System for controlling fluid flow

• US 7,107,128 B2
• Filed: 02/13/2004
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Inventors: McLoughlin, Robert F., Laverdiere, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): Picard, Leo
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jarrett, Ryan A.
• Application Number:
  US10/779,009
• Publication Number:
  US 20050182525A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 700/123, 700/282, 700/283, 137/47, 137/48, 137/50, 251/129.01, 251/129.05
• US Class Current: 700/282
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/6715 Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like H01L21/67126 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/0989 Acceleration responsive valve control

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide systems and methods of controlling fluid dispense to ensure clean break off of fluid at the end of a dispense process and to reduce crystallization of fluid in the dispense nozzle. One embodiment of the present invention can include a controller that can, generate a flow control signal to cause a control valve to close according to a first close rate parameter for a first segment of the close range and to generate the flow control signal to cause the control valve to close according to a second close rate parameter for a second segment of the close range.

Claims

1. A system for regulating fluid flow comprising:

a controller further comprising;

a processor;

a computer readable memory;

a set of computer instructions stored on the computer readable memory, the computer instructions comprising instructions executable by the processor to;

generate a flow control signal to close a fluid control valve based on a first close rate parameter for a first segment of a close range; and

generate a flow control signal to close the fluid control valve based on a second close rate parameter for a second segment of the close range,

wherein the first close rate parameter is a first acceleration factor corresponding to a first rate of change in a close rate acceleration and the second close rate parameter corresponds to a second rate of change in the close rate acceleration.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to determine if a valve position is less than a break point.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to generate a suckback control signal to cause a suckback valve to push fluid into a nozzle.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

a fluid control device coupled to the controller comprising the fluid control valve;

a suckback valve coupled to the controller in fluid communication with the fluid control device; and

wherein the fluid control device is responsive to the flow control signal to close the fluid control valve.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the fluid control device comprises the fluid control valve and a proportional pneumatic control valve.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the proportional pneumatic control valve is responsive to the flow control signal, and wherein the proportional pneumatic control valve closes the fluid control valve by applying pneumatic pressure to the fluid control valve.