US20130276928A1 - Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates - Google Patents
Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20130276928A1 US20130276928A1 US13/923,939 US201313923939A US2013276928A1 US 20130276928 A1 US20130276928 A1 US 20130276928A1 US 201313923939 A US201313923939 A US 201313923939A US 2013276928 A1 US2013276928 A1 US 2013276928A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- cap
- substrate
- fluid
- flow
- flow substrate
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Abandoned
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
- H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
- H01L21/67098—Apparatus for thermal treatment
- H01L21/67109—Apparatus for thermal treatment mainly by convection
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L41/00—Branching pipes; Joining pipes to walls
- F16L41/02—Branch units, e.g. made in one piece, welded, riveted
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F16—ENGINEERING ELEMENTS AND UNITS; GENERAL MEASURES FOR PRODUCING AND MAINTAINING EFFECTIVE FUNCTIONING OF MACHINES OR INSTALLATIONS; THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L—PIPES; JOINTS OR FITTINGS FOR PIPES; SUPPORTS FOR PIPES, CABLES OR PROTECTIVE TUBING; MEANS FOR THERMAL INSULATION IN GENERAL
- F16L41/00—Branching pipes; Joining pipes to walls
- F16L41/02—Branch units, e.g. made in one piece, welded, riveted
- F16L41/03—Branch units, e.g. made in one piece, welded, riveted comprising junction pieces for four or more pipe members
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
- Y10T137/5109—Convertible
- Y10T137/5283—Units interchangeable between alternate locations
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
- Y10T137/8593—Systems
- Y10T137/87153—Plural noncommunicating flow paths
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y10—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC
- Y10T—TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION
- Y10T137/00—Fluid handling
- Y10T137/8593—Systems
- Y10T137/877—With flow control means for branched passages
- Y10T137/87885—Sectional block structure
Definitions
- the present invention is directed to fluid delivery systems, and more particularly to extreme flow rate and/or high temperature surface mount fluid delivery systems for use in the semiconductor processing and petrochemical industries.
- Fluid delivery systems are used in many modem industrial processes for conditioning and manipulating fluid flows to provide controlled admittance of desired substances into the processes.
- Practitioners have developed an entire class of fluid delivery systems which have fluid handling components removably attached to flow substrates containing fluid pathway conduits. The arrangement of such flow substrates establishes the flow sequence by which the fluid handling components provide the desired fluid conditioning and control. The interface between such flow substrates and removable fluid handling components is standardized and of few variations.
- Such fluid delivery system designs are often described as modular or surface mount systems. Representative applications of surface mount fluid delivery systems include gas panels used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment and sampling systems used in petrochemical refining. The many types of manufacturing equipment used to perform process steps making semiconductors are collectively referred to as tools.
- Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to fluid delivery systems for semiconductor processing and specifically to surface mount fluid delivery systems that are specifically well suited for use in extreme flow rate and/or high temperature applications where the process fluid is to be heated to a temperature above ambient. Aspects of the present invention are applicable to surface mount fluid delivery system designs whether of a localized nature or distributed around a semiconductor processing tool.
- Fluid pathways may also be constructed from polymer materials in applications where possible ionic contamination of the fluid would preclude using metals.
- the method of sealingly joining the fluid handling components to the flow substrate fluid pathway conduits is usually standardized within a particular surface mount system design in order to minimize the number of distinct part types. Most joining methods use a deformable gasket interposed between the fluid component and the flow substrate to which it is attached.
- Gaskets may be simple elastomeric O-Rings or specialized metal sealing rings such as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,507 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,760.
- Providing controlled delivery of high purity fluids in semiconductor manufacturing equipment has been of concern since the beginning of the semiconductor electronics industry and the construction of fluid delivery systems using mostly metallic seals was an early development.
- One early example of a suitable bellows sealed valve is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,156, while the widely used VCR® fitting for joining fluid conduits is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,910, and a typical early diaphragm sealed valve is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,423 for example.
- the recent commercial interest in photovoltaic solar cell fabrication which has less stringent purity requirements than needed for making the newest microprocessor devices, may bring a return to fluid delivery systems using elastomeric seals.
- a collection of fluid handling components assembled into a sequence intended for handling a single fluid species is frequently referred to as a gas stick.
- the equipment subsystem comprised of several gas sticks intended to deliver process fluid to a particular semiconductor processing chamber is often called a gas panel.
- the general fluid flow path is comprised of passive metallic structures, containing the conduits through which process fluid moves, with valves and like active (and passive) fluid handling components removably attached thereto.
- the passive fluid flow path elements have been variously called manifolds, substrates, blocks, and the like, with some inconsistency even within the work of individual inventors. This disclosure chooses to use the terminology flow substrate to indicate fluid delivery system elements which contain passive fluid flow path(s) that may have other fluid handling devices mounted there upon.
- Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a surface mount fluid delivery flow substrate that is specifically adapted for use in extreme flow rate and/or high temperature applications where the process fluid is to be heated (or cooled) to a temperature above (or below) that of the ambient environment.
- extreme flow rate corresponds to gas flow rates above approximately 50 SLM or below approximately 50 SCCM.
- a significant aspect of the present invention is the ability to fabricate flow substrates having fluid pathway conduits with a cross-sectional area (size) substantially larger or smaller than other surface mount architectures.
- Flow substrates in accordance with the present invention may be used to form a portion of a gas stick, or may be used to form an entire gas stick. Certain embodiments of the present invention may be used to implement an entire gas panel using only a single flow substrate. Flow substrates of the present invention may be securely fastened to a standardized stick bracket, such as that described in Applicant's co-pending patent application Ser. No. 12/777,327, filed on May 11, 2010 (hereinafter, “Applicant's co-pending application”), thereby providing firm mechanical alignment and thereby obviating need for any interlocking flange structures among the flow substrates. In addition, flow substrates of the present invention may be adapted as described in Applicant's co-pending application to additionally provide one or more manifold connection ports and thereby allow transverse connections between fluid delivery sticks.
- the flow substrate configurations of the present invention may be adjusted for use with valves and other fluid handling components having symmetric port placement (e.g., W-SealTM devices) or asymmetric port placement (e.g., standard “C-Seal” devices) on the valve (or other fluid handling component) mounting face. Only asymmetric designs are shown herein because such devices are most commonly available in the semiconductor equipment marketplace.
- symmetric port placement e.g., W-SealTM devices
- C-Seal standard “C-Seal” devices
- a flow substrate comprising a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each component conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; and at least one cap.
- the at least one cap is formed from a second material and has a first surface that is constructed to seal at least one fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways, and a second surface opposing the first surface of the at least one cap.
- At least one of the substrate body and the at least one cap includes a weld formation formed in at least one of the second surface of the substrate body and the second surface of the at least one cap, wherein the weld formation is constructed to surround the at least one fluid pathway and facilitate welding of the at least one cap to the substrate body along the weld formation.
- the component conduit ports extend through the substrate body to the second surface of the substrate body, and the first material and the second material are stainless steel of the same alloy type.
- the first material may be a stainless steel
- the second material may be a nickel alloy, such as a Hastelloy® corrosion resistant metal alloy, available from Haynes International, Inc.
- the substrate body includes a first weld formation formed in the second surface of the substrate body and the at least one cap includes a second weld formation formed in the second surface of the at least one cap.
- the at least one cap includes the weld formation, wherein the weld formation includes a groove formed in the second surface of the at least one cap.
- the groove facilitates welding of the at least one cap to the substrate body by identifying the location of where the at least one cap is to be welded to the substrate body and by reducing the power needed to weld the at least one cap to the substrate body.
- the groove may be formed in the second surface of the at least one cap by chemical etching.
- the at least one cap has a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm, and the groove has a depth of approximately 0.25 mm.
- the flow substrate may further comprise a plate formed from a rigid material and constructed to be disposed adjacent the second surface of the at least one cap, and may additionally comprise a sheet heater, wherein the sheet heater is constructed to be disposed between the plate and the second surface of the at least one cap.
- the at least one cap includes a plurality of weld formations, each weld formation of the plurality of weld formations including a respective groove formed in the second surface of the at least one cap, each respective groove of the plurality of grooves surrounding a respective one of the plurality of fluid pathways.
- the at least one cap includes a plurality of caps corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways, each respective cap of the plurality of caps including a respective groove formed in the second surface of the respective cap.
- the substrate body includes the weld formation formed in the second surface of the substrate body, the weld formation including a recessed weld wall surface surrounding the at least one fluid pathway.
- the weld formation further includes a stress relief groove surrounding the recessed weld wall surface.
- the weld formation further includes a swaged lip surrounding the at least one fluid pathway and disposed between the at least one fluid pathway and the recessed weld wall surface, and in a further aspect of this embodiment, the weld formation further includes a stress relief groove surrounding the recessed weld wall surface.
- the flow substrate forms a portion of a gas stick for conveying one of semiconductor process fluids and sampling fluids and petrochemical fluids, and in another embodiment, the flow substrate forms substantially all of a fluid delivery panel.
- a flow substrate comprising a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each component conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; a plurality of seals corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways; and at least one cap.
- the at least one cap is formed from a second material, the at least one cap having a first surface that is constructed to seal at least one fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways, and a second surface opposing the first surface of the at least one cap.
- the at least one cap is configured to receive and retain at least one seal of the plurality of seals in registration with the at least one cap and to form a fluid tight seal with the at least one fluid pathway upon compression against the substrate body.
- the component conduit ports extend through the substrate body to the second surface of the substrate body.
- the first material and the second material are plastic, and in accordance with another embodiment, the first material is plastic, and the second material is metal.
- the at least one cap includes a groove formed in the first surface of the at least one cap and dimensioned to retain the at least one seal.
- the groove is formed in the first surface of the at least one cap by one of molding and machining.
- the at least one cap includes a plurality of grooves formed in the first surface of the at least one cap, each respective groove of the plurality of grooves being dimensioned to retain a respective seal of the plurality of seals.
- the at least one cap includes a plurality of caps corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways, each respective cap of the plurality of caps being configured to receive and retain a respective seal of the plurality of seals between the first and second surfaces of the respective cap.
- the first and second surfaces of each respective cap are separated by an intermediate portion of the respective cap, the intermediate portion having a smaller cross sectional extent than either of the first and second surfaces of the respective cap, and in a further aspect of this embodiment, the first and second surfaces of each respective cap are dimensioned to be the same.
- the flow substrate may further comprise a plate formed from a rigid material and constructed to be disposed adjacent the second surface of the at least one cap and to compress the at least one cap against the substrate body.
- a flow substrate comprising a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; and a cap.
- the cap is formed from a second material and has a first surface to be placed in registration with the second surface of the substrate body, and a second surface opposing the first surface of the cap.
- the second surface of the cap has a plurality of weld formations formed therein, each respective weld formation of the plurality of weld formations being constructed to surround a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways and define a location where the cap is to be welded to the second surface of the substrate body.
- the first material and the second material are stainless steel of the same alloy type
- the cap has a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm
- each of the plurality of weld formations includes a groove having a depth of approximately 0.25 mm.
- the flow substrate may further comprise a plate formed from a rigid material and constructed to be disposed adjacent the second surface of the cap, and a sheet heater constructed to be disposed between the plate and the second surface of the cap.
- the flow substrate may form at least a portion a gas stick for conveying one of semiconductor process fluids and sampling fluids and petrochemical fluids.
- a flow substrate comprising a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; and a plurality of caps.
- Each of the plurality of caps are formed from a second material, each respective cap of the plurality of caps having a first surface to seal a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways and a second surface opposing the first surface of the respective cap.
- Each respective cap of the plurality of caps including a weld formation, formed in the second surface of the respective cap, and constructed to surround a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways and facilitate welding of the respective cap to the substrate body along the weld formation.
- the substrate body may include a plurality of weld formations formed in the second surface of the substrate body and surrounding a respective one of the plurality of fluid pathways.
- a flow substrate comprising a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; a plurality of weld formations, formed in the second surface of the substrate body, each respective weld formation of the plurality of weld formations surrounding a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways; and a plurality of caps.
- Each of the plurality of caps may be formed from a second material, and each respective cap of the plurality of caps is constructed to be welded to the substrate body along a respective weld formation of the plurality of weld formations.
- each respective weld formation includes a swaged lip surrounding a respective fluid pathway.
- each respective cap of the plurality of caps includes a first surface constructed to seal a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways and a second surface opposing the first surface, wherein each respective cap includes a weld formation formed in the second surface of the respective cap to facilitate welding of the respective cap to the substrate body.
- a flow substrate comprising a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; a plurality of seals corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways; and a cap.
- the cap is formed from a second material and configured to be attached to the second surface of the substrate body.
- the cap has a first surface that to be disposed in registration with the second surface of the substrate body, and a second surface opposing the first surface of the cap, the cap including a plurality of grooves defined therein.
- Each respective groove of the plurality of grooves is constructed to surround a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways and to receive a respective seal of the plurality of seals.
- each respective groove of the plurality of grooves is dimensioned to receive and retain a respective seal of the plurality of seals within the respective grove prior to attachment of the cap to second surface of the substrate body.
- a flow substrate comprising a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; a plurality of seals corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways; and a plurality of caps formed from a second material and corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways.
- Each respective cap of the plurality of caps is constructed to receive and retain a respective seal of the plurality of seals and to form a fluid tight seal with a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways upon compression of the respective cap against the substrate body.
- the flow substrate may further comprise a plate formed from a rigid material and constructed to be disposed in registration with the second surface of the substrate body and to compress each of the plurality of caps against the substrate body.
- a first fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways may have a different cross-sectional area than a second fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways.
- the plurality of fluid pathways may be a first plurality of fluid pathways that extend between each respective pair of component conduit ports in a first direction, and wherein the flow substrate further includes at least one second fluid pathway formed in one of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate body that extends in a second direction that is transverse to the first direction.
- FIG. 1A is a plan view of a first embodiment of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate of FIG. 1A taken along line A-A in FIG. 1A ;
- FIG. 1C illustrates a view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 1A and 1B from below;
- FIG. 1D is an elevational view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 1A-C ;
- FIG. 1E is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate of FIG. 1B taken along line B-B in FIG. 1B ;
- FIG. 1F is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate of FIG. 1B taken along line C-C in FIG. 1B ;
- FIG. 1G is an end view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 1A-F ;
- FIG. 1H is an exploded view of a portion of the flow substrate depicted in FIG. 1B ;
- FIG. 1I is an elevational view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 1A-H from below;
- FIG. 1J is a cut-away elevational view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 1A-I ;
- FIG. 2A is a plan view of a second embodiment of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate of FIG. 2A taken along line A-A in FIG. 2A ;
- FIG. 2C illustrates a view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 2A and 2B from below;
- FIG. 2D is an elevational view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 2A-C ;
- FIG. 2E is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate of FIG. 2B taken along line B-B in FIG. 2B ;
- FIG. 2F is an exploded view of a portion of the flow substrate depicted in FIG. 2B ;
- FIG. 2G illustrates various elevational views of the flow substrate of FIGS. 2A-F from below prior to assembly of the cap;
- FIG. 2H illustrates an elevational view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 2A-G from below after assembly of the cap;
- FIG. 3A is a plan view of a third embodiment of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate of FIG. 3A taken along line A-A in FIG. 3A ;
- FIG. 3C illustrates a view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 3A and 3B from below;
- FIG. 3D is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIGS. 3A-C taken along line B-B in FIG. 3B ;
- FIG. 3E is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIGS. 3A-D from below showing a first weld preparation
- FIG. 4A is a plan view of fourth embodiment of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention.
- FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate of FIG. 4A taken along line A-A in FIG. 4A ;
- FIG. 4C is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIGS. 4A-B taken along line B-B in FIG. 4B ;
- FIG. 4D is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIGS. 4A-C from below showing a second weld preparation
- FIG. 4E is a cross-sectional view of a flow substrate of FIGS. 4A-D in which the weld cap is shown in position;
- FIG. 4F is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIG. 4E ;
- FIG. 4G is an elevational view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 4A-F from below;
- FIG. 5 illustrates various views of a weld cap for use with the flow substrates of FIGS. 3-4 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention
- FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of a flow substrate in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention that includes a third weld preparation
- FIG. 6B is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIG. 6A taken along line B-B in FIG. 6A ;
- FIG. 6C is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIGS. 6A-B from below showing the third weld preparation;
- FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 6A-C in which the weld cap is shown in position;
- FIG. 6E is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate and cap of FIG. 6D ;
- FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of a flow substrate in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention that includes a fourth weld preparation
- FIG. 7B is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIG. 7A taken along line B-B in FIG. 7A ;
- FIG. 7C is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIGS. 7A-B from below showing the fourth weld preparation;
- FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 7A-C in which the weld cap is shown in position;
- FIG. 7E is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate and cap of FIG. 7D ;
- FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of a flow substrate in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention that includes a fifth weld preparation
- FIG. 8B is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIG. 8A taken along line B-B in FIG. 8A ;
- FIG. 8C is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIGS. 8A-B from below showing the fifth weld preparation;
- FIG. 8D is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 8A-C in which the weld cap is shown in position;
- FIG. 8E is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate and cap of FIG. 8D ;
- FIGS. 9A-B illustrate various views of a weld cap for use with the flow substrates of FIGS. 7-8 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention
- FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view of a flow substrate in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention that includes a cap and an elastomeric seal;
- FIG. 10B is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIG. 10A taken along line B-B in FIG. 10A ;
- FIG. 10C is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate of FIGS. 10A-B from below;
- FIG. 10D is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate of FIGS. 10A-C in which the cap and elastomeric seal are shown in position with a backup plate;
- FIG. 10E is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate and cap of FIG. 10D ;
- FIG. 10F illustrates an elevational view of the flow substrate, cap, elastomeric seal, and backup plate of FIGS. 10A-E prior to assembly;
- FIG. 10G illustrates an elevational view of the flow substrate, cap, elastomeric seal, and backup plate of FIGS. 10A-F after assembly of the cap and elastomeric seal;
- FIG. 11A illustrates the manner in which a single fluid substrate may be used to implement all or a portion of a heated gas panel in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 11B illustrates the manner in which a single fluid substrate may be used to implement all or a portion of a heated gas panel in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 12A illustrates a fluid flow panel for use with liquids and gases in which the entire fluid panel is implemented with two fluid flow substrates in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention
- FIG. 12B illustrates an elevational view of the fluid flow panel of FIG. 12A ;
- FIG. 12C illustrates a portion of the fluid flow panel of FIGS. 12A-B in which fluid pathways formed within the fluid flow substrate are visible.
