# US 2018/0023871 A1 · Temperature control method

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- Number: US 2018/0023871 A1
- Document ID: US20180023871A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/702,332
- Filed: 2017-09-12
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2011-11-14
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Yasuharu SASAKI; Kazuyoshi MATSUZAKI
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023871A1

## CPC

- F25B 43/02: for separating lubricants from the refrigerant
- F04C 18/00: Rotary-piston pumps specially adapted for elastic fluids (with fluid ring or the like F04C19/00; rotary-piston pumps in which the working-fluid is exclusively displaced by one or more reciprocating pistons F04B)
- F04C 29/042: {by injecting a fluid (injection of fluid for sealing, cooling or lubrication F04C29/0007)}
- F25B 31/004: {oil recirculating arrangements}
- H01J 37/32724: {Temperature}
- H10P 72/0402: {Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence)}
- H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection}
- F25B 1/053: of turbine type
- F25B 13/00: Compression machines, plants or systems, with reversible cycle (defrosting cycles F25B47/02)
- F25B 49/02: for compression type machines, plants or systems
- F25B 2600/21: Refrigerant outlet evaporator temperature
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- F04C: ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT MACHINES FOR LIQUIDS (engines F03C); ROTARY-PISTON, OR OSCILLATING-PISTON, POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS
- H01J: ELECTRIC DISCHARGE TUBES OR DISCHARGE LAMPS (spark-gaps H01T; electric arc lamps H05B31/00; particle accelerators H05H)
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A temperature control method is performed by a temperature control apparatus including a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat using a phase change of a refrigerant, a rotary pump configured to receive the refrigerant from the heat exchanger and fuse the refrigerant with oil contained inside the rotary pump, and an oil refrigerant separator configured to receive the refrigerant fused with the oil from the rotary pump and separate the refrigerant from the oil. The temperature control method includes the steps of: circulating the refrigerant separated from the oil back to the heat exchanger; and adjusting at least one of a rotation speed of a rotor of the rotary pump, a position of a valve arranged at a connecting portion of the rotary pump and the heat exchanger, and a position of an airflow adjustment valve arranged at a connecting portion of the oil refrigerant separator and the heat exchanger.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A temperature control method that is implemented by a temperature control apparatus including a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat using a phase change of a refrigerant, a rotary pump configured to receive the refrigerant from the heat exchanger and fuse the refrigerant with oil contained inside the rotary pump, and an oil refrigerant separator configured to receive the refrigerant fused with the oil from the rotary pump and separate the refrigerant from the oil, the temperature control method comprising the steps of:
circulating the refrigerant separated from the oil back to the heat exchanger; and
adjusting at least one of a rotation speed of a rotor of the rotary pump, a position of a valve arranged at a connecting portion of the rotary pump and the heat exchanger, and a position of an airflow adjustment valve arranged at a connecting portion of the oil refrigerant separator and the heat exchanger.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The temperature control method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:
controlling a start of a cooling operation and an end of the cooling operation by controlling the valve to fully open in conjunction with a start of an operation of a heat input source and controlling the valve to completely close in conjunction with a termination of the operation of the heat input source.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The temperature control method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising the step of:
adjusting a pressure within an evaporation chamber arranged in the heat exchanger by controlling the position of the airflow adjustment valve.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The temperature control method as claimed in claim 2, wherein the heat input source corresponds to a plasma source that is used in a plasma processing apparatus.