable during the opening and closing of the semiconductor valve.

7. The method according to claim 6, characterized in that, The semiconductor valve is one of several valves in a process pipeline, and the method further includes: Obtain the opening and closing plans of each valve in the process pipeline; based on the opening and closing plans of each valve, coordinate the opening and closing sequence of each valve so that each valve does not perform opening and closing operations at the same time.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that, Also includes: Record the peak contact pressure of the local high-pressure area and the peak temperature of the local high-temperature area during each opening and closing process; The peak contact pressure in the same monitoring area is compared with the pressure warning value, and the number of consecutive times the pressure warning value is exceeded is counted. Similarly, the peak temperature in the same monitoring area is compared with the temperature warning value, and the number of consecutive times the temperature warning value is exceeded is counted. When the number of consecutive counts reaches a preset threshold, the monitored area is determined to be in a state of accelerated wear, and the time point of accelerated wear in the monitored area is predicted. Before the specified time point, the operating status information of the semiconductor process equipment is acquired. When the operating status information indicates that the process equipment is in a non-wafer processing period, the starting and stopping speed reference value corresponding to the starting and stopping speed adjustment command and the driving torque reference value corresponding to the driving torque adjustment command are reduced.

9. A particle shedding suppression control system during the opening and closing process of a semiconductor valve, characterized in that, include: The acquisition module divides the valve seat sealing surface of the semiconductor valve into multiple monitoring areas along the circumference, and acquires the contact pressure value and surface temperature value of each monitoring area; The identification module identifies local high-pressure areas and local high-temperature areas on the valve seat sealing surface based on the contact pressure value and the surface temperature value, and records the location distribution of the local high-pressure areas and the local high-temperature areas. The determination module determines whether the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap in location; when the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area overlap in location, the risk level of particle shedding is determined to be higher than the risk level when they do not overlap; the location overlap means that there is a monitoring area that belongs to both the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area. The generation module generates opening and closing speed adjustment instructions and driving torque adjustment instructions based on the risk level of particle detachment. The higher the risk level of particle detachment, the lower the corresponding opening and closing speed and the smaller the driving torque. The control module controls the drive mechanism of the semiconductor valve to perform opening and closing operations according to the opening and closing speed adjustment command and the drive torque adjustment command, so as to reduce the contact pressure of the local high pressure area and the surface temperature of the local high temperature area, and suppress the shedding of particles from the valve seat sealing surface. The identification of local high-pressure areas and local high-temperature areas on the valve seat sealing surface includes: When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is greater than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is less than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is defined as a high-pressure low-temperature area. When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is less than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is greater than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is determined to be a high temperature and low pressure area. When the contact pressure value of the monitoring area is greater than the pressure threshold and the surface temperature value is greater than the temperature threshold, the monitoring area is determined to be a high-pressure and high-temperature area. The recording of the location distribution of the local high-pressure area and the local high-temperature area includes recording the location distribution of the high-pressure low-temperature area, the high-temperature low-pressure area, and the high-pressure high-temperature area on the valve seat sealing surface.

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