Patent Application
20140127034
This invention relates generally to fluid pumps. More particularly, embodiments of the invention relate to system and method for position control of a mechanical piston in a motor-driven single-stage or multi-stage pump useful in semiconductor manufacturing.
There are many applications for which precise control over the amount and/or rate at which a fluid is dispensed by a pumping apparatus is necessary. In semiconductor processing, for example, it is important to control the amount and rate at which photochemicals, such as photoresist chemicals, are applied to a semiconductor wafer. The coatings applied to semiconductor wafers during processing typically require a certain flatness and/or even thickness across the surface of the wafer that is measured in angstroms. The rates at which processing chemicals are applied (i.e., dispensed) onto the wafer have to be controlled carefully to ensure that the processing liquid is applied uniformly.
Photochemicals used in the semiconductor industry today are typically very expensive, costing as much as $1000 and up per a liter. Therefore, it is highly desirable to ensure that a minimum but adequate amount of chemical is used and that the chemical is not damaged by the pumping apparatus.
Unfortunately, these desirable qualities can be extremely difficult to achieve in today's pumping systems because of the many interrelated obstacles. For example, due to incoming supply issues, pressure can vary from system to system. Due to fluid dynamics and properties, pressure needs vary from fluid to fluid (e.g., a fluid with higher viscosity requires more pressure). In operation, vibration from various parts of a pumping system (e.g., a stepper motor) may adversely affect the performance of the pumping system, particularly in the dispensing phase. In pumping systems utilizing pneumatic pumps, when the solenoid comes on, it can cause large pressure spikes. In pumping systems utilizing multiple stage pumps, a small glitch in operation can also cause sharp pressure spikes in the liquid. Such pressure spikes and subsequent drops in pressure may be damaging to the fluid (i.e., may change the physical characteristics of the fluid unfavorably). Additionally, pressure spikes can lead to build up fluid pressure that may cause a dispense pump to dispense more fluid than intended or dispense the fluid in a manner that has unfavorable dynamics. Furthermore, because these obstacles are interrelated, sometimes solving one may cause many more problems and/or make the matter worse.
Generally, pumping systems are unable to satisfactorily control pressure variation during a cycle. There is a need for a new pumping system with the ability to provide real time, smooth motion, and extremely precise and repeatable position control over fluid movements and dispense amounts. In particular, there is a need for precise and repeatable position control of a mechanical piston in a pump. Embodiments of the invention can address these needs and more.
Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for precise and repeatable position control of a mechanical piston in a pump that substantially eliminate or reduce the disadvantages of previously developed pumping systems and methods used in semiconductor manufacturing. More particularly, embodiments of the invention provide a pumping system with a motor-driven pump.
In one embodiment of the invention, the motor-driven pump is a dispense pump.
In embodiments of the invention, the dispense pump can be part of a multi-stage or single stage pump.
In one embodiment of the invention, a two-stage dispense pump is driven by a permanent-magnet synchronous motor (PMSM) and a digital signal processor (DSP) utilizing field-oriented control (FOC).
In one embodiment of the invention, the dispense pump is driven by a brushless DC motor (BLDCM) with a position sensor for real time position feedback.
Advantages of the embodiments of the invention disclosed herein include the ability to provide real time, smooth motion, and extremely precise and repeatable position control over fluid movements and dispense amounts.
An object of the invention is to reduce heat generation without undesirably compromising the precise position control of the dispense pump. This object is achievable in embodiments of the invention with a custom control scheme configured to increase the operating frequency of the motor's position control algorithm for critical functions such as dispensing and reduce the operating frequency to an optimal range for non-critical functions.
Another advantage provided by embodiments of the invention is the enhanced speed control. The custom control scheme disclosed herein can run the motor at very low speeds and still maintain a constant velocity, which enables the new pumping system disclosed herein to operate in a wide range of speeds with minimal variation, substantially increasing dispense performance and operation capabilities.
A more complete understanding of the invention and the advantages thereof may be acquired by referring to the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which like reference numbers indicate like features and wherein:
Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below with reference to the figures which are not necessarily drawn to scale and where like numerals are used to refer to like and corresponding parts of the various drawings.
Embodiments of the invention are directed to a pumping system with a multiple stage (“multi-stage”) pump for feeding and dispensing fluid onto wafers during semiconductor manufacturing. Specifically, embodiments of the invention provide a pumping system implementing a multi-stage pump comprising a feed stage pump driven by a stepper motor and a dispense stage pump driven by a brushless DC motor for extremely accurate and repeatable control over fluid movements and dispense amounts of the fluid onto wafers. It should be noted that the multi-stage pump and the pumping system embodying such a pump as described herein are provided by way of example, but not limitation, and embodiments of the invention can be implemented for other multi-stage pump configurations. Embodiments of a motor driven pumping system with precise and repeatable position control will be described in more details below.
In embodiments of the invention, BLDCM 3030 can be utilized as a feed motor and/or a dispense motor in a pump such as a multi-stage pump 100 shown in
Dispense-stage pump 180 (“dispense pump 180”) may include a dispense chamber 185, a dispense stage diaphragm 190, a piston 192, a lead screw 195, and a dispense motor 200. Dispense motor 200 can be any suitable motor, including BLDCM. In one embodiment of the invention, dispense motor 200 implements BLDCM 3030 of
Located between feed stage portion 105 and dispense stage portion 110, from a fluid flow perspective, is filter 120 to filter impurities from the process fluid. A number of valves (e.g., inlet valve 125, isolation valve 130, barrier valve 135, purge valve 140, vent valve 145 and outlet valve 147) can be appropriately positioned to control how fluid flows through multi-stage pump 100. The valves of multi-stage pump 100 are opened or closed to allow or restrict fluid flow to various portions of multi-stage pump 100. These valves can be pneumatically actuated (e.g., gas driven) diaphragm valves that open or close depending on whether pressure or a vacuum is asserted. Other suitable valves are possible.
In operation, multi-stage pump 100 can include a ready segment, dispense segment, fill segment, pre-filtration segment, filtration segment, vent segment, purge segment and static purge segment (see
As fluid flows into dispense chamber 185, the pressure of the fluid increases. The pressure in dispense chamber 185 can be controlled by regulating the speed of feed pump 150 as described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/292,559, filed Dec. 2, 2005, now U.S. Pat. No. 7,850,431, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROL OF FLUID PRESSURE,” which is incorporated herein by reference. According to one embodiment of the invention, when the fluid pressure in dispense chamber 185 reaches a predefined pressure set point (e.g., as determined by pressure sensor 112), dispense stage pump 180 begins to withdraw dispense stage diaphragm 190. In other words, dispense stage pump 180 increases the available volume of dispense chamber 185 to allow fluid to flow into dispense chamber 185. This can be done, for example, by reversing dispense motor 200 at a predefined rate, causing the pressure in dispense chamber 185 to decrease. If the pressure in dispense chamber 185 falls below the set point (within the tolerance of the system), the rate of feed motor 175 is increased to cause the pressure in dispense chamber 185 to reach the set point. If the pressure exceeds the set point (within the tolerance of the system) the rate of feed motor 175 is decreased, leading to a lessening of pressure in downstream dispense chamber 185. The process of increasing and decreasing the speed of feed motor 175 can be repeated until the dispense stage pump reaches a home position, at which point both motors can be stopped.
According to another embodiment, the speed of the first-stage motor during the filtration segment can be controlled using a “dead band” control scheme. When the pressure in dispense chamber 185 reaches an initial threshold, dispense stage pump can move dispense stage diaphragm 190 to allow fluid to more freely flow into dispense chamber 185, thereby causing the pressure in dispense chamber 185 to drop. If the pressure drops below a minimum pressure threshold, the speed of feed motor 175 is increased, causing the pressure in dispense chamber 185 to increase. If the pressure in dispense chamber 185 increases beyond a maximum pressure threshold, the speed of feed motor 175 is decreased. Again, the process of increasing and decreasing the speed of feed motor 175 can be repeated until the dispense stage pump reaches a home position.
At the beginning of the vent segment, isolation valve 130 is opened, barrier valve 135 closed and vent valve 145 opened. In another embodiment, barrier valve 135 can remain open during the vent segment and close at the end of the vent segment. During this time, if barrier valve 135 is open, the pressure can be understood by the controller because the pressure in the dispense chamber, which can be measured by pressure sensor 112, will be affected by the pressure in filter 120. Feed-stage pump 150 applies pressure to the fluid to remove air bubbles from filter 120 through open vent valve 145. Feed-stage pump 150 can be controlled to cause venting to occur at a predefined rate, allowing for longer vent times and lower vent rates, thereby allowing for accurate control of the amount of vent waste. If feed pump is a pneumatic style pump, a fluid flow restriction can be placed in the vent fluid path, and the pneumatic pressure applied to feed pump can be increased or decreased in order to maintain a “venting” set point pressure, giving some control of an otherwise un-controlled method.
