KR102063822B1 - Regeneration apparatus and method for cryopump - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a cryopump regeneration device for reproducing a cryopump including a cooling panel and a container in which the cooling panel is accommodated, wherein the temperature control unit is connected to the cooling panel, the purge gas circulation unit is connected to the container, Cry including a pressure reducing unit, a sensor unit for obtaining the cooling panel temperature and vessel pressure, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the temperature control unit, purge gas circulation unit and the pressure reduction unit by using a preset regeneration mode, cooling panel temperature and vessel pressure. As an o-pump regeneration device and a cryopump regeneration method using the same, a cryopump regeneration device and a cryopump regeneration method capable of efficiently reproducing a cryopump are provided.

Description

Cryopump regeneration device and cryopump regeneration method {REGENERATION APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CRYOPUMP}

The present invention relates to a cryopump regeneration device and a cryopump regeneration method, and more particularly, to a cryopump regeneration device and a cryopump regeneration method capable of efficiently reproducing a cryopump.

The semiconductor device is manufactured to have desired operating characteristics of a circuit on a substrate by repeating a process of thin film lamination, ion implantation, and heat treatment several times. In this case, processes such as thin film deposition or ion implantation are performed in a process chamber that provides optimum conditions for the progress of the process. Each process chamber is controlled with a high vacuum for the progress of the process, the process chamber is provided with a cooling device in a high vacuum system using cryogenic temperature.

The cooling device consists of a cryopump and a compressor. When the cryopump lowers the temperature of the stage (also referred to as the cryopanel) by using a high-pressure refrigerant supplied from the compressor, gas molecules inside the process chamber are captured on the stage. Thus, the process chamber can be controlled in a high vacuum state.

On the other hand, cryopumps are not usable continuously. Since cryopumps condense gas to cryogenic stages and remove them, there is a capacity limit, and when the capacity limit is reached, cooling efficiency is reduced.

Therefore, the gas condensed on the stage of the cryopump must be vaporized periodically and then exhausted to the outside of the cryopump. This is called regeneration of cryopumps.

The background art of the present invention is disclosed in the following patent documents.

JP 2017-193993 A KR 10-1741708 B1

The present invention provides a cryopump regeneration device and a cryopump regeneration method capable of efficiently reproducing a cryopump.

A cryopump regeneration device according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a cryopump regeneration device for reproducing a cryopump including a cooling panel and a container in which the cooling panel is accommodated, the temperature control unit being connected to the cooling panel; A purge gas circulation unit connected to the vessel; A pressure reducing unit connected to the container; A sensor unit to obtain a cooling panel temperature and a container pressure; And a controller configured to control operations of the temperature controller, the purge gas circulator, and the pressure reducer by using a preset regeneration mode, the cooling panel temperature, and the vessel pressure.

The temperature control unit includes a first stage heater mounted on the first stage stage of the cooling panel, a second stage heater mounted on the second stage stage of the cooling panel, and a band heater disposed outside the vessel, and the purge gas circulation unit includes a purge A gas supply device, an introduction pipe connecting the purge gas supplier and the container, an introduction valve mounted to the introduction pipe, a purge gas recovery device, a discharge pipe connecting the purge gas recovery device and the container, and a discharge valve mounted to the discharge pipe. The pressure reducing unit may include a roughing pump, a discharge pipe connecting the roughing pump and the container, and a roughing valve mounted to the discharge pipe.

The sensor unit includes a first stage temperature sensor mounted on the first stage stage, a second stage temperature sensor mounted on the second stage stage, a pressure gauge mounted on the discharge tube between the discharge valve and the vessel, the roughing valve and the vessel. Between may include a vacuum gauge to be mounted to the discharge pipe.

The regeneration mode includes a partial regeneration mode and a full regeneration mode, and the controller may control the regeneration temperature of the cooling panel differently according to the regeneration mode.

The regeneration mode includes a plurality of operation modes, the operation mode includes a plurality of regeneration start conditions, and the control unit includes an operation mode including regeneration start conditions corresponding to the cooling panel temperature and the container pressure obtained by the sensor unit. It is possible to control the operation of the temperature control unit, the purge gas circulation unit and the decompression unit.

The regeneration start condition includes a cooling panel cryogenic condition, a cooling panel low temperature condition, a cooling panel room temperature condition, a container high vacuum condition, a container low vacuum condition, and a container atmospheric pressure condition, and the control unit includes the temperature control unit and the purge for a plurality of operation modes. The operation order of the gas circulation section and the pressure reducing section can be controlled differently.

The cryopump is controlled by a pump controller, the control unit is linked to the pump controller, and through the pump controller can control the operation stop and restart of the cryopump.

The cryopump is connected to a compressor, adjusts the temperature of the cooling panel by using the refrigerant supplied by the compressor, the compressor is controlled by the compressor controller, the control unit is linked to the compressor controller, or It is included in the compressor controller, it is possible to control the operation stop and restart of the compressor through the compressor controller.

At least one of the cryopump and the compressor may be provided in plural, and the controller may control the operation stop and restart of the compressor or control the rotation speed through the compressor controller according to the number of the cryopumps to be regenerated.

The controller may adjust the temperature of the cooling panel of the cryopump in operation by the control of the pump controller.

Vibration detection unit for detecting the vibration generated from the cryopump; And an inspection predictor configured to determine whether the cryopump is inspected using the vibration value detected by the vibration detector.

A cryopump regeneration method according to an embodiment of the present invention includes the steps of preparing a cryopump including a cooling panel and a container in which the cooling panel is accommodated; Obtaining a cooling panel temperature and vessel pressure from the cryopump; And regenerating the cryopump using a preset regeneration mode, the cooling panel temperature, and the vessel pressure.

The regeneration mode may include a partial regeneration mode for raising the cooling panel to a predetermined temperature lower than room temperature and a complete regeneration mode for raising the cooling panel to room temperature.

