Patent ID: 8210196
Filing Date: 2012-07-03
Classification: H01L,Y10T

Abstract:
1. A vacuum control system using a vacuum pump to control a vacuum pressure and a flow of a processing gas in a vacuum chamber, the vacuum chamber being for processing on an object with the processing gas provided from a gas supply unit, the vacuum control system comprising: a plurality of vacuum control valves, each of the valves being connected between each of a plurality of gas discharge ports and the vacuum pump, the plurality of gas discharge ports being disposed in different positions of the vacuum chamber; a pressure measurement unit configured to measure the vacuum pressure of the processing gas supplied to the object; and a controller configured to manipulate respective openings of the valves in accordance with the measured vacuum pressure: wherein the plurality of gas discharge ports are disposed in positions sandwiching a process reaction region inside of the vacuum chamber, the process reaction region being a space where the processing is performed, and the pressure measurement unit measures a vacuum pressure of the processing reaction region, wherein the controller compensates for at least one of conductance differences and individual differences, the conductance differences being conductance differences from the processing reaction region to the respective gas discharge ports, the individual differences being individual differences among respective exhaust systems including the vacuum pump and the vacuum control valves, whereby exhaust flow rates of the plurality of vacuum control valves approach each other, wherein the controller includes: an offset value storage unit configured to store an offset value used to compensate for at least one of the conductance differences and the individual differences, wherein the offset value is related to units of length; and a target value setting unit configured to set a target value for controlling the openings of the plurality of vacuum control valves, using the offset value read from the offset value storage unit, and wherein the plurality of vacuum control valves have a shutoff function for blocking the gas flow; the controller is configured to generate the offset value on the basis of characteristic data relating to each of the plurality of vacuum control valves and to store the generated offset value in the offset value storage unit; and the characteristic data are data for setting the target value obtained in a state where one of the plurality of vacuum control valves is operative and the other vacuum control valve is closed.