JPH09134219A - Temperature controller - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To reduce the occurrence of defective products and to improve the reliability by dropping the internal temperature of a vacuum container when the measured internal temperature of the container is higher than a set level and keeping an idle state of a temperature controller until its internal temperature reaches a specific range including the set temperature. SOLUTION: A control part 5 transmits the set temperature to a temperature controller 4 and receives the input of a monitor temperature signal from the controller 4 to compare it with the set temperature. Then the controller 5 outputs a control mode signal to turn on a heater 3 when the temperature shown by the monitor temperature signal is lower than the set temperature and then outputs a control mode signal to turn off the heater 3 when the monitor temperature is higher than the set temperature. Furthermore, the part 5 decides whether the monitor temperature is lower than the set temperature. If the former temperature is lower than the latter one and also lower than the temperature (X-A) that is decided by subtracting the numerical value A set previously from the set temperature X, the controller 4 is set in an idle state.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to an LCD plasma C
The present invention relates to a temperature control device that controls the temperature of a processing chamber such as a VD device, and more particularly to a temperature control device that can improve reliability.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In an LCD plasma CVD apparatus or the like, an object to be processed is processed in a vacuum container. At that time, the temperature in the vacuum container must be within a specific range.
It is known that if an object to be processed is placed in a vacuum container when it is not within a specific temperature range, the object to be processed becomes a defective product.

A conventional temperature control device will be described. A conventional temperature control device for controlling the temperature of a vacuum container is provided in the vacuum container and measures and analyzes the thermocouple used to measure the temperature in the vacuum container and the resistance of the thermocouple to obtain temperature information. It outputs as a monitor temperature signal, and also receives a set temperature signal and a control mode signal to turn on / off the power to the heater, and a monitor temperature signal from the temperature controller. In order to reach a preset temperature set by the controller, a control unit that outputs a set temperature signal and a control mode signal to control the temperature controller, and a power supply provided in the vacuum container according to an instruction from the temperature controller. It is composed of a heater for turning on and off.

Next, the operation of the control unit will be specifically described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing of the control unit of the conventional temperature control device. The control unit transmits a preset temperature to the temperature controller (temperature setting transmission) (S
1) Receive a monitor temperature signal from the temperature controller, compare it with the set temperature, and if the temperature represented by the monitor temperature signal is lower than the set temperature, turn the heater ON signal into the control mode signal. The temperature is sent to the temperature controller (S2), and the process is terminated. If the temperature represented by the monitor temperature signal is higher than the set temperature, the heater is turned off.
The signal for changing to F is transmitted to the temperature controller as a control mode signal (S2), and the process is ended. Hereinafter, the preparation process for keeping the temperature inside the container constant is referred to as a temperature standby process.

The operation of the conventional temperature control device will be described. First, the temperature controller measures the temperature inside the vacuum vessel with a thermocouple and outputs it as a monitor temperature signal to the control section.The control section performs temperature standby processing and starts temperature adjustment inside the vacuum vessel. Was there.

[0006]

However, in the above-mentioned conventional temperature control device, the temperature standby process as a preparation ends even if the temperature in the vacuum container has not reached the set temperature. Therefore, it becomes possible to perform other processing, and after that, it becomes necessary for the user to successively check the temperature before processing the object to be processed. At that time, the defective product is caused by an operation error such as neglecting the temperature confirmation. There is a problem in that there is a risk of causing.

The present invention has been made in view of the above situation. By not ending the temperature standby process until the set temperature is reached, other operations cannot be performed and defective products are generated. It is an object of the present invention to provide a temperature control device that can reduce the temperature and improve the reliability.

[0008]

The invention according to claim 1 for solving the above-mentioned problems of the conventional example is a temperature control device for measuring the temperature in a vacuum container, and the temperature control device. The measured temperature is compared with the preset temperature, and if the measured temperature is lower than the set temperature, an instruction is output to the temperature controller to raise the temperature in the vacuum container and the measured temperature is set. If the temperature is higher than the temperature, a temperature standby process is performed to output an instruction to the temperature controller to lower the temperature in the vacuum container, and if there is no measured temperature within a specific temperature range including the set temperature, the idle state is set. It is characterized by having a control unit for controlling not to perform processing other than the temperature standby processing. Since other processing can be executed only within a specific temperature range (allowable range), it is possible that Goods can be reduced, thereby improving the reliability.

[0009]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The temperature management device according to the present invention (this device) prevents the device from performing other operations by performing a temperature standby process in which the control unit is in an idle state until the temperature falls within a specific temperature range. , To reduce the occurrence of defective products.

This apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1 is a configuration block diagram of a temperature control device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the present apparatus includes a vacuum container 1 having a thermocouple 2 and a heater 3 therein, and a temperature controller 4 for controlling the temperature.
And a control unit 5 that controls the same. Here, since the vacuum container 1, the thermocouple 2, the heater 3, and the temperature controller 4 are the same as the conventional devices, respectively, description thereof will be omitted.

