Flow rate controller and processing apparatus

• US 8,893,743 B2
• Filed: 10/12/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Okabe, Tsuneyuki, Moriya, Shuji, Matsuno, Kazushige
• Primary Examiner(s): Keasel, Eric
• Assistant Examiner(s): LE, MINH Q
• Application Number:
  US13/650,247
• Publication Number:
  US 20130092264A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: 137/486, 137/487.5, 156/345.26, 156/345.24, 156/345.15, 118/715
• US Class Current: 137/487.5
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 1/68 by using thermal effects
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 5/00 Measuring a proportion of the volume flow
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 7/0635 by action on throttling means G05D7/0688, G05D7/0694 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7759 Responsive to change in rate of fluid flow
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/7761 Electrically actuated valve
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 137/8158 With indicator, register, recorder, alarm or inspection means

Abstract

The flow rate controller controlling a flow rate of gas supplied through a gas passage includes: a main gas pipe; a flow rate detecting unit detecting the flow rate of gas supplied through the main gas pipe and outputting a flow rate signal; a flow rate control valve mechanism controlling a flow rate; a conversion data storage unit storing a plurality of pieces of conversion data corresponding to a plurality of gaseous species, to indicate a relationship between a flow rate instruction signal input from outside and a target flow rate; and a flow rate control main body which selects the corresponding conversion data from the conversion data based on a gaseous species selection signal input from outside, calculates the target flow rate based on the flow rate instruction signal, and controls the flow rate control valve mechanism based on the target flow rate and the flow rate signal.

Claims

1. A processing apparatus which performs processing on a processing target, the processing apparatus comprising:

a processing apparatus main body which comprises a processing container accommodating the processing target and performs processing on the processing target;

an exhaust system which exhausts the inside of the processing container;

a main gas passage which is connected to the processing container;

a flow rate controller which controls a flow rate of gas in the main gas passage, the flow rate controller comprising;

a main gas pipe which is connected to the main gas passage;

a flow rate detecting unit which is configured to detect a flow rate of gas in the main gas pipe and output a flow rate signal;

a flow rate control valve mechanism which is provided on the main gas pipe and controls a flow rate by changing an opening degree of a valve;

a conversion data storage unit which is configured to store a plurality of pieces of conversion data corresponding to a plurality of gaseous species, each of the plurality of pieces of conversion data indicating a target flow rate corresponding to a flow rate instruction signal; and

a flow rate control main body which is configured to select the corresponding conversion data from the plurality of pieces of conversion data based on a gaseous species selection signal input from outside, read from the corresponding conversion data the target flow rate corresponding to the flow rate instruction signal input from outside, and control the flow rate control valve mechanism based on the target flow rate and the flow rate signal;

a plurality of gas passages into which the main gas passage is branched and each of which has an opening/closing valve to supply a plurality of gaseous species to the main gas passage;

an apparatus controller which comprises an input unit configured to input processing information comprising information regarding the gaseous species and a target flow rate, and which is configured to control the processing apparatus based on the processing information; and

a display unit which is configured to display a maximum flow rate of each gaseous species at which each gaseous species is capable of being supplied to the main gas passage.

2. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus controller generates a gaseous species selection signal based on the information regarding the gaseous species.

3. The processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein the apparatus controller is configured to specify gaseous species by previously associating the gaseous species with the opening/closing valve and specifying the opening/closing valve as the information regarding the gaseous species.

4. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the apparatus controller is configured to specify the gaseous species by previously associating processes with the gaseous species to be used in a process recipe in which the order of operating components of the processing apparatus is previously stored, and specifying the processes of the process recipe as the information regarding the gaseous species.