EP0849375A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Liquid feed vaporization system and gas injection device
Assignee: Ebara Corp
•
Filing: 1997-11-20
•
Granted: —
•
Expires: 2017-11-20
Abstract
Abstract A compact vaporizer system is presented to produce a high quality vapor feed from a liquid feed to be delivered to a chemical vapor deposition processing chamber to produce thin film devices based on highly dielectric or ferroelectric materials such as BaTiO 3 , SrTiO 3 and others such materials. The vaporization apparatus comprises a feed tank (12) for storing the liquid feed; feed delivery means for transporting the liquid feed by way of a feed delivery path; a vaporizer section (22) disposed in the delivery path comprising a high temperature heat exchanger (40) having a capillary tube (14a) for transporting the liquid feed and a heat source for externally heating the capillary tube; and a vaporization prevention section (20) disposed upstream of the vaporizer section for preventing heating effects of the vaporizer section to the liquid feed within the vaporization prevention section.
Inventors
- 👤 Kuniaki Horie
- 👤 Hidenao Suzuki
- 👤 Tsutomu Nakada
- 👤 Fumio Kuriyama
- 👤 Takeshi Murakami
- 👤 Masahito Abe
- 👤 Yuji Araki
- 👤 Hiroyuki Ueyama
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-09 02:33
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/455; C23C16/45563; C23C16/45565; C23C16/448; C23C16/45561; C23C16/4557
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 24
Claim 1
Independent Claim
97 words
A vaporization apparatus for converting a liquid
feed to a vapor feed comprising: a feed tank for storing said
liquid feed; feed delivery means for transporting said liquid
feed by way of a feed delivery path; a vaporizer section
disposed in said delivery path comprising a high temperature
heat exchanger having a capillary tube for transporting said
liquid feed and a heat source for externally heating said
capillary tube; and a vaporization prevention section disposed
upstream of said vaporizer section for preventing heating
effects of said vaporizer section to said liquid feed within
said vaporization prevention section.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
200 words
A vaporization apparatus according to claim 1,
wherein said high temperature heat exchanger has a double-wall
structure comprised by said capillary tube and an outer jacket,
wherein said outer jacket is provided with a thermal medium
passage for maintaining a surface of said capillary tube at a
constant temperature by circulating a thermal medium supplied
from a thermal medium tank maintained at a constant temperature,
and/or wherein preferably
said heat source in said high temperature heat exchanger
is an electrical heater whose output power is controllable
through temperature sensor signals,
and/or wherein preferably
said capillary tube in said high temperature heat
exchanger has an inner diameter of not more than 3 mm,
and/or wherein preferably
said capillary tube in said high temperature heat
exchanger is formed into a coil,
and/or wherein preferably
an exit portion of said vaporizer section is communicated
with a carrier gas delivery path for flowing a carrier gas at
an elevated temperature,
and/or preferably
further comprising: a cleaning device for cleaning said
vaporization prevention section and said vaporizer section by
supplying a cleaning agent; and a purging device for purging a
residual feed and impurity substances remaining in said sections
by flowing an inert gas stream.
Claim 3
Independent Claim
160 words
A method for operating a vaporization apparatus,
said apparatus comprising: a feed tank for storing said liquid
feed; feed delivery means for transporting said liquid feed by
way of a feed delivery path; a vaporizer section disposed in said
delivery path comprising a high temperature heat exchanger
having a capillary tube for transporting said liquid feed and
a heat source for externally heating said capillary tube; and
a vaporization prevention section disposed upstream of said
vaporizer section for preventing heating effects of said
vaporizer section to said liquid feed within said vaporization
prevention section, said method comprising said steps of:
transporting said liquid feed through said vaporization
prevention section and said vaporizer section; converting said
liquid feed to a vapor feed; and supplying said vapor feed to
said processing chamber; cleaning interior spaces of said
vaporization prevention section and said vaporizer section; and
purging interior spaces of said vaporization prevention section
and said vaporizer section by flowing an inert gas.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
71 words
A vaporization apparatus for converting a liquid
feed to a vapor feed comprising: a liquid feed delivery path for
flowing said liquid feed; a vaporization path disposed
downstream of said liquid feed delivery path; and heating means
for heating said vaporization path; wherein said vaporization
path has a heat receiving area of not less than 2 mm 2 per 1 mm 3 volume of said liquid feed within said vaporization path.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
112 words
A vaporization apparatus according to any of the preceding
claims
wherein said vaporization path is formed in a capillary tube,
and/or wherein preferably
said vaporization path comprises an annular cross
section region,
and/or wherein preferably
said vaporization path comprises a vaporization
enhancing region and a pressure absorbing region, said
vaporization enhancing region having a larger heat receiving
area than said pressure absorbing region,
and/or wherein preferably
said vaporization path is formed by a core member having
a cutout section extending in a feed flow direction,
and/or wherein preferably
said core member has a heating device,
and/or wherein preferably
said heating means provides heat from both interior and
exterior of said vaporization path.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
71 words
A vaporization apparatus for converting a liquid
feed to a vapor feed comprising: a liquid feed delivery path for
flowing said liquid feed; a vaporization path disposed
