Patent US477727A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
Patent US5098741A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US5098741A
Expired / Lapsed
US
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Method and system for delivering liquid reagents to processing vessels
Assignee: Lam Research Corp
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Filing: 1990-06-08
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Granted: 1992-03-24
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Expires: 2010-06-08
Abstract
Abstract A system for delivering a liquid reagent to a low pressure reactor in the vapor phase includes a source of the liquid reagent, a metering valve for measuring precise volumes of the liquid reagent and transporting those volumes to an expansion valve at a precisely controlled flow rate, and a vaporizing chamber. The expansion valve includes an adjustable orifice which is adjusted in response to pressure disturbances upstream of the expansion valve so as to decrease variations of the liquid flow rate to the expansion valve and thereby enhance uniformity of the vapor phase flow rate downstream of the expansion valve.
Inventors
- 👤 Alan D. Nolet
- 👤 Lloyd F. Wright
- 👤 Robert A. Maraschin
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-04 22:43
CPC Classifications
C; C23; C23C; C23C16/00; C23C16/44; C23C16/448; C23C16/4485
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim
105 words
A system for delivering a liquid reagent to an environment in which the reagent exists in vapor form, said system comprising: means for transporting a preselected volume of the liquid reagent in the liquid phase; a valve connected to the transporting means to receive the preselected volume of liquid reagent from the transporting means and to discharge vaporized reagent to the environment, said valve having an adjustable orifice size; and means for adjusting the orifice size in response to the pressure of the liquid reagent upstream of the valve where the orifice is opened as the upstream pressure increases, whereby downstream pressure perturbances are minimized.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
105 words
A system for delivering a liquid reagent to an environment in which the reagent exists in vapor form, said system comprising: means for transporting a preselected volume of the liquid reagent in the liquid phase; a valve connected to the transporting means to receive the preselected volume of liquid reagent from the transporting means and to discharge vaporized reagent to the environment, said valve having an adjustable orifice size; and means for adjusting the orifice size in response to the pressure of the liquid reagent upstream of the valve where the orifice is opened as the upstream pressure increases, whereby downstream pressure perturbances are minimized.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
145 words
A low pressure reactor system comprising: a low pressure reactor; means for maintaining a pressure below about 500 Torr within the low pressure reactor; a source of a liquid reagent; means for transporting a preselected volume of the liquid reagent in the liquid phase; a pressure reducing valve connected to the transporting means to receive the preselected volume of liquid reagent from the transporting means and to discharge vaporized reagent to the low pressure reactor, said pressure reducing valve having an adjustable orifice size; means for adjusting the orifice size of the pressure reducing valve in response to the pressure of the liquid reagent upstream of said pressure reducing valve, where the pressure reducing valve is opened as the upstream pressure increases, whereby downstream pressure perturbations are minimized; and means for delivering the vaporized reagent from the pressure reducing valve to the low pressure reactor.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
145 words
A low pressure reactor system comprising: a low pressure reactor; means for maintaining a pressure below about 500 Torr within the low pressure reactor; a source of a liquid reagent; means for transporting a preselected volume of the liquid reagent in the liquid phase; a pressure reducing valve connected to the transporting means to receive the preselected volume of liquid reagent from the transporting means and to discharge vaporized reagent to the low pressure reactor, said pressure reducing valve having an adjustable orifice size; means for adjusting the orifice size of the pressure reducing valve in response to the pressure of the liquid reagent upstream of said pressure reducing valve, where the pressure reducing valve is opened as the upstream pressure increases, whereby downstream pressure perturbations are minimized; and means for delivering the vaporized reagent from the pressure reducing valve to the low pressure reactor.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
19 words
A system as in claim 1 or 2, wherein the means for transporting includes a positive displacement metering pump.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
26 words
A system as in claim 3, wherein the positive displacement metering pump is a bellows pump which is pressure balanced to reduce deformation of the bellows.
Claim 7
Independent Claim
49 words
A system as in claims 1 or 2, wherein the means for adjusting the orifice comprises a spring diaphragm assembly which is fluidly connected to the liquid reagent upstream of the valve, whereby a pressure increase in the liquid reagent upstream of the value acts to open the orifice.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
36 words
A system as in claims 1 or 2, wherein the means for adjusting the orifice comprises a valve actuator and a separate controller which positions the valve actuator in response to the upstream liquid reagent pressure.
Claim 9
Independent Claim
31 words
A system as in claims 1 or 2, wherein the transporting means is capable of delivering a preselected volume of liquid in the range from about 1 ml to 100 ml.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
22 words
A system as in claim 2, further comprising an expansion chamber disposed between the pressure reducing valve and the low pressure reactor.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
20 words
A system as in claim 2, wherein the means for maintaining a pressure below about 500 Torr is a pump.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
17 words
A system as in claim 2, wherein the low pressure reactor is a chemical vapor deposition reactor.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
33 words
A system as in claim 10, wherein the source of liquid reagent comprises a liquid reagent selected from the group consisting of trichlorosilane, dichlorosilane, tetraethylorthosilicate, trimethylborate, triethylborate, trichloroethane, boron tribromide, and phosphorus oxychloride.
Claim 14
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for delivering a liquid reagent in vaporized form to a low pressure reactor, said method comprising: transporting a preselected volume of the liquid reagent to a pressure reducing valve; adjusting an orifice of the pressure reducing valve in response to the liquid reagent pressure upstream of the pressure reducing valve, where the orifice size is increased as the upstream pressure increases and decreased as the upstream pressure decreases, whereby downstream pressure perturbances are minimized; and delivering the vaporized reagent to the low pressure reactor.
Claim 15
Independent Claim
86 words
A method for delivering a liquid reagent in vaporized form to a low pressure reactor, said method comprising: transporting a preselected volume of the liquid reagent to a pressure reducing valve; adjusting an orifice of the pressure reducing valve in response to the liquid reagent pressure upstream of the pressure reducing valve, where the orifice size is increased as the upstream pressure increases and decreased as the upstream pressure decreases, whereby downstream pressure perturbances are minimized; and delivering the vaporized reagent to the low pressure reactor.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as in claim 12, wherein the liquid reagent is selected from the group consisting of trichlorosilane, dichlorosilane, tetraethylorthosilicate, trimethylborate, triethylborate, trichloroethane, boron tribromide, and phosphorus oxychloride.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
28 words
A method as in claim 12, wherein the liquid reagent is at about ambient pressure and the low pressure reactor is at a pressure below about 500 Torr.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
18 words
A method as in claim 12, wherein the volume of the liquid reagent is below about 500 ml.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim
30 words
A method as in claim 12, wherein the liquid reagent is transported to the pressure reducing valve at a rate in the range from about 1 ml/min to 100 ml/min.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
22 words
A method as in claim 12, wherein the orifice size is adjusted proportionally to increases and decreases in upstream liquid reagent pressure.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim
35 words
A method as in claim 12, further comprising passing the vaporized reagent through an expansion chamber located downstream of the pressure reducing valve as the vaporized reagent is being delivered to the low pressure reactor.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim
17 words
A method as in claim 12, wherein the liquid volume is transported with a pressure-balanced bellows pump.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4849259A
Cited
US4847469A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1995-03-24 | 1995-09-23 | 1996-03-24 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1999-03-24 | 1999-09-23 | 2000-03-24 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 2003-03-24 | 2003-09-23 | 2004-03-24 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |