Pressure control apparatus and method of establishing a desired level of pressure within at least one processing chamber
View Patent ↗A desired level of pressure is established in at least one chamber that forms part of a closed atmosphere, such as in a semiconductor device processing facility. A pressure control system includes at least one space increase/decrease device that has a partition which is movable to increase and/or decrease the volume of free space within the chamber(s), a pressure sensor for detecting the pressure within the chamber(s), and a controller for controlling the movement of the partition based on the detected pressure. A chamber is provided with positive or negative pressure to increase or decrease the pressure therein while the pressure in the chamber is monitored. As soon as the pressure within the chamber equals a predetermined pressure, the providing of the positive or negative pressure is stopped. The partition is moved to vary the effective volume of free space in the chamber(s) to change the pressure in the chamber from the predetermined pressure to the desired pressure.
1. The combination of at least two interconnected chambers, and a pressure control system for controlling the internal pressures of the chambers, wherein the system comprises:
pressure sensors connected to said chambers so as to detect the internal pressures of the chambers and operative to transmit signals indicative of the detected pressures;
a controller operatively connected to said pressure sensors so as to receive signals indicative of the internal pressures of the chambers from said pressure sensors;
at least one space increase/decrease device defining a passageway that extends between said chambers, said at least one space increase/decrease device comprising a partition disposed in said passageway, the partition being exposed to and delimiting the interiors of both of said chambers and being supported so as to be movable relative to fixed sidewalls of the chambers, the partition of each said at least one space increase/decrease device being movable to selectively increase the volume of free space within one of said chambers and decrease the volume of free space within the other of said chambers, whereby the pressure levels in the chambers can be balanced; and
a driving system operatively connected to each said partition and to said controller so as to control the relative position of said partition according to a control signal issued by said controller;
wherein said partition is a piston slidable along said passageway as sealing engaged therewith, and
wherein said piston comprises a pair of piston members spaced from one another along the length of said passageway, and a support member interconnecting and spacing said piston members apart.
2. The combination as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said space increase/decrease device comprises a brake interposed between the piston members and operative to selectively fix the piston members in place in said passageway.
3. The combination of at least two interconnected chambers, and a pressure control system for controlling the internal pressures of the chambers, wherein the system comprises:
pressure sensors connected to said chambers so as to detect the internal pressures of the chambers and operative to transmit signals indicative of the detected pressures;
a controller operatively connected to said pressure sensors so as to receive signals indicative of the internal pressures of the chambers from said pressure sensors;
at least one space increase/decrease device defining a passageway that extends between said chambers, said at least one space increase/decrease device comprising a partition disposed in said passageway, the partition being exposed to and delimiting the interiors of both of said chambers and being supported so as to be movable relative to fixed sidewalls of the chambers, the partition of each said at least one space increase/decrease device being movable to selectively increase the volume of free space within one of said chambers and decrease the volume of free space within the other of said chambers, whereby the pressure levels in the chambers can be balanced; and
a driving system operatively connected to each said partition and to said controller so as to control the relative position of said partition according to a control signal issued by said controller;
wherein said partition is a pair of piston members spaced from one another along the length of said passageway, and said driving system is interposed between said piston members.