The regeneration mode includes a plurality of operating modes, wherein the operating mode includes one of a cooling panel cryogenic condition, a cooling panel low temperature condition, a cooling panel room temperature condition, and one of a container high vacuum condition, a container low vacuum condition, and a container atmospheric pressure condition. Can be included as a playback start condition.

The regeneration process may include automatically or manually selecting an operating mode including regeneration start conditions corresponding to the cooling panel temperature and vessel pressure; And an operation process of sequentially or selectively performing heating, purging, roughing, buildup, and cooldown of the cryopump according to the selected operation mode.

The selection process includes selecting a first operating mode when the cooling panel temperature is included in a panel low temperature condition and the vessel pressure is included in a container high vacuum condition, wherein the operating process includes: A heating step of heating up to a room temperature or a set temperature and introducing a purge gas into the container to pressurize the container to atmospheric pressure; A purge gas may be introduced into the vessel to maintain the atmospheric pressure, and the purge gas may be discharged from the vessel.

A roughing process of discharging the purge gas from the vessel to depressurize the vessel to a reference pressure range capable of operating the cryopump; A build-up process of checking the discharged gas by waiting for a predetermined time after finishing the roughing process; A cooling down process of starting the cryopump to cool the temperature of the cooling panel to a cryogenic temperature; And a reproduction end process of waiting for a predetermined time after the cooldown process ends.

The selection process may include selecting a second operation mode when the cooling panel temperature is included in a panel room temperature condition and the vessel pressure is included in a container atmospheric pressure condition. The operation process may include purging the container. A purge process for introducing gas and discharging purge gas from the vessel; A roughing process of discharging the purge gas from the vessel to depressurize the vessel to a reference pressure range capable of operating the cryopump; A build-up process of checking the discharged gas by waiting for a predetermined time after finishing the roughing process; A cooling down process of starting the cryopump to cool the temperature of the cooling panel to a cryogenic temperature; And a reproduction end process of waiting for a predetermined time after the cooldown process ends.

The selection process may include manually selecting a third operating mode when the cooling panel temperature is included in a panel cryogenic condition or a low temperature condition, and when the vessel pressure is included in a container high vacuum condition. Heating the cooling panel to room temperature, and introducing a purge gas into the vessel to pressurize the vessel to atmospheric pressure; A purge process of introducing a purge gas into the vessel to maintain the atmospheric pressure of the vessel and discharging the purge gas from the vessel; A roughing process of discharging the purge gas from the vessel to depressurize the vessel to a reference pressure range capable of operating the cryopump; A build-up process of checking the discharged gas by waiting for a predetermined time after finishing the roughing process; And a reproduction termination process of waiting for a predetermined time after finishing the buildup process.

The selection process may include selecting a fourth operation mode when the cooling panel temperature is included in a panel room temperature condition and the vessel pressure is included in a vessel low vacuum condition, wherein the operation process includes: A roughing process of discharging gas from the vessel such that the vessel is depressurized to a reference pressure range capable of operating the cryopump when the internal pressure of the cylinder is higher than a reference pressure capable of operating the cryopump; A build-up process of checking the discharged gas by waiting for a predetermined time after finishing the roughing process; A cooling down process of starting the cryopump to cool the temperature of the cooling panel to a cryogenic temperature; And a reproduction end process of waiting for a predetermined time after the cooldown process ends.

Detecting vibration generated in the cryopump; And determining whether the cryopump is checked using the detected vibration value.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, a regeneration mode is selected automatically or manually according to the cooling panel temperature and vessel pressure of the cryopump, and heating, purging, roughing, building up and cooling the cryopump according to the selected regeneration mode. The down can be performed sequentially or selectively to efficiently regenerate the cryopumps and ensure stable regeneration.

At this time, during the regeneration of the cryopump, the cooling panel may be raised to room temperature to remove all gases from the cooling panel, and the temperature may be raised to a set temperature to remove only the desired gas from the cooling panel. Thus, the temporal efficiency of regeneration of the cryopump can be further improved.

In addition, during the normal operation of the cryopump, the heater of the cryopump regeneration device can be used to adjust the temperature of the desired stage of the first stage and the second stage of the cooling panel to the desired temperature separately from the operation of the cryopump. have. Thus, the position where the gas is condensed can be adjusted to a desired stage, thereby improving the efficiency of the process to which the cryopump is applied.

1 is a schematic diagram of a cryopump regeneration device and a refrigerating device having the same according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a diagram illustrating a playback mode according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a diagram illustrating a control method of a controller according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating a cryopump regeneration method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.
5 is a block diagram of a cryopump regeneration device and a refrigerating device having the same according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, it will be described an embodiment of the present invention; However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed below, but may be implemented in various different forms. Only embodiments of the present invention are provided to complete the disclosure of the present invention and to fully inform those skilled in the art the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The drawings may be exaggerated to describe embodiments of the invention, and like reference numerals in the drawings indicate like elements.

1 is a schematic diagram of a cryopump regeneration device and a refrigerating device having the same applied to a single system having one cryopump and a compressor according to an embodiment of the present invention. 2 (a) and 2 (b) are diagrams for explaining a playback mode according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a control method of a controller according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flowchart illustrating a cryopump regeneration method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. 5 is a block diagram of a cryopump regeneration device and a refrigerating device having the same, which are applied to a multi-system having a plurality of cryopumps and a compressor, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1 and 5, a refrigeration apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

A refrigeration apparatus (also referred to as a cryogenic high vacuum system or a cooling apparatus) according to an embodiment of the present invention uses the cryopump 210 and the compressor 230 to control the inside of the various chambers 10 at a high vacuum. As a refrigerating device 200, a pump controller for controlling the operation of the cryopump 210, the cryopump 210 that can cool the cooling panels (214a, 214b) provided therein using a high-pressure refrigerant ( 220, a compressor device 230 for supplying a high-pressure refrigerant to the cryopump 210, a compressor controller 240 for controlling the operation of the compressor device 230, mounted on the cryopump 210, the cooling panel And cryopump regeneration devices 250 and 260 formed to regenerate 214a and 214b. The cryopump regeneration device 250 or 260 may include a regeneration device unit 250 and a control unit 260.

