KR102388833B1 - Vaporization system using canister with effective cell group - Google Patents

Abstract

According to one embodiment, there is provided a canister having a plurality of cells for storing a source, comprising: an inlet; outlet; a plurality of cells capable of storing a source; and an internal flow path through which the carrier gas introduced through the inlet is discharged through the outlet after sequentially moving through the plurality of cells; The plurality of cells are partitioned from each other, and among the plurality of cells, a first cell through which the carrier gas passes has the largest size, a canister may be provided.

Description

Vaporizer system that can minimize the residual amount using a canister having an effective cell group {VAPORIZATION SYSTEM USING CANISTER WITH EFFECTIVE CELL GROUP}

The present invention relates to a vaporizer system in which a residual amount using a canister having an effective cell group can be minimized.

Various raw materials (sources) used in processing equipment such as chemical vapor deposition (CVD) and atomic layer deposition (ALD), which coat a thin film essential in the manufacturing process of electronic materials such as semiconductors, displays, and light emitting diodes, are gas, liquid, or Supplied in solid form.

In the case of raw materials in the form of gas, it is used as a method that can supply a certain amount by controlling the pressure, but in the case of liquids or solids, since their own pressure is very low, most of them are put in an ampoule called a canister, After vaporization through steam generation through bubbling or heating, a method of supplying it to the reaction chamber is used.

Various techniques are known for a method of vaporizing a predetermined amount of a raw material in a liquid form into a canister and then using it, and various techniques are also known for vaporizing a raw material in a solid form. For example, as one of the prior art for vaporizing solid raw materials, Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-2010-0137016 (2010. 12. 29) (“Vaporizer, method of using vaporizer, method of using vaporizer, container, vaporizer unit and Methods for generating vapors for semiconductor process chambers").

1 is a view for explaining a conventional vaporizer.

Referring to FIG. 1 , a conventional vaporizer includes a canister (B) having a source storage space and a flow path for storing a source, an inlet for injecting a fluid into the canister (B), and discharging the vaporized material and carrier gas to the outside. outlet, including various valves (V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V6) and lines (L1, L2).

A flow path is located adjacent to the storage space filled with the source in the canister (B), and the carrier gas moves through the flow path to promote vaporization of the source. The source filled in the flow path is vaporized at a predetermined pressure and temperature, and by coming into contact with the carrier gas, vaporization of the source may be promoted.

The vaporizer has a vaporization mode and a purge mode, and in the vaporization mode, as shown in FIG. 2 , when the canister B is heated and the carrier gas is injected into the inlet via the valves V1 and V5, the canister B ) is vaporized and the vaporized source and carrier gas move to the processing facility via the valves V6 and V4. In the vaporization mode, the valves V2 and V3 are closed to prevent the fluid from flowing.

On the other hand, in the vaporization pattern in the flow path, the degree of saturation gradually increases as it passes through the flow path (ie, the farther away from the point where the carrier gas is introduced), and almost no vaporization occurs in the second half of the flow path (refer to FIG. 3 ). Here, the degree of saturation may be defined as for the source as follows.

Saturation = (current vaporized amount / maximum vaporized amount) * 100 (%)

Since the amount of the source decreases as the source vaporizes in the flow path, the surface area (part in contact with the carrier gas) of the source positioned in the flow path decreases from a certain moment. That is, the surface area of the source remaining in the flow path (the source in a non-vaporized state) starts to become smaller than the saturated surface area, and from this point on, the vaporization amount starts to decrease rapidly (refer to FIG. 4 ). Here, the saturated surface area means the surface area of the source at which the saturation of the source approaches 100%.

From the moment when the vaporization amount starts to decrease, the canister can no longer be used even if there is still source in the canister (because the processing facility requires a certain amount of vaporization amount), and the amount of sauce remaining in the canister at this time is called the residual amount. Since it is uneconomical as the remaining amount is large, the canister is designed to minimize the remaining amount of the source.

For example, Korean Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 10-2014-0133641 discloses a curved and stacked vaporizer designed to have a sufficiently long flow path to reduce the residual amount of sauce and ensure a stable vaporization amount (see FIG. 5 ). Referring to FIG. 5 , it can be seen that the path (indicated by an arrow) through which the carrier gas introduced into the conduit 3 moves is designed to be as long as possible from the bottom to the top. For reference, since the reference numerals in FIG. 5 are given in Korean Patent Application Laid-Open No. 10-2014-0133641, those skilled in the art should know that they are irrelevant to the reference numbers mentioned in the detailed description of the present specification.

As another example, Korean Patent No. 10-1247824 also discloses a vaporizer designed to have a long flow path. It can be seen that the vaporizer here is also designed in such a way that the surface area of the vaporized material exposed to the gas (eg, carrier gas) is increased.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a vaporizer system in which a residual amount using a canister having an effective cell group can be minimized.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a vaporizer system that minimizes the residual amount of the source by using the vaporizers connected in series.

According to one embodiment, there is provided a canister having a plurality of cells for storing a source, comprising: an inlet; outlet; a plurality of cells capable of storing a source; and an internal flow path through which the carrier gas introduced through the inlet is discharged through the outlet after sequentially moving through the plurality of cells; The plurality of cells are partitioned from each other, and among the plurality of cells, a first cell through which the carrier gas passes has the largest size, a canister may be provided.

