WO2006130774B1

WO2006130774B1 - Gas-panel assembly

Info

Publication number: WO2006130774B1
Application number: PCT/US2006/021294
Authority: WO
Inventors: Matthew L Milburn
Original assignee: Ultra Clean Holdings Inc; Matthew L Milburn
Priority date: 2005-06-02
Filing date: 2006-06-01
Publication date: 2007-03-29
Also published as: JP2008545936A; WO2006130774A1

Abstract

Modular components for use in a gas-panel assembly (20) of the type having two or more gas-panel sticks (22, 24, 26) mounted on a support, where each stick is composed of a manifold having a plurality of gas components mounted thereon, and internal fluid connections between individual components carried on each manifolds, are disclosed. The components include one or more modular blocks or block units that can be removably placed within or adjacent an end of each manifold, an internal pipe module that provides an internal fluid passageway between one of the gas components carried on a manifold and a support on an adjacent modular block unit, and one or more external pipe modules that provide an external fluid passageway between surface ports formed in the modular block, for connecting adjacent manifolds in the gas assembly. A gas-panel assembly employing the modular components can accommodate a two-port purge-gas valve, and conduits whose internal diameters are substantially greater than those permitted with a three-port valve.

Claims

AMENDED CLAIMS received by the International Bureau on 20 December 2006 (20.12.2006)IT IS CLAIMED:

1. For use in a gas-panel assembly having two or more gas-panel sticks mounted on a support, where each stick is composed of a manifold having a plurality of gas components mounted thereon, and internal fluid connections between individual components carried on each stick, modular components for providing fluid connections between adjacent sticks, comprising

(a) one or more modular block units adapted to be removably placed adjacent an end of or within each manifold, where each modular block unit provides at least one support region,

(b) means defining an internal passageway adapted to provide a below- surface fluid passageway between a selected gas component carried on a manifold and said support region in an adjacent moduiar biock, thereby to form a surface port in said modular biock, and (c) an external pipe module adapted to provide an above-surface fluid passageway between surface ports formed in said modular blocks associated with adjacent manifolds in the gas assembly.

2. The modular components of claim 1 , wherein said passageway- defining means includes an internal pipe module adapted to be supported at one end by said modular block unit and at its other end by a region of a manifold adjacent the block unit in the same stick.

3. The modular components of claim 2, wherein each internal pipe module is composed of two or more connectors joined in fluid communication by a pipe section, and at least one of the connectors terminates in a collar adapted to be supported within a modular block unit.

4. The modular components of claim 3 wherein each modular block unit is composed of a pair of confronting block modules, where each block module provides:

(i) at least one groove formed therein, such that when two block modules

33 are placed together, confronting grooves in the two modules form an opening in which a connector in an internal pipe module can be received,

(ii) an upper surface region adjacent each groove, such when two block modules are placed together, confronting surface regions define a support region for supporting the collar of a pipe module having a connector received in said opening.

5. The modular components of claim 4, wherein said pipe modules, but not said block modules, are formed of a corrosion-resistant material.

6. The modular components of claim 5, wherein said pipe modules are formed of a material selected from the group consisting of 304 stainless steel, 316L VIM-VAR, Hastelloy™, aluminum, and ceramic, and said block modules are formed of a material selected from the group consisting of stainless steel and aluminum.

7. The modular components of claim 2, wherein each modular block unit provides a single support region, the modular blocks are adapted to be placed within or adjacent each manifold as a pair of blocks, each of said internal pipe modules is adapted to provide an internal fluid passageway between a selected gas component on a manifold and each of the support regions in the pair of modular block units, thus to form a pair of surface ports in each manifold, and a manifold in one stick is adapted to be connected to a manifold in at least one other stick in the assembly by a pair of offset external pipe units, one connected to each of the two ports formed in the pair of blocks.

8. The modular components of claim 2, wherein each modular block unit provides a pair of support regions, each of said internal pipe modules is adapted to provide an internal fluid passageway between said selected gas component on a manifold and each of the support regions of the associated modular block, thus to form a pair of surface ports in each manifold, and a manifold in one stick is adapted to be connected to a manifold in at least one other stick in the

34 assembly by a pair of offset external pipe units, one connected to each of the two ports formed in the pair of blocks.

9. The modular components of claim 1 , wherein said passageway- defining means is formed in said modular block unit, terminating at one end in a port in said block's support region, and said modular block is adapted to replace a portion of the manifold that provides a downstream port for said selected gas component carried on each manifold.

