Method For Supplying A Process With An Enriched Carrier Gas

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016017489-A1
Application number	US-201414772679-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 28, 2014
Priority date	Apr 10, 2013
Publication date	Jan 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for supplying a process with an enriched carrier gas. A first apparatus and a second apparatus are provided. The first apparatus has a precursor and is configured to bring a carrier gas into contact with the precursor and to enrich the carrier gas with the precursor. The second apparatus has a precursor and is configured to bring a carrier gas into contact with the precursor and to enrich the carrier gas with the precursor. The first apparatus supplies the second apparatus with an enriched carrier gas. The second apparatus supplies the enriched carrier gas for the process. A temperature of the first apparatus is controlled as a function of a quantity of precursor in the second apparatus.

First claim

1 . A method for supplying a process with an enriched carrier gas, wherein:
a first apparatus and a second apparatus are provided, the first apparatus has a precursor and is configured to bring a carrier gas into contact with the precursor and to enrich said carrier gas with the precursor, the second apparatus has a precursor and is configured to bring a carrier gas into contact with the precursor and to enrich said carrier gas with the precursor, the first apparatus supplies the second apparatus with an enriched carrier gas, wherein the second apparatus supplies the enriched carrier gas for the process, and a temperature of the first apparatus is controlled as a function of a quantity of precursor in the second apparatus.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the first apparatus is set such that more precursor is transported from the first apparatus to the second apparatus than is output for the process by the second apparatus via the enriched carrier gas.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the first apparatus is controlled as a function of the quantity of precursor in the first apparatus.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the quantity of precursor in the first and/or second apparatus is gauged as a function of the weight of the first or second apparatus respectively.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the temperature of the second apparatus is controlled independently of the temperature of the first apparatus, in particular as a function of the quantity of precursor in the second apparatus and/or as a function of the volumetric flow rate of the carrier gas through the second apparatus and/or as a function of a desired saturation of the carrier gas for the process.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein a liquid precursor, in particular an organometallic precursor, is provided as precursor at least in the first or the second apparatus, and wherein the apparatus with the liquid precursor takes the form of a bubbler.

7 . A bubbler for enriching a carrier gas with a precursor, having a chamber for holding a liquid precursor, having a temperature control means, having insulation, which is arranged on the outside of the temperature means, having an inflow pipe for supplying carrier gas, wherein the inflow pipe projects into the chamber, and having an outflow pipe for removing an enriched carrier gas, which projects into the chamber, wherein at least one deflection element is provided between an outlet of the inflow pipe and the inlet of the outflow pipe to influence flow of the carrier gas, wherein in operation the deflection element is arranged in the liquid precursor.

8 . The bubbler according to claim 7 , wherein a plurality of deflection elements are arranged one above the other between an outlet orifice of the inflow pipe and an outflow orifice of the outflow pipe.

9 . The bubbler according to claim 7 , wherein at least one deflection element takes the form of a plate with holes.

10 . The bubbler according to claim 7 , wherein at least one deflection element takes the form of a plate with inclined surfaces, wherein the surfaces in particular take the form of segments of circles.

11 . The bubbler according to claim 9 , wherein the deflection element with the holes is arranged as first deflection element above the outlet orifice of the inflow pipe.

12 . The bubbler according to claim 11 , wherein at least two further deflection elements are arranged above the first deflection element and below the outflow orifice of the outflow pipe, wherein the two further deflection elements take the form of plates with inclined surfaces, wherein the surfaces in particular take the form of segments of circles.

13 . A system with a second bubbler and with a first bubbler, wherein the second bubbler is configured according to claim 7 , wherein the second bubbler comprises an inflow pipe and an outflow pipe, wherein the outflow pipe of the first bubbler is connected to an inflow pipe of the second bubbler.

14 . The system according to claim 13 , wherein the second bubbler comprises a second apparatus for controlling the temperature of the second bubbler, wherein the first bubbler comprises a first apparatus for controlling the temperature of the first bubbler, and wherein the temperature of the second apparatus can be more precisely adjusted than the temperature of the first apparatus, wherein the first apparatus for temperature control takes the form of a cooling sleeve which at least partially covers the outside of the first bubbler, wherein the cooling sleeve comprises a cooling line, wherein the cooling line is configured for connection to a cooling medium.

15 . A controller for controlling the temperature of a first apparatus, wherein the first apparatus has a precursor and is configured to bring a carrier gas into contact with the precursor and to enrich said carrier gas with the precursor, wherein the controller comprises a first sensor input for detecting a quantity of precursor in a second apparatus, wherein the second apparatus has a precursor and is configured to bring the carrier gas into contact with the precursor and to enrich said carrier gas with the precursor, wherein the first apparatus comprises a temperature control means for influencing the temperature of the first apparatus, wherein the controller comprises a control output for activating the temperature control means, wherein the controller is configured to control the temperature of the first apparatus as a function of a quantity of precursor in the second apparatus.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein a liquid precursor, in particular an organometallic precursor, is provided as precursor at least in the first or the second apparatus, and wherein the apparatus with the liquid precursor takes the form of a bubbler for enriching the carrier gas with a precursor, said bubbler comprising:
a chamber for holding the liquid precursor; a temperature control means, having insulation, which is arranged on the outside of the temperature means, having an inflow pipe for supplying carrier gas, wherein the inflow pipe projects into the chamber; and an outflow pipe for removing the enriched carrier gas, which projects into the chamber, wherein at least one deflection element is provided between an outlet of the inflow pipe and the inlet of the outflow pipe to influence flow of the carrier gas, wherein in operation the deflection element is arranged in the liquid precursor.

17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein a plurality of deflection elements are arranged one above the other between an outlet orifice of the inflow pipe and an outflow orifice of the outflow pipe.

18 . The method of claim 16 , wherein at least one deflection element takes the form of a plate with holes.

19 . The method of claim 16 , wherein at least one deflection element takes the form of a plate with inclined surfaces, wherein the surfaces in particular take the form of segments of circles.

20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the deflection element with the holes is arranged as first deflection element above the outlet orifice of the inflow pipe.

21 . The method of claim 20 , wherein at least two further deflection elements are arranged above the first deflection element and below the outflow orifice of the outflow pipe, wherein the two further deflection elements take the form of plates with inclined surfaces, wherein the surfaces in particular take the form of segments of circles.

Assignees

• Osram Opto Semiconductors Gmbh

Inventors

• Koller Andreas
• Behres Alexander

Classifications

• C23C16/4481 Primary

  by evaporation using carrier gas in contact with the source material (C23C16/4486 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01D1/14

  with heated gases or vapours {or liquids} in contact with the liquid · CPC title

• C23C16/52

  Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)} · CPC title

• C23C16/18

  from metallo-organic compounds · CPC title

• C23C16/4482 Primary

  by bubbling of carrier gas through liquid source material · CPC title