JP2002303295A - Exhaust capacity monitoring method, vacuum processing method and apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To resolve a problem of a vacuum treatment device where treatment had to be stopped and pressure inside a vacuum treatment chamber had to be raised for monitoring evacuating ability. SOLUTION: Gas is introduced into the vacuum treatment chamber 1, a value of a pressure regulator opening is constantly acquired when a pressure setting value is provided to a pressure regulator 5, and an evacuating ability anomaly of the vacuum treatment device is detected by a change in the value.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for monitoring the evacuation capacity of a vacuum processing apparatus for controlling a pressure while introducing a gas into a vacuum processing chamber and performing the processing in the atmosphere, and a vacuum processing method and apparatus. is there.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art FIG.
In the description, 1 is a vacuum processing chamber, 2 is a gas supply system for introducing gas required for processing in the vacuum processing chamber,
3 is a vacuum pump for evacuating the vacuum processing chamber 1,
Reference numeral 4 denotes a vacuum gauge that constantly measures the pressure in the vacuum processing chamber 1, and 5 denotes a vacuum gauge that adjusts its own opening degree so that the pressure in the vacuum processing chamber 1 measured by the vacuum gauge 4 becomes a set pressure given from outside. Pressure regulating valve.

The operation of this apparatus is as follows. An arbitrary gas is supplied through a gas supply system 2 provided in the vacuum processing chamber 1 to the vacuum processing chamber 1.
While the inside of the vacuum processing chamber 1 is evacuated by the vacuum pump 3 while supplying an arbitrary gas into the vacuum processing chamber 1, the inside of the vacuum processing chamber 1 is brought into a low pressure state, and the processing is performed in the vacuum processing chamber 1. The pressure regulating valve 5 is provided between the vacuum pump 3 and the vacuum processing chamber 1 and is connected to a vacuum gauge 4 for measuring the pressure in the vacuum processing chamber 1. While comparing the acquired intake pressure with the acquired intake pressure, its own opening degree is adjusted, and the pressure in the vacuum processing chamber 1 is maintained at the set pressure.

[0004] In a conventional method for monitoring the evacuation performance of a vacuum processing apparatus, reference pressures P1 and P2 are set (P1> P
2) After the pressure control valve 5 is fully closed and the vacuum processing chamber 1 is once in a high pressure state (pressure P1), the pressure control valve 5 is fully opened. This is a method in which the speed of the exhaust is determined by measuring the time from when the pressure is exhausted to when the pressure reaches the pressure P2, and the change is monitored.

[0005]

However, in the above-described conventional exhaust capacity monitoring method, in order to monitor the exhaust capacity of the vacuum processing apparatus, it is necessary to stop the processing and temporarily increase the pressure in the vacuum processing chamber. . In vacuum processing equipment, once the pressure in the vacuum processing chamber is increased, it must be maintained in a vacuum exhausted state for several hours until the pressure returns to normal. It is necessary to check the exhaust capacity while the processing is stopped. Further, since monitoring can be performed only when processing is stopped, there is a high possibility that abnormality detection will be delayed. For a vacuum processing apparatus, it is desirable to be able to detect abnormalities more quickly because a reduction in the evacuation capacity greatly affects processing in a vacuum processing chamber.

In view of the above-mentioned conventional problems, the present invention provides a method capable of monitoring the evacuation capability during processing in a vacuum processing chamber and detecting an abnormality in the evacuation capability at an early stage. .

[0007]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve this problem, the present invention introduces a constant gas flow rate into a vacuum processing chamber and adjusts the pressure when a constant pressure set value is applied to a pressure regulating valve. The evacuation capacity of the vacuum processing apparatus is monitored by constantly acquiring the value of the pressure valve opening degree and comparing the value with the value in the initial state.

[0008]

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a method for monitoring the exhaust capacity of a vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 1A shows a method of obtaining a reference value of the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve in the initial state of the vacuum processing apparatus. A constant flow rate gas is introduced into the vacuum processing chamber, a constant set pressure value is applied to the pressure regulating valve to regulate the pressure, and the value of the pressure regulating valve opening when the operation of the pressure regulating valve is stabilized is stored. The value of the opening degree at this time is defined as a reference opening degree.

FIG. 1B shows a method for monitoring the evacuation capacity of a vacuum processing apparatus during processing and detecting an abnormality. The same flow rate of gas as when the reference opening was obtained was introduced, the same set pressure was applied to the pressure regulating valve to perform pressure regulation, and the value of the pressure regulating valve opening when the operation of the pressure regulating valve was stabilized was calculated as the reference opening. If the difference does not exceed a predetermined allowable value as a criterion, the process is continued as it is.If the difference exceeds the allowable value, it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the exhaust capacity of the vacuum processing apparatus. I do.

The reference opening degree depends on the gas flow rate and the set pressure. In the initial state, a plurality of reference opening degrees can be obtained by changing the gas flow rate and the set pressure. Also, if it is determined that the relationship between the gas flow rate, the set pressure, and the reference opening degree can be expressed by a mathematical expression while changing the gas flow rate, the change in the set pressure, the gas flow rate in a wide range can be determined using the mathematical expression. The reference opening degree can be set with respect to the set pressure.

[0012]

As described above, according to the present invention, a predetermined flow rate of gas is introduced into a vacuum processing chamber in an initial state, and a set pressure value is applied to a pressure regulating valve to regulate the pressure. The value of the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve at the time of stabilization is stored as a reference opening degree, the gas of the predetermined flow rate is introduced, and the pressure is given by giving the set pressure value to the pressure regulating valve, and the operation of the pressure regulating valve is stabilized. Obtain the value of the pressure regulating valve opening degree at the time of performing the above, compare the obtained pressure regulating valve opening degree with the reference opening degree, and judge the quality of the exhaust capacity based on whether or not the difference is within a preset allowable range. Thus, even when the apparatus is in the processing state, it is possible to monitor the exhaust capacity, and it is possible to realize early detection of the apparatus abnormality.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a flow of an exhaust performance monitoring method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of a vacuum processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 vacuum processing chamber 5 pressure regulating valve

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continued on the front page F term (reference) 3H031 DA00 EA09 EA12 EA14 EA16 FA00 FA37 3H076 AA21 BB43 BB45 BB50 CC51 CC98 CC99

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A gas of a predetermined flow rate is introduced into a vacuum processing chamber in an initial state, and a set pressure value is given to a pressure control valve to perform pressure control.
A step of storing the opening degree of the pressure regulating valve when the operation of the pressure regulating valve is stabilized as a reference opening degree, introducing the gas at the predetermined flow rate, giving the set pressure value to the pressure regulating valve, and performing pressure regulation;
Obtaining a pressure regulating valve opening when the operation of the pressure regulating valve is stabilized; and comparing the obtained pressure regulating valve opening with the reference opening to determine whether the difference is within a preset allowable range. Determining the quality of the exhaust gas. 2. A vacuum processing method, comprising the method for monitoring exhaust capacity according to claim 1, wherein the vacuum processing is performed on an object. 3. A vacuum processing chamber, means for acquiring the opening of a pressure regulating valve for controlling the pressure of the vacuum processing chamber, a gas at a predetermined flow rate introduced into the vacuum processing chamber in an initial state, and the set pressure value The pressure is given to the pressure regulating valve to perform pressure regulation, means for storing the pressure regulating valve opening when the operation of the pressure regulating valve is stable as a reference opening, and comparing the acquired pressure regulating valve opening with the reference opening, Means for judging the quality of the exhaust capacity based on whether the difference is within a preset allowable range.