Diaphragm valves, valve components, and methods for forming valve components

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020018421-A1
Application number	US-201816036692-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 16, 2018
Priority date	Jul 16, 2018
Publication date	Jan 16, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A diaphragm valve is disclosed. The diaphragm valve may include, a valve body comprising a valve channel, the valve channel including an inlet channel and an outlet channel. The diaphragm valve may also include, a valve seat adjacent to the valve channel and a flexible diaphragm comprising a wetted surface and an opposing non-wetted surface, the flexible diaphragm being disposed adjacent to the valve channel. The diaphragm valve may also include, a flexible heater disposed over the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm, and a valve actuator that is operable to operable to move the wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm into and out of contact with the valve seat. Valve components including a flexible heater and methods for forming such valve components are also disclosed.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A diaphragm valve, comprising:
a valve body comprising a valve channel, the valve channel including an inlet channel and an outlet channel; a valve seat adjacent to the valve channel; a flexible diaphragm comprising a wetted surface and an opposing non-wetted surface, the flexible diaphragm being disposed adjacent to the valve channel; a flexible heater disposed over the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm; and a valve actuator that is operable to move the wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm into and out of contact with the valve seat.

2 . The diaphragm valve of claim 1 , further comprising a flexible temperature sensor disposed over the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm.

3 . The diaphragm valve of claim 2 , wherein the flexible temperature sensor comprises a flexible printed thermocouple comprising a first printed thermocouple element comprising a first metal-containing ink and a second printed thermocouple element comprising a second metal-containing ink, the first printed thermocouple element being in electrical contact with the second printed thermocouple element thereby forming a thermocouple junction.

4 . The diaphragm valve of claim 2 , wherein the flexible temperature sensor is disposed directly over the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm.

5 . The diaphragm valve of claim 2 , further comprising a flexible substrate disposed over the flexible temperature sensor.

6 . The diaphragm valve of claim 1 , wherein the flexible heater is disposed directly on the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm.

7 . The diaphragm valve of claim 1 , wherein the flexible heater comprises a flexible printed heater comprising one or more electrically conductive traces comprising an electrically conductive ink.

8 . The diaphragm valve of claim 1 , further comprising a flexible substrate disposed over the flexible heater.

9 . The diaphragm valve of claim 1 , wherein the flexible heater is disposed over a surface of a flexible intermediate substrate.

10 . The diaphragm valve of claim 11 , further comprising a bonding interface between the lower surface of the flexible intermediate substrate and the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm.

11 . The diaphragm valve of claim 9 , further comprising an additional flexible substrate disposed over the flexible intermediate substrate.

12 . The diaphragm valve of claim 2 , wherein the flexible heater and the flexible temperature sensor are disposed upon the same surface.

13 . The diaphragm valve of claim 2 , wherein the flexible heater and the flexible temperature are disposed upon different surfaces.

14 . The diaphragm valve of claim 13 , wherein the flexible heater is disposed over a surface of a first flexible substrate and the flexible temperature sensor is disposed over a surface of a second flexible substrate.

15 . The diaphragm valve of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional heaters disposed within the valve body, wherein the flexible heater and the one or more additional heaters are configured for maintaining a differential temperature of the internal wetted surfaces of the diaphragm valve below 1° C.

16 . A precursor delivery system comprising the diaphragm valve of claim 1 .

17 . The precursor delivery system of claim 16 , further comprising one or more additional heaters disposed adjacent to the diaphragm valve and configured for maintaining a differential temperature of the internal wetted surfaces of the diaphragm valve below 1° C.

18 . A semiconductor processing apparatus comprising the precursor delivery system of claim 16 .

19 . A valve component, comprising:
a flexible diaphragm, the flexible diaphragm comprising a wetted surface and an opposing non-wetted surface; and a flexible heater, the flexible heater being disposed over the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm.

20 . The valve component of claim 19 , wherein the flexible heater comprises a flexible printed heater comprising one or more electrically conductive traces comprising an electrically conductive ink.

21 . The valve component of claim 19 , further comprising a flexible substrate disposed over the flexible heater.

22 . The valve component of claim 19 , wherein the flexible heater is disposed over a surface of a flexible intermediate substrate and a bonding interface is disposed between a lower surface of the flexible intermediate substrate and the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm.

23 . The valve component of claim 22 , further comprising an additional flexible substrate disposed over the flexible intermediate substrate.

24 . The valve component of claim 19 , further comprising a flexible temperature sensor disposed over the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm.

25 . The valve component of claim 24 , wherein the flexible temperature sensor comprises a flexible printed thermocouple comprising a first printed thermocouple element comprising a first metal-containing ink and a second printed thermocouple element comprising a second metal-containing ink, the first printed thermocouple element being in electrical contact with the second printed thermocouple element thereby forming a thermocouple junctions.

26 . The valve component of claim 24 , wherein the flexible heater and the flexible temperature sensor are disposed upon the same surface.

27 . The valve component of claim 24 , wherein the flexible heater and the flexible temperature sensor are disposed upon different surfaces.

28 . A method for forming a valve component, comprising:
providing a flexible diaphragm, the flexible diaphragm comprising a wetted surface and an opposing non-wetted surface; and forming a flexible heater over the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein forming the flexible heater further comprises printing the flexible heater over the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm utilizing one or more conductive inks.

30 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising printing the flexible heater directly over the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm.

31 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising forming a flexible substrate over the flexible heater.

32 . The method of claim 29 , further comprising printing the flexible heater over a surface of a flexible intermediate substrate and bonding a lower surface of the flexible intermediate substrate to the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm.

33 . The method of claim 32 , further comprising forming an additional flexible substrate over the flexible intermediate substrate.

34 . The method of claim 28 , further comprising forming a flexible temperature sensor over the non-wetted surface of the flexible diaphragm.

35 . The method of claim 34 , where forming the flexible temperature sensor further comprises printing a flexible printed thermocouple comprising a first printed thermocouple element comprising a first metal-containing ink and a second printed thermocouple element comprising a second metal-containing ink, the first printed thermocouple element being in electrical contact with the second printed thermocouple element thereby forming a thermocouple junctions.

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• Shugrue John

Classifications

• F16K99/0055

  actuated by fluids · CPC title

• F16K99/0015 Primary

  Diaphragm or membrane valves · CPC title

• Y10T137/6606

  With electric heating element · CPC title

• F16K49/002 Primary

  Electric heating means · CPC title

• F16K7/16

  the diaphragm being mechanically actuated, e.g. by screw-spindle or cam · CPC title