- the fluid materials manipulated in the fluid delivery flow substrates of the present invention may be a gaseous, liquid, or vaporous substance that may change between liquid and gas phase dependent upon the specific temperature and pressure of the substance.
- Representative fluid substances may be a pure element such as argon (Ar), a vaporous compound such as boron trichloride (BCl3), a mixture of normally liquid silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4) in carrier gas, or an aqueous reagent.
- FIGS. 1A-J illustrate a modular flow substrate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention for use with fluid handling components having asymmetric port placement (e.g., C-seal components) in which one of the ports of the fluid handling component is axially aligned with the center of the component and the other is situated off axis.
- asymmetric port placement e.g., C-seal components
- W-SealTM components W-SealTM components
- the flow substrate 100 includes a substrate body 101 formed from a solid block of material and an associated cap 195 (see FIG. 1I ), each of which may be formed from a suitable material (such as stainless steel) in accordance with the intended use of the flow substrate.
- the substrate 100 includes a component attachment surface 105 to which a fluid handling component (such as a valve, pressure transducer, filter, regulator, mass flow controller, etc.) is attached.
- a fluid handling component such as a valve, pressure transducer, filter, regulator, mass flow controller, etc.
- Formed in the component attachment surface 105 of the flow substrate are one or more component conduit ports 120 .
- Component conduit port 120 a would typically be fluidly connected to a first port (inlet or outlet) of a first fluid handling component, while component port 120 b would typically be fluidly connected to the second port (outlet or inlet) of the first fluid handling component; component conduit port 120 c would typically be fluidly connected to the port (outlet or inlet) of a second fluid handling component that is distinct form the first fluid handling component.
- Component conduit ports 120 c and 120 d and component conduit ports 120 e and 120 f would each be respectively connected to the inlet and outlet of a respective fluid handling component and illustrate how the flow substrate 100 is specifically suited to fluid handling components having asymmetric port placement.
- Component port 120 g would typically be associated with the inlet or outlet port of a device, such as a mass flow controller, that might be used to communicate the flow of process fluid between flow substrates of a fluid delivery stick.
- component conduit ports 120 a and 120 b Associated with component conduit ports 120 a and 120 b are a plurality of internally threaded component mounting apertures 110 a , 110 b , 110 c , and 110 d , each of which would receive the threaded end of a fastener (not shown) that is used to sealingly mount a fluid handling component to the flow substrate 100 .
- conduit port 120 g Associated with conduit port 120 g are a pair of internally threaded component mounting apertures 110 y , 110 z , each of which would receive the threaded end of a fastener (not shown) to sealingly mount a port of a fluid handling component, such as a mass flow controller to the flow substrate 100 .
- an adjacent flow substrate in the fluid delivery stick would typically provide an additional pair of mounting apertures needed to sealingly mount the other port of the fluid handling component to the adjacent flow substrate.
- a leak port 125 a for component conduit ports 120 a and 120 b
- 125 b for component conduit ports 120 c and 120 d
- the flow substrate 100 includes a number of fluid pathways 175 a , 175 b , 175 c , and 175 d that are used to convey fluid in a longitudinal direction (i.e., from left to right in FIG. 1A ) along the flow substrate 100 .
- fluid pathway 175 a extends between a tube stub connection 135 and component conduit port 120 a
- fluid pathway 175 b extends between component conduit ports 120 b and 120 c
- fluid pathway 175 c extends between component conduit port 120 d and component conduit port 120 e
- fluid pathway 175 d extends between component conduit port 120 f and 120 g .
- Tube stub connection 135 would typically be fluidly connected (for example, by welding) to a source or sink of process fluid.
- a plurality of dowel pin apertures 150 a through 150 h are formed in the flow substrate 100 that extend from the component attachment surface 105 through to a connection attachment surface 115 on a side of the flow substrate opposing the component attachment surface 105 .
- the connection attachment surface 115 may be used to connect the substrate 100 to a fluid delivery stick bracket, to a manifold, or both, such as described in Applicant's co-pending application.
- Each of these dowel pin apertures 150 a - 150 h can receive a dowel pin (not shown) that may be used to perform different functions.
- a first function is to align the cap 195 with the body 101 of the flow substrate 100
- a second is to align the flow substrate with a fluid delivery stick bracket in a manner similar to that described in Applicant's co-pending application. It should be appreciated that in certain installations, only the first of these functions may be performed, such that after alignment (and welding as described further in detail below), the dowel pin may be removed and re-used with another flow substrate body and cap.
- the location of the dowel pin may be backwards compatible with existing modular flow substrate systems, for example, the K1s system.
- FIG. 1C illustrates a view of the flow substrate 100 from below in which a plurality of flow substrate mounting apertures 130 are visible.
- the plurality of flow substrate mounting apertures 130 are formed in the cap 195 and extend through the cap 195 and into the body 101 of the flow substrate (shown more clearly in FIG. 1I ).
- the flow substrate mounting apertures 130 are internally threaded to receive a fastener (not shown) to mount the flow substrate 100 to a mounting surface, such as a fluid delivery stick bracket, from below.
- the placement of the flow substrate mounting apertures 130 may be varied depending upon the placement of mounting apertures in the mounting surface to which the flow substrate 100 is to be attached.
- component conduit ports 120 and fluid pathways 175 are all machined in a cost-effective manner.
- component conduit ports 120 a - 120 g may each be formed by machining from the component attachment surface 105 into a first or top surface of the body 101 of the flow substrate 100
- fluid pathways 175 b , 175 c , and 175 d may each be respectively formed by machining from a second or bottom surface of the body 101 of the flow substrate as shown in FIG. 1F
- fluid pathway 175 a may be formed by machining from a side surface of the body of the flow substrate as shown in FIG. 1E .
- the fluid pathways 175 may be treated to enhance their corrosion resistance.
- the dimensions of the fluid pathways 175 depicted in the figures are particularly well suited for higher flow rates, such as those above approximately 50 SLM. Indeed, the dimensions of the fluid pathways depicted in the figures permit the flow substrate 100 to be used in high flow rate applications (e.g., between approximately 50-100 SLM) as well as very high flow rate applications (e.g., those above approximately 200 SLM). Thus, embodiments of the present invention may be used with emerging semiconductor manufacturing equipment that is designed to operate at very high flow rates between approximately 200 SLM to 1000 SLM.
- the dimensions of the fluid pathways may be scaled down for lower flow applications in a straight-forward manner, for example, simply by reducing the cross-sectional area of one or more of the fluid pathways 175 b , 175 c , and 175 d .
- the dimensions of the fluid pathways are not constrained by the dimensions of the component conduit ports, and thus, the cross-sectional area of the fluid pathways may be significantly larger, smaller, or the same as that of the component conduit ports to accommodate a wide range of flow rates.
- FIGS. 1H and 1I illustrate various details of the cap 195 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
- the cap 195 is formed from a thin sheet of stainless steel approximately 0.02 inches (0.5 mm) thick. The thinness of the sheet of stainless steel permits heat to be readily transferred to the process fluids flowing in the flow substrate by application of heat to the connection attachment surface 115 of the substrate.
- the source of heat may be provided by a block heater, by a cartridge heater inserted into a groove of a fluid delivery stick bracket to which the flow substrate is attached in a manner similar to that described in Applicant's co-pending application, or by a thin film heater, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,307,247. It should be appreciated that the thinness of the cap also permits fluid flowing in the flow substrate to be cooled, should that be desired.
- the sheet of stainless steel may be chemically etched to form groves 123 that surround and define the fluid pathways 175 b , 175 c , and 175 d .
- Such chemical etching may be accurately performed, and can be less expensive than other method of forming groves, such as by machining, which may alternatively be used.
- the groves may be etched to a thickness of approximately 0.01 inches (0.25 mm). The presence of the grooves 123 surrounding and defining each fluid pathway 175 b , 175 c , and 175 d serves a number of purposes.
- the thinness of the grooves permits the cap to be welded to the body 101 of the flow substrate, for example, by electron beam welding, using less time and energy than if the grooves 123 were not present.
- the welding would be performed by tracing around each fluid pathway defined by the groove, thereby forming a fluid tight seal.
- the electron beam welding may be performed in a vacuum environment to minimize any contamination.
- the vacuum welding environment acts to further eliminate contaminants (such as Carbon, Sulfur, Manganese, etc.) at the point of the weld.
- electron beam welding is generally preferred, it should be appreciated that other types of welding, such as laser welding may also be used.
- Dowel pin holes 150 a , 150 b in the body 101 of the flow substrate and corresponding dowel pin holes 150 a ′, 150 b ′ in the cap 195 receive a dowel pin that permits the cap 195 to be aligned with and held in registration with the body of the flow substrate 100 during welding.
- the dowel pins may be removed and re-used after welding is complete, or kept in place as an aid for aligning the flow substrate with a mounting surface.
- FIGS. 2A-H illustrate a modular flow substrate in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
- this embodiment is specifically adapted for use with fluid handling components having asymmetric port placement (e.g., C-seal components) in which one of the ports of the fluid handling component is axially aligned with the center of the component and the other is situated off axis.
- asymmetric port placement e.g., C-seal components
- W-SealTM components symmetric port placement
- This second embodiment is specifically adapted for use in higher volume (i.e., higher flow rate) applications, but may be adapted for use in lower volume applications, such as those below approximately 50 SCCM, as well. As this second embodiment shares many similar design aspects as the first, only differences are described in detail below.
- the flow substrate 400 includes a substrate body 401 formed from a solid block of material and an associated cap 495 (see FIG. 2G ), each of which may be formed from a suitable material (such as stainless steel) in accordance with the intended use of the flow substrate.
- a suitable material such as stainless steel
- the body 401 and/or cap 495 of the flow substrate may also be formed (e.g., molded or machined) from polymeric materials, such as plastic.
- the use of other materials, such as plastic permits the flow substrate 400 to be particularly well suited to chemical delivery applications or biological applications where ionic contamination is a concern, and/or applications where cost is a concern.
- flow substrate 400 includes a component attachment surface 105 to which a fluid handling component (such as a valve, pressure transducer, filter, regulator, mass flow controller, etc.) is attached.
- a fluid handling component such as a valve, pressure transducer, filter, regulator, mass flow controller, etc.
- Formed in the component attachment surface 105 of the flow substrate 400 are one or more component conduit ports 120 , having similar functionality as that described with respect to the first embodiment.
- each of the component conduit ports 120 Associated with each of the component conduit ports 120 are a plurality of internally threaded component mounting apertures 110 a , 110 b , 110 c , 110 d , 110 y , and 110 z , each of which would receive the threaded end of a fastener (not shown) that is used to sealingly mount a fluid handling component (not shown) to the flow substrate 400 in a manner similar to that described previously.
- a leak port 125 a for component conduit ports 120 a and 120 b
- 125 b for component conduit ports 120 c and 120 d
- the flow substrate 400 includes a number of fluid pathways 175 a , 175 b , 175 c , and 175 d that are used to convey fluid in a longitudinal direction (i.e., from left to right in FIG. 2A ) along the flow substrate 400 .
- tube stub connection 135 would typically be fluidly connected (for example, by welding, or by using a suitable adhesive, such as an epoxy) to a source or sink of process fluid.
- a plurality of dowel pin apertures 150 a through 150 h are formed in the flow substrate 400 that extend from the component attachment surface 105 through to a connection attachment surface 115 on a side of the flow substrate opposing the component attachment surface.
- the connection attachment surface 115 may be used to connect the substrate 400 to a fluid delivery stick bracket, to a manifold, or both, such as described in Applicant's co-pending application.
- each of these dowel pin apertures 150 a - 150 h can receive a dowel pin (not shown) that may be used to perform different functions.
- a first function is to align the cap 495 with the body 401 of the flow substrate 400
- a second is to align the flow substrate with a fluid delivery stick bracket in a manner similar to that described in Applicant's co-pending application. It should be appreciated that in certain installations, only the first of these functions may be performed. For example, depending on the length of the dowel pin used, the dowel pin may protrude through the cap 495 and extend beyond connection attachment surface 115 , such that the dowel pins may be used to align the flow substrate with corresponding apertures in the fluid delivery stick bracket or other mounting surface.
- the locations of the dowel pins may be backwards compatible with existing modular flow substrate systems.
- the length of the dowel pin may be such that it does not extend beyond the connection attachment surface, but still engages the cap 495 to ensure alignment.
- FIG. 2C illustrates a view of the flow substrate 400 from below in which a plurality of flow substrate mounting apertures 130 are visible.
- the plurality of flow substrate mounting apertures 130 are formed in the cap 495 and extend through the cap 195 and into the body 401 of the flow substrate (shown more clearly in FIG. 2G ).
- the flow substrate mounting apertures 130 ( 130 a , 130 b in FIG. 2G ) are internally threaded to receive a fastener 421 ( FIG. 2H ) to mount the flow substrate 400 to a mounting surface, such as a fluid delivery stick bracket, from below.
- the fasteners 421 are also used to compress a deformable gasket 455 , such an elastomeric o-ring to form a seal around each respective fluid pathway 175 b , 175 c , and 175 d , as described further below.
- a deformable gasket 455 such an elastomeric o-ring to form a seal around each respective fluid pathway 175 b , 175 c , and 175 d , as described further below.
- component conduit ports 120 and fluid pathways 175 can again be machined or molded in a cost-effective manner.
- FIGS. 2D-H illustrate various details of the cap 495 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.
- the thickness of the cap 495 is considerably thicker than that of the first embodiment (e.g., 0.13 inches (3.3 mm) versus 0.02 inches (0.5 mm)) making it somewhat less effective at transferring heat, or cooling to the fluid flowing in the flow substrate, particularly where the cap 495 and body 401 of the flow substrate 400 are formed from relatively non-conductive materials, such as plastic, and where heating (or cooling) is provided to the exposed surface 115 from below.
- the thickness of the cap 495 permits the cap 495 to be sufficiently rigid so as to permit it to act as its own mounting surface, and permits grooves 423 to be formed therein that are sufficiently deep so as to retain an elastomeric seal 455 .
- the grooves 423 are machined in the surface of the cap 495 that is to be placed in registration with the body 401 of the flow substrate (i.e., the unexposed surface of the cap 495 when placed in registration with the body 401 of the substrate 400 , rather than the exposed surface 115 that would be placed in registration with a fluid delivery stick bracket or other mounting surface as in the first embodiment).
- the grooves 423 are dimensioned so as to retain the elastomeric seal 455 in place during assembly of the cap 495 to the body 401 of the flow substrate 400 without the use of additional seal retainers.
- the elastomeric seals 455 would be positioned in the grooves 423 defined in a top surface of the cap 495 , with the top surface of the cap 495 being placed in registration with the body 401 of the substrate so that dowel pin aperture 150 a ′ in the cap 495 is aligned with dowel pin aperture 150 a in the body 401 , dowel pin aperture 150 b ′ in the cap is aligned with dowel pin aperture 150 b in the body 401 , and substrate mounting apertures 130 a ′ and 130 b ′ in the cap 495 are aligned with substrate mounting apertures 130 a and 130 b in the body 401 , respectively.
- the grooves 423 of this embodiment are described as being machined in the surface of the cap, it should be
- a plurality of fasteners 421 are used to secure the cap 495 to the body 401 of the flow substrate 400 .
- These fasteners 421 may serve two purposes: to mount the flow substrate 400 to a fluid delivery stick bracket from below; and to compress the elastomeric seals 455 and ensure a fluid tight seal around the periphery of the fluid pathways 175 b - d .
- the elastomeric seals 455 would typically be placed in position in the grooves 423 of the cap 495 .
- the cap would then be aligned with the body 401 of the flow substrate 400 , aided by the dowel pins inserted in dowel pin apertures 150 , where the dowel pins extending through dowel pin apertures 150 a ′, 150 b ′, etc. of the cap 495 act to secure the cap 495 and elastomeric seals 455 in place with the substrate body 401 of the flow substrate 400 , thereby forming a single unit.
- the flow substrate 400 would then be placed in the desired position on the fluid delivery stick bracket or other mounting surface, and the fasteners 421 inserted from below the bracket or other mounting surface.
- Tightening of the fasteners 421 secures the flow substrate to the mounting surface, and compresses the elastomeric seals 455 so that a fluid tight seal is formed around the periphery of the fluid pathway, and the cap 495 is in registration with the body 401 of the flow substrate 400 .
- the cap 495 is not welded to the body 401 of the flow substrate 400 , the cap 495 , and the associated elastomeric seals 455 may later be removed with a minimal amount of effort.
