US 11,993,532 B2Granted

Enhanced particle deposition system and method

AssigneeAsi/Silica Machinery, LLC

InventorDavid McDonald Stirling

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Abstract

A deposition system for depositing a chemical vapor onto a workpiece is disclosed, including a deposition chamber having a plurality of components for performing chemical vapor deposition on the workpiece. The workpiece is held by a lathe that rotates the workpiece relative to chemical burners that deposit silica soot on the workpiece. The deposition system has a gas panel for regulating the flow of gases and vapors into the deposition chamber, and a computer for controlling operation of the gas panel and the components in the deposition chamber. Multiple sets of chemical burners are disposed longitudinally along the length of the workpiece. Each set of burners is separated from other sets, such that each set of burners deposit silica particles onto generally different portions of a workpiece. The respective portions include an overlap segment in which one or more burners from one burner set will deposit silica particles on the same portion of the workpiece as one or more burners from another set.

Claims13

Dependent claims

A deposition system for depositing silica particles onto a workpiece, the deposition system comprising:

a first set of chemical deposition burners for depositing silica particles onto a first portion of the workpiece, the first set of chemical deposition burners having a first chemical deposition burner and second chemical deposition burner;
a second set of chemical deposition burners for depositing silica particles onto a second portion of the workpiece, the second set having a third chemical deposition burner and a fourth chemical deposition burner;
a lathe for holding the workpiece and for rotating the workpiece relative to the first set and the second set;
and
a computer configured to control the position of the workpiece relative to the first set and the second set;
wherein the longest longitudinal distance between chemical deposition burners within any set is less than the shortest longitudinal distance between chemical deposition burners in different sets;
and
wherein the computer is configured to cause reciprocating longitudinal relative movement between the workpiece and the first and second sets, along alternating paths in a first longitudinal direction and along an opposing second longitudinal direction;
and
wherein, along each path:
only one of the chemical deposition burners of only one of the first and second sets traverses a first segment of the workpiece;
both of the chemical deposition burners of the only one of the first and second sets traverse a second segment of the workpiece that is adjacent the first segment;
and
one of the chemical deposition burners of the only one of the first and second sets, and one of the chemical deposition burners of the other of the first and second sets, traverse a third segment of the workpiece that is adjacent to the second segment.

11 more elements

A deposition system for depositing silica particles onto a workpiece, the deposition system comprising:

a first set of burners for depositing silica particles onto a first portion of the workpiece;
a second set of burners for depositing silica particles onto a second portion of the workpiece;
a third set of burners for depositing silica particles onto a third portion of the workpiece;
and
a lathe for holding the workpiece and for rotating the workpiece relative to the first, second and third sets of burners;
wherein the first and second portions of the workpiece overlap each other to form a first overlap segment onto which one burner from each of the first and second sets of burners is configured to deposit silica particles,
wherein the second and third portions of the workpiece overlap each other to form a second overlap segment onto which one burner from each of the second and third sets of burners is configured to deposit silica particles,
wherein the longest distance between deposition burners within each set is less than the shortest distance between the burners in different sets, and
wherein the system is configured for:
all burners in the first set of burners to deposit silica particles along a majority of the first portion outside the first overlap segment,
all burners in the second set of burners to deposit silica particles along the entirety of the part of the second portion outside the first and second overlap segments, and
all burners in the third set of burners to deposit silica particles along a majority of the third portion outside the second overlap segment.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 16/577,045Filed 20 Sep 2019 · continuation
Priority: 13 Jan 2015
Published: US 2020/0255322 A113 Aug 2020
Granted: 28 May 2024
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification6 codes

C03B 37/01486
Made entirely or partially by chemical means , e.g. vapour phase deposition of bulk porous glass either by outside vapour deposition [OVD], or…
C03B 37/0142
Reactant delivery systems: reactant deposition burners
C03B 2207/52
Multiple burner arrangements: linear array of like burners
C03B 2207/66
Relationship between burner and deposit, e.g. position: relative motion

Family

Application14/595,871Parent of this continuation · filed 13 Jan 2015
US 2020/0255322 A1Pre-grant publication · published 13 Aug 2020
US 10,464,838 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2016/0200622 A1Published application
US 11,993,532 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.