Pump power consumption enhancement
AssigneeApplied Materials, Inc.
InventorsMARIUSCH GREGOR, KENNETH LE
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Abstract
Methods and apparatus for reducing the power consumption of a pump are provided herein. In some embodiments, a pump power consumption reduction system for use in a substrate processing system may include a vacuum chamber having an exhaust port; a valve; a first pump having a pump inlet port coupled to the exhaust port via the valve and a pump exhaust port to couple the first pump to an exhaust handling system; and a second pump coupled to the pump exhaust port to selectively reduce an exhaust pressure of the first pump.
Claims19
A pump power consumption reduction system for use in a substrate processing system, comprising:
- a vacuum chamber having an exhaust port;
- a valve;
- a first pump having a pump inlet port coupled to the exhaust port via the valve and a pump exhaust port to couple the first pump to an exhaust handling system;
- and
- a second pump coupled to the pump exhaust port to selectively reduce an exhaust pressure of the first pump.
A method of reducing the power consumption of a first pump coupled to a vacuum chamber in a substrate processing system the method comprising:
- measuring the power consumption of the first pump;
- comparing the measured power consumption to a first predetermined power consumption of the first pump;
- and
- activating a second pump coupled to an exhaust port of the first pump upon the measured power consumption of the first pump falling below the first predetermined power consumption of the first pump to reduce the exhaust pressure of the first pump.
A method of reducing the power consumption of a first pump coupled to a vacuum chamber in a substrate processing system, the method comprising:
- measuring the pressure within at least one of the exhaust port or an inlet port of the first pump;
- comparing the measured pressure within at least one of the exhaust port or the inlet port to a first predetermined pressure;
- and
- activating a second pump coupled to an exhaust port of the first pump upon the measured pressure exceeding the first predetermined pressure to reduce the exhaust pressure of the first pump.
(canceled)
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.