Concentration control using a bubbler
The present disclosure relates, in part, to an apparatus for controlling the concentration of a component within a gas mixture. In particular embodiments, the component is a vaporized liquid component, such as a vaporized stabilizer or a vaporized precursor. Also described are systems thereof and methods for such control.
1. An apparatus comprising:
(a) an upstream flow passage configured to be fluidically coupled to a source of an acetylene and an acetylene stabilizer, and configured to transport a gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer from the source of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer;
(b) a bubbler comprising an inlet fluidically coupled to the upstream flow passage (a), and comprising a chamber for holding a liquid under an atmosphere having a controlled temperature and pressure, wherein the bubbler is configured to:
(i) receive the gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer from the upstream flow passage (a), and
(ii) pass the gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer through the liquid in the chamber;
(c) one or more controllers configured to cause the bubbler to operate under conditions that adjust a concentration of the acetylene stabilizer in the gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer flowing into the bubbler, and that maintain the concentration of the acetylene stabilizer in the gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer leaving the bubbler at a substantially constant concentration value over a course of a deposition reaction that reacts acetylene; and
(d) a downstream flow passage fluidically coupled to an outlet of the bubbler and configured to transport the gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer at the substantially constant concentration value to a deposition reactor for conducting the deposition reaction.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a gas concentration meter fluidically coupled to the upstream flow passage (a) and/or the downstream flow passage (d) and configured to measure a concentration of the acetylene and/or the acetylene stabilizer in the upstream and/or downstream flow passage(s).
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a valve fluidically coupled to the upstream flow passage (a) and configured to adjust a flow of the gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer from the source to the bubbler.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substantially constant concentration value is a saturation concentration of the acetylene stabilizer in acetylene at the controlled temperature and pressure of the atmosphere in the bubbler.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the substantially constant concentration value of the acetylene stabilizer is less than an initial concentration value of the acetylene stabilizer within the source of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer.
6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the substantially constant concentration value of the acetylene stabilizer is greater than an initial concentration value of the acetylene stabilizer within the source of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substantially constant concentration value is about 2 vol. % to about 10 vol. % of the acetylene stabilizer in acetylene.
8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the bubbler is configured to maintain the liquid, during operation, at a temperature of between about −20° C. and about 20° C.
9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the bubbler is configured to maintain the atmosphere, during operation, at a pressure of between about 600 Torr and about 1100 Torr.
10. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the bubbler is configured to provide a flow rate between about 1 slm to about 20 slm.
11. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the bubbler comprises a plurality of trays.
12. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the bubbler comprises a liquid level sensor or wherein the bubbler is fluidically coupled to a liquid level sensor.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the liquid in the bubbler is maintained near or at a predetermined liquid level.
14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said controlled temperature and pressure is configured to be a substantially constant temperature and a substantially constant pressure.
15. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a pressure controller fluidically coupled to the upstream flow passage (a) and/or the downstream flow passage (d) and configured to maintain a pressure of the gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer within a defined pressure range in the upstream and/or downstream flow passage(s).
16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the one or more controllers are coupled to the pressure controller and configured to control the pressure controller.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a temperature controller coupled to the bubbler and configured to maintain a temperature of the gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer within a defined temperature range in the downstream flow passage (d).
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a mass flow controller fluidically coupled to the upstream flow passage (a) and/or the downstream flow passage (d) and configured to maintain a mass flow rate of the gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer within a defined mass flow rate range in the upstream and/or downstream flow passage(s).
19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to cause the bubbler to maintain the liquid at a substantially constant temperature and/or a substantially constant pressure during the deposition reaction.
20. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to cause the bubbler to control the temperature and the pressure of the atmosphere in the bubbler during the deposition reaction.
21. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to control a flow rate of the gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer through the bubbler.
22. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a valve fluidically coupled to the bubbler and configured to deliver a push gas to a headspace in the chamber of the bubbler.
23. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising an exit pathway fluidically coupled to the bubbler and configured to remove an excess of the liquid in the chamber of the bubbler.
24. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the downstream flow passage (d) is further configured to be fluidically coupled to one or more reactors or additional chambers that are configured to receive the gas mixture of acetylene and acetylene stabilizer.
25. The apparatus of claim 24 , wherein the acetylene stabilizer in the gas mixture leaving the bubbler comprises the substantially constant concentration value over a course of a semiconductor process.
26. A system comprising:
a source configured to provide a process gas, wherein the process gas comprises acetylene or a gas component;
one or more reactors or modules configured to conduct a semiconductor process, wherein at least one reactor or module further comprises an inlet;
an apparatus of claim 1 configured to provide a gas mixture, wherein the upstream flow passage (a) is fluidically coupled directly or indirectly to the source, and wherein the downstream flow passage (d) is fluidically coupled directly or indirectly to the inlet of said at least one reactor or module; and
one or more controllers configured to cause the source to deliver the process gas to the apparatus and to cause a bubbler of the apparatus to transport the gas mixture to said at least one reactor or module prior to conducting the semiconductor process.