Redundant Gas Supply Control for Continuous Process Gas Flow
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gas supply systems for semiconductor manufacturing face interruptions and lack of real-time monitoring due to faults in the control apparatus, leading to incomplete process gas supply and inability to sense pressure, weight, and control heaters.
Innovation Solution
A gas supply system with a main controller and sub-controller that share digital and analog sensing information, allowing the sub-controller to take over and maintain gas flow and heater control during main controller malfunctions, ensuring continuous process gas supply and monitoring of pressure, weight, and temperature.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a single main controller is used to control the gas supply system, then the device complexity is reduced, but the reliability deteriorates because the system cannot maintain operation during controller faults
Solution Approach 1:
The controller is segmented into a main controller and a sub-controller. The main controller handles normal operation, while the sub-controller serves as a backup that activates upon detecting faults in the main controller through sensing signals. This segmentation ensures gas supply continuity while maintaining manageable system complexity through modular design.
2Measurement precision
If analog signals are used for sensing, then the ease of operation is improved, but the measurement precision deteriorates because fault detection and parameter monitoring become less accurate
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces analog signal processing with digital signal processing. Digital sensing signals are used for fault detection, providing higher measurement precision and reliability. The digital interface between the sub-controller and main controller enables accurate fault detection while maintaining ease of operation through standardized digital communication protocols.
3Productivity
If the pneumatic valve is kept open during controller faults, then the productivity is maintained, but the object-affected harmful factors increase due to potential gas leakage and safety risks
Solution Approach 1:
The sub-controller continuously monitors the main controller's status through sensing signals and provides feedback about system health. When faults are detected, the feedback mechanism triggers appropriate responses including maintaining gas supply when safe or initiating controlled shutdown procedures when necessary. This feedback loop balances productivity maintenance with safety risk management.
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
Prevents process failures by maintaining gas supply continuity and enabling accurate monitoring of gas supply conditions, even during main controller failures, ensuring precise control and safety.
Implementation Method 1
a solenoid valve which opens or closes said pneumatic valve by supplying or stopping the flow of valve actuating gas to said pneumatic valve
Implementation Method 2
it is not possible to actuate a heater that is able to prevent liquifying of the process gas
Data Source
AI summary
The gas supply system of this invention is furnished with a cylinder apparatus having a pneumatic valve that supplies process gas to a process chamber, and a solenoid valve that opens or closes said pneumatic valve by supplying or stopping the flow of valve actuating gas to said pneumatic valve; and a gas supply control apparatus that controls the actuation of the solenoid valve. In addition, said gas supply control apparatus comprises a main controller that controls the actuation of said solenoid valve during normal operation, and a sub-controller that senses an abnormal state of said main controller and if an abnormality is sensed, controls the actuation of said solenoid valve instead of said main controller.