US 2019/0056755 A1 · System For And Method Of Fast Pulse Gas Delivery

Abstract

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.

Claims52

Dependent claims

A system comprising:

a multi-channel gas delivery system including a plurality of flow channels, each channel comprising a mass flow controller configured to control the flow of gas through the corresponding channel and including:
an input configured to receive an input signal;
an output configured to provide an output signal;
a communication port configured to receive program instructions including instructions on the operational configuration of each mass flow controller;
a flow sensor configured to sense the flow of gas through the mass flow controller of the corresponding channel;
a control valve configured to control the flow of gas though the mass flow controller of the corresponding channel;
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;
wherein the input signal to the mass flow controller initiates the operation of the mass flow controller to deliver a prescribed amount of gas, and the output signal is generated as a function of the timing of the delivery so that the output signal can be used to synchronize each mass flow controller to at least one other device.

7 more elements

A method of operating a multi-channel gas delivery system including a plurality of flow channels, each channel comprising a mass flow controller configured to control the flow of gas through the corresponding channel, the method comprising:

providing an input signal to one of the mass flow controllers so as to initiate the operation of the mass flow controller to deliver a prescribed amount of gas;
generating an output signal from the mass flow controller as a function of the timing of the delivery of the prescribed amount of gas so that the output signal can be used to synchronize each mass flow controller to at least one other device;
receiving program instructions at a communication port including instructions on the operational configuration of each mass flow controller;
determining the programmed configuration of the mass flow controller as either a digital or analog configuration as a function of the received instructions;
and
operating the mass flow controller in accordance with the programmed configuration;
wherein the input signal to the mass flow controller initiates the operation of the mass flow controller to deliver a prescribed amount of gas, and the output signal is generated as a function of the timing of the delivery so that the output signal can be used to synchronize each mass flow controller to at least one other device.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System For And Method Of Fast Pulse Gas Delivery

Life of this patent

System For And Method Of Fast Pulse Gas Delivery

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims52