KR20170076987A - mass flow controller error sensing system by Voltage and pressure - Google Patents

Abstract

The malfunction detection apparatus of the present invention includes a sensing unit for sensing an operating voltage of a flow rate regulator and an opening / closing value of a valve, an operating voltage of the flow rate regulator sensed by the sensing unit, And a control unit for generating an interlock when the operating voltage and the open / close value compared by the comparing unit are other than the reference voltage and the open / close value,
The vacuum pressure control device includes a pressure control valve installed between the vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump, and adapted to adjust the pressure to a preset pressure; The pressure of the vacuum chamber is checked, the checked valve control signal is applied to the pressure regulating valve, the valve opening / closing position value of the pressure regulating valve is monitored, and if it is out of a predetermined error value, And a valve controller for generating an interlock signal, thereby detecting and comparing the voltage sensing system with the pressure sensing system. The apparatus for detecting malfunction of the flow controller according to the present invention is a system for detecting a supply voltage And the operation error that may occur according to the failure of the control of the valve is detected through the voltage and the pressure, thereby minimizing the operation abnormality and the process error according to the minute flow control failure in the flow regulator.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention [0001] The present invention relates to a malfunction detection system for a flow controller using voltage and pressure,

The present invention relates to a malfunction detecting apparatus for a flow rate regulator which can detect a malfunction caused by an operation voltage abnormality of a flow rate regulator.

The flow regulator is intended to supply the required fluid quantitatively by a predetermined amount. This flow regulator is widely used in semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses. Semiconductor manufacturing processes use various types of reaction gases, and flow regulators are used to control the supply of these reaction gases.

Various types of gases are used in the semiconductor manufacturing process to carry out the unit process. However, if the supply of gas is not constant or the supply of gas is suddenly cut off, the process yield is rapidly lowered because it leads to disposal of the wafer itself in process. That is, since the wafer itself, which has been subjected to a plurality of processes in advance, must be discarded, the loss thereof is very large.

The conventional semiconductor manufacturing apparatus is not designed to separately detect an abnormal state of the flow controller. Therefore, it is difficult to precisely control the process of the abnormality of the flow regulator because it can not be detected in advance if a problem occurs in the flow rate supply even if the flow rate is fine.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a valve control apparatus and a valve control apparatus which compares an operation voltage of a flow rate regulator and an opening / The present invention provides a malfunction detecting apparatus for a flow rate regulator that detects a malfunction state in real time faster by using voltage and pressure.

According to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for detecting malfunction of a flow rate regulator, including: a sensing unit for sensing an operating voltage of a flow rate regulator;

A comparison unit comparing the operating voltage of the flow rate regulator sensed by the sensing unit with a preset reference voltage;

A comparator for checking the pressure of the vacuum chamber, applying the valve control signal generated according to the checked pressure to the pressure regulating valve, monitoring a valve opening / closing position value of the pressure regulating valve, ;

And a controller for generating an interlock when the operation voltage or the pressure compared by the comparison unit is other than the reference voltage or the pressure.

And a setting unit configured to set the reference voltage and the reference pressure to the comparing unit.

The apparatus for detecting a malfunction of the flow rate regulator according to the present invention detects an operation error that may occur due to an abnormality in the supply voltage supplied to the flow rate regulator and failure of the valve to be controlled during the semiconductor manufacturing process, Thereby minimizing operational errors and process errors.

In order to facilitate the understanding of the present invention, the technical point of the present invention will be briefly described. The vacuum chamber pressure is checked, the open / close position value of the flow controller is precisely monitored according to the checked pressure, And detects an abnormality of valve operation and generates an interlock signal if the pressure or the voltage is out of a preset error value.

The malfunction detection apparatus of the flow rate regulator includes a sensing unit for sensing an operating voltage of the flow rate regulator; A comparison unit comparing the operating voltage of the flow rate regulator sensed by the sensing unit with a preset reference voltage; And a control unit for generating an interlock when the operating voltage compared by the comparing unit is other than the reference voltage.

And a setting unit for setting the reference voltage to the comparison unit.

And an alarm unit for generating an alarm to the outside when the interlock is generated.

The display unit may further include a display unit for displaying the operating voltage detected by the sensing unit.

