JPH0666280A - Vacuum device - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a vacuum device in which the time of replacement of an exhauster can be calculated with precision and the replacement work of the exhauster can efficiently be performed in a short time. CONSTITUTION:The exhausting ability of an exhauster 2 is expressed as the time required for data 10 on measurements of the degree of vacuum obtained from a vacuum gauge 3 to reach a predetermined value, and this time data are subjected to storage management corresponding to sample lots processed in a reaction container 1, and are graphed in a display 7 for every predetermined number of lots processed so as to make visible the hysteresis of deterioration of the exhausting ability of the exhauster 2.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a vacuum device, and more particularly to a vacuum device capable of predicting the replacement time of an exhaust device for evacuating the inside of a reaction container for manufacturing semiconductor devices and the like.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the structure of a conventional vacuum device, and FIG. 6 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of this vacuum device. In these figures, 1 is a reaction container in which manufacturing operations of semiconductor devices and the like are performed,
2 is an exhaust device for making the inside of the reaction vessel 1 into a vacuum state,
Reference numeral 3 is a vacuum gauge for measuring the vacuum degree of the reaction container 1, 4 is a controller for integrally controlling the entire vacuum apparatus, 5 is an alarm device, 1
Reference numeral 1 is an exhaust control signal, 12 is an exhaust system error signal, and 13 is a warning signal.

Next, the operation of this vacuum device will be described with reference to these figures. The air in the reaction container 1 is drawn by the exhaust device 2, and the inside of the reaction container 1 becomes a vacuum. At this time, the degree of vacuum in the reaction container 1 is measured by the vacuum degree meter 3, and the vacuum degree measurement data 10 is sent to the controller 4. Then, the controller 4 compares the vacuum degree measurement data with a preset pressure (vacuum degree), sends an exhaust control signal 11 to the exhaust device 2 in accordance with the difference, and exhaust amount by the exhaust device 2 Is controlled so that the inside of the reaction container 1 has a constant degree of vacuum. Further, during this period, the operating state of the exhaust device 2 is monitored at regular time intervals, and when the exhaust device 2 is operating normally, the above-described operation is continuously performed without sending a signal to the controller 4, in particular, When any failure occurs in the exhaust device 2, the exhaust device 2 outputs an error signal 12 to the controller 4 to notify the controller 4 that the exhaust device 2 has a failure. When the controller 4 receives the error signal 12, the controller 4 stops the operation of these systems and outputs a failure warning signal 13 to the alarm device 5, and the alarm device 5 causes a failure of the exhaust system, that is, the system. Notify the operator that the is not in operation.

[0004]

In the vacuum device shown in FIG. 5, the failure of the exhaust device is constantly monitored, and when the exhaust device fails, the system operation is stopped and a warning is issued to cause the failure. Sometimes something is taken immediately. However, the repair of the faulty part and the replacement work of the exhaust system are performed from the time when this warning is issued, including the preparation, so it takes a considerable amount of time to restore the normal operation of the vacuum system. It will require manpower. In addition, although the exhaust system failure may occur suddenly, it often occurs with the deterioration of the exhaust system itself due to secular change.
Due to the deterioration of the equipment, the exhaust capacity is considerably reduced, and a considerable exhaust time is required to bring the inside of the reaction vessel to a predetermined degree of vacuum, which causes a problem that the work efficiency of the entire system is significantly reduced. there were.

Further, similar to the vacuum device shown in FIG. 5, a vacuum device having a means for detecting a failure (abnormality) of an exhaust device (vacuum pump) has been proposed in the past. In Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 63-134186, after starting the exhaust device (vacuum pump), the time until the predetermined vacuum degree is reached is measured, and the exhaust device (vacuum pump) that does not reach the predetermined vacuum degree within the set time is abnormal. A vacuum pump exhaust system abnormality detection device is proposed.
JP-A-177683 discloses a (exhaust device) a vacuum sensor on the vacuum suction side of a vacuum pump, a detection unit for determining the function of the vacuum pump based on the output of the vacuum sensor, and a display unit for displaying the determination result of the detection unit. Then, a vacuum pump with a self-diagnosis function has been proposed, which issues a warning that the determination result of the detection unit is less than or equal to a predetermined value.

