Mks Instruments, Inc.

Mks Inc.

Junhua Ding

Michael L'Bassi

Kaveh H Zarkar

Mark James Quaratiello

Tseng-Chung Lee

Wayne Cole

Ali Shajii

Gerardo A Brucker

Gordon Hill

John A Smith

Vidi A Saptari

William R Clark

Scott Benedict

Daniel Alexander Smith

Jaroslaw Wojciech Pisera

Hongke Ye

Jim Ye

Chad David Wilson

Vidi Saptari

David D'Entremont

Kaveh Zarkar

Mass flow control (MFC) devices capable of reporting inlet pressure and methods of reporting inlet pressure are provided. A mass flow controller (MFC) includes a chamber configured to receive a fluid, an upstream valve disposed upstream of the chamber, and a downstream control valve disposed downstream of the chamber. The MFC further includes a pressure sensor that detects fluid pressure in the chamber. The MFC further includes a controller configured to control actuation of the upstream valve. The controller is configured to toggle between two modes of reporting a measured inlet pressure. In a first mode, the controller reports a measured inlet pressure based on a reading from the pressure sensor and storing the reading to a buffer when the upstream valve is open. In a second mode, the controller reports the measured inlet pressure based on the reading stored to the buffer when the upstream valve is closed.

Methods and apparatus for reporting inlet pressure in mass flow controllers

A system and method provides a more precise mole delivery amount of a process gas, for each pulse of a pulse gas delivery, by measuring a concentration of the process gas and controlling the amount of gas mixture delivered in a pulse of gas flow based on the received concentration of the process gas. The control of mole delivery amount for each pulse can be achieved by adjusting flow setpoint, pulse duration, or both.

Method and apparatus for pulse gas delivery with concentration measurement

Systems and methods for detecting a composition of a binary gas mixture are provided. Such methods and systems include, with a species-dependent mass flow meter, sensing a mass flow rate of a binary gas mixture comprising gases of differing gas correction factors and, with a species-independent pressure sensor, sensing a total pressure of the binary gas mixture. An output representative of a relative concentration of one gas of the binary gas mixture is provided. The relative concentration is determined as a function of the sensed mass flow rate and the sensed total pressure.

Binary gas purity analyzer

Mass flow controller (MFC) devices capable of self-verification and methods of providing for self-verifying mass flow control are provided. An MFC includes a chamber configured to receive a fluid, an upstream valve disposed upstream of the chamber, and a downstream control valve disposed downstream of the chamber. The MFC further includes a pressure drop element disposed downstream of the downstream control valve and first and second pressure sensors. A controller of the MFC is configured to control actuation of the downstream control valve by toggling between flow-based feedback control and pressure-based feedback control. In flow-based feedback control, a flow is monitored based on a rate of decay of pressure in the chamber as detected by the first pressure sensor upon closure of the upstream control valve. In pressure-based feedback control, a pressure upstream of the pressure drop element, as detected by the second pressure sensor, is monitored.

Method and apparatus for mass flow control

Devices and methods for mass flow verification are provided. A mass flow verifier includes a chamber configured to receive a fluid, a critical flow nozzle upstream of the chamber, a chamber valve, a downstream valve, and a bypass valve. The chamber valve is configured to selectively enable fluid flow from the critical flow nozzle to the chamber. The downstream valve is configured to selectively enable fluid flow from the chamber to a downstream location. The bypass valve is configured to selectively enable fluid flow from the critical flow nozzle to a dump location. The mass flow verifier further includes a controller configured to verify flow rate of the fluid based on a rate of rise in pressure of the fluid as detected by a pressure sensor in the chamber.

Method and apparatus for mass flow verification

Mass flow controllers that can provide for improved bleeding time and can be manufactured with less complexity and cost are provided. A mass flow controller includes a body having a valve outlet bore defining a flow path and an adjustable valve configured to control flow of a gas through the flow path. A valve element includes an outlet orifice of the adjustable valve and is disposed within the bore. The mass flow controller further includes a pressure drop element disposed coaxially with the valve element within the bore. An upstream pressure sensor is configured to detect a pressure at a location in the flow path between the adjustable valve and the pressure drop element, and a controller is configured to determine a flow rate through the flow path based on pressure as detected by the upstream pressure sensor.

