JP7184794B2 - Vaporizers and separators for vaporizers - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a vaporizer for vaporizing a liquid material and a separator for the vaporizer.

Conventionally, as a method for generating a gas used in a semiconductor manufacturing process such as a film forming process, for example, as shown in Patent Document 1, a liquid material is discharged from a nozzle and decompressed, thereby vaporizing the liquid material and vaporizing the gas. There are some that generate

This vaporized gas contains particles such as residues generated by thermal decomposition of the liquid material and mist particles remaining after the liquid material is not completely vaporized, and the vaporizer removes such particles from the vaporized gas. Therefore, a filter is provided after the nozzle.

However, if the filter is used to collect particles, the clogging of the filter will increase the pressure behind the nozzle, resulting in a problem of reduced vaporization performance.

JP 2012-177193 A

Therefore, the present invention has been made to solve the above problems at once, and the main object thereof is to reduce the particles contained in the vaporized gas without lowering the vaporization performance.

That is, the vaporization device according to the present invention includes a vaporization unit that vaporizes a liquid material, and a separator that receives the vaporized gas generated by the vaporization unit and separates the vaporized gas from particles contained in the vaporized gas. and a particle storage unit provided below the separator for storing the particles separated by the separator.

In such a vaporization apparatus, the separator can separate the vaporized gas from the particles contained in the vaporized gas, and the separated particles can be stored in the particle storage unit. can be made unnecessary, and the particles contained in the vaporized gas can be reduced without reducing the vaporization performance.

As a specific configuration of the separator, it has a cylindrical inner peripheral surface for circulating the vaporized gas, a fluid inlet into which the vaporized gas is introduced, and a particle separated from the vaporized gas. It is preferable that a particle outlet and a gas outlet for leading the separated vaporized gas from which the particles are separated are formed.
With such a configuration, the particles can be separated from the vaporized gas by the action of centrifugal separation.

It is preferable that the inner peripheral surface has a tapered portion that gradually decreases in diameter toward the particle outlet.
With such a configuration, the circulating speed of the vaporized gas is faster at the tapered portion where the diameter is reduced than at the upstream side. As a result, particles of relatively large mass can be centrifuged on the upstream side of the tapered portion, and particles of relatively small mass can be centrifuged on the tapered portion. can be separated from the vaporized gas.

In order to prevent the vaporized gas introduced into the separator from condensing inside the separator, it is preferable to further include a heating mechanism for heating the separator.
With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the vaporized gas introduced into the separator from condensing in the separator, and if mist particles adhere to the wall surface of the separator, the mist Particles can be vaporized.

It is preferable to further include an attachment/detachment mechanism interposed between the separator and the particle storage unit for attaching/detaching the particle storage unit to/from the separator.
With such a configuration, by removing the particle storage unit from the separator, the particles stored in the particle storage unit can be discharged out of the process such as semiconductor manufacturing.

In order to improve the vaporization efficiency of the vaporization section, it is preferable that a gas-liquid mixing section that mixes the liquid material and the carrier gas to generate a gas-liquid mixture is provided upstream of the vaporization section. .

Further, the separator for a vaporization device according to the present invention is used in a vaporization device for heating and vaporizing a liquid material, wherein a fluid containing the liquid material is introduced to vaporize the liquid material. It is characterized by separating gas from particles contained in the vaporized gas.
With such a vaporizer separator, it is possible to obtain the same effects as those of the vaporizer described above.

According to the present invention configured in this way, the particles contained in the vaporized gas can be reduced without lowering the vaporization performance.

The figure which shows typically the whole structure of the vaporization apparatus of this embodiment. The figure which shows typically the structure of the separator in other embodiment, and a dust box. The figure which shows typically the structure of the separator in other embodiment, and a dust box. The figure which shows typically the structure of the separator in other embodiment. The figure which shows typically the structure of the separator in other embodiment. The figure which shows typically the whole structure of the vaporization apparatus in other embodiment. The figure which shows typically the structure of the dust box in other embodiment. The figure which shows typically the structure of the dust box in other embodiment. The figure which shows typically the structure of the dust box in other embodiment.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 100 Vaporization device 10 Gas-liquid mixing unit 20 Vaporization unit 30 Separator 30s Inner circumferential surface P1 Fluid inlet P2 Particle outlet P3・Gas outlet 33...Tapered portion 40...Second heating mechanism X...Particles

An embodiment of a vaporization device according to the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

The vaporization apparatus 100 of the present embodiment is for supplying a predetermined flow rate of gas to a chamber or the like used in a semiconductor manufacturing process by being incorporated in, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing line. A gas-liquid mixing section 10 for mixing with a carrier gas to generate a gas-liquid mixture, and a vaporization section 20 for introducing the gas-liquid mixture and vaporizing the liquid material contained in the gas-liquid mixture. .

