Splashguard and Inlet Diffuser for High Vacuum, High Flow Bubbler Vessel

1 . A process of delivering a chemical precursor vapor from a bubbler for storing a volatile liquid chemical and delivering vapor of the volatile liquid chemical to a vapor deposition process when under vacuum, wherein the bubbler comprises the bubbler comprising a cylindrical inside wall having a diameter, a floor, a diptube inlet ending in an outlet proximate the floor and at least one baffle disc positioned between the outlet of the diptube and an outlet of the bubbler, wherein the at least one baffle disc has a circumferential edge and a diameter slightly less than the diameter of the inside wall such that the space between the circumferential edge of the baffle disc and the cylindrical inside wall is sufficient to allow the vapor of the volatile liquid to pass through the space with minimum pressure drop, but sufficiently narrow to minimize the passage of liquid that may be ejected from a volatile liquid content under vacuum conditions and high flow rates of a carrier gas through the diptube, wherein the at least one baffle disc is solid and has a concave downward shape to collect condensed volatile liquid chemical for return by coalesced droplets that fall back into the stored volatile liquid chemical, said process comprising the steps of:

passing the carrier gas through the diptube outlet;

entraining the volatile liquid chemical precursor from the bubbler into the carrier gas; and

passing the entrained volatile liquid chemical precursor and carrier gas past the at least one baffle disc between the circumferential edge and the diameter of the cylindrical inside wall,

wherein in operation under vacuum conditions, the bubbler is capable of preventing liquid droplets from entering the outlet of the bubbler.

2 . The process of claim 1 wherein the carrier gas with entrained liquid volatile chemical precursor is delivered from the bubbler in an outlet with an elbow configuration.

3 . The process of claim 1 wherein the carrier gas with entrained liquid volatile chemical precursor is delivered from the bubbler in an outlet with a “Tee” configuration.

4 . The process of claim 1 wherein the bubbler has at least two baffle discs comprising an upper baffle disc and a lower baffle disc.

5 . The process of claim 1 wherein the outlet of the bubbler is a bubble size reducing outlet.

6 . The process of claim 5 wherein the bubble size reducing outlet comprises a porous metal frit.

7 . The process of claim 6 wherein the porous metal frit has porosity to filter out particles of 1 micron or larger.

8 . The process of claim 7 wherein the porous metal frit has porosity to filter out greater than 90% of particles of 1 micron or larger.

9 . The process of claim 1 wherein an inlet to the outlet of the bubbler comprises a porous frit to minimize liquid entering the outlet of the bubbler.

10 . The process of claim 1 wherein an inlet to the outlet of the bubbler comprises an elbow configuration to minimize liquid entering the outlet to the bubbler.

11 . The process of claim 1 wherein an inlet to the outlet of the bubbler comprises a “Tee” configuration to minimize liquid entering the outlet of the bubbler.

12 . A process of delivering a liquid chemical precursor from a vessel comprising; introducing a pressurizing gas into an inlet to the vessel above the liquid level of the liquid chemical precursor in the vessel to force the liquid chemical precursor through a metal frit filter as an inlet to a diptube outlet of the vessel.

13 . The process of claim 12 wherein the pressurizing gas passes at least one baffle disc in a narrow annular space between the outer perimeter of the baffle disc and the inner surface of the vessel sidewall.