Vacuum Pump Warmup Control for Deposition Prevention and PCB Protection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional temperature control methods for turbomolecular pumps fail to simultaneously reduce warmup time while protecting printed circuit boards from high temperatures and preventing deposition of process gases, leading to performance degradation.

Innovation Solution

A vacuum pump system with a heating unit, cooling mechanism, and temperature control system that includes temperature judging means to manage heating and cooling based on predefined temperature limits, ensuring safe operation and reduced warmup time.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Object-generated harmful factors

If the base portion is heated to high temperatures to prevent deposition of process gases, then deposition prevention is improved, but the temperature of printed circuit boards may exceed the limit temperature of semiconductor devices

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedeposition of process gasesVSAvoidtemperature of printed circuit boards
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-generated harmful factorsVSTemperature

Solution Approach 1:

The base portion is divided into multiple heating zones with independent temperature control. Different regions can be heated to different temperatures, allowing the pump mechanism area to be heated to prevent deposition while keeping the electronic component area at safe temperatures for semiconductor devices.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Temperature control is applied locally to different regions of the base portion. The heating elements are positioned and controlled to create specific temperature distributions, ensuring high temperatures where deposition occurs but lower temperatures where electronic components are located.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

2Temperature

If water cooling is constantly performed to protect printed circuit boards from high temperatures, then temperature protection is improved, but warmup time increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature protection of printed circuit boardsVSAvoidwarmup time
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The water cooling system transitions from static constant cooling to dynamic controlled cooling. The cooling flow rate and activation are adjusted based on real-time temperature measurements and operational state, allowing the system to disable cooling during warmup when temperatures are low, thus reducing warmup time while still protecting components when temperatures approach limits.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

Temperature sensors provide feedback to the control system, which adjusts water cooling activation and flow rate accordingly. During warmup, when temperatures are below critical thresholds, cooling is disabled or reduced. When temperatures approach limit values, cooling is activated or increased, providing protection only when necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

3Stability of the object's composition

If temperature control uses on and off operations between upper and lower limit temperatures to maintain target temperature, then temperature stability is improved, but the ability to simultaneously reduce warmup time and protect from high temperatures deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature stabilityVSAvoidwarmup time reduction capability
Core Design Contradiction:
Stability of the object's compositionVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The temperature control system is segmented into multiple independent control loops, each managing specific heating zones or cooling systems. This allows different regions to operate at different temperature sets and rates, enabling simultaneous warmup time reduction in critical areas while maintaining stability in others.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The control system transitions from simple on/off binary control to dynamic proportional control with multiple temperature thresholds. Different control strategies are applied at different temperature ranges: aggressive heating below warmup threshold, moderated control near operational temperature, and protective cooling activation at critical thresholds, optimizing both speed and stability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

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 effectively reduces warmup time while protecting semiconductor devices from high temperatures and preventing deposition, maintaining pump performance by thermally partitioning heating and cooling regions.

Implementation Method 1

a heating unit with a heater situated in at least one place to prevent generation of deposited matter

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeating: Heating

Implementation Method 2

a base portion in which a cooling mechanism is situated to prevent temperature within an electrical component portion from becoming high

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectCooling: Cooling

Data Source

PatentEP4692561A1Vacuum pump, control device, and temperature rising time control method
Publication Date: 2026.02.11 EDWARDS JAPAN
  • EP4692561A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4692561A1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4692561A1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

To provide a vacuum pump, a control device, and a warmup time control method by which warmup time of the pump can be reduced while protecting a board from high temperatures involved with heating. Temperature information is detected from a temperature sensor 3 that is situated near a heater 1, and is input to a control device 200. Determination of a warmup state is started in step 1 by a warmup state determining unit of the control device 200. Temperature information that is input is compared with a rated temperature in step 3. This rated temperature differs depending on the model and specifications of the pump, but is defined as a target temperature necessary to prevent depositing of product matter. Judgment is made of a post-warmup mode when all temperature information that is input is higher than the rated temperature as shown in step 5, and in step 9 this processing is completed. Conversely, when in a state that is lower than the rated temperature, judgment is made of a warmup-underway mode, as shown in step 7, and in step 9 this processing is completed. Thereafter, operations of step 1 to step 9 are periodically repeated.