CN114738545A

CN114738545A - Valve control device and method, and semiconductor processing equipment

Info

Publication number: CN114738545A
Application number: CN202210494298.0A
Authority: CN
Inventors: 张利军; 张芳
Original assignee: Beijing Naura Microelectronics Equipment Co Ltd
Current assignee: Beijing Naura Microelectronics Equipment Co Ltd
Priority date: 2022-05-07
Filing date: 2022-05-07
Publication date: 2022-07-12
Also published as: TW202344767A; WO2023216840A1

Abstract

The invention provides a valve control device and method and semiconductor processing equipment, wherein the device is used for controlling the opening or closing of a pilot valve driving switch valve in semiconductor process equipment, and the valve control device comprises a first detection module and a control module, wherein the first detection module is used for detecting the opening action and the closing action of the switch valve in each acquisition period, converting the opening action and the closing action into electric signals and sending the electric signals to the control module; the control module is used for sending an opening signal to the pilot valve according to preset holding time and cycle number of opening the switching valve in an acquisition period; and judging whether the state of the switch valve is normal or not according to the electric signal sent by the first detection module. The valve control device and method and the semiconductor processing equipment provided by the invention can monitor the state of the switch valve, so that the state of the switch valve can be timely known when the switch valve fails, the correctness of a process result is ensured, and the safety and stability of the equipment are improved.

Description

Valve control device and method, and semiconductor processing equipment

Technical Field

The invention relates to the field of semiconductor process equipment, in particular to a valve control device and method and semiconductor processing equipment.

Background

In a semiconductor manufacturing process, a plurality of different gases are involved in a plurality of processes, a plurality of process gas circuits are correspondingly configured in semiconductor process equipment, a switch valve is configured to realize the control of the gas circuits, and the switch valves on the different gas circuits are required to be switched continuously to adjust the gas quantity required by the reaction in the semiconductor process. For example, in the process of performing an Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) process, each process step needs to be rapidly switched among a plurality of pneumatic valves within 1 second under a high temperature condition (for example, a high temperature maintained at 120 ℃), and the switching speed is as fast as 5ms, so as to accurately control the gas injection amount of a process reaction zone and ensure the final process effect. The switch of the pneumatic valve is usually driven by an electromagnetic pilot valve, and when the electromagnetic pilot valve receives a starting command sent by a controller and is electrified, the electromagnetic pilot valve is communicated with a pipeline to apply gas (such as compressed air) to the pneumatic valve so as to drive the pneumatic valve to be opened; when the electromagnetic pilot valve receives a closing instruction sent by the controller and is powered off, the pipeline is disconnected to drive the pneumatic valve to close.

However, in the existing semiconductor process equipment, the control system cannot monitor the state of the pneumatic valve, and cannot timely know when the pneumatic valve fails, so that a process result is wrong, and the safety and stability of the equipment are reduced.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention aims to provide a valve control device and method and semiconductor processing equipment, which can monitor the state of a switch valve, so that the state of the switch valve can be timely known when the switch valve breaks down, the correctness of a process result is ensured, and the safety and stability of the equipment are improved.

To achieve the above object, as one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a valve control apparatus for controlling opening or closing of a pilot valve driving switching valve in a semiconductor process equipment, the valve control apparatus comprising a first detection module and a control module, wherein,

the first detection module is used for detecting the opening action and the closing action of the switch valve in each acquisition period, converting the opening action and the closing action into electric signals and sending the electric signals to the control module;

the control module is used for sending an opening signal to the pilot valve according to preset holding time and cycle times of opening the switch valve in the acquisition period; and judging whether the state of the switch valve is normal or not according to the electric signal sent by the first detection module.

Optionally, the control module includes a counting unit and a control unit, where the counting unit is configured to accumulate a total number of times of sending the opening signal to the pilot valve when the cycle number is completed, and accumulate a total number of opening and closing actions of the switching valve when the cycle number is completed according to the electrical signal sent by the first detection module;

the control unit is used for judging whether each of the total opening action times and the total closing action times is equal to the total opening signal times,

if the number of times of the opening signal is equal to the total number of times of the opening signal, determining that the number of times of the opening action and the closing action of the switch valve is not lost;

determining that the number of times of at least one of the opening and closing motions of the switching valve is lost if the number of times of at least one of the opening and closing motions is smaller than the total number of times of the opening signal.

Optionally, the control module further includes a timing unit, where the timing unit is configured to obtain a total holding time of the opening signal when the cycle number is completed, and obtain a total holding time of the opening action of the switching valve when the cycle number is completed according to the electrical signal sent by the first detection module;

the control unit is further configured to: judging whether the sum of the holding time of the opening action is equal to the sum of the holding time of the opening signal or not;

if the sum of the holding time of the opening signals is equal, determining that the opening action of the switch valve is not delayed;

if the difference value of the sum of the holding time of the opening action and the sum of the holding time of the opening signal is smaller than a preset threshold value, determining that the opening action of the switch valve is delayed if the difference value is smaller than the preset threshold value; and if the switching value is larger than or equal to the preset threshold value, determining that the switching valve has a fault.

Optionally, the control module further includes a delay timing unit, where the delay timing unit is configured to obtain a sum of feedback delay times of the switching valve when the cycle number is completed according to the electrical signal sent by the first detection module, where the feedback delay time is a time difference between a first time corresponding to each opening motion of the switching valve and a second time corresponding to each opening of the corresponding pilot valve;

the control unit is further configured to: determining whether a sum of the feedback delay times is less than a preset delayed maintenance time under the condition that it is determined that the opening action of the switching valve is delayed,

if the time is less than the delayed maintenance time, determining that the switching valve can be continuously used;

if the feedback delay time is greater than or equal to the delayed maintenance time, judging whether the sum of the feedback delay time is smaller than preset switch valve alarm time, and if the sum of the feedback delay time is smaller than the preset switch valve alarm time, determining that the switch valve needs maintenance; and if the alarm time is more than or equal to the alarm time of the switch valve, determining that the switch valve needs to be replaced.

Optionally, the control module further includes an error counting unit, where the error counting unit is configured to accumulate total error times of the opening and closing actions of the switch valve when the cycle times are completed according to the electrical signal sent by the first detection module;

and the control unit is also used for comparing the total error times with the total times of sending the opening signal to the pilot valve when the cycle times are finished, and judging the damage degree of the switch valve according to the comparison result.