The refrigerant may comprise helium. The cryopump 210 may be a cryogenic freezer that performs a Gifford-McMahon refrigeration cycle using a refrigerant. The cryopump 210 includes a vessel 211, a motor portion 212, cylinders 213a and 213b, cooling panels 214a and 214b, a baffle (not shown), a shield (not shown) and a main valve 215. It may include.

The container 211 may have a space formed therein, an opening formed at an upper portion thereof, and a main valve 215 may be mounted at an opening formed at an upper portion thereof. The main valve 215 may be mounted on one side of the chamber 10. By opening the main valve 215, the gas in the chamber 10 can be introduced into the container 211. By blocking the main valve 215, it is possible to isolate the internal space of the container 211 from the internal space of the chamber 10.

The motor unit 212 may be installed under the container 211. The cylinders 213a and 213b may be installed in the container 211 and may be connected to the motor unit 212. The cylinders 213a and 213b may include a first stage cylinder 213a connected to the motor unit 212 and a second stage cylinder 213b connected in series to the first stage cylinder 213a. The cylinders 213a and 213b are operated by the motor unit 212 and cool the cooling panels 214a and 214b using a refrigerant.

The cooling panel may be received in the container 211. The cooling panel may include a first stage 214a disposed in the first stage cylinder 213a and a second stage 214b disposed in the second stage cylinder 213b. The second stage 214b may be cooled to a lower temperature than the first stage 214a. The baffle may be provided between the main valve 215 and the cooling panels 214a and 214b, and the shield may be provided between the inner circumferential surface of the container 211 and the cooling panels 214a and 214b. Baffles and shields may protect cooling panels 214a and 214b from radiant heat from chamber 10 and vessel 211.

The gas introduced from the chamber 10 into the vessel 211 is cooled and condensed in contact with the cooling panels 214a and 214b in the interior of the vessel 211, and is adsorbed to an adsorbent such as activated carbon provided in the cooling panels 214a and 214b. Can be adsorbed.

The cryopump 210 may be operated to have a predetermined pressure ratio, and the inside of the chamber 10 may be controlled at a high vacuum by adsorbing gas molecules to the cooling panel. The cryopump 210 may be provided in plural and may be connected in parallel with the compressor 231. The cryopump 210 may adjust the temperature of the cooling panel using the refrigerant supplied by the compressor 231. At this time, the cryopump 210 may adjust the rotation speed to adjust the cooling temperature and the cooling rate of the cooling panel, which may be controlled by the pump controller 220.

The compressor device 230 may include a compressor 231 and a coolant supply 232. The compressor 231 may be operated at a predetermined pressure ratio, and may compress the refrigerant. The compressor 231 recovers the low pressure refrigerant from the cryopump 210, compresses it to high pressure, supplies it to the cryopump 210, and circulates the refrigerant. At this time, the amount of refrigerant may be adjusted by adjusting the rotation speed. have. The cooling water supplier 232 may supply cooling water to the compressor 231 to dissipate heat generated by the compressor 231. The compressor 231 may be provided in plural and may be connected to the cryopump 210 in parallel. The compressor 231 may be controlled to be operated by the compressor controller 240.

Hereinafter, a cryopump control apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

In the cryopump control apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the purge gas circulation unit 251 connected to the container 211, the temperature control unit 252 and the container 211 connected to the cooling panels 214a and 214b are provided. Decompression unit 253 connected to, the sensor unit 254 for obtaining the cooling panel temperature and vessel pressure from the cryopump 210, the temperature control unit 252 by using a preset regeneration mode, the cooling panel temperature and the vessel pressure ), A control unit 260 for controlling the operation of the purge gas circulation unit 251 and the decompression unit 253.

The purge gas circulation unit 251 connects the purge gas supplier 251a, the purge gas supplier 251a, and the container 211, in which purge gas, for example, nitrogen gas, is stored, and introduces a purge gas into the container 211. 251b, an inlet valve 251c mounted on the inlet pipe 251b and controlled by the control unit 260, a purge gas recovery unit 251d in which purge gas is recovered, a purge gas recovery unit 251d, and a container 211 And a discharge valve 251f mounted to the discharge tube 251e and the discharge tube 251e for discharging the purge gas from the container 211 and controlled by the controller 260.

The operation of the purge gas circulation unit 251 is controlled by the control unit 260, for example, by opening the introduction valve 251c to supply the purge gas from the purge gas supplier 251a to the inside of the container 211, and the introduction. When the pressure inside the container 211 becomes atmospheric when the valve 251c is opened, the discharge valve 251f may be opened to release the purge gas from the container 211. At this time, as the purge gas is discharged, various gases in the inside of the container 211 may be pushed out to the discharge tube 251e and removed from the container 211.

The temperature controller 252 includes a first stage heater 252a mounted on the first stage stage 214a, a second stage heater 252b mounted on the second stage stage 214b, and a band heater mounted on the container 211 (not shown). And a heater body 252c mounted to the container 211, connected to the heaters, and controlled by the controller 260.

The first stage heater 252a may heat up the first stage stage 214a. The two stage heater 252b may heat up the two stage stage 214b. The band heater (not shown) may be formed in, for example, a cylindrical shape along the outer circumferential surface of the container 211, may be disposed around the outer side of the container 211, and the container 211 through the outer circumferential surface of the container 211. It can be heated up by applying heat inside. The heater body 252c may be formed in a bar shape, for example, and may supply power to the heaters.

The pressure reducing unit 253 may include a roughing pump 253a, a discharge pipe 253b connecting the roughing pump 253a and the container 211, and a roughing valve 253c mounted to the discharge pipe 253b. The pressure reducing unit 253 operates under the control of the control unit 260, operates the roughing pump 253a, and opens the roughing valve 253c to discharge the purge gas from the container 211 to depressurize the container 211. You can.

The sensor unit 254 includes a first stage temperature sensor 254a mounted on the first stage stage 214a, a second stage temperature sensor 254b mounted on the second stage stage 214b, a first stage temperature sensor 254a, and a second stage. Temperature sensor body 254c connected to temperature sensor 254b, pressure gauge 254d mounted on discharge tube 251e between discharge valve 251f and container 211, roughing valve 253c and container 211 ) May include a vacuum gauge 254e mounted on the discharge pipe 253b.

The temperature sensor body 254c may include a thermocouple thermometer and may be connected to the first stage temperature sensor 254a and the second stage temperature sensor 254b. The first stage temperature sensor 254a and the second stage temperature sensor 254b may measure the temperature of the first stage stage 214a and the second stage stage 214b, respectively. The pressure gauge 254d may include an atmospheric pressure sensor, and the vacuum gauge 254e may include a Pirani gauge. The sensor unit 254 may obtain cooling panel temperature and vessel pressure using these sensors and gauges.

The controller 260 may store a playback mode. The regeneration mode is a kind of sequence in which the operation order of the temperature regulating unit 252, the purge gas circulation unit 251, and the decompression unit 253 is set in order to control the operation. The playback mode may include a partial playback mode and a full playback mode. The controller 260 may differently control the regeneration temperature of the cooling panel according to the regeneration mode.

The reproduction mode includes a plurality of operation modes, and each operation mode may include a plurality of reproduction start conditions. Accordingly, the control unit 260 is a temperature control unit 252, purge gas circulating unit 251 and the decompression unit in an operation mode including the regeneration start conditions corresponding to the cooling panel temperature and the vessel pressure obtained by the sensor unit 254. The operation of 253 can be controlled.

Regeneration start conditions may include cooling panel cryogenic conditions, cooling panel low temperature conditions, cooling panel room temperature conditions, vessel high vacuum conditions, vessel low vacuum conditions and vessel atmospheric pressure conditions.

In the cold panel cryogenic conditions, the cryogenic temperature is the temperature range in which the cryopump is operating normally, and the cryogenic temperature range may be less than 20K.

Here, 20 K, which is the upper limit temperature value of the cryogenic temperature range, may be a reference temperature for determining whether the cryopump 210 is regenerated. When the cryopump 210 is repeatedly used for a long time, gas accumulates in the cooling panel, the cooling panel reaches a limit of capacity, and the temperature of the cooling panel rises.

For example, the second stage 214b operates in a temperature range of 10K to 12K in a steady state, but in a capacity limit situation, the temperature gradually rises and the temperature rises to 20K even though the cryopump 210 continues to operate. At this time, it may be determined that the cryopump 210 needs to be regenerated.

In the cold panel low temperature condition, the low temperature is a temperature section between the above-mentioned cryogenic temperature and the below-mentioned normal temperature, and the temperature range of the low temperature may be 20K or more and less than 273K. In the room temperature of the cooling panel, room temperature is a temperature section corresponding to a general room temperature, and the temperature range of the room temperature may be 273K or more. Low temperature is lower than room temperature, cryogenic temperature is lower than low temperature.

Of course, the above-mentioned temperature range can be determined in various ways. Meanwhile, the cooling panel cryogenic condition, the cooling panel low temperature condition, and the cooling panel normal temperature condition are all based on the temperature of the two stage stage 214b.

In the vessel high vacuum conditions, the high vacuum is a pressure range in which the cryopump operates normally (also called exhaust) and can proceed with the process, where the high vacuum pressure range may be less than 0.1 Pa. That is, the pressure range of the container 211 in which the cryopump 210 can be used immediately may be the above-mentioned high vacuum pressure range.

In the vessel low vacuum condition, the low vacuum is a pressure section between the atmospheric pressure described later and the high vacuum described above, and is a pressure section formed by depressurizing the inside of the vessel 211 with an auxiliary pump such as a roughing pump or a dry pump, and the cryopump The vessel 211 may be controlled to a high vacuum by a cool down process in a state in which the pressure range is low vacuum. The low vacuum pressure range may be, for example, 0.1 Pa or more, below the atmospheric pressure described below. On the other hand, when there is no need to specifically distinguish between high vacuum and low vacuum, high vacuum and low vacuum are collectively referred to as vacuum.

At vessel atmospheric conditions, the atmospheric pressure is the pressure corresponding to the general atmospheric pressure, the pressure of the atmospheric pressure may be for example 101.325 kPa. Low vacuum is pressure lower than atmospheric pressure, and high vacuum is pressure lower than low vacuum. The above-described pressure ranges may be variously defined in addition to the above-described numerical range.

The operation modes of the plurality of operation modes are determined in order of operation of the temperature controller 252, the purge gas circulation unit 251, and the pressure reduction unit 253, respectively, to meet the various regeneration start conditions. The operation order of the purge gas circulation unit 251, the temperature control unit 252, and the decompression unit 253 can be controlled differently in each operation mode, and thus, the regeneration of the cryopump 210 can be efficiently performed in various situations. Can be carried out.

The control method according to each control mode of the controller 260 will be described in detail with reference to the cryopump control method below.

The controller 260 may be provided in the form of an application in a portable terminal such as a mobile device or a PC for a control system, and may include various input devices and screens. In addition, in order to smoothly reproduce the cryopump 210, the pump controller 220 and the compressor controller 240 may communicate with each other in various ways. Of course, the control unit 260 may be provided in the form of working in conjunction with, for example, the pump controller 220 or compressor controller 240.

For example, the controller 260 may be linked to the pump controller 220. Thus, the controller 260 may control the operation stop and restart of the cryopump 210 through the pump controller 220. In addition, the controller 260 may be linked to the compressor controller 240 or may be included in the compressor controller 240. Thus, the controller 260 may control the operation stop and restart of the compressor 231 through the compressor controller 240.

In particular, at least one of the cryopump 210 and the compressor 231 may be provided in plural, and the control unit 260 may use the compressor 231 through the compressor controller 240 according to the number of cryopumps to be regenerated. The operation can be stopped and restarted, or the rotation speed can be controlled. That is, the regeneration target cryopump can be selected and regenerated while the refrigerating unit is operating, and the operation of the entire refrigerating unit 200 is controlled by controlling the rotational speed of the compressors according to the operation number and the rotational speed of the remaining cryopumps. The fall of efficiency can be prevented.

