Device and method for controlling temperature of a mounting table, a program therefor, and a processing apparatus including same
First Claim
1. A device for controlling a temperature of a mounting table for mounting thereon a target object, the device comprising:
- a first and a second coolant passageway provided at the mounting table, each having an inlet and an outlet;
a coolant circulator having an output port connected to the inlet of the first coolant passageway via a first channel and a return port connected to the outlet of the second coolant passageway via a second channel, for circulating a coolant in the first and the second coolant passageway and outputting the coolant that has returned to the return port through the output port after restoring a temperature of the coolant to a reference temperature;
a coolant temperature controller provided in the middle of the first channel, for raising or lowering the temperature of the coolant from the reference temperature to a desired set temperature;
a channel switching unit having a first port connected to the outlet of the first coolant passageway via a third channel, a second port connected to a first branchpoint provided at an upstream side of the coolant temperature controller of the first channel via a fourth channel, a third port connected to the inlet of the second coolant passageway via a fifth channel and a fourth port connected to a second branchpoint provided in the second channel via a sixth channel, the channel switching unit for connecting, blocking and changing the channels among the first to the fourth port; and
a channel controller for connecting, blocking and changing the channels inside the channel switching unit.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A device for controlling a temperature of a mounting table for mounting thereon a target object includes a first and a second coolant passageway provided at the mounting table, a coolant circulator for circulating a coolant in the first and the second coolant passageway, channels, a coolant temperature controller for raising or lowering the temperature of the coolant, a channel switching unit for connecting, blocking and changing the channels among a first to a fourth port; and a channel controller. Various modes for controlling a temperature of the mounting table can be obtained by combining an ON/OFF state of the heating operation in the coolant temperature controller with ON/OFF states of opening/closing valves in the channel switching unit under the control of the channel controller.
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Citations
25 Claims
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1. A device for controlling a temperature of a mounting table for mounting thereon a target object, the device comprising:
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a first and a second coolant passageway provided at the mounting table, each having an inlet and an outlet;
a coolant circulator having an output port connected to the inlet of the first coolant passageway via a first channel and a return port connected to the outlet of the second coolant passageway via a second channel, for circulating a coolant in the first and the second coolant passageway and outputting the coolant that has returned to the return port through the output port after restoring a temperature of the coolant to a reference temperature;
a coolant temperature controller provided in the middle of the first channel, for raising or lowering the temperature of the coolant from the reference temperature to a desired set temperature;
a channel switching unit having a first port connected to the outlet of the first coolant passageway via a third channel, a second port connected to a first branchpoint provided at an upstream side of the coolant temperature controller of the first channel via a fourth channel, a third port connected to the inlet of the second coolant passageway via a fifth channel and a fourth port connected to a second branchpoint provided in the second channel via a sixth channel, the channel switching unit for connecting, blocking and changing the channels among the first to the fourth port; and
a channel controller for connecting, blocking and changing the channels inside the channel switching unit. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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10. A method for controlling a temperature of a mounting table by circulating a coolant coming out of a coolant circulator in a first and a second coolant passageway provided at the mounting table for mounting thereon a target object, the method comprising a first temperature control mode including the steps of:
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connecting the first coolant passageway and the second coolant passageway in parallel between an output port and a return port of the coolant circulator;
making a part of the coolant of a reference temperature outputted from the coolant circulator flow in the first coolant passageway after raising or lowering the temperature thereof to a desired set temperature; and
making a residual coolant flow in the second coolant passageway while substantially maintaining the reference temperature thereof. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method for controlling a temperature of a mounting table by circulating a coolant with a coolant circulator in a first and a second coolant passageway provided at the mounting table for mounting thereon a target object, the method comprising:
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a first temperature control mode for controlling the temperature of the mounting table by connecting the first coolant passageway and the second coolant passageway in parallel between an output port and a return port of the coolant circulator, making a part of the coolant of a reference temperature outputted from the coolant circulator flow in the first coolant passageway after raising or lowering the temperature thereof to a desired set temperature, and making a residual coolant flow in the second coolant passageway while substantially maintaining the reference temperature thereof;
a second temperature control mode for controlling the temperature of the mounting table by connecting the first coolant passageway and the second coolant passageway in parallel between the output port and the return port of the coolant circulator, making a part of the coolant outputted from the coolant circulator flow in the first coolant passageway while substantially maintaining the reference temperature thereof, and making a residual coolant flow in the second coolant passageway while substantially maintaining the reference temperature thereof;
a third temperature control mode for controlling the temperature of the mounting table by connecting the first coolant passageway and the second coolant passageway in series between the output port and the return port of the coolant circulator, and making a part of the coolant of a reference temperature outputted from the coolant circulator flow in the first and the second coolant passageway sequentially after raising or lowering the temperature thereof to a desired set temperature, and making a residual coolant bypass the coolant passageways;
a fifth temperature control mode for controlling the temperature of the mounting table by connecting the first coolant passageway and the second coolant passageway in series between the output port and the return port of the coolant circulator, making a part of the coolant outputted from the coolant circulator flow in the first and the second coolant passageway sequentially while substantially maintaining the reference temperature thereof, and bypassing a residual coolant, wherein the method performs a switching between the first mode and at least one of the second, the third and the fifth mode.
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25. A program for controlling a temperature of a mounting table by circulating a coolant with a coolant circulator in a first and a second coolant passageway provided at a mounting table for mounting thereon a target object, wherein the program executes the steps of:
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controlling a temperature of the mounting table by connecting the first coolant passageway and the second coolant passageway in parallel between an output port and a return port of the coolant circulator, making a part of the coolant of a reference temperature outputted from the coolant circulator flow in the first coolant passageway after raising or lowering the temperature thereof to a desired preset temperature, and making a residual coolant flow in the second coolant passageway while substantially maintaining the reference temperature thereof; and
controlling a temperature of the mounting table by connecting the first coolant passageway and the second coolant passageway in series between the output port and the return port of the coolant circulator, making a part of the coolant of a reference temperature outputted from the coolant circulator flow in the first and the second coolant passageway sequentially after raising or lowering the temperature thereof to a desired set temperature or while substantially maintaining the reference temperature thereof, and making a residual coolant thereof bypass the coolant passageways.
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Specification