Optionally, the valve control device further includes a second detection module, and the second detection module is configured to detect, in real time, a gas pressure delivered to the switching valve by the pilot valve in each opening process of the pilot valve, convert the gas pressure into an analog signal, and send the analog signal to the control module;

the control module is also used for judging whether the working state of the switch valve is normal or not according to the electric signal sent by the first detection module; if not, judging whether the working state of the pilot valve is normal or not according to the analog signal sent by the second detection module.

Optionally, the control module is further configured to obtain, according to the analog signal sent by the second detection module, a sum of holding times of the analog signal when the switching valve is in the open state after the cycle number is completed, and obtain a total number of times when the gas pressure of the pilot valve reaches a specified pressure value after the cycle number is completed; and judging whether the sum of the holding time of the analog signals is larger than a first failure time corresponding to the abnormal air pressure state of the preset pilot valve,

if the total number of times that the gas pressure reaches the specified pressure value is larger than the first fault time, judging whether the total number of times that the starting signal is sent to the pilot valve when the cycle number is completed is equal to or not, and if so, determining that the gas pressure state of the pilot valve is normal; the specified pressure value is a pressure value required for driving the opening and closing valve to open or close;

and if the first fault time is less than or equal to the first fault time, determining that the air pressure state of the pilot valve is abnormal.

Optionally, the control module is further configured to, when the sum of the holding times of the analog signals is less than or equal to the first failure time, determine whether the sum of the holding times of the analog signals is greater than a second failure time corresponding to a preset pipeline abnormality of the pilot valve,

if the second failure time is longer than the second failure time, determining that the pipeline of the pilot valve is abnormal;

and if the second failure time is less than or equal to the second failure time, determining that the internal machinery of the pilot valve is abnormal.

As another technical solution, the present invention further provides a valve control method applied to the valve control apparatus provided in the present invention, the method including:

sending an opening signal to the pilot valve according to preset holding time and cycle number of opening the switch valve in each acquisition period;

detecting the opening and closing actions of the switch valve when all the circulation times are finished, and converting the opening and closing actions into electric signals;

and judging whether the state of the switch valve is normal or not according to the electric signal.

Optionally, the determining whether the state of the switching valve is normal according to the electrical signal includes:

accumulating the total times of sending the opening signals to the pilot valve when all the circulation times are finished, and accumulating the total times of opening actions and the total times of closing actions of the switch valve when all the circulation times are finished according to the electric signals;

determining whether each of the total number of opening actions and the total number of closing actions is equal to the total number of opening signals,

determining that the number of times of at least one of the opening and closing actions of the switching valve is lost if the number of times of at least one of the opening and closing actions is smaller than the total number of times of the opening signal.

Optionally, the determining, according to the electrical signal, whether the state of the switching valve is normal further includes:

obtaining the sum of the holding time of the opening signals when all the circulation times are finished, and obtaining the sum of the holding time of the opening action of the switch valve when all the circulation times are finished according to the electric signals;

judging whether the sum of the holding time of the opening action is equal to the sum of the holding time of the opening signal or not;

if the difference value of the sum of the holding time of the opening action and the sum of the holding time of the opening signal is smaller than a preset threshold value, determining that the opening action of the switch valve is delayed if the difference value is smaller than the preset threshold value; and if the value is larger than or equal to the preset threshold value, determining that the switch valve has a fault.

according to the electric signal, obtaining the sum of feedback delay time of the switch valve when all the cycle times are completed, wherein the feedback delay time is the time difference between a first time corresponding to each opening action of the switch valve and a second time corresponding to each opening of the pilot valve;

determining whether a sum of the feedback delay times is less than a preset delayed maintenance time under the condition that it is determined that the opening action of the switching valve is delayed,

Optionally, the valve control method further includes:

detecting the gas pressure delivered to the switching valve by the pilot valve in real time in the process of opening the pilot valve each time, and converting the gas pressure into an analog signal;

and after the abnormal state of the switching valve is determined, judging whether the state of the pilot valve is normal or not according to the analog signal.

Optionally, the determining, according to the analog signal, whether the state of the pilot valve is normal includes:

according to the analog signal, obtaining the sum of the holding time of the analog signal when the switch valve is in the open state when all the circulation times are completed, and obtaining the total times when the gas pressure of the pilot valve reaches a specified pressure value when all the circulation times are completed; and judging whether the sum of the holding time of the analog signals is larger than a first failure time corresponding to the abnormal air pressure state of the preset pilot valve,

if the total number of times that the gas pressure reaches the specified pressure value is larger than the first fault time, judging whether the total number of times that the starting signal is sent to the pilot valve when all the circulation times are completed is equal to or not, and if the total number of times that the starting signal is sent to the pilot valve is equal to the specified pressure value, determining that the gas pressure state of the pilot valve is normal; the specified pressure value is a pressure value required for driving the switch valve to open or close; if not, determining that the air pressure state of the pilot valve is abnormal;

Optionally, the determining, according to the analog signal, whether the state of the pilot valve is normal further includes:

judging whether the sum of the holding time of the analog signals is larger than a second failure time corresponding to the preset pipeline abnormity of the pilot valve or not when the sum of the holding time of the analog signals is smaller than or equal to the first failure time,

As another technical solution, the present invention further provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, including a process chamber and at least one gas path for delivering a process gas to the process chamber, wherein the gas path is provided with the switching valve and the pilot valve connected to the switching valve; the gas path pilot valve is characterized by further comprising the valve control device provided by the invention, and the valve control device is used for controlling the pilot valve corresponding to at least one gas path to drive the switch valve to open or close.

According to the technical scheme of the valve control device and the valve control method, the opening action and the closing action of the switch valve in each acquisition period are detected by the aid of the first detection module, the opening action and the closing action are converted into electric signals to be sent to the control module, whether the state of the switch valve is normal or not is judged by the aid of the control module according to the electric signals sent by the first detection module, and the state of the switch valve can be monitored by taking the opening action and the closing action of the switch valve as judgment bases, so that the switch valve can be timely known when the switch valve breaks down, correctness of a process result is guaranteed, and safety and stability of equipment are improved.

According to the semiconductor process equipment, the valve control device provided by the invention is adopted, and the state of the switch valve can be monitored by taking the opening action and the closing action of the switch valve as judgment bases, so that the switch valve can be timely known when the switch valve breaks down, the correctness of a process result is ensured, and the safety and the stability of the equipment are improved.

