IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,476,122
Granted Patent B2
US 12,476,122 · App. 17/792,947 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

System for stabilizing flow of gas introduced into sensor

Inventors: Young Ho Hong (Seoul, KR); Hyun Sik Choi (Bucheon-si, KR); Ki Woo Hong (Seoul, KR); Hirofumi Nagao (Tokyo, JP); Shinichi Miki (Tokyo, JP)
Assignees: ATIK CO., LTD.; ATONARP INC.
H01L21/67253C23C16/45544C23C16/52G01N1/2226G01N1/24G05D7/0688H01L21/67017
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,476,122
App. No.
17/792,947
Granted
Nov 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a system for stabilizing a flow of gas introduced into a sensor, wherein, in connection with manufacturing equipment comprising a process chamber, a process chamber vacuum pump installed to remove internal gas of the process chamber, and a sensor device configured to be able to receive the internal gas of the process chamber through a sensor connecting pipe and to detect components thereof, the system comprises a sensor connecting pipe and a bypass pipe branching off from the sensor connecting pipe such that a part of the gas can be directly discharged to the outside without being introduced into the sensor, and the system is accordingly configured to stably provide the sensor device with a part of the internal gas within a predetermined range per time, regardless of a change in the pressure state of the process chamber.

Claims (21)

1 . A sensor gas flow stabilization system in manufacturing equipment, the system comprising:

a process chamber;

a process chamber vacuum line;

a sensor device having an inlet and an outlet, wherein the outlet of the sensor device is connected to the process chamber vacuum line;

a sensor connection pipe connecting the processing chamber to the inlet of the sensor device at an end of the sensor connection pipe, wherein the sensor device is configured to receive an internal gas of the process chamber through the sensor connection pipe;

a bypass pipe connected to the end of the sensor connection pipe, wherein the bypass pipe is configured to discharge part of the internal gas flowing through the sensor connection pipe in such a manner that the internal gas of the process chamber can be stably provided to the sensor device within a predetermined range per unit time even though there is a change in a pressure of the process chamber; and

a vacuum pump connected to a process chamber vacuum line to remove the internal gas of the process chamber.

2 . The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor device includes an orifice formed at the inlet of the sensor device,

the sensor connection pipe connects the process chamber to the orifice of the sensor device,

the bypass pipe is connected to the end of the sensor connection pipe at a portion where the orifice connecting the sensor connection pipe and the sensor device is mounted, and

a dry pump is mounted on the bypass pipe, the outlet of the sensor device being connected to the process chamber vacuum line through the dry pump.

3 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a vacuum pressure gauge to measure gas pressure in the sensor connection pipe, wherein the vacuum pump is configured to allow the vacuum pressure gauge to be controlled manually.

4 . The system according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a vacuum pressure gauge to measure gas pressure in the sensor connection pipe;

an automatic valve mounted at an inlet portion for receiving the internal gas of the process chamber in the sensor connection pipe; and

a controller for receiving pressure information sensed by the vacuum pressure gauge, adjusting a gas inflow amount through the automatic valve, and controlling operation of the vacuum pump.

5 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the automatic valve is controlled by a proportional control method or a pulse width modulation (PWM) control method by the controller.

6 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the sensor connection pipe or the automatic valve is provided with a heater and a temperature sensor, and the controller is configured to receive the temperature information of the temperature sensor to control operation of the heater.

7 . The system according to claim 4 , wherein the automatic valve includes a first automatic value and a second automatic valve.

8 . The system according to claim 2 , wherein the sensor connection pipe, the bypass pipe, and the sensor device are respectively connected to three branches of a splitter adaptor, and

wherein the orifice is mounted in a branch connecting the splitter adaptor and the sensor device with each other.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 2, 2022
From: HONG, YOUNG HO; CHOI, HYUN SIK; HONG, KI WOO; NAGAO, HIROFUMI; MIKI, SHINICHI
To: ATIK CO., LTD.; ATONARP INC.
Reel/Frame 061044/0319 →
Priority Claims (2)
KR 10-2020-0006792 · Jan 17, 2020 · national
KR 10-2020-0137988 · Oct 23, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230045932A1 · Feb 16, 2023
References Cited (16)
US 5365772A · Ueda · 1994 [cited by examiner]
US 5433780A · Ikeda · 1995 [cited by examiner]
US 5575853A · Arami · 1996 [cited by examiner]
US 6936108B1 · Saito · 2005 [cited by examiner]
US 7604010B2 · Hasebe · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 7883581B2 · Nakaiso · 2011 [cited by examiner]
US 11846025B2 · Yachi · 2023 [cited by examiner]
US 20090064765A1 · Megawa · 2009 [cited by examiner]
US 20210040619A1 · Yachi · 2021 [cited by examiner]
JP 2004069436A · 2004 [cited by applicant]
JP 2010286476 · 2010 [cited by applicant]
KR 20060042741 · 2006 [cited by applicant]
KR 20080098813 · 2008 [cited by applicant]
KR 20090068058 · 2009 [cited by applicant]
KR 20190124397 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
International Search Report—PCT/KR2021/000582 dated May 6, 2021. [cited by applicant]