downstream of said liquid feed delivery path; and heating means
for heating said vaporization path, wherein said vaporization
path has a cross section where a maximum distance from any point
of said vaporization path to a wall surface is not more than 2
mm.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
112 words
A vaporization apparatus according to any of the preceding
claims
wherein said vaporization path is formed in a capillary tube,
and/or wherein preferably
said vaporization path comprises an annular cross
section region,
and/or wherein preferably
said heating means provides heat from both interior and
exterior of said vaporization path,
and/or wherein preferably
said vaporization path comprises a vaporization
enhancing region and a pressure absorbing region, said
vaporization enhancing region having a larger heat receiving
area than said pressure absorbing region,
and/or wherein preferably
said vaporization path is formed by a core member having
a cutout section extending in a feed flow direction,
and/or wherein preferably
said core member has a heating device.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
62 words
A vaporization apparatus for converting a liquid
feed to a vapor feed comprising: a liquid feed delivery path for
flowing said liquid feed; a vaporization path disposed
downstream of said liquid feed delivery path; and heating means
for heating said vaporization path; wherein said vaporization
path has an expander section whose cross sectional area increases
toward a downstream direction of said apparatus.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
240 words
A vaporization apparatus according to any of the preceding
claims
wherein said expander section has an average expansion angle of
not more than 14 degrees, measured at a point of equivalent
diameter,
and/or wherein preferably
said expander section comprises not less than two stages,
and an average expansion angle of a first stage is not more than
5 degrees and an average expansion angle of a second stage is
not more than 14 degrees,
and/or wherein preferably
said expander section has a cross sectional profile
residing in an area defined by formulas: (r-r 0 )/(r 1 -r 0 ) ≥ (L/L 1 ) 10 and (r-r 0 )/(r 1 -r 0 ) ≤ (L/L 1 ) 2 where L is a distance from a start point of said expander section
to any point; r is an equivalent radius of a cross section at
a distance L; L 1 is a distance at an end point of said expander
section from said start point of said expander section; r 0 is
an equivalent radius of a cross section at said start point of
said expander section; r 1 is an equivalent radius of a cross
section at said end point of said expander section; and an angle
formed by a tangent line at said start point of said expander
section and a line " r = r 0 " is not less than 0 degree and not
more than 5 degrees.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
52 words
A vaporization apparatus for converting a liquid
feed to a vapor feed comprising: a liquid feed delivery path for
flowing said liquid feed; a vaporization path disposed
downstream of said liquid feed delivery path; and heating means
for heating said vaporization path; wherein said vaporization
path comprises an annular cross section region.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
203 words
A vaporization apparatus according to any of the preceding
claims
wherein said annular cross section region is comprised by an outer
tube and a core member disposed within said outer tube,
and/or wherein preferably
said core member is provided with a cutout section aligned
in a feed flow direction,
and/or wherein preferably
said core member includes a heating device,
and/or wherein preferably
said core member is movable in an axial direction of said
outer tube,
and/or wherein preferably
said core member is removable from said outer tube to
facilitate cleaning of said vaporization path by introducing a
cleaning agent or carrier gas thereto,
and/or wherein preferably
said core member is movable in said outer tube to enlarge
said clearance between said core member and said outer tube so
as to facilitate cleaning of said vaporization path by
introducing a cleaning agent or carrier gas thereto,
and/or wherein preferably
said annular cross section region comprises a tapered
region enlarging along the flow direction,
and/or wherein preferably
said core member is provided with an internal heating
device,
and/or wherein preferably
said core member is provided with an internal passage
and nozzle holes for introducing a fluid substance into said
vaporization path or said vicinity thereof.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
61 words
A vaporization apparatus for converting a liquid
feed to a vapor feed comprising: a liquid feed delivery path for
flowing said liquid feed; a vaporization path disposed
downstream of said liquid feed delivery path; and heating means
for heating said vaporization path; wherein said heating means
comprises a jacket member surrounding said vaporization path for
receiving a fluid thermal medium therein.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
40 words
A vaporization apparatus according to any of the preceding
claims
wherein said jacket member comprises a heater for heating said
fluid thermal medium,
and/or wherein preferably
said jacket member includes a thermal medium passage for
supplying said fluid thermal medium.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
65 words
A vaporization apparatus for converting a liquid
feed to a vapor feed comprising: a liquid feed delivery path for
flowing said liquid feed; a vaporization path disposed
downstream of said liquid feed delivery path; and heating means
for heating said vaporization path; wherein said apparatus is
provided with a vaporization prevention section for preventing
vaporization of said liquid feed flowing upstream of said heating
means.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
156 words
A vaporization apparatus according to any of the preceding
claims
wherein said heating means comprises a jacket member surrounding
said vaporization path for receiving a fluid thermal medium
therein,
and/or wherein preferably