- the cap 495 may be easily removed to expose and/or clean the fluid pathways, to replace one or more of the elastomeric seals 455 , etc.
- the thickness of the cap 495 may be increased so as to permit the formation of longitudinal heater apertures and the insertion of one or more cartridge type heaters therein that directly heat the cap 495 , and thus the fluid flowing in the fluid pathways 175 .
- a modification may be used even where the body 401 of the flow substrate is formed from a non-conductive material, such as plastic.
- the cap 495 may be formed from a thermally conductive material, such as aluminum, while the body 401 of the flow substrate is formed from a different material, e.g., plastic.
- the flow substrate may include a manifold fluid pathway oriented in a transverse direction.
- a tube stub connection similar to the tube stub connection 135 could extend from a lateral side surface of the body 101 ( 401 ) of the flow substrate, with the manifold fluid pathway being formed in a manner similar to that described with respect to fluid pathway 175 a.
- FIGS. 1 and 2 described above are directed to flow substrates in which a plurality of fluid pathways formed within the substrate body are sealed by a common or integrated cap that is attached to the bottom surface of the substrate body.
- the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-J uses an integrated cap that is welded the bottom surface of the flow substrate around each of the fluid pathways to seal each of the fluid pathways, while the embodiment of FIGS. 2A-H use an integrated cap that, when compressed against the bottom surface of the substrate body, compresses a plurality of elastomeric seals disposed around each of the fluid pathways to seal each of the fluid pathways.
- a plurality of individual caps may alternatively be used.
- Embodiments of Applicant's invention that use a plurality of individual caps are now described with respect to FIGS. 3-12 .
- FIGS. 3A-E are directed to a flow substrate that includes a plurality of associated caps, with each cap being associated with a respective fluid pathway formed in the body of the flow substrate.
- the caps may be similar in structure to the cap 595 shown in FIG. 5 , and are recessed within the body of the substrate and then seam welded in place.
- the caps may be formed, for example, by stamping or by machining a piece of metal, for example, stainless steel.
- FIGS. 3A-C illustrate that in addition to being able to accommodate fluid handling components with two ports, certain embodiments of the present invention may be modified to accommodate fluid handling components having three ports.
- each of the fluid pathways is surrounded by a weld formation (also called a weld preparation) that includes a weld edge 805 , a stress relief wall 810 and a stress relief groove 815 .
- the stress relief groove 815 acts to prevent any bowing, twisting, or other distortion that might occur during seam welding of the cap 595 to the body of the flow substrate along the weld edge 805 , and the exposed surface of the weld cap 595 fits within the body of the flow substrate.
- the welding of the cap to the body of the substrate will typically leave a small bump at the weld location, no additional surface preparation is required to remove this bump because it does not extend beyond the bottom surface of the body of the flow substrate and may be left in place.
- FIGS. 4A-G illustrate an alternative design of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention that also includes a fluid pathway that is sealed by a corresponding individual cap.
- the substrate body may include a plurality of fluid pathways similar to those shown in FIGS. 3A-E , as FIGS. 4A-G illustrated herein are primarily used to detail the structure of the weld formation used in this particular embodiment.
- the cap that is used in this embodiment may be formed from a piece or sheet of metal, such as by stamping or machining, as illustrated in FIG. 5 .
- the weld formation includes a weld edge 1005 , a stress relief wall 1010 and a stress relief groove 1015 , each performing a function similar to that described above with respect to FIGS. 3A-E .
- the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 4A-G also includes a swaged lip 1020 .
- a mechanical force would be applied to the swaged lip 1020 surrounding each fluid pathway, for example, using a die or jig built for this purpose.
- the mechanical force applied to the die or jig pushes or folds (i.e., swages) the lip inward toward the weld edge to capture and retain the respective cap 595 within the body of the flow substrate.
- the substrate with its associated retained cap(s) may then be manipulated as a single unit.
- Each respective cap may then be seam welded along the folded swaged lip and weld edge to form a leak tight seal.
- no additional surface preparation or machining is required to remove any weld bump that might be formed along the weld edge, because it does not extend beyond the bottom surface of the substrate body.
- the stress relief groove acts to prevent any bowing, twisting, or other distortion that might occur during seam welding of the cap 595 to the body of the flow substrate along the weld edge 1005
- FIG. 5 illustrates a cap 595 that may be used with the embodiments of FIGS. 3-4 .
- the cap 595 may be machined or stamped from a sheet of metal at very low cost.
- the thickness of the cap 595 in one embodiment of the present invention is approximately 0.035 inches (0.9 mm) thick, nearly twice the thickness of the integrated weld cap 195 , and requires no additional reinforcement even in high pressure applications.
- FIGS. 6A-E illustrate yet an alternative design of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention that includes a fluid pathway sealed by a corresponding individual cap.
- the substrate body may include a plurality of fluid pathways similar to those shown in FIGS. 3A-E , as FIGS. 6A-E illustrated herein are primarily used to detail the structure of the weld formation used in this particular embodiment.
- the cap 595 that is used in this embodiment may be the same as that described with respect to FIG. 5 above, and may be formed from a piece or sheet of metal, such as by stamping or machining, as illustrated in FIG. 5 .
- the weld formation of this embodiment is substantially similar to that described above with respect to FIGS. 4A-G , and includes a weld edge 1505 , a recessed flat bottom 1510 , and a swaged lip 1520 .
- a respective cap 595 such as that shown in FIG. 5 , may be seam welded to seal each respective fluid pathway.
- the weld formation of this embodiment does not include a stress relief groove as in the embodiment of FIGS. 4A-G .
- 3A-E and 4 A-G helps prevent any deformation of the body of the flow substrate during welding, its presence is not strictly necessary, as seam welding processes generally transfer less heat to the body of the substrate than other types of welding processes, such as stake welding. Accordingly, where cost is a significant concern, the stress relief groove may be omitted as shown with respect to this embodiment. As in the embodiments of FIGS. 3A-E and 4 A-G, no additional surface preparation or machining is required to remove any weld bump that might be formed along the weld edge, because it does not extend beyond the bottom surface of the substrate body.
- FIGS. 7A-E and 8 A-E illustrate alternative embodiments of the present invention that also use individual caps to seal respective fluid pathways formed in the bottom surface of the body of the flow substrate.
- Each of the embodiments of FIGS. 7A-E and 8 A-E use a weld cap (depicted in FIGS. 9A-B ) in which a weld formation in the form of a heat penetration groove 2600 is formed around a periphery of the cap 995 .
- FIGS. 7A-E and 8 A-E illustrate only a single fluid pathway to be sealed by a respective cap
- the substrate body may include a plurality of fluid pathways similar to those shown in FIGS. 3A-E as FIGS. 7A-E and 8 A-E are shown herein primarily to detail the structure of the weld formations used in these particular embodiments.
- the embodiment of FIGS. 7A-E includes a weld formation formed in the body of the flow substrate that includes a stress relief wall and weld surface 1910 and a stress relief groove 1915 .
- the stress relief groove 1915 again acts to prevent any bowing, twisting, or other distortion that might occur during welding of the cap to the body of the flow substrate.
- the cap is stake welded to the stress relief wall and weld surface 1910 along the heat penetration groove 2600 formed in the cap 995 ( FIGS. 9A-B ).
- each respective cap would be staked to the stress relief wall and weld surface 1910 .
- This staking may be performed by welding the cap 995 to the stress relief wall and weld surface 1910 at a number of discrete locations along the periphery of the fluid pathway, or by mechanical force, for example, by using a punch to stake the cap 995 to the stress relief wall and weld surface 1910 at a number of discrete locations.
- the staking permits the substrate with its associated retained cap(s) to be manipulated as a single unit and prevents movement of the cap 995 during welding.
- Each respective cap 995 may then be stake welded along the heat penetration groove 2600 to form a continuous weld seal. As described in more detail below with respect to FIGS.
- the heat penetration groove 2600 permits the cap 995 to be welded to the substrate using less energy, more quickly, and with less deformation to the substrate body than were it not present.
- FIG. 7E illustrates the manner in which the weld penetrates the body of the substrate.
- FIGS. 8A-E illustrate another embodiment of the present invention that uses individual caps to seal respective fluid pathways formed in the bottom surface of the body of the flow substrate.
- this embodiment uses a weld cap 995 (depicted in FIGS. 9A-B ) in which a weld formation in the form of a heat penetration groove 2600 is formed around a periphery of the cap 995 .
- the weld formation of the embodiment of FIGS. 8A-E includes only a flat surface 2310 that is recessed in the bottom surface of the body of the flow substrate that surrounds a periphery of the fluid pathway.
- each respective cap would be staked to the flat surface 2310 by, for example, by welding the cap to the flat surface at a number of discrete locations along the periphery of the fluid pathway, or by mechanical force, as noted above.
- the staking permits the substrate with its associated retained cap(s) to be manipulated as a single unit, and prevents movement of the cap during welding.
- Each respective cap may then be stake welded along the heat penetration groove 2600 to form a continuous weld seal.
- the cap may be stake welded to the body of the flow substrate with less energy and less (or no) distortion to the body of the flow substrate than were it not present.
- FIG. 8E illustrates the manner in which the weld penetrates the body of the substrate.
- FIGS. 9A-B illustrate a weld cap that is adapted to be stake welded to the body of a flow substrate.
- the weld cap 995 includes a heat penetration groove 2600 that surrounds a periphery of the weld cap 995 .
- the heat penetration groove 2600 may be formed by chemical etching, or by machining.
- the heat penetration groove 2600 reduces the thickness of the weld cap in the location of the groove by approximately 30% to 50%, and in the embodiment shown, by approximately 40%.
- the thickness of the weld cap 995 is approximately 0.02 inches (0.5 mm) thick
- the groove is approximately 0.020 to 0.025 inches wide (0.5 mm to 0.6 mm) at its widest point, and approximately 0.008 to 0.01 inches (0.2 mm to 0.25 mm) deep.
- the heat penetration groove 2600 reduces the time and power necessary to form a continuous stake weld with the body of the flow substrate.
- the heat penetration groove 2600 in the cap also acts as a guide for the person or machine performing the welding.
- weld cap 995 is similar in design to the integrated weld cap 195 of FIGS. 1A-J , in that the presence of the grooves 123 , 2600 act as a guide during welding, and enable fluid pathways to be sealed using less power and time.
- FIGS. 10A-G illustrate a flow substrate and associated cap in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention.
- the embodiment of FIGS. 10A-G utilizes elastomeric seals to seal the fluid pathway, as in the embodiment of FIGS. 2A-H .
- the flow substrate, the cap, or both the flow substrate and the cap may be formed from metal, or from non-metallic materials.
- metallic materials may be used, and where ionic contamination is a concern, non-metallic materials may be used.
- the fluid pathway 175 includes a pocket region 1040 that is dimensioned to receive a cap 1050 and associated elastomeric seal 1055 ( FIGS. 10D-F ) and a positive stop ledge 1030 that is dimensioned to prevent further movement of the cap 1050 and associated elastomeric seal 1055 when compressed in the pocket region 1040 ( FIG. 10E ).
- FIGS. 10D-G illustrate the manner in which a backup plate 1060 may be used to compress the cap 1050 and associated elastomeric seal 1055 within the pocket region of the fluid pathway 175 .
- Threaded fasteners (not shown) that are received in internally threaded flow substrate mounting apertures 1065 compress the backup plate 1060 against the body of the substrate and force the cap 1050 and associated elastomeric seal into sealing engagement within the pocket region 1040 .
- the flow substrate and the cap may be formed from metal or plastic.
- the backup plate 1060 may be formed from any suitable material, such as aluminum, where heating or cooling of the fluid in the fluid pathway is desired, or from plastic.
- the cap 1050 includes a pair of shoulders 1051 and 1052 that retain the elastomeric seal 1055 in position about the cap 1050 so that the cap 1050 and associated elastomeric seal 1055 may be inserted as a single unit.
- the pair of shoulders 1051 , 1052 have the same dimensions so that the cap 1050 and its associated elastomeric seal 1055 may be inserted with shoulder 1051 engaging the positive stop ledge 1030 , or with the shoulder 1052 engaging the positive stop ledge 1030 .
- FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate a number of further aspects of the present invention. As shown in FIGS. 11A and 11B , rather than using a number of flow substrates to form a gas stick or an entire gas panel, a single block of material 1100 may be used to form a gas stick or an entire gas panel. FIG. 11A also illustrates how a back-up plate 1120 may be used to reinforce the cap (or caps) for higher pressure applications. For example, when used with an integrated thin weld cap such as that shown in FIGS. 1A-J in which multiple pathway sealing weld locations are defined (e.g., by grooves 123 shown in FIG.
- a back-up plate 1120 may be desired to reinforce the weld cap, especially for high pressure applications.
- the back-up plate 1120 may be formed from a metallic material, such as aluminum, or a non-metallic material such as plastic.
- a sheet heater 1110 may be located between the flow substrate (with associated cap or caps) and the back-up plate 1120 . The combination of a thin integrated cap with sheet heater and back-up plate securely seals the fluid pathways for use at higher pressures, while allowing heat to be readily transmitted to the fluids flowing therein. As shown in FIG.
- FIG. 11B rather than using an integrated weld cap, multiple individual weld caps, such as weld caps 595 and 995 ( FIGS. 5 and 9 ) may be used.
- FIG. 11B further shows that rather than using a sheet heater 1110 , a serpentine heater 1112 may be used that is embedded in a serpentine shaped groove in the back-up plate 1120 , or alternatively still, a number of conventional cartridge-type heaters 1114 may be used.
- the back-up plate shown in FIG. 11A may not only be used with the thin weld cap used in the embodiment of FIGS. 1A-J , but may also be used with the embodiment of FIGS. 10A-E to compress each of the o-ring seals used to seal each fluid pathway.
- the back-up plate 1120 could be formed from a metallic material to provide additional support for any fluid component mounting.
- fluid handling components disposed on the top surface of the flow substrate could then be down mounted to the body of the flow substrate via threaded fasteners that extend through holes formed in the body of the substrate and are received in threaded apertures of the back-up plate 1120 .
- FIGS. 12A-C illustrate a gas panel for use with liquids, gases, or combinations of liquids and gases that exemplifies several additional aspects of the present invention.
- an entire gas panel may be formed using only two flow substrates 1200 , 1201 , each of which incorporate several gas sticks (individual gas sticks in a given substrate would convey fluids from left to right in FIG. 12A ).
- the substrates 1200 , 1201 of this embodiment are adapted for use with fluid handling components having symmetric port placement, such as W-SealTM device, rather than those having asymmetric port placement.
- W-SealTM device symmetric port placement
- the substrate 1200 may include fluid pathways having different flow capacities, fluid pathways oriented in different directions, and/or fluid pathways formed in opposing surfaces of the body of the substrate.
- the substrate 1200 may include larger diameter fluid pathways 1275 a , 1275 b , 1275 c formed in a bottom surface (pathway 1275 a ) or a top surface (fluid pathway 1275 b ) of the substrate 1200 to convey fluid in a first direction, or in a second direction (fluid pathway 1275 c ).
- Such larger diameter fluid pathways may be used to convey a purge gas or fluid, such as argon.
- the flow substrate may also include smaller diameter fluid pathways 1275 d , 1275 e , 1275 f formed in a top surface or a bottom surface (fluid pathway 1275 d ) of the substrate 1200 to convey a fluid in the first direction, as well as smaller diameter fluid pathways formed in a top surface (fluid pathway 1275 e ) or a bottom surface (fluid pathway 1275 f ) to convey a fluid in the second direction.
- the smaller diameter fluid pathways 1275 d , 1275 e , and 1275 f may be used to convey solvents or other liquids or gases.
- 12A-C is adapted for use with a metal weld cap that is welded to the body of the substrate
- this embodiment could alternatively be adapted for use with elastomeric seals.
- a backup plate such as that described with respect to FIGS. 11A and 11B
- those fluid pathways formed in the top surface of the substrate could be formed so that fluid components mounted in registration with the top surface of the substrate are down mounted over the cap and seal and compress the associated cap and seal when fastened from above in sealing engagement with the conduit ports in the substrate.
Abstract
A flow substrate including a body having a first surface, a second opposing surface, a plurality of pairs of ports defined in the first surface, a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of ports and in fluid communication with each port of the respective pair of ports, and at least one cap. Each fluid pathway is formed in the second surface. The at least one cap has a first surface constructed to seal at least one fluid pathway, and a second opposing surface. At least one of the body and the at least one cap includes a weld formation formed in at least one of the second surface of the body and the second surface of the at least one cap constructed to surround the at least one fluid pathway and facilitate welding of the at least one cap to the body along the weld formation.
Description
- This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C. §120 as a division of U.S. application Ser. No. 12/796,979 titled “EXTREME FLOW RATE AND/OR HIGH TEMPERATURE FLUID DELIVERY SUBSTRATES,” filed Jun. 9, 2010, which claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/185,829, titled “HIGH FLOW RATE AND/OR HIGH TEMPERATURE FLUID DELIVERY SUBSTRATES,” filed on Jun. 10, 2009, and to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/303,460, titled “EXTREME FLOW RATE AND/OR HIGH TEMPERATURE FLUID DELIVERY SUBSTRATES,” filed on Feb. 11, 2010, each of which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/777,327, titled “FLUID DELIVERY SUBSTRATES FOR BUILDING REMOVABLE STANDARD FLUID DELIVERY STICKS, filed May 11, 2010 (now U.S. Pat. No. 8,307,854), which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
- 1. Field of the Invention
- The present invention is directed to fluid delivery systems, and more particularly to extreme flow rate and/or high temperature surface mount fluid delivery systems for use in the semiconductor processing and petrochemical industries.
