Helix Technology Corporation

Brooks Automation Gmbh

Peter W Gaudet

Donald A Olsen

Robert J Lepofsky

Alan L Weeks

Martin L Stein

Michael J Eacobacci

Gerald J Fortier

Steven C Rosner

David Edward Roche

Steven A Bender

John T Harvell

Stephen R Matté

Stephen R Matte

Paul E Amundsen

Halil Tugal

Olive Harvell, Legal Representative

Stephen R Matte'

Stephen R Matt&eacute;

Carol Olsen, Legal Representative

A vacuum system comprises, as an integral assembly, a vacuum pump with drive motor, a purge valve, a roughing valve and an electronic control module. A cryogenic vacuum pump and a turbomolecular vacuum pump are disclosed. The control module has a programmed processor for controlling the motor and valves and is user programmable for establishing specific control sequences. The integral electronic control module is removable from the assembly and is connected to the other devices through a common connector assembly. In the turbomolecular pump system proper introduction of a purge gas through the purge valve is detected by detecting the current load on the pump drive or by detecting foreline pressure. To test the purge gas status, the purge valve may be closed and then opened as drive current or pressure is monitored. After power failure, the controller will continue normal drive of the turbomolecular pump so long as the speed of the pump has remained above a threshold value. Otherwise the vent valve will have been opened, and a start-up sequence must be initiated. During shutdown, power to the pump drive motor is discontinued and the vent valve is opened before the roughing valve is closed.

Electronically controlled vacuum pump

An electronic controller maintains the operating temperature of a cryopump by controlling a heater coupled to the cryopump. The heater is coupled to a cryopumping surface of the cryopump. The controller can control the operation of the heater in response to feedback from temperature sensors coupled to the cryopump. The controller can cause the heater to shut-off if a temperature sensor reads out of its normal temperature range.

Cryopump temperature control of arrays

In a cryogenic vacuum pump, after determining that a power fail recovery mode is on, and that the temperature is below a setpoint, the cryopump is automatically cooled. If the power fail recovery mode is on, and the temperature is above the setpoint, a regeneration cycle is started automatically. If the power fail recovery mode is off, the cryopump may be maintained in an off state. When a command to turn on a pressure sensing thermocouple (TC) gauge is received, the TC gauge is turned on only if there is not a sufficient amount of gas to ignite. When a command to turn on a roughing valve is received, an additional command must be received before the roughing valve is turned on. When a temperature-sensing diode is faulty, temperature control is automatically turned off. During a regeneration cycle, a purge test is performed. If the purge test passes, heaters are turned on. If the purge test fails, the heaters are turned on only if the temperature reaches a threshold within a predetermined period. Otherwise, the regeneration is aborted.

Electronically controlled cryopump

A cryogenic vacuum pump includes, in an integral assembly, temperature sensors and heaters associated with the first and second stages of the cryopumping array, a roughing valve and a purge valve. An electronic module removably coupled in the assembly responds to all sensors and controls all operations of the cryopump including regeneration thereof. System parameters are stored in a nonvolatile memory in the module. Included in the regeneration procedures are an auto-zero of the pressure gauge, heating of the array throughout rough pumping, and a change in pressure rate test to determine stall in rough pumping. The electronic module also restarts the system after power failure, limits use of a pressure gauge to safe conditions, provides warnings before allowing opening of the valves while the cryopump is operating and stores sensor calibration information. Control through a control pad on the pump may be limited by a password requirement. Password override is also provided.

Electronically controlled vacuum pump with control module

Electronic process controller having password override

A vacuum system comprises, as an integral assembly, a turbomolecular pump with drive motor, a vent valve, a purge valve, a roughing valve, a heater and an electronic control module. The control module has a programmed processor for controlling the motor and valves and is user programmable for establishing specific control sequences. The integral electronic control module is removable from the assembly and is connected to the other devices through a common connector assembly. Proper introduction of a purge gas through the purge valve is detected by detecting the current load on the pump drive or by detecting foreline pressure. To test the purge gas status, the purge valve may be closed and then opened as drive current or pressure is monitored. After power failure, the controller will continue normal drive of the turbomolecular pump so long as the speed of the pump has remained above a threshold value. Otherwise the vent valve will have been opened, and a start-up sequence must be initiated. During shutdown, power to the pump drive motor is discontinued and the vent valve is opened before the roughing valve is closed.

Turbomolecular pump with valves and integrated electronic controls

A network of cryopumps, each having an electronic regeneration controller, is coupled to a common rough pump. Each regeneration controller operates independently except that each is inhibited from opening its roughing valve to the common rough pump. Each regeneration controller only proceeds to open the roughing valve after it has received a token from a network interface terminal. The network interface terminal may control multiple groups of cryopumps coupled to respective common rough pumps. The regeneration controllers are removable modules connected to the cryopumps. A PROM is provided for each cryopump to the side of the connector opposite to the module. The PROM stores data specific to the cryopump and retains the data for the cryopump with replacement of the controller module.

Electronically controlled cryopump and network interface

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Hyde Park, MA, United States of America

Peter W Gaudet