EP0246785A1
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Reagent source
Assignee: British Telecommunications PLC
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Filing: 1987-05-08
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2007-05-08
Abstract
Abstract A method of providing a reagent into a chemical process said provision being in the vapour phase and at a controlled mass flow rate wherein the method comprises:- (a) providing a gas stream (13) which contains a gaseous phase complexing agent for the reagent said complexing agent being provided at a controlled (15) partial vapour pressure in said gas stream; (b) providing a primary source of the reagent in a reservoir (10) which is connected to the gas stream via a diffusion path (12); (c) causing the gaseous phase complexing agent to diffuse into the reservoir (10) at a mass flow rate controlled by its partial pressure in the gas stream; (d) causing the gaseous phase complexing agent in the reservoir (10) to react with the primary source to generate a gaseous phase complex of the reagent and the gaseous phase complexing agent, said generation being, in the steady state, at a rate equivalent to the rate of inflow of said complexing agent; (e) causing the gaseous phase complex to diffuse out of the reservoir (10) into the gas stream (11) at a rate, in the steady state, which is equivalent to its rate of generation in stage (d); whereby the mass flow of reagent occurs at a rate defined and controlled by the vapour pressure of the vapour phase complexing agent in the gas stream.
Inventors
- 👤 Rodney Hollands Moss
- 👤 Donald Charlton Bradley
- 👤 Marc Marian Faktor
- 👤 Dario Marcello Frigo
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-07 01:28
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/455; C23C16/45561; B; B01; B01J; B01J4/00; B01J4/04; C30; C30B; C30B25/00; C30B25/02; C30B25/14
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 15
Claim 1
Independent Claim
218 words
A method of providing a reagent into a chemical process said provision being in the vapour phase and at a controlled mass flow rate wherein the method comprises:- (a) providing a gas stream which contains a gaseous phase complexing agent for the reagent said complexing agent being provided at a controlled partial vapour pressure in said gas stream; (b) providing a primary source of the reagent in a reservoir which is connected to the gas stream via a diffusion path; (c) causing the gaseous phase complexing agent to diffuse into the reservoir at a mass flow rate controlled by its partial pressure in the gas stream; (d) causing the gaseous phase complexing agent in the reservoir to react with the primary source to generate a gaseous phase complex of the reagent and the gaseous phase complexing agent, said generation being, in the steady state, at a rate equivalent to the rate of inflow of said complexing agent; (e) causing the gaseous phase complex-to diffuse out of the reservoir into the gas stream at a rate, in the steady state, which is equivalent to its rate of - generation in stage (d); whereby the mass flow of reagent occurs at a rate defined and controlled by the vapour pressure of the vapour phase complexing agent in the gas stream.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
218 words
A method of providing a reagent into a chemical process said provision being in the vapour phase and at a controlled mass flow rate wherein the method comprises:- (a) providing a gas stream which contains a gaseous phase complexing agent for the reagent said complexing agent being provided at a controlled partial vapour pressure in said gas stream; (b) providing a primary source of the reagent in a reservoir which is connected to the gas stream via a diffusion path; (c) causing the gaseous phase complexing agent to diffuse into the reservoir at a mass flow rate controlled by its partial pressure in the gas stream; (d) causing the gaseous phase complexing agent in the reservoir to react with the primary source to generate a gaseous phase complex of the reagent and the gaseous phase complexing agent, said generation being, in the steady state, at a rate equivalent to the rate of inflow of said complexing agent; (e) causing the gaseous phase complex-to diffuse out of the reservoir into the gas stream at a rate, in the steady state, which is equivalent to its rate of - generation in stage (d); whereby the mass flow of reagent occurs at a rate defined and controlled by the vapour pressure of the vapour phase complexing agent in the gas stream.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
56 words
A method according to claim 1 in which the gas stream is provided from two sources with different concentrations of the gaseous phase complexing agent said sources being associated with flow control means adapted to adjust the flow ratio whereby the partial vapour pressure of the gaseous phase complexing agent in the gas stream is controlled.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
15 words
A method according to claim 2, wherein each source has its own mass flow controller.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
32 words
A method according to either claim 2 or claim 3, wherein one source is a mixture of carrier gas and gaseous phase complexing agent and the other source is pure carrier gas.
Claim 6
Independent Claim
31 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the diffusion path and the reservoir are thermostated to control the temperature and thereby provide a precisely defined diffusion rate.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
31 words
A method according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the primary source of reagent is solid adduct, being an adduct of the reactant and a solid adduct forming agent.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
46 words
A method according to claim 6, which method is adapted to provide a metallo-organic reagent into an MOVPE process, wherein:- (a) the reagent is a metal alkyl selected from indium trialkyls, aluminium trialkyls and gallium trialkyls. (b) the vapour gaseous phase complexing agent is an amine.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
21 words
A method according to claim 7 in which the primary source of reagent is a diphos adduct of the metal alkyl.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
16 words
A method according to either claim 7 or claim 8, wherein the complexing agent is trimethylamine.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
178 words
A method according to any of claims 1 to 4, which method is adapted to provide an indium reagent into an MOVPE process at a controlled mass flow rate, wherein the method comprises:- - (a) providing a gas stream comprising a carrier gas and trimethylamine at controlled partial pressure; (b) providing a solid adduct of indium trimethyl and diphos in a reservoir which is connected to the gas stream via a diffusion path, said reservoir and said path being thermostatically maintained at a temperature within the range 75°C and the melting point of diphos; (c) causing the dimethylamine to diffuse into the reservoir at a mass flow rate controlled by its partial pressure in the gas stream; (d) causing the trimethylamine in the reservoir to react with indium trimethyl vapour also in the reservoir to form dimethylamine/indium trimethyl complex; (e) causing said amine adduct to diffuse into the gas stream; whereby the indium/amine adduct is passed to the MOVPE process at a mass flow rate controlled by the partial vapour pressure of the trimethylamine in the gas stream.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
89 words
Source apparatus for providing a reagent into a chemical process, said source apparatus comprising:- (a) a gas line-for conveying a gaseous phase complexing agent at a controlled partial vapour pressure. (b) a reservoir for containing a primary source of reagent. (c) a capillary tube connecting the reservoir to the gas line whereby gaseous phase complexing agent is enabled to diffuse from said gas line into said reservoir and a complex of said complexing agent and said primary source is enabled to diffuse from said reservoir into said gas line.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
89 words
Source apparatus for providing a reagent into a chemical process, said source apparatus comprising:- (a) a gas line-for conveying a gaseous phase complexing agent at a controlled partial vapour pressure. (b) a reservoir for containing a primary source of reagent. (c) a capillary tube connecting the reservoir to the gas line whereby gaseous phase complexing agent is enabled to diffuse from said gas line into said reservoir and a complex of said complexing agent and said primary source is enabled to diffuse from said reservoir into said gas line.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
57 words
A source apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the gase line is connected to a source of gaseous phase complexing agent via a first mass flow controller and also to a source of inert gas via a second mass flow controller whereby the partial pressure of the gaseous phase complexing agent in the gas line is controllable.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
23 words
Apparatus for carrying out MOVPE which MOVPE apparatus comprises one or more source apparatuses as defined in either claim 11 or claim 12.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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