JPH08159908A - Method and apparatus for confirmation performance of valve - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To confirm the operation of a valve, to diagnose the performance of the valve in its maintenance and to diagnose the performance of the valve in a performance confirmation method of valve for fluid supply and discharge line. CONSTITUTION: In the performance confirmation method of valves 8, 11, 13 for fluid supply and discharge line 10 provided with a flowmeter 12, the valves as objects whose performance is to be confirmed for the fluid supply and discharge line, are closed, the other valves are opened, and a flow rate is detected by the flowmeter. When the flow rate is 0, the valves are diagnosed as normal. When the flow rate is detected, the valves are diagnosed as abnormal because a leak exists.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a valve performance confirmation method and apparatus for inspecting whether a valve of a fluid supply / discharge line is operating normally.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Manufacturing equipment introduced into various production lines,
For example, the operating rate of semiconductor manufacturing equipment is one of the major factors that show the overall performance of the equipment.

Since semiconductor manufacturing equipment maintains manufacturing quality,
Maintenance work must be performed every few days or once every few weeks. In the maintenance work, the consumables which have reached the end of their life are replaced, the dirty parts are cleaned, the defective equipment is repaired, and finally each device of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including the exhaust operation is diagnosed. It is necessary to suspend the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus during maintenance work, and it is necessary to minimize the time required for maintenance work in order to improve the operating rate.

Semiconductor manufacturing equipment includes etching equipment, ashing equipment, CVD equipment, and the like. These equipments store objects to be treated such as wafers and glass substrates in a hermetically sealed treatment container, and then, A predetermined process is performed in a depressurized state.

An outline of the conventional semiconductor manufacturing apparatus described above will be described with reference to FIG.

An object-to-be-processed table 2 is provided in the airtight processing container 1, and the object-to-be-processed 3 such as a wafer or a glass substrate is placed on the object-to-be-processed table 2. A vacuum pump 5 and a gas introduction pipe 6 are connected to the processing container 1 via an exhaust pipe 4, and a gas filter 7, an air valve 8 and a gas introduction control are connected to the gas introduction pipe 6 from the processing container 1 side. Part 9
Is connected.

[0007] The gas introduction control unit 9 a gas supply line 10 ₁ of n lines, 10 _2, 10 _3, ..., consists 10 _n, each gas supply line 10 _1, 10 _2, 10 _3, ..., 10 _n is Air valves 11 ₁ , 11 ₂ from the processing container 1 side,
11 ₃ , ..., 11 _n , mass flow controller 12 ₁ ,
12 ₂ , 12 ₃ , ..., 12 _n , air valves 13 ₁ , 13
₂ , 13 ₃ , ..., 13 _n , gas filter 14 ₁ , 1
4 ₂ , 14 ₃ , ..., 14 _n are provided.

When processing the substrate 3 to be processed,
The air valve 8 is closed, the inside of the processing container 1 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 5 to a depressurized state, and when a predetermined depressurized state is reached, the gas to be introduced into the processing container 1 is selected, and the air valve 8 is opened and selected. gas supply lines, for example, the air valve 11 _n of the gas supply line 10 _n, a reaction gas is introduced to open the gas filter 14 _n. The flow rate of the reaction gas is controlled to the flow rate set by the mass flow controller 12 _{n, and} the internal pressure of the processing container 1 is maintained at the pressure set by a pressure control device (not shown).

[0009]

However, most of the above-mentioned air valve 8, air valve 11, air valve 13 and the like have no means for confirming the opening / closing operation of the valve. For example, the operation of the valve itself is confirmed. Even if the above-mentioned means is provided, there is no means for diagnosing whether the opening / closing operation is complete, that is, whether there is a leak in the closed state or deterioration of the performance of the valve.

Therefore, the operation of the valve can be confirmed even during maintenance work performed once every few days or once every few weeks, but it is possible to confirm even the performance such as whether the open / closed state is complete. There wasn't. Further, even if the performance of the valve deteriorates, it is difficult to identify which valve it is. Therefore, in order to confirm the performance of each valve, it was necessary to disassemble the line and inspect the individual valve.

In view of the above situation, the present invention is intended to enable the operation confirmation and the performance diagnosis of the valve at the time of maintenance as well as the performance confirmation of the valve.