At the beginning of the purge segment, isolation valve 130 is closed, barrier valve 135, if it is open in the vent segment, is closed, vent valve 145 closed, and purge valve 140 opened and inlet valve 125 opened. Dispense pump 180 applies pressure to the fluid in dispense chamber 185 to vent air bubbles through purge valve 140. During the static purge segment, dispense pump 180 is stopped, but purge valve 140 remains open to continue to vent air. Any excess fluid removed during the purge or static purge segments can be routed out of multi-stage pump 100 (e.g., returned to the fluid source or discarded) or recycled to feed-stage pump 150. During the ready segment, inlet valve 125, isolation valve 130 and barrier valve 135 can be opened and purge valve 140 closed so that feed-stage pump 150 can reach ambient pressure of the source (e.g., the source bottle). According to other embodiments, all the valves can be closed at the ready segment.
During the dispense segment, outlet valve 147 opens and dispense pump 180 applies pressure to the fluid in dispense chamber 185. Because outlet valve 147 may react to controls more slowly than dispense pump 180, outlet valve 147 can be opened first and some predetermined period of time later dispense motor 200 started. This prevents dispense pump 180 from pushing fluid through a partially opened outlet valve 147. Moreover, this prevents fluid moving up the dispense nozzle caused by the valve opening (it's a mini-pump), followed by forward fluid motion caused by motor action. In other embodiments, outlet valve 147 can be opened and dispense begun by dispense pump 180 simultaneously.
An additional suckback segment can be performed in which excess fluid in the dispense nozzle is removed. During the suckback segment, outlet valve 147 can close and a secondary motor or vacuum can be used to suck excess fluid out of the outlet nozzle. Alternatively, outlet valve 147 can remain open and dispense motor 200 can be reversed to such fluid back into the dispense chamber. The suckback segment helps prevent dripping of excess fluid onto the wafer.
The opening and closing of various valves can cause pressure spikes in the fluid. Closing of purge valve 140 at the end of the static purge segment, for example, can cause a pressure increase in dispense chamber 185. This can occur, because each valve may displace a small volume of fluid when it closes. Purge valve 140, for example, can displace a small volume of fluid into dispense chamber 185 as it closes. Because outlet valve 147 is closed when the pressure increases occur due to the closing of purge valve 140, “spitting” of fluid onto the wafer may occur during the subsequent dispense segment if the pressure is not reduced. To release this pressure during the static purge segment, or an additional segment, dispense motor 200 may be reversed to back out piston 192 a predetermined distance to compensate for any pressure increase caused by the closure of barrier valve 135 and/or purge valve 140. One embodiment of correcting for pressure increases caused by the closing of a valve (e.g., purge valve 140) is described in the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/741,681, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CORRECTING FOR PRESSURE VARIATIONS USING A MOTOR”, by Gonnella et al., filed Dec. 2, 2005 and converted into U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/602,472 and International Application No. PCT/US06/45176 on Nov. 20, 2006, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
Pressure spikes in the process fluid can also be reduced by avoiding closing valves to create entrapped spaces and opening valves between entrapped spaces. U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/742,168, entitled “METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR VALVE SEQUENCING IN A PUMP,” by Gonnella et al., filed Dec. 2, 2005 and converted into U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/602,465 and International Application No. PCT/US06/44980 on Nov. 20, 2006, all of which are incorporated herein by reference, describes one embodiment for timing valve openings and closings to reduce pressure spikes in the process fluid.
