An Electrostatic Valve that Works in Higher than Atmospheric Gas Pressure

Abstract

In a previous paper we reported on a new type of electrostatically-driven gas valve enabling high conductance, and showed that is applicable in rarefied gas conditions in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. In this paper, we determine that this gas valve can operate properly at high pressure several times higher than atmospheric pressure. For proper operation of the valve, the electrostatic force must be greater than the gas pressure. We experimentally examine the ultimate pressure difference of the valve operation, which depends on the applied voltage and the port size. The valve works in higher pressure differences when the port aperture size is smaller or the applied voltage is larger. A gas valve having a port aperture size of 45×45μm successfully operates in an air pressure of 0.8MPa at the applied voltage of 80V.