In the apparatus proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-134186, since the abnormality detection of the exhaust device is performed based on the exhaust capacity of the exhaust device, the conventional vacuum device shown in FIG. Although it is possible to prevent the work efficiency from deteriorating due to the work being continued in a state where the exhaust capacity of the exhaust system has deteriorated, the replacement work (or repair work) of the exhaust system, including the preparation Since the abnormality detecting device detects the abnormality, it takes a considerable amount of time and manpower to return the vacuum device to a normal operating state as in the conventional vacuum device shown in FIG. turn into.

On the other hand, in the vacuum device proposed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 63-177683, the detection unit for detecting the function of the vacuum pump, the display unit for displaying the determination result of the detection unit, and the determination result. Since an alarm unit that issues a warning when is less than or equal to a predetermined value,
It is possible to know the deterioration state of the vacuum pump while the vacuum pump is operating, and it is possible to predict the replacement time of the vacuum hoop to some extent before the alarm unit issues a warning. However, in this vacuum device, although the judgment result of the function of the vacuum pump is shown on the display part, since the history cannot be recorded, it is practically possible to predict the replacement time of the vacuum hoop only by the experience of the operator. Since the progress of deterioration of the exhaust system changes due to changes in the working conditions (reaction materials, reaction species, reaction environment, etc.) and work frequency in the reaction vessel, it is always necessary to accurately predict the replacement time of the exhaust system. There was a problem that I could not do it.

The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and makes it possible to visualize the history of the deterioration state of the exhaust capacity of the exhaust device, and always accurately predict the replacement time of the exhaust device. The purpose is to obtain a vacuum device.

[0009]

In the vacuum device according to the present invention, the time from the start of the evacuation operation of the evacuation device until the inside of the reaction container reaches a predetermined degree of vacuum is measured, stored and stored. The time data is sequentially graphed and displayed.

[0010]

According to the present invention, since the time from the start of the exhaust operation of the exhaust device to the time when the inside of the reaction container reaches a predetermined vacuum degree is sequentially displayed in a graph, the history of the deterioration status of the exhaust device is visible. Can be converted.

[0011]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of a vacuum apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. In the figure, the same reference numerals as those in FIG. 5 denote the same or corresponding parts, 4a being a controller and 6 being a controller 4a. The degree-of-vacuum arrival time data storage means provided therein, 7 is a display device for displaying the degree-of-vacuum arrival time data from the degree-of-vacuum arrival time data storage means 6 in a graph, and 14 is the degree-of-vacuum arrival time data. Here, the controller 4a incorporates a time measuring timer for measuring the time from the time when the exhaust device 2 starts the exhaust operation, and the vacuum degree measurement data 10 from the vacuum gauge 3 is measured.
Is greater than or less than the preset pressure,
Further, a comparison circuit for comparing whether the time measured by the measurement timer is longer or shorter than a preset time, and a control circuit for performing the sequence control shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 3 based on the comparison result. Part is incorporated.