According to another embodiment, in a canister having a plurality of cells for storing a source,

inlet; outlet; a plurality of cells capable of storing a source; and an internal flow path for allowing the carrier gas introduced through the inlet to sequentially move through the plurality of cells and then to be discharged through the outlet; A canister may be provided, in which a cell through which the carrier gas first passes has the largest size among cells belonging to the group, and the effective cell group includes at least two or more of the plurality of cells.

According to another embodiment, a first flow path that is a path through which the fluid can move, a first inlet communicated with the first flow path to inject a fluid into the first flow path, and a first inlet communicated with the first flow path and vaporized material to the outside a first vaporizer comprising a first canister having a first outlet for discharging; and a second flow path through which the fluid can move, a second inlet communicating with the second flow path to inject a fluid into the second flow path, and a second communicating with the second flow path and for discharging the vaporized material to the outside a second vaporizer comprising a second canister having an outlet; and

A connection line connecting the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer in series;

At least one of the first canister and the second canister is the canister described above,

A vaporization system may be provided, wherein material vaporized in the first vaporizer is transferred to the second vaporizer through the connecting line.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to minimize the remaining amount of the source by connecting and using the vaporizers in series.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, in the canister composed of a plurality of cells, the residual amount source stored in each cell is not biased.

1 to 5 are views for explaining a conventional vaporizer.
6 and 7 are views for explaining a vaporizer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a view for explaining the technical effect of the vaporizer system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a view for explaining a vaporization system according to the second embodiment.
FIG. 10 is a diagram for conceptually explaining an effect of the embodiment of FIG. 9 .

The above objects, other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be easily understood through the following preferred embodiments in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. However, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described herein and may be embodied in other forms. Rather, the embodiments introduced herein are provided so that the disclosed subject matter may be thorough and complete, and that the spirit of the present invention may be sufficiently conveyed to those skilled in the art.

In the drawings of the present specification, the thickness of the components is exaggerated or reduced for effective description of technical content.

In various embodiments of the present specification, terms such as first, second, etc. are used to describe various components, but these components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another. Embodiments described and illustrated herein also include complementary embodiments thereof.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing the embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. In this specification, the singular also includes the plural unless specifically stated otherwise in the phrase. As used herein, the terms 'comprises' and/or 'comprising' do not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other components.

Terms

In the present specification, the term 'channel' means a space through which a gas may be moved. The gas may be, for example, a carrier gas or a vaporized gas.

In the present specification, the term 'series' refers to a method of connecting a plurality of vaporizers. For example, when it is stated that the vaporizer A and the vaporizer B are connected in series, it means that the vaporized material discharged from the outlet of the vaporizer A is connected to enter the inlet of the vaporizer B.

As used herein, the term 'connection' (or 'communication') includes direct connection (or direct communication) and indirect connection (or indirect communication). A direct connection means that no other components are disposed between connected components, and an indirect connection indicates that one or more other components may be disposed between connected components.

As used herein, 'controlling the flow' is a concept including blocking the flow, allowing the flow, or controlling the amount of flow. For example, a component capable of regulating the flow of a fluid is a component that blocks the flow of the fluid, permits the flow of the fluid, or regulates the amount of the flowing fluid, such as a valve or a fluid load.

In the present specification, a 'valve' is a component that can control the flow of a fluid, and it means a component that can block the flow of the fluid, allow the flow of the fluid, or control the amount of the flowing fluid, for example, on- They may be devices such as off valves and control valves.

As used herein, the 'on-off valve' refers to a valve that blocks the flow of a fluid or allows the flow of a fluid, and the 'control valve' blocks the flow of a fluid or allows the flow of a fluid or controls the amount of a flowing fluid A valve that can be adjusted.

In this specification, 'upstream' and 'downstream' are terms for indicating a position in a line ('flow path') through which a fluid flows, and that the component A is located upstream than the component B means that the fluid is the component A It means that at least some of the fluids that arrive first and reach the component A reach the component B. Also, that the component A is located downstream of the component B means that the fluid arrives at the component B first, and that at least some of the fluids that reach the component B reach the component A.

In the present specification, the term 'size' of a cell is used to collectively refer to the 'depth' of the cell or the 'volume' (volume) of the cell.

The present inventors noted that, in the case of a canister having a long flow path, vaporization starts from the fluid inlet and gradually increases to the outlet, and when the saturation is sufficiently increased, sources located at the outlet of the canister are hardly used in the vaporization process.

Embodiments according to the present invention derived based on such attention are as follows.

First, a vaporization system configured to connect two or more vaporizers in series (hereinafter, 'first embodiment')

Second, in a canister having a plurality of cells (a space filled with a source), a vaporization system configured to have different sizes of cells (hereinafter, 'second embodiment')

Third, the embodiment combining the first embodiment and the second embodiment ('third embodiment')

Hereinafter, these embodiments will be sequentially described.

first embodiment

According to the vaporization system according to the first embodiment, it is possible to use the source filled in the first canister completely, and even when the source filled in the first canister is completely used, the source filled in the second canister remains sufficient to ensure a constant vaporization amount. there will be Accordingly, the ratio of the remaining amount to the total source usage can be minimized.

