Mixing blocks for fluid systems, fixtures and fixture arrangements including mixing blocks, and methods of making mixing blocks for fluid systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2025115995-A1
Application number	US-202418904480-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 2, 2024
Priority date	Oct 6, 2023
Publication date	Apr 10, 2025
Grant date	—

Abstract

A fixture includes a first end plate, a threaded member, a second end plate, and a compression member. The first end plate has a first end plate recess. The threaded member is fixed in the first end plate in extends in a direction opposite the first end plate recess. The second end plate has a second end plate recess facing the first end plate recess and is slidably received on the threaded member. The compression member is arranged on a side of the second end plate opposite the first end plate and is threadedly seated on a male threaded segment of the threaded member to reverse flow a purge fluid through a mixing block compressively fixed between the first end plate and the second end plate. Fixture arrangements, methods of making mixing blocks, mixing blocks, and semiconductor processing systems including mixing blocks are also described.

First claim

1 . A fixture, comprising:
a first end plate with a first end plate recess; a threaded member fixed in the first end plate in extending in a direction opposite the first end plate recess; a second end plate with a second end plate recess slidably received on the threaded member, the second end plate recess facing the first end plate recess; and a compression member arranged on a side of the second end plate opposite the first end plate and threadedly seated on a male threaded segment of the threaded member to reverse flow a purge fluid through a mixing block compressively fixed between the first end plate and the second end plate.

2 . The fixture of claim 1 , wherein the first end plate is formed from a polymeric material, wherein the second end plate is formed from the polymeric material.

3 . The fixture of claim 1 , wherein the threaded member is formed from a polymeric material, and wherein the compression member is formed from a metallic material.

4 . The fixture of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first seal member arranged in the first end plate recess; a second seal member arranged in the second end plate recess; wherein the first seal member fluidly couples the first end plate to the second seal member; and wherein the second seal member fluidly couples the second end plate to the first seal member.

5 . The fixture of claim 4 , wherein the first seal member is loose fit in the first end plate recess defined by the first end plate, and wherein the second seal member is loose fit in the second end plate recess of the second end plate.

6 . The fixture of claim 4 , wherein the first seal member is captive within a first end plate recess surface of the first end plate, and wherein the second seal member is captive in a second end plate recess surface of the second end plate.

7 . The fixture of claim 1 , further comprising:
a purge fluid fitting seated in the first end plate and fluidly coupled by the first end plate to the second end plate recess; and a first purge fluid source including a first purge fluid coupled to the purge fluid fitting and fluidly coupled therethrough to the second end plate recess.

8 . The fixture of claim 7 , wherein the first purge fluid is a gaseous purge fluid.

9 . The fixture of claim 7 , wherein the first purge fluid includes oil-free air or clean dry air.

10 . The fixture of claim 7 , further comprising a plug seated in the second end plate and fluidly separating the second end plate recess from an external environment outside the fixture.

11 . The fixture of claim 1 , further comprising:
a purge fluid fitting seated in the second end plate and fluidly coupled by the second end plate to the first end plate recess; and a second purge fluid source including a second purge fluid coupled to the purge fluid fitting and fluidly coupled therethrough to the first end plate recess.

12 . The fixture of claim 11 , wherein the first purge fluid is a liquid purge fluid.

13 . The fixture of claim 11 , wherein the second purge fluid includes ultra-pure water or deionized water.

14 . A fixture arrangement, comprising:
a fixture as recited in claim 1 ; a mixing block including a mixing block body compressively fixed between the first end plate and the second end plate, the mixing block body having:
a first end face with a cul-de-sac port received in the first recess of the first end plate;
a second end face with an outlet port longitudinally opposite the first end face received in the second recess of the second end plate, the outlet port fluidly coupled to the cul-de-sac port defined of the first end face by a mixing channel extending through the mixing block body;
a first lateral face with a first inlet port separating the second end face from the first end face, the first inlet port fluidly coupled to the mixing channel at a confluence; and
a second lateral face with a second inlet port separating the second end face from the first end face, the second inlet port fluidly coupled to the mixing channel at the confluence;
a purge fluid fitting seated in one of the first end plate and the second end plate to communicate a purge fluid to the mixing channel; and a plug seated in the other of the first end plate and the second end plate to force the purge fluid through the first inlet port and the second inlet port of the mixing block body.

15 . The fixture arrangement of claim 14 , further comprising:
a first purge fluid source including a gaseous purge fluid coupled to the purge fluid fitting; a first seal member arranged within the first recess and fluidly coupling the first purge fluid source to the cul-de-sac port of the mixing block body; and wherein the first inlet port and the second inlet port fluidly couple the first purge fluid source through the cul-de-sac port to an external environment bounding the mixing block body.

16 . The fixture arrangement of claim 14 , further comprising:
a second purge fluid source including a liquid purge fluid coupled to the purge fluid fitting; a second seal member arranged within the second recess and fluidly coupling the second purge fluid source to the outlet port of the mixing block body; and wherein the first inlet port and the second inlet port fluidly couple the second purge fluid source through the cul-de-sac port to an external environment bounding the mixing block body.

17 . The fixture arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the purge fluid fitting is seated in the first end plate, wherein the first end face of the mixing block body is received in the first end plate recess, and wherein the first end plate recess separates the purge fluid fitting from the first end face of the mixing block body.

18 . The fixture arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the purge fluid fitting is seated in the second end plate, wherein the second end face of the mixing block body is received in the second end plate recess, and wherein the second end plate recess separates the purge fluid fitting from the second end face of the mixing block body.

19 . The fixture arrangement of claim 14 , wherein the mixing block is formed from a mixing block material having a hardness, wherein the first end plate is formed from a first end plate material having hardness that is less than the hardness of the mixing block material, wherein the second end plate is formed from a second end plate material having hardness that is less than the hardness of the mixing block material, and wherein the threaded member is formed from a threaded member material having a hardness that is less than the hardness of the mixing block material.

20 . A method of making a mixing block, comprising:
at a mixing block including a mixing block body with a first end face with a cul-de-sac port, a second end face with an outlet port, a first lateral face with first inlet port, and second lateral face with a second inlet port, the first inlet port and the second inlet port fluidly coupled to the outlet port by a mixing channel extending between the cul-de-sac port and the outlet port; compressively fixing the mixing block body in a fixture between a first end plate having a first end plate recess and a second end plate having second recess by:
fixing a threaded member in the first end plate such that the threaded member extends in a direction opposite the first end plate recess;
slidably receiving the threaded member in the second end plate such that the second end plate recess faces the first end plate recess;
arranging a compression member on a side of the second

Assignees

• Asm Ip Holding Bv

Inventors

• Iordanov Iordan
• Hintz Jeffrey
• Parameshwaran Shreyas
• Nandwana Dinkar
• Donohue Lee
• Groechel David

Classifications

• C23C16/45512 Primary

  Premixing before introduction in the reaction chamber · CPC title

• C23C16/4408 Primary

  by purging residual gases from the reaction chamber or gas lines · CPC title

• B01F23/10

  Mixing gases with gases · CPC title

• C23C16/4409

  characterised by sealing means · CPC title

• C23C16/45544 Primary

  characterized by the apparatus · CPC title