- 2. Discussion of the Related Art
- Fluid delivery systems are used in many modem industrial processes for conditioning and manipulating fluid flows to provide controlled admittance of desired substances into the processes. Practitioners have developed an entire class of fluid delivery systems which have fluid handling components removably attached to flow substrates containing fluid pathway conduits. The arrangement of such flow substrates establishes the flow sequence by which the fluid handling components provide the desired fluid conditioning and control. The interface between such flow substrates and removable fluid handling components is standardized and of few variations. Such fluid delivery system designs are often described as modular or surface mount systems. Representative applications of surface mount fluid delivery systems include gas panels used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment and sampling systems used in petrochemical refining. The many types of manufacturing equipment used to perform process steps making semiconductors are collectively referred to as tools. Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to fluid delivery systems for semiconductor processing and specifically to surface mount fluid delivery systems that are specifically well suited for use in extreme flow rate and/or high temperature applications where the process fluid is to be heated to a temperature above ambient. Aspects of the present invention are applicable to surface mount fluid delivery system designs whether of a localized nature or distributed around a semiconductor processing tool.
- Industrial process fluid delivery systems have fluid pathway conduits fabricated from a material chosen according to its mechanical properties and considerations of potential chemical interaction with the fluid being delivered. Stainless steels are commonly chosen for corrosion resistance and robustness, but aluminum or brass may be suitable in some situations where cost and ease of fabrication are of greater concern. Fluid pathways may also be constructed from polymer materials in applications where possible ionic contamination of the fluid would preclude using metals. The method of sealingly joining the fluid handling components to the flow substrate fluid pathway conduits is usually standardized within a particular surface mount system design in order to minimize the number of distinct part types. Most joining methods use a deformable gasket interposed between the fluid component and the flow substrate to which it is attached. Gaskets may be simple elastomeric O-Rings or specialized metal sealing rings such as seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,803,507 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,357,760. Providing controlled delivery of high purity fluids in semiconductor manufacturing equipment has been of concern since the beginning of the semiconductor electronics industry and the construction of fluid delivery systems using mostly metallic seals was an early development. One early example of a suitable bellows sealed valve is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,278,156, while the widely used VCR® fitting for joining fluid conduits is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,521,910, and a typical early diaphragm sealed valve is seen in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,423 for example. The recent commercial interest in photovoltaic solar cell fabrication, which has less stringent purity requirements than needed for making the newest microprocessor devices, may bring a return to fluid delivery systems using elastomeric seals.
- A collection of fluid handling components assembled into a sequence intended for handling a single fluid species is frequently referred to as a gas stick. The equipment subsystem comprised of several gas sticks intended to deliver process fluid to a particular semiconductor processing chamber is often called a gas panel. During the 1990s several inventors attacked problems of gas panel maintainability and size by creating gas sticks wherein the general fluid flow path is comprised of passive metallic structures, containing the conduits through which process fluid moves, with valves and like active (and passive) fluid handling components removably attached thereto. The passive fluid flow path elements have been variously called manifolds, substrates, blocks, and the like, with some inconsistency even within the work of individual inventors. This disclosure chooses to use the terminology flow substrate to indicate fluid delivery system elements which contain passive fluid flow path(s) that may have other fluid handling devices mounted there upon.
- Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a surface mount fluid delivery flow substrate that is specifically adapted for use in extreme flow rate and/or high temperature applications where the process fluid is to be heated (or cooled) to a temperature above (or below) that of the ambient environment. As used herein, and in the context of semiconductor process fluid delivery systems, the expression “extreme flow rate” corresponds to gas flow rates above approximately 50 SLM or below approximately 50 SCCM. A significant aspect of the present invention is the ability to fabricate flow substrates having fluid pathway conduits with a cross-sectional area (size) substantially larger or smaller than other surface mount architectures.
- Flow substrates in accordance with the present invention may be used to form a portion of a gas stick, or may be used to form an entire gas stick. Certain embodiments of the present invention may be used to implement an entire gas panel using only a single flow substrate. Flow substrates of the present invention may be securely fastened to a standardized stick bracket, such as that described in Applicant's co-pending patent application Ser. No. 12/777,327, filed on May 11, 2010 (hereinafter, “Applicant's co-pending application”), thereby providing firm mechanical alignment and thereby obviating need for any interlocking flange structures among the flow substrates. In addition, flow substrates of the present invention may be adapted as described in Applicant's co-pending application to additionally provide one or more manifold connection ports and thereby allow transverse connections between fluid delivery sticks.
- The flow substrate configurations of the present invention may be adjusted for use with valves and other fluid handling components having symmetric port placement (e.g., W-Seal™ devices) or asymmetric port placement (e.g., standard “C-Seal” devices) on the valve (or other fluid handling component) mounting face. Only asymmetric designs are shown herein because such devices are most commonly available in the semiconductor equipment marketplace.
- In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, a flow substrate is provided. The flow substrate comprises a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each component conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; and at least one cap. The at least one cap is formed from a second material and has a first surface that is constructed to seal at least one fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways, and a second surface opposing the first surface of the at least one cap. At least one of the substrate body and the at least one cap includes a weld formation formed in at least one of the second surface of the substrate body and the second surface of the at least one cap, wherein the weld formation is constructed to surround the at least one fluid pathway and facilitate welding of the at least one cap to the substrate body along the weld formation.
- In accordance with one embodiment, the component conduit ports extend through the substrate body to the second surface of the substrate body, and the first material and the second material are stainless steel of the same alloy type. In another embodiment, the first material may be a stainless steel, and the second material may be a nickel alloy, such as a Hastelloy® corrosion resistant metal alloy, available from Haynes International, Inc.
- In accordance with another embodiment, the substrate body includes a first weld formation formed in the second surface of the substrate body and the at least one cap includes a second weld formation formed in the second surface of the at least one cap.
- In accordance with yet another embodiment, the at least one cap includes the weld formation, wherein the weld formation includes a groove formed in the second surface of the at least one cap. In accordance with one aspect of this embodiment, the groove facilitates welding of the at least one cap to the substrate body by identifying the location of where the at least one cap is to be welded to the substrate body and by reducing the power needed to weld the at least one cap to the substrate body. In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment, the groove may be formed in the second surface of the at least one cap by chemical etching. In a further aspect of this embodiment, the at least one cap has a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm, and the groove has a depth of approximately 0.25 mm. In accordance with a further aspect of this embodiment, the flow substrate may further comprise a plate formed from a rigid material and constructed to be disposed adjacent the second surface of the at least one cap, and may additionally comprise a sheet heater, wherein the sheet heater is constructed to be disposed between the plate and the second surface of the at least one cap.
- In accordance with another embodiment, the at least one cap includes a plurality of weld formations, each weld formation of the plurality of weld formations including a respective groove formed in the second surface of the at least one cap, each respective groove of the plurality of grooves surrounding a respective one of the plurality of fluid pathways.
- In accordance with yet another embodiment, the at least one cap includes a plurality of caps corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways, each respective cap of the plurality of caps including a respective groove formed in the second surface of the respective cap.
- In accordance with another embodiment, the substrate body includes the weld formation formed in the second surface of the substrate body, the weld formation including a recessed weld wall surface surrounding the at least one fluid pathway. In accordance with one aspect of this embodiment, the weld formation further includes a stress relief groove surrounding the recessed weld wall surface. In accordance with another aspect of this embodiment, the weld formation further includes a swaged lip surrounding the at least one fluid pathway and disposed between the at least one fluid pathway and the recessed weld wall surface, and in a further aspect of this embodiment, the weld formation further includes a stress relief groove surrounding the recessed weld wall surface.
- In accordance with another embodiment, the flow substrate forms a portion of a gas stick for conveying one of semiconductor process fluids and sampling fluids and petrochemical fluids, and in another embodiment, the flow substrate forms substantially all of a fluid delivery panel.
- In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a flow substrate is provided. The fluid flow substrate comprises a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each component conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; a plurality of seals corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways; and at least one cap. The at least one cap is formed from a second material, the at least one cap having a first surface that is constructed to seal at least one fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways, and a second surface opposing the first surface of the at least one cap. The at least one cap is configured to receive and retain at least one seal of the plurality of seals in registration with the at least one cap and to form a fluid tight seal with the at least one fluid pathway upon compression against the substrate body.
- In accordance with one embodiment, the component conduit ports extend through the substrate body to the second surface of the substrate body.
- In accordance with one embodiment, the first material and the second material are plastic, and in accordance with another embodiment, the first material is plastic, and the second material is metal.
- In accordance with one embodiment, the at least one cap includes a groove formed in the first surface of the at least one cap and dimensioned to retain the at least one seal. In accordance with a further aspect of this embodiment, the groove is formed in the first surface of the at least one cap by one of molding and machining.
- In accordance with another embodiment, the at least one cap includes a plurality of grooves formed in the first surface of the at least one cap, each respective groove of the plurality of grooves being dimensioned to retain a respective seal of the plurality of seals.
- In accordance with yet another embodiment, the at least one cap includes a plurality of caps corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways, each respective cap of the plurality of caps being configured to receive and retain a respective seal of the plurality of seals between the first and second surfaces of the respective cap. In accordance with a further aspect of this embodiment, the first and second surfaces of each respective cap are separated by an intermediate portion of the respective cap, the intermediate portion having a smaller cross sectional extent than either of the first and second surfaces of the respective cap, and in a further aspect of this embodiment, the first and second surfaces of each respective cap are dimensioned to be the same.
- In accordance with another embodiment, the flow substrate may further comprise a plate formed from a rigid material and constructed to be disposed adjacent the second surface of the at least one cap and to compress the at least one cap against the substrate body.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a flow substrate is provided comprising a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; and a cap. The cap is formed from a second material and has a first surface to be placed in registration with the second surface of the substrate body, and a second surface opposing the first surface of the cap. The second surface of the cap has a plurality of weld formations formed therein, each respective weld formation of the plurality of weld formations being constructed to surround a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways and define a location where the cap is to be welded to the second surface of the substrate body.
- In accordance with one embodiment, the first material and the second material are stainless steel of the same alloy type, the cap has a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm, and each of the plurality of weld formations includes a groove having a depth of approximately 0.25 mm.
- In accordance with a further embodiment, the flow substrate may further comprise a plate formed from a rigid material and constructed to be disposed adjacent the second surface of the cap, and a sheet heater constructed to be disposed between the plate and the second surface of the cap.
- In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, the flow substrate may form at least a portion a gas stick for conveying one of semiconductor process fluids and sampling fluids and petrochemical fluids.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a flow substrate is provided comprising a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; and a plurality of caps. Each of the plurality of caps are formed from a second material, each respective cap of the plurality of caps having a first surface to seal a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways and a second surface opposing the first surface of the respective cap. Each respective cap of the plurality of caps including a weld formation, formed in the second surface of the respective cap, and constructed to surround a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways and facilitate welding of the respective cap to the substrate body along the weld formation.
- In accordance with one aspect of this embodiment, the substrate body may include a plurality of weld formations formed in the second surface of the substrate body and surrounding a respective one of the plurality of fluid pathways.
- In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a flow substrate is provided. The flow substrate comprises a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; a plurality of weld formations, formed in the second surface of the substrate body, each respective weld formation of the plurality of weld formations surrounding a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways; and a plurality of caps. Each of the plurality of caps may be formed from a second material, and each respective cap of the plurality of caps is constructed to be welded to the substrate body along a respective weld formation of the plurality of weld formations.
- In accordance with one embodiment, each respective weld formation includes a swaged lip surrounding a respective fluid pathway.
- In accordance with another embodiment, each respective cap of the plurality of caps includes a first surface constructed to seal a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways and a second surface opposing the first surface, wherein each respective cap includes a weld formation formed in the second surface of the respective cap to facilitate welding of the respective cap to the substrate body.
- In accordance with yet another aspect of the present invention, a flow substrate is provided comprising a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; a plurality of seals corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways; and a cap. The cap is formed from a second material and configured to be attached to the second surface of the substrate body. The cap has a first surface that to be disposed in registration with the second surface of the substrate body, and a second surface opposing the first surface of the cap, the cap including a plurality of grooves defined therein. Each respective groove of the plurality of grooves is constructed to surround a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways and to receive a respective seal of the plurality of seals.
- In accordance with one aspect of this embodiment, each respective groove of the plurality of grooves is dimensioned to receive and retain a respective seal of the plurality of seals within the respective grove prior to attachment of the cap to second surface of the substrate body.
- In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, a flow substrate is provided. The flow substrate comprises a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface; a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body; a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; a plurality of seals corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways; and a plurality of caps formed from a second material and corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways. Each respective cap of the plurality of caps is constructed to receive and retain a respective seal of the plurality of seals and to form a fluid tight seal with a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways upon compression of the respective cap against the substrate body.
- In accordance with an aspect of this embodiment, the flow substrate may further comprise a plate formed from a rigid material and constructed to be disposed in registration with the second surface of the substrate body and to compress each of the plurality of caps against the substrate body.
- In accordance with an aspect of each of the above described embodiments, a first fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways may have a different cross-sectional area than a second fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways. In addition, in accordance with each of the above-described embodiments, the plurality of fluid pathways may be a first plurality of fluid pathways that extend between each respective pair of component conduit ports in a first direction, and wherein the flow substrate further includes at least one second fluid pathway formed in one of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate body that extends in a second direction that is transverse to the first direction.
- The accompanying drawings are not intended to be drawn to scale. In the drawings, each identical or nearly identical component that is illustrated in various figures is represented by a like numeral. For purposes of clarity, not every component may be labeled in every drawing. In the drawings:
-
FIG. 1A is a plan view of a first embodiment of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate ofFIG. 1A taken along line A-A inFIG. 1A ; -
FIG. 1C illustrates a view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 1A and 1B from below; -
FIG. 1D is an elevational view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 1A-C ; -
FIG. 1E is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate ofFIG. 1B taken along line B-B inFIG. 1B ; -
FIG. 1F is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate ofFIG. 1B taken along line C-C inFIG. 1B ; -
FIG. 1G is an end view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 1A-F ; -
FIG. 1H is an exploded view of a portion of the flow substrate depicted inFIG. 1B ; -
FIG. 1I is an elevational view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 1A-H from below; -
FIG. 1J is a cut-away elevational view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 1A-I ; -
FIG. 2A is a plan view of a second embodiment of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 2B is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate ofFIG. 2A taken along line A-A inFIG. 2A ; -
FIG. 2C illustrates a view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 2A and 2B from below; -
FIG. 2D is an elevational view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 2A-C ; -
FIG. 2E is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate ofFIG. 2B taken along line B-B inFIG. 2B ; -
FIG. 2F is an exploded view of a portion of the flow substrate depicted inFIG. 2B ; -
FIG. 2G illustrates various elevational views of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 2A-F from below prior to assembly of the cap; -
FIG. 2H illustrates an elevational view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 2A-G from below after assembly of the cap; -
FIG. 3A is a plan view of a third embodiment of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 3B is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate ofFIG. 3A taken along line A-A inFIG. 3A ; -
FIG. 3C illustrates a view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 3A and 3B from below; -
FIG. 3D is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 3A-C taken along line B-B inFIG. 3B ; -
FIG. 3E is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 3A-D from below showing a first weld preparation; -
FIG. 4A is a plan view of fourth embodiment of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention; -
FIG. 4B is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate ofFIG. 4A taken along line A-A inFIG. 4A ; -
FIG. 4C is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 4A-B taken along line B-B inFIG. 4B ; -
FIG. 4D is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 4A-C from below showing a second weld preparation; -
FIG. 4E is a cross-sectional view of a flow substrate ofFIGS. 4A-D in which the weld cap is shown in position; -
FIG. 4F is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIG. 4E ; -
FIG. 4G is an elevational view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 4A-F from below; -
FIG. 5 illustrates various views of a weld cap for use with the flow substrates ofFIGS. 3-4 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; -
FIG. 6A is a cross-sectional view of a flow substrate in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention that includes a third weld preparation; -
FIG. 6B is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIG. 6A taken along line B-B inFIG. 6A ; -
FIG. 6C is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 6A-B from below showing the third weld preparation; -
FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 6A-C in which the weld cap is shown in position; -
FIG. 6E is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate and cap ofFIG. 6D ; -
FIG. 7A is a cross-sectional view of a flow substrate in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention that includes a fourth weld preparation; -
FIG. 7B is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIG. 7A taken along line B-B inFIG. 7A ; -
FIG. 7C is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 7A-B from below showing the fourth weld preparation; -
FIG. 7D is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 7A-C in which the weld cap is shown in position; -
FIG. 7E is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate and cap ofFIG. 7D ; -
FIG. 8A is a cross-sectional view of a flow substrate in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention that includes a fifth weld preparation; -
FIG. 8B is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIG. 8A taken along line B-B inFIG. 8A ; -
FIG. 8C is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 8A-B from below showing the fifth weld preparation; -
FIG. 8D is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 8A-C in which the weld cap is shown in position; -
FIG. 8E is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate and cap ofFIG. 8D ; -
FIGS. 9A-B illustrate various views of a weld cap for use with the flow substrates ofFIGS. 7-8 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention; -
FIG. 10A is a cross-sectional view of a flow substrate in accordance with the fourth embodiment of the present invention that includes a cap and an elastomeric seal; -
FIG. 10B is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIG. 10A taken along line B-B inFIG. 10A ; -
FIG. 10C is an exploded elevational view of a portion of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 10A-B from below; -
FIG. 10D is a cross-sectional view of the flow substrate ofFIGS. 10A-C in which the cap and elastomeric seal are shown in position with a backup plate; -
FIG. 10E is an exploded cross-sectional view of a portion of the flow substrate and cap ofFIG. 10D ; -
FIG. 10F illustrates an elevational view of the flow substrate, cap, elastomeric seal, and backup plate ofFIGS. 10A-E prior to assembly; -
FIG. 10G illustrates an elevational view of the flow substrate, cap, elastomeric seal, and backup plate ofFIGS. 10A-F after assembly of the cap and elastomeric seal; -
FIG. 11A illustrates the manner in which a single fluid substrate may be used to implement all or a portion of a heated gas panel in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 11B illustrates the manner in which a single fluid substrate may be used to implement all or a portion of a heated gas panel in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 12A illustrates a fluid flow panel for use with liquids and gases in which the entire fluid panel is implemented with two fluid flow substrates in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention; -
FIG. 12B illustrates an elevational view of the fluid flow panel ofFIG. 12A ; and -
FIG. 12C illustrates a portion of the fluid flow panel ofFIGS. 12A-B in which fluid pathways formed within the fluid flow substrate are visible. - This invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangement of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or of being carried out in various ways. Also, the phraseology and terminology used herein is for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of “including,” “comprising,” or “having,” “containing,” “involving,” and variations thereof herein, is meant to encompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well as additional items.
- It should be appreciated that the fluid materials manipulated in the fluid delivery flow substrates of the present invention may be a gaseous, liquid, or vaporous substance that may change between liquid and gas phase dependent upon the specific temperature and pressure of the substance. Representative fluid substances may be a pure element such as argon (Ar), a vaporous compound such as boron trichloride (BCl3), a mixture of normally liquid silicon tetrachloride (SiCl4) in carrier gas, or an aqueous reagent.
-
FIGS. 1A-J illustrate a modular flow substrate in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention for use with fluid handling components having asymmetric port placement (e.g., C-seal components) in which one of the ports of the fluid handling component is axially aligned with the center of the component and the other is situated off axis. Although not shown in the figures, it should be appreciated that embodiments of the present invention may be modified for use with fluid handling components have a symmetric port placement, such as W-Seal™ components. - As shown, the
flow substrate 100 includes asubstrate body 101 formed from a solid block of material and an associated cap 195 (seeFIG. 1I ), each of which may be formed from a suitable material (such as stainless steel) in accordance with the intended use of the flow substrate. Thesubstrate 100 includes acomponent attachment surface 105 to which a fluid handling component (such as a valve, pressure transducer, filter, regulator, mass flow controller, etc.) is attached. Formed in thecomponent attachment surface 105 of the flow substrate are one or more component conduit ports 120.Component conduit port 120 a would typically be fluidly connected to a first port (inlet or outlet) of a first fluid handling component, whilecomponent port 120 b would typically be fluidly connected to the second port (outlet or inlet) of the first fluid handling component;component conduit port 120 c would typically be fluidly connected to the port (outlet or inlet) of a second fluid handling component that is distinct form the first fluid handling component. -
Component conduit ports component conduit ports flow substrate 100 is specifically suited to fluid handling components having asymmetric port placement.Component port 120 g would typically be associated with the inlet or outlet port of a device, such as a mass flow controller, that might be used to communicate the flow of process fluid between flow substrates of a fluid delivery stick. - Associated with
component conduit ports component mounting apertures flow substrate 100. Associated withconduit port 120 g are a pair of internally threadedcomponent mounting apertures flow substrate 100. It should be appreciated that an adjacent flow substrate in the fluid delivery stick would typically provide an additional pair of mounting apertures needed to sealingly mount the other port of the fluid handling component to the adjacent flow substrate. Associated with each pair of component conduit ports is aleak port 125 a (forcomponent conduit ports component conduit ports - The
flow substrate 100 includes a number offluid pathways FIG. 1A ) along theflow substrate 100. For example,fluid pathway 175 a extends between atube stub connection 135 andcomponent conduit port 120 a,fluid pathway 175 b extends betweencomponent conduit ports fluid pathway 175 c extends betweencomponent conduit port 120 d andcomponent conduit port 120 e, andfluid pathway 175 d extends betweencomponent conduit port Tube stub connection 135 would typically be fluidly connected (for example, by welding) to a source or sink of process fluid. - A plurality of
dowel pin apertures 150 a through 150 h are formed in theflow substrate 100 that extend from thecomponent attachment surface 105 through to aconnection attachment surface 115 on a side of the flow substrate opposing thecomponent attachment surface 105. Theconnection attachment surface 115 may be used to connect thesubstrate 100 to a fluid delivery stick bracket, to a manifold, or both, such as described in Applicant's co-pending application. Each of these dowel pin apertures 150 a-150 h can receive a dowel pin (not shown) that may be used to perform different functions. A first function is to align thecap 195 with thebody 101 of theflow substrate 100, and a second is to align the flow substrate with a fluid delivery stick bracket in a manner similar to that described in Applicant's co-pending application. It should be appreciated that in certain installations, only the first of these functions may be performed, such that after alignment (and welding as described further in detail below), the dowel pin may be removed and re-used with another flow substrate body and cap. In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, the location of the dowel pin may be backwards compatible with existing modular flow substrate systems, for example, the K1s system. -
FIG. 1C illustrates a view of theflow substrate 100 from below in which a plurality of flow substrate mounting apertures 130 are visible. The plurality of flow substrate mounting apertures 130 are formed in thecap 195 and extend through thecap 195 and into thebody 101 of the flow substrate (shown more clearly inFIG. 1I ). Within the flow substrate body, the flow substrate mounting apertures 130 are internally threaded to receive a fastener (not shown) to mount theflow substrate 100 to a mounting surface, such as a fluid delivery stick bracket, from below. The placement of the flow substrate mounting apertures 130 may be varied depending upon the placement of mounting apertures in the mounting surface to which theflow substrate 100 is to be attached. - As can be seen in the figures, component conduit ports 120 and
fluid pathways 175 are all machined in a cost-effective manner. Thus, component conduit ports 120 a-120 g may each be formed by machining from thecomponent attachment surface 105 into a first or top surface of thebody 101 of theflow substrate 100,fluid pathways body 101 of the flow substrate as shown inFIG. 1F , andfluid pathway 175 a may be formed by machining from a side surface of the body of the flow substrate as shown inFIG. 1E . Thefluid pathways 175 may be treated to enhance their corrosion resistance. It should be appreciated that the dimensions of thefluid pathways 175 depicted in the figures are particularly well suited for higher flow rates, such as those above approximately 50 SLM. Indeed, the dimensions of the fluid pathways depicted in the figures permit theflow substrate 100 to be used in high flow rate applications (e.g., between approximately 50-100 SLM) as well as very high flow rate applications (e.g., those above approximately 200 SLM). Thus, embodiments of the present invention may be used with emerging semiconductor manufacturing equipment that is designed to operate at very high flow rates between approximately 200 SLM to 1000 SLM. It should be appreciated that the dimensions of the fluid pathways may be scaled down for lower flow applications in a straight-forward manner, for example, simply by reducing the cross-sectional area of one or more of thefluid pathways -
FIGS. 1H and 1I illustrate various details of thecap 195 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. In accordance with one embodiment that is specifically adapted for use with semiconductor process fluids that may frequently be heated to a temperature above ambient, thecap 195 is formed from a thin sheet of stainless steel approximately 0.02 inches (0.5 mm) thick. The thinness of the sheet of stainless steel permits heat to be readily transferred to the process fluids flowing in the flow substrate by application of heat to theconnection attachment surface 115 of the substrate. The source of heat may be provided by a block heater, by a cartridge heater inserted into a groove of a fluid delivery stick bracket to which the flow substrate is attached in a manner similar to that described in Applicant's co-pending application, or by a thin film heater, such as that described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,307,247. It should be appreciated that the thinness of the cap also permits fluid flowing in the flow substrate to be cooled, should that be desired. - In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, the sheet of stainless steel may be chemically etched to form
groves 123 that surround and define thefluid pathways grooves 123 surrounding and defining eachfluid pathway body 101 of the flow substrate, for example, by electron beam welding, using less time and energy than if thegrooves 123 were not present. The welding would be performed by tracing around each fluid pathway defined by the groove, thereby forming a fluid tight seal. The electron beam welding may be performed in a vacuum environment to minimize any contamination. Where the materials being used for theflow substrate body 101 andcap 195 are high purity metals, such as stainless steel, the vacuum welding environment acts to further eliminate contaminants (such as Carbon, Sulfur, Manganese, etc.) at the point of the weld. Although electron beam welding is generally preferred, it should be appreciated that other types of welding, such as laser welding may also be used. - The presence of the
grooves 123 also serves as a guide during welding, since the grooves define the periphery of the fluid pathway. Dowel pin holes 150 a, 150 b in thebody 101 of the flow substrate and corresponding dowel pin holes 150 a′, 150 b′ in thecap 195 receive a dowel pin that permits thecap 195 to be aligned with and held in registration with the body of theflow substrate 100 during welding. The dowel pins may be removed and re-used after welding is complete, or kept in place as an aid for aligning the flow substrate with a mounting surface. - It should be appreciated that although only four fluid pathways are illustrated in the figures, the ease and low cost of manufacturing embodiments of the present invention readily permits any number of fluid pathways and component ports to be defined in the flow substrate. In this regard, all of the fluid pathways and component connection ports for an entire fluid delivery stick may be formed in a single flow substrate. Alternatively, a fluid delivery stick may be formed by using two or more flow substrates such as the
flow substrate 100 described above. -
FIGS. 2A-H illustrate a modular flow substrate in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. Like the first embodiment, this embodiment is specifically adapted for use with fluid handling components having asymmetric port placement (e.g., C-seal components) in which one of the ports of the fluid handling component is axially aligned with the center of the component and the other is situated off axis. Although not shown in the figures, it should be appreciated that this embodiment, like the previous embodiment, may be modified for use with fluid handling components have a symmetric port placement, such as W-Seal™ components. This second embodiment, like the first, is specifically adapted for use in higher volume (i.e., higher flow rate) applications, but may be adapted for use in lower volume applications, such as those below approximately 50 SCCM, as well. As this second embodiment shares many similar design aspects as the first, only differences are described in detail below. - As shown, the
flow substrate 400 includes asubstrate body 401 formed from a solid block of material and an associated cap 495 (seeFIG. 2G ), each of which may be formed from a suitable material (such as stainless steel) in accordance with the intended use of the flow substrate. Primarily for cost reasons, but also for those applications that warrant the use of non-metallic materials (such as where ionic contamination is a concern), thebody 401 and/or cap 495 of the flow substrate may also be formed (e.g., molded or machined) from polymeric materials, such as plastic. The use of other materials, such as plastic, permits theflow substrate 400 to be particularly well suited to chemical delivery applications or biological applications where ionic contamination is a concern, and/or applications where cost is a concern. - As in the first embodiment,
flow substrate 400 includes acomponent attachment surface 105 to which a fluid handling component (such as a valve, pressure transducer, filter, regulator, mass flow controller, etc.) is attached. Formed in thecomponent attachment surface 105 of theflow substrate 400 are one or more component conduit ports 120, having similar functionality as that described with respect to the first embodiment. Associated with each of the component conduit ports 120 are a plurality of internally threadedcomponent mounting apertures flow substrate 400 in a manner similar to that described previously. Associated with each pair of component conduit ports is aleak port 125 a (forcomponent conduit ports component conduit ports - As in the first embodiment, the
flow substrate 400 includes a number offluid pathways FIG. 2A ) along theflow substrate 400. As previously described,tube stub connection 135 would typically be fluidly connected (for example, by welding, or by using a suitable adhesive, such as an epoxy) to a source or sink of process fluid. - As in the first embodiment, a plurality of
dowel pin apertures 150 a through 150 h are formed in theflow substrate 400 that extend from thecomponent attachment surface 105 through to aconnection attachment surface 115 on a side of the flow substrate opposing the component attachment surface. Theconnection attachment surface 115 may be used to connect thesubstrate 400 to a fluid delivery stick bracket, to a manifold, or both, such as described in Applicant's co-pending application. - As described previously, each of these dowel pin apertures 150 a-150 h can receive a dowel pin (not shown) that may be used to perform different functions. A first function is to align the
cap 495 with thebody 401 of theflow substrate 400, and a second is to align the flow substrate with a fluid delivery stick bracket in a manner similar to that described in Applicant's co-pending application. It should be appreciated that in certain installations, only the first of these functions may be performed. For example, depending on the length of the dowel pin used, the dowel pin may protrude through thecap 495 and extend beyondconnection attachment surface 115, such that the dowel pins may be used to align the flow substrate with corresponding apertures in the fluid delivery stick bracket or other mounting surface. Where the dowel pins extend beyond theconnection attachment surface 115, the locations of the dowel pins may be backwards compatible with existing modular flow substrate systems. Alternatively, the length of the dowel pin may be such that it does not extend beyond the connection attachment surface, but still engages thecap 495 to ensure alignment. -
FIG. 2C illustrates a view of theflow substrate 400 from below in which a plurality of flow substrate mounting apertures 130 are visible. The plurality of flow substrate mounting apertures 130 are formed in thecap 495 and extend through thecap 195 and into thebody 401 of the flow substrate (shown more clearly inFIG. 2G ). Within the flow substrate body, the flow substrate mounting apertures 130 (130 a, 130 b inFIG. 2G ) are internally threaded to receive a fastener 421 (FIG. 2H ) to mount theflow substrate 400 to a mounting surface, such as a fluid delivery stick bracket, from below. Thefasteners 421 are also used to compress adeformable gasket 455, such an elastomeric o-ring to form a seal around eachrespective fluid pathway fluid pathways 175 can again be machined or molded in a cost-effective manner. -
FIGS. 2D-H illustrate various details of thecap 495 in accordance with an aspect of the present invention. As shown inFIGS. 2B and 2E , the thickness of thecap 495 is considerably thicker than that of the first embodiment (e.g., 0.13 inches (3.3 mm) versus 0.02 inches (0.5 mm)) making it somewhat less effective at transferring heat, or cooling to the fluid flowing in the flow substrate, particularly where thecap 495 andbody 401 of theflow substrate 400 are formed from relatively non-conductive materials, such as plastic, and where heating (or cooling) is provided to the exposedsurface 115 from below. However, the thickness of thecap 495 permits thecap 495 to be sufficiently rigid so as to permit it to act as its own mounting surface, and permitsgrooves 423 to be formed therein that are sufficiently deep so as to retain anelastomeric seal 455. In further contrast to thecap 195 of the first embodiment, and as shown most clearly inFIG. 2G , thegrooves 423 are machined in the surface of thecap 495 that is to be placed in registration with thebody 401 of the flow substrate (i.e., the unexposed surface of thecap 495 when placed in registration with thebody 401 of thesubstrate 400, rather than the exposedsurface 115 that would be placed in registration with a fluid delivery stick bracket or other mounting surface as in the first embodiment). Thegrooves 423 are dimensioned so as to retain theelastomeric seal 455 in place during assembly of thecap 495 to thebody 401 of theflow substrate 400 without the use of additional seal retainers. During assembly and with specific reference toFIG. 2G , theelastomeric seals 455 would be positioned in thegrooves 423 defined in a top surface of thecap 495, with the top surface of thecap 495 being placed in registration with thebody 401 of the substrate so thatdowel pin aperture 150 a′ in thecap 495 is aligned withdowel pin aperture 150 a in thebody 401,dowel pin aperture 150 b′ in the cap is aligned withdowel pin aperture 150 b in thebody 401, andsubstrate mounting apertures 130 a′ and 130 b′ in thecap 495 are aligned withsubstrate mounting apertures body 401, respectively. Although thegrooves 423 of this embodiment are described as being machined in the surface of the cap, it should be appreciated that may be formed by other processes, such as by molding. - As can be seen in
FIG. 2H , a plurality offasteners 421 are used to secure thecap 495 to thebody 401 of theflow substrate 400. Thesefasteners 421 may serve two purposes: to mount theflow substrate 400 to a fluid delivery stick bracket from below; and to compress theelastomeric seals 455 and ensure a fluid tight seal around the periphery of thefluid pathways 175 b-d. In use, theelastomeric seals 455 would typically be placed in position in thegrooves 423 of thecap 495. The cap would then be aligned with thebody 401 of theflow substrate 400, aided by the dowel pins inserted in dowel pin apertures 150, where the dowel pins extending throughdowel pin apertures 150 a′, 150 b′, etc. of thecap 495 act to secure thecap 495 andelastomeric seals 455 in place with thesubstrate body 401 of theflow substrate 400, thereby forming a single unit. Theflow substrate 400 would then be placed in the desired position on the fluid delivery stick bracket or other mounting surface, and thefasteners 421 inserted from below the bracket or other mounting surface. Tightening of thefasteners 421 secures the flow substrate to the mounting surface, and compresses theelastomeric seals 455 so that a fluid tight seal is formed around the periphery of the fluid pathway, and thecap 495 is in registration with thebody 401 of theflow substrate 400. - It should be appreciated that because the
cap 495 is not welded to thebody 401 of theflow substrate 400, thecap 495, and the associatedelastomeric seals 455 may later be removed with a minimal amount of effort. Thus, for example, where it is desired to clean or otherwise service afluid pathway cap 495 may be easily removed to expose and/or clean the fluid pathways, to replace one or more of theelastomeric seals 455, etc. - It should be appreciated that although only four fluid pathways are illustrated in the figures associated with this second embodiment, the ease and low cost of manufacturing embodiments of the present invention readily permits any number of fluid pathways and component ports to be defined in the flow substrate. In this regard, all of the fluid pathways and component connection ports for an entire fluid delivery stick or chemical or biological delivery system may be formed (by machining, by molding, or a combination of molding and machining) in a single flow substrate.
