Liquid material supply apparatus and method
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsSeishi Murakami, Tatsuo Hatano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An apparatus for supplying a low vapor pressure liquid material for deposition to a deposition chamber in which the low vapor pressure liquid material is pushed out of a pressurization passage by a pressure gas to a pressure liquid supply passage; a flow rate of the low vapor pressure liquid material is controlled by a flow rate control unit, and the flow rate of the low vapor pressure liquid is supplied to an evaporator and evaporated into vapor there; and the vapor is fed to the deposition chamber through a vapor feed passage provided with heating means for preventing the vapor from re-liquefying, whereby the liquid material for deposition is supplied stably and accurately.
Claims5
A deposition liquid material supply apparatus for supplying through pipes a low vapor pressure liquid material for deposition to a deposition chamber for depositing films on objects to be processed, the apparatus comprising:
- a reservoir for storing the low vapor pressure liquid material;
- an evaporator for exposing the low vapor pressure liquid material to a high flow rate gas to evaporate the liquid material;
- a pressurization passage for pushing out the low vapor pressure liquid material by a pressure gas separately supplied by means connected to the reservoir;
- a pressure liquid supply passage interconnecting the reservoir and the evaporator;
- a flow rate control unit inserted in the pressure liquid supply passage for controlling a flow rate of the low vapor pressure liquid material flowing through the pressure liquid supply passage;
- a vapor feed passage interconnecting the evaporator and the deposition chamber for flowing evaporated gas;
- and
- heating means disposed in the vapor feed passage for preventing the evaporated liquid material from reliquefying,
- wherein the pressure liquid supply passage and the vapor feed passage are connected to a discharge passage for low vapor pressure liquid material residue and gas residue in the pressure liquid supply passage and the evaporator through respective discharge shut-off valves, and the pressure liquid supply passage is connected to a purge liquid supply passage with a purge liquid supply valve inserted therein so as to clean the interior of the pressure liquid supply passage with a purge liquid when required, and discharge the used purge liquid through the discharge passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.