In addition, the controller 260 may adjust the temperature of the cooling panel of the cryopump in operation by the control of the pump controller 220. That is, using the cryopump regeneration device, it is possible to maintain the temperature of the cooling panel of the cryopump being used for vacuum formation of the cryopump, for example, the chamber 10, which is not the regeneration target, at a desired temperature.

On the other hand, the cryopump control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include a vibration detector (not shown) and the inspection predictor (not shown). The cryopump control device may determine whether the cryopump is checked early by using the vibration detector and the check predictor.

The vibration detector may be installed at a predetermined position of the cryopump to detect vibration generated from the cryopump. The vibration detector may detect vibration of the cryopump. In order to more smoothly detect the vibration from the cryopump, the vibration detection unit may be installed to be close to the position where the vibration occurs. For example, the vibration detector may be installed in the motor unit 212 of the cryopump. Here, the specific position where the vibration detection unit is installed does not need to be particularly limited. In addition to the above-described motor unit 212, the vibration detector may be installed at various positions of the cryopump. For example, the vibration detector may be installed at a predetermined position on the outer circumferential surface of the container 211.

The vibration detector may be a vibration sensor or an acceleration sensor. The vibration detector may detect vibration of the cryopump in three different axial directions, for example, the x-y-z axis direction. In this case, when the vibration detector is an acceleration sensor, the vibration detector may measure the acceleration of the cryopump and convert the measured acceleration into vibration. During operation of the cryopump, the vibration detector may operate. Here, the acceleration means the acceleration generated by the vibration of the cryopump.

The inspection predictor may be built in the controller 260 or may be separately provided outside the controller 260. The inspection predicting unit may be provided in the form of an application in a portable terminal such as a mobile device or a PC for a control system, and may include various input devices and screens.

The inspection predicting unit may compare the reference vibration value input in advance with the vibration value received from the vibration detection unit, and determine whether to check the cryopump according to the comparison result. In this case, the reference vibration value may include reference vibration values for one axis, two axes, or three axes. Further, reference vibration values for one axis, two axes, or three axes may be given in a range, respectively.

The check predictor compares each vibration value in one axis, two axes, or three axis directions with reference vibration values in the one axis, two axes, or three axis directions, respectively, so that at least one vibration value deviates from the reference vibration value. We believe that the cryopump needs to be inspected. The check predictor determines that the cryopump does not need to be checked when the vibration values in the uniaxial, biaxial or triaxial directions input from the vibration detector are included in the reference vibration values.

If the inspection predictor determines that the cryopump needs to be inspected, various types of alarms may be generated to inform the user of the cryopump. For example, the alarm may be in the form of sound, or may be in the form of light or text.

Meanwhile, the one axis direction may refer to any one of the x-y-z axes, and the two axis direction may refer to any two axis directions of the x-y-z axes.

Hereinafter, a cryopump regeneration method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5.

In the cryopump regeneration method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a process of preparing a cryopump including a cooling panel and a container accommodating the cooling panel, obtaining a cooling panel temperature and a vessel pressure from the cryopump, Regenerating the cryopump utilizing regeneration mode, cooling panel temperature and vessel pressure.

First, a process of preparing the cryopump 210 is performed. In this case, the cryopump may be a cryopump requiring regeneration, and may be, for example, a cryopump having a temperature of 20 K or more in the two stage stage 214b in operation. Of course, there are many other ways to choose a cryopump that requires regeneration. For example, the cryopump separated from the chamber 10 may be designated as a cryopump requiring regeneration for maintenance.

Preparing the cryopump (S100) includes selecting a cryopump for regeneration, stopping the operation of the selected cryopump, and shutting off the main valve 215 connecting the selected cryopump and the chamber. It may include a process of isolating the container 211 of the cryopump 210 from the chamber 10.

Thereafter, a process of obtaining the cooling panel temperature and the vessel pressure from the selected cryopump is performed. In detail, the sensor unit 254 is used to obtain the temperature and the vessel pressure of the second stage 214b of the cooling panel. Here, the vessel pressure can be obtained by using a Pirani gauge.

Thereafter, the controller 260 controls the operation of the cryopump regeneration device by using the preset regeneration mode, the obtained cooling panel temperature, and the vessel pressure to regenerate the cryopump.

In this case, the regeneration mode may include a partial regeneration mode for raising the cooling panel to a predetermined temperature lower than room temperature and a complete regeneration mode for raising the cooling panel to room temperature. The set temperature may correspond to the liquefaction or vaporization temperature of the gas component that exhausts the exhaust from the cooling panel. For example, if the predetermined gas must be raised to a temperature of 200K in order to exhaust the predetermined gas from the cooling panel, the set temperature can be set to 200K.

The regeneration mode includes a plurality of operating modes, in particular, the partial regeneration mode includes a first operating mode and the full regeneration mode includes first to fourth operating modes. Here, the first operation mode of the partial regeneration mode and the first operation mode of the full regeneration mode have the same regeneration start condition and operation sequence of each component of the cryopump reconstruction device, and only the regeneration temperature for raising the second stage 214b. Can be different.

The above-described operating mode includes one of a cooling panel cryogenic condition, a cooling panel low temperature condition, a cooling panel room temperature condition, and one of a container high vacuum condition, a container low vacuum condition, and a container atmospheric pressure condition as a regeneration start condition. At least some of the operating modes of may have different combinations of reproduction start conditions.

Regeneration of the cryopump 210 may include selecting an operating mode including regeneration start conditions corresponding to the cooling panel temperature and vessel pressure, and heating, purging, roughing, It can include an operation that performs build ups and cool downs in order or selectively.

Hereinafter, the regeneration process of the cryopump 210 for the operation modes of the embodiment will be described in detail.