Hereinafter, a malfunction detection apparatus for a flow rate regulator will be described. FIG. 1 is a view showing a piping provided with a flow rate controller and a malfunction detecting device of a flow rate controller according to an embodiment of the present invention, and the piping structure is exemplarily applied to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. And a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that can be applied thereto may be an etching apparatus, a deposition apparatus, and various other apparatuses. As shown in FIG. 1, a plurality of gas supply pipes 110 are provided when there are a plurality of supply gas. A gas supply source 100 is provided at the inlet side of the supply pipe 110, and a process chamber 120 is provided at the outlet side. The outlet side has two supply piping 110

Branch. The process chamber 120 is connected to one of the branched pipes, and the switch 130 is connected before the process chamber 120. And a discharge pump 140 is connected to the other branch supply pipe 110. [ The discharge pump 140 is for forcibly discharging the remaining gas remaining on the piping after shutting off the process gas supply. An open / close valve 150 is provided from the downstream side of the gas supply source 100 in the supply piping 110, and a filter 160 is subsequently installed. A first air valve 170 is installed after the filter 160 and a flow controller 200 is installed downstream of the first air valve 170. A second air valve 180 is installed downstream of the flow controller 200. It is preferable that the first air valve 170 and the second air valve 180 use a normal close valve.

The flow regulator 200 is connected to a power supply 210. This supply power source 210 applies a DC voltage of 0-5 V to the flow regulator 200. Here, the flow controller 200 will be briefly described. The flow regulator 200 has a flow path for passing the fluid, an inlet for flowing the fluid into the flow path, and a discharge part for discharging the fluid from the flow path.

And a bypass portion for passing the fluid is disposed inside the flow passage adjacent to the inlet portion. The sample pipe is connected to the flow path, and the sample pipe is provided with a mass flow rate sensor to measure the mass flow rate of the fluid passing through the bypass portion. A control valve (for example, a solenoid valve) for controlling the mass flow rate of the fluid is disposed between the bypass portion and the discharge portion.

Is connected to the flow path. The construction of such a flow regulator can be exemplified by Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2004-0084479.

A malfunction detecting device 220 for detecting a malfunction of the flow rate regulator 200 is installed at one side of the flow rate regulator 200. The malfunction detection device 220 senses whether the flow regulator 200 malfunctions or not by detecting whether the voltage supplied to the flow regulator 200 is properly supplied.

2, the malfunction detecting apparatus 220 is connected to the flow rate controller 200 to detect a voltage state supplied from the supply power source 210 to the flow rate controller 200 (222). The sensing unit 222 may be a DC voltage detector.

And a comparing unit 223 having a setting unit 225 for setting an allowable reference voltage in operation of the user and comparing the set reference voltage with the operating voltage sensed by the sensing unit 222. And a controller 221 for generating an interlock when the operation voltage is determined to be a value other than the reference voltage according to the comparison value in the comparator 223.

And an alarm unit 226 for generating an alarm to the outside in accordance with the interlock generated in the control unit 221. The alarm unit 226 may be a tower lamp installed on either side of the facility, or may be a speaker that generates a voice alarm. And a display unit 224 for displaying the operating voltage sensed by the sensing unit 222. [

In another embodiment, the malfunction sensing apparatus 220 may be directly connected to the flow regulator 200 or the power supply 210, or alternatively may be installed on any path through which the voltage is supplied.

Hereinafter, the operation of the flow controller 200 according to the embodiment of the present invention, which is configured as described above, on the malfunction detection apparatus 220 will be described.

The user inputs the reference voltage through the setting unit 225. This reference voltage is a voltage value within a predetermined range for normal operation of the flow regulator 200. When the reference voltage is input and the gas supply is started, the flow regulator 200 supplies the regulated flow rate of the gas to the process chamber 120.

Here, the operation of the flow regulator 200 will be briefly described. The gas introduced into the flow regulator 200 is sampled while passing through the bypass section, and the sampled flow rate is sensed by the flow sensor to measure the flow rate. In addition, the measured value of the flow sensor is transmitted to a separate valve control unit (not shown). The valve control unit compares the measured signal with a predetermined reference flow rate and the corresponding reference signal, To control the flow rate.