- Although the embodiment depicted in
FIGS. 2A-H may not be as effective at transferring thermal energy (heating or cooling) to the fluid flowing in the flow substrate when heated or cooled from below, it should be appreciated that this second embodiment may be modified for such use. For example, the thickness of thecap 495 may be increased so as to permit the formation of longitudinal heater apertures and the insertion of one or more cartridge type heaters therein that directly heat thecap 495, and thus the fluid flowing in thefluid pathways 175. Such a modification may be used even where thebody 401 of the flow substrate is formed from a non-conductive material, such as plastic. For example, to further improve thermal conductivity, thecap 495 may be formed from a thermally conductive material, such as aluminum, while thebody 401 of the flow substrate is formed from a different material, e.g., plastic. - Although not specifically illustrated, it should be appreciated that other aspects described in Applicant's co-pending application may be adapted for use with the flow substrate described herein. For example, in addition to fluid pathways oriented in a longitudinal direction, the flow substrate may include a manifold fluid pathway oriented in a transverse direction. In such an embodiment, a tube stub connection similar to the
tube stub connection 135 could extend from a lateral side surface of the body 101 (401) of the flow substrate, with the manifold fluid pathway being formed in a manner similar to that described with respect tofluid pathway 175 a. - Although embodiments of the present invention have been described primarily with respect to the use of fluid handling components having two ports, it should be appreciated that embodiment of Applicant's invention could be modified for use with a three-port component, such as a 3-port valve. However, because such fluid handling components are less common, and typically more expensive, two-port fluid handling components are generally preferred.
- The embodiments of
FIGS. 1 and 2 described above are directed to flow substrates in which a plurality of fluid pathways formed within the substrate body are sealed by a common or integrated cap that is attached to the bottom surface of the substrate body. The embodiment ofFIGS. 1A-J uses an integrated cap that is welded the bottom surface of the flow substrate around each of the fluid pathways to seal each of the fluid pathways, while the embodiment ofFIGS. 2A-H use an integrated cap that, when compressed against the bottom surface of the substrate body, compresses a plurality of elastomeric seals disposed around each of the fluid pathways to seal each of the fluid pathways. In accordance with another aspect of Applicant's invention, rather than using an integrated cap to seal each of a plurality of fluid pathways in a flow substrate as shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 , a plurality of individual caps may alternatively be used. Embodiments of Applicant's invention that use a plurality of individual caps are now described with respect toFIGS. 3-12 . -
FIGS. 3A-E are directed to a flow substrate that includes a plurality of associated caps, with each cap being associated with a respective fluid pathway formed in the body of the flow substrate. The caps may be similar in structure to thecap 595 shown inFIG. 5 , and are recessed within the body of the substrate and then seam welded in place. The caps may be formed, for example, by stamping or by machining a piece of metal, for example, stainless steel.FIGS. 3A-C illustrate that in addition to being able to accommodate fluid handling components with two ports, certain embodiments of the present invention may be modified to accommodate fluid handling components having three ports. - As can best be seen in
FIGS. 3D and 3E , each of the fluid pathways is surrounded by a weld formation (also called a weld preparation) that includes aweld edge 805, astress relief wall 810 and astress relief groove 815. Thestress relief groove 815 acts to prevent any bowing, twisting, or other distortion that might occur during seam welding of thecap 595 to the body of the flow substrate along theweld edge 805, and the exposed surface of theweld cap 595 fits within the body of the flow substrate. Although the welding of the cap to the body of the substrate will typically leave a small bump at the weld location, no additional surface preparation is required to remove this bump because it does not extend beyond the bottom surface of the body of the flow substrate and may be left in place. -
FIGS. 4A-G illustrate an alternative design of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention that also includes a fluid pathway that is sealed by a corresponding individual cap. It should be appreciated that althoughFIGS. 4A-G illustrate only a single fluid pathway interconnecting two component conduit ports formed in a component attachment surface of the substrate, the substrate body may include a plurality of fluid pathways similar to those shown inFIGS. 3A-E , asFIGS. 4A-G illustrated herein are primarily used to detail the structure of the weld formation used in this particular embodiment. The cap that is used in this embodiment may be formed from a piece or sheet of metal, such as by stamping or machining, as illustrated inFIG. 5 . - As best illustrated in
FIG. 4C , the weld formation includes aweld edge 1005, astress relief wall 1010 and astress relief groove 1015, each performing a function similar to that described above with respect toFIGS. 3A-E . However, in contrast to the embodiment ofFIGS. 3A-E , the embodiment depicted inFIGS. 4A-G also includes a swagedlip 1020. During manufacture, after placing a respective cap 595 (FIG. 5 ) in each of the fluid pathways to be sealed, a mechanical force would be applied to the swagedlip 1020 surrounding each fluid pathway, for example, using a die or jig built for this purpose. The mechanical force applied to the die or jig pushes or folds (i.e., swages) the lip inward toward the weld edge to capture and retain therespective cap 595 within the body of the flow substrate. The substrate with its associated retained cap(s) may then be manipulated as a single unit. Each respective cap may then be seam welded along the folded swaged lip and weld edge to form a leak tight seal. As in the embodiment ofFIGS. 3A-E , no additional surface preparation or machining is required to remove any weld bump that might be formed along the weld edge, because it does not extend beyond the bottom surface of the substrate body. As in the previous embodiment ofFIGS. 3A-E , the stress relief groove acts to prevent any bowing, twisting, or other distortion that might occur during seam welding of thecap 595 to the body of the flow substrate along theweld edge 1005 -
FIG. 5 illustrates acap 595 that may be used with the embodiments ofFIGS. 3-4 . Advantageously, thecap 595 may be machined or stamped from a sheet of metal at very low cost. The thickness of thecap 595 in one embodiment of the present invention is approximately 0.035 inches (0.9 mm) thick, nearly twice the thickness of the integratedweld cap 195, and requires no additional reinforcement even in high pressure applications. -
FIGS. 6A-E illustrate yet an alternative design of a flow substrate in accordance with the present invention that includes a fluid pathway sealed by a corresponding individual cap. As in the embodiment ofFIGS. 3A-E , it should be appreciated that the substrate body may include a plurality of fluid pathways similar to those shown inFIGS. 3A-E , asFIGS. 6A-E illustrated herein are primarily used to detail the structure of the weld formation used in this particular embodiment. Thecap 595 that is used in this embodiment may be the same as that described with respect toFIG. 5 above, and may be formed from a piece or sheet of metal, such as by stamping or machining, as illustrated inFIG. 5 . - As best illustrated in
FIG. 6B , the weld formation of this embodiment is substantially similar to that described above with respect toFIGS. 4A-G , and includes aweld edge 1505, a recessedflat bottom 1510, and a swagedlip 1520. As in the embodiment ofFIGS. 4A-G , arespective cap 595, such as that shown inFIG. 5 , may be seam welded to seal each respective fluid pathway. However, the weld formation of this embodiment does not include a stress relief groove as in the embodiment ofFIGS. 4A-G . Although the stress relief groove ofFIGS. 3A-E and 4A-G helps prevent any deformation of the body of the flow substrate during welding, its presence is not strictly necessary, as seam welding processes generally transfer less heat to the body of the substrate than other types of welding processes, such as stake welding. Accordingly, where cost is a significant concern, the stress relief groove may be omitted as shown with respect to this embodiment. As in the embodiments ofFIGS. 3A-E and 4A-G, no additional surface preparation or machining is required to remove any weld bump that might be formed along the weld edge, because it does not extend beyond the bottom surface of the substrate body. -
FIGS. 7A-E and 8A-E illustrate alternative embodiments of the present invention that also use individual caps to seal respective fluid pathways formed in the bottom surface of the body of the flow substrate. Each of the embodiments ofFIGS. 7A-E and 8A-E use a weld cap (depicted inFIGS. 9A-B ) in which a weld formation in the form of aheat penetration groove 2600 is formed around a periphery of thecap 995. It should be appreciated that althoughFIGS. 7A-E and 8A-E illustrate only a single fluid pathway to be sealed by a respective cap, the substrate body may include a plurality of fluid pathways similar to those shown inFIGS. 3A-E asFIGS. 7A-E and 8A-E are shown herein primarily to detail the structure of the weld formations used in these particular embodiments. - As best illustrated in
FIG. 7B , the embodiment ofFIGS. 7A-E includes a weld formation formed in the body of the flow substrate that includes a stress relief wall andweld surface 1910 and astress relief groove 1915. Thestress relief groove 1915 again acts to prevent any bowing, twisting, or other distortion that might occur during welding of the cap to the body of the flow substrate. However, in the embodiment ofFIGS. 7A-E , the cap is stake welded to the stress relief wall andweld surface 1910 along theheat penetration groove 2600 formed in the cap 995 (FIGS. 9A-B ). During manufacture, after placing arespective cap 995 over each of the fluid pathways to be sealed, each respective cap would be staked to the stress relief wall andweld surface 1910. This staking may be performed by welding thecap 995 to the stress relief wall andweld surface 1910 at a number of discrete locations along the periphery of the fluid pathway, or by mechanical force, for example, by using a punch to stake thecap 995 to the stress relief wall andweld surface 1910 at a number of discrete locations. The staking permits the substrate with its associated retained cap(s) to be manipulated as a single unit and prevents movement of thecap 995 during welding. Eachrespective cap 995 may then be stake welded along theheat penetration groove 2600 to form a continuous weld seal. As described in more detail below with respect toFIGS. 9A-B , theheat penetration groove 2600 permits thecap 995 to be welded to the substrate using less energy, more quickly, and with less deformation to the substrate body than were it not present.FIG. 7E illustrates the manner in which the weld penetrates the body of the substrate. -
FIGS. 8A-E illustrate another embodiment of the present invention that uses individual caps to seal respective fluid pathways formed in the bottom surface of the body of the flow substrate. As in the prior embodiment ofFIGS. 7A-E , this embodiment uses a weld cap 995 (depicted inFIGS. 9A-B ) in which a weld formation in the form of aheat penetration groove 2600 is formed around a periphery of thecap 995. In contrast to the embodiment ofFIGS. 7A-E , and as best seen inFIG. 8B , the weld formation of the embodiment ofFIGS. 8A-E includes only aflat surface 2310 that is recessed in the bottom surface of the body of the flow substrate that surrounds a periphery of the fluid pathway. During manufacture, after placing arespective cap 995 over each of the fluid pathways to be sealed, each respective cap would be staked to theflat surface 2310 by, for example, by welding the cap to the flat surface at a number of discrete locations along the periphery of the fluid pathway, or by mechanical force, as noted above. As previously noted, the staking permits the substrate with its associated retained cap(s) to be manipulated as a single unit, and prevents movement of the cap during welding. Each respective cap may then be stake welded along theheat penetration groove 2600 to form a continuous weld seal. Because of the heat penetration groove formed around the periphery of thecap 995, the cap may be stake welded to the body of the flow substrate with less energy and less (or no) distortion to the body of the flow substrate than were it not present.FIG. 8E illustrates the manner in which the weld penetrates the body of the substrate. -
FIGS. 9A-B illustrate a weld cap that is adapted to be stake welded to the body of a flow substrate. As shown inFIGS. 9A-B , theweld cap 995 includes aheat penetration groove 2600 that surrounds a periphery of theweld cap 995. Theheat penetration groove 2600 may be formed by chemical etching, or by machining. Theheat penetration groove 2600 reduces the thickness of the weld cap in the location of the groove by approximately 30% to 50%, and in the embodiment shown, by approximately 40%. In the embodiment shown, the thickness of theweld cap 995 is approximately 0.02 inches (0.5 mm) thick, the groove is approximately 0.020 to 0.025 inches wide (0.5 mm to 0.6 mm) at its widest point, and approximately 0.008 to 0.01 inches (0.2 mm to 0.25 mm) deep. Although shown as being semicircular in shape, it should be appreciated that other shapes may alternatively be used. By reducing the thickness of the weld cap, theheat penetration groove 2600 reduces the time and power necessary to form a continuous stake weld with the body of the flow substrate. Theheat penetration groove 2600 in the cap also acts as a guide for the person or machine performing the welding. It should be appreciated that theweld cap 995 is similar in design to the integratedweld cap 195 ofFIGS. 1A-J , in that the presence of thegrooves -
FIGS. 10A-G illustrate a flow substrate and associated cap in accordance with another embodiment of the present invention. In contrast to the embodiments ofFIGS. 3-9 in which the caps are welded to the body of the flow substrate, the embodiment ofFIGS. 10A-G utilizes elastomeric seals to seal the fluid pathway, as in the embodiment ofFIGS. 2A-H . In the embodiment ofFIGS. 10A-G , the flow substrate, the cap, or both the flow substrate and the cap may be formed from metal, or from non-metallic materials. For example, where it is desired to heat or cool the fluid in the flow substrate, metallic materials may be used, and where ionic contamination is a concern, non-metallic materials may be used. - As shown in
FIG. 10B , thefluid pathway 175 includes apocket region 1040 that is dimensioned to receive acap 1050 and associated elastomeric seal 1055 (FIGS. 10D-F ) and apositive stop ledge 1030 that is dimensioned to prevent further movement of thecap 1050 and associatedelastomeric seal 1055 when compressed in the pocket region 1040 (FIG. 10E ). -
FIGS. 10D-G illustrate the manner in which abackup plate 1060 may be used to compress thecap 1050 and associatedelastomeric seal 1055 within the pocket region of thefluid pathway 175. Threaded fasteners (not shown) that are received in internally threaded flowsubstrate mounting apertures 1065 compress thebackup plate 1060 against the body of the substrate and force thecap 1050 and associated elastomeric seal into sealing engagement within thepocket region 1040. Depending on the application in which this embodiment is used, the flow substrate and the cap may be formed from metal or plastic. Thebackup plate 1060 may be formed from any suitable material, such as aluminum, where heating or cooling of the fluid in the fluid pathway is desired, or from plastic. - As shown most clearly in
FIGS. 10E and F, thecap 1050 includes a pair ofshoulders elastomeric seal 1055 in position about thecap 1050 so that thecap 1050 and associatedelastomeric seal 1055 may be inserted as a single unit. The pair ofshoulders cap 1050 and its associatedelastomeric seal 1055 may be inserted withshoulder 1051 engaging thepositive stop ledge 1030, or with theshoulder 1052 engaging thepositive stop ledge 1030. -
FIGS. 11A and 11B illustrate a number of further aspects of the present invention. As shown inFIGS. 11A and 11B , rather than using a number of flow substrates to form a gas stick or an entire gas panel, a single block ofmaterial 1100 may be used to form a gas stick or an entire gas panel.FIG. 11A also illustrates how a back-up plate 1120 may be used to reinforce the cap (or caps) for higher pressure applications. For example, when used with an integrated thin weld cap such as that shown inFIGS. 1A-J in which multiple pathway sealing weld locations are defined (e.g., bygrooves 123 shown inFIG. 1I ) in a thin sheet of material, a back-up plate 1120 may be desired to reinforce the weld cap, especially for high pressure applications. The back-up plate 1120 may be formed from a metallic material, such as aluminum, or a non-metallic material such as plastic. As also shown inFIG. 11A , asheet heater 1110 may be located between the flow substrate (with associated cap or caps) and the back-up plate 1120. The combination of a thin integrated cap with sheet heater and back-up plate securely seals the fluid pathways for use at higher pressures, while allowing heat to be readily transmitted to the fluids flowing therein. As shown inFIG. 11B , rather than using an integrated weld cap, multiple individual weld caps, such as weld caps 595 and 995 (FIGS. 5 and 9 ) may be used.FIG. 11B further shows that rather than using asheet heater 1110, aserpentine heater 1112 may be used that is embedded in a serpentine shaped groove in the back-up plate 1120, or alternatively still, a number of conventional cartridge-type heaters 1114 may be used. - It should be appreciated that the back-up plate shown in
FIG. 11A may not only be used with the thin weld cap used in the embodiment ofFIGS. 1A-J , but may also be used with the embodiment ofFIGS. 10A-E to compress each of the o-ring seals used to seal each fluid pathway. Moreover, where the body of the flow substrate is formed from a non-metallic material, the back-up plate 1120 could be formed from a metallic material to provide additional support for any fluid component mounting. For example, fluid handling components disposed on the top surface of the flow substrate could then be down mounted to the body of the flow substrate via threaded fasteners that extend through holes formed in the body of the substrate and are received in threaded apertures of the back-up plate 1120. -
FIGS. 12A-C illustrate a gas panel for use with liquids, gases, or combinations of liquids and gases that exemplifies several additional aspects of the present invention. For example, as shown inFIG. 12A , an entire gas panel may be formed using only twoflow substrates FIG. 12A ). Further, as shown inFIGS. 12A-C , thesubstrates FIG. 12C , thesubstrate 1200 may include fluid pathways having different flow capacities, fluid pathways oriented in different directions, and/or fluid pathways formed in opposing surfaces of the body of the substrate. For example, as shown inFIG. 12C , thesubstrate 1200 may include largerdiameter fluid pathways pathway 1275 a) or a top surface (fluid pathway 1275 b) of thesubstrate 1200 to convey fluid in a first direction, or in a second direction (fluid pathway 1275 c). Such larger diameter fluid pathways may be used to convey a purge gas or fluid, such as argon. The flow substrate may also include smallerdiameter fluid pathways fluid pathway 1275 d) of thesubstrate 1200 to convey a fluid in the first direction, as well as smaller diameter fluid pathways formed in a top surface (fluid pathway 1275 e) or a bottom surface (fluid pathway 1275 f) to convey a fluid in the second direction. The smallerdiameter fluid pathways FIGS. 12A-C is adapted for use with a metal weld cap that is welded to the body of the substrate, it should be appreciated that this embodiment could alternatively be adapted for use with elastomeric seals. For example, for those fluid pathways formed in the bottom surface of the substrate, a backup plate (such as that described with respect toFIGS. 11A and 11B ) could be used to compress the cap and elastomeric seals, while those fluid pathways formed in the top surface of the substrate could be formed so that fluid components mounted in registration with the top surface of the substrate are down mounted over the cap and seal and compress the associated cap and seal when fastened from above in sealing engagement with the conduit ports in the substrate. - Having thus described several aspects of at least one embodiment of this invention, it is to be appreciated various alterations, modifications, and improvements will readily occur to those skilled in the art. Such alterations, modifications, and improvements are intended to be part of this disclosure, and are intended to be within the scope of the invention. Accordingly, the foregoing description and drawings are by way of example only.
