# US 10,309,401 B2 · Vacuum exhaust system and channel-switching valve used in this vacuum exhaust system

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,309,401 B2
- Document ID: US10309401B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/541,085
- Filed: 2016-01-06
- Published: 2018-01-04
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-01-06
- Assignees: Edwards Limited
- Applicants: Edwards Limited
- Inventors: Nigel Paul Schofield; Andrew Seeley; Katsumi Nishimura; Katsunori Takahashi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10309401B2

## CPC

- F04C 25/02: for producing high vacuum (sealing arrangements F04C27/00; silencing F04C29/06)
- C23C 16/4405: {Cleaning of reactor or parts inside the reactor by using reactive gases}
- C23C 16/4412: {Details relating to the exhausts, e.g. pumps, filters, scrubbers, particle traps}
- F04C 23/001: {of similar working principle}
- F04C 23/003: {having complementary function}
- H10P 72/0451: {Apparatus for manufacturing or treating in a plurality of work-stations}
- F04C 2220/30: Use in a chemical vapor deposition [CVD] process or in a similar process
- F16K 15/00: Check valves (valves specially adapted for inflatable balls A63B41/00)
- F04C: ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS (engines F03C); ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- F16K: VALVES; TAPS; COCKS; ACTUATING-FLOATS; DEVICES FOR VENTING OR AERATING {(devices for emptying and evacuating the excess liquid in valves or conduits F16L55/07)}

## Abstract

A vacuum exhaust system which exhausts gas from chambers and which comprises a plurality of branch channels for the exhaustion of the gas from the chambers, a main pipeline in the form of a confluence of the plurality of branch channels, channel open-close valves fitted to correspond with each of the said plurality of branch channels, a channel-switching valve connecting the main channel and a plurality of selection channels and allowing flow between the main channel and any one of the plurality of selection channels, a first pump which functions as a gas exhaust means in the molecular flow region of the gas and is fitted to one of the plurality of branch channels, and second pumps which function as gas exhaust means in the viscous flow region of the gas and are fitted to the plurality of selection channels.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vacuum exhaust system that exhausts gas from a chamber, the vacuum exhaust system comprising:
a plurality of branch channels for the exhaustion of the gas from the chamber,
a main channel formed from a confluence of the plurality of branch channels and connected to a plurality of selection channels by a channel-switching valve, wherein the channel-switching valve is configured to connect the main channel to any one of the plurality of selection channels,
a respective channel open-close valve fitted to each branch channel of the plurality of branch channels,
a first pump which functions as a gas exhaustion means in the molecular flow region of the gas and is fitted to any of the plurality of branch channels, and
second pumps which function as gas exhaustion means in the viscous flow region of the gas, the second pumps fitted to the plurality of selection channels;
wherein the selection channels comprise three selection channels and a respective one of the second pumps is fitted to each of the selection channels, and wherein one of the respective second pumps fitted to one selection channel of the plurality of selection channels is used for rough pumping of the chamber when the gas is exhausted, and wherein, apart from rough pumping, the one of the respective second pumps is otherwise kept in an immediately-usable standby state to be used as a backup pump for the other two respective second pumps respectively fitted to the other two selection channels.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vacuum exhaust system according to claim 1, further comprising a third pump which functions as a means of increasing the exhaustion rate in a pressure region in which the exhaustion rate of the second pump is lower, and the third pump is fitted to any one of the plurality of branch channels.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vacuum exhaust system according to claim 2, wherein
the third pump is fitted in the same branch channel as the first pump and a pipe from the first pump to the third pump is of greater diameter than other pipes in the plurality of branch channels.

### Claim 4

A vacuum exhaust system for exhausting gas from a first chamber and from at least one further chamber, the vacuum exhaust system comprising:
a vacuum exhaust system for evacuating said first chamber, the vacuum exhaust system comprising:
a plurality of branch channels for the exhaustion of the gas from the chamber,
a main channel formed from a confluence of the plurality of branch channels and connected to a plurality of selection channels by a channel-switching valve, wherein the channel switching valve is configured to connect the main channel to any one of the plurality of selection channels,
a respective channel open-close valve fitted to each branch channel of the plurality of branch channels,
a first pump which functions as a gas exhaustion means in the molecular flow region of the gas and is fitted to any of the plurality of branch channels, and
second pumps which function as gas exhaustion means in the viscous flow region of the gas, the second pumps fitted to the plurality of selection channels,
at least one further plurality of branch channels for the exhaustion of the gas from the at least one further chamber,
at least one further main channel formed from the confluence of the at least one further plurality of branch channels,
a respective channel open-close valve fitted to each of the at least one further plurality of branch channels,
at least one further channel switching valve, wherein the at least one further main channel is connected to one of the plurality of selection channels via a respective at least one further channel switching valve, the respective at least one respective channel switching valve being configured to connect the at least one further main channel to any one of the plurality of selection channels,
at least one further first pump which functions as a gas exhaustion means in the molecular flow region of the gas for exhausting said at least one further chamber, and
at least one further first pump fitted to a respective any of the at least one further plurality of branch channels; wherein the selection channels comprise three selection channels and a respective one of the second pumps is fitted to each of the selection channels, and wherein one of the respective second pumps fitted to one selection channel of the plurality of selection channels is used for rough pumping of the chamber when the gas is exhausted, and wherein, apart from rough pumping, the one of the respective second pumps is otherwise kept in an immediately-usable standby state to be used as a backup pump for the other two respective second pumps respectively fitted to the other two selection channels.