It should be further noted that during the ready segment, the pressure in dispense chamber 185 can change based on the properties of the diaphragm, temperature or other factors. Dispense motor 200 can be controlled to compensate for this pressure drift as described in the U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/741,682, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PRESSURE COMPENSATION IN A PUMP”, by James Cedrone, filed Dec. 2, 2005 and converted into U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/602,508 and International Application No. PCT/US06/45175 on Nov. 20, 2006, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Thus, embodiments of the invention provide a multi-stage pump with gentle fluid handling characteristics that can avoid or mitigate potentially damaging pressure changes. Embodiments of the invention can also employ other pump control mechanisms and valve linings to help reduce deleterious effects of pressure on a process fluid. Additional examples of a pump assembly for multi-stage pump 100 can be found in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/051,576, filed Feb. 4, 2005 by Zagars et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 7,476,087, entitled “PUMP CONTROLLER FOR PRECISION PUMPING APPARATUS”, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In one embodiment, multi-stage pump 100 incorporates a stepper motor as feed motor 175 and BLDCM 3030 as dispense motor 200. Suitable motors and associated parts may be obtained from EAD Motors of Dover, N.H., USA or the like. In operation, the stator of BLDCM 3030 generates a stator flux and the rotor generates a rotor flux. The interaction between the stator flux and the rotor flux defines the torque and hence the speed of BLDCM 3030. In one embodiment, a digital signal processor (DSP) is used to implement all of the field-oriented control (FOC). The FOC algorithms are realized in computer-executable software instructions embodied in a computer-readable medium. Digital signal processors, alone with on-chip hardware peripherals, are now available with the computational power, speed, and programmability to control the BLDCM 3030 and completely execute the FOC algorithms in microseconds with relatively insignificant add-on costs. One example of a DSP that can be utilized to implement embodiments of the invention disclosed herein is a 16-bit DSP available from Texas Instruments, Inc. based in Dallas, Tex., USA (part number TMS320F2812PGFA).
BLDCM 3030 can incorporate at least one position sensor to sense the actual rotor position. In one embodiment, the position sensor may be external to BLDCM 3030. In one embodiment, the position sensor may be internal to BLDCM 3030. In one embodiment, BLDCM 3030 may be sensorless. In the example shown in
BLDCM 3030 can be run at very low speeds and still maintain a constant velocity, which means little or no vibration. In other technologies such as stepper motors it has been impossible to run at lower speeds without introducing vibration into the pumping system, which was caused by poor constant velocity control. This variation would cause poor dispense performance and results in a very narrow window range of operation. Additionally, the vibration can have a deleterious effect on the process fluid. Table 1 below and
As can be seen from TABLE 1, compared to a stepper motor, a BLDCM can provide substantially increased resolution with continuous rotary motion, lower power consumption, higher torque delivery, and wider speed range. Note that, BLDCM resolution can be about 10 times more or better than what is provided by the stepper motor. For this reason, the smallest unit of advancement that can be provided by BLDCM is referred to as a “motor increment,” distinguishable from the term “step”, which is generally used in conjunction with a stepper motor. The motor increment is smallest measurable unit of movement as a BLDCM, according to one embodiment, can provide continuous motion, whereas a stepper motor moves in discrete steps.
With the BLDCM, current is adjusted with an increase or decrease in load. At any particular point in time, the BLDCM will self-compensate and supply itself with the amount of current necessary to turn itself at the speed requested and produce the force to move the load as required. The current can be very low (under 10 mA) when the motor is not moving. Because a BLDCM with control is self-compensating (i.e., it can adaptively adjust current according to load on system), it is always on, even when the motor is not moving. In comparison, the stepper motor could be turned off when the stepper motor is not moving, depending upon applications.
To maintain position control, the control scheme for the BLDCM needs to be run very often. In one embodiment, the control loop is run at 30 kHz, about 33 ms per cycle. So, every 33 ms, the control loop checks to see if the BLDCM is at the right position. If so, try not to do anything. If not, it adjusts the current and tries to force the BLDCM to the position where it should be. This rapid self-compensating action enables a very precise position control, which is highly desirable in some applications. Running the control loop at a speed higher (e.g., 30 kHz) than normal (e.g., 10 kHz) could mean extra heat generation in the system. This is because the more often the BLDCM switches current, the more opportunity to generate heat.
According to one aspect of the invention, in some embodiments the BLDCM is configured to take heat generation into consideration. Specifically, the control loop is configured to run at two different speeds during a single cycle. During the dispense portion of the cycle, the control loop is run at a higher speed (e.g., 30 kHz). During the rest of the non-dispense portion of the cycle, the control loop is run at a lower speed (e.g., 10 kHz). This configuration can be particularly useful in applications where super accurate position control during dispense is critical. As an example, during the dispense time, the control loop runs at 30 kHz, which provides an excellent position control. The rest of the time the speed is cut back to 10 kHz. By doing so, the temperature can be significantly dropped.
The dispense portion of the cycle could be customized depending upon applications. As another example, a dispense system may implement 20-second cycles. On one 20-second cycle, 5 seconds may be for dispensing, while the rest 15 seconds may be for logging or recharging, etc. In between cycles, there could be a 15-20 seconds ready period. Thus, the control loop of the BLDCM would run a small percentage of a cycle (e.g., 5 seconds) at a higher frequency (e.g., 30 kHz) and a larger percentage (e.g., 15 seconds) at a lower frequency (e.g., 10 kHz).
