IPC분류정보
국가/구분 |
United States(US) Patent
등록
|
국제특허분류(IPC7판) |
|
출원번호 |
US-0666124
(2005-11-21)
|
등록번호 |
US-8292598
(2012-10-23)
|
국제출원번호 |
PCT/US2005/042127
(2005-11-21)
|
§371/§102 date |
20080930
(20080930)
|
국제공개번호 |
WO2006/057957
(2006-06-01)
|
발명자
/ 주소 |
- Laverdiere, Marc
- Cedrone, James
- Gonnella, George
- Gashgaee, Iraj
- Magoon, Paul
- King, Timothy J.
|
출원인 / 주소 |
|
대리인 / 주소 |
|
인용정보 |
피인용 횟수 :
15 인용 특허 :
137 |
초록
▼
Embodiments of the present, invention provide a system and method for reducing the hold-up volume of a pump. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for determining a home position to reduce hold-up volume at a dispense pump and/or a feed pump. The home po
Embodiments of the present, invention provide a system and method for reducing the hold-up volume of a pump. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention provide a system and method for determining a home position to reduce hold-up volume at a dispense pump and/or a feed pump. The home position for the diaphragm can be selected such that the volume of the chamber at the dispense pump and/or feed pump contains sufficient fluid to perform the various steps of a dispense cycle while minimizing the hold-up volume. Additionally, the home position of the diaphragm can be selected to optimize the effective range of positive displacement.
대표청구항
▼
1. A pumping system comprising: a dispense pump, wherein the dispense pump has a maximum available volume, the dispense pump further comprising: a dispense diaphragm movable to multiple positions within a dispense chamber, wherein the multiple positions include a dispense pump home position, the dis
1. A pumping system comprising: a dispense pump, wherein the dispense pump has a maximum available volume, the dispense pump further comprising: a dispense diaphragm movable to multiple positions within a dispense chamber, wherein the multiple positions include a dispense pump home position, the dispense pump home position corresponding to an available volume for a process fluid in the dispense pump, and wherein the available volume is less than the maximum available volume;a dispense motor to move the dispense diaphragm; anda pump controller coupled to the dispense pump, the pump controller operable to: control the dispense pump to move the dispense diaphragm to a dispense pump hard stop position prior to partially filling the dispense pump, the dispense pump hard stop position corresponding to zero available volume for the process fluid in the dispense pump;control the dispense pump to move the dispense diaphragm in the dispense chamber from the dispense pump hard stop position to reach the dispense pump home position by reversing the dispense motor a corresponding number of steps such that the dispense pump is partially filled with the process fluid for a dispense operation, wherein the available volume corresponding to home position represents a total available volume for the dispense pump in a dispense cycle and wherein the dispense pump home position is determined by the pump controller based on one or more parameters for the dispense operation; andcontrol the dispense pump to dispense the process fluid from the dispense pump. 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a filter downstream of the dispense pump;an inlet valve upstream of the dispense pump;a purge valve downstream of the filter; andan outlet valve downstream of the filter. 3. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a filter downstream of a feed pump and upstream of the dispense pump;an inlet valve upstream of the feed pump;an isolation valve between the feed pump and the filter;a barrier valve between the filter and the dispense pump;a purge valve downstream of the dispense pump; andan outlet valve downstream of the dispense pump. 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the pump controller is further operable to control the dispense pump to purge a purge volume of the process fluid and wherein the available volume corresponding to the dispense pump home position is at least a dispense volume plus the purge volume. 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispense pump further comprises: a position sensor to indicate the position of the dispense motor. 6. The system of claim 5, wherein the position sensor is a linear encoder. 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the position sensor is a rotary encoder. 8. The system of claim 5, wherein the pump controller is further operable to control the dispense motor to move the dispense diaphragm from a first position to the dispense pump home position. 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the pump controller is further operable to stop the dispense diaphragm at the dispense pump home position based on feedback from the position sensor. 10. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a feed pump comprising a feed diaphragm movable within a feed chamber; andwherein the pump controller is connected to the feed pump and operable to control the feed pump to assert a pressure on the process fluid to provide the process fluid to the dispense pump. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the pump controller is further operable to control the feed pump to move the feed diaphragm to a feed pump home position such that the feed pump is partially filled. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the pump controller is further operable to control the feed pump to vent a vent volume of the process fluid. 13. The system of claim 12, wherein an available volume of the feed pump when the feed diaphragm is at the feed pump home position is at least equal to a dispense volume, the vent volume and a purge volume. 14. The system of claim 1, wherein the available volume of the dispense pump corresponding to the dispense pump home position is at least equal to a user-specified volume. 15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further operable to: receive an instruction for the user-specified volume; andadd an error volume to the user-specified volume to determine the available volume of the dispense pump corresponding to the dispense pump home position. 16. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a feed pump comprising a feed diaphragm movable within a feed chamber; andwherein the pump controller is connected to the feed pump and operable to:control the feed pump to assert a pressure on the process fluid to provide the process fluid to the dispense pump;receive an instruction for a user-specified volume for the feed pump;add an error volume to the user specified volume to determine the available volume of the feed pump corresponding to the feed pump home position. 17. The system of claim 1, wherein the dispense pump home position is determined by the pump controller to utilize a low stress region of the dispense diaphragm. 