System and method for cryogenic cooling

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10156386-B2
Application number	US-201113106180-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 12, 2011
Priority date	May 12, 2010
Publication date	Dec 18, 2018
Grant date	Dec 18, 2018

Abstract

In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, there is provided a system for cooling a load. The system comprises a closed loop primary refrigeration system comprising: a primary compressor taking in a primary refrigerant at a low pressure and discharging the primary refrigerant at a high pressure; an insulated enclosure comprising an inlet receiving the primary refrigerant at the high pressure from the primary compressor and an outlet returning the primary refrigerant at the low pressure to the primary compressor; at least one heat exchanger within the insulated enclosure receiving the primary refrigerant at the high pressure and cooling the primary refrigerant using a secondary refrigerant from a secondary refrigeration system, the secondary refrigerant being in heat exchange relationship with the primary refrigerant in the at least one heat exchanger; an expansion unit within the insulated enclosure receiving the primary refrigerant at the high pressure from the at least one heat exchanger and discharging the primary refrigerant at the low pressure; and a supply line delivering the primary refrigerant at the low pressure to the load and a return line returning the primary refrigerant from the load to the primary refrigeration system. The system further comprises the secondary refrigeration system, wherein the secondary refrigeration system comprises at least one secondary cryogenic refrigerator. A system control unit controls operation of at least one of the primary refrigeration system and the secondary refrigeration system to provide a variable refrigeration capacity to the load based on at least one of: a pressure of the primary refrigerant delivered to the load, and at least one temperature of the load.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for cooling a load, the system comprising:
a closed loop primary refrigeration system comprising
a primary compressor taking in a primary refrigerant at a low pressure and discharging the primary refrigerant at a high pressure;
an insulated enclosure comprising an inlet receiving the primary refrigerant at the high pressure from the primary compressor and an outlet returning the primary refrigerant at the low pressure to the primary compressor;
at least one heat exchanger within the insulated enclosure receiving the primary refrigerant at the high pressure and cooling the primary refrigerant using a secondary refrigerant from a secondary refrigeration system, the secondary refrigerant being in heat exchange relationship with the primary refrigerant in the at least one heat exchanger;
an expansion unit within the insulated enclosure receiving the primary refrigerant at the high pressure from the at least one heat exchanger and discharging the primary refrigerant at the low pressure;
a supply line delivering the primary refrigerant at the low pressure to the load and a return line returning the primary refrigerant from the load to the primary refrigeration system;

the secondary refrigeration system, wherein the secondary refrigeration system comprises at least one secondary cryogenic refrigerator, and wherein the secondary refrigeration system comprises a first channel delivering cooling to at least one heat transfer surface of the load and a second channel delivering the secondary refrigerant to the at least one heat exchanger; and
a system control unit controlling operation of at least one of the primary refrigeration system and the secondary refrigeration system to provide a variable refrigeration capacity to the load based on at least one of: a pressure of the primary refrigerant delivered to the load, and at least one temperature of the load;
the system control unit further comprising a control unit configured to control operation of the secondary refrigeration system to avoid either undercooling of the load or overcooling of the load, based on (i) a measured pressure or a measured temperature of the primary refrigerant returned from the load or (ii) a measured pressure or a measured temperature of the primary refrigerant entering the load.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one temperature of the load comprises a temperature of from about −80 C to about −250 C.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat transfer surface transfers heat to cool at least a portion of the load to a temperature in the range of from about −40 C to about −100 C.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat transfer surface comprises at least a portion of a chamber to receive a semiconductor substrate to be processed by a system of the load.

5. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary refrigeration system comprises a mixed gas refrigeration system.

6. The system according to claim 5 , wherein the mixed gas refrigeration system comprises more than one heat exchanger and at least one phase separator.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the secondary refrigeration system comprises a reverse Brayton refrigeration system.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the load comprises at least one of a pre-cool cryogenic interface module, a pre-cool chamber, a cold pad cryogenic interface module, a platen, an electrostatic chuck and two separate loads.

9. The system according to claim 1 , further comprising an electrical interface control unit in electronic communication with the load.

10. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the electrical interface control unit receives an electronic signal indicating at least one temperature of the load.

11. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the electrical interface control unit receives an electronic signal indicating at least one set-point temperature of the load.

12. The system according to claim 9 , wherein the electrical interface control unit outputs an electrical signal to control operation of the secondary refrigeration system to control at least one temperature of the load.

13. The system according to claim 12 , wherein the at least one temperature of the load controlled by the electrical interface control unit comprises a temperature of at least one heat transfer surface of the load.

14. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control the providing of the variable refrigeration capacity to the load based on at least the pressure of the primary refrigerant delivered to the load.

15. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control a discharge rate of the primary compressor.

16. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control at least one of a high pressure, a low pressure and a pressure differential of the primary compressor.

17. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control a heat source to supply heat to be delivered to the primary refrigerant.

18. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the expansion unit comprises an adjustable throttle, and wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control operation of the adjustable throttle.

19. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control flow of the primary refrigerant to bypass at least a portion of the at least one heat exchanger.

20. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control flow of the primary refrigerant to bypass at least a portion of the primary refrigeration system.

21. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control a rate of flow of the primary refrigerant.

22. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control a rate of flow of the secondary refrigerant.

23. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control a set point temperature of the secondary refrigeration system.

24. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control a heat source to supply heat to be delivered to the secondary refrigerant.

25. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control flow of the secondary refrigerant to bypass at least a portion of the secondary refrigeration system.

26. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control flow of at least a portion of the primary refrigerant to warm at least a portion of the load.

27. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the system control unit comprises a control unit to control flow of at least a portion of the secondary refrigerant to warm at least a portion of the load.

28. A system according to claim 1 , wherein the insulated enclosure is integrated into at least a portion of the secondary refrigeration system.

29. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one heat exchanger comprises a condenser.

30. The system according

Assignees

• Bartlett Allen J
• Johnson William
• Collins Mark
• Syssoev Sergei
• Eacobacci Michael J
• Brooks Automation Inc

Inventors

• Bartlett Allen J
• Johnson William
• Collins Mark
• Syssoev Sergei
• O'Neil James A
• Eacobacci Michael J

Classifications

• F25B9/002

  characterised by the refrigerant · CPC title

• F25B2600/0253

  with variable speed · CPC title

• F25B9/006

  the refrigerant containing more than one component (F25B9/004 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25B9/14 Primary

  characterised by the cycle used, e.g. Stirling cycle · CPC title

• Y02B30/741

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic