Substrate treatment apparatus that controls respective units by master-slave method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9740648-B2
Application number	US-201514595263-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 13, 2015
Priority date	Jan 31, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A valve control unit includes a data reading/selecting unit, which reads each of signals transmitted onto a serial bus, and selects a flow rate data signal from among the read signals. Therefore, the valve control unit can acquire the flow rate data signal from the serial bus without allowing the flow rate data signal to pass via the master IC. As a result, it is made possible to ensure real time properties of feedback control, which adjusts a needle valve based on a measurement result of a flowmeter, while reducing a load applied to a CPU that controls the master IC. Moreover, it is not necessary to provide an additional instrument for transferring analog signals between slave devices, and accordingly, a size increase and cost increase of an apparatus can be suppressed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate treatment apparatus comprising:
(a) a first master that performs apparatus control for said substrate treatment apparatus; and
(b) a plurality of lower control elements placed as relatively lower control hierarchies than said first master and configured to communicate with said first master through a bus and to send signals over said bus,
wherein each of said plurality of lower control elements includes:
(b-1) a measuring slave that measures, as an index value, at least one physical quantity regarding an operation state of substrate treatment, and transmits to said bus a measurement result of the physical quantity as a measured data signal, which is readable by said first master;
(b-2) a master-slave complex system provided as a control system for an adjustment unit that adjusts said operation state;
wherein said master-slave complex system includes: an adjustment-instructed slave that receives an instruction signal from said first master regarding adjustment of said operation state;
a data reading/selecting unit including a second master that reads said signals, transmitted to said bus from said lower control elements, simultaneously with said first master, said data reading/selecting unit selecting said measured data signal included among said signals;
an arithmetic operation unit that performs an arithmetic operation based on said measured data signal and generates a control signal for said adjustment unit; and
an adjustment control unit that controls said adjustment unit based on said control signal provided from said arithmetic operation unit.

2. The substrate treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein said data reading/selecting unit includes:
said second master;
a selecting slave that is communicable with said first master through said bus and transmits a strobe signal in response to communication with said first master; and
a selection unit that receives each of said signals from said second master, receives said strobe signal from said selecting slave, determines serial transmission timing of each of said signals based on said strobe signal, and selects said measured data signal from among said signals.

3. The substrate treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein address information of a transmission source of each of said signals is included in each of said signals, and
said data reading/selecting unit includes:
said second master; and a selection unit that receives each of said signals from said second master and selects, as said measured data signal, a signal including address information of said measuring slave among said signals.

4. The substrate treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein said operation state is a state of a specific fluid in said substrate treatment, and
said index value is a flow rate value of said fluid, and said measuring slave is a flowmeter.

5. The substrate treatment apparatus according to claim 4 ,
wherein said adjustment unit is a valve that adjusts said flow rate value.

6. The substrate treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein said operation state is a state of a specific fluid in said substrate treatment, and
said index value is a pressure value of said fluid, and said measuring slave is a pressure gauge.

7. The substrate treatment apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein said adjustment unit is a damper that adjusts said pressure value.

8. The substrate treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein said operation state is a state of a specific fluid in said substrate treatment, and
said index value is difference between pressure values of said fluid at a plurality of spots, and said measuring slave is a differential pressure gauge.

9. The substrate treatment apparatus according to claim 8 ,
wherein said adjustment unit is a damper that adjusts said pressure values.

10. The substrate treatment apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein each element of said master-slave complex system is packaged on a single control board.

Assignees

• Screen Holdings Co Ltd

Inventors

• Miyashita Takuya
• Segawa Satoshi
• Osada Naoyuki

Classifications

• H10W74/00

  Encapsulations, e.g. protective coatings · CPC title

• H01L23/28

  Electricity · mapped topic

• Y02P90/18

  Cross-Sectional Technologies · mapped topic

• G06F13/364 Primary

  using independent requests or grants, e.g. using separated request and grant lines · CPC title

• G05B19/4185 Primary

  characterised by the network communication · CPC title