Liquid Precursor Vaporizer

Abstract

In some examples, the liquid precursor vaporizer comprises an inlet, an outlet, and a first vaporizer core, the first vaporizer core including a plurality of nested cells defining a plurality of serpentine paths through which the liquid precursor can pass between the inlet and outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] Priority claims This application claims the benefit of priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62 / 946,864, filed December 11, 2019, and entitled LIQUID PRECURSOR VAPORIZER, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to substrate processing systems, and more particularly to systems and methods for vaporizing liquid precursors. Some examples relate to high flow thermal kinetic vaporizers, and more particularly to high flow thermal kinetic vaporizers that vaporize liquid tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) precursors. [Background technology]

[0003] Substrate processing systems are used to deposit films on substrates, such as semiconductor wafers. Exemplary processes that can be performed on the substrate include, but are not limited to, chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), plasma-enhanced CVD (PECVD), and plasma-enhanced ALD (PEALD). The substrate may be placed on a substrate support, such as a pedestal or electrostatic chuck (ESC), in a processing chamber of the substrate processing system. During processing, a gas mixture is introduced into the processing chamber, and a plasma is used to promote chemical reactions in the processing chamber.

[0004] Tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) precursor gas may be used when depositing silicon dioxide (SiO) films on substrates to produce highly conformal SiO films. The precursor gas may be injected into a substrate processing system as a liquid and must be vaporized before entering the processing chamber. Many existing TEOS precursor delivery systems require expensive and dangerous methods to achieve complete atomization and vaporization. The present disclosure aims to address at least these shortcomings.

[0005] The background discussion provided herein is intended to provide a general overview of the subject matter of the present disclosure. Work by the currently named inventors within the scope of what is described in this Background section, as well as aspects of the description that may not otherwise be considered prior art at the time of filing, are not admitted, expressly or impliedly, as prior art against the present disclosure. Summary of the Invention

[0006] In some examples, a liquid precursor vaporizer comprises an inlet, an outlet, and a first vaporizer core including a plurality of nested cells defining a plurality of serpentine paths through which a liquid precursor can pass between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer.

[0007] In some examples, at least one of the plurality of serpentine paths includes a series of alternating pinched and expanded regions.

[0008] Some examples further include a second vaporizer core in communication with the first vaporizer core, the first and second vaporizer cores defining the pathway for the liquid precursor between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer.

[0009] Some examples further include a sheath surrounding the first and second vaporizer cores. In some examples, the sheath surrounding the first and second vaporizer cores includes an aluminum material. In some examples, the aluminum material extends within a central volume of each of the first and second vaporizer cores.

[0010] In some examples, the first vaporizer core is manufactured by an additive manufacturing (AM) process. In some examples, the AM process includes using laser melted Inconel 718 as the AM material. In some examples, the AM process includes a post-annealing operation to remove porosity.

[0011] Some examples further include a heater.

[0012] Some examples further include at least one heater disposed between the first and second vaporizer cores.

[0013] Further areas of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description, claims, and drawings. The detailed description and specific examples are for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] Several embodiments are illustrated in the figures of the accompanying drawings, which are shown by way of example and not by way of limitation.

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an example substrate processing system for depositing tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) films in which examples of the present disclosure can be used.

[0016] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates a liquid precursor vaporizer according to one example embodiment.

[0017] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows a pictorial, partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary carburetor core.

[0018] [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary serpentine path defined by an exemplary carburetor core.

[0019] [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A shows various views of an exemplary liquid precursor vaporizer. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B shows various views of an exemplary liquid precursor vaporizer. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C shows various views of an exemplary liquid precursor vaporizer.

[0020] [Figure 6A] FIG. 6A further illustrates various views of an exemplary liquid precursor vaporizer. [Figure 6B] FIG. 6B further illustrates various views of an exemplary liquid precursