Apparatus to provide a vaporized reactant for chemical-vapor deposition

A process for alternately providing either carrier gas commingled with vaporized reactant for chemical-vapor deposition or carrier gas alone, said process utilizing a header valve means and a check valve means to enable switching between delivery of carrier gas commingled with vaporized reactant and delivery of carrier gas alone, said process comprising:

• (a) heating a reactant in a reactant reservoir to vaporize at least a portion of said reactant in said reservoir.
• (b) adjusting said header valve means to enable the introduction of carrier gas into said reactant reservoir gas with said vaporized reactant;
• (c) passing at least a portion of said commingled carrier gas and vaporized reactant from said reactant reservoir in a first direction through a check valve means which permits flow therethrough in said first direction but not opposite thereto, and to a chemical-vapor deposition vessel;
• and
• (d) adjusting said header valve means to discontinue introduction of carrier gas into said reactant reservoir and to institute the introduction of carrier gas into said chemical-vapor deposition vessel by passing said carrier gas in a second direction through said check valve means which permits the passage of said carrier gas in said second direction and into said chemical-vapor deposition vessel but which blocks passage of said carrier gas into said reactant reservoir.