Flash evaporation of monomer fluids
AssigneeSpectrum Control, Inc.
InventorAngelo Yializis
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for continuously supplying a uniform vapor of a polymerizable and/or cross-linkable material. A continuous liquid flow of said material is supplied at a temperature below both the decomposition temperature and the polymerization temperature of said material and atomized into a continuous flow of liquid droplets having a particle size from about 1 to about 50 microns. The droplets are continuously vaporized upon contact with a heated surface which is maintained at a temperature at or above the boiling point for said material, but below the temperature at which said droplets would undergo pyrolysis before vaporizing. The vapor may be deposited onto a substrate and subsequently polymerized or cross-linked.
Claims23
A method for continuously supplying a uniform vapor of a polymerizable material, said method comprising:
- supplying a continuous liquid flow of said material at a temperature below both the decomposition temperature and the polymerization temperature of said material;
- continuously atomizing the liquid flow into a continuous flow of liquid droplets;
- and
- continuously vaporizing said liquid droplets by causing said droplets to contact a heated surface which is maintained at a temperature at or above the boiling point for said material, but below the temperature at which said droplets would undergo pyrolysis before vaporizing.
A method for depositing onto a substrate a layer of polymerizable material, said material being characterized by the fact that it is chemically unstable at or below its boiling point, said method comprising:
- vaporizing said material by continuously placing droplets of said material into contact with a heated surface which is maintained at a temperature at or above the boiling point for said material, but below the temperature at which said droplets would undergo pyrolysis before vaporizing;
- maintaining at least a portion of said substrate at a temperature which is below the boiling point of said material and in a region which is at a lower pressure than said vaporized material, to provide a positive flow of vaporized material toward said substrate;
- and
- directing the flow of vaporized material onto said substrate.
A method for depositing a layer of a polymerizable material on a substrate comprising:
- supplying a continuous liquid flow of said material at a temperature below both the decomposition and the polymerization temperature of said material;
- continuously atomizing said liquid flow into a continuous flow of liquid droplets;
- continuously vaporizing said liquid droplets by causing said droplets to contact a heated surface which is maintained at a temperature at or above the boiling point for said material but below the temperature at which said droplets would undergo pyrolysis before vaporizing;
- maintaining at least a portion of said substrate at a temperature which is below the boiling point of said material and in a region which is at a lower pressure than said vaporized material, to provide a positive flow of vaporized material toward said substrate;
- and
- directing the flow of vaporized material onto said substrate.
A method for continuously supplying a uniform vapor of a polymerizable material, said method comprising:
- providing a liquid supply of said material, at a temperature below both the decomposition temperature and the polymerization temperature of said material, to a drop just contacting a flat face of a disk;
- rotating the disk so that a fluid film is pulled on the face free from the drop and a continuous flow of liquid droplets is thrown from the periphery of the disk;
- and
- continuously vaporizing said liquid droplets by causing said droplets to contact a heated surface which is maintained at a temperature at or above the boiling point for said material, but below the temperature at which said droplets would undergo pyrolysis before vaporizing.
A method for continuously supplying a uniform vapor of a polymerizable material, said method comprising:
- providing a liquid supply of said material, at a temperature below both the decomposition temperature and the polymerization temperature of said material, to an end surface at a tip of an ultrasonic vibration device;
- ultrasonically vibrating said device so that the material supplied to the end surface coats the end surface and is dispersed in droplets from the periphery of the end surface;
- and
- continuously vaporizing said liquid droplets by causing said droplets to contact a heated surface which is maintained at a temperature at or above the boiling point for said material, but below the temperature at which said droplets would undergo pyrolysis before vaporizing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.