Claims (19)
1. A flow substrate comprising:
a substrate body formed from a solid block of a first material, the substrate body having a first surface and a second surface opposing the first surface;
a plurality of pairs of component conduit ports defined in the first surface of the substrate body;
a plurality of fluid pathways extending between each respective pair of component conduit ports and in fluid communication with each component conduit port of the respective pair of component conduit ports, each respective fluid pathway being formed in the second surface of the substrate body; and
at least one cap formed from a second material, the at least one cap having a first surface constructed to seal at least one fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways, and a second surface opposing the first surface of the at least one cap, the at least one cap including a weld formation formed in the second surface of the at least one cap and surrounding the at least one fluid pathway to facilitate welding of the at least one cap to the substrate body along the weld formation, the weld formation including a groove formed in the second surface of the at least one cap and surrounding the at least one fluid pathway.
2. The flow substrate of claim 1 , wherein the component conduit ports extend through the substrate body to the second surface of the substrate body.
3. The flow substrate of claim 1 , wherein the first material and the second material are stainless steel of the same alloy type.
4. The flow substrate of claim 1 , wherein the groove is formed in the second surface of the at least one cap by chemical etching.
5. The flow substrate of claim 4 , wherein the groove facilitates welding of the at least one cap to the substrate body by identifying a location of where the at least one cap is to be welded to the substrate body and by reducing power needed to weld the at least one cap to the substrate body.
6. The flow substrate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cap includes a plurality of weld formations, each weld formation of the plurality of weld formations including a respective groove formed in the second surface of the at least one cap, each respective groove of the plurality of grooves surrounding a respective one of the plurality of fluid pathways.
7. The flow substrate of claim 6 , wherein each respective groove is formed in the second surface of the at least one cap by chemical etching.
8. The flow substrate of claim 7 , wherein each respective groove facilitates welding of the at least one cap to the substrate body by identifying a location of where the at least one cap is to be welded to the substrate body and by reducing power needed to weld the at least one cap to the substrate body.
9. The flow substrate of claim 8 , wherein a first fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways has a different cross-sectional area than a second fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways.
10. The flow substrate of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of fluid pathways are a first plurality of fluid pathways that extend between each respective pair of component conduit ports in a first direction, and wherein the flow substrate further includes at least one second fluid pathway formed in one of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate body that extends in a second direction that is transverse to the first direction.
11. The flow substrate of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of fluid pathways are a first plurality of fluid pathways that extend between each respective pair of component conduit ports in a first direction, and wherein the flow substrate further includes at least one second fluid pathway formed in one of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate body that extends in a second direction that is transverse to the first direction.
12. The flow substrate of claim 1 , wherein the at least one cap includes a plurality of caps corresponding to each of the plurality of fluid pathways, each respective cap of the plurality of caps including a respective groove formed in the second surface of the respective cap.
13. The flow substrate of claim 12 , wherein the substrate body includes a plurality of weld formations formed in the second surface of the substrate body, each respective weld formation of the plurality of weld formations formed in the second surface of the substrate body including a recessed weld wall surface that is recessed from the second surface of the substrate body and surrounding a respective fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways.
14. The flow substrate of claim 13 , wherein each respective groove facilitates welding of a respective cap to the substrate body by identifying a location of where the respective cap is to be welded to the substrate body and by reducing power needed to weld the respective cap to the substrate body.
15. The flow substrate of claim 14 , wherein the flow substrate forms a portion of a gas stick for conveying one of semiconductor process fluids and sampling fluids and petrochemical fluids.
16. The flow substrate of claim 14 , wherein the flow substrate forms substantially all of a fluid delivery panel.
17. The flow substrate of claim 14 , wherein a first fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways has a different cross-sectional area than a second fluid pathway of the plurality of fluid pathways.
18. The flow substrate of claim 14 , wherein the plurality of fluid pathways are a first plurality of fluid pathways that extend between each respective pair of component conduit ports in a first direction, and wherein the flow substrate further includes at least one second fluid pathway formed in one of the first surface and the second surface of the substrate body that extends in a second direction that is transverse to the first direction.
19. The flow substrate of claim 1 , wherein the groove is formed in the second surface of the at least one cap by machining.
Priority Applications (2)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US13/923,939 US20130276928A1 (en) | 2009-06-10 | 2013-06-21 | Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates |
US14/037,854 US20140020779A1 (en) | 2009-06-10 | 2013-09-26 | Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates |
Applications Claiming Priority (4)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US18582909P | 2009-06-10 | 2009-06-10 | |
US30346010P | 2010-02-11 | 2010-02-11 | |
US12/796,979 US8496029B2 (en) | 2009-06-10 | 2010-06-09 | Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates |
US13/923,939 US20130276928A1 (en) | 2009-06-10 | 2013-06-21 | Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates |
Related Parent Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/796,979 Division US8496029B2 (en) | 2009-06-10 | 2010-06-09 | Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates |
Related Child Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US14/037,854 Continuation-In-Part US20140020779A1 (en) | 2009-06-10 | 2013-09-26 | Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates |
Publications (1)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20130276928A1 true US20130276928A1 (en) | 2013-10-24 |
Family
ID=43305352
Family Applications (2)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/796,979 Active 2031-08-30 US8496029B2 (en) | 2009-06-10 | 2010-06-09 | Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates |
US13/923,939 Abandoned US20130276928A1 (en) | 2009-06-10 | 2013-06-21 | Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates |
Family Applications Before (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US12/796,979 Active 2031-08-30 US8496029B2 (en) | 2009-06-10 | 2010-06-09 | Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates |
Country Status (7)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (2) | US8496029B2 (en) |
KR (1) | KR101779849B1 (en) |
CN (1) | CN102804335B (en) |
HK (1) | HK1177552A1 (en) |
SG (1) | SG176152A1 (en) |
TW (1) | TWI534922B (en) |
WO (1) | WO2010144541A2 (en) |
Cited By (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2017176815A1 (en) * | 2016-04-04 | 2017-10-12 | Ichor Systems, Inc. | Liquid delivery system |
Families Citing this family (11)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US9074686B2 (en) | 2010-12-06 | 2015-07-07 | Microflex Technologies Llc | Ring seal retainer assembly and methods |
KR101686713B1 (en) | 2014-12-08 | 2016-12-14 | 엘지전자 주식회사 | Method for mamufactuing quantum dot-polymer complex, quantum dot-polymer complex, light conversion film, baclight unit and display devive comprising the same |
USD867398S1 (en) * | 2015-12-18 | 2019-11-19 | Smc Corporation | Fluid pressure cylinder with table |
EP3394493A1 (en) * | 2015-12-23 | 2018-10-31 | SPX FLOW, Inc. | Hydraulic connection having a flexible port mouth and method for connecting same |
US10533308B2 (en) * | 2017-12-18 | 2020-01-14 | George Taweh | Dialysis wall box apparatus and wall chase system |
MX2021000557A (en) | 2018-07-17 | 2021-07-15 | Compart Systems Pte Ltd | Mounting structures for flow substrates. |
CA3121892A1 (en) | 2018-12-17 | 2020-06-25 | Compart Systems Pte. Ltd. | Universal tube stub plug with seal port |
KR20210119478A (en) * | 2019-01-29 | 2021-10-05 | 컴파트 시스템즈 피티이. 엘티디. | Welding cap and plug welding for fluid delivery systems |
US20220199431A1 (en) * | 2019-04-15 | 2022-06-23 | Lam Research Corporation | Modular-component system for gas delivery |
WO2020217665A1 (en) * | 2019-04-26 | 2020-10-29 | 株式会社フジキン | Flow path forming block and fluid control device including flow path forming block |
TW202219405A (en) * | 2020-05-12 | 2022-05-16 | 美商艾克爾系統公司 | A component assembly and a seal retainer and method of installing a component into an apparatus for controlling flow |
Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20020108740A1 (en) * | 2001-02-02 | 2002-08-15 | Haretaro Hidaka | Integrated piping plate, machining method for same, machining apparatus for same, and machining equipment for same |
Family Cites Families (162)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US3025878A (en) * | 1959-06-02 | 1962-03-20 | Robert C Hupp | Mounting panel for fluid control components |
US3234964A (en) * | 1963-09-23 | 1966-02-15 | Cleere B Tinsley | Manifold |
AT255802B (en) * | 1964-09-29 | 1967-07-25 | Zd Y Prumyslove Automatisace N | Pneumatic logic system |
DE1625306B1 (en) | 1967-10-24 | 1971-02-25 | Daimler Benz Ag | SOCKET NUT FOR A SCREW CONNECTION |
US3509904A (en) * | 1967-12-26 | 1970-05-05 | Westinghouse Air Brake Co | Panel block assembly |
US3486519A (en) | 1967-12-26 | 1969-12-30 | Westinghouse Air Brake Co | Panel block assembly |
US3476214A (en) | 1968-02-01 | 1969-11-04 | Mccord Corp | Divisional lubricant feeder with bypass means |
US3831951A (en) * | 1972-04-26 | 1974-08-27 | Weatherhead Co | Face type o-ring seal groove and method of producing same |
DE2302267B1 (en) | 1973-01-18 | 1974-06-12 | Abex Gmbh Denison, 4010 Hilden | Line column for hydraulic valves |
FR2257846B1 (en) * | 1973-07-03 | 1976-05-28 | Legris France Sa | |
DE2413703C3 (en) * | 1974-03-21 | 1979-01-04 | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft Zur Foerderung Der Wissenschaften E.V., 3400 Goettingen | Valve arrangement for the supply of liquid or gaseous substances to a processing vessel |
US3909011A (en) * | 1974-04-08 | 1975-09-30 | John M Sheesley | Retainer |
US4080752A (en) * | 1975-05-01 | 1978-03-28 | Burge David A | Toy blocks with conduits and fluid seal means |
US3993091A (en) | 1975-10-06 | 1976-11-23 | General Gas Light Company | Manifold and valve system |
US4067531A (en) * | 1976-07-22 | 1978-01-10 | Derre & Company | Vibration isolation and sealing gasket |
JPS5325775A (en) | 1976-08-24 | 1978-03-09 | Miller Fluid Power Corp | Module type fluid flow control element |
US4432392A (en) * | 1976-09-29 | 1984-02-21 | Paley Hyman W | Plastic manifold assembly |
US4082324A (en) * | 1976-10-04 | 1978-04-04 | Obrecht Robert E | Connection arrangement for manifold blocks |
DE2648751C2 (en) * | 1976-10-27 | 1986-04-30 | Max-Planck-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der Wissenschaften e.V., 3400 Göttingen | Device for feeding liquid or gaseous substances to a processing vessel |
DE2704869C3 (en) * | 1977-02-05 | 1980-11-20 | Festo-Maschinenfabrik Gottlieb Stoll, 7300 Esslingen | In a modular design, fluidic control circuit composed of the same assemblies containing logic circuit elements |
US4093329A (en) * | 1977-03-22 | 1978-06-06 | Robertshaw Controls Company | Manifolding means and system for electrical and/or pneumatic control devices and methods |
DE2852685A1 (en) * | 1978-12-06 | 1980-06-19 | Wabco Fahrzeugbremsen Gmbh | DEVICE WITH BASE PLATES FOR A VALVE BATTERY |
US4490083A (en) | 1980-01-10 | 1984-12-25 | Russell, Burdsall, & Ward Corporation | Sealing capped nut and bolt therefor |
US4304120A (en) | 1980-03-21 | 1981-12-08 | Myers Tommy E | Automatic gas measurement and analysis for a test cell |
US4378123A (en) * | 1980-08-11 | 1983-03-29 | Largent James O | Seal means for underwater connectors |
US4352532A (en) | 1980-09-15 | 1982-10-05 | Robertshaw Controls Company | Manifolding means for electrical and/or pneumatic control units and parts and methods therefor |
US4524807A (en) * | 1982-05-21 | 1985-06-25 | Humphrey Products Company | Snap-together modular manifold construction |
US4558845A (en) | 1982-09-22 | 1985-12-17 | Hunkapiller Michael W | Zero dead volume valve |
US4807660A (en) * | 1984-07-13 | 1989-02-28 | Aslanian Jerry L | Flow control device for administration of intravenous fluids |
IT8422711V0 (en) | 1984-07-27 | 1984-07-27 | Migliori Luciano | SUB-BASE FOR THE SUPPLY AND SUPPORT OF CONTROL VALVES. |
US4714091A (en) | 1985-06-10 | 1987-12-22 | Emcore, Inc. | Modular gas handling apparatus |
DE3522955A1 (en) | 1985-06-27 | 1987-01-08 | Festo Kg | ARRANGEMENT OF VALVE HOUSINGS |
US4681476A (en) * | 1986-05-01 | 1987-07-21 | Motorola, Inc. | Flex-lock dovetail mounting apparatus for radio transceivers and accessories |
JPH0676897B2 (en) * | 1986-05-27 | 1994-09-28 | 株式会社エステツク | Thermal flow meter |
US4773446A (en) * | 1986-08-27 | 1988-09-27 | Porton Instruments, Inc. | Valve block assembly |
JPH0313991Y2 (en) * | 1986-12-29 | 1991-03-28 | ||
IT1222940B (en) * | 1987-10-19 | 1990-09-12 | Dropsa Spa | MODULAR PROGRESSIVE HYDRAULIC DISTRIBUTOR FOR LUBRICATION SYSTEMS |
JP2631481B2 (en) * | 1987-12-08 | 1997-07-16 | 株式会社 リンテック | Mass flow meter and its measurement method |
DE8813778U1 (en) | 1988-11-04 | 1989-02-23 | Colt International Holdings Ag, Steinhausen, Ch | |
US5255553A (en) | 1989-11-17 | 1993-10-26 | Orbisphere Laboratories Neuchatel Sa | Method and apparatus for determining specific thermal conductivity parameters of gases |
US5292224A (en) * | 1990-05-30 | 1994-03-08 | Fanuc Ltd. | Apparatus for holding stacked workpieces and feeding the same |
US5178191A (en) * | 1990-09-05 | 1993-01-12 | Newmatic Controls Inc. | Modular pneumatic control systems |
US5440477A (en) * | 1991-05-20 | 1995-08-08 | Creative Pathways, Inc. | Modular bottle-mounted gas management system |
DE4219551C2 (en) * | 1991-06-13 | 1996-04-18 | Mks Japan Inc | Mass flow sensor |
US5141021A (en) * | 1991-09-06 | 1992-08-25 | Stec Inc. | Mass flow meter and mass flow controller |
JP2851960B2 (en) * | 1991-12-24 | 1999-01-27 | 日本碍子株式会社 | Intake air amount measurement device for internal combustion engine |
US5368062A (en) | 1992-01-29 | 1994-11-29 | Kabushiki Kaisha Toshiba | Gas supplying system and gas supplying apparatus |
GB9212581D0 (en) * | 1992-06-13 | 1992-07-29 | Vert Investments Ltd | Glass melting furnace and method of operating the same |
