Freeze valve in a target material generator
AssigneeASML Netherlands B.V.
InventorsWyatt Duvall, Ethan Marcus Swerdlow
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A freeze valve includes: a valve sleeve defining an axial bore that is in fluid communication with a first fluid port; and a valve body defining an axial opening between an axially-closed end that is received within the axial bore and an axially-open end that is in fluid communication with a second fluid port. The valve body includes one or more through holes formed in a longitudinal section of the valve body at the axially-closed end, each through hole fluidly coupling the axial opening and the axial bore of the valve sleeve.
Claims20
A freeze valve comprising:
- a valve sleeve defining an axial bore that is in fluid communication with a first fluid port;
- and
- a valve body defining an axial opening between an axially-closed end that is received within the axial bore and an axially-open end that is in fluid communication with a second fluid port, wherein the valve body includes one or more through holes formed in a longitudinal section at the axially-closed end, each through hole fluidly coupling the axial opening and the axial bore of the valve sleeve.
A method of controlling fluid comprising:
- cooling a target material within an axial opening of a valve body;
- once the target material is frozen, preventing the frozen target material from axially extruding from the valve body when an axial pressure greater than 10,000 PSI is applied to the frozen target material including stopping the frozen target material at an axial stop formed at an axially-closed end of the valve body;
- thawing the target material within the axial opening of the valve body;
- and
- once the target material is thawed, enabling the fluid to flow between the axial opening of the valve body and a first fluid port through holes formed in a longitudinal section of the valve body at the axially-closed end.
A target material nozzle assembly comprising:
- a nozzle in fluid communication with a reservoir;
- and
- a purging freeze valve in fluid communication with a fluid flow path between the nozzle and the reservoir, the purging freeze valve comprising:
- a valve sleeve defining an axial bore that is in fluid communication with a first fluid port;
- and
- a valve body defining an axial opening between an axially-closed end that is received within the axial bore and an axially-open end that is in fluid communication with a second fluid port that is in fluid communication with the fluid flow path between the nozzle and the reservoir, wherein the valve body includes one or more through holes formed in a longitudinal section of the valve body at the axially-closed end, each through hole fluidly coupling the axial opening and the first fluid port.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.