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AssigneeAdvanced Technology Materials, Inc.
InventorsW. Karl Olander, Matthew B. Donatucci, Luping Wang, Michael J. Wodjenski
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Apparatus and method for dispensing a gas using a gas source coupled in selective flow relationship with a gas manifold. The gas manifold includes flow circuitry for discharging gas to a gas-using zone, and the gas source includes a pressure-regulated gas source vessel containing the gas at superatmospheric pressure. The pressure-regulated gas source vessel can be arranged with a pressure regulator at or within the vessel and a flow control valve coupled in flow relationship to the vessel, so that gas dispensed from the vessel flows through the regulator prior to flow through the flow control valve, and into the gas manifold. The apparatus and method permit an enhancement of the safety of storage and dispensing of toxic or otherwise hazardous gases used in semiconductor processes.
A gas dispensing assembly for dispensing gas, comprising:
A gas dispensing assembly for dispensing gas, comprising:
A method of operating a gas dispensing assembly including a gas source therein coupled in selective flow relationship with a gas manifold, wherein the gas manifold includes flow circuitry for discharging gas to a gas-using zone, said method comprising using as the gas source a pressure-regulated gas source vessel containing the gas at superarmospheric pressure, wherein the pressure regulator is constructed and arranged to provide a gas pressure in said manifold that is substantially below the pressure of the superarmospheric pressure gas in the gas source vessel, and sensing the pressure in said gas manifold using a pressure switch means, wherein when the gas from the gas source vessel in said gas manifold is at pressure above a predetermined value, an alarm output is produced or the gas source is isolated from the gas manifold.
A method of operating a gas dispensing assembly including a gas source therein coupled in selective flow relationship with a gas manifold, wherein the gas manifold includes flow circuitry for discharging gas to a gas-using zone, said method comprising using as the gas source a pressure-regulated gas source vessel containing the gas at superatmospheric pressure, wherein the pressure regulator is constructed and arranged to provide a gas pressure in said manifold that is substantially below the pressure of the superatmospheric pressure gas in the gas source vessel, and wherein the gas source vessel comprises a restricted flow orifice in a gas dispensing port thereof;
A gas dispensing assembly comprising:
A method of operating a gas source coupled in selective flow relationship with a gas manifold, wherein the gas manifold includes flow circuitry for discharging gas to a gas-using zone, said method comprising using as the gas source a gas source vessel containing the gas at superatmospheric pressure, with a pressure regulator at or within the vessel and a flow control valve coupled in flow relationship to the vessel, wherein the pressure regulator and the flow control valve are arranged so that gas dispensed from the vessel flows through said regulator prior to flow through said flow control valve, and into said gas manifold, wherein the pressure regulator is constructed and arranged to provide a gas pressure in said manifold that is substantially below the pressure of the superatmospheric pressure gas in the gas source vessel;
A gas dispensing system including a pressure-regulated source gas vessel coupled in gas feed relationship to a gas manifold for dispensing the gas to a semiconductor process, wherein pressure of gas in the manifold is at least 40% lower than pressure of gas in the pressure-regulated source gas vessel, and the pressure-regulated source gas vessel comprises a container defining an interior volume for holding said gas therein, and a head assembly mounted on the container, wherein the pressure-regulated source gas vessel includes a gas pressure regulator interiorly disposed in the interior volume of the container, and the head assembly includes a flow control valve, whereby gas flowed from the pressure-regulated source gas vessel to the gas manifold flows through said gas pressure regulator prior to flow through said flow control valve in said head assembly, and wherein said gas dispensing system, in relation to a corresponding gas dispensing system including a source gas vessel that is not pressure regulated, has at least one of the following characteristics:
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.