Method and apparatus for blending process materials
AssigneeCelerity, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Alexander Wilmer, Daniel Kase Mackenzie, John Michael Lull, Eric A. Zadai, Michael Loren Walker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method and apparatus for blending and supplying process materials. The method and apparatus are particularly applicable to the blending of ultra-high purity chemicals, the blending of abrasive slurries with other chemicals for the polishing of semiconductor wafers, and high-accuracy blending of chemicals. The apparatus may include a dispensing subsystem that supplies process materials to a mixing subsystem where they are blended with a static mixer. The method may include supplying process materials with a dispensing subsystem and blending the process materials in a static mixer.
Claims9
A blending system, comprising:
- a first material supply line to provide a first material;
- a second material supply line to provide a second material;
- a mixer fluidly connected downstream of the first and the second material supply lines to provide a blend of the first and second materials, the blend having a predetermined composition of the first and second materials and a predetermined flow rate;
- and
- a process control system comprising a first flow control device positioned on the first material supply line;
- a second flow control device positioned on the second material supply line;
- a first sensor positioned on the first material supply line to provide a first sensor signal indicative of a concentration of the first material;
- a second sensor positioned on the second material supply line to provide a second sensor signal indicative of a concentration of the second material;
- and a controller, responsive to the first and second sensor signals, to provide a respective control signal to each of the first and the second flow control devices that respectively adjusts a flow rate of the first material and a flow rate of the second material to maintain the predetermined flow rate of the blend of the first and second materials having the predetermined composition in response to variations in the concentration of at least one of the first and second materials.
A method of supplying blended process materials, comprising acts of:
- supplying a first process material;
- supplying a second process material;
- blending the first and the second process materials to produce a blend having a predetermined composition of the first and second process materials;
- sensing a first parameter of the first material to provide a first sensor signal indicative of a concentration of the first process material;
- sensing a second parameter of the second material to provide a second sensor signal indicative of a concentration of the second process material;
- regulating the supply of each of the first and second process materials based upon the first and second sensor signals;
- and
- maintaining, responsive to variations in the concentration in at least one of the first and second process materials, a substantially constant flow rate of the blend of the first and second Process materials having the predetermined composition.
A blending system to provide a blend having a predetermined composition of a first material and a second material, comprising:
- a first material supply line to provide the first material;
- a second material supply line to provide the second material;
- a mixer fluidly connected downstream of the first and second material supply lines to produce a blend of the first and second materials, the blend having the predetermined composition;
- and
- means, responsive to changes in concentration of at least one of the first and second materials, for adjusting an amount of the first and second materials provided to the mixer to maintain a substantially constant flow rate of the blend of the first and second materials having the predetermined composition.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.