On the other hand, when the power supplied from the power supply 210 is cut off, that is, in this case, the flow sensor may be broken or the power supply of the power supply 210 may be cut off. When the flow sensor fails, the flow rate is continuously supplied from the flow regulator 200 only by the last sensed measurement value. In this case, since the gas is supplied to the process chamber 120 in a state in which the flow rate is not adjusted at all, it becomes a serious cause of the process failure. Therefore, the malfunction detection device 220 senses this. That is, the malfunction sensing apparatus 220 senses a voltage value, that is, an operating voltage, supplied from the power supply 210 to the flow regulator 200. The sensed operating voltage is compared with the reference voltage previously input by the user in the comparator 223. If the compared operating voltage is a value other than the reference voltage, the control unit 221 immediately generates an interlock and alerts the outside through the alarm unit 226. After the alarm, the user confirms this and takes the necessary follow-up action. On the other hand, since the user can check the operation voltage state through the display unit 224 whenever necessary, appropriate device management can be performed.

The vacuum pump 400 is installed between the vacuum chamber 400 and the vacuum pump 300 and is driven in response to the valve control signal VCON applied through the line L1 so that the pressure in the vacuum chamber 400 is adjusted to a preset pressure The pressure regulating valve 215 is shown.

The valve controller 100 connected to the pressure regulating valve 215 checks the pressure of the vacuum chamber 400 and outputs the valve control signal VCON generated according to the checked pressure to the pressure regulating valve 215, And monitors the valve opening / closing position value PF of the pressure regulating valve 215 to detect an abnormality of the valve when the preset error value is out of order and transmits the interlock signal INTL to the host device 500 .

The valve controller 100 includes a control unit 110, a valve driving unit 120, a display unit 130, a first sensing unit 140, an operating unit 150, a second sensing unit 160, memories 170, And an input / output unit 195, as shown in FIG. That is, the valve controller 100 may additionally include a display unit for visually displaying status data related to the valve operation of the pressure control valve 215. Further, an operation unit 150 may be further provided to perform menu hierarchical setting related to valve operation of the pressure regulating valve 215.

The controller 110 performs various controls related to the pressure monitoring of the vacuum chamber and the operation monitoring and operation of the pressure control valve according to a preset program. The RAM 170 connected to the controller 110 functions as a main memory. The flash memory 180 connected to the controller 110 functions as a nonvolatile memory and permanently stores the generation of the interlock signal and various history information until an erase command is given. The program for which the operation of the controller 110 is programmed is stored in the ROM 190. However, if the matter is different, the program may be stored in the flash memory 180.

 The operation unit 150 connected to the control unit 110 includes the push button keys and the status display lamps described in FIG. 7, and the menu hierarchical setting related to the valve operation of the pressure control valve is performed, To the user.

 The pressure regulating valve 215 is composed of a valve actuator 215 and a control valve 220. The pressure regulating valve 215 includes solenoid valves and a blocking part 208 installed on the operation end of the stainless steel bellows 207 The internal structure of the control valve unit 220 can be achieved. The sensor provided in the blocking unit 280 may be a magnetic position sensor or a potentiometer. And can be implemented as a Hall effect linear position sensor when employed as a magnetic position sensor. When the potential meter is employed as a sensor, it is preferable to connect the blocking portion 280 and the shaft of the bellows to obtain a result that the output voltage value varies depending on the degree of movement of the blocking portion. Here, the potential meter may have an output value from about 1.2 volts to about 4.8 volts when the valve close position is moved in the range of 0-28 mm.

The host apparatus 500 receiving the interlock signal INTL is connected to the vacuum chamber 400 through a line L12 and controls a process recipe for the vacuum chamber 400. [

The pressure of the vacuum chamber 400 is checked by at least two pressure sensors 410 and 412. The first pressure sensor 410 is a low pneumatic pressure sensor for sensing a pressure of several tens to several hundred torr. The second pressure sensor 412 is a high vacuum pneumatic pressure sensor for sensing a pressure of several thousand torr.

The valve 416 connected directly between the vacuum chamber 400 and the vacuum pump 300 without passing through the pressure control valve 215 is a bypass valve.

The first sensing unit 140 receives the valve close position signal applied from the position sensor 210 installed in the pressure control valve 215 and converts the valve close position signal into digital valve close position data. The second sensing unit 160 receives a pressure sensing signal from the pressure sensors 410 and 412 installed in the chamber 400 and converts the pressure sensing signal into digital pressure data. The valve driving unit 120 generates the valve control signal VCON in response to a valve driving command of the controller 110 and applies the valve control signal VCON to the pressure regulating valve 215.

The control unit 110 checks the pressure of the chamber based on the digital pressure data, and applies the valve driving command to the valve driving unit 120 according to the checked pressure. If the digital valve close position data is preset It monitors whether the error range value is exceeded and generates an interlock signal (INTL) when exceeded.