[0012]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a method for checking the performance of a valve of a fluid supply / discharge line equipped with a flow meter,
It is characterized in that the valve for which the performance of the fluid supply / discharge line is to be checked is closed and the other valves are opened, and the performance of the target valve is diagnosed by detecting the flow rate by the flow meter.

[0013]

The target valve is closed, and the flow rate is detected by the flow meter. If the flow rate is 0, it is normal, and if the flow rate is detected, there is a leak, and it is diagnosed as abnormal.

[0014]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

A case where the performance of the valve for the gas supply line 10 _n is confirmed in FIG. 1 will be described.

All the valves related to the gas supply line 10 _n , the air valve 8, the air valve 11 _n and the air valve 13 _n are opened, and all the valves except the air valve 8, the air valve 11 _n and the air valve 13 _n are closed. Wherein the gas supply line 10 _n the mass flow controller 12 controlled reaction gas flows through a _n, said the mass flow controller 12 _n have the output of the reaction gas flow rate flowing.

Next, only the air valve 13 _n is closed and the output from the mass flow controller 12 _n is monitored. When the flow rate of the reaction gas becomes 0, the output from the mass flow controller 12 _n becomes 0, and it can be seen that the air valve 13 _n is operating normally. When the output from the mass flow controller 12 _n is not 0,
It means that there is a gas leak from the air valve 13 _n , which means that the air valve 13 _n has a broken airtightness, which causes malfunction.

By the same procedure, the performance diagnosis can be performed for the air valves 11 _n and the air valves 8 and also for the other gas supply lines 10, and the performance diagnosis can be performed for all the valves. You can

Next, the apparatus itself can self-diagnose the performance of the valve.

The self-diagnosis function will be briefly described with reference to FIG.

The air valve 8 and the air valves 11 ₁ and 1
1 ₂ , 11 ₃ , ..., 11 _n , Air valve 13 ₁ , 1
_{3 2, 13 3, ...,} 13 n is driven by the valve drive controller 16, to drive the valve by a command signal from the valve drive control device 16 main controller 17. A memory 18 is connected to the main controller 17, and a valve drive program for carrying out the manufacturing process is set and input to the memory 18 and a self-diagnosis program is set and input.

The self-diagnosis program is a format for judging the valve performance based on a valve opening / closing sequence for carrying out the above-mentioned performance diagnosis and a signal input from the mass flow controller, and displaying the diagnosis result on the display unit 19. Is stored.

When the self-diagnosis program is selected and executed by the input means 20 such as a keyboard, the gas supply line 10 is sequentially selected and the valves are sequentially opened and closed in accordance with the procedure for confirming the valve performance described above. Also, every time the valve is opened / closed, a signal from the mass flow controller of the corresponding line is called, and the performance of the valve is confirmed by the main controller 17.

When the valve performance confirmation is completed, the diagnostic result is displayed or printed out in a set format such as a table format.

Thus, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus itself checks the performance of the valves, and the operator need not instruct the opening / closing operation of each valve.

In the above embodiment, the performance of the valve was confirmed by using the mass flow controller in the line.
The flow rate detector is not limited to a mass flow controller as long as it can detect the flow rate, or a flow rate detector may be installed in the target line to check the valve performance. Of course, it is acceptable.

[0027]

As described above, according to the present invention, whether or not the valve of the fluid supply / discharge line is operating normally, and even the performance check of the valve can be easily carried out, and the processing failure, gas leak, etc. Can prevent accidents.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a system diagram showing a gas introduction control unit of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus which is one of the objects of implementation of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an outline of a diagnostic device for carrying out the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 8 Air Valve 10 Gas Supply Line 11 Air Valve 12 Mass Flow Controller 14 Gas Filter 17 Main Controller 18 Memory

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A method for confirming the performance of a valve of a fluid supply / discharge line equipped with a flow meter, wherein the valve to be confirmed for the performance of the fluid supply / discharge line is closed and another valve is opened to obtain the flow rate. A method for checking valve performance, which comprises diagnosing the performance of the target valve by detecting the flow rate with a meter. 2. A flow meter provided in a fluid supply / discharge line provided with a required number of valves, and a valve whose performance is to be checked in the fluid supply / discharge line is closed and other valves are opened to provide the flow rate. A performance checking device for a valve, comprising: a storage device for storing a self-diagnosis program set to detect a flow rate by a meter; and a controller for executing the self-diagnosis program.