System for controlling valve fluid flow based on rate of change of close rate acceleration

• US 8,082,066 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2007
• Issued: 12/20/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Entegris Incorporated
• Inventors: Laverdiere, Marc, McLoughlin, Robert F
• Primary Examiner(s): JARRETT, RYAN A
• Application Number:
  US11/937,931
• Publication Number:
  US 20080071425A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 700/282, 700/283, 137/48
• US Class Current: 700/283
• 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 computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a set of computer instructions, executable by a computer processor, wherein the set of computer instructions comprise instructions executable 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;

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;

determine that the fluid control valve has closed;

generate a suckback control signal configured to cause a suckback valve to push a fluid to an end of a nozzle in response to the determination that the fluid control valve has closed; and

generate a suckback control signal configured to cause the suckback valve to draw the fluid into the nozzle after the fluid has reached the end of the nozzle;

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 computer program product of claim 1, wherein the first close rate parameter corresponds to shutting the fluid control valve as quickly as possible.

3. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the second close rate parameter corresponds to shutting the fluid control valve as quickly as possible.

4. The computer program product of claim 1, wherein the computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to generate the flow control signal based on at least one additional close rate parameter for at least one additional segment of the close range.

5. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium storing a set of computer instructions, wherein the set of computer instructions comprise instructions executable 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;

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;

determine that the fluid control valve has closed;

generate a suckback control signal configured to cause a suckback valve to push a fluid to an end of a nozzle; and

generate a suckback control signal configured to cause the suckback valve to draw the fluid into the nozzle after the fluid has reached the end of the nozzle;

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.

6. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the first close rate parameter corresponds to shutting the fluid control valve as quickly as possible.

7. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein the second close rate parameter corresponds to shutting the fluid control valve as quickly as possible.

8. The computer program product of claim 5, wherein in the computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to generate the flow control signal based on at least one additional close rate parameter for at least one additional segment of the close range.

9. A system for regulating fluid flow comprising:

a fluid control valve;

a suckback valve downstream of the fluid control valve;

a nozzle downstream of the suckback valve;

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 the fluid control valve based on a first close rate parameter for a first segment of a close range;

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;

determine that the fluid control valve has closed;

generate a suckback control signal configured to cause the suckback valve to push a fluid to an end of the nozzle; and

generate a suckback control signal configured to cause the suckback valve to draw the fluid into the nozzle after the fluid has reached the end of the nozzle,

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.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to switch from generating the flow control signal according to the first close rate parameter to generating the flow control signal based on the second close rate parameter based on a break point.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein in the computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to generate the flow control signal based on at least one additional close rate parameter for at least one additional segment of the close range.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the first close rate parameter corresponds to shutting the fluid control valve as quickly as possible.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the second close rate parameter corresponds to shutting the fluid control valve as quickly as possible.