Next, the temperature standby process performed by the controller 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the temperature standby process of the control unit 5. Specifically, the control unit 5 transmits the set temperature (transmits the temperature set value) to the temperature controller 4 (S1), and receives the monitor temperature signal from the temperature controller 4 to set the temperature as in the conventional case. If the temperature represented by the monitor temperature signal (hereinafter referred to as monitor temperature) is lower than the set temperature as compared with the temperature, a signal for turning on the heater 3 is output as a control mode signal (S2). If the monitor temperature is higher than the set temperature, a signal for turning off the heater 3 is output as a control mode signal (S2).

Next, the control section 5 judges whether the monitor temperature is below the set temperature (S11), and if the monitor temperature is below the set temperature (YES), the monitor temperature is It is determined whether the temperature is equal to or higher than the temperature (X-A) obtained by subtracting the preset numerical value A from the set temperature X (whether the actual temperature is within the allowable temperature range [X ± A]) (S1).
2) If the above is not the case (NO), the process S12 is repeated once, and if the above is the case (YES), the temperature standby process is ended.

Further, the control unit 5 executes the process S11.
If the monitor temperature is not lower than the set temperature (NO), whether the monitor temperature is equal to or lower than the temperature (X + A) obtained by adding the preset value A to the set temperature X (the actual temperature is within the allowable temperature range [X Within ± A] is determined (S
13) If not below (if NO), the process S13 is repeated again, and if below (YES), the temperature standby process is ended. Further, when the temperature standby process ends, the control unit 5 outputs a signal indicating that the process has ended to the outside of the device.

Next, the operation of the temperature control device of this device will be specifically described by taking as an example the case where the set temperature X is "40 degrees" and A is "2 degrees". First, the resistance of the thermocouple 2 is measured, and thereby the temperature controller 4 calculates temperature data and outputs it to the controller 5 as a monitor temperature signal. For example, it is assumed that the monitor temperature is "30 degrees". Then, the controller 5 sets the set temperature to "40
Since the monitor temperature is "30 degrees", which is lower than the set temperature, the control mode signal for turning on the heater 3 is output.

Then, the temperature controller 4 outputs a control mode signal for turning on the heater 3 to the heater 3, and
The heater 3 is turned on, and the temperature inside the vacuum container 1 starts to rise. Then, since the monitor temperature input from the temperature controller 4 is equal to or lower than the set temperature, the control unit 5 subtracts A, that is, "2 degrees" from the set temperature "40 degrees", which is "3".
8 degrees "and the monitor temperature" 30 degrees "are compared, and when the monitor temperature does not fall within the allowable temperature range (38 degrees to 42 degrees) (when the temperature does not exceed" 38 degrees "), the idle state ( Other processes cannot be executed).

When the monitor temperature rises to "38 degrees" or higher, the temperature standby process of the control unit 5 ends, a signal indicating that the process has ended is output, and the CVD apparatus performs another operation, for example, an object to be processed. R that can process
It becomes possible to shift to the UN mode or the like. Then, the user can put the object to be processed in the vacuum container 1.

The control unit 5 of the temperature control apparatus according to the present embodiment, in order to further stabilize the temperature in the vacuum container 1, a preset time elapses after the monitor temperature enters the allowable temperature range. A signal indicating that the processing is completed may be output after waiting for.

According to the temperature control apparatus of the present embodiment, the temperature standby process does not end until the temperature is within the specific temperature range, and the temperature standby process is not completed. Therefore, other processes such as processing of the object to be processed are performed. Therefore, there is an effect that reliability can be improved without making the object to be processed defective.

[0019]

According to the first aspect of the invention, the temperature controller measures the temperature in the vacuum container, the controller compares the measured temperature with the set temperature, and if the measured temperature is lower than the set temperature. , If the measured temperature is higher than the set temperature, the temperature in the vacuum container is lowered and the temperature in the vacuum container is lowered to the specified temperature range (allowable range). Since it is a temperature management device that does not perform processing other than temperature standby processing in the idle state, other processing can be executed only within a specific temperature range (tolerance range), so defective products can be reduced.
There is an effect that the reliability can be improved.

[Brief description of the drawings]

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

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing a temperature standby process of a control unit 5.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a process of a control unit of a conventional temperature control device.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... Vacuum container, 2 ... Thermocouple, 3 ... Heater, 4 ...
Temperature controller, 5 ... Control unit

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A temperature controller for measuring a temperature in a vacuum container and a temperature measured by the temperature controller are compared with a preset temperature, and if the measured temperature is lower than the preset temperature, Outputs an instruction to the temperature controller to raise the temperature in the vacuum container, and if the measured temperature is higher than the set temperature,
Performing a temperature standby process that outputs an instruction to the temperature controller to lower the temperature in the vacuum container, and if there is no measured temperature within a specific temperature range including the set temperature, it becomes an idle state and other than the temperature standby process. And a control unit for controlling not to perform the above process.