Methods and apparatus for heating a liquid
AssigneeASM IP Holding B.V.
InventorAndrew Michael Yednak, III
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus capable of heating a liquid may provide a valve assembly configured to receive an incoming liquid from a bulk source. The valve assembly may control the flow of the liquid to a source vessel via a pipe system. The pipe system includes a first pipe directly connected to the valve assembly and a second pipe downstream from the first pipe and connected between the first pipe and the source valve. The second pipe is heated with a heating system that surrounds the second pipe, and the second pipe has a larger diameter than that of the first pipe.
Claims19
An apparatus for heating a liquid, comprising:
- a valve assembly configured to receive the liquid;
- a pipe system downstream from the valve assembly and configured to allow flow of the liquid, wherein the pipe system comprises:
- a first portion comprising a first pipe connected directly to the valve assembly and having a first diameter;
- and
- a second portion downstream from the first pipe, wherein the second portion comprises a second pipe having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter,
- wherein the second pipe is configured to accumulate the liquid therein;
- a heating system arranged around the second portion configured to heat the liquid in the second pipe;
- a source vessel connected to and downstream from the second portion, wherein the source vessel is configured to receive and contain heated liquid from the second pipe and configured to deliver a gas produced from the heated liquid to a reaction chamber for processing;
- and
- the reaction chamber, which is connected to and downstream from the source vessel, wherein the reaction chamber is configured to receive the gas from the source vessel for semiconductor processing within the reaction chamber.
A system, comprising:
- a bulk container configured to hold a liquid;
- a first pipe system connected to and downstream from the bulk container and configured to allow flow of the liquid;
- a valve assembly connected to and downstream from the first pipe system and configured to control the flow of the liquid;
- a second pipe system connected to and downstream of the valve assembly, wherein the second pipe system comprises:
- a first pipe connected directly to the valve assembly and having a first diameter and configured to allow flow of the liquid;
- and
- a second pipe downstream from the first pipe and having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter, wherein the second pipe is configured to accumulate the liquid therein;
- a heating system arranged around the second pipe configured to heat the liquid in the second pipe;
- a source vessel connected to and downstream from the second pipe system, wherein the source vessel is configured to receive and contain heated liquid from the second pipe and configured to deliver a gas produced from the heated liquid to a reaction chamber for processing;
- and
- the reaction chamber, which is connected to and downstream from the source vessel, wherein the reaction chamber is configured to receive the gas from the source vessel for semiconductor processing within the reaction chamber.
A method for heating a volume of a liquid, comprising:
- flowing the liquid from a bulk container to a valve assembly via a first pipe system, wherein the liquid flowing into the valve assembly has a temperature in a range of 20 to 30 degrees Celsius;
- flowing the liquid through the valve assembly;
- flowing the liquid from the valve assembly to a second pipe system, wherein the second pipe system comprises:
- a first pipe having a first diameter;
- and
- a second pipe downstream from the first pipe and having a second diameter that is greater than the first diameter;
- accumulating the liquid in the second pipe;
- heating the liquid in the second pipe;
- flowing the heated liquid from the second pipe to a source vessel, and
- containing the heated liquid in the source vessel, wherein the source vessel is configured to deliver a gas produced from the heated liquid to a reaction chamber for processing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.