Method and apparatus for pressure based mass flow control

A system and method for dividing a single mass flow into secondary flows of desired ratios to total flow. Each secondary flow line includes a pressure drop element, an absolute pressure sensor and a differential pressure sensor. The nonlinear relationship between flow and pressures can be transformed into a function of the absolute and differential pressures that has a linear relationship with the flow.

Methods and apparatus for pressure based mass flow ratio control

A gas delivery system and associated method includes a flow channel, a control valve, a downstream pressure sensor, and a controller. The control valve controls flow of gas in the flow channel. The downstream pressure sensor, located downstream of the control valve, measures gas pressure in the flow channel. The controller has an external trigger input to receive a trigger signal applied to a shutoff valve downstream from the control valve. The controller operates in separate modes based on a state of the trigger signal. In a non-triggered mode, the controller controls pressure at the pressure sensor via the control valve in accordance with a first gain schedule. In the triggered mode, the controller controls the pressure at the pressure sensor via the control valve in accordance with a second gain schedule that is distinct from the first gain schedule.

Pressure control using an external trigger

A fluid control system and associated method for pulse delivery of a fluid includes a shutoff valve and a mass flow controller (MFC) upstream of the shutoff valve. The MFC includes a flow channel, a control valve to control flow of fluid in the flow channel, a flow sensor to measure flow rate in the flow channel, and a controller having a valve input from the shutoff valve indicating opening of the shutoff valve. The controller is configured to respond to the valve input to control flow of fluid through the control valve to initiate and terminate a pulse of fluid from the flow channel to the shutoff valve to control a mass of fluid delivered during the pulse of fluid. The valve input can be a pressure signal, and the MFC can include a pressure sensor to sense the pressure signal.

Method and apparatus for pulse gas delivery using an external pressure trigger

In a pulse gas delivery system, a chamber is pre-charged to a prescribed pressure through an upstream valve. Thereafter, a downstream control valve is opened to control flow of the gas during a gas pulse. A dedicated controller may control the downstream control valve in a feedback loop during the pulse based on pressure and temperature detected during the pulse.

Method and apparatus for pulse gas delivery

A system and method for dividing a single mass flow into secondary flows of a desired ratio. The system and method include paths for the secondary flows that include a laminar flow element and two pressure sensors. The nonlinear relationship between flow and pressure upstream and downstream of the laminar flow elements can be transformed into a function comprised of the upstream and downstream pressure that has a linear relationship with the flow. This transformation allows for flow ratio control applications using signals from pressure sensors even if there is no information the fluid species and the flow rate into the flow ratio controller.

A system for delivering pulses of a desired mass of gas to a tool, comprising: a mass flow controller including flow sensor, a control valve and a dedicated controller configured and arranged to receive a recipe of a sequence of steps for opening and closing the control valve so as to deliver as sequence of gas pulses as a function of the recipe. The mass flow controller is configured and arranged so as to operate in either one of at least two modes: as a traditional mass flow controller (MFC) mode or in a pulse gas delivery (PGD) mode. Further, the mass flow controller includes an input configured to receive an input signal; an output configured to provide an output signal; a communication port configured to receive program instructions; memory configured and arranged to receive programming data determining the programmed configuration of the mass flow controller as either a digital or analog configuration; and a processor/controller for operating the mass flow controller in accordance with the programmed configuration.

System for and method of fast pulse gas delivery

A mass flow control system can be self verified for its accuracy when controlling a flow to a process. The system comprises: a control valve for controlling the flow of fluid through the system as a function of a control signal; a controller for generating the control signal as a function of measured flow of fluid through the system and a targeted flow set point; a pressure sensor for measuring the controlling fluid pressure for use in measuring and verifying the flow rate; and a source of fluid for providing a known volume of fluid for use in verifying the system accuracy anytime between steps of the flow control process.

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Boxborough, MA, United States of America

Junhua Ding