Pressure-Type Flow Controller Exhaust Channel Design
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional pressure-type flow controllers exhibit low step-down responsiveness and limited improvement in response characteristics despite minimizing internal volume, and the responsiveness varies with different gases, making it difficult to achieve rapid flow control changes required in semiconductor manufacturing.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an exhaust channel and a control valve for exhaust control to forcibly exhaust residual gas from the fluid channel between the control valve and orifice, allowing for enhanced response characteristics without affecting flow control precision or range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of time
If the internal volume of the main body is minimized to improve step-down responsiveness, then the response time is reduced, but the responsiveness varies with different gases and cannot be sufficiently improved
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the flow control system into two independent channels: a fluid channel for normal flow control and an exhaust channel for rapid gas evacuation. This segmentation allows the exhaust channel to be optimized specifically for step-down responsiveness without being constrained by the volume requirements of the fluid channel, thereby resolving the gas-dependent responsiveness issue while minimizing step-down time.
Solution Approach 2:
The exhaust channel acts as an intermediary pathway that provides a dedicated route for rapid gas evacuation from the fluid channel. By introducing this intermediate exhaust pathway with its own control valve, the system can rapidly remove residual gas without being limited by the internal volume of the main body, thereby achieving sufficient step-down responsiveness across different gases.
2Speed
If an exhaust channel and control valve for exhaust control are added to forcibly exhaust residual gas, then step-down responsiveness is significantly improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust channel is integrated into the existing main body structure, sharing common components such as the orifice and fluid inlet. The exhaust control valve is coordinated with the existing pressure control valve through a unified control system. This merging approach minimizes the addition of separate components while achieving rapid gas evacuation, thereby improving step-down responsiveness without proportionally increasing device complexity.
3Productivity
If the exhaust channel is used to forcibly exhaust gas, then gas replaceability is improved, but the flow control precision may be affected
Solution Approach 1:
The exhaust function is extracted as a separate, independent channel from the flow control function. The exhaust control valve independently manages residual gas evacuation without interfering with the pressure control valve's flow regulation. This extraction ensures that gas replaceability is improved while flow control precision is maintained, as the two functions operate through separate pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The exhaust channel performs preliminary gas evacuation before the pressure control valve adjusts the flow. By removing residual gas in advance through the exhaust channel, the system prepares the fluid channel for rapid flow changes without compromising the precision of subsequent flow control adjustments. This preliminary action enhances gas replaceability while preserving flow control accuracy.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration significantly shortens step-down time and improves gas replaceability, enhancing the responsiveness and capacity utilization of the pressure-type flow controller, suitable for semiconductor manufacturing and other applications.
Implementation Method 1
a control valve for exhaust control for opening/closing the exhaust channel... to forcibly exhaust residual gas from the fluid channel between the control valve and orifice
Data Source
AI summary
A pressure-type flow controller includes a main body provided with a fluid channel between a fluid inlet and a fluid outlet and an exhaust channel between the fluid channel and an exhaust outlet; a pressure control valve fixed to the fluid inlet of the main body for opening/closing the upstream side of the fluid channel; a pressure sensor for detecting the internal pressure of the fluid channel on the downstream side of the pressure control valve; an orifice provided in the fluid channel on the downstream side of the point of branching of the exhaust channel; and an exhaust control valve for opening/closing the exhaust channel.