That is, when two canisters having a long flow path are connected in series and used, even if the source of the first canister is completely used, the vaporization amount is maintained constant by the surface area of the source of the second canister. When the first canister is fully used, the second canister is only partially used, and if the first canister is repeatedly replaced and used, the ratio of the remaining amount to the total usage can be significantly reduced.

Meanwhile, in the embodiments described in detail with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 below, the case of connecting two canisters in series has been described, but even when three or more canisters are connected in series, the technical effects of the present invention are is performed When three or more canisters are connected in series, the ratio of the remaining amount to the used amount of the source decreases even more rapidly.

The vaporization system according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a first vaporizer and a second vaporizer, and the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer may be connected in series by a connection line, which provides a path for the fluid to move. . That is, the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer are configured such that the vaporized material discharged from the outlet of the first vaporizer flows into the inlet of the second vaporizer.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the connection line connects the outlet of the first vaporizer and the inlet of the second vaporizer, and the material vaporized in the first vaporizer may be moved to the second vaporizer through the connection line.

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, the type or configuration of the first vaporizer and the type or configuration of the second vaporizer do not have to be identical to each other, and even if they have different types or configurations, the object of the present invention can be achieved .

According to the first embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the flow path of the first vaporizer and the flow path of the second vaporizer is a sufficiently long flow path. For example, a sufficiently long flow path satisfies R≥4, where R = L/A, where L is the length of the flow path through which the carrier gas moves, and A is the cross-sectional area of the flow path through which the carrier gas moves.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer is a stacked vaporizer. Such a stacked vaporizer is a vaporizer having a sufficiently long flow path and has a configuration in which the flow paths are stacked up and down.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer is a bubble vaporizer. Such a bubble vaporizer has a configuration having a sufficiently long flow path.

According to a first embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer is a vaporizer having a curved flow path. A vaporizer having such a curved flow path may have a configuration having a sufficiently long flow path.

6 and 7 are views for explaining the vaporization system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

6 and 7, the vaporization system according to the first embodiment of the present invention may include a first vaporizer and a second vaporizer. Here, the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer are connected in series.

The first vaporizer and the second vaporizer are devices for vaporizing a source and providing it to a processing facility.

Here, the processing equipment may be, for example, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) apparatus or apparatus such as a process chamber of a semiconductor processing equipment such as an ion implanter.

Referring to FIG. 6 , the first vaporizer has a cylindrical shape that can store a source, and has an inlet that can receive a fluid from the outside and an outlet that can discharge the vaporized gas to the outside, the canister B1 in which the fluid moves. It may include lines that provide a path through which it is possible, and components for regulating the flow of fluids flowing through the lines.

The canister B1 includes a source storage space (not shown) that can store a source, and a flow path ('first flow path') (not shown) adjacent to the source storage space that is a space through which a fluid can move, An inlet ('first inlet') communicated with the flow path for injecting a fluid (eg, carrier gas) into the first flow path, and a fluid (eg, vaporized source and carrier gas) in communication with the first flow path An outlet ('first outlet') for discharging to the outside is located above the canister B1. Fluids such as a carrier gas or a vaporized source move through the above-described first flow path.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the source may be a solid source or a liquid source, for example, boron (B: boron), phosphorous (P: phosphorous), copper (Cu: copper), gallium (Ga: gallium) , arsenic (As: arsenic), ruthenium (Ru: ruthenium), indium (In: indium), antimony (Sb: antimony), lanthanum (La: lanthanum), tantalum (Ta: tantalum), iridium (Ir: iridium), Decaborane (B10H14: decaborane), hafnium tetrachloride (HfCl4), zirconium tetrachloride (ZrCl4: zirconium tetrachloride), indium trichloride (InCl3: indium trichloride), metal organic beta-diketonate complex ), cyclopentadienyl cycloheptatriethyl titanium (CpTiChT: cyclopentadienyl cycloheptatrienyl titanium), aluminum trichloride (AlCl3: aluminum trichloride), titanium iodide (TixIy: titanium iodide), cyclooctatetraene cyclopentadienyl titanium ((Cot) )(Cp)Ti: cyclooctatetraene cyclopentadienyltitanium), bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium diazide [bis(cyclopentadienyl)titanium diazide], tungsten carbonyl (Wx(CO)y: tungsten carbonyl) (where x and y are natural numbers) ), bis(cyclopentadienyl)ruthenium(II)[Ru(Cp)2: bis(cyclopentadienyl)ruthenium(II)], ruthenium trichloride (RuCl3: ruthenium trichloride), and/or tungsten chloride (WxCly), where x and y are natural numbers). It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the sources described above are exemplary and that the present invention is not limited to such sources.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, the carrier gas may be, for example, a fluid such as N2, Ar, and/or He.

The first vaporizer may further include a heater (not shown), and the heater may apply heat to the canister B1 to vaporize the source stored in the canister B1 .

The inlet of the first vaporizer includes an inlet for injecting a fluid. The injection hole may be formed in the upper portion of the canister B1. The inlet of the first vaporizer may further include a valve (V105). The valve V105 may be, for example, an on-off valve coupled to the inlet to block or allow the flow of fluid injected into the inlet.

The outlet of the first vaporizer includes an outlet for discharging the fluid. Here, the outlet may be formed in the upper portion of the canister (B1). The outlet of the first vaporizer may further include a valve (V106). Valve V106 may be, for example, an on-off valve coupled to the outlet to block or allow the flow of fluid discharged to the outlet.

Lines providing a path through which the fluid provided in the first vaporizer can move may include a first line L111 , a second line L112 , and a branch line L113 .

The first line L111 may provide a path through which the fluid may move to the inlet of the canister B1.

In the present embodiment, a mass flow controller MFC (not shown) and a valve V101 may be positioned in the first line L111. Here, the mass flow controller (MFC) is located upstream of the valve (V101). The valve V101 is a component positioned between the inlet from the branch point P11 to which the branch line L113 is branched. Meanwhile, the valve V101 may be implemented as an on-off valve or a control valve.

The mass flow controller MFC may be positioned in the first line L111 before the branch point P11 at which the branch line L113 is branched to constantly control the amount of fluid flowing in the first line L111.

The second line L112 may provide a path through which the fluid may move from the outlet of the canister B1 to the second vaporizer.

A valve V104 is located in the second line L112. Valve V104 may be an on-off valve or a control valve. Meanwhile, the valve V104 located in the second line L112 is not an essential component, and a person skilled in the art may or may not install the valve V104 in the second line L112 as needed.

The vaporizer system includes couplers C301 and C303, and the couplers C301 and C303 are for detachably coupling the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer. If you want to separate the first carburetor and the second carburetor, it will be possible by releasing the couplers C301 and C303.

For the purpose of explanation of the present invention, a portion between the coupler C301 and the coupler C302 will be referred to as a connection line. Meanwhile, in the connection line, a portion connected to the first vaporizer is referred to as an 'inlet', and a portion connected to the second vaporizer is referred to as an 'outlet'.

The outlet of the first vaporizer and the inlet of the second vaporizer communicate with each other by the connection line, and the fluid discharged through the outlet of the first vaporizer flows to the inlet of the second vaporizer via the valves V106, V104, V201, and V205. can be imported.

In this embodiment, the inlet of the connection line is detachably coupled to the first vaporizer by the first coupler, and the outlet of the connection line is detachably coupled to the second vaporizer by the second coupler.

A valve V103 may be additionally located in the branch line L113 , and the valve V103 is located downstream of the valve V102 . For example, valve V103 is located between valve V102 and junction P12. The valve V103 may be an on-off valve or a control valve. On the other hand, the valve V103 located in the branch line L113 is not an essential component, and a person skilled in the art may or may not install the valve V103 to the branch line L113 as needed.

The first vaporizer according to an embodiment may include couplers C101 and C102. The coupler C101 has a structure capable of being separated and coupled, and is located on the first line L111 to connect the inlet and the valve V101. In addition, the coupler C102 also has a structure capable of being separated and coupled, and is located in the second line L112 to connect the outlet and the valve V104.

6, the second vaporizer has a cylindrical shape that can store the source and has an inlet that can receive a fluid from the outside and an outlet that can discharge the vaporized gas to the outside, the fluid is It may include lines that provide a path for movement, and components for regulating the flow of fluids flowing in the lines.

The canister B2 includes a source storage space (not shown) that can store a source, and a flow path ('second flow path') (not shown) adjacent to the source storage space that is a space through which a fluid can move, and a second An inlet ('second inlet') communicated with the flow path for injecting a fluid (eg, carrier gas) into the second flow path, and a fluid (eg, vaporized source and carrier gas) in communication with the second flow path An outlet ('second outlet') for discharging to the outside is located above the canister B2. Fluids such as a carrier gas or a vaporized source move through the second flow path described above.

The second vaporizer may further include a heater (not shown), and the heater may apply heat to the canister B2 to vaporize the source stored in the canister B2 .

The inlet of the second vaporizer includes an inlet for injecting a fluid. The injection hole may be formed in the upper portion of the canister B2.

The inlet of the second vaporizer may further include a valve V205. The valve V205 may be, for example, an on-off valve coupled to the inlet to block or allow the flow of fluid injected into the inlet.

The outlet of the second vaporizer includes an outlet for discharging the fluid. Here, the outlet may be formed in the upper portion of the canister (B2). The outlet of the second vaporizer may further include a valve V206. Valve V206 may be, for example, an on-off valve coupled to the outlet to block or allow the flow of fluid discharged to the outlet.

Lines providing a path through which the fluid provided in the second vaporizer can move may include a third line L211 , a fourth line L212 , and a branch line L213 .

The third line L211 may provide a path through which the fluid may move to the inlet of the canister B2 .

In this embodiment, the valve V201 may be located in the third line L211. Here, the valve V201 is a component located between the inlet from the branch point P21 to which the branch line L213 is branched. Meanwhile, the valve V201 may be implemented as an on-off valve or a control valve.

The fourth line L212 may provide a path through which the fluid may move from the outlet of the canister B2 to the processing facility.