Drawings

The accompanying drawings, which are included to provide a further understanding of the invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description serve to explain the principles of the invention and not to limit the invention. In the drawings:

fig. 1 is a first functional block diagram of a valve control apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 2 is a second schematic block diagram of a valve control apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 3 is a third schematic block diagram of a valve control apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 4 is a fourth functional block diagram of a valve control apparatus according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 5 is a fifth functional block diagram of a valve control apparatus according to the first embodiment of the invention;

fig. 6 is a first functional block diagram of a valve control apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 7 is a second schematic block diagram of a valve control apparatus according to a second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 8 is a timing chart of signals when the opening and closing valves are normal in the valve control apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 9 is a timing chart of signals when the open/close valve is abnormal in the valve control apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a block flow diagram of a valve control method provided by a third embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 11 is a first flowchart of step S3 adopted in the third embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 12 is a second flowchart of step S3 adopted in the third embodiment of the invention;

fig. 13 is a third flowchart of step S3 adopted in the third embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 14 is a first block flow diagram of a valve control method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 15 is a second block flow diagram of a valve control method provided in accordance with a fourth embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 16 is a first flowchart of step S5 adopted in the fourth embodiment of the invention;

fig. 17 is a second flowchart of step S5 adopted by the fourth embodiment of the present invention;

fig. 18 is a second block flow diagram of a valve control method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed Description

The following detailed description of embodiments of the invention refers to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the present invention, are given by way of illustration and explanation only, not limitation.

First embodiment

Referring to fig. 1, a valve control device 4 according to a first embodiment of the present invention is used for controlling a pilot valve 1 in a semiconductor processing apparatus to drive a switching valve 2 to open or close. The switching valve 2 is, for example, a pneumatic valve provided on a gas path 3 in the semiconductor process equipment for turning on or off the gas path 3. The pilot valve 1 is, for example, an electromagnetic pilot valve, and is connected to the pneumatic valve through a pipeline, and is configured to turn on the pipeline to apply gas (e.g., compressed air) to the pneumatic valve to drive the pneumatic valve to open when receiving an opening signal of the valve control device 4; when the valve control means 4 stops sending the opening signal, the line is disconnected to drive the pneumatic valve to close.

The valve control device 4 comprises a first detection module 41 and a control module 42, wherein the first detection module 41 is used for detecting the opening and closing actions of the on-off valve 2 in each acquisition cycle, converting the opening and closing actions into electric signals and sending the electric signals to the control module 42; the control module 42 is configured to send an opening signal to the pilot valve 1 according to a preset opening holding time and cycle number of the switching valve 2 in the acquisition period; and, according to the above-mentioned electrical signal that the first detection module 41 sends, judge whether the state of the on-off valve 2 is normal.

The on-off valve 2 normally performs a plurality of opening actions and a plurality of closing actions in each acquisition cycle, and when the on-off valve 2 is in a normal state, the number of opening actions should be consistent with the number of closing actions, and "on and off" are provided. The number of cycles referred to above is the number of times the acquisition cycle is repeated. The above-mentioned holding time of the opening and closing valve 2 means a time period taken for the opening state to be held after each opening of the opening and closing valve 2, that is, a time period taken for the opening and closing valve 2 to be closed from each opening. The holding time and the number of cycles for which the on-off valve 2 is opened may be set according to specific needs and stored in the control module 42 in advance.

The control module 42 is, for example, a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for sending an opening signal to the pilot valve 1. Taking the switch valve 2 as an air-operated valve as an example, the pilot valve 1, when receiving an opening signal sent by the control module 42, switches on a pipeline to apply gas (e.g., compressed air) to the air-operated valve to drive the air-operated valve to open; when the control module 42 stops sending the turn-on signal, the line is disconnected to drive the pneumatic valve to close. The holding time for the control module 42 to send the opening signal is the same as the holding time for the on-off valve 2 to open. Specifically, the control module 42 includes a digital output unit (DO) for outputting an opening signal (i.e., a voltage signal) to the pilot valve 1, and the pilot valve 1 controls the air pressure of the gas (e.g., compressed air) in the pipeline according to the voltage signal, and the air pressure can drive the switching valve 2 to open when increasing to a certain magnitude; when the gas in the pipeline is blocked, the switch valve 2 is closed.

The first detection module 41 is configured to monitor an opening action and a closing action of the switch valve 2 in each acquisition period, where the first detection module 41 includes, for example, an optical fiber sensor, and the optical fiber sensor is configured to be triggered when the switch valve 2 is opened, convert the optical fiber sensor into a first electrical signal, and send the first electrical signal to the control module 42; and is triggered when the on-off valve 2 is closed, and is converted into a second electric signal and transmitted to the control module 42. That is, the optical fiber sensor may feed back different electrical signals to the control module 42 when the on-off valve 2 performs the opening operation and the closing operation, respectively. In addition, the optical fiber sensor can normally operate in a high-temperature environment (for example, 120 ℃ or higher), and thus can be applied to the operation detection of the on-off valve 2 installed on the gas path in the high-temperature environment. In addition, the optical fiber sensor is generally equipped with an optical fiber amplifier for amplifying and converting a signal fed back from the optical fiber sensor into an electrical signal (digital signal). The control module 42 also includes a digital input unit (DI) for receiving the electrical signals sent by the fiber optic sensors described above.

When the switch valve 2 is in a normal state, the times of the opening action and the closing action of the switch valve 2 are consistent with the times of the opening signal sent by the control module 42, if the conditions are inconsistent, the actions of the switch valve 2 are lost, the state of the switch valve 2 is abnormal, and the wear degree of the switch valve 2 can be judged according to the error times of the opening action and the closing action, so that corresponding maintenance measures, such as maintenance or replacement, can be taken according to the wear degree. Based on this, detect the opening action and the closing action of ooff valve 2 in each acquisition cycle with the help of first detection module 41, convert it into the signal of telecommunication and send to control module 42, and carry out corresponding contrastive analysis according to the signal of telecommunication that first detection module 41 sent with the help of control module 42, judge whether the state of ooff valve 2 is normal, can monitor the state of ooff valve 2 as the judgement foundation through the opening action and the closing action of ooff valve 2, thereby can in time learn when ooff valve 2 breaks down, guarantee the exactness of technology result, improve the safety and stability of equipment.

