Programmable Mass Flow Control for Repeatable Fast Gas Pulses
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Solution Overview
Problem
The workload of a host controller and communication jitter in existing pulse gas delivery systems reduce the repeatability and accuracy of gas pulse delivery, particularly in high-speed processes like the Bosch process for TSV creation, due to dependent response times and communication errors.
Innovation Solution
A programmable mass flow controller with a dedicated controller that operates independently of the host controller, using digital or analog configurations to receive program instructions and control gas flow, enabling precise pulse gas delivery through modes such as time-based, mole-based, and profile-based delivery, reducing reliance on host controller resources and minimizing communication jitter.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a host controller is used to control pulse gas delivery, then the system can coordinate multiple process steps, but the workload and communication jitter reduce the repeatability and accuracy of gas pulse delivery
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into two independent parts: a host controller for high-level process coordination and a dedicated pulse gas delivery controller for precise gas pulse execution. This segmentation allows each controller to specialize in its function, with the dedicated controller eliminating communication jitter and workload issues while the host maintains overall process coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
A dedicated pulse gas delivery controller acts as an intermediary between the host controller and the gas delivery system. It receives commands from the host controller and translates them into precise gas pulse sequences, isolating the gas delivery precision from the host controller's workload and communication variations.
2Speed
If response time is reduced for high-speed processes, then productivity increases, but communication jitter and workload issues reduce delivery accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The dedicated pulse gas delivery controller is pre-programmed with the complete sequence of gas pulse timing and duration parameters before process execution. This preliminary configuration allows the controller to execute high-speed pulse sequences with microsecond precision without real-time communication delays or jitter affecting the timing accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The dedicated controller autonomously manages the entire gas pulse delivery sequence without requiring continuous host controller intervention. It self-regulates timing, monitors its own operational state, and executes pulses with consistent precision, making the system's response time independent of host controller workload.
3Reliability
If a dedicated controller is used for pulse gas delivery, then repeatability and accuracy improve, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The dedicated pulse gas delivery controller is designed as a multi-functional unit that can handle various gas delivery modes (time-based, mole-based, profile-based), multiple gas channels, and different pulse sequencing patterns. This universality means that while it adds a controller, it replaces multiple control functions that would otherwise be distributed across the host controller, effectively consolidating control logic.
Data Source
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AI summary
A system for delivering pulses of a desired mass of gas to a tool, comprising: a mass flow controller including flow sensor, a control valve and a dedicated controller configured and arranged to receive a recipe of a sequence of steps for opening and closing the control valve so as to deliver as sequence of gas pulses as a function of the recipe. The mass flow controller is configured and arranged so as to operate in either one of at least two modes: as a traditional mass flow controller (MFC) mode or in a pulse gas delivery (PGD) mode. Further, the mass flow controller includes an input configured to receive an input signal; an output configured to provide an output signal; a communication port configured to receive program instructions; memory configured and arranged to receive programming data determining the programmed configuration of the mass flow controller as either a digital or analog configuration; and a processor/controller for operating the mass flow controller in accordance with the programmed configuration.