said heating means includes a heater member disposed in
a vicinity of said vaporization path,
and/or wherein preferably
said vaporization prevention section is constructed so
as to prevent heating effects of said vaporization path to said
liquid feed in said vaporization prevention section,
and/or wherein preferably
said vaporization prevention section is constructed so
as to prevent pressure effects of said vaporization path to said
liquid feed in said vaporization prevention section,
and/or wherein preferably
said vaporization prevention section includes at least
one of a constriction section, an orifice, a one-way valve or
a shutoff valve,
and/or wherein preferably
said vaporization prevention section includes a one-way
valve, having a drive means for pressing a valve member
against a valve seat, disposed on an upstream side,
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
70 words
A vaporization apparatus for converting a liquid
feed to a vapor feed comprising: a liquid feed delivery path for
flowing said liquid feed; a vaporization path disposed
downstream of said liquid feed delivery path; and heating means
for heating said vaporization path, wherein a substance entry
path for delivering substances including carrier gas, solvent
or cleaning agent is merged with either said liquid feed delivery
path or said vaporization path.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
92 words
A vaporization apparatus according to any of the preceding
claims
wherein said substance entry path is merged at a location upstream
of a vaporization prevention section provided upstream of said
vaporization path,
and/or wherein preferably
said substance entry path is merged at a location between
a vaporization prevention section provided upstream of said
vaporization path and said vaporization path,
and/or wherein preferably
said substance entry path is merged with an exit opening
of said vaporization path,
and/or wherein preferably
said substance entry path is merged so as to oppose said
vaporization path.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
39 words
A vaporization apparatus for delivering a vapor
feed to a processing chamber comprising a vaporizer section for
vaporizing a liquid feed, wherein an outlet port of said vaporizer
section comprises an upward slanted section being slanted upward
toward downstream.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
55 words
A vaporization apparatus comprising: a gas
dissolution section for dissolving an inert gas in a liquid feed;
a vaporizer section for vaporizing said liquid feed; and a liquid
feed delivery path for transporting a liquid feed from said gas
dissolution section to said vaporizer section while retaining
said inert gas dissolved in said liquid feed.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
71 words
A vaporization apparatus according to any of the preceding
claims
wherein said gas dissolution section produces an inert gas
partial pressure of not less than 6 kgf/cm 2 G,
and/or wherein preferably
a pressure shielding device is disposed between said
liquid feed delivery path and said vaporizer section,
and/or wherein preferably
said gas dissolution section includes a vapor-liquid
mixing device for enhancing contact of said inert gas with said
liquid feed.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
65 words
A gas ejection device comprising a vaporizer
section for vaporizing a liquid feed to produce a vapor feed,
said vaporizer section having a capillary tube and a heating
device surrounding said capillary tube, and an ejection head for
ejecting said vapor feed toward a substrate positioned in a
processing chamber, wherein said vaporizer section and said
ejection head are made as a thermally integral unit.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
243 words
A gas ejection device according to any of the preceding
claims
wherein said vaporizer section and said ejection head are housed
in a common casing,
and/or wherein preferably
said casing is provided with a thermal medium passage
common to said vaporizer section and said ejection head,
and/or wherein preferably
quality degradation prevention means are provided
to prevent heating effects of said heating means to said liquid
feed contained in an upstream region of said heating means,
and/or wherein preferably
said vaporizer section and said ejection head share
a common flow adjusting space serving a dual function of absorbing
expansion effects of a vapor feed and distributing said vapor
feed to a plurality of nozzle holes in said ejection head,
and/or wherein preferably
said flow adjusting space is formed in a cone shape,
and/or wherein preferably
said flow adjusting space is communicated with a process
gas delivery passage for delivering a process gas different from
said vapor feed,
and/or wherein preferably
said flow adjusting space is provided with a flow control
plate for dividing said flow adjusting space into an upstream
section and a downstream section,
and/or wherein preferably
said heating device includes an outer jacket surrounding
said capillary tube and a thermal medium supply device for
supplying an elevated temperature thermal medium to a space
surrounding said capillary tube,
and/or wherein preferably
said heating device is provided with an internal shutoff
valve to stop a vapor feed from flowing into said ejection head.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
65 words
A gas ejection device comprising a vaporizer
section, having a heating device surrounding a capillary tube
for vaporizing a liquid feed therein to produce a vapor feed,
and an ejection head communicated with said vaporizer section
for ejecting said vapor feed toward a substrate positioned in
a processing chamber, wherein said vaporizer section and said
ejection head are housed in a thermal insulation cover unit.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
25 words
A vaporization apparatus for converting a
liquid to a vapor comprising: delivery means for
transporting said liquid; a vaporizer section; and a
vaporization prevention section.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
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