Brooks Automation Gmbh

Helix Technology Corporation

Edwards Vacuum LLC

James A O'Neil

Allen J Bartlett

Gary S Ash

Mark G Collins

Sergei Syssoev

William Johnson

Bruce R Andeen

Philip A Lessard

Paul E Dresens

Michael J Eacobacci

Maureen C Buonpane

Michael J Eacobacci, Jr

Gordon C Cheng

Stephen J Yamartino

Mark A Stira

Ronald N Morris

Douglas Herbert Morse

Robert M Patterson

Timothy M Pulling

Alan C Brightman

Sergi Syssoev

A heat exchanger within an insulated enclosure receives primary refrigerant at a high pressure and cools the primary refrigerant using a secondary refrigerant from a secondary refrigeration system. An expansion unit within the insulated enclosure receives the primary refrigerant at the high pressure from the heat exchanger and discharges the primary refrigerant at a low pressure. A supply line delivers the primary refrigerant at the low pressure to the load and a return line returns the primary refrigerant from the load to the primary refrigeration system. 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.

System and method for cryogenic cooling

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.

The present system and method provides a mechanism for monitoring the level of fullness of a cryopump by measuring the cryopump adsorption capacity. An ion gauge or other total pressure gauge is in contact with the condensing or adsorbing panels of the pump. The gauge sensor, for example, can be connected to a tube or duct leading to the central core of the pump where the adsorbing charcoal is located. At this location in the pump, the gauge is exposed to low-boiling-point gases, such as hydrogen, neon and helium, while being substantially shielded from other gases such as nitrogen, argon, oxygen, or water vapor. By connecting a gauge to this location of the pump, the gauge can be used to monitor the absorption capacity of the pump.

Method and apparatus for detecting and measuring state of fullness in cryopumps

A vacuum conduit connected to a vacuum pump has a shield surface which absorbs radiation to reduce the total radiation falling on the vacuum pump. The vacuum system includes the vacuum conduit connected between a process chamber and the vacuum pump and a surface treatment along at least a portion of the shield surface adapted to absorb radiation. Since the treatment is on the interior surface of the vacuum conduit and does not extend into the center of the conduit, gaseous flow to the pump is not impeded. In this manner radiation entering the vacuum pump and falling on the cryogenic array is reduced without impeding gaseous flow to the cryogenic surface. The system therefore minimizes the radiation load on the cryogenic array in the vacuum pump without impeding the gaseous flow through the vacuum pump.

Radiation shielding coating

An apparatus and method are provided for controlling a system pressure in a refrigeration system based on a variable load, which includes sensing return pressure and high side pressure in the system, and adjusting the low pressure to optimize a gas flow rate in the system by adding or removing gas from the system through an operating range of pressures in response to the sensed return pressure and the sensed high side pressure. The method further includes calculating a pressure difference between the return pressure and the high side pressure. A second pressure difference is calculated, and if the pressure difference decreases, gas is added to system and if the pressure difference increases, gas is removed from the system.

Refrigeration system pressure control using a gas volume

A cryogenic refrigerator includes a shell having a reciprocative displacer and an adsorbent mounted within the shell. In one embodiment, the displacer contains both a regenerative media and the adsorbent, with the regenerative media placed between the adsorbent and a cold end of the displacer. In a method for removing contaminants from the reciprocative displacer, compressed and expanded helium gas is displaced through the displacer, with the adsorbent positioned to adsorb contaminant gases entrained in the helium gas. In another method, a filtering refrigerator containing an adsorbent is coupled to a helium circuit of a refrigeration system to remove contaminants from the circuit.

Cryogenic refrigerator with a gaseous contaminant removal system

A cryopump is regenerated by roughing the cryopump during purging. Purging and roughing is carried out in first a high temperature mode and then a lower ambient temperature mode. In the lower temperature mode, the cryogenic refrigerator is turned on. If the system fails a rough test after roughing at the lower temperature, it is repurged with the rough valve open.

Purge and rough cryopump regeneration process, cryopump and controller

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Bedford, MA, United States of America

James A O'Neil