As one skilled in the art can appreciate, these parameters (e.g., 5 seconds, 15 seconds, 30 kHz, 10 kHz. etc.) are meant to be exemplary and non-limiting. Operating speed and time can be adjusted or otherwise configured to suit so long as they are within the scope and spirit of the invention disclosed herein. Empirical methodologies may be utilized in determining these programmable parameters. For example, 10 kHz is a fairly typical frequency to drive the BLDCM. Although a different speed could be used, running the control loop of the BLDCM slower than 10 kHz could run the risk of losing position control. Since it is generally difficult to regain the position control, it is desirable for the BLDCM to hold the position.
One goal of this aspect of the invention is to reduce speed as much as possible during the non-dispense phase of the cycle without undesirably compromising the position control. This goal is achievable in embodiments disclosed herein via a custom control scheme for the BLDCM. The custom control scheme is configured to increase the frequency (e.g., 30 kHz) in order to gain some extra/increased position control for critical functions such as dispensing. The custom control scheme is also configured to reduce heat generation by allowing non-critical functions to be run at a lower frequency (e.g., 10 kHz). Additionally, the custom control scheme is configured to minimize any position control losses caused by running at the lower frequency during the non-dispense cycle.
The custom control scheme is configured to provide a desirable dispense profile, which can be characterized by pressure. The characterization can be based on deviation of the pressure signal. For example, a flat pressure profile would suggest smooth motion, less vibration, and therefore better position control. Contrastingly, deviating pressure signals would suggest poor position control.
As far as position control is concerned, the difference between running the BLDCM at 10 kHz and at 15 kHz can be insignificant. However, if the speed drops below 10 kHz (e.g., 5 kHz), it may not be fast enough to retain good position control. For example, one embodiment of the BLDCM is configured for dispensing fluids. When the position loop runs under 1 ms (i.e., at about 10 kHz or more), no effects are visible to the human eye. However, when it gets up to the 1, 2, or 3 ms range, effects in the fluid become visible. As another example, if the timing of the valve varies under 1 ms, any variation in the results of the fluid may not be visible to the human eye. In the 1, 2, or 3 ms range, however, the variations can be visible. Thus, the custom control scheme preferably runs time critical functions (e.g., timing the motor, valves, etc.) at about 10 kHz or more.
Another consideration concerns internal calculations in the dispense system. If the dispense system is set to run as slow as 1 kHz, then there is not any finer resolution than 1 ms and no calculations that need to be finer than 1 ms can be performed. In this case, 10 kHz would be a practical frequency for the dispense system. As described above, these numbers are meant to be exemplary. It is possible to set the speed lower than 10 kHz (e.g., 5 or even 2 kHz).
Similarly, it is possible to set the speed higher than 30 kHz, so long as it satisfies the performance requirement. The exemplary dispense system disclosed herein uses an encoder which has a number of lines (e.g., 8000 lines). The time between each line is the speed. Even if the BLDCM is running fairly slowly, these are very fine lines so they can come very fast, basically pulsing to the encoder. If the BLDCM runs one revolution per a second, that means 8000 lines and hence 8000 pulses in that second. If the widths of the pulses do not vary (i.e., they are right at the target width and remain the same over and over), it is an indication of a very good speed control. If they oscillate, it is an indication of a poorer speed control, not necessarily bad, depending on the system design (e.g., tolerance) and application.
Another consideration concerns the practical limit on the processing power of a digital signal processor (DSP). As an example, to dispense in one cycle, it may take almost or just about 20 μs to perform all the necessary calculations for the position controller, the current controllers, and the like. Running at 30 kHz gives about 30 μs, which is sufficient to do those calculations with time left to run all other processes in the controllers. It is possible to use a more powerful processor that can run faster than 30 kHz. However, operating at a rate faster than 30 μs results a diminishing return. For example, 50 kHz only gives about 20 μs (1/50000 Hz=0.00002 s=20 μs). In this case, a better speed performance can be obtained at 50 kHz, but the system has insufficient time to conduct all the processes necessary to run the controllers, thus causing a processing problem. What is more, running 50 kHz means that the current will switch that much more often, which contributes to the aforementioned heat generation problem.
