Fluid storage and dispensing systems and processes

Abstract

Fluid storage and dispensing systems and processes involving various devices, structures and arrangements, as well as techniques and methods, for fluid storage and dispensing, including, without limitation, pre-connect verification couplings that are usefully employed in application to fluid storage and dispensing packages, to ensure proper coupling and avoid fluid contamination issues, empty detect systems that are usefully employed for fluid storage and dispensing packages incorporating liners that are pressure-compressed in the fluid dispensing operation, ergonomically enhanced structures for facilitating removal of a dispense connector from a capped vessel, cap integrity assurance systems for preventing misuse of vessel caps, and keycoding systems for ensuring coupling of proper dispense assemblies and vessels. Fluid storage and dispensing systems are described, which achieve zero or near-zero headspace character, and prevent or ameliorate solubilization effects in liquid dispensing from liners in overpack vessels.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]The present invention relates to fluid storage and dispensing systems and processes. Aspects of the invention, hereinafter disclosed, relate to various devices, structures and arrangements, as well as processes and methods, for fluid storage and dispensing, and include, without limitation, pre-connect verification couplings that are usefully employed in application to fluid storage and dispensing packages, to ensure proper coupling and avoid fluid contamination issues, empty detect systems that are usefully employed for fluid storage and dispensing packages incorporating liners that are pressure-compressed in the fluid dispensing operation, ergonomically enhanced structures for facilitating removal of a dispense connector from a capped vessel, cap integrity assurance systems for preventing misuse of vessel caps, and keycoding systems for ensuring coupling of proper dispense assemblies and vessels.[0003]2. Description of...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0056]Yet another aspect of the invention relates to a method of supplying a fluid from a collapsible liner subjected to pressure to effect dispensing of the fluid, said method including monitoring pressure of the dispensed fluid as a function of time, and determining pressure slope

Problems solved by technology

The fluid in such application in many instances is costly in character, and/or deleterious in effect if mis-dispensed.

Mis-dispensing of the fluid additionally may impair, or even render useless, a semiconductor device that is being manufactured.

Further, many chemical reagents used in semiconductor manufacturing are very hazardous in character, e.g., being toxic, pyrophoric, corrosive or otherwise harmful in exposure to persons or processing equipment.

An intrinsic problem with such coupling of supply vessel and dispensing assembly is that an incorrect coupling, i.e., connection of a wrong dispensing assembly to a supply vessel, results in contamination when the sealing membrane on the package is punctured by the dip tube of the dispense head, and it then is discovered that a wrong dispensing assembly has been utilized.

This can occur even if the mis-connection is immediately discovered, e.g., by inability to engage the dispensing assembly with any complementary connection structure on the fluid package.

Another issue of significance in the use of liner-based fluid storage and dispensing packages of the above-describe type, is the need to dispense as much of the fluid contents of the liner as possible, so that the fluid, which as discussed above may be costly in character, is efficiently utilized, without significant amounts of fluid being left in the liner at the conclusion of the dispensing operation.

Although small in volume, this headspace gas is deleterious to the contained fluid.

A primary disadvantage of the headspace gas is that when the liner is subjected to external pressure in the dispensing operation, the resultingly compressed headspace gas solubilizes in the contained fluid to produce dissolved gas therein, in accordance with Henry's Law.

This liberation of dissolved gas causes irregular and variable dispense profiles of the chemical reagent, e.g., a photoresist that is being flowed to a semiconductor manufacturing tool in a semiconductor manufacturing operation, resulting in the formation of potentially severe wafer defects, bubble formation on surfaces and subsequent popping of such bubbles, etc.

Thus, the presence of significant headspace in the liner entails significant adverse consequences along the entire extent of the fluid delivery path including the final use of the fluid in the process system.

In the dispensing of liquid from a liner-based package containing headspace gas, the exhaustion of fluid from the liner causes headspace gas to be drawn into the suction train of the dispensing flow circuitry, and this entrainment of headspace gas results in the appearance of bubbles in the downstream liquid flow.

The “first bubble” sensing method of empty detection has proven reliable, but is associated with the inherent disadvantages of headspace gas becoming solubilized in the liquid in the liner and subsequently being released from the liquid during the dispensing operation, since such efflux of gas may give a premature indication of exhaustion of liquid from the liner, thereby preventing maximum utilization of liquid from the liner from being achieved, as well as interfering wit

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