Modular multi-directional gas mixing block

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12297946-B2
Application number	US-202318181959-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 10, 2023
Priority date	Mar 10, 2022
Publication date	May 13, 2025
Grant date	May 13, 2025

Abstract

Exemplary modular gas blocks may include a body having inlet and outlet ends. The body may define a portion of a first gas path along a length of the body and may define a second gas path along a width of the body. The first gas path may include channel segments defined within the body. The inlet end may define a gas inlet that is coupled with the first gas path. The body may define first fluid ports that are coupled with the first gas path. A fluid port of the first fluid ports may be coupled with the gas inlet. The first fluid ports may be coupled with one another via a respective channel segment. An upper surface may define a lateral fluid port that is spaced apart from a first fluid port along the width and is coupled with the first fluid port via the second gas path.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A modular gas block, comprising:
a block body having an inlet end and an outlet end, the block body defining a portion of a first gas path along a length of the block body and defines a second gas path along a width of the block body, wherein:
the first gas path comprises a plurality of channel segments defined within the block body;
the inlet end of the block body defines a gas inlet that is fluidly coupled with the first gas path;
an upper surface of the block body defines a first plurality of fluid ports that are fluidly coupled with the first gas path;
a first fluid port of the first plurality of fluid ports is fluidly coupled with the gas inlet;
at least some of the first plurality of fluid ports are coupled with one another via a respective one of the plurality of channel segments; and
the upper surface of the block body defines a lateral fluid port that is spaced apart from a respective one of the first plurality of fluid ports along the width of the block body and is coupled with the respective one of the first plurality of fluid ports via the second gas path.

2. The modular gas block of claim 1 , further comprising:
a gas weldment coupled with the gas inlet.

3. The modular gas block of claim 1 , wherein:
the block body comprises a first portion disposed at the inlet end and a second portion disposed at the outlet end; and
the first portion and the second portion are spaced apart from each other along the length of the block body.

4. The modular gas block of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of valves, wherein each of the plurality of valves is coupled with at least two of the first plurality of fluid ports.

5. The modular gas block of claim 4 , wherein:
the at least two of the first plurality of fluid ports comprise fluid ports that are not coupled with one another via one of the plurality of channel segments.

6. The modular gas block of claim 1 , wherein:
the block body defines a lateral outlet port that is fluidly coupled with the lateral fluid port via the second gas path.

7. The modular gas block of claim 6 , further comprising:
one or more plugs that are interfaced with the lateral outlet port and the lateral fluid port.

8. The modular gas block of claim 1 , wherein:
each of the plurality of channel segments extends through a bottom surface of the block body to form an opening; and
a plug is interfaced with each opening to close off a bottom surface of the respective one of the plurality of channel segments.

9. The modular gas block of claim 1 , wherein:
the block body defines a gas outlet proximate the outlet end.

10. The modular gas block of claim 1 , further comprising:
an additional block body that is coupled with a first lateral side of the block body, the additional block body defining a portion of a third gas path along a length of the additional block body and defines a fourth gas path along a width of the additional block body, wherein:
the additional block body defines an additional lateral outlet port that is fluidly coupled with the fourth gas path; and
the lateral outlet port and the additional lateral outlet port are coupled with one another.

11. The modular gas block of claim 1 , wherein:
the first gas path and the second gas path are fluidly coupled with one another.

12. A modular gas block, comprising:
a block body having an inlet end and an outlet end, the block body defining a portion of a first gas path along a length of the block body and defines a second gas path along a width of the block body, wherein:
the first gas path and the second gas path are fluidly coupled with one another;
the first gas path comprises a plurality of channel segments defined within the block body;
the inlet end of the block body defines a gas inlet that is fluidly coupled with the first gas path;
an upper surface of the block body defines a first plurality of fluid ports that are fluidly coupled with the first gas path;
a first fluid port of the first plurality of fluid ports is fluidly coupled with the gas inlet;
at least some of the first plurality of fluid ports are coupled with one another via a respective one of the plurality of channel segments;
the upper surface of the block body defines a lateral fluid port that is spaced apart from a respective one of the first plurality of fluid ports along the width of the block body and is coupled with the respective one of the first plurality of fluid ports via the second gas path; and
the block body defines a gas outlet proximate the outlet end.

13. The modular gas block of claim 12 , wherein:
the gas inlet extends through an end surface of the block body.

14. The modular gas block of claim 12 , wherein:
each of the plurality of channel segments defines a generally v-shaped flow path.

15. The modular gas block of claim 12 , wherein:
the gas outlet is formed in a bottom surface of the block body.

16. The modular gas block of claim 12 , further comprising:
a base, wherein:
the block body comprises a first portion disposed at the inlet end and a second portion disposed at the outlet end; and
the first portion and the second portion are spaced apart from each other along the length of the base.

17. A modular gas delivery assembly, comprising:
a plurality of modular gas blocks, each of the plurality of modular gas blocks comprising:
a block body having an inlet end and an outlet end, the block body defining a portion of a first gas path along a length of the block body and defines a second gas path along a width of the block body, wherein:
the first gas path and the second gas path of a given block body are fluidly coupled with one another;
each first gas path comprises a plurality of channel segments defined within the block body;
the inlet end of each block body defines a gas inlet that is fluidly coupled with the first gas path of a respective block body;
an upper surface of each block body defines a first plurality of fluid ports that are fluidly coupled with the first gas path of the respective block body;
a first fluid port of the first plurality of fluid ports of each block body is fluidly coupled with the gas inlet of the respective block body;
at least some of the first plurality of fluid ports of each block body are coupled with one another via a respective one of the plurality of channel segments of the respective block body;
each block body defines a lateral outlet port that is fluidly coupled with the second gas path; and
the lateral outlet port of each block body is interfaced with the lateral outlet port of at least one adjacent block body.

18. The modular gas delivery assembly of claim 17 , further comprising:
a gas delivery lumen coupled with an outlet of at least one of the plurality of modular gas blocks.

19. The modular gas delivery assembly of claim 17 , further comprising:
a plurality of gas sources, wherein each of the plurality of gas sources is coupled with the gas inlet of a respective one of the plurality of modular gas blocks.

20. The modular gas delivery assembly of claim 17 , wherein:
one or both of a mass flow controller and a valve are interfaced with at least one of the first plurality ports of each of the plurality of modular gas blocks.

Assignees

• Applied Materials Inc

Inventors

• Benjamin Raj Daemian Raj
• Garikipati Kiran
• Langeland Kurt R
• Alam Syed A

Classifications

• G05D11/132

  by controlling the flow of the individual components (G05D11/133 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01F25/43

  Mixing tubes, e.g. wherein the material is moved in a radial or partly reversed direction · CPC title

• B01F2101/58

  Mixing semiconducting materials, e.g. during semiconductor or wafer manufacturing processes · CPC title

• F16L41/03 Primary

  comprising junction pieces for four or more pipe members · CPC title

• B01F35/7547

  using valves, gates, orifices or openings · CPC title