A valve V204 is located in the fourth line L212. Valve V204 may be an on-off valve or a control valve. On the other hand, the valve V204 located in the fourth line (L212) is not an essential component, and those skilled in the art may or may not install the valve (V204) in the fourth line (L212).

A valve V203 may be additionally located in the branch line L213 , and the valve V203 is located downstream of the valve V202 . For example, valve V203 is located between valve V202 and confluence point P22. The valve V203 may be an on-off valve or a control valve. Meanwhile, the valve V203 located in the branch line L213 is not an essential component, and a person skilled in the art may or may not install the valve V203 to the branch line L213.

The second vaporizer according to an embodiment may include couplers C201 and C202. The coupler C201 has a structure that can be separated and coupled, and is located on the third line to connect the inlet and the valve V201. In addition, the coupler C202 also has a structure capable of being separated and coupled, and is located on the fourth line to connect the outlet and the valve V204.

Meanwhile, although the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer have the same configuration in the first embodiment as an example, the configuration of the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer does not have to be identical to each other.

The vaporization system according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a vaporization mode and a purge mode, and these operation modes will be sequentially described.

vaporization mode

6 and 7 , the vaporization mode is a mode in which an operation in which the source stored in the canisters B1 and B2 is vaporized is performed, and heat for vaporization of the source is generated by a heater (not shown) in the canisters B1 , B2) respectively.

In the vaporization mode, the first vaporizer, the valve V101 and the valve V105 located in the first line L111 are open to the first line L111 to flow the carrier gas to the canister B1, branch Control valve V102 located in line L113 is closed to prevent fluid from flowing in branch line L113, valve V103 is closed, and valve V104 and valve V106 are canister B1 is open to allow the vaporized source to flow in the direction of the treatment facility.

The mass flow controller MFC (not shown) operates to flow a predetermined amount of carrier gas to the first line L111.

Further, in the vaporization mode, the second vaporizer, the valve V201 and the valve V205 located in the third line L211 are open to the third line L211 to allow the carrier gas to flow into the canister B2, , the control valve V202 located in the branch line L213 is closed to prevent fluid from flowing to the branch line L213, the valve V203 is closed, and the valve V204 is vaporized in the canister B2. The source is open to flow towards the processing facility.

Fudge mode

The purge mode is a mode in which an operation for cleaning the lines L111, L112, L113, L211, L212, L213 and the valves connected to the canisters B1 and B2 is performed.

The purge mode may be performed for each vaporizer in a state in which the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer are not connected (a state in which the third line is removed), or may be performed in a state in which the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer are connected in series.

First, an operation in which the purge mode is performed for each vaporizer based on the first vaporizer will be described.

In the purge mode, all of the carrier gas flows to the branch line L113.

In the purge mode, the valves V101 and V104 are in the closed state and the valve V102 and the valve V103 are in the open state. Accordingly, the purge gas is discharged to the outside through the branch line.

Now, an operation in which the purge mode is performed in a state in which the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer are connected in series will be described.

In the purge mode, all of the carrier gas flows to the branch lines L113 and L213.

In the purge mode, the valves V101 and V104 are in the closed state and the valve V102 and the valve V103 are in the open state. Also, the valves V201 and V204 are in a closed state, and the control valve V202 and the valve V203 are in an open state. Therefore, when the purge gas moves along the first line L111 and meets the branch point P11, it moves to the branch line L113, and when it moves along the branch line L113 and meets the confluence point P12, it moves along the connection line. Go to the 2nd carburetor. When the purge gas moving along the connection line meets the branch point P21, it moves to the branch line L213, and when it moves along the branch line L213 and meets the junction P22, it moves along the fourth line L212 and then moves to the outside. is emitted as The purge mode is performed through the above-described operations.

8 is a view for explaining the effect of the vaporization system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 8 is a view for explaining the degree to which the amount of the source remaining in each of the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer changes with time when the vaporization system described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7 operates in vaporization mode .

In FIG. 8, (a) is a diagram for explaining the remaining amount of the first vaporizer over time, and (b) is a diagram for explaining the remaining amount of the second vaporizer over time.

On the other hand, for the purpose of explanation of the present invention, it is assumed that the length of each source storage space of the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer is L1 and the height is H1, and the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer are each used alone. It is assumed that the remaining amount is 25%.

Referring back to FIG. 8 , time T=0 represents the source state in the source storage space of the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer before the vaporization system is operated.

At time T=1, 25% of the sources of the first vaporizer are used, and the sources of the second vaporizer are unused.

At time T=2, 75% of the sources of the first vaporizer are used (ie, 25% of the sources of the first vaporizer remain), and the sources of the second vaporizer are unused.

At time T=3, the sources of the first vaporizer are all used up, and 25% of the sources of the second vaporizer are used up.

At time T=4, the sources of the first vaporizer are all used up, and 75% of the sources of the second vaporizer are used (ie, 25% of the sources of the first vaporizer remain).

That is, even if 25% or less of the source of the first vaporizer remains, the surface of the source (area in contact with the carrier gas) for the desired vaporization amount can be obtained from the surface of the source of the second vaporizer, so that the remaining amount of the first vaporizer It can be used until there are no leftovers.

