System and Method for a Pump With Reduced Form Factor
AssigneeEntegris, Inc.
InventorsJames Cedrone, George Gonnella, Iraj Gashgaee
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of the present invention provide pumps with features to reduce form factor and increase reliability and serviceability. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention provide features for gentle fluid handling characteristics. Embodiments of the present invention can include a pump having a motor driven feed stage pump and a motor driven dispense stage pump. The feed stage motor and the feed stage motor can include various types of motors and the pumps can be rolling diaphragm or other pumps. According to one embodiment, a dispense block defining the pump chambers and various flow passages can be formed out of a single piece of material.
Claims18
A multi-stage pump configured to dispense photoresist chemicals comprising:
- a pump inlet flow path;
- a pump outlet flow path;
- a feed pump to having a feed chamber in fluid communication with the pump inlet flow path:
- a dispense pump having a dispense chamber in fluid communication with the pump outlet flow path;
- a filter in fluid communication with the feed chamber and the dispense chamber;
- a dispense block formed of a single piece of material defining at least a portion of the feed chamber and at least a portion of the dispense chamber;
- and
- a set of valves to selectively allow fluid flow through the multi-stage pump.
A multi-stage pump configured to dispense photoresist chemicals comprising:
- a pump inlet flow path;
- a pump outlet flow path;
- a dispense block formed of a single piece of material defining at least a portion of a dispense chamber in fluid communication with the pump outlet flow path and at least a portion of a feed chamber in fluid communication with the pump inlet flow path;
- a filter in fluid communication with the feed chamber and the dispense chamber;
- a feed stage diaphragm movable in the feed chamber;
- a feed piston to move the feed stage diaphragm;
- a feed motor coupled to the feed piston to reciprocate the feed piston;
- a dispense diaphragm movable in the dispense chamber;
- a dispense piston to move the dispense diaphragm;
- a dispense motor coupled to the dispense piston to reciprocate the dispense piston;
- a valve plate coupled to the dispense block, the valve plate and dispense block defining valve chambers for an inlet valve, an isolation valve, a barrier valve and a purge valve, wherein the valve plate defines the valve chambers on a single side of the valve plate and wherein the valve plate is coupled to an end face of the dispense block.
A method for a multi stage pump configured to dispense photo resist chemicals, the method comprising:
- forming a dispense block of a single piece of material, the dispense block at least partially defining a feed chamber, a dispense chamber, a pump inlet flow path and a pump outlet flow path;
- mounting a dispense diaphragm between the dispense block and a dispense pump piston housing;
- mounting a feed stage diaphragm between the dispense block and a feed pump piston housing;
- coupling a feed pump piston to a feed pump motor via a feed pump lead screw;
- positioning the feed pump piston so that the feed pump piston contacts the feed stage diaphragm;
- positioning a dispense pump piston so that the dispense pump piston contacts the dispense diaphragm;
- and
- coupling a filter to the dispense block such that the filter is in fluid communication with the dispense chamber and the feed chamber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.