In summary, to reduce the heat output, one solution is to configure the BLDCM to run at a higher frequency (e.g., 30 kHz) during dispensing and drop down or cut back to a lower frequency (e.g., 10 kHz) during non-dispensing operations (e.g., recharge). Factors to consider in configuring the custom control scheme and associated parameters include position control performance and speed of calculation, which relates to the processing power of a processor, and heat generation, which relates to the number of times the current is switched after calculation. In the above example, the loss of position performance at 10 kHz is insignificant for non-dispense operations, the position control at 30 kHz is excellent for dispensing, and the overall heat generation is significantly reduced. By reducing the heat generation, embodiments of the invention can provide a technical advantage in preventing temperature changes from affecting the fluid being dispensed. This can be particularly useful in applications involving dispensing sensitive and/or expensive fluids, in which case, it would be highly desirable to avoid any possibility that heat or temperature change may affect the fluid. Heating a fluid can also affect the dispense operation. One such effect is called the natural suck-back effect. The suck-back effect explains that when the dispense operation warms, it expands the fluid. As it starts to cool outside the pump, the fluid contracts and is retracted from the end of the nozzle. Therefore, with the natural suck-back effect the volume may not be precise and may be inconsistent.
Although described in terms of a multi-stage pump, embodiments of the invention can also implement a single stage pump.
Dispense block 4005 can also include various external inlets and outlets including, for example, inlet 4010 through which the fluid is received, purge/vent outlet 4015 for purging/venting fluid, and dispense outlet 4020 through which fluid is dispensed during the dispense segment. Dispense block 4005, in the example of
Dispense block 4005 routes fluid from the inlet to an inlet valve (e.g., at least partially defined by valve plate 4030), from the inlet valve to the pump chamber, from the pump chamber to a vent/purge valve and from the pump chamber to outlet 4020. A pump cover 4225 can protect a pump motor from damage, while piston housing 4027 can provide protection for a piston and can be formed of polyethylene or other polymer. Valve plate 4030 provides a valve housing for a system of valves (e.g., an inlet valve, and a purge/vent valve) that can be configured to direct fluid flow to various components of pump 4000. Valve plate 4030 and the corresponding valves can be formed similarly to the manner described in conjunction with valve plate 230, discussed above. Each of the inlet valve and the purge/vent valve is at least partially integrated into valve plate 4030 and is a diaphragm valve that is either opened or closed depending on whether pressure or vacuum is applied to the corresponding diaphragm. Alternatively, some of the valves may be external to dispense block 4005 or arranged in additional valve plates. In the example of
As with multi-stage pump 100, pump 4000 can include several features to prevent fluid drips from entering the area of multi-stage pump 100 housing electronics. The “drip proof” features can include protruding lips, sloped features, seals between components, offsets at metal/polymer interfaces and other features described above to isolate electronics from drips. The electronics and manifold can be configured similarly to the manner described above to reduce the effects of heat on fluid in the pump chamber.
Thus, embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein can utilize a BLDCM to drive a single-stage or a multi-stage pump in a pumping system for real time, smooth motion, and extremely precise and repeatable position control over fluid movements and dispense amounts, useful in semiconductor manufacturing. The BLDCM may employ a position sensor for real time position feedback to a processor executing a custom FOC scheme. The same or similar FOC scheme is applicable to single-stage and multi-stage pumps.
Although the invention has been described in detail herein with reference to the illustrative embodiments, it should be understood that the description is by way of example only and is not to be construed in a limiting sense. It is to be further understood, therefore, that numerous changes in the details of the embodiments of this invention and additional embodiments of this invention will be apparent to, and may be made by, persons of ordinary skill in the art having reference to this description. It is contemplated that all such changes and additional embodiments are within the scope and spirit of this invention. Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined by the following claims and their legal equivalents.
This application is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/301,516, filed Nov. 21, 2011, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITION CONTROL OF A MECHANICAL PISTON IN A PUMP,” which is a divisional application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/602,485, filed Nov. 20, 2006, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITION CONTROL OF A MECHANICAL PISTON IN A PUMP,” issued as U.S. Pat. No. 8,083,498, which claims priority from U.S. Provisional Applications No. 60/741,660, filed Dec. 2, 2005, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITION CONTROL OF A MECHANICAL PISTON IN A PUMP” and No. 60/841,725, filed Sep. 1, 2006, entitled “SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR POSITION CONTROL OF A MECHANICAL PISTON IN A PUMP,” all of which are incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60741660 | Dec 2005 | US | |
| 60841725 | Sep 2006 | US |
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 13301516 | Nov 2011 | US |
| Child | 14152866 | US | |
| Parent | 11602485 | Nov 2006 | US |
| Child | 13301516 | US |