In some optional embodiments, as shown in fig. 2, the control module 42 includes a counting unit 421 and a control unit 422, wherein the counting unit 421 is configured to accumulate a total number of times of sending the opening signal to the pilot valve 1 when the above-mentioned number of cycles is completed (i.e. a product of the number of times of sending the opening signal to the pilot valve 1 and the number of cycles), and accumulate a total number of times of opening and closing actions of the on-off valve 2 when the above-mentioned number of cycles is completed (i.e. a product of the number of times of opening and the number of cycles of the on-off valve 2 in each cycle) according to the electric signal sent by the first detecting module 41. Of course, in practical applications, the number of times of sending the opening signal to the pilot valve 1 in each acquisition cycle and the number of times of opening actions of the switching valve 2 may also be accumulated, and the embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited thereto.

In some optional embodiments, the counting unit 421 may include a first counter, a second counter, and a third counter, where the first counter is used to accumulate the total number of times of sending the opening signal to the pilot valve 1 when the above-mentioned cycle number is completed; the second counter is used for accumulating the total opening action times of the switch valve 2 when the cycle times are finished according to the electric signal sent by the first detection module 41; the third counter is used for accumulating the total times of closing actions of the switch valve 2 when the cycle times are finished according to the electric signal sent by the first detection module 41.

The control unit 422 is configured to determine whether each of the total number of opening operations and the total number of closing operations is equal to the total number of opening signals, and if the total number of opening signals is equal to the total number of closing signals, determine that the number of opening operations and the number of closing operations of the on-off valve 2 are not lost, thereby determining that the state of the on-off valve 2 is normal; if at least one of the total number of opening operations and the total number of closing operations is smaller than the total number of opening signals, it is determined that at least one of the opening operations and the closing operations of the on-off valve 2 is lost, and it is determined that the state of the on-off valve 2 is abnormal. Alternatively, the degree of wear of the on-off valve 2 may be determined according to the number of times of loss of the opening and closing operations, so that corresponding maintenance measures, such as repair or replacement, may be taken according to the degree of wear.

Therefore, the control unit 422 can count and accumulate the total opening action times and the total closing action times according to the electric signal sent by the first detection module 41, and compare and analyze the electric signal with the accumulated total opening signal times to judge whether the state of the switch valve 2 is normal, so that the state of the switch valve 2 is monitored, the switch valve 2 can be timely known when a fault occurs, the correctness of a process result is ensured, and the safety and stability of the equipment are improved. Of course, the embodiment of the present invention is not limited to this, and in practical applications, the control unit 422 may also determine whether the state of the on-off valve 2 is normal according to the electrical signal sent by the first detection module 41 by adopting any other data processing method, as long as the state of the on-off valve 2 can be monitored.

In some optional embodiments, the control unit 422 may further determine, based on the electrical signal sent by the first detection module 41, the smoothness of the action of the on-off valve 2 by timing based on the count to determine whether the opening and closing actions of the on-off valve 2 are lost, as a basis for further determining whether the state of the on-off valve 2 is normal, and may also predict and distinguish the abnormal degree of the on-off valve 2, so that corresponding maintenance measures may be taken, for example, when the abnormal degree is light, only attention may be paid, and when the abnormal degree is serious, maintenance or replacement may be selected.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 3, the control module 42 further includes a timing unit 423 for obtaining a sum of holding times of the open signals at the completion of the number of cycles (i.e., a product of the sum of holding times of the open signals and the number of cycles in each cycle period), and obtaining a sum of holding times of the opening action of the open-close valve 2 at the completion of the number of cycles (i.e., a product of the sum of holding times of the opening action of the open-close valve 2 and the number of cycles in each cycle period) based on the electric signal sent by the first detection module 41. Of course, in practical applications, the sum of the holding time of the opening signal in each cycle period and the sum of the holding time of the opening action of the switch valve 2 may also be obtained, and the embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited thereto. The timing unit 423 is, for example, a first timer.

The control unit 422 is further configured to determine whether the sum of the holding times of the opening actions is equal to the sum of the holding times of the opening signals; if the sum of the holding times of the opening signals is equal to the sum of the holding times of the opening signals, the opening action of the on-off valve 2 is determined to have no delay, so that the action of the on-off valve 2 can be determined to be smooth without friction, and the state of the on-off valve 2 can be determined to be normal under the condition that the times of the opening action and the closing action of the on-off valve 2 are not lost.

If the difference value between the sum of the holding time of the opening action and the sum of the holding time of the opening signal is smaller than a preset threshold value, the sum of the holding time of the opening action and the sum of the holding time of the opening signal is judged to be smaller than the preset threshold value, if the difference value is smaller than the preset threshold value, the sum of the holding time of the opening action is slightly smaller than the sum of the holding time of the opening signal, the opening action of the switch valve 2 is determined to have delay, and therefore the action of the switch valve 2 can be determined to be not smooth and has little friction, and under the condition that the times of the opening action and the closing action of the switch valve 2 are not lost, the switch valve 2 can be determined to be continuously used but needs to pay attention regularly. The preset threshold value can be set according to the specific situation of the switch valve.

If the sum of the holding times of the opening operation is greater than or equal to the preset threshold, the sum of the holding times of the opening operation is far smaller than the sum of the holding times of the opening signals, so that the switch valve 2 can be determined to be in failure and to need maintenance or replacement.

Due to the pipe diameter and length of the pipe for delivering gas (e.g. compressed air) of the pilot valve 1, the gas pressure rise time is affected, which may result in that the opening action of the switching valve 2 under the driving of the pilot valve 1 is slower than the opening signal received by the pilot valve 1, i.e. the opening action of the switching valve 2 is delayed relative to the opening signal received by the pilot valve 1. Specifically, as shown in fig. 8, the command pulse is an opening signal sent by the control unit 422 to the pilot valve 1, the valve operation feedback signal is an electric signal related to the opening operation fed back by the first detection module 41, and a rising edge of the electric signal related to the opening operation is slower than a rising edge of the opening signal by Δ t. Based on this, in some optional embodiments, in the case that it is determined that the opening action of the on-off valve 2 is delayed, the delay degree of the action of the on-off valve 2 can be further determined by monitoring the Δ t, which is used as a basis for further determining whether the state of the on-off valve 2 is normal, and the abnormal degree of the on-off valve 2 can be predicted and distinguished, so that corresponding maintenance measures can be taken, for example, when the abnormal degree is light, only attention can be paid, and when the abnormal degree is serious, maintenance or replacement can be selected.