In order to exhibit the technical effect of minimizing the residual amount according to the first embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer must have a sufficiently long flow path.

second embodiment

According to the vaporization system according to the second embodiment, it includes a canister made of a plurality of cells having different sizes, wherein the plurality of cells are partitioned from each other as a space for storing the source.

According to one embodiment of the second embodiment, in the vaporization mode, the carrier gas sequentially passes through a plurality of cells, and among the plurality of cells, the cell in which the carrier gas first meets is configured to have the largest size. Here, the size of the cell means the volume of the cell or the depth of the cell. For example, among the plurality of cells, a cell in which the carrier gas first meets may have the deepest depth, or a cell in which the carrier gas first meets may have the largest volume.

In the vaporization system according to another embodiment of the second embodiment, the plurality of cells included in the canister consists of N cells (S1, S2, S3, ..., SN/2, ..., SN), where S1 is a carrier When gas is injected into the canister, it is the first cell encountered, S2 is the second cell that the carrier gas meets, S3 is the third cell the carrier gas meets, and SN/2 is the N/2 cell where the carrier gas meets the second. (If N is an odd number, the decimal point is rounded off or rounded up in the calculation result of N/2), SN is the cell where the carrier gas meets last, and the remaining cells are also arranged in the above-described manner.

In the above-described N cells, the size of the cell satisfies at least S1 > S2 > S3, and as defined in Equations 1) or 2) below, the amount of source (filling amount) filled in the cells is 50% of the total filling amount or 60% or more is configured to be filled up to the SN/2-th cell.

1) C_S1 + C_S2 + C_S3 + … + C_SN/2 ≥ (C_total)/2

2) C_S1 + C_S2 + C_S3 + … + C_SN/2 ≥ (C_total)*0.6

Here, C_S1 is the amount filled in cell S1, C_S2 is the amount filled in cell S2, C_S3 is the amount filled in cell S2, C_SN/2 is the amount filled in cell SN/2, and C_total is the amount filled in N cells total filling amount)

A vaporization system according to another embodiment of the second embodiment includes a canister consisting of a plurality of cells (S1, S2, S3, ..., SN/2, ..., SN), and as defined in Equation (3) below, The size of the cell first met by the carrier gas injected into the canister is 20% or more of the sum of the sizes of the remaining cells.

(3) V_S1 ≥ (V_total)*0.2

Here, V_S1 is the size of cell S1, and V_total is the sum of the sizes of N cells)

On the other hand, the above-mentioned equations 1), 2), and 3) are empirically derived by the present inventors through various implementations of the present invention.

According to another embodiment of the second embodiment, the size of the cell that the carrier gas first meets in the effective cell group is the deepest. Here, the size of the cell means the volume of the cell or the depth of the cell. For example, the cell in which the carrier gas first meets the depth is the deepest among the plurality of cells included in the effective cell group, or the volume of the cell in which the carrier gas first meets the first among the plurality of cells included in the effective cell group This can be configured to be the largest.

Meanwhile, in the present specification, an effective cell group refers to cells that greatly affect the remaining amount of a source. The effective cell group may be empirically determined and determined by a person belonging to the technical field to which the present invention pertains (hereinafter, 'person skilled in the art') according to the total number or arrangement of cells.

The effective cell group may be defined as, for example, a cell in which a carrier gas is injected into the canister and meets first and a cell meets second.

The effective cell group may be defined as another, for example, a cell in which the carrier gas meets first, a cell in which the carrier gas meets a second cell, and a cell in which the carrier gas meets the third.

The number of cells included in the effective cell group is exemplary, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the number of such cells.

As used herein, the term 'canister having an effective cell group' refers to a canister having a plurality of cells, and is configured such that a cell in which the carrier gas meets first among cells belonging to the effective cell group has the largest size. .

Hereinafter, for the purpose of explanation, a second embodiment will be described using a canister composed of six cells as an example.

9 is a view for explaining a vaporization system according to the second embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the vaporization system according to the second embodiment has a cylindrical shape capable of storing a source, and a canister B3 having an inlet capable of receiving a fluid from the outside and an outlet capable of discharging the vaporized gas to the outside. ), lines that provide a path for the fluid to travel, and components (eg, valves) for regulating the flow of fluids flowing in the lines.

The canister B3 includes a plurality of cells capable of storing a source therein, and an internal flow path (not shown) that sequentially passes through such cells to provide a path for the carrier gas to move, and provides the internal flow path with a fluid (eg, For example, an inlet for injecting a carrier gas) and an outlet for discharging a fluid (eg, a vaporized source and a carrier gas) to the outside in communication with the internal flow path are located above the canister B3. Fluids such as carrier gas or vaporized source move through the above-described internal flow path.

The internal flow path (not shown) of the canister B3 provides a function of allowing the carrier gas introduced through the inlet to sequentially move through a plurality of cells and then discharged through the outlet.