Malfunction of the flow regulator 200 may occur at any one of the flow sensor, the control valve, the power supply 210, and the like. Therefore, it is possible to detect a plurality of sensing positions. In this case, more accurate operation error and post-maintenance can be performed, thereby minimizing a process error caused by a flow regulator in a semiconductor manufacturing process.

Claims (16)

A sensing unit for sensing an operating voltage of the flow regulator;
A comparator for comparing an operating voltage and an on / off value of the flow rate controller sensed by the sensing unit with preset reference voltages and on / off values;
A control unit for generating an interlock when the operation voltage, the open / close value compared by the comparison unit is the reference voltage, and the open / close value,
A vacuum pressure control device for use in semiconductor device manufacturing, comprising:
A pressure regulating valve installed between the vacuum chamber and the vacuum pump, the pressure regulating valve being driven in response to an applied valve control signal to adjust the pressure in the vacuum chamber to a preset pressure;
A pressure sensing signal is received from a pressure sensor installed in the vacuum chamber at all times to check the pressure in the vacuum chamber, and the valve control signal is generated according to the checked pressure to apply the pressure control valve to the pressure control valve, And a valve controller for comparing the valve opening / closing position value applied from the sensor with the valve opening / closing set value and detecting an abnormality of the valve operation when the preset error value is out of order and generating an interlock signal. Regulator malfunction detection device. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a setting unit configured to set the reference voltage and the open / close value to the comparing unit. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an alarm unit for generating an alarm to the outside when the interlock is generated. The display device according to claim 1, further comprising a display unit for displaying the operating voltage detected by the sensing unit
And a controller for detecting the malfunction of the flow controller using the voltage and the pressure. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the interlock signal is transmitted to a host device for manufacturing the semiconductor device. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the position sensor is disposed at an operating end of the pressure regulating valve. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the pressure of the vacuum chamber is checked by at least two pressure sensors. CLAIMS 1. An air pressure control device used in semiconductor device manufacturing, comprising:
A pressure regulating valve installed between the chamber and the pump and adapted to be driven in response to an applied valve control signal so that the pressure in the chamber is regulated to a preset pressure;
A pressure sensor installed in the chamber for receiving a pressure sensing signal to check the pressure in the chamber and generating the valve control signal according to the checked pressure to apply the pressure control signal to the pressure regulating valve, And a valve controller for comparing an applied valve close position value with a valve close setting value and detecting an abnormality of a valve operation when a preset error value is exceeded and generating an interlock signal. 9. The air pressure control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the valve controller further comprises an operation unit for performing menu hierarchical setting related to valve operation of the pressure control valve. 10. The air pressure control device according to claim 9, wherein the interlock signal is transmitted to a host device for manufacturing the semiconductor device. The air pressure control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the position sensor is a magnetic position sensor installed in a blocking portion of the pressure control valve. 12. The air pressure control device according to claim 11, wherein the position sensor is a potential meter connected to a bellows end of the pressure control valve. 13. The air pressure control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the pressure of the chamber is checked by at least two pressure sensors. 14. The air pressure control device according to claim 13, wherein the valve controller further comprises a liquid crystal display part for visually displaying status data related to valve operation of the pressure control valve. A valve controller installed between the chamber and the pump for controlling the pressure in the chamber to be adjusted to a preset pressure by being driven in response to an applied valve control signal,
A second sensing unit for receiving a pressure sensing signal applied from a pressure sensor installed in the chamber and converting the pressure sensing signal into digital pressure data;
A valve closing position signal applied from a position sensor provided on the pressure regulating valve,
A first sensing unit for converting the data into the Rose position data;
A valve driving unit for generating the valve control signal in response to the valve driving command and applying the valve control signal to the pressure regulating valve;
The pressure of the chamber is checked based on the digital pressure data, the valve driving command is applied to the valve driving unit according to the checked pressure, and whether the digital valve close position data exceeds a predetermined error range value is monitored And a control unit for generating an interlock signal when the voltage exceeds a predetermined voltage. A valve control method in an air pressure control apparatus having a pressure control valve installed between a chamber and a pump, comprising:
A pressure sensor for sensing a pressure in the chamber, and a position sensor for sensing a valve close position of the pressure control valve;
A valve driving step of checking the pressure sensor to adjust a pressure in the chamber to a preset pressure;
Receiving a valve close position value from the position sensor when the pressure regulating valve is closed;
Comparing the received valve close position value with a valve close setting value to generate an interlock signal when the difference is out of a preset error value.