Systems and methods for bulk vaporization of precursor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9964332-B2
Application number	US-201414227503-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 27, 2014
Priority date	Mar 27, 2014
Publication date	May 8, 2018
Grant date	May 8, 2018

Abstract

A vaporization system for liquid precursor includes a bubbler portion configured to store liquid precursor and to supply carrier gas into the liquid precursor to vaporize the liquid precursor to generate vaporized precursor. A baffle portion is arranged in fluid communication with the bubbler portion and includes N heated baffles, where N is an integer greater than or equal to one. The vaporized precursor generated by the bubbler portion passes through the N heated baffles before flowing to a substrate processing system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vaporization system for a liquid precursor, comprising:
a bubbler portion configured to store liquid precursor and supply carrier gas into the liquid precursor to vaporize the liquid precursor and generate vaporized precursor; and
a baffle portion arranged in fluid communication with the bubbler portion and including N heated baffles,
wherein
N is an integer greater than one,
each of the N heated baffles comprises a channel that (i) faces outward away from a center of the baffle portion, and (ii) extends around a perimeter of a circumferential edge of a respective one of the N heated baffles, such that an open side of each of the channels receives a respective coil,
the open side of each of the channels extends around the perimeter of the respective one of the N heated baffles and is exposed to an area outside the N heated baffles,
each of the N heated baffles comprises a baffle plate and one or more flanges,
the one or more flanges of each of the N heated baffles project away from the corresponding one of the N heated baffles,
an adjacent pair of the N heated baffles comprises a first heated baffle and a second heated baffle,
the first heated baffle comprises a first flange,
the first flange projects downwardly from the first baffle,
the second heated baffle is disposed beneath the first baffle and comprises a second flange,
the second flange projects upwardly to and contacts the first flange, such that the first flange and the second flange separate opposing surfaces of the first heated baffle and the second heated baffle,
the coils transfer thermal energy to the N heated baffles, and
the vaporized precursor generated by the bubbler portion passes through the N heated baffles before flowing to a substrate processing system.

2. The vaporization system of claim 1 , wherein each of the N heated baffles comprises a temperature sensor.

3. The vaporization system of claim 2 , further comprising a controller configured to control a temperature of each of the N heated baffles based on a temperature signal from the corresponding one of the temperature sensors.

4. The vaporization system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is configured to control a temperature of the bubbler portion.

5. The vaporization system of claim 3 , wherein:
the controller is configured to control the temperatures of each of the N heated baffles such that a first one of the N heated baffles has a first temperature that is less than a second temperature of a second one of the N heated baffles arranged immediately adjacent to the first one of the N heated baffles; and
the second temperature is less than a third temperature of a third one of the N heated baffles arranged immediately adjacent to the second one of the N heated baffles.

6. The vaporization system of claim 1 , wherein the bubbler portion comprises:
a body to store the liquid precursor;
a conduit to supply the carrier gas; and
a porous medium arranged adjacent to a bottom portion of the body to define a cavity, wherein the carrier gas is delivered into the cavity between the porous medium and the bottom portion.

7. The vaporization system of claim 6 , further comprising a bracket to secure the porous medium in a spaced relationship with the bottom portion of the body to define the cavity.

8. The vaporization system of claim 1 , wherein:
the baffle plate of the first heated baffle comprises a first pattern of bores;
the baffle plate of the second heated baffle is arranged adjacent to the baffle plate of the first heated baffle and comprises a second pattern of bores; and
the first pattern of bores does not align with the second pattern of bores.

9. The vaporization system of claim 8 , wherein the first heated baffle further comprises a bore that is arranged at a center of the baffle plate of the first heated baffle and is configured to receive a conduit for the carrier gas.

10. A method for vaporizing a liquid precursor, comprising:
supplying liquid precursor to a body of a bubbler portion;
supplying carrier gas into the liquid precursor to vaporize the liquid precursor and to generate vaporized precursor;
arranging a baffle portion including N heated baffles in fluid communication with the bubbler portion to receive the vaporized precursor, where N is an integer greater than one, wherein
each of the N heated baffles comprises a channel that (i) faces outward away from a center of the baffle portion, and (ii) extends around a perimeter of a circumferential edge of a respective one of the N heated baffles, such that an open side of each of the channels receives a respective coil,
a portion of each of the coils extends around the perimeter of the respective one of the N heated baffles and is exposed, along the perimeter of the respective one of the N heated baffles, to an area outside of the N heated baffles when disposed in the corresponding one of the channels,
each of the N heated baffles comprises a baffle plate and one or more flanges,
the one or more flanges of each of the N heated baffles project away from the corresponding one of the N heated baffles,
an adjacent pair of the N heated baffles comprises a first heated baffle and a second heated baffle,
the first heated baffle comprises a first flange,
the first flange projects downwardly from the first baffle,
the second heated baffle is disposed beneath the first baffle and comprises a second flange,
the second flange projects upwardly to and contacts the first flange, such that the first flange and the second flange separate opposing surfaces of the first heated baffle and the second heated baffle, and
the coils transfer thermal energy to the N heated baffles; and

passing the vaporized precursor generated by the bubbler portion through the N heated baffles before flowing the vaporized precursor to a substrate processing system.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
sensing a temperature of each of the N heated baffles; and
selectively heating each of the N heated baffles to control the temperature based on the sensed temperature.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising controlling the temperatures of each of the N heated baffles, such that:
a first one of the N heated baffles has a first temperature that is less than a second temperature of a second one of the N heated baffles arranged immediately adjacent to the first one of the N heated baffles; and
the second temperature is less than a third temperature of a third one of the N heated baffles arranged immediately adjacent to the second one of the N heated baffles.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
arranging a porous medium adjacent to a cavity at a bottom portion of the body; and
delivering the carrier gas into the cavity between the porous medium and the bottom portion.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising securing the porous medium in a spaced relationship with the bottom portion of the body to define the cavity.

15. The method of claim 10 , wherein:
the baffle plate of the first heated baffle comprises a first pattern of bores; and
the baffle plate of the second heated baffle is arranged adjacent to the first heated baffle and comprises a second pattern of bores.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising misaligning the first pattern of bores through the baffle plate of the first heated baffle relative to the second pattern of bores.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:
providing a bore at center of the baffle plate of the first heated baffle; and
passing a conduit to supply the car

Assignees

• Lam Res Corp

Inventors

• Lind Gary

Classifications

• C23C16/45591

  Fixed means, e.g. wings, baffles · CPC title

• F24H9/00 Primary

  Details · CPC title

• C23C16/4482 Primary

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