Specifically, as shown in fig. 4, the control module 42 further includes a delay timer unit 424, and the delay timer unit 424 is configured to obtain a sum of feedback delay times of the on-off valve 2 when the above-mentioned cycle number is completed, where the feedback delay times are time differences (i.e., Δ t) between a first time (i.e., a rising edge of the electric signal related to the opening operation shown in fig. 8) corresponding to each opening operation of the on-off valve 2 and a second time (i.e., a rising edge of the opening signal shown in fig. 8) corresponding to each opening operation of the corresponding pilot valve 1, according to the electric signal sent by the first detection module 41. The sum of the feedback delay times of the switching valves 2 at the completion of the above-mentioned cycle number is the product of the sum of the feedback delay times of the switching valves 2 in each cycle period and the cycle number. Of course, in practical applications, the sum of the feedback delay times of the on-off valve 2 in each cycle period may also be obtained, and the embodiment of the present invention is not particularly limited thereto. The delay timing unit 424 is, for example, a second timer.

The control unit 422 is further configured to determine whether the sum of the feedback delay times is smaller than a preset delay maintenance time if it is determined that the opening operation of the on-off valve 2 is delayed (i.e., the difference between the sum of the holding times of the opening operations and the sum of the holding times of the opening signals is smaller than a preset threshold), and if it is smaller than the delay maintenance time, it may be determined that the on-off valve 2 can be continuously used without losing the number of times of the opening operation and the closing operation of the on-off valve 2, but it needs to pay attention regularly. The delayed maintenance time may be set according to the specific condition of the on-off valve.

If the feedback delay time is greater than or equal to the delay maintenance time, judging whether the sum of the feedback delay time is smaller than preset switch valve alarm time, if so, indicating that the action of the switch valve 2 has friction, and determining that the switch valve 2 needs to be cleaned and maintained; if the alarm time is more than or equal to the alarm time of the switch valve, the switch valve 2 is determined to be in a critical fault state and needs to be checked and replaced. The switch valve alarm time can be set according to the specific conditions of the switch valve.

In some alternative embodiments, as shown in fig. 5, the control module 42 further includes an error counting unit 425, and the error counting unit 425 is configured to accumulate the total number of errors of the opening and closing actions of the on-off valve 2 (i.e., the product of the sum of the error times of the opening and closing actions of the on-off valve 2 and the cycle time in each cycle) when the above-mentioned cycle times are completed according to the electric signal sent by the first detecting module 41. The error counting unit 425 is, for example, a fourth counter.

The control unit 422 is further configured to compare the total number of errors with the total number of times of sending the opening signal to the pilot valve 1 when the number of cycles is completed, and determine the damage degree of the on-off valve 2 according to the comparison result. It is easy to understand that the larger the difference between the total number of the errors and the total number of the opening signals sent to the pilot valve 1 when the cycle number is completed, the larger the damage degree of the on-off valve 2 is; otherwise, the smaller the size.

It should be noted that the control module 42 may include a counting unit 421, in which case, whether the opening and closing actions of the on-off valve 2 are lost or not may be judged by counting, so as to determine whether the state of the on-off valve 2 is normal or not. The control module 42 may also include a counting unit 421 and a timing unit 423, in which case, on the basis of judging whether the number of opening and closing actions of the on-off valve 2 is lost by counting, the smoothness of the actions of the on-off valve 2 may be further judged by timing to predict and distinguish the degree of abnormality of the on-off valve 2, so that corresponding maintenance measures may be taken. The control module 42 may further include a counting unit 421, a timing unit 423, and a delay timing unit 424, in which case, on the basis of determining whether the number of times of the opening and closing actions of the on-off valve 2 is lost by counting, the smoothness of the actions of the on-off valve 2 may be further determined by timing, and in the case where it is determined that the opening action of the on-off valve 2 is delayed, the degree of delay of the actions of the on-off valve 2 may be further determined by monitoring Δ t described above to predict and distinguish the degree of abnormality of the on-off valve 2, so that corresponding maintenance measures may be taken. In any of the above cases, the control module 42 may further include an error counting unit 425 for determining a wear level of the switching valve 2 according to how many times the opening and closing actions are lost, so that a corresponding maintenance measure, such as repair or replacement, may be taken according to the wear level.

Second embodiment

A valve control device 4 according to a second embodiment of the present invention is an improvement of the first embodiment, and specifically, as shown in fig. 6, the valve control device 4 further includes a second detection module 43 on the basis of the first detection module 41 and the control module 42, the second detection module 43 is used for detecting the gas pressure delivered to the switching valve 2 by the pilot valve 1 in real time during each opening of the pilot valve 1, and converting the gas pressure into an analog signal to be sent to the control module 42; the control module 42 is further configured to determine whether the state of the pilot valve 1 is normal according to the analog signal sent by the second detecting module 43. The control module 42 also includes an analog signal port for receiving the analog signal.

When the opening and closing actions of the on-off valve 2 are lost, if the opening and closing actions of the on-off valve 2 are delayed, the state of the pilot valve 1 may be abnormal, in addition to the abnormal state of the on-off valve 2, because the action of the on-off valve 2 must be driven by a pipeline for switching on and off the pilot valve 1 as an intermediate link, and if the pilot valve 1 or the pipeline thereof fails, the action of the on-off valve 2 may be abnormal. Based on this, the second detection module 43 is used for detecting the gas pressure transmitted to the switching valve 2 by the pilot valve 1 in real time, and the state of the pilot valve 1 can be monitored on the basis of monitoring the state of the switching valve 2, so that the pilot valve 1 can be known in time when the pilot valve 1 fails.

In some optional embodiments, the control module 42 is further configured to determine whether the state of the on-off valve 2 is normal according to the electric signal sent by the first detection module 41; if not, whether the working state of the pilot valve 1 is normal is judged according to the analog signal sent by the second detection module 43. Thus, if the state of the on-off valve 2 is determined to be normal first, it is not necessary to determine the state of the pilot valve 1 again, and if the state of the on-off valve 2 is determined to be abnormal first, it is possible to further determine the state of the pilot valve 1 to further determine the fault position.

In some alternative embodiments, the second detection module 43 comprises a pressure sensor for detecting the gas pressure in the line of the pilot valve 1.

In some optional embodiments, the control module 42 is further configured to obtain, according to the analog signal sent by the second detection module 43, a sum of holding times of the analog signal when the switching valve 2 is in the open state at the time of completing the number of cycles (i.e., a product of the sum of the holding times of the analog signal and the number of cycles when the switching valve 2 is in the open state in each cycle), and a total number of times when the gas pressure of the pilot valve 1 reaches a specified pressure value at the time of completing the number of cycles (i.e., a product of the sum of the times when the gas pressure of the pilot valve 1 reaches the specified pressure value and the number of cycles). The above-mentioned specified pressure value is a pressure value required to be able to drive the on-off valve 2 to open or close.

