Servo Pneumatic Gas Inlet Valve for Fast Vacuum Flow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing electromechanically driven gas inlet valves for vacuum process chambers are slow in opening and closing, and they can interfere with substrate processing due to electromagnetic field generation.
Innovation Solution
A servo pneumatic gas inlet valve system is developed, which combines fast valve disk movement with precise control, using a pneumatic drive with a servo pneumatic cylinder and a proportional pressure control valve to regulate fluid flow and avoid electromagnetic interference.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If an electromechanically driven gas inlet valve is used to control fluid flow, then regulation capability is improved, but opening and closing speed deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the electromechanical drive with a pneumatic drive system that uses compressed air to rapidly actuate the valve disk. The pneumatic cylinder generates high-speed linear motion to open and close the valve, eliminating the mechanical inertia and response time limitations of electromechanical actuators while maintaining flow regulation capability through controlled air pressure.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention substitutes the electromechanical actuation mechanism with a pneumatic actuation mechanism. This replacement eliminates the electromagnetic components and their associated control complexity, while the pneumatic system provides faster response time and simpler control for achieving both rapid valve operation and flow regulation.
2Ease of operation
If an electromechanically driven gas inlet valve is used, then flow regulation is improved, but electromagnetic interference with substrate processing occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates electromagnetic interference by replacing the electromechanical drive with a purely pneumatic drive system. Compressed air is used to actuate the valve, completely removing electromagnetic fields from the vicinity of the substrate processing chamber, thereby preventing any potential interference with sensitive semiconductor manufacturing processes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention extracts and removes the electromagnetic components (motors, solenoids, sensors) from the valve actuation system. By eliminating these components entirely and replacing them with pneumatic actuators, the harmful electromagnetic fields are completely removed from the system, solving the interference problem while maintaining functional capability.
3Speed
If a traditional pneumatic gas inlet valve is used for fast opening and closing, then speed is improved, but flow regulation capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a dynamic control system where the pneumatic drive can rapidly switch between different pressure states to achieve both fast valve actuation and intermediate position holding. By dynamically adjusting the air pressure supplied to the pneumatic cylinder, the system can quickly open or close the valve or maintain it at any intermediate position for flow regulation, combining the advantages of both fast response and controllability.
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
The system enables rapid and precise control of fluid flow into vacuum process chambers, reducing the impact on substrate processing and improving the accuracy and efficiency of the gas inlet operation.
Implementation Method 1
The drive unit comprises a pneumatic drive cylinder (32) having at least one piston (33), wherein the piston (33) is coupled to the adjustment element (26) and an opening force can be generated in the opening direction by pressurization of the drive cylinder
Implementation Method 2
The gas inlet valve comprises a restoring element configured and arranged to apply a restoring force on the adjustment element (26) and/or on the piston (33) in a closing direction
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2a
Figure 2b
AI summary
The invention relates to a gas inlet system (10) for controlled inlet of a fluid into a vacuum process chamber (3), wherein the gas inlet system (10) comprises a gas inlet valve (20) with a gas passage unit having an inner volume, wherein the gas passage unit comprises a sealing surface in the inner volume. The gas inlet valve (20) further comprises an adjustment element projecting into the inner volume and having a valve disk which is arranged inside the inner volume, a drive unit which is coupled to the adjustment element outside the gas passage unit and provides an adjustment of the adjustment element along an adjustment axis and a flexible sealing membrane which is attached to the gas passage unit and to the adjustment element and atmospherically separates the drive unit from the inner volume. The drive unit comprises a pneumatic drive cylinder, and the gas inlet valve (20) comprises a restoring element configured and arranged to apply a restoring force on the adjustment element. The gas inlet system (10) comprises a pressurization unit (40) connected to the drive cylinder for defined pressurization of the drive cylinder, wherein the pressurization unit (40) is configured to provide variable pressure and to vary and set an inside pressure of the drive cylinder, and a controlling unit (50) configured to receive a controlling parameter providing a target state for the gas inlet system (10), and to control the pressurization unit (40) based on the controlling parameter so that the inside pressure of the drive cylinder is varied so that an actual state of the gas inlet system is approached to the target state or corresponds with the target state.