Electronically controlled cryopump

• US 4,918,930 A
• Filed: 09/13/1988
• Issued: 04/24/1990
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Brooks Automation Incorporated (Azenta, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Helix Technology Corporation (Azenta, Inc.)
• Inventors: Roche, David E., Gaudet, Peter W., Eacobacci, Michael J., Lepofsky, Robert J., Olsen, Donald A., Harvell, John T., Bender, Steven A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Capossela, Ronald C.
• Application Number:
  US07/243,707
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 62/55.5, 62/100, 62/268, 55/269, 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: 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 cryopump comprising, as an integral assembly:

a cryogenic refrigerator;

a gas condensing cryopanel cooled by the refrigerator;

a temperature sensor coupled to the cryopanel;

an electrically actuated valve adapted to pass gases from the cryopanel; and

a programmable electronic processor coupled to the sensor to provide a temperature indication, coupled to the valve to control opening and closing of the valve, and coupled to the refrigerator to drive the refrigerator.

2. A cryopump as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic processor is programmed to control operation of the valve in a regeneration sequence.

3. A cryopump as claimed in claim 2 wherein the electrically actuated valve is a roughing valve, the cryopump further comprising an electrically actuated purge valve adapted to purge the cryopanel with purge gas and coupled to be controlled by the electronic processor.

4. A cryopump as claimed in claim 3 further comprising a heater in thermal contact with the condensing cryopanel and controlled by the electronic processor.

5. A cryopump as claimed in claim 4 further comprising a pressure sensor for sensing pressure about the cryopanel, the pressure sensor being coupled to the electronic processor.

6. A cryopump as claimed in claim 5 wherein the electronic processor is programmed to zero the pressure sensor after each regeneration.

7. A cryopump as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a pressure sensor for sensing pressure about the cryopanel, the electronic processor being programmed to zero the pressure sensor after each regeneration.

8. A cryopump as claimed in claim 2 further comprising a heater in thermal communication with the condensing cryopanel, the electronic processor being programmed to turn the heater on throughout rough pumping of the cryopump when the electrically actuated valve is opened.

9. A cryopump as claimed in claim 2 wherein the electronic processor is adapted to sense the rate of fall of pressure of the cryopump during rough pumping of the cryogenic refrigerator and restarts at least a portion of the regeneration cycle where the rate of drop is less than a predetermined set point.

10. A cryopump as claimed in claim 2 wherein the valve is a roughing valve and further comprising a purge valve, the electronic processor being programmed to cause a delay of cooling of the refrigerator after roughing, to backfill the cryopump with purge gas through the purge valve during the delay and to again open the roughing valve at the end of the delay to rough the cryopump before turning the refrigerator on.

11. A cryopump as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic processor is adapted to store sensed parameters of the cryopump for later recall.

12. A cryopump as claimed in claim 11 wherein the electronic processor is in a removable module which further includes a nonvolatile random access memory for storing the parameters.

13. A cryopump as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic processor is programmed to continue operation of the cryogenic refrigerator after a power failure where the temperature of the condensing array is below a predetermined set point.

14. A cryopump as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a pressure gauge for sensing pressure about the condensing array, the electronic processor being programmed to zero the pressure gauge on demand.

15. A cryopump as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic processor is programmed to provide a warning after receiving a request to open the electrically actuated valve while the cryogenic refrigerator is in operation.

16. A cryopump as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic processor has stored in memory calibration values for the temperature sensor.

17. A cryopump as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electrically actuated valve is a roughing valve, the vacuum pump further comprising an electrically actuated purge valve controlled by the electronic processor.

18. A cryopump as claimed in claim 17 further comprising heating elements coupled in thermal communication with the condensing array.

19. A cryopump as claimed in claim 18 comprising temperature sensors coupled to each of first and second stages of the cryogenic refrigerator and a pressure gauge for measuring pressure about the condensing array, the temperature sensors and pressure gauge being coupled to the electronic processor.

20. A cryopump as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic processor comprises access limiting means for limiting response to inputs thereto until a predetermined password has been input.

21. A cryopump as claimed in claim 20 further comprising override means for overriding the access limiting means where a proper override password is received, the proper override password being determined through an encryption algorithm based on a varying parameter available to an operator of the cryopump.

