# US 2014/0193578 A1 · Splashguard and Inlet Diffuser for High Vacuum, High Flow Bubbler Vessel > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0193578 A1 - Document ID: US20140193578A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/205,601 - Filed: 2014-03-12 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2006-12-15 - Assignees: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. - Applicants: Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. - Inventors: Charles Michael Birtcher; Thomas Andrew Steidl; Xinjian Lei - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140193578A1 ## CPC - C23C 16/4482: {by bubbling of carrier gas through liquid source material} - C23C 16/448: characterised by the method used for generating reactive gas streams, e.g. by evaporation or sublimation of precursor materials - 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) ## Abstract The present invention is a bubbler having a diptube inlet ending in a bubble size reducing outlet and at least one baffle disc positioned between the outlet of the diptube and the outlet of the bubbler to provide a narrow annular space between the baffle disc and the wall of the bubbler to prevent liquid droplets from entering the outlet to the bubbler. The bubble size reducing outlet is an elongated cylindrical porous metal frit situated in a sump of approximately the same dimensions. A metal frit is placed at the inlet of the outlet of the bubbler. The present invention is also a process of delivering a chemical precursor from a bubbler vessel having the above structure. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process of delivering a chemical precursor vapor from a bubbler for storing a volatile liquid chemical and delivering vapor of the volatile liquid chemical to a vapor deposition process when under vacuum, wherein the bubbler comprises the bubbler comprising a cylindrical inside wall having a diameter, a floor, a diptube inlet ending in an outlet proximate the floor and at least one baffle disc positioned between the outlet of the diptube and an outlet of the bubbler, wherein the at least one baffle disc has a circumferential edge and a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the inside wall such that the space between the circumferential edge of the baffle disc and the cylindrical inside wall is sufficient to allow the vapor of the volatile liquid to pass through the space with minimum pressure drop, but sufficiently narrow to minimize the passage of liquid that may be ejected from a volatile liquid content under vacuum conditions and high flow rates of a carrier gas through the diptube, wherein the at least one baffle disc is solid and has a concave downward shape to collect condensed volatile liquid chemical for return by coalesced droplets that fall back into the stored volatile liquid chemical, said process comprising the steps of: passing the carrier gas through the diptube outlet; entraining the volatile liquid chemical precursor from the bubbler into the carrier gas; and passing the entrained volatile liquid chemical precursor and carrier gas past the at least one baffle disc between the circumferential edge and the diameter of the cylindrical inside wall, wherein in operation under vacuum conditions, the bubbler is capable of preventing liquid droplets from entering the outlet of the bubbler. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the carrier gas with entrained liquid volatile chemical precursor is delivered from the bubbler in an outlet with an elbow configuration. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the carrier gas with entrained liquid volatile chemical precursor is delivered from the bubbler in an outlet with a “Tee” configuration. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the bubbler has at least two baffle discs comprising an upper baffle disc and a lower baffle disc. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the outlet of the bubbler is a bubble size reducing outlet. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The process of claim 5 wherein the bubble size reducing outlet comprises a porous metal frit. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The process of claim 6 wherein the porous metal frit has porosity to filter out particles of 1 micron or larger. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7 wherein the porous metal frit has porosity to filter out greater than 90% of particles of 1 micron or larger. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein an inlet to the outlet of the bubbler comprises a porous frit to minimize liquid entering the outlet of the bubbler. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein an inlet to the outlet of the bubbler comprises an elbow configuration to minimize liquid entering the outlet to the bubbler. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein an inlet to the outlet of the bubbler comprises a “Tee” configuration to minimize liquid entering the outlet of the bubbler. ### Claim 12 A process of delivering a liquid chemical precursor from a vessel comprising; introducing a pressurizing gas into an inlet to the vessel above the liquid level of the liquid chemical precursor in the vessel to force the liquid chemical precursor through a metal frit filter as an inlet to a diptube outlet of the vessel. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The process of claim 12 wherein the pressurizing gas passes at least one baffle disc in a narrow annular space between the outer perimeter of the baffle disc and the inner surface of the vessel sidewall.