18. A method for reducing hold-up volume of a process fluid in a pump system comprising: providing a process fluid to a dispense pump, wherein the dispense pump has a maximum available volume, the dispense pump further comprising a dispense diaphragm movable to multiple positions within a dispense chamber, wherein the multiple positions include a dispense pump home position, wherein the dispense pump home position corresponds to an available volume of the process fluid in the dispense pump, and wherein the available volume is less than the maximum available volume;selecting a dispense pump home position for the dispense pump based on one or more parameters for a dispense operation;moving the dispense diaphragm to a dispense pump hard stop position, the dispense pump hard stop position corresponding to zero available volume for the process fluid in the dispense pump;moving the dispense diaphragm in the dispense chamber from the dispense pump hard stop position to reach the dispense pump home position by reversing the dispense motor a corresponding number of steps, such that the dispense pump is partially filled with the process fluid for a dispense cycle, wherein the available volume corresponding to the dispense pump home position represents a total available volume at the dispense pump for the dispense cycle; anddispensing the process fluid from the dispense pump to a wafer, wherein a dispense volume of the process fluid is dispensed from the dispense pump with at least a portion of the dispense volume of the process fluid being dispensed to the wafer, and wherein the available volume corresponding to the dispense pump home position of the dispense pump is at least the dispense volume of the process fluid. 19. The method of claim 18, further comprising purging a purge volume of the process fluid from the dispense pump before or after the step of dispensing the process fluid from the dispense pump to the wafer. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the available volume of the dispense pump corresponding to the dispense pump home position is at least the dispense volume plus the purge Volume. 21. The method of claim 20, wherein purging occurs in the dispense cycle prior to dispensing. 22. The method of claim 18, wherein purging occurs in the dispense cycle subsequent to dispensing. 23. The method of claim 18, further comprising: partially filling a feed pump to a feed pump home position, wherein the feed pump has an available volume corresponding to the feed pump home position that is less than the maximum available volume of the feed pump and the total available volume for the feed pump during the dispense cycle and wherein the available volume corresponding to the feed pump home position is at least the dispense volume. 24. The method of claim 23, further comprising venting a vent volume of process fluid, wherein the available volume corresponding to the feed pump home position is at least the vent volume plus the dispense volume. 25. The method of claim 24, further comprising purging a purge volume of process fluid from the dispense pump before or after the step of dispensing the process fluid from the dispense pump to the wafer, wherein the available volume corresponding to the feed pump home position is at least the vent volume plus the dispense volume plus the purge volume. 26. The method of claim 25, further comprising sucking back a suckback volume of process fluid at the dispense pump, wherein the available volume at the feed pump corresponding to the feed pump home position is at least the vent volume plus the dispense volume plus the purge volume minus the suckback volume. 27. The method of claim 18, further comprising selecting the dispense pump home position based on an effective range of the dispense diaphragm. 28. A computer program product comprising a set of computer instructions stored a computer readable medium, the computer instructions comprising instructions executable by a processor to: receive one or more parameters for a dispense operation;select a dispense pump home position for a dispense pump based on the one or more parameters;direct the dispense pump to move a dispense diaphragm to a dispense pump hard stop position prior to partially filling the dispense pump, the dispense pump hard stop position corresponding to zero available volume for the process fluid in the dispense pump;direct the dispense pump to move the dispense diaphragm from the dispense pump hard stop position to reach the dispense pump home position by reversing a dispense motor a corresponding number of steps to partially fill the dispense pump with a process fluid, wherein an available volume corresponding to the dispense pump home position is less than the maximum available volume of the dispense pump and represents a total available volume for the dispense pump in a dispense cycle; anddirect the dispense pump to dispense the process fluid from the dispense pump. 29. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the set of computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to direct the dispense pump to purge a purge volume of the process fluid, wherein the available volume of the dispense pump corresponding to the dispense pump home position is at least a dispense volume plus the purge volume. 30. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the set of computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to control the dispense motor to move the dispense diaphragm from a first position to the dispense pump home position. 31. The computer program product of claim 30, wherein the set of computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to: receive feedback from a position sensor at the dispense pump; andstop the dispense diaphragm at the dispense pump home position based on the feedback from the position sensor. 32. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the set of computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to: direct a feed pump to assert pressure on the process fluid to provide the process fluid to the dispense pump; anddirect the feed pump to move a feed diaphragm to a feed pump home position to partially fill the feed pump. 33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the set of computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to direct the feed pump to vent a vent volume of the process fluid. 34. The computer program product of claim 33, wherein an available volume of the feed pump when the feed diaphragm is at the feed pump home position is at least equal to the dispense volume plus the vent volume plus a purge volume. 35. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the available volume of the dispense pump when the dispense diaphragm is at the dispense pump home position is at least equal to a user-specified dispense pump volume. 36. The computer program product of claim 35, wherein the one or more parameters for the dispense operation include the user-specified dispense pump volume and wherein the set of computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to: add an error volume to the user-specified dispense pump volume to determine the available volume corresponding to the dispense pump home position. 37. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein an available volume of the feed pump when the feed pump is at the feed pump home position is at least equal to a user-specified feed pump volume. 38. The computer program product of claim 37, wherein the one or more parameters for the dispense operation include the user-specified feed pump volume and wherein the set of computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to: add an error volume to the user-specified feed pump volume to determine the available volume corresponding to the dispense pump home position. 39. The computer program product of claim 28, wherein the set of computer instructions further comprise instructions executable to select the dispense pump home position to utilize an effective range of the dispense diaphragm.
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