10. The modular components of claim 9, wherein the passageway defining means in a modular block terminates at one end in a pair of ports in the associated modular block unit, and a manifold in one stick is adapted to be connected to a manifold in at least one other stick in the assembly by a pair of offset external pipe units, one connected to each of the two ports formed in the pair of blocks.

11. The modular components of claim 1 , wherein the selected gas component carried on each manifold in said assembly is a purge-gas valve, each of said manifolds is separable between said valve and the component immediately downstream thereof, at which each manifold is adapted to receive at least one of said modular block units, said passageway-defining means in each manifold is adapted to connect a port in said purge valve with a port associated with an adjacent modular block unit, and one or more external pipe units connecting ports in adjacent-manifold modular units are adapted to form a fluid passageway for purge gas supply between adjacent sticks, wherein the purge gas valve carried on each manifold is a two-port valve connected at its opposite port to said internal fluid connections in the manifold.

12. The modular components of claim 11 , wherein said passageway- defining means in each manifold terminates at one end in a pair of ports in the associated modular block, and a manifold in one stick is is adapted to be connected to a manifold in at least one other stick in the assembly by a pair of external pipe units, one connected to each of the two ports in said modular block.

13. The modular components of claim 12, wherein said means defining an internal passageway and said external pipe module have a cross-sectional area that is larger than can be accommodated by a three-port station of the type used for mounting a three-port valved gas component.

14. The modular components of claim 13, wherein the cross-sectional o area of the means defining an internal passageway and said external pipe module is at least about twice that of a fluid connection that can be accommodated by such a three-port connection.

15. The modular components claim 13, wherein said component stations 5 are dimensioned to accommodate gas components with 1 1/8 inch block size, and the means defining an internal passageway and said external pipe module have internal diameters between 0.305 to 0.375 inches.

16. The modular components of claim 1 , wherein each manifold is o adapted to receive at least one of said modular blocks at its downstream end, in each manifold said passageway-defining means is adapted to connect a port in a terminal gas-control component with a port in an associated modular unit, and external pipe units connecting ports formed in adjacent-manifold modular units are adapted to form a fluid passageway for mixed gas supply from the manifolds 5 in the assembly.

17. A gas-panel assembly comprising

(a) two or more gas-panel sticks mounted on a support, each stick being composed of a manifold having a plurality of gas components mounted thereon, o (b) internal fluid connections between individual components carried on each stick,

(c) one or more modular blocks removably disposed adjacent an end of or

36 within each manifold, each modular block unit providing at least one support region,

(f) means defining an internal passageway providing an internal fluid passageway between a selected gas component carried on a manifold and said support region on an adjacent modular block unit, thereby to form a surface port in said modular unit, and

(g) an external pipe module providing an external fluid passageway between surface ports formed in said modular blocks associated with adjacent manifolds in the gas assembly.

18. The assembly of claim 15, wherein the selected gas component carried on a manifold in each stick in said assembly is a purge-gas valve, each of said manifolds contains one or more modular blocks disposed between the purge-gas valve and a downstream gas component, said passageway-defining means in each manifold connects a port in said purge valve with a port associated with an adjacent modular unit, and one or more external pipe units connecting ports in adjacent-stick modular units form a fluid passageway for purge gas supply between adjacent manifolds sticks, wherein the purge gas valve in each stick is a two-port valve connected at its opposite port to said 0 subsurface internal fluid connections in the stick.

19. The assembly of claim 17, wherein the cross-sectional area of the means defining an internal passageway and said externa! pipe module is at least about twice that of a fluid connection that can be accommodated by such a 5 three-port connection.

20. The assembly claim 17, wherein said component stations are dimensioned to accommodate gas components with 11/8 inch block size, and the means defining an internal passageway and said external pipe module have o internal diameters between 0.305 to 0.375 inches.

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21. A gas-panel manifold for use in a gas-panel assembly mounted on a support, comprising

(i) a plurality of two-port stations at which gas components, including one or more gas-valve components, can be mounted, (ii) at least one station having a port for accommodating an overhead fluid connection, and

(iii) internal fluid connections between individual stations in the manifold, for carrying a gas from one gas component mounted on the assembly to another, and for carrying gas from said one station to one of the two ports at a station which a valved gas component is to be mounted, where said fluid connections have a cross-sectional area that is larger than can be accommodated by a three-port station of the type used for mounting a three-port valved gas component.

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