22. A cryopump as claimed in claim 21 wherein the varying parameter is the time of operation of the cryopump.

23. A cryopump as claimed in claim 20 wherein the electronic processor is adapted to redefine the password in a sequence to which access is limited by the password.

24. A cryopump as claimed in claim 20 wherein the electronic processor is adapted, in a sequence to which access is limited by the password, to cause other sequences of the electronic processor to be accessible or inaccessible without the password.

25. A cryopump as claimed in claim 1 wherein the electronic processor is in a module housing, the module housing having a control connector adapted to couple the electronics to a motor of the cryogenic refrigerator, to the temperature sensor, and to the electrically actuated valve, the module further comprising a power connector adapted to connect the electronics to a power supply.

26. A cryopump as claimed in claim 25 wherein the electronic processor comprises a nonvolatile random access memory.

27. A cryopump as claimed in claim 25 further comprising means for preventing removal of the module from the cryopump where a power supply is coupled to the module.

28. A cryopump as claimed in claim 27 wherein the means for preventing removal comprises a retaining screw having a head shape which prevents rotation when the power line is connected to the module.

29. A cryopump as claimed in claim 25 wherein the control connectors are at one end of the module and the power connector is positioned at the opposite end of the module, and the module is adapted to slide into a housing fixed to the cryopump to leave the end of the module having the power connector exposed.

30. A cryopump as claimed in claim 25 wherein the module is positioned in a fixed housing of the vacuum pump and the vacuum pump further comprises a pivotal keyboard and display mounted to an end of the fixed housing.

31. A cryopump as claimed in claim 1 further comprising a keyboard and display as part of the integral assembly.

32. A cryopump as claimed in claim 31 wherein the keyboard and display are pivotally mounted.

33. A cryopump as claimed in claim 32 wherein the keyboard and display are reversibly mounted to be inverted when the orientation of the cryopump is inverted.

34. An electronic module adapted to be removably and integrally coupled to a cryopump comprising:

a housing enclosing electronics;

a control connector adapted to couple the electronics to a motor of a cryogenic refrigerator, to a temperature sensor in the cryopump and to an electrically actuated valve coupled to the cryopump; and

a power connector adapted to connect the electronics to a power supply;

the electronics being adapted to provide an indication of temperature and to control the refrigerator motor and valve.

35. A module as claimed in claim 34 wherein the control connectors are at one end of the module and the power connector is positioned at the opposite end of the module and the module is adapted to slide into a housing fixed to the cryopump to leave the end of the module having the power connector exposed.

36. A module as claimed in claim 35 further comprising means for preventing removal of the module from the cryopump where a power supply is coupled to the module.

37. A module as claimed in claim 34 wherein the electronic processor is programmed to control operation of the valve in a regeneration sequence.

38. A module as claimed in claim 37 wherein the control connector is adapted to couple the electronics to electrically actuated roughing and purge valves and to a heater which heats a condensing cryopanel of the cryopump.

39. A module as claimed in claim 34 wherein the electronics include a random access memory for storing sensed parameters from the cryopump.

40. A module as claimed in claim 39 wherein the memory is a nonvolatile random access memory.

41. A cryopump comprising:

a cryogenic refrigerator;

a gas condensing cryopanel cooled by the refrigerator;

a pressure sensor for detecting pressure about the condensing array; and

a regeneration controller for controlling regeneration of the gas condensing cryopanel, the regeneration controller being programmed to zero the pressure gauge after each regeneration.

42. A method of regenerating a cryopump comprising:

warming the cryopump to release gases therefrom, applying a purge gas to the cryopump, rough pumping the cryopump to a vacuum and thereafter cooling the cryopump to create a high vacuum;

while rough pumping the cryopump monitoring the rate of pressure drop; and

if the rate of pressure drop falls below a predetermined set point, before the pressure drops to a predetermined pressure setpoint, purging the cryopump and again rough pumping the cryopump.

43. A cryopump comprising:

a cryogenic refrigerator;

a gas condensing cryopanel cooled by the refrigerator;

a roughing valve;

a purge valve; and

a regeneration oontroller for controlling regeneration of the gas condensing cryopanel, the regeneration controller being programmed to cause a delay of cooling of the refrigerator after rough pumping through the roughing valve, to backfill the cryopump with purge gas through the purge valve during the delay and to again open the roughing valve at the end of the delay to rough pump the cryopump before turning the refrigerator on.