US5303731A (en) * | 1992-06-30 | 1994-04-19 | Unit Instruments, Inc. | Liquid flow controller |
US5305788A (en) | 1992-08-13 | 1994-04-26 | Whitey Co. | Stream selector for process analyzer |
US5275074A (en) * | 1992-08-25 | 1994-01-04 | Taylor Christopher L | Miter slider |
US5439026A (en) * | 1992-12-11 | 1995-08-08 | Tokyo Electron Limited | Processing apparatus and flow control arrangement therefor |
EP0619450A1 (en) * | 1993-04-09 | 1994-10-12 | The Boc Group, Inc. | Zero Dead-Leg Gas Cabinet |
JPH0784650A (en) * | 1993-07-23 | 1995-03-31 | Hitachi Metals Ltd | Mass flow controller, its operation method and solenoid valve |
FR2708702B1 (en) | 1993-08-06 | 1995-10-20 | Vygon | Ramp of taps. |
JPH07122500A (en) * | 1993-10-28 | 1995-05-12 | Fujitsu Ltd | Gas apparatus and gas supply equipment using the same |
US5730181A (en) * | 1994-07-15 | 1998-03-24 | Unit Instruments, Inc. | Mass flow controller with vertical purifier |
JP3486238B2 (en) * | 1994-09-21 | 2004-01-13 | Smc株式会社 | Switching valve |
US5653259A (en) * | 1994-10-17 | 1997-08-05 | Applied Biosystems, Inc. | Valve block |
US5605179A (en) * | 1995-03-17 | 1997-02-25 | Insync Systems, Inc. | Integrated gas panel |
EP0733810B1 (en) * | 1995-03-24 | 2002-09-11 | Rexroth Mecman GmbH | Modular valve arrangement |
JP3661040B2 (en) | 1995-05-31 | 2005-06-15 | 忠弘 大見 | Fluid control device |
JP3546275B2 (en) * | 1995-06-30 | 2004-07-21 | 忠弘 大見 | Fluid control device |
JP3605705B2 (en) | 1995-07-19 | 2004-12-22 | 株式会社フジキン | Fluid controller |
DE19535235A1 (en) * | 1995-09-22 | 1997-03-27 | Bosch Gmbh Robert | Hydraulic unit |
TW347460B (en) | 1995-11-29 | 1998-12-11 | Applied Materials Inc | Flat bottom components and flat bottom architecture for fluid and gas systems |
JP2991651B2 (en) * | 1995-12-25 | 1999-12-20 | シーケーディ株式会社 | Metal gasket |
KR100232112B1 (en) | 1996-01-05 | 1999-12-01 | 아마노 시게루 | Gas supply unit |
US5810031A (en) | 1996-02-21 | 1998-09-22 | Aeroquip Corporation | Ultra high purity gas distribution component with integral valved coupling and methods for its use |
US5732744A (en) * | 1996-03-08 | 1998-03-31 | Control Systems, Inc. | Method and apparatus for aligning and supporting semiconductor process gas delivery and regulation components |
JP3726168B2 (en) * | 1996-05-10 | 2005-12-14 | 忠弘 大見 | Fluid control device |
US5662143A (en) * | 1996-05-16 | 1997-09-02 | Gasonics International | Modular gas box system |
US5915409A (en) * | 1996-06-13 | 1999-06-29 | Ckd Corporation | Manifold |
JP3650859B2 (en) * | 1996-06-25 | 2005-05-25 | 忠弘 大見 | Circuit breaker and fluid control apparatus having the same |
US5794645A (en) * | 1996-07-15 | 1998-08-18 | Creative Pathways, Inc. | Method for supplying industrial gases using integrated bottle controllers |
JP3122386B2 (en) | 1996-07-16 | 2001-01-09 | シーケーディ株式会社 | Gasket holder |
US5720317A (en) * | 1996-08-21 | 1998-02-24 | Pgi International, Ltd. | Low profile flanged manifold valve |
US6073646A (en) | 1996-09-30 | 2000-06-13 | Benkan Corporation | Gas controlling device for integration |
JP3627083B2 (en) | 1996-10-15 | 2005-03-09 | 株式会社フジキン | Retainer for fluid coupling |
TW354821B (en) | 1996-10-15 | 1999-03-21 | Tadahiro Omi | Fluid coupling |
US5992463A (en) | 1996-10-30 | 1999-11-30 | Unit Instruments, Inc. | Gas panel |
US6394138B1 (en) * | 1996-10-30 | 2002-05-28 | Unit Instruments, Inc. | Manifold system of removable components for distribution of fluids |
US6293310B1 (en) * | 1996-10-30 | 2001-09-25 | Unit Instruments, Inc. | Gas panel |
US5918616A (en) | 1996-11-15 | 1999-07-06 | Sanfilippo; James J. | Apparatus and method of controlling gas flow |
JP4022696B2 (en) | 1996-11-20 | 2007-12-19 | 忠弘 大見 | Circuit breaker |
JP3997337B2 (en) | 1996-11-20 | 2007-10-24 | 忠弘 大見 | Fluid control device |
DE19649621B4 (en) | 1996-11-29 | 2007-08-02 | EWIKON Heißkanalsysteme GmbH & Co KG | Connection arrangement for melt channel sections in hot runners |
JPH10220698A (en) | 1996-12-03 | 1998-08-21 | Nippon Aera Kk | Fluid control device |
US5836355A (en) | 1996-12-03 | 1998-11-17 | Insync Systems, Inc. | Building blocks for integrated gas panel |
US6302141B1 (en) | 1996-12-03 | 2001-10-16 | Insync Systems, Inc. | Building blocks for integrated gas panel |
US5730448A (en) * | 1997-01-03 | 1998-03-24 | Eg&G Pressure Science, Inc. | Seal retainer plate |
US5713582A (en) * | 1997-01-03 | 1998-02-03 | Eg&G Pressure Science, Inc. | Seal retainer |
US5735533A (en) * | 1997-01-03 | 1998-04-07 | Eg&G Pressure Science, Inc. | Cavity depth increasing retainer |
US5735532A (en) * | 1997-01-03 | 1998-04-07 | Eg&G Pressure Science, Inc. | Seal compression limiting retainer |
JP3997338B2 (en) | 1997-02-14 | 2007-10-24 | 忠弘 大見 | Fluid control device |
JPH10300000A (en) * | 1997-02-28 | 1998-11-13 | Benkan Corp | Accumulated gas control device |
JP3774800B2 (en) | 1997-09-24 | 2006-05-17 | 株式会社フジキン | Lower member fixing device and fluid control device including the same |
JP3814704B2 (en) * | 1997-05-08 | 2006-08-30 | 忠弘 大見 | Fluid controller fittings |
JP3737869B2 (en) * | 1997-05-13 | 2006-01-25 | シーケーディ株式会社 | Process gas supply unit |
JP2865644B2 (en) | 1997-05-20 | 1999-03-08 | シーケーディ株式会社 | Mass flow controller mounting structure |
US6152175A (en) | 1997-06-06 | 2000-11-28 | Ckd Corporation | Process gas supply unit |
US5860676A (en) * | 1997-06-13 | 1999-01-19 | Swagelok Marketing Co. | Modular block assembly using angled fasteners for interconnecting fluid components |
JP3876351B2 (en) * | 1997-06-18 | 2007-01-31 | 忠弘 大見 | Pipe fitting |
US6231260B1 (en) | 1997-07-11 | 2001-05-15 | Insync Systems, Inc. | Mounting plane for integrated gas panel |
JP4235759B2 (en) * | 1997-08-05 | 2009-03-11 | 忠弘 大見 | Fluid control device |
US6068016A (en) * | 1997-09-25 | 2000-05-30 | Applied Materials, Inc | Modular fluid flow system with integrated pump-purge |
JP4066004B2 (en) | 1997-10-13 | 2008-03-26 | 忠弘 大見 | Fixing method and fixing jig for a plurality of lower members having a hole serving as a reference for upper member attachment |
JP4378553B2 (en) * | 1997-10-13 | 2009-12-09 | 忠弘 大見 | Fluid control device |
JPH11126647A (en) * | 1997-10-21 | 1999-05-11 | Yazaki Corp | Ring packing and fixing structure of ring packing |
US6076543A (en) * | 1997-11-06 | 2000-06-20 | United States Filter Corporation | Gas handling device |
AU2218699A (en) * | 1998-01-09 | 1999-07-26 | Swagelok Company | Seal for a modular flow devices |
JP3871428B2 (en) * | 1998-02-16 | 2007-01-24 | シーケーディ株式会社 | Weld-less fitting |
US5975590A (en) | 1998-02-17 | 1999-11-02 | Applied Materials, Inc. | High pressure fitting |
US6629546B2 (en) | 1998-03-05 | 2003-10-07 | Swagelok Company | Modular surface mount manifold assemblies |
US6502601B2 (en) * | 1998-03-05 | 2003-01-07 | Swagelok Company | Modular surface mount manifold assemblies |
WO1999045302A1 (en) * | 1998-03-05 | 1999-09-10 | The Swagelok Company | Modular surface mount manifold |
US6142164A (en) | 1998-03-09 | 2000-11-07 | Ultra Clean Technology Systems & Service, Inc. | Method and apparatus for removing leaking gas in an integrated gas panel system |
US6036107A (en) * | 1998-03-31 | 2000-03-14 | Spraying System Co. | Control valve arrangement for spraying systems |
JP3780096B2 (en) * | 1998-04-27 | 2006-05-31 | シーケーディ株式会社 | Process gas supply unit |
TW396256B (en) * | 1998-05-18 | 2000-07-01 | Swagelok Co | Modular surface mount manifold assemblies |
US6260581B1 (en) * | 1998-06-12 | 2001-07-17 | J. Gregory Hollingshead | Apparatus for assembling modular chemical distribution substrate blocks |
US6085783A (en) * | 1998-09-02 | 2000-07-11 | Hollingshead; J. Gregory | Unified modular multi-directional flow chemical distribution block |
JP4110304B2 (en) * | 1998-06-30 | 2008-07-02 | 株式会社フジキン | Fluid control device and fluid control device assembly method |
JP3921565B2 (en) * | 1998-07-10 | 2007-05-30 | 株式会社フジキン | Fluid control device |
DE19846475A1 (en) * | 1998-10-09 | 2000-04-13 | Fischer Georg Rohrleitung | Gasket |
JP2000145979A (en) * | 1998-11-16 | 2000-05-26 | Fujikin Inc | Lower stage member fixing device and fluid controller equipped with the same |
RU2159373C1 (en) * | 1999-03-01 | 2000-11-20 | Открытое акционерное общество НПО "Энергомаш" им. акад. В.П. Глушко | Sectional stationary sealing device |
US6298881B1 (en) | 1999-03-16 | 2001-10-09 | Shigemoto & Annett Ii, Inc. | Modular fluid handling assembly and modular fluid handling units with double containment |
EP2028577A2 (en) * | 1999-04-16 | 2009-02-25 | Fujikin Incorporated | Parallel bypass type fluid feeding device, and method and device for controlling fluid variable type pressure system flow rate used for the device |
US6363958B1 (en) | 1999-05-10 | 2002-04-02 | Parker-Hannifin Corporation | Flow control of process gas in semiconductor manufacturing |
US6186177B1 (en) * | 1999-06-23 | 2001-02-13 | Mks Instruments, Inc. | Integrated gas delivery system |
US6729353B2 (en) * | 1999-09-01 | 2004-05-04 | Asml Us, Inc. | Modular fluid delivery apparatus |
AU6620600A (en) | 1999-09-01 | 2001-03-26 | Silicon Valley Group, Inc. | Layered block fluid delivery system |
US6125887A (en) | 1999-09-20 | 2000-10-03 | Pinto; James V. | Welded interconnection modules for high purity fluid flow control applications |
EP1222402A1 (en) * | 1999-10-20 | 2002-07-17 | Parker Hannifin Plc | Fluid control system |
US6283155B1 (en) | 1999-12-06 | 2001-09-04 | Insync Systems, Inc. | System of modular substrates for enabling the distribution of process fluids through removable components |
US6640835B1 (en) | 2000-03-03 | 2003-11-04 | Creative Pathways, Inc. | Micromount™ system |
US6546960B1 (en) * | 2000-03-03 | 2003-04-15 | Creative Pathways, Inc. | Self-aligning SmartStrate™ |
DE60106312T2 (en) | 2000-03-10 | 2005-11-17 | Tokyo Electron Ltd. | Fluid management device |
US6523570B2 (en) * | 2000-05-04 | 2003-02-25 | Parker-Hannifin Corp. | Manifold for valve assembly |
JP4156184B2 (en) * | 2000-08-01 | 2008-09-24 | 株式会社キッツエスシーティー | Integrated gas control device |
US6349744B1 (en) * | 2000-10-13 | 2002-02-26 | Mks Instruments, Inc. | Manifold for modular gas box system |
US6953048B2 (en) | 2001-09-07 | 2005-10-11 | Circle Seal Controls, Inc. | Modular surface-mount fluid-flow system |
US6916398B2 (en) * | 2001-10-26 | 2005-07-12 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Gas delivery apparatus and method for atomic layer deposition |
JP3564115B2 (en) * | 2001-12-06 | 2004-09-08 | シーケーディ株式会社 | Gas supply unit |
US6634385B2 (en) | 2001-12-21 | 2003-10-21 | Motorola, Inc. | Apparatus for conveying fluids and base plate |
CN100396980C (en) * | 2002-08-27 | 2008-06-25 | 迅捷公司 | Modular substrate gas panel having manifold connections in a common plane |
CN100422569C (en) * | 2002-11-26 | 2008-10-01 | 斯瓦戈洛克公司 | Modular surface mount fluid system |
GB2431205B (en) * | 2002-11-26 | 2007-05-30 | Swagelok Co | Modular surface mount fluid system |
US20050266582A1 (en) | 2002-12-16 | 2005-12-01 | Modlin Douglas N | Microfluidic system with integrated permeable membrane |
US6736370B1 (en) * | 2002-12-20 | 2004-05-18 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Diaphragm valve with dynamic metal seat and coned disk springs |
AU2003303439A1 (en) | 2002-12-20 | 2004-07-22 | Applied Materials, Inc. | Micromachined intergrated fluid delivery system |
US7018940B2 (en) * | 2002-12-30 | 2006-03-28 | Genus, Inc. | Method and apparatus for providing uniform gas delivery to substrates in CVD and PECVD processes |
US20050005981A1 (en) | 2003-03-26 | 2005-01-13 | Paul Eidsmore | Modular fluid components and assembly |
US6874538B2 (en) * | 2003-03-26 | 2005-04-05 | Kevin S. Bennett | Fluid delivery system |
US7178556B2 (en) * | 2003-08-07 | 2007-02-20 | Parker-Hannifin Corporation | Modular component connector substrate assembly system |
US7048008B2 (en) * | 2004-04-13 | 2006-05-23 | Ultra Clean Holdings, Inc. | Gas-panel assembly |
JP2006009969A (en) * | 2004-06-25 | 2006-01-12 | Kitz Sct:Kk | Flow path block for accumulated gas control device and its manufacturing method and accumulated gas control device |
JP4780555B2 (en) | 2005-09-12 | 2011-09-28 | 株式会社フジキン | Fluid control device |
US20070289652A1 (en) * | 2006-06-16 | 2007-12-20 | Matheson Tri-Gas | High flow surface mount components |
US7789961B2 (en) * | 2007-01-08 | 2010-09-07 | Eastman Kodak Company | Delivery device comprising gas diffuser for thin film deposition |
JP5183935B2 (en) * | 2007-02-26 | 2013-04-17 | Ckd株式会社 | Manufacturing method of flow path block |
-
2010
- 2010-06-09 WO PCT/US2010/037922 patent/WO2010144541A2/en active Application Filing
- 2010-06-09 KR KR1020117029313A patent/KR101779849B1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2010-06-09 SG SG2011085206A patent/SG176152A1/en unknown
- 2010-06-09 CN CN201080025900.1A patent/CN102804335B/en active Active
- 2010-06-09 US US12/796,979 patent/US8496029B2/en active Active
- 2010-06-09 TW TW099118759A patent/TWI534922B/en active
-
2013
- 2013-04-15 HK HK13104551.8A patent/HK1177552A1/en unknown
- 2013-06-21 US US13/923,939 patent/US20130276928A1/en not_active Abandoned
Patent Citations (1)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20020108740A1 (en) * | 2001-02-02 | 2002-08-15 | Haretaro Hidaka | Integrated piping plate, machining method for same, machining apparatus for same, and machining equipment for same |
Cited By (3)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
WO2017176815A1 (en) * | 2016-04-04 | 2017-10-12 | Ichor Systems, Inc. | Liquid delivery system |
US11158522B2 (en) | 2016-04-04 | 2021-10-26 | Ichor Systems, Inc. | Fluid delivery system |
US11158521B2 (en) | 2016-04-04 | 2021-10-26 | Ichor Systems, Inc. | Liquid delivery system |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
WO2010144541A3 (en) | 2011-03-03 |
HK1177552A1 (en) | 2013-08-23 |
CN102804335B (en) | 2015-10-21 |
US8496029B2 (en) | 2013-07-30 |
CN102804335A (en) | 2012-11-28 |
KR20120035157A (en) | 2012-04-13 |
TW201115672A (en) | 2011-05-01 |
WO2010144541A2 (en) | 2010-12-16 |
TWI534922B (en) | 2016-05-21 |
KR101779849B1 (en) | 2017-10-10 |
SG176152A1 (en) | 2011-12-29 |
US20100313976A1 (en) | 2010-12-16 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US8496029B2 (en) | Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates | |
US20140020779A1 (en) | Extreme flow rate and/or high temperature fluid delivery substrates | |
US8590942B2 (en) | Connected structure of vacuum double pipe, vacuum double pipe, and joint of vacuum double pipe | |
WO2005100833A1 (en) | Gas-panel assembly | |
US7896031B2 (en) | Fluid transport in monolithic structures | |
US6789584B2 (en) | Fluid containment apparatus | |
EP2167855B1 (en) | Msm component and associated gas panel assembly | |
JP6910861B2 (en) | Pipe fitting | |
TW201923265A (en) | Valve device | |
US11685997B2 (en) | Mounting structures for flow substrates | |
US20200240565A1 (en) | Weld cap and plug welds for fluid delivery systems | |
TWI617761B (en) | Pipe joint method, pipe joint part, pipe joint provided with pipe joint part, fluid controller, fluid control device, and semiconductor manufacturing device | |
WO2020158512A1 (en) | Flow passage assembly, valve device employing said flow passage assembly, fluid control device, semiconductor manufacturing device, and semiconductor manufacturing method | |
EP0777259A1 (en) | Apparatus for delivering fluid to a point of use location | |
US20200300392A1 (en) | Universal tube stub plug with seal port |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
STCB | Information on status: application discontinuation |
Free format text: ABANDONED -- FAILURE TO RESPOND TO AN OFFICE ACTION |
|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: COMPART SYSTEMS PTE, LTD., SINGAPORE Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:VISTADELTEK, LLC;REEL/FRAME:048330/0650 Effective date: 20180714 |