Multiple gases providing method and multiple gases providing apparatus

• US 10,283,391 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Issued: 05/07/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Eugene Technology Co., Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Eugene Technology Co., Ltd.
• Inventors: Hyon, Jun-Jin, Cho, Joo-Hyun, Kang, Chul-Goo, Kim, Yong-Ki, Min, Jung-Ki
• Primary Examiner(s): Murphy, Kevin F
• Application Number:
  US15/535,380
• Publication Number:
  US 20170372929A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,173 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0652 the plurality of throttling means being arranged in parallel
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0664 the plurality of throttling means being arranged for the control of a plurality of diverging flows from a single flow G05D7/0652 takes precedence; ratio control G05D11/13
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/02 Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67017 Apparatus for fluid treatment H01L21/67126, H01L21/6715 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67253 Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/2657 Flow rate responsive

Abstract

Provided is a method for multi-supplying gas, the method comprising: installing a control valve and an flow meter on each of a plurality of branch lines branched from a main supply line, in which one or more gases are supplied, and supplying the gas; and providing the gas by adjusting flow of the gas by a controller connected to each of the control valve and the flow meter, wherein the controller has a first control manner, which controls each of the control valves based on a rate of flow measured by the flow meter to required portion flow for each branch line, and the first control manner adjusts an open rate of the control valve if the rate of the measured flow to the required portion flow is not within a predetermined range, and a unit of adjusting the control valve increases or decreases according to a difference between the measured flow and the required portion flow.

Claims

1. A method for multi-supplying gas, the method comprising:

installing a control valve and an flow meter on each of a plurality of branch lines branched from a main supply line, in which one or more gases are supplied, and supplying the gas; and

providing the gas by adjusting flow of the gas by a controller connected to each of the control valve and the flow meter,

wherein the controller has a first control manner, which controls each of the control valves based on a rate of flow measured by the flow meter to a required portion flow for each branch line, and

the first control manner adjusts an opening degree of the control valve installed in the branch line in which the rate of the measured flow to the required portion flow is not within a predetermined range, and a unit of adjusting the control valve increases or decreases according to a difference between the measured flow and the required portion flow,

wherein the controller has a second control manner, in which the controller decreases the opening degree of the control valve by a third adjusting unit installed in the branch line in which the flow measured by the flow meter is equal to or more than the required portion flow by a predetermined value, and increases the opening degree of the control valve by the third adjusting unit installed in the branch line in which the flow measured by the flow meter is less than the required portion flow by the predetermined value, and

wherein the controller has a third control manner, in which the controller fixes the opening degree of the control valve installed in the branch line in which the flow measured by the flow meter is within a predetermined range in a state that the second control manner is maintained for a predetermined period, and the controller returns to the second control manner to the control valve installed in the branch line in which the flow measured by the flow meter is not within the predetermined range.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein before controlling each of the control valves based on the rate of flow in the first control manner, the controller adjusts the opening degree of the control valve which is in a full open state to 50% and adjusts the opening degree of the control valve which is in a full close state.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the controller calculates a total of supply flow, which is the sum of the flow measured by the entire flow meter, after adjusting each of the control valves to a full open state, and increases an opening degree of an flow controller, which is installed on one or more auxiliary supply line connected to the main supply line and adjusts flow of the gas, if the total of supply flow is equal to or less than a total of required flow, which is the sum of the required portion flow, by a predetermined value.

4. A method for multi-supplying gas, the method comprising:

installing a control valve and an flow meter on each of a plurality of branch lines branched from a main supply line, in which one or more gases are supplied, and supplying the gas; and

providing the gas by adjusting flow of the gas by a controller connected to each of the control valve and the flow meter,

wherein the controller has a first control manner, which controls each of the control valves based on a rate of flow measured by the flow meter to a required portion flow for each branch line, and

the first control manner adjusts an opening degree of the control valve installed in the branch line in which the rate of the measured flow to the required portion flow is not within a predetermined range, and a unit of adjusting the control valve increases or decreases according to a difference between the measured flow and the required portion flow,

wherein the controller has a second control manner, in which the controller decreases the opening degree of the control valve by a third adjusting unit installed in the branch line in which the flow measured by the flow meter is equal to or more than the required portion flow by a predetermined value, and increases the opening degree of the control valve by the third adjusting unit installed in the branch line in which the flow measured by the flow meter is less than the required portion flow by the predetermined value, and

wherein the controller has a third control manner, in which the controller fixes the opening degree of the entire control valve if a total of supply flow being the sum of the flow measured by the entire flow meter is within a predetermined range in a state that the second control manner is maintained to the entire control valve for a predetermined period, and the controller returns to the second control manner if the total of supply flow is not within the predetermined range.

5. An apparatus for multi-supplying gas, comprising:

a main supply line, in which one or more gases are supplied;

a plurality of branch lines branched from the main supply line and providing the gas supplied from the main supply line;

a plurality of control valves, each installed on each of the plurality of branch lines;

a plurality of flow meters, each installed on each of the plurality of branch lines, located at a rear end of the control valve, and measuring flow of the gas provided via the branch line; and

a controller connected to each of the control valve and the flow meter and driving the control valve,

wherein the controller has a first control manner, which controls each of the control valves based on a rate of flow measured by the flow meter to a required portion flow for each branch line, and

the first control manner adjusts an opening degree of the control valve installed in the branch line in which the rate of the measured flow to the required portion flow is not within a predetermined range, and a unit of adjusting the control valve increases or decreases according to a difference between the measured flow and the required portion flow,

wherein the controller has a second control manner, in which the controller decreases the opening degree of the control valve by a third adjusting unit installed in the branch line in which the flow measured by the flow meter is equal to or more than the required portion flow by a predetermined value, and increases the opening degree of the control valve by the third adjusting unit installed in the branch line in which the flow measured by the flow meter is less than the required portion flow by the predetermined value, and

wherein the controller has a third control manner, in which the controller fixes the opening degree of the control valve installed in the branch line in which the flow measured by the flow meter is within a predetermined range in a state that the second control manner is maintained for a predetermined period, and the controller returns to the second control manner to the control valve installed in the branch line in which the flow measured by the flow meter is not within the predetermined range.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein before controlling each of the control valves based on the rate of flow in the first control manner, the controller adjusts the opening degree of the control valve which is in a full open state to 50% and adjusts the opening degree of the control valve which is in a full close state.