The control module 42 knows the air pressure change in the pipeline of the pilot valve 1 according to the analog signal sent by the second detection module 43, and when the air pressure rises to a specified pressure value capable of opening the switching valve 2, the control module 42 can obtain the sum of the holding time of the analog signal through timing and obtain the total number of times that the gas pressure of the pilot valve 1 reaches the specified pressure value through counting. Then, the control module 42 determines whether the sum of the holding times of the analog signals is greater than a preset first failure time corresponding to the abnormal state of the air pressure of the pilot valve 1, and if the sum of the holding times of the analog signals is greater than the first failure time, determines whether the total number of times that the air pressure reaches a specified pressure value is equal to the total number of times that an opening signal is sent to the pilot valve when the cycle number is completed, if the sum of the holding times of the analog signals is greater than the first failure time, determines that the air pressure state of the pilot valve 1 is normal, and can eliminate the possibility that the pilot valve 1 fails and determine that the switching valve 2 itself fails when the state of the switching valve 2 is abnormal. If the first failure time is less than or equal to the first failure time, it is determined that the air pressure state of the pilot valve 1 is abnormal. The first failure time is a sum of holding times of the analog signals corresponding to the pilot valve 1 in which the air pressure state is abnormal, and may be obtained through experiments or experience.

It is easily understood that the normal pneumatic state of the pilot valve 1 can be determined only if the total of the holding times of the analog signals is greater than the first failure time and the total number of times the gas pressure reaches the specified pressure value is equal to the total number of times the cycle is completed, and the opening signal is sent to the pilot valve. Neither of these two conditions is satisfied, and it cannot be determined that the pneumatic pressure state of the pilot valve 1 is normal. However, if the sum of the holding times of the analog signals is equal to or less than the first failure time, it is possible to determine that the pneumatic pressure state of the pilot valve 1 is abnormal, and it is not necessary to determine the total number of times again.

In some optional embodiments, in order to further determine the fault location of the pilot valve 1, the control module is further configured to further determine whether the sum of the holding times of the analog signals is greater than a preset second fault time corresponding to the abnormal pipeline of the pilot valve 1 when the sum of the holding times of the analog signals is less than or equal to the first fault time; if the second failure time is longer than the second failure time, determining that the pipeline (or the joint) of the pilot valve 1 is abnormal; if the second failure time is shorter than or equal to the second failure time, it is determined that the internal mechanism of the pilot valve 1 is abnormal. The second failure time is a sum of holding times of the analog signals corresponding to the abnormal pilot valve 1 in a pipeline (or a joint), and can be obtained through experiments or experience.

In a specific embodiment, as shown in fig. 7, there are n pilot valves, where n is an integer greater than 1; the quantity of the switch valves is the same as that of the pilot valves, the switch valves are connected in a one-to-one correspondence mode, and different switch valves are correspondingly installed on different air paths. In this case, the present embodiment provides a valve control apparatus including a control module, n optical fiber sensors each provided with an optical fiber amplifier, and n pressure sensors. Wherein, each optical fiber sensor is correspondingly connected with each switch valve; and each pressure sensor is correspondingly connected with each pilot valve.

The control module includes a control unit, a first counter, a second counter, a third counter, a fourth counter, a first timer and a second timer, as well as a digital output unit (DO), a digital input unit (DI) and an analog signal port (AI). Optionally, the valve control device may further include an alarm module for sending an alarm prompt message about the failure of the switching valve under the control of the control module. The first counter is used for accumulating the total times of sending the opening signals to each pilot valve when the circulation times are finished; the second counter is used for accumulating the total times of opening actions of the switch valves when the cycle times are finished according to the electric signals sent by the optical fiber sensors; and the third counter is used for accumulating the total times of closing actions of the switch valves when the circulation times are finished according to the electric signals sent by the optical fiber sensors. And the fourth counter is used for accumulating the total error times of the opening action and the closing action of each switch valve when the circulation times are finished according to the electric signals sent by each optical fiber sensor. The first timer is used for obtaining the sum of the holding time of the opening signal when the circulation times are finished and obtaining the sum of the holding time of the opening action of each switch valve when the circulation times are finished according to the electric signals sent by each optical fiber sensor. And the second timer is used for obtaining the sum of the feedback delay time of each switch valve when the circulation times are completed according to the electric signals sent by each optical fiber sensor.

Fig. 8 is a timing chart of signals when the opening and closing valve is normal in the valve control apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. Fig. 9 is a timing chart of signals when the open/close valve is abnormal in the valve control apparatus according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in fig. 8, when the switching valve is in a normal state, in the same acquisition period, the respective times of the opening and closing actions (the number of rising edges of the valve action feedback signal) are consistent with the times of sending the opening signal (the number of rising edges of the command pulse) by the control module 42; when the pilot valve is in a normal state, the holding time of the analog signal (pressure feedback signal) is consistent with the holding time of the opening action, and the rising edge times are consistent.

As shown in fig. 9, the number of times (the number of rising edges of the command pulse) that the control module 42 sends the on signal is m times, and the holding time of the m on signals is t1, t 2.., tm; when the switching valve is in an abnormal state, the respective times of opening and closing actions (the number of rising edges of the valve action feedback signal) are lost, and specifically, the holding time of the m opening actions is t1 ', t2 ',. tm ', where the opening and closing actions corresponding to t3 ' and t5 ' are lost. When the pilot valve is in an abnormal state, the holding time of the m analog signals (pressure feedback signals) is t1 ", t 2", t, tm ", respectively, wherein the analog signal (pressure feedback signal) corresponding to t 5" does not reach the designated pressure value P (P'), namely, the number of times that the gas pressure reaches the designated pressure value is lost.

Third embodiment

As another technical solution, a valve control method according to a third embodiment of the present invention is applied to the valve control device according to the above embodiments of the present invention, taking the valve control device 4 shown in fig. 1 as an example, please refer to fig. 10, and the method includes:

s1, sending an opening signal to the pilot valve according to the preset opening holding time and the preset cycle number of the switch valve in each acquisition period;

s2, detecting the opening and closing actions of the switch valve when all the circulation times are finished, and converting the opening and closing actions into electric signals;

and S3, judging whether the state of the switch valve is normal or not according to the electric signal.

