3d modelling of pressure flows in a processing chamber

A computer-implemented method (100) for determining pressure in a region of interest (20) of a processing chamber (2), with the processing chamber comprising:

• a support structure (21) to support an object (5) to be processed in the processing chamber,
• at least one controllable fluid inlet (22) and at least one controllable fluid outlet (24), and
• a set of pressure sensors, the set of pressure sensors comprising a plurality of pressure sensors (25, 26, 27), the method (100) comprising:
• providing (115) a digital model (11) of the processing chamber (2);
• performing a training process (120) comprising:
• applying a defined variation of chamber pressures by varying a fluid flow in the processing chamber (10), wherein the varying of the fluid flow comprises providing (122) at least one defined fluid flow into the processing chamber by the at least one fluid inlet (22), and providing (124) at least one defined fluid flow out of the processing chamber by the at least one fluid outlet (24), and
• acquiring (126) a series of pressure values (12) by the set of pressure sensors during the defined variation of the chamber pressure;
• deriving (130), based on the digital model (11) of the processing chamber and on the series of pressure values (12), a three-dimensional pressure distribution model (13), the pressure distribution model providing information about pressure at least in the region of interest (20);
• and
• performing a pressure determining process for determining a pressure of interest (16) that is related to the region of interest (20), the determining process comprising:
• measuring (150) one or more pressure values (15) by a subset of the plurality of pressure sensors (25, 26, 27);
• and
• determining (160), based on the pressure distribution model (13) and the one or more pressure values (15), the pressure of interest (16).