The vaporization system according to the second embodiment can also operate in the vaporization mode and the purge mode, and the operations in the vaporization mode and the purge mode are the same as those of the first embodiment, so please refer to the description of the first embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 9 , the canister B3 according to the second embodiment may include a plurality of cells S1 , S2 , S3 , S4 , S5 , and S6 having different depths, and the plurality of cells stores a source. They are spaced apart from each other. Those skilled in the art will readily understand that the number and arrangement of a plurality of cells shown in FIG. 9 are exemplary and that the scope of the present invention is not limited only to the number and arrangement.

Inside the canister B3, an internal flow path (not shown) is formed so that the carrier gas introduced through the inlet passes (moves) sequentially through the plurality of cells S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, S6. has been

Since the configuration of the internal flow path (not shown) can be easily implemented by those skilled in the art, a detailed description thereof will be omitted herein. The internal flow path (not shown) may vary depending on the size of the canister, the number of cells, the arrangement of the plurality of cells, and the like, and may be configured such that the carrier gas sequentially passes through the plurality of cells.

In this specification, sequentially passing through a plurality of cells means sequentially passing through one cell at a time (via cell S1, then through cell S2, then through cell S3, then through cell S4) via, then via cell S5, and then via cell S6) as well as sequentially passing through two or more cells simultaneously. For example, it may be possible to pass through cell S1 and cell S2 simultaneously, then through cell S3, then through cell S4 and cell S5, and then through cell S6.

9, in the canister B3 according to the second embodiment, the carrier gas passes through cell S1, then through cell S2, then through cell S3, then through cell S4, Next, an internal flow path (not shown) is formed to pass through the cell S5 and pass through the cell S6.

In the canister B3 according to the second embodiment, the depth of the cell where the carrier gas first meets among the plurality of cells S1, S2, S3, S4, S5, and S6 is the deepest. That is, the depth h1 of the cell S1 is greater than the depth of the other cells.

In the embodiment of FIG. 9 , the depth of cell S1 where the carrier gas first meets (that is, through) is the deepest, the depth of cell S2 where the carrier gas meets second is shallower than the depth of cell S1, and the depth of cell S1 where the carrier gas meets the third The depth of cell S3 is shallower than that of cell S2.

Since the remaining amount of the source of the canister B3 has a close relationship with the depth of the cells initially met by the carrier gas, the depths of the cells S1, S2, and S3 initially met were adjusted as above, and the subsequent cells S4 and S5 , and S6 had no significant effect, so the depth was kept constant without adjusting the depth.

As described above, since the remaining amount of the source of the canister B3 in the vaporization mode is closely related to the size of the cells initially met by the carrier gas, an effective cell group is defined in the present specification, and such An effective cell group is defined as the cells that the carrier gas initially encounters. The size of cells not belonging to the effective cell group may be arbitrarily adjusted by a person skilled in the art to fit the size of the canister or the number of cells.

Meanwhile, for those skilled in the art, in order to optimize the second embodiment, it is preferable to configure the size of the remaining cells not belonging to the effective cell group to be shallower than the size of the cells belonging to the effective cell group.

According to one embodiment of the second embodiment, when the sizes of cells belonging to the effective cell group are compared with each other, the size of the cell that meets the carrier gas first is the largest, and the size of the cell is sequentially decreased. For example, it may be configured such that the depth of the cell first meeting the carrier gas is the largest and the depth of the cell is sequentially decreased.

For example, the effective cell group may be defined to include a cell S1 where the carrier gas meets first and a cell S2 where the carrier gas meets second. In this case, the depth h1 of the cell S1 is the deepest among all the cells, and the depth h2 of the cell S2 is shallower than or equal to the depth h1 of the cell S1.

As another example, the effective cell group may be defined to include a cell S1 where the carrier gas meets first, a cell S2 where the carrier gas meets second, and a cell S3 where the carrier gas meets the third. In this case, the depth h1 of the cell S1 is the deepest among all the cells, the depth h2 of the cell S2 is shallower than the depth h1 of the cell S1, and the depth h3 of the cell S3 is the depth of the cell S2. It is constructed to be shallower than or equal to (h2). As such, the cells constituting the effect cell group are configured such that the depth of the cell where the carrier gas first meets is the deepest, and the depths of subsequent cells are sequentially shallow or the same.

9 is a case in which an effective cell group is defined and configured with cells S1, S2, and S3. The depths of the remaining cells S4, S5, and S6 not belonging to the effective cell group may be arbitrarily adjusted by those skilled in the art according to the size or number of canisters.

As described above, for the optimization of the second embodiment, it is preferable to configure the depths of the remaining cells not belonging to the effective cell group to be sequentially shallower than the depths of the cells belonging to the effective cell group.

For another optimization of the second embodiment, the depth of the plurality of cells through which the carrier gas sequentially passes is sequentially made shallow (that is, the depth of the cell through which the carrier gas first passes is always greater than the depth of the cell through which the carrier gas passes later. can be configured).

For another optimization of the second embodiment, the depth of the plurality of cells through which the carrier gas sequentially passes is sequentially shallow (ie, so that the depth of the cell through which the carrier gas first passes is always greater than the depth of the cell through which the carrier gas passes later) ), and at the same time, the surface area of the plurality of cells (the area in contact with the source when the carrier gas moves) is also sequentially smaller (that is, the surface area of the cell through which the carrier gas first passes is always larger than the surface area of the cell through which the carrier gas passes later). can be configured. For example, in the embodiment of FIGS. 9 and 10( b ), the surface area of cells S1 , S2 , and S3 belonging to the effective cell group is that of the remaining cells S4 , S5 , and S6 not belonging to the effective cell group. An embodiment configured to be larger than the surface area is exemplarily shown.