In the valve control method provided by the embodiment of the invention, the opening action and the closing action of the switch valve in each acquisition period are detected by means of the step S2, and are converted into electric signals; and performing corresponding comparative analysis according to the electrical signal by means of the step S3 to determine whether the state of the switch valve is normal, and monitoring the state of the switch valve by using the opening and closing actions of the switch valve as a determination basis, so that the switch valve can be timely known when a fault occurs, the correctness of a process result is ensured, and the safety and stability of the equipment are improved.

In some alternative embodiments, when applied to the valve control device 4 shown in fig. 2, as shown in fig. 11, the step S3 includes:

s31, accumulating the total times of sending opening signals to the pilot valve when all the circulation times are finished, and accumulating the total times of opening and closing actions of the switch valve when all the circulation times are finished according to the electric signals;

s32, judging whether each of the total opening times and the total closing times is equal to the total opening times,

if the number of times of the opening signal is equal to the total number of times of the opening signal, determining that the number of times of opening and closing actions of the switch valve is not lost;

if at least one of the total number of opening actions and the total number of closing actions is smaller than the total number of opening signals, it is determined that the number of times of at least one of the opening actions and the closing actions of the on-off valve 2 is lost.

In some alternative embodiments, when applied to the valve control device 4 shown in fig. 3, as shown in fig. 12, the step S3 further includes:

s33, obtaining the sum of the holding time of the opening signal when all the circulation times are finished, and obtaining the sum of the holding time of the opening action of the switch valve when all the circulation times are finished according to the electric signal;

s34, judging whether the sum of the holding time of the opening action is equal to the sum of the holding time of the opening signal;

if the sum of the holding time of the opening signal is less than the sum of the holding time of the opening signal, the step S35 is carried out;

s35, judging whether the difference value between the keeping time sum of the opening action and the keeping time sum of the opening signal is smaller than a preset threshold value, if so, determining that the opening action of the switch valve is delayed; and if the fault is larger than or equal to the preset threshold value, determining that the switching valve has a fault.

It should be noted that the steps S33 to S35 and the steps S31 and S32 may be performed in any order, and preferably, the steps S31 and S32 may be performed first, and then the steps S33 to S35 may be performed, so that the steps S33 to S35 may not be performed when the number of times of at least one of the opening and closing operations of the open/close valve 2 is determined to be lost.

In some alternative embodiments, when applied to the valve control device 4 shown in fig. 4, as shown in fig. 13, the step S3 further includes:

s36, obtaining a sum of feedback delay times of the on-off valve at the time of completing all the cycle times, the feedback delay time being a time difference (i.e., Δ t) between a first time corresponding to each opening operation of the on-off valve and a second time corresponding to each opening of the pilot valve;

s37, under the condition that the opening action of the switch valve is delayed, judging whether the sum of the feedback delay time is less than the preset delayed maintenance time,

if the time is longer than or equal to the delayed maintenance time, performing step S38;

s38, judging whether the sum of the feedback delay time is less than the preset switch valve alarm time or not, and if the sum of the feedback delay time is less than the switch valve alarm time, determining that the switch valve needs to be maintained; and if the alarm time is more than or equal to the alarm time of the switch valve, determining that the switch valve needs to be replaced.

It should be noted that the steps S36 to S38 may be executed after the steps S33 to S35 are completed.

Fourth embodiment

A valve control method according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention is an improvement of the third embodiment, and specifically, when applied to the valve control device 4 shown in fig. 6, as shown in fig. 14, the valve control method according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention further includes, in addition to the steps S1 to S3 described above:

s4, detecting the gas pressure transmitted to the switch valve by the pilot valve in real time in the process of opening the pilot valve each time, and converting the gas pressure into an analog signal;

and S5, judging whether the state of the pilot valve is normal or not according to the analog signal.

When the opening and closing actions of the switch valve are lost, if the opening and closing actions of the switch valve are delayed, the opening and closing actions of the switch valve can be caused to be abnormal, in addition to the abnormal state of the switch valve, the abnormal state of the pilot valve can also be caused to be abnormal, because the action of the switch valve must be driven by a pipeline which is used as an intermediate link and used for switching on and off the pilot valve to convey gas, and the abnormal action of the switch valve can be caused if the pilot valve or the pipeline thereof fails. Based on this, by the above steps S4 and S5, the state of the pilot valve can be monitored on the basis of monitoring the state of the switching valve, so that the pilot valve can be known in time when the pilot valve fails.

In some alternative embodiments, as shown in fig. 15, the above step S4 and the above step S2 may be performed in any order, and after the above steps S2 and S4 are completed, the step S3 is performed, and then the step S5 is performed, so that the step S5 may be performed after the abnormal state of the switching valve is determined. If the state of the switching valve is determined to be normal first, the state of the pilot valve does not need to be determined again (i.e., step S5 does not need to be executed).

In some alternative embodiments, as shown in fig. 16, the step S5 includes:

s51, according to the analog signals, obtaining the sum of the holding time of the analog signals when the switch valve is in the open state when all the circulation times are completed, and obtaining the total times when the gas pressure of the pilot valve reaches the designated pressure value when all the circulation times are completed;

s52, judging whether the sum of the holding time of the analog signals is larger than the first fault time corresponding to the abnormal air pressure state of the preset pilot valve;

if the first failure time is longer than the first failure time, performing step S53;

if the fault time is less than or equal to the first fault time, determining that the air pressure state of the pilot valve is abnormal;

s53, judging whether the total times of the gas pressure reaching the specified pressure value is equal to the total times of sending an opening signal to the pilot valve when all the circulation times are completed, and if so, determining that the gas pressure state of the pilot valve is normal; if not, determining that the air pressure state of the pilot valve is abnormal.

In some optional embodiments, as shown in fig. 17, when the above step S52 is performed, in the case that the sum of the holding times of the analog signals is less than or equal to the first fault time, it is determined that the air pressure state of the pilot valve is abnormal, and step S54 is further performed;

s54, judging whether the sum of the holding time of the analog signals is larger than a second failure time corresponding to the preset pipeline abnormity of the pilot valve or not, and if so, determining that the pipeline of the pilot valve is abnormal; and if the fault time is less than or equal to the second fault time, determining that the internal mechanism of the pilot valve is abnormal.

