Error volume system and method for a pump

• US 7,897,196 B2
• Filed: 11/20/2006
• Issued: 03/01/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/05/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Inventors: Cedrone, James, Gonnella, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Kornakov; Michael
• Assistant Examiner(s): WEDDLE, ALEXANDER MARION
• Application Number:
  US11/602,507
• Publication Number:
  US 20070125796A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,562 Days
• Field of Search: 427/8
• US Class Current: 427/8
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 13/00 Pumps specially modified to deliver fixed or variable measured quantities
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 51/00 Testing machines, pumps, or pumping installations
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/115831 Condition or time responsive
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2575 Volumetric liquid transfer

Abstract

A pumping system that accurately dispenses fluid using a pump, including reducing the error in the amount of a fluid a pump dispenses by correcting for the compliance of a dispense system.

Claims

1. A method for compensating for errors in dispense volumes of a dispense system comprising:

a pump controller determining a dispense volume amount based on a dispense recipe, wherein the pump controller is operable to control operation of a dispense pump, wherein the dispense system comprises the pump controller, the dispense pump, and one or more tubes downstream of the dispense pump;

the pump controller determining a value for a fluid property based on the dispense recipe;

the pump controller determining a correlation between the error volume of the dispense pump and the one or more tubes and the fluid property, wherein the correlation accounts for compliance in the dispense pump and the one or more tubes;

the pump controller determining an error volume amount based on the value of the fluid property and the correlation; and

the pump controller controlling a dispense motor to move a piston in the dispense pump to a position to account for the dispense volume amount determined from the recipe and the error volume amount to dispense the dispense volume amount of fluid from a nozzle.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pump controller controlling the dispense motor further comprises the pump controller controlling the dispense motor to move the piston to the position in a time specified by the recipe to dispense the dispense volume amount.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the pump controller receiving a user specified error volume that accounts for a difference between a test dispense system and the dispense system.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the position further accounts for the user specified error volume.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the pump controller controlling the dispense motor further comprises the pump controller controlling the dispense motor to move the piston to the position in a time specified by the recipe to dispense the dispense volume amount.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a test pump controller developing the correlation between the error volume and the fluid property in a test dispense system that comprises at least the test pump controller, a test pump, and one or more test pump tubes, wherein the test dispense system is configured to simulate the dispense system.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the test pump controller developing the correlation further comprises:

performing a set of test dispenses with corresponding desired dispense volume amounts with fluids having various values for the fluid property;

the test pump controller analyzing a set of actual dispense volume amounts of the test dispenses relative to the desired dispense volume amounts to determine the correlation between the fluid property and the error volume, wherein the correlation accounts for compliance in the test dispense system, wherein the compliance comprises compliance of the test dispense pump and compliance of the one or more test pump tubes.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the test pump controller developing the correlation further comprises:

a) the test pump controller performing a set of test dispenses with a corresponding desired dispense volume amount with a test fluid;

b) the test pump controller determining an average actual dispense volume amount;

c) the test pump controller repeating steps a-b for each of a set of additional desired dispense volume amounts;

d) the test pump controller repeating steps a-c for each of a set of additional test fluids, wherein each test fluid has a different value for the fluid property;

e) the test pump controller determining the correlation between error volume and the fluid property based on the average actual dispense volume amounts and the corresponding desired dispense volume amounts.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the test dispense system is configured to approximate a semiconductor manufacturing wafer coating system.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the one or more test pump tubes in the test dispense system comprise:

a first length of tubing connected between an outlet port of a multi-stage pump and an outlet valve; and

a second length of tubing connected between the outlet valve and a nozzle.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first length of tubing is 3-6 meters long having an outer diameter of 5-6.5 mm and an inner diameter of 4-4.5 millimeters and the second length of tubing is 1-1.5 meters long having an outer diameter of 3.5-4.5 mm and an inner diameter of 1.5-2.5 mm.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the correlation is developed using the test pump and the correlation is propagated to set of pumps for subsequent use, wherein the set of pumps comprises the dispense pump.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the fluid property is viscosity.

14. A method for compensating for system compliance in a dispense operation performed by a pump comprising:

with a test pump installed in a test dispense system that comprises at least a test pump controller, the test pump, and one or more test pump tubes downstream of the test pump;

the test pump controller performing a set of test dispenses with corresponding desired dispense volume amounts with a set of test fluids having various values for a fluid property, wherein the test pump controller is operable to control operation of the test pump;

the test pump controller analyzing a set of actual dispense volume amounts of the test dispenses relative to the desired dispense volume amounts to determine a correlation between the fluid property and the error volume, wherein the correlation that accounts for compliance in the test dispense system, wherein the compliance comprises compliance of the test pump and compliance of the one or more test pump tubes;

with a pump installed in a dispense system in a semiconductor manufacturing facility, wherein the dispense system comprises a pump controller, the pump, and one or more tubes downstream of the pump;

the pump controller determining a desired manufacturing process dispense volume amount based on a dispense recipe for dispensing a process fluid, wherein the pump controller is operable to control operation of the pump;

the pump controller determining a fluid property value for a process fluid based on the dispense recipe;

the pump controller determining an error volume amount based on the fluid property value for the process fluid from the correlation between the fluid property and the error volume; and

the pump controller controlling a dispense motor to move a piston to a position to account for the desired manufacturing process dispense volume amount determined from the recipe and the error volume amount to dispense the dispense volume amount of fluid from a nozzle to a wafer.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the pump controller controlling the dispense motor further comprises the pump controller controlling the dispense motor to move the piston to the position in a time specified by the recipe to dispense the dispense volume amount.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising the pump controller receiving a user specified error volume that accounts for a difference between the test dispense system and the dispense system.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the position to further accounts for the user specified error volume.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the pump controller controlling the dispense motor further comprises the pump controller controlling the dispense motor to move the piston to the position in a time specified by the recipe to dispense the dispense volume amount.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the test pump controller performing a set of test dispenses and analyzing as set of actual dispense volume amounts further comprise:

a) the test pump controller performing test dispenses with a corresponding desired dispense volume amount with a selected test fluid from the set of test fluids;

b) the test pump controller determining an average actual dispense volume amount;

c) the test pump controller repeating steps a-b for each of a set of additional desired dispense volume amounts;

d) the test pump controller repeating steps a-c selecting a new test fluid as the selected test fluid from the set of test fluids, wherein each test fluid has a different value for the fluid property;

e) the test pump controller determining the correlation between error volume and the fluid property based on the average actual dispense volume amounts and the corresponding desired dispense volume amounts.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the test dispense system is configured to approximate a semiconductor manufacturing wafer coating system.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the one or more test pump tubes in the test dispense system comprise:

a first length of tubing connected between an outlet port of the test pump and an outlet valve; and

a second length of tubing connected between the outlet valve and a test nozzle.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the first length of tubing is 3-6 meters long having an outer diameter of 5-6.5 mm and an inner diameter of 4-4.5 millimeters and the second length of tubing is 1-1.5 meters long having an outer diameter of 3.5-4.5 mm and an inner diameter of 1.5-2.5 mm.

23. The method of claim 14, further comprising propagating the correlation developed using the test pump to a set of pumps for subsequent use, wherein the set of pumps comprises the dispense pump, wherein the test dispense system is configured to simulate the dispense system.

24. The method of claim 14, wherein the fluid property is viscosity.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising installing the test pump as the pump installed in the semiconductor manufacturing facility.