# US 12,110,588 B2 · Adjustable fluid inlet assembly for a substrate processing apparatus and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,110,588 B2 - Document ID: US12110588B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/991,611 - Filed: 2022-11-21 - Published: 2023-03-23 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2022-11-21 - Assignees: Picosun Oy - Applicants: Picosun Oy - Inventors: Timo Malinen; Väinö Kilpi; Marko Pudas - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12110588B2 ## CPC - C23C 16/45544: {characterized by the apparatus} - B01J 3/02: Feed or outlet devices therefor - B01J 3/03: Pressure vessels, or vacuum vessels, having closure members or seals specially adapted therefor - C23C 16/4409: {characterised by sealing means} - C23C 16/45561: {Gas plumbing upstream of the reaction chamber} - C23C 16/45563: {Gas nozzles} - C23C 16/4557: {Heated nozzles} - C30B 25/14: Feed and outlet means for the gases; Modifying the flow of the reactive gases - H10P 72/0402: {Apparatus for fluid treatment (H10P72/0441, H10P72/0448 take precedence)} - H10P 72/0441: {Apparatus for sealing, encapsulating, glassing, decapsulating or the like} - C23C: COATING METALLIC MATERIAL; COATING MATERIAL WITH METALLIC MATERIAL; SURFACE TREATMENT OF METALLIC MATERIAL BY DIFFUSION INTO THE SURFACE, BY CHEMICAL CONVERSION OR SUBSTITUTION; COATING BY VACUUM EVAPORATION, BY SPUTTERING, BY ION IMPLANTATION OR BY CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION, IN GENERAL (making metal-coated products by extrusion B21C23/22; covering with metal by connecting pre-existing layers to articles, see the relevant places, e.g. B21D39/00, B23K; metallising of glass C03C; metallising mortars, concrete, artificial stone, ceramics or natural stone C04B41/00; enamelling of, or applying a vitreous layer to, metals C23D; treating metal surfaces or coating of metals by electrolysis or electrophoresis C25D; single-crystal film growth C30B; by metallising textiles D06M11/83; decorating textiles by locally metallising D06Q1/04) - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - C30B: SINGLE-CRYSTAL GROWTH (by using ultra-high pressure, e.g. for the formation of diamonds, B01J3/06); UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL OR UNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL (zone-refining of metals or alloys C22B); PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (casting of metals, casting of other substances by the same processes or devices B22D; working of plastics B29; modifying the physical structure of metals or alloys C21D, C22F); SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE (for producing semiconductor devices or parts thereof H10); APPARATUS THEREFOR - H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10 ## Abstract A fluid inlet assembly for a substrate processing apparatus includes a fluid inlet pipe configured to pass through a wall of a sealed pressure vessel, a resilient element around the fluid inlet pipe outside the sealed pressure vessel coupling the fluid inlet pipe to the wall, and first and second end parts, the resilient element being coupled therebetween. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A fluid inlet assembly for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a fluid inlet pipe configured to pass through a wall of a sealed pressure vessel; a resilient element around the fluid inlet pipe outside the sealed pressure vessel, coupling the fluid inlet pipe to the wall; and first and second end parts of the fluid inlet assembly, the resilient element being coupled therebetween, where the fluid inlet pipe is formed of two pipes arranged to slide inside each other. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 1, wherein one of an interior surface and an exterior surface of the resilient element sees pressure prevailing within the sealed pressure vessel and the other sees pressure outside the sealed pressure vessel, and where the fluid inlet pipe prevents fluid carried inside from being in contact with the resilient element. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 1, where the resilient element is configured to deform under displacements between the first and second end parts of the fluid inlet or assembly. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 1, where the resilient element is configured to cause mechanical pressure to the fluid inlet pipe. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 4 where the direction of mechanical pressure is inwards, towards interior of the sealed pressure vessel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 1, comprising: at least one limiter, coupled between the first and second end parts, having a length in a direction of a longitudinal axis of the fluid inlet pipe. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 6, wherein the resilient element around the fluid inlet pipe is positioned between the fluid inlet pipe and the at least one limiter. ### Claim 8 (depends on 6) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 6, wherein the at least one limiter is configured to limit the movement of the resilient element and thereby the fluid inlet assembly. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 6, where the resilient element is configured to deform at least in the same direction as the at least one limiter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 1, comprising at least one heat distributing element around the fluid inlet pipe, to distribute heat along the fluid inlet pipe. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one heat distributing element extends over a length of the fluid inlet pipe outside the sealed pressure vessel and over a feed-through point in the wall of the sealed pressure vessel, or the at least one heat distributing element extends over the entire length of the fluid inlet pipe. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 10, wherein the at least one heat distributing element is configured to balance temperature differences and to create preferable heat gradients for a fluid in the fluid inlet pipe. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 10, wherein the fluid inlet pipe is configured to pass through the wall of a sealed pressure vessel forming an outer chamber that surrounds an inner chamber which is a sealed reaction chamber, and wherein the fluid inlet pipe is configured to have a contact point with the sealed reaction chamber. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 1, where the fluid inlet pipe is arranged to be disassembled by removal of at least a portion of the fluid inlet pipe. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The fluid inlet assembly of claim 1, where the fluid inlet pipe is arranged to be in a fixed position with respect to the wall of the sealed pressure vessel.