Cryopump apparatus and operation method therefor

Abstract

A cryopump apparatus includes a sensor which detects at least one of the temperature and pressure in a cryopump, a controller which detects a change in at least one of the temperature and pressure in the cryopump on the basis of the detection result obtained by the sensor, thereby determining the connection state between the controller and the cryopump, and a display device which displays an abnormal point for the cryopump estimated from the determination result obtained by the controller.

1 . A cryopump apparatus including a cryopump which drives a refrigerator to exhaust a gas in a vessel as an exhaust target using condensation and adsorption of the gas, and a controller which is connected to the cryopump and controls an operation and exhaust performance thereof, comprising:
 detection means for detecting at least one of a temperature and pressure in the cryopump;   determination means for detecting a change in at least one of the temperature and pressure in the cryopump on the basis of the detection result obtained by said detection means, thereby determining a connection state between the controller and the cryopump; and   display means for, if said determination means determines that there is an abnormality of the connection state, displaying an estimated abnormal point for the cryopump.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said determination means operates a refrigerator of a predetermined cryopump, and detects a change in temperature at the time by a temperature sensor which configures said detection means, thereby determining a connection state of a refrigerator driving cable between the refrigerator and the controller, and a connection state of a temperature sensor cable between the refrigerator and the controller. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said determination means opens a roughing valve connected to a pipe which communicates with a roughing vacuum pump of a predetermined cryopump, and detects a drop in temperature at the time by a pressure sensor which configures said detection means, thereby determining a connection state of a roughing valve opening/closing cable between the roughing valve and the controller, and a connection state of a pressure sensor cable between said pressure sensor and the controller, and   said determination means opens a purge valve connected to a purge gas supply pipe of a predetermined cryopump, and detects a rise in pressure at the time by a pressure sensor which configures said detection means, thereby determining a connection state of a purge valve opening/closing cable between the purge valve and the controller, and a connection state of a pressure sensor cable between said pressure sensor and the controller.   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said determination means generates heat by a heater included in a predetermined cryopump, and detects a change in temperature at the time by a temperature sensor which configures said detection means, thereby determining a connection state of a heater cable between the heater and the controller, and a connection state of a temperature sensor cable between said temperature sensor and the controller. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said determination means opens a purge valve connected to a purge gas supply pipe of a predetermined cryopump to raise a pressure in the predetermined cryopump, and thereafter opens a discharge valve to discharge one of a gas and a liquid from inside the predetermined cryopump, and detects a drop in pressure at the time by a pressure sensor which configures said detection means, thereby determining a connection state of a discharge valve opening/closing cable between the discharge valve and the controller, and a connection state of a pressure sensor cable between said pressure sensor and the controller. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said determination means operates a refrigerator of a predetermined cryopump to make an internal temperature of the predetermined cryopump different from a temperature of an environment in which the predetermined cryopump is installed by a certain degree, and then opens one of a roughing valve connected to a pipe which communicates with a roughing vacuum pump of the predetermined cryopump and a purge valve connected to a purge gas supply pipe of the predetermined cryopump, and detects, by a temperature sensor which configures said detection means, that a subsequent change in temperature is slow if the roughing valve is opened, and that a subsequent change in temperature is fast if the purge valve is opened, thereby determining a connection state of a purge valve opening/closing cable between the purge valve and the controller, and a connection state of a temperature sensor cable between said temperature sensor and the controller. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein said determination means generates heat by a heater included in a predetermined cryopump to make an internal temperature of the predetermined cryopump higher than a temperature of an environment in which the predetermined cryopump is installed, and then opens one of a roughing valve connected to a pipe which communicates with a roughing vacuum pump of the predetermined cryopump and a purge valve connected to a purge gas supply pipe of the predetermined cryopump, and detects, by a temperature sensor which configures said detection means, that a subsequent drop in temperature is slow if the roughing valve is opened, and that a subsequent drop in temperature is fast if the purge valve is opened, thereby determining a connection state of a roughing valve opening/closing cable between the roughing valve and the controller, a connection state of a purge valve opening/closing cable between the purge valve and the controller, and a connection state between said temperature sensor and the controller. 
     
     
         8 . A vacuum processing apparatus comprising a cryopump apparatus defined in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         9 . An operation method for a cryopump apparatus including a cryopump which drives a refrigerator to exhaust a gas in a vessel as an exhaust target using condensation and adsorption of the gas, and a controller which is connected to the cryopump and controls an operation and exhaust performance thereof, the cryopump including detection means for detecting at least one of a temperature and pressure, comprising:
 a detection step of detecting a change in at least one of the temperature and pressure in the cryopump by the detection means;   a determination step of determining, by the controller, a connection state between the controller and a predetermined cryopump on the basis of the detection result obtained in the detection step; and   a display step of, if it is determined in the determination step that there is an abnormality of the connection state, displaying an estimated abnormal point for the predetermined cryopump on display means.