Active feedback control of subsystems of a process module
US10366869B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 20, 2017 |
| Grant date | Jul 30, 2019 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Feb 8, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG06F1/12
- WIPO fieldComputer technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A communications system for synchronizing control signals between subsystems coupled to a process module used for processing a substrate. A distributed controller coupled to the subsystems is configured to initiate process steps, each step having a step period. A distributed clock module includes a master clock having a clock speed including clock cycles, each clock cycle having a duration that is pre-correlated to a feedback loop within which synchronized control signals are delivered to and received from the subsystems by the distributed clock module. A predefined number of clock cycles is assigned by the distributed clock module for performing a corresponding number of feedback loops for transitioning between process steps. The predefined number of clock cycles are restricted to a fraction of the step period.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.