Pump power consumption enhancement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10428807-B2
Application number	US-201213692552-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 3, 2012
Priority date	Dec 9, 2011
Publication date	Oct 1, 2019
Grant date	Oct 1, 2019

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for reducing the power consumption of a pump are provided herein. In some embodiments, a pump power consumption reduction system for use in a substrate processing system may include a vacuum chamber having an exhaust port; a valve; a first pump having a pump inlet port coupled to the exhaust port via the valve and a pump exhaust port to couple the first pump to an exhaust handling system; and a second pump coupled to the pump exhaust port to selectively reduce an exhaust pressure of the first pump.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of reducing a power consumption of a first pump coupled directly to a vacuum chamber in a substrate processing system, the method comprising:
measuring the power consumption of the first pump interposed directly between the vacuum chamber and a second pump;
comparing the power consumption that was measured to a first predetermined power consumption of the first pump, the first predetermined power consumption based on the power consumption of the first pump at idle; and
activating the second pump coupled directly to an exhaust port of the first pump upon the power consumption that was measured of the first pump falling below the first predetermined power consumption of the first pump such that the power consumption of the first pump is reduced.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first pump is an integrated point of use pump.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second pump is a multi-stage pump with a primary flow path connected to the exhaust port of the first pump and with a secondary flow path parallel to and directionally synchronized with the primary flow path and connected to a gas source that produces a gas flow in the secondary flow path, wherein the gas flow in the secondary flow path creates a vacuum in the primary flow path which is regulated by a gas source pressure.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second pump is a roughing pump.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises de-activating the second pump upon the power consumption that was measured of the first pump falling below a second predetermined power consumption of the first pump.

6. A method of reducing a power consumption of a first pump coupled to a vacuum chamber in a substrate processing system, the method comprising:
measuring a pressure within at least one of an exhaust port or an inlet port of the first pump;
comparing the power consumption that was measured within the at least one of the exhaust port or the inlet port to a first predetermined pressure;
bypassing a second pump, separate from the first pump, coupled to the exhaust port of the first pump when an exhaust capacity of the first pump is above a maximum intake capacity of the second pump such that the exhaust capacity of the first pump is unimpeded; and
connecting and activating the second pump upon the pressure that was measured exceeding the first predetermined pressure such that an exhaust pressure of the first pump is reduced.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the first pump is an integrated point of use pump.

8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second pump is a multi-stage pump with a primary flow path connected to the exhaust port of the first pump and with a secondary flow path parallel to and directionally synchronized with the primary flow path and connected to a gas source that produces a gas flow in the secondary flow path, wherein the gas flow in the secondary flow path creates a vacuum in the primary flow path which is regulated by a gas source pressure.

9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the second pump is a roughing pump.

10. The method of claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises de-activating the second pump upon the pressure that was measured falling below a second predetermined pressure.

11. The method of claim 5 , further comprising:
re-activating the second pump when the power consumption that was measured reaches a third predetermined power consumption of the first pump that is greater than the second predetermined power consumption of the first pump.

12. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
determining the first predetermined pressure based on a lowest pressure obtained from the first pump during a pump down period of the vacuum chamber.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
re-activating the second pump when the power consumption that was measured reaches a third predetermined power consumption of the first pump that is greater than the second predetermined power consumption of the first pump.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Gregor Mariusch
• Le Kenneth

Classifications

• F04B37/14

  to obtain high vacuum · CPC title

• F04B49/06

  Control using electricity (regulating by means of floats actuating electric switches F04B49/04) · CPC title

• F04B49/03

  by means of valves · CPC title

• F04B7/00 Primary

  Piston machines or pumps characterised by having positively-driven valving · CPC title

• F04B37/06 Primary

  for evacuating by thermal means · CPC title