First, when the cooling panel temperature of the cryopump 210 obtained from the sensor unit 254 is included in the panel low temperature condition and the container pressure is included in the container high vacuum condition, the first operation mode is selected to determine the operation mode. (S200). At this time, the reproduction mode may be determined as a partial reproduction mode or may be a complete reproduction mode. For example, in the above-described case, the controller 260 may select the reproduction mode as the first operation mode of the partial reproduction mode or the first operation mode of the full reproduction mode. On the other hand, as described above, the process of selecting the first operation mode may be a process that the control unit 260 automatically selects.

Thereafter, the operation of the temperature controller 252 is controlled by the controller 260 to raise both the first stage stage 214a and the second stage stage 214b of the cooling panel to room temperature or to a predetermined temperature, and the container 211 By controlling the operation of the purge gas circulation unit 251 to the control unit 260 to be pressurized to the atmospheric pressure, a heating process for introducing a purge gas into the container 211 is performed. At this time, when the temperature of the cooling panel is raised to a desired temperature, the operation of the temperature control unit 252 is stopped.

Thereafter, when the container 211 is pressurized to the atmospheric pressure, the operation of the purge gas circulation unit 251 is controlled by the controller 260 to introduce the purge gas into the container 211 so that the container 211 maintains the atmospheric pressure, A purge process of discharging the purge gas from the 211 is performed (S300). The gas separated from the cooling panel during the purge process is discharged to the discharge pipe 251e together with the purge gas, and only purge gas, that is, nitrogen gas may be present in the container 211. At this time, the purge process is performed for a predetermined time.

On the other hand, the sensor unit 254 obtains the pressure of the container 211 by using the pressure gauge 254d, and adjusts the opening degree of the valves of the purge gas circulation unit 251 by the control unit 260 based on this value. The atmospheric pressure of the container 211 can be maintained.

Thereafter, the control unit 260 controls the operation of the pressure reducing unit 253 to perform a roughing process of discharging the purge gas from the container 211 such that the container 211 is depressurized to a reference pressure range in which the cryopump can be operated. Perform (S400).

Here, the reference pressure range that can operate the cryopump is a predetermined pressure range included in the low vacuum pressure range, and may be a pressure range of several tens to several tens of Pa. Of course, the pressure range thereof is not particularly limited.

Thereafter, the roughing valve 253c is blocked by the controller 260 to finish the roughing process, and then waits for a predetermined time to perform a build-up process of checking the state of the discharged gas. Here, using the vacuum gauge 254e of the sensor unit 254, the pressure of the container 210 is obtained, and the pressure of the container 211 before the pressure of the container 211 blocks the rough valve 253c. When the pressure rises above a predetermined pressure, the roughing process is repeated several times. On the other hand, checking the state of the discharged gas means checking whether the amount of the leak or the discharged gas is an operational level of the cryopump. The predetermined time for performing the buildup process may be, for example, about a few minutes, but it is not particularly limited thereto.

Thereafter, the controller 260 and the pump controller 220 interlock with each other, and the operation of the cryopump 210 is started through the pump controller 220 to perform a cool down process of cooling the temperature of the cooling panel to cryogenic temperature ( S500). At this time, the controller 260 may be smoothly supplied to the cryopump by increasing the number of operations or the number of rotations of the compressor 231 in cooperation with the compressor controller 240. Thereafter, after the cooldown process is finished, a playback end process of waiting for a predetermined time is performed, and playback ends. By the cooldown process, the pressure of the container 211 may be lowered from low vacuum to high vacuum.

The cryopump can be regenerated in a high vacuum and cryogenic state through the above process.

Hereinafter, the regeneration process of the cryopump 210 according to the remaining operation modes of the embodiment will be described in detail. In this case, in order to avoid duplication of description, contents overlapping with the description of the first operation mode will be briefly described.

The regeneration process of the cryopump 210 according to the second operation mode of the embodiment will be described in detail.

When the cooling panel temperature acquired by the sensor unit 254 from the cryopump 210 is included in the panel room temperature condition and the vessel pressure is included in the vessel atmospheric pressure condition, the second operation mode is selected to determine the operation mode (S200). ). On the other hand, the process of selecting the second operation mode may be a process that the control unit 260 automatically selects.

Thereafter, the purge process (S300) of the cryopump is performed, and then a roughing process is performed (S400). Thereafter, a build-up process of checking the state of the discharged gas is performed by waiting for a predetermined time, and a cooldown process of the cryopump is performed (S500). In this case, the controller 260 may interwork with the pump controller 220 and the compressor controller 240. After the cooldown process is finished, a playback end process of waiting for a predetermined time is performed, and playback ends.

Through the above-described process, the cryopump can be regenerated in a high vacuum and cryogenic state.

Hereinafter, the regeneration process of the cryopump 210 according to the third operation mode of the embodiment will be described in detail.

When the cooling panel temperature obtained by the sensor unit 254 from the cryopump 210 is included in the panel cryogenic condition or the low temperature condition, and the vessel pressure is included in the vessel high vacuum condition, the third operation mode is selected to determine the operation mode. (S200). In this case, the third operation mode may be manually selected through a control unit provided to control the cryopump if necessary. That is, the process of determining the operation mode by selecting the third operation mode may be a process in which the user manually selects the third operation mode through the control unit to determine the operation mode.

Here, the meaning in the case where necessary is as follows. If necessary, it means a case where the user needs to regenerate the cryopump for the purpose of maintenance of the container 211 and the cryopump.

Meanwhile, the first operation mode, the second operation mode, and the fourth operation mode may be automatically selected by the controller according to the reproduction start condition.

That is, in the cryopump regeneration method according to an embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of operating modes may be automatically or manually selected. That is, according to the operation mode, the process of selecting an operation mode including the regeneration start conditions corresponding to the cooling panel temperature and the vessel pressure may be performed by the control unit automatically controlling the operation mode including the regeneration start conditions corresponding to the cooling panel temperature and the vessel pressure. It may be a process of selecting or manually selecting by the user through the control unit.

Thereafter, the heating process, purge process (S300), roughing process (S400), build-up process, and regeneration termination process of the cryopump are performed in order. This process does not perform a cool down process.

Through the above-described process, the cryopump can be regenerated at room temperature and low vacuum.

Hereinafter, the regeneration process of the cryopump 210 according to the fourth operation mode of the embodiment will be described in detail.

When the cooling panel temperature obtained by the sensor unit 254 from the cryopump 210 is included in the panel room temperature condition and the vessel pressure is included in the vessel low vacuum condition, the fourth operation mode is selected to determine the operation mode ( S200). Meanwhile, the process of selecting the fourth operation mode may be a process of automatically selecting the control unit 260.

Thereafter, the cryopump roughing process, buildup process, cooldown process, and regeneration termination process are performed, and the regeneration is terminated. Through this process, the cryopump can be regenerated in cryogenic and high vacuum conditions.

Here, when performing the roughing process of the fourth operating mode, when the pressure of the container 211 is higher than the reference pressure range, the roughing process is started. Therefore, the end point of the roughing process may vary according to the pressure state of the container 211.

In the cryopump which has completed the regeneration process according to the first mode of operation, the second mode of operation and the fourth mode of operation, the cooling panel temperature is included in the panel cryogenic condition, the vessel pressure is included in the container high vacuum condition, and in this state is normal. It is possible to operate, to initiate operation for high vacuum control of the chamber or to maintain a standby state.

After completing the regeneration process according to the third operation mode, the cryopump may subsequently perform the regeneration process according to the fourth operation mode or perform maintenance work on the cryopump.

In the embodiment of the present invention, the meaning of regeneration was used in a broad sense to have the meaning of making the cryopump into various states desired by the operator, including reheating the cooling panel. For example, in the case of the fourth operation mode, the heating and purge processes are omitted, but the playing process is completed by performing the roughing and buildup process, and the process may be included in the playing process in the embodiment of the present invention.

On the other hand, the cryopump regeneration method according to an embodiment of the present invention may further include the step of detecting the vibration generated in the cryopump, the process of determining whether to check the cryopump using the detected vibration value. have.

At this time, the process of detecting the above-described vibration and the process of determining whether or not to check, may be performed for the cryopump in operation under the control of the pump controller. Accordingly, the above-described process of detecting the vibration and determining whether or not the inspection is performed may be performed during the operation of the cryopump.

First, the vibration generated by the cryopump in operation is detected using the vibration detector. The vibration detector may be installed at any position of the cryopump, and detects a vibration value at the installed position. At this time, in the embodiment of the present invention, the vibration value is detected from the motor unit 212 of the cryopump in operation. The vibration values may be vibration values of the motor unit 212 in one or two axes or three axes.

Thereafter, the inspection predictor determines whether the cryopump is inspected using the vibration value detected by the motor unit 212. That is, the reference vibration values input in one direction, two axes or three axes in advance in the inspection predicting unit are compared with the vibration values input from the motor unit 212, and the cryopump is inspected according to the comparison result. It can be determined. Reference vibration values for one axis, two axes, or three axes can be given in a range, respectively.

Specifically, at least the reference vibration values input in advance in the uniaxial, biaxial or triaxial directions are compared with respective vibration values in the uniaxial, biaxial or triaxial directions measured from the motor unit 212, respectively. If one vibration value is out of the reference vibration value, it is determined that the cryopump needs to be checked. In this case, if it is determined that the check of the cryopump is necessary, various types of alarms may be generated to notify the user. For example, the alarm may be in the form of sound, or may be in the form of light or text.

On the other hand, when the vibration values for the uniaxial, biaxial or triaxial directions measured from the motor unit 212 are all included in the reference vibration values, it is determined that the inspection of the cryopump is not necessary.

Through the above-described process, it is possible to determine early whether the cryopump in operation is checked.

The above embodiment of the present invention is for the description of the present invention, not for the limitation of the present invention. It is to be noted that the configurations and manners disclosed in the above embodiments of the present invention will be modified in various forms by combining or crossing each other, and such modifications can be regarded as the scope of the present invention. That is, the present invention will be implemented in various forms that are different from the scope of the claims and equivalent technical idea, and various embodiments are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention for those skilled in the technical field corresponding to the present invention. You will understand.

10: chamber 200: refrigeration unit
210: cryopump 220: pump controller
230: compressor device 240: compressor controller
250: playback device unit 260: control unit

Claims (20)

