Electronically controlled cryopump

• US 6,318,093 B2
• Filed: 04/05/2001
• Issued: 11/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Helix Technology Corporation (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Gaudet, Peter W., Olsen, Donald A.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAPOSSELA, RONALD C
• Application Number:
  US09/826,692
• Publication Number:
  US 20010012485A1
• Time in Patent Office: 229 Days
• Field of Search: 62/555, 417/901
• US Class Current: 62/55.5
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 37/08 by condensing or freezing, e.g. cryogenic pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 49/065 and making use of computers
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 19/04 specially adapted to the production of a high vacuum, e.g. molecular pumps
• CPC Class Codes: F04D 27/00 Control, e.g. regulation, of pumps, pumping installations or pumping systems specially adapted for elastic fluids
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 417/901 Cryogenic pumps

Abstract

A cryogenic vacuum pump includes, in an integral assembly, temperature sensors and heaters associated with the first and second stages of the cryopumping array, a roughing valve and a purge valve. An electronic module removably coupled in the assembly responds to all sensors and controls all operations of the cryopump including regeneration thereof. System parameters are stored in a nonvolatile memory in the module. Included in the regeneration procedures are an auto-zero of the pressure gauge, heating of the array throughout rough pumping, and a change in pressure rate test to determine stall in rough pumping. The electronic module also restarts the system after power failure, limits use of a pressure gauge to safe conditions, provides warnings before allowing opening of the valves while the cryopump is operating and stores sensor calibration information. Control through a control pad on the pump may be limited by a password requirement. Password override is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of controlling and performing diagnostic procedures with respect to a cryopump comprising:

coupling local electronics to the cryopump, the electronics being programmed to provide individual control of the cryopump during operation and to store diagnostic operating parameters of the cryopump in a data history;

controlling operation of the cryopump, including regeneration of the cryopump, by the local electronics;

sensing diagnostic regeneration parameters for an individual cryopump during operation of the cryopump;

storing the sensed parameters in the data history of the local electronic coupled to the cryopump; and

accessing the stored data history by means of a remote computer and processing the accessed data in diagnostic procedures in the remote computer.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the diagnostic data is accessed by the remote computer.

3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the remote computer further controls further operation of the cryopump by communications to the electronics associated with the cryopump.

4. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the remote computer communicates with electronics coupled to individual cryopumps through a network.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the host computer further controls further operation of the cryopump by communications to the electronics associated with the cryopump.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising accessing by means of the remote computer temperature sensor calibration data stored in the electronics.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data history comprises regeneration data for less than all regeneration cycles of the cryopump but including at least a set of early regeneration cycles and a set of recent regeneration cycles.

8. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the data history comprises refrigerator cool down time and regeneration test cycles.