In a specific embodiment, when the valve control method provided by the fourth embodiment of the present invention is applied to the valve control device 4 shown in fig. 7, there are n pilot valves, where n is an integer greater than 1; the quantity of the switch valves is the same as that of the pilot valves, the switch valves are connected in a one-to-one correspondence mode, and different switch valves are correspondingly installed on different air paths. In this case, as shown in fig. 18, the method includes, for each switching valve 2:

s101, setting the opening holding time and the cycle number of the switch valve;

s102, sending an opening signal to a pilot valve;

s103, adding 1 to the sending times of the opening signal;

s104, timing the holding time of the opening signal, and executing the step S107 when the holding time of the opening of the switch valve is reached;

while the above-described step S104 is being performed, a step S105 is being performed,

s105, judging whether the optical fiber sensor feeds back a first electric signal related to the opening action, if so, adding 1 to the opening action frequency of the switch valve; if not, adding 1 to the opening action error frequency of the switch valve;

step S106 is executed in the process of executing the above-described step S104,

s106, detecting the gas pressure transmitted to the switching valve by the pilot valve in real time, and converting the gas pressure into an analog signal;

s107, sending a closing signal to the pilot valve;

s108, judging whether the optical fiber sensor feeds back a second electric signal related to the closing action, if so, adding 1 to the closing action frequency of the switch valve, and executing the step S109; if not, adding 1 to the number of times of the closing action error of the switch valve;

s109, judging whether the cycle number is 0, if so, ending the process; if not, the process returns to the step S102.

As another technical solution, an embodiment of the present invention further provides a semiconductor processing apparatus, which includes a process chamber, at least one gas path for delivering a process gas to the process chamber, wherein the gas path is provided with a switch valve and a pilot valve connected to the switch valve, and a valve control device provided in each of the above embodiments of the present invention, and is configured to control the switch valve to be opened or closed by driving the switch valve to the pilot valve corresponding to the at least one gas path.

According to the semiconductor process equipment provided by the embodiment of the invention, the valve control device provided by each embodiment of the invention can be used for timely acquiring when the switch valve has a fault, so that the correctness of a process result is ensured, and the safety and stability of the equipment are improved.

It will be understood that the above embodiments are merely exemplary embodiments taken to illustrate the principles of the present invention, which is not limited thereto. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and improvements can be made without departing from the spirit and substance of the invention, and these modifications and improvements are also considered to be within the scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A valve control device for controlling the opening and closing of a pilot valve driving switch valve in semiconductor process equipment is characterized by comprising a first detection module and a control module, wherein,

2. The valve control device according to claim 1, wherein the control module includes a counting unit and a control unit, wherein the counting unit is configured to count a total number of times the opening signal is sent to the pilot valve when the number of cycles is completed, and count a total number of times the opening operation and a total number of times the closing operation of the switching valve when the number of cycles is completed, based on the electric signal sent by the first detection module;

3. The valve control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control module further includes a timing unit for obtaining a sum of holding times of the opening signal at the completion of the number of cycles, and obtaining a sum of holding times of the opening action of the on-off valve at the completion of the number of cycles based on the electric signal sent by the first detection module;

4. The valve control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the control module further comprises a delay timing unit, the delay timing unit is configured to obtain a sum of feedback delay times of the switching valve when the cycle number is completed according to the electric signal sent by the first detection module, and the feedback delay time is a time difference between a first time corresponding to each opening action of the switching valve and a second time corresponding to each opening of the pilot valve;

5. The valve control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the control module further includes an error counting unit configured to count a total number of errors of each of the opening and closing actions of the on-off valve when the cycle number is completed, based on the electric signal sent by the first detection module;

6. The valve control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising a second detection module for detecting the gas pressure delivered by the pilot valve to the on-off valve in real time during each opening of the pilot valve and converting the gas pressure into an analog signal to be sent to the control module;

7. The valve control device according to claim 6, wherein the control module is further configured to obtain, according to the analog signal sent by the second detection module, a sum of a holding time of the analog signal when the switching valve is in the open state at the time of completing the number of cycles, and a total number of times when the gas pressure of the pilot valve reaches a specified pressure value at the time of completing the number of cycles; and judging whether the sum of the holding time of the analog signals is larger than a preset first fault time corresponding to the abnormal air pressure state of the pilot valve,

and if the first failure time is less than or equal to the first failure time, determining that the air pressure state of the pilot valve is abnormal.

8. The valve control apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the control module is further configured to determine whether a sum of the holding times of the analog signals is greater than a preset second failure time corresponding to a piping abnormality of the pilot valve, in a case where the sum of the holding times of the analog signals is equal to or less than the first failure time,

and if the second failure time is less than or equal to the second failure time, determining that the internal mechanism of the pilot valve is abnormal.

9. A valve control method applied to the valve control apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 8, the method comprising:

detecting the opening action and the closing action of the switch valve when all the circulation times are finished, and converting the opening action and the closing action into electric signals;

10. The valve control method according to claim 9, wherein the determining whether the state of the on-off valve is normal based on the electric signal includes:

11. The valve control method according to claim 10, wherein the determining whether the state of the on-off valve is normal based on the electric signal further includes:

12. The valve control method according to claim 11, wherein the determining whether the state of the on-off valve is normal based on the electric signal further includes:

13. The valve control method according to any one of claims 9 to 12, further comprising:

14. The valve control method of claim 13, wherein said determining whether the state of the pilot valve is normal based on the analog signal comprises:

according to the analog signals, obtaining the sum of the holding time of the analog signals when the switch valve is in an opening state when all the circulation times are completed, and obtaining the total times when the gas pressure of the pilot valve reaches a specified pressure value when all the circulation times are completed; and judging whether the sum of the holding time of the analog signals is larger than a first failure time corresponding to the abnormal air pressure state of the preset pilot valve,

if the total number of times that the gas pressure reaches the specified pressure value is larger than the first fault time, judging whether the total number of times that the starting signal is sent to the pilot valve when all the circulation times are completed is equal to or not, and if the total number of times that the starting signal is sent to the pilot valve is equal to the specified pressure value, determining that the gas pressure state of the pilot valve is normal; the specified pressure value is a pressure value required for driving the opening and closing valve to open or close; if not, determining that the air pressure state of the pilot valve is abnormal;

15. The valve control method of claim 14, wherein said determining whether the state of the pilot valve is normal based on the analog signal further comprises:

16. The semiconductor process equipment comprises a process chamber and at least one gas path for conveying process gas to the process chamber, wherein the gas path is provided with a switch valve and a pilot valve connected with the switch valve; the valve control device is characterized by further comprising a valve control device of any one of claims 1 to 8, and the device is used for controlling the pilot valve corresponding to at least one gas path to drive the switching valve to open or close.