IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,463,060
Granted Patent B2
US 12,463,060 · App. 18/350,420 · Granted Nov 4, 2025

Control device, substrate processing system, and method of controlling vacuum valve device

Inventors: Takuya Yamamoto (Yamanashi, JP); Takashi Sugimoto (Yamanashi, JP)
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
H01L21/67017F16K31/047F16K51/02H01J37/32816H01L21/67196H01L21/67201H02P8/18H01J2237/184
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,463,060
App. No.
18/350,420
Granted
Nov 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

There is a control device for controlling a vacuum valve device which includes a valve body configured to open and close a transfer path through which a first chamber and a second chamber communicate with each other, a seal member provided in the valve body, and a valve body driver having a motor and configured to drive the valve body, wherein the control device is configured to be switchable between a first operation pattern for controlling the motor at a first separation speed and a second operation pattern for controlling the motor at a second separation speed lower than the first separation speed.

Claims (22)

1 . A control device for controlling a vacuum valve device which includes a valve body configured to open and close a transfer path through which a first chamber and a second chamber communicate with each other, a seal member provided in the valve body, and a valve body driver having a motor and configured to drive the valve body,

wherein the control device is configured to be switchable between a first operation pattern for controlling the motor at a first separation speed and a second operation pattern for controlling the motor at a second separation speed lower than the first separation speed.

2 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the first operation pattern and the second operation pattern are switched based on an elapsed time in a closed state of the vacuum valve device.

3 . The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the motor is controlled in the first operation pattern if the elapsed time is shorter than a threshold time, and the motor is controlled in the second operation pattern if the elapsed time is longer than the threshold time.

4 . The control device according to claim 3 , wherein a time period for controlling the motor at the second separation speed in the second operation pattern is longer than a time period for controlling the motor at the first separation speed in the first operation pattern.

5 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the vacuum valve device further includes a detector configured to detect an actual rotation angle of the motor, and

the control device is configured to switch control of the motor from the first operation pattern to the second operation pattern if a difference between a command signal position sent to the motor by the control device and an actual position detected by the detector is equal to or greater than a threshold.

6 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the motor has a correlation in which a torque increases as a rotation speed decreases.

7 . The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the motor is a stepping motor.

8 . A substrate processing system comprising:

the control device according to claim 1 ;

the first chamber;

the second chamber; and

the vacuum valve device.

9 . The substrate processing system according to claim 8 , wherein the first chamber is a load lock chamber, the second chamber is an atmosphere transfer chamber, and the vacuum valve device is a door valve that presses the valve body against the load lock chamber.

10 . The substrate processing system according to claim 8 , wherein the first chamber is a processing chamber, the second chamber is a vacuum transfer chamber, and the vacuum valve device is a gate valve that presses the valve body against the processing chamber.

11 . The substrate processing system according to claim 8 , wherein the first chamber is a load lock chamber, the second chamber is a vacuum transfer chamber, and the vacuum valve device is a gate valve that presses the valve body against the load lock chamber.

12 . A method of controlling a vacuum valve device which includes a valve body configured to open and close a transfer path through which a first chamber and a second chamber communicate with each other, a seal member provided in the valve body, and a valve body driver having a motor and configured to drive the valve body, the method comprising:

switching an operation pattern for the motor between a first operation pattern for controlling the motor at a first separation speed and a second operation pattern for controlling the motor at a second separation speed lower than the first separation speed, based on an elapsed time in a closed state of the vacuum valve device.

13 . A method of controlling a vacuum valve device which includes a valve body configured to open and close a transfer path through which a first chamber and a second chamber communicate with each other, a seal member provided in the valve body, a valve body driver having a motor and configured to drive the valve body, and a detector configured to detect an actual rotation angle of the motor, the method comprising:

switching an operation pattern for the motor between a first operation pattern for controlling the motor at a first separation speed and a second operation pattern for controlling the motor at a second separation speed lower than the first separation speed, based on a difference between a command signal position sent to the motor and an actual position detected by the detector,

wherein in the second operation pattern, the motor is controlled at a higher torque than in the first operation pattern.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 11, 2023
From: YAMAMOTO, TAKUYA; SUGIMOTO, TAKASHI
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 064218/0132 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2022-117477 · Jul 22, 2022 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240030046A1 · Jan 25, 2024
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