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US 8,524,321 B2Granted
Reagent dispensing apparatus and delivery method
AssigneePraxair Technology, Inc.
InventorsRonald F. Spohn, David Walter Peters
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
This invention relates to a vapor or liquid phase reagent dispensing apparatus having a metal seal aligned and in contact with hardened opposing flat surfaces of a top wall member and a protuberance on a side wall member, wherein the hardened opposing flat surfaces of the top wall member and the protuberance have a hardness greater than the hardness of said metal seal. The dispensing apparatus may be used for dispensing of reagents such as precursors for deposition of materials in the manufacture of semiconductor materials and devices.
Claims23
A vapor phase reagent dispensing apparatus comprising:
- a vessel which comprises a removable top wall member, a sidewall member and a bottom wall member configured to form an internal vessel compartment to hold a source chemical up to a fill level and to additionally define an inner gas volume above the fill level;
- said sidewall member having a protuberance that extends into the internal vessel compartment adjacent to the top wall member;
- said top wall member and said sidewall member having opposing flat surfaces, wherein the opposing flat surfaces are optionally in contact with one another;
- fastening means for securing said top wall member to said sidewall member through the opposing flat surfaces that are optionally in contact with one another;
- said top wall member and said protuberance having opposing flat surfaces, wherein the opposing flat surfaces are not in contact with one another and at least a portion of the opposing flat surfaces are hardened;
- a metal seal aligned and in contact with the hardened opposing flat surfaces of said top wall member and said protuberance;
- a portion of the top wall member having a carrier gas feed inlet opening through which carrier gas can be fed into said inner gas volume above the fill level to cause vapor of said source chemical to become entrained in said carrier gas to produce vapor phase reagent;
- and
- a portion of the top wall member having a vapor phase reagent outlet opening through which said vapor phase reagent can be dispensed from said apparatus;
- wherein said hardened opposing flat surfaces of said top wall member and said protuberance are formed by incorporating a hardening material into said opposing flat surfaces and wherein said hardened opposing flat surfaces of said top wall member and said protuberance have a hardness greater than the hardness of said metal seal.
7 more elements
A method for delivery of a vapor phase reagent to a deposition chamber comprising:
- (a) providing a vapor phase reagent dispensing apparatus comprising:
- a vessel which comprises a removable top wall member, a sidewall member and a bottom wall member configured to form an internal vessel compartment to hold a source chemical up to a fill level and to additionally define an inner gas volume above the fill level;
- said sidewall member having a protuberance that extends into the internal vessel compartment adjacent to the top wall member;
- said top wall member and said sidewall member having opposing flat surfaces, wherein the opposing flat surfaces are optionally in contact with one another;
- fastening means for securing said top wall member to said sidewall member through the opposing flat surfaces that are optionally in contact with one another;
- said top wall member and said protuberance having opposing flat surfaces, wherein the opposing flat surfaces are not in contact with one another and at least a portion of the opposing flat surfaces are hardened;
- and
- a metal seal aligned and in contact with the hardened opposing flat surfaces of said top wall member and said protuberance;
- a portion of the top wall member having a carrier gas feed inlet opening through which carrier gas can be fed into said inner gas volume above the fill level to cause vapor of said source chemical to become entrained in said carrier gas to produce vapor phase reagent;
- a carrier gas feed line extending from the carrier gas feed inlet opening upwardly and exteriorly from the top wall member for delivery of carrier gas into said inner gas volume above the fill level, the carrier gas feed line containing a carrier gas flow control valve therein for control of flow of the carrier gas therethrough;
- a portion of the top wall member having a vapor phase reagent outlet opening through which said vapor phase reagent can be dispensed from said apparatus;
- and
- a vapor phase reagent discharge line extending from the vapor phase reagent outlet opening upwardly and exteriorly from the top wall member for removal of vapor phase reagent from said inner gas volume above the fill level, the vapor phase reagent discharge line containing a vapor phase reagent flow control valve therein for control of flow of the vapor phase reagent therethrough;
- wherein said hardened opposing flat surfaces of said top wall member and said protuberance are formed by incorporating a hardening material into said opposing flat surfaces and wherein said hardened opposing flat surfaces of said top wall member and said protuberance have a hardness greater than the hardness of said metal seal;
- (b) adding source chemical at ambient temperature to said vapor phase reagent dispensing apparatus;
- (c) heating the source chemical in said vapor phase reagent dispensing apparatus to a temperature sufficient to vaporize the source chemical to provide vapor phase reagent;
- (d) feeding a carrier gas into said vapor phase reagent dispensing apparatus through said carrier gas feed line;
- (e) withdrawing the vapor phase reagent and carrier gas from said vapor phase reagent dispensing apparatus through said vapor phase reagent discharge line;
- and
- (f) feeding the vapor phase reagent and carrier gas into said deposition chamber.
17 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.