The operation will be described below. The basic operation is the same as that of the conventional apparatus shown in FIG. 5, but as described above, this vacuum apparatus is provided with a vacuum degree arrival time measurement sequence and a display sequence for displaying the vacuum degree arrival time. Has been.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the vacuum degree arrival time measurement sequence, first, when the exhaust device 2 starts the exhaust operation by the exhaust control signal 11, the time measuring timer incorporated in the controller 4a is turned on. Next, looking at the vacuum degree measurement data 10 from the vacuum gauge 3, if the vacuum degree measurement data 10 at that time becomes lower than a preset pressure, the time measurement timer is turned off, and the time during this time is vacuumed. The degree-of-vacuum arrival time data is stored in the degree-of-vacuum arrival time data storage means 6, and the process proceeds to the next step. On the other hand, the vacuum degree measurement data 10 is larger than the preset pressure,
If the time measured at this time has not reached the preset time, the time measuring timer is not turned off.
The above-described evacuation operation and the operation of comparing the vacuum degree measurement data 10 with the preset pressure are repeated, and when the vacuum degree measurement data 10 becomes lower than the preset pressure, the vacuum degree arrival time data reaches the vacuum degree. It is stored in the time data storage means 6. If, during this operation, the degree of vacuum does not reach the preset pressure even if the measurement time reaches the preset time, the exhaust device 2
If the exhaust capacity of the engine deteriorates and its function is no longer fulfilled, a warning signal 13 is given to the alarm device 5,
Emits an alarm, and the exhaust control signal 11 stops the operation of the exhaust device 2.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 3, the display sequence corresponds to the vacuum arrival time data stored in the vacuum arrival time data storage means 6 for each lot of the sample processed in the reaction container. The data is displayed in the form of a graph, and the history of the vacuum arrival time for the processing lot is displayed. The plurality of vacuum arrival times data 14 measured in the above vacuum arrival time measurement sequence are each data. As a graph in which the average value of the vacuum degree arrival time for each processing lot is processed for each processing lot, and the change in the vacuum degree arrival time data with respect to the number of processing lots as shown in FIG. Is displayed.

In the vacuum apparatus of this embodiment, the operation of the exhaust device 2 is controlled by the controller 4a, and the inside of the reaction vessel 1 has a predetermined pressure (vacuum degree) from the start of the exhaust operation by the exhaust device 2. Each time the vacuum degree arrival time data 14 until reaching is reached is stored, the vacuum degree arrival time data 14 is processed, and the vacuum degree arrival time is compared with the processing lot number of the sample processed in the reaction container 1. Since the graph is displayed sequentially so that the changes in the history remain as a history, even if the working conditions (reactive materials, reactive species, reaction environment, etc.) and work frequency change in the reaction vessel, the worker can change the deterioration status of the exhaust system. Can be visually confirmed, and as a result, the replacement time of the exhaust device can be accurately predicted, and the replacement work of the exhaust device can be efficiently performed in a short time including the preparation stage.

[0016]

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to measure the time required to reach a predetermined degree of vacuum, store the time, and graph the time data, thereby deteriorating the exhaust system. Since the history of the situation can be visualized, the progress of deterioration of the exhaust system can be visually confirmed, the replacement time of the exhaust system can be accurately predicted, and the replacement work of the exhaust system can be performed in a short time. There is.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vacuum device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a vacuum degree arrival time measuring sequence in the vacuum apparatus of FIG.

3 is a flowchart showing a display sequence in the vacuum device of FIG.

FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a graph displayed on an indicator of the vacuum device of FIG.

FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a conventional vacuum device.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a constant monitoring sequence for monitoring an error of the exhaust device of the vacuum device of FIG.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Reaction container 2 Exhaust device 3 Vacuum degree meter 4, 4a Controller 5 Alarm device 6 Vacuum degree arrival time data storage means 7 Display 10 Vacuum degree measurement data 11 Exhaust control signal 12 Exhaust system error signal 13 Warning signal 14 Vacuum degree reached Time data

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A reaction vessel in which a predetermined operation is performed, an exhaust device connected to the reaction vessel, a vacuum gauge for measuring the degree of vacuum in the reaction vessel, and measurement data from the vacuum gauge. A vacuum device comprising a controller that controls the exhaust operation of the exhaust device based on the above, wherein a timer that measures the elapsed time from the start of the exhaust operation, measurement data from the vacuum gauge, and preset The comparing means for comparing the magnitude of the measured value and the comparing means determines that the measurement result is equal to or less than the preset value, the determination result is obtained from the start of the exhaust operation obtained by the timer. Storage means for storing required time up to, display means for sequentially displaying the required time stored in the storage means as a graph, and the comparing means, wherein the measurement data is larger than the preset value. And a warning signal generating means for activating the alarm device when the time required for the determination result to be obtained from the start of the exhaust operation obtained by the timer is longer than a preset time. A vacuum device characterized by.