The gas-liquid mixing section 10 includes a carrier gas flow path L1 through which a carrier gas flows, a liquid material flow path L2 through which a liquid material flows, and a gas-liquid mixing chamber 10s in which the carrier gas flow path L1 and the liquid material flow path L2 join. , a gas-liquid mixture flow path L3 through which the gas-liquid mixture generated in the gas-liquid mixture chamber 10s flows, and a flow control valve 11 for adjusting the flow rate of the gas-liquid mixture.

In this embodiment, the carrier gas flow path L1 and the liquid material flow path L2 are formed inside the block body 12, and the carrier Outlet ports L1a and L2a of the gas channel L1 and the liquid material channel L2 are open.

The flow control valve 11 is, for example, a normally closed type piezo valve, and is arranged so that the valve body 111 faces the above-described valve seat surface 13 . As a result, the space surrounded by the valve body 111 and the valve seat surface 13 is formed as the above-described gas-liquid mixing chamber 10s. Note that FIG. 1 shows a state in which the valve element 111 is seated on the valve seat surface 13, which is a state in which the fluid does not flow into or out of the gas-liquid mixing chamber 10s.

The gas-liquid mixture flow path L3 has an inlet L3a formed on the valve seat surface 13 described above, and the gas-liquid mixture generated in the gas-liquid mixing chamber 10s is introduced to vaporize the gas-liquid mixture. This leads to section 20.

With the above-described configuration, the valve body 111 opens or closes the outlet L1a of the carrier gas flow path L1, the outlet L2a of the liquid material flow path L2, and the inlet L3a of the gas-liquid mixture flow path L3. , the gas-liquid mixture can be supplied to the vaporizing section 20 or stopped.

The vaporization unit 20 is connected to a piping member Z1 that forms a gas-liquid mixture flow path L3. It has a vaporized gas flow path L5 through which vaporized gas in which the liquid material contained in the mixture is depressurized and vaporized (atomized) through the decompression flow path L4 flows.
Note that vaporization (atomization) here means that at least part of the liquid material changes to a gaseous state by decompression or heating, and the vaporized gas after the change may contain unvaporized material. .

The decompression flow path L4 connects the gas-liquid mixture flow path L3 and the vaporized gas flow path L5, and has a nozzle shape with a smaller diameter and length than these flow paths.

The vaporized gas flow path L5 has a substantially straight tubular shape with a diameter larger than that of the gas-liquid mixture flow path L3, and in this embodiment, the end portion on the pressure reduction flow path L4 side is formed in a conical shape.

The vaporization unit 20 of the present embodiment includes a first heating mechanism such as a heater (not shown) that heats the liquid material contained in the gas-liquid mixture, and a controller (not shown) that controls the first heating mechanism. The device is configured to heat the liquid material contained in the gas-liquid mixture introduced to the vaporization unit 20 to a predetermined set heating temperature (for example, about 300° C.) by PID-controlling the first heating mechanism, for example. ing. Note that the first heating mechanism does not necessarily have to be provided.

Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, the vaporization device 100 of the present embodiment includes a separator into which the vaporized gas generated by the vaporization unit 20 is introduced and which separates the vaporized gas from the particles X contained in the vaporized gas. 30, and a dust box DB as a particle storage section for storing the particles X separated by the separator 30. As shown in FIG. The particles X referred to here are residues generated by thermal decomposition of the liquid material, mist particles remaining after the liquid material has not completely evaporated, and the like.

The separator 30 separates the particles X having a predetermined size (for example, particle size and mass) or more from the vaporized gas. It is configured to centrifuge X.

The separator 30 of the present embodiment has a double-tube structure having a circular outer tube 31 and a circular inner tube 32, and has a fluid inlet P1 through which the vaporized gas is introduced, and a separator from the vaporized gas. A particle outlet P2 for leading the separated particles X and a gas outlet P3 for leading the post-separation vaporized gas from which the particles X are separated are formed.

The outer tube 31 and the inner tube 32 are arranged such that one end opening of the inner tube 32 is located inside the outer tube 31 and the other end opening of the inner tube 32 is located outside the outer tube 31. , the tube axes of the outer tube 31 and the inner tube 32 extend vertically and overlap each other.

The fluid inlet P1 communicates with the vaporized gas flow path L5 described above, and is formed in the upper part of the peripheral wall of the outer tube 31 here. A piping member Z2 is connected to the fluid inlet P1 for communicating the fluid inlet P1 and the vaporized gas flow path L5. The piping member Z2 is attached to the peripheral wall of the outer tube 31 so as to guide the vaporized gas tangentially to the inner peripheral surface 30s of the outer tube 31. As shown in FIG.

The particle outlet P2 communicates with the internal space S such as the dust box DB, and is the lower end opening of the outer tube 31 here. In this embodiment, the inner peripheral surface 30s of the outer tube 31 has a tapered portion 33 whose diameter gradually decreases toward the particle outlet P2. With this configuration, the vaporized gas and the particles contained in the vaporized gas circulate along the inner peripheral surface 30s, so that particles having a relatively large mass, particle size, density, etc. is pushed outward by centrifugal force, hits the inner peripheral surface 30s, separates from the vaporized gas, and falls into the dust box DB by its own weight. On the other hand, in the tapered portion 33, since the circulating speed of the vaporized gas and particles contained in the vaporized gas increases, centrifugal force acts on particles with relatively small mass, particle size, density, etc., and separates them from the vaporized gas.

The gas outlet P3 communicates with, for example, a chamber of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and is the upper end opening of the inner tube 32 here. The gas outlet P3 of this embodiment is located above the fluid inlet P1 and the gas-liquid mixture flow path L3. The lower end opening of the inner tube 32 is located below the fluid inlet P1 and the writing liquid mixture flow path L3. With such a configuration, the post-separation vaporized gas from which at least part of the particles X are separated becomes an ascending air current toward the gas outlet P3 and is led out from the gas outlet P3.

It is conceivable that the rising air current is generated because the vaporized gas circulates along the inner peripheral surface 30s and the pressure at the center of this flow is lowered. Specifically, when the vaporized gas descends while circling and hits the tapered portion 33, the vaporized gas rebounded upward by the tapered portion 33 is drawn into the low-pressure portion at the center of the flow described above, and rises. An air current is generated.
Another possible reason for the rising airflow is that the post-separation vaporized gas is led out from the gas outlet P3, so that the gas outlet P3 is decompressed. Specifically, due to the reduced pressure at the gas outlet P3, a suction force is generated at the lower end opening of the inner tube 32, and the suction force exceeds the centrifugal force of the vaporized gas whose circulating speed is gradually slowed down. The air is sucked into the lower end opening of the inner tube 32 to generate an ascending air current.

The dust box DB is arranged below the separator 30. Specifically, the particle inlet P4 communicating with the internal space S is positioned vertically below the particle outlet P2 of the separator 30. In the embodiment, it is arranged directly below the separator 30 . Although the dust box DB is provided integrally with the outer tube 31 here, the dust box DB may be provided detachably from the outer tube 31 .

The separator 30 of this embodiment further includes a second heating mechanism 40 as shown in FIG. The second heating mechanism 40 is provided in the vicinity of the outer tube 31 of the separator 30, and is, for example, a heater provided outside the outer tube 31 here. In the present embodiment, the control device described above controls the second heating mechanism 40, and the set heating temperature of the separator 30 by the second heating mechanism 40 is the same as the set heating temperature of the liquid material by the first heating mechanism. set to the same or higher. The second heating mechanism 40 here also heats the dust box DB, and is configured to vaporize the mist particles introduced into the dust box DB and prevent re-condensation of the vaporized gas introduced into the dust box DB. ing. Note that the first heating mechanism and the second heating mechanism 40 may be controlled by separate controllers.

According to the vaporization device 100 according to the present embodiment configured as described above, the separator 30 separates the vaporized gas from the particles X contained in the vaporized gas, and the particles X are separated and stored in the dust box DB. Therefore, a filter for collecting the particles X can be eliminated, and the particles X contained in the vaporized gas can be reduced without reducing the vaporization performance.
Furthermore, by storing the separated particles X in the dust box DB, it is possible to suppress scattering of the particles X and prevent the particles X from being discharged together with the vaporized gas after separation.

Moreover, since the second heating mechanism 40 that heats the separator 30 is provided, the vaporized gas introduced into the separator 30 can be prevented from condensing inside the separator 30 .

Furthermore, since the set heating temperature of the separator 30 by the second heating mechanism 40 is equal to or higher than the set heating temperature of the liquid material by the first heating mechanism, mist particles, for example, , the mist particles can be vaporized and led out from the gas outlet P3. That is, the separator 30 of this embodiment has a vaporization capability of vaporizing a liquid material.

Furthermore, since the inner peripheral surface 30s of the outer tube 31 has a tapered portion 33 that gradually decreases in diameter toward the particle outlet P2, the particles X separated from the vaporized gas smoothly flow into the particle outlet P2. It can be guided and discharged to the outside of the device.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments.

For example, in the above embodiment, the dust box DB and the outer tube 31 are integrally formed, but as shown in FIG. An attachment/detachment mechanism 50 may be provided.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2( a ), a first flange portion F1 extending outward from the edge of the particle outlet P2 of the outer tube 31 is provided, and the edge of the particle inlet P4 of the dust box DB is extended outward. A mode in which a widening second flange portion F2 is provided and the first flange portion F1 and the second flange portion F2 are fastened by an attachment/detachment mechanism 50 such as a screw may be mentioned.
Further, as shown in FIG. 2(b), a gasket is interposed between the first flange portion F1 and the second flange portion F2, and the first flange portion F1 and the second flange portion F2 are connected by a face seal joint or the like. It may be fastened by the attachment/detachment mechanism 50 which is a pipe joint.
The manner in which the dust box DB is provided detachably with respect to the outer tube 31 is not limited to FIGS. 2A and 2B described above. The lower member and the dust box DB may be integrally provided by forming the member and the lower member.

Furthermore, when the dust box DB is provided detachably from the outer pipe 31 as described above, as shown in FIG. An on-off valve V may be provided. As a result, it is possible to prevent the particles X from spilling out by closing the on-off valve when removing the dust box DB.
As the on-off valve V, a gate valve, a butterfly valve, or the like can be used. It is preferable that the valve body does not remain in the piping member Z3 in the open state like the gate valve.

Furthermore, when the flow rate of the vaporized gas flowing through the vaporized gas flow path L5 is large, the pressure loss when flowing into the fluid inlet P1 of the separator 30 becomes large. In order to achieve this, a plurality of separators 30 may be provided in parallel, and the vaporized gas flowing through the vaporized gas flow path L5 may be divided into the plurality of separators 30 .

Additionally, as shown in FIG. 5, multiple separators 30 may be provided in series. Specifically, the gas outlet port P3 of the upstream separator 30a and the fluid inlet port P1 of the downstream separator 30b are communicated using, for example, a piping member, so that the separated gas discharged from the upstream separator 30a The post-vaporization gas is introduced into the downstream separator 30b. As a result, for example, by designing the sizes of the fluid inlet P1 and the gas outlet P3 of the upstream separator 30a and the downstream separator 30b to be different from each other, large particles X can be separated by the upstream separator 30a. After that, smaller particles X can be separated in the downstream separator 30b, and so on.

Here, if the particles X adhere to the inner peripheral surface 30s of the separator 30, the flow of the vaporized gas along the inner peripheral surface 30s is disturbed, and the collection rate of the particles X decreases. In this case, the particles X that have not been collected will be discharged from the separator 30 together with the vaporized gas after separation, and there is a possibility that the product life of semiconductors and the like may be shortened and the quality thereof may be deteriorated.
Therefore, the inner peripheral surface 30s of the separator 30 may be coated with an inner surface coating such as PFA or PTFE fluororesin coating.
By doing so, it is possible to suppress the particles X such as residues from adhering to the inner peripheral surface 30s, thereby preventing a reduction in product life and deterioration in quality.

Further, the vaporization section 20 may include a mixing member such as a static mixer provided in the gas-liquid mixture flow path L3 to mix the carrier gas and the atomized liquid material.
By heating the carrier gas and the liquid material while mixing them in this manner, the vaporization performance of the liquid material can be improved.
Further, the vaporizing section 20 may be equipped with an ultrasonic element, and may vaporize or atomize the liquid material by ultrasonic waves.

Further, the separator 30 of the above-described embodiment has a double-tube structure in which the inner tube 32 is inserted into the outer tube 31, but the double-tube structure is not necessarily required. may be formed as the gas outlet P3.

Furthermore, the set heating temperature of the separator 30 by the second heating mechanism 40 may be lower than the set heating temperature of the liquid material by the first heating mechanism as long as it is a temperature that can suppress the condensation of the vaporized gas.

In addition, although the flow control valve 11 is of the normally closed type in the above embodiment, it may be of the normally open type, or may be of various types such as an electromagnetic on-off valve.

Moreover, as shown in FIG. 6, the vaporization device 100 according to the present invention may be configured without the vaporization section 20 of the above embodiment. That is, the gas-liquid mixture is introduced into the separator 30 without being vaporized in the vaporization unit 20, and the liquid material contained in the gas-liquid mixture is heated and vaporized in the separator 30, and is vaporized and generated. It may be configured to separate the particles X contained in the vaporized gas.
Further, even if the vaporization device 100 according to the present invention does not include the depressurization flow path L4 in the above embodiment, and the liquid mixture flow path L3 is connected to the fluid inlet P1 of the separator 30, good.
Furthermore, the liquid material may be directly introduced to the separator 30 without using carrier gas.

By the way, if a swirling flow is generated in the dust box DB by the centrifugal separation action of the separator 30 , the particles X guided to the dust box DB may scatter and flow back into the separator 30 .
Therefore, as shown in FIGS. 7 to 9, for example, the dust box DB preferably has a scattering prevention means 60 for preventing the contained particles X from scattering.

Specifically, the scattering prevention means 60 includes a plate member provided in the internal space S of the dust box DB as shown in FIG. A filter provided in the internal space S of the DB to collect the rotating particles X can be used. Further, as shown in FIG. 8, a filter provided on the bottom surface of the dust box DB may be used as the scattering prevention means 60. FIG.

Furthermore, as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, the scattering prevention means 60 may have a plurality of plate members 61 arranged radially or in a lattice, for example.
In addition, in order to prevent the particles X scattered by the swirling flow from flowing back to the particle inlet P4 of the dust box DB, the scattering prevention means 60 is provided in the dust box DB as shown in FIGS. For example, a rod-shaped backflow prevention member 62 may be further provided in the central portion. The backflow prevention member 62 may have various shapes, such as a columnar shape as shown in FIG. 9(a) or a conical upper portion as shown in FIG. 9(b).
In addition, although not shown, the center of the particle inlet P4 may be offset from the center of the swirling flow (the center of the dust box DB).

In addition, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and it goes without saying that various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

According to the present invention, particles contained in vaporized gas can be reduced without deteriorating vaporization performance.

Claims (5)

a vaporization unit that vaporizes the liquid material;
a separator into which the vaporized gas generated by the vaporizing unit is introduced and which separates the vaporized gas from particles contained in the vaporized gas;
a particle storage unit provided below the separator for storing the particles separated by the separator ;
The separator is
an outer tube formed with a cylindrical inner peripheral surface for circulating the vaporized gas, a fluid inlet through which the vaporized gas is introduced, and a particle outlet through which particles separated from the vaporized gas are led;
an inner tube having a lower end opening positioned inside the outer tube and having a gas outlet for leading out the separated vaporized gas from which the particles have been separated;
The inner peripheral surface has a tapered portion that gradually decreases in diameter toward the particle outlet,
The vaporization device , wherein the lower end opening of the inner tube is positioned above the tapered portion . 2. The vaporization device according to claim 1, further comprising a heating mechanism for heating said separator. 2. The vaporization device according to claim 1, further comprising an attachment/detachment mechanism interposed between said separator and said particle storage unit for attaching and detaching said particle storage unit from said separator. 2. The vaporization device according to claim 1, wherein a gas-liquid mixing section for mixing the liquid material and the carrier gas to generate a gas-liquid mixture is provided upstream of the vaporization section. A vaporizer separator used in a vaporizer that heats and vaporizes a liquid material,
A fluid containing the liquid material is introduced to separate the vaporized gas obtained by vaporizing the liquid material from the particles contained in the vaporized gas,
an outer tube formed with a cylindrical inner peripheral surface for circulating the vaporized gas, a fluid inlet through which the vaporized gas is introduced, and a particle outlet through which particles separated from the vaporized gas are led;
an inner tube having a lower end opening positioned inside the outer tube and having a gas outlet for leading out the separated vaporized gas from which the particles have been separated;
The inner peripheral surface has a tapered portion that gradually decreases in diameter toward the particle outlet,
The vaporizer separator , wherein the lower end opening of the inner tube is located above the tapered portion .

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