FIG. 10 is a diagram for conceptually explaining an effect of the embodiment of FIG. 9 .

Referring to FIG. 10, FIG. 10(a) conceptually shows the remaining amount of source (result of operation in vaporization mode) in a canister composed of a plurality of cells having the same depth in the prior art, and FIG. According to the embodiment, the remaining amount of the source in the canister configured to have the deepest depth of the cell through which the carrier gas first passes is conceptually indicated.

Although the second embodiment described above with reference to FIGS. 9 to 10 has been described with reference to a case in which a plurality of cells are arranged in six, those skilled in the art can easily understand that the present invention is not limited only to the number or arrangement of such cells. There will be.

3rd embodiment

The third embodiment is an embodiment in which the first embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 8 and the second embodiment described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 10 are combined.

According to the third embodiment, it has a configuration in which at least one canister among the canisters B1 and B2 connected in series in the first embodiment is replaced with the canister B3 in the second embodiment.

According to an example of the third embodiment, the canister B1 among the canisters B1 and B2 connected in series in the first embodiment may be replaced with the canister B3 in the second embodiment.

According to another example of the third embodiment, among the canisters B1 and B2 connected in series in the first embodiment, the canister B2 may be replaced with the canister B3 in the second embodiment.

According to another example of the third embodiment, all of the canisters B1 and B2 connected in series in the first embodiment may be replaced with the canister B3 in the second embodiment.

As such, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, and it is apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, it should be said that such modifications or variations belong to the claims of the present invention.

Canister: B, B1, B2, B3
Valves: V1, V2, V3, V4, V5, V101, V102, V103, V104. V105, V201, V202, V203, V204, V205
Lines: L1, L2, L111, L112, L113, L211, L212, L213

Claims (15)

A canister having a plurality of cells for storing a source, the canister comprising:
inlet;
outlet;
a plurality of cells capable of storing a source; and
and an internal flow path through which the carrier gas flowing in through the inlet sequentially moves through the plurality of cells and then discharged through the outlet;
The plurality of cells consists of cells from S1 to SN (S1, S2, S3, ..., SN/2, ..., SN) (where N is a natural number greater than or equal to 4) on the carrier gas path,
Among the plurality of cells, sequentially from S1 to at least two or more predetermined number of cells are defined as an effective cell group that affects the remaining amount of the source,
The cells of the effective cell group have different cell sizes, but the cell size of S1 is the largest and the cell size sequentially decreases as it goes downstream along the carrier gas path,
The size of the remaining cells not belonging to the effective cell group is smaller than the size of the last cell of the effective cell group,
By configuring the surface area of the cells of the effective cell group to be larger than the surface area of the remaining cells not belonging to the effective cell group,
A canister, characterized in that it is possible to minimize the remaining amount of the source remaining in the canister when the canister is replaced. delete delete The method of claim 1,
The size of the cell satisfies at least S1 > S2 > S3, and the cells are
C_S1 + C_S2 + C_S3 + … + C_SN/2 ≥ (C_total)/2
, where C_S1 is the amount filled in cell S1, C_S2 is the amount filled in cell S2, C_S3 is the amount filled in cell S2, and C_SN/2 is the amount filled in cell SN/2, C_total is the total fill amount filled in N cells. The method of claim 1,
The size of the cell satisfies at least S1 > S2 > S3, and the cells are
C_S1 + C_S2 + C_S3 + … + C_SN/2 ≥ (C_total)*0.6
, where C_S1 is the amount filled in cell S1, C_S2 is the amount filled in cell S2, C_S3 is the amount filled in cell S2, and C_SN/2 is the amount filled in cell SN/2, C_total is the total fill amount filled in N cells. The method of claim 1,
The size of the cells is determined by the following formula
V_S1 ≥ (V_total)*0.2
, wherein V_S1 is the size of cell S1 and V_total is the sum of the sizes of N cells. delete delete delete A first flow path through which the fluid can move, a first inlet communicating with the first flow path to inject a fluid into the first flow path, and a first outlet communicating with the first flow path and discharging a vaporized material to the outside A first vaporizer comprising a first canister having a; and
A second flow path through which the fluid can move, a second inlet communicating with the second flow path to inject fluid into the second flow path, and a second outlet communicating with the second flow path and discharging vaporized material to the outside a second vaporizer comprising a second canister; and
A connection line connecting the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer in series;
At least one of the first canister and the second canister is the canister according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
wherein material vaporized in the first vaporizer is transferred to the second vaporizer through the connecting line. 11. The method of claim 10,
At least one of the first flow path and the second flow path is a stacked flow path, the vaporization system. 11. The method of claim 10,
wherein at least one of the first vaporizer and the second vaporizer is a bubble vaporizer. 11. The method of claim 10,
wherein at least one of the first flow path and the second flow path is a curved flow path. delete delete

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