A cryopump regeneration device for regenerating a cryopump including a cooling panel and a container in which the cooling panel is accommodated.
A temperature controller connected to the cooling panel;
A purge gas circulation unit connected to the vessel;
A pressure reducing unit connected to the container;
A sensor unit to obtain a cooling panel temperature and a container pressure; And
And a controller configured to control operations of the temperature controller, the purge gas circulator, and the pressure reducer by using a preset regeneration mode, the cooling panel temperature, and the vessel pressure. The method according to claim 1,
The temperature control unit includes a first stage heater mounted on the first stage stage of the cooling panel, a second stage heater mounted on the second stage stage of the cooling panel, and a band heater disposed outside the container,
The purge gas circulation unit includes a purge gas supply unit, an introduction tube connecting the purge gas supply unit and the container, an introduction valve mounted to the introduction tube, a purge gas recovery unit, a discharge tube connecting the purge gas recovery unit and the container, and the discharge unit. A discharge valve mounted to the pipe,
The decompression unit is a cryopump regeneration device including a roughing pump, a discharge pipe connecting the roughing pump and the container and a roughing valve mounted to the discharge pipe. The method according to claim 2,
The sensor unit includes a first stage temperature sensor mounted on the first stage stage, a second stage temperature sensor mounted on the second stage stage, a pressure gauge mounted on the discharge tube between the discharge valve and the vessel, the roughing valve and the vessel. Cryopump regeneration device comprising a vacuum gauge to be mounted to the discharge pipe between. The method according to claim 1,
The play mode includes a partial play mode and a full play mode,
And the control unit controls the regeneration temperature of the cooling panel differently according to the regeneration mode. The method according to claim 1,
The regeneration mode includes a plurality of operating modes,
The operating mode includes a plurality of playback start conditions,
And the control unit controls the operation of the temperature control unit, the purge gas circulating unit, and the pressure reducing unit in an operation mode including regeneration start conditions corresponding to the cooling panel temperature and the container pressure obtained by the sensor unit. The method according to claim 5,
The regeneration start condition includes a cooling panel cryogenic condition, a cooling panel low temperature condition, a cooling panel room temperature condition, a container high vacuum condition, a container low vacuum condition and a container atmospheric pressure condition,
The control unit is a cryopump regeneration device for controlling the operation order of the temperature control unit, the purge gas circulation unit and the decompression unit differently for each of a plurality of operating modes. The method according to claim 1,
The cryopump is controlled by a pump controller,
The control unit is linked to the pump controller, the cryopump regeneration device for controlling the operation stop and restart of the cryopump through the pump controller. The method according to claim 7,
The cryopump is connected to a compressor, and adjusts the temperature of the cooling panel using the refrigerant supplied by the compressor,
The compressor is controlled by the compressor controller,
The control unit is linked to the compressor controller, or included in the compressor controller, the cryopump regeneration device for controlling the operation stop and restart of the compressor through the compressor controller. The method according to claim 8,
At least one of the cryopump and the compressor is provided in plurality,
The control unit controls the cryopump regeneration or the rotational speed of the compressor or the number of revolutions through the compressor controller according to the number of the cryopump to be regenerated. The method according to claim 7,
And the control unit controls the temperature of the cooling panel of the cryopump in operation by the control of the pump controller. The method according to claim 1,
Vibration detection unit for detecting the vibration generated from the cryopump;
And a check predictor for determining whether to check the cryopump using the vibration value detected by the vibration detector. Preparing a cryopump including a cooling panel and a container containing the cooling panel;
Obtaining a cooling panel temperature and vessel pressure from the cryopump;
And regenerating the cryopump by utilizing a preset regeneration mode, the cooling panel temperature, and the vessel pressure. The method according to claim 12,
The regeneration mode includes a partial regeneration mode for raising the cooling panel to a predetermined temperature lower than room temperature and a complete regeneration mode for raising the cooling panel to room temperature. The method according to claim 12,
The regeneration mode includes a plurality of operating modes,
The operating mode includes a cryopump comprising one of a cooling panel cryogenic condition, a cooling panel low temperature condition, a cooling panel room temperature condition, and one of a container high vacuum condition, a container low vacuum condition, and a container atmospheric pressure condition as a regeneration start condition. How to play. The method according to claim 14,
The regeneration process,
Automatically or manually selecting an operating mode that includes regeneration start conditions corresponding to the cooling panel temperature and vessel pressure;
And an operation process of sequentially or selectively performing heating, purging, roughing, building up, and cooling down the cryopump according to a selected operation mode. The method according to claim 15,
The selection process,
And selecting the first operating mode when the cooling panel temperature is included in the panel low temperature condition and the container pressure is included in the container high vacuum condition.
The operation process,
Heating the cooling panel to room temperature or a set temperature, and introducing a purge gas into the vessel to pressurize the vessel to atmospheric pressure;
A purge process of introducing a purge gas into the vessel to maintain the atmospheric pressure of the vessel and discharging the purge gas from the vessel;
A roughing process of discharging the purge gas from the vessel to depressurize the vessel to a reference pressure range capable of operating the cryopump;
A build-up process of checking the discharged gas by waiting for a predetermined time after finishing the roughing process;
A cooling down process of starting the cryopump to cool the temperature of the cooling panel to a cryogenic temperature;
And a regeneration termination process of waiting for a predetermined time after the cooldown process is terminated. The method according to claim 15,
The selection process,
And selecting the second operating mode when the cooling panel temperature is included in the panel room temperature condition and the vessel pressure is included in the container atmospheric pressure condition.
The operation process,
A purge process of introducing a purge gas into the vessel and discharging the purge gas from the vessel;
A roughing process of discharging the purge gas from the vessel to depressurize the vessel to a reference pressure range capable of operating the cryopump;
A build-up process of checking the discharged gas by waiting for a predetermined time after finishing the roughing process;
A cooling down process of starting the cryopump to cool the temperature of the cooling panel to a cryogenic temperature;
And a regeneration termination process of waiting for a predetermined time after the cooldown process is terminated. The method according to claim 15,
The selection process,
And manually selecting a third operating mode when the cooling panel temperature is included in a panel cryogenic condition or a low temperature condition and the vessel pressure is included in a vessel high vacuum condition.
The operation process,
Heating the cooling panel to room temperature and introducing a purge gas into the vessel to pressurize the vessel to atmospheric pressure;
A purge process of introducing a purge gas into the vessel to maintain the atmospheric pressure of the vessel and discharging the purge gas from the vessel;
A roughing process of discharging the purge gas from the vessel to depressurize the vessel to a reference pressure range capable of operating the cryopump;
A build-up process of checking the discharged gas by waiting for a predetermined time after finishing the roughing process;
And a regeneration termination process of waiting for a predetermined time after finishing the build-up process. The method according to claim 15,
The selection process,
And selecting the fourth operating mode when the cooling panel temperature is included in the panel room temperature condition and the vessel pressure is included in the vessel low vacuum condition.
The operation process,
A roughing process of discharging gas from the vessel such that the vessel is depressurized to a reference pressure range in which the cryopump can operate when the internal pressure of the cryopump is higher than a reference pressure capable of operating the cryopump;
A build-up process of checking the discharged gas by waiting for a predetermined time after finishing the roughing process;
A cooling down process of starting the cryopump to cool the temperature of the cooling panel to a cryogenic temperature;
And a regeneration termination process of waiting for a predetermined time after the cooldown process is terminated. The method according to claim 12,
Detecting vibration generated in the cryopump;
And determining whether or not the cryopump is checked using the detected vibration value.

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