Apparatus and method for regulating a pressure in a chamber

US5944049A · kind A · utility

Assignees

• Applied Materials, Inc. · US
• Leybold Vacuum GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Christian Beyer · Freiberg, DE
• Keith Trenton · San Jose, US
• Mariusch Gregor · Gilroy, US
• Robert Stolle · Cologne, DE
• Rudolph Bahnen · Simmerath, DE
• Anja Plugge · Solingen, DE
• Heinz Frings · Cologne, DE
• Karl-Heinz Ronthaler · Zülpich, DE
• Dennis R. Smith · Lubbock, US
• Jayesh Patel · Roselle, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 15, 1997
• Grant date: Aug 31, 1999
• Expiry date: Jul 15, 2017

Classification

• Technology area (CPC Y): Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
• CPC primary: Y10T137/7761
• WIPO field: Engines, pumps, turbines
• WIPO sector: Mechanical engineering

Abstract

A pressure for a chamber is regulated by controlling either the exhaust pressure at the exhaust side of a first vacuum pump or the internal pressure at a compression stage of the first vacuum pump, where the first vacuum pump is directly communicating with the chamber. The pressure of the chamber can be regulated by combinations of the following: controlling the variable rotational frequency of a roots vacuum pump, a pre-vacuum pump, or a high compression pump; controlling a control valve between a pre-vacuum pump and the first vacuum pump; controlling a control valve for injecting gas into the exhaust side of the first vacuum pump or into the compression stage of the first vacuum pump; and controlling a control valve or control valves for bypassing the first vacuum pump or a compression stage or compression stages of the first vacuum pump. To regulate the pressure in the chamber, several types of control rules can be used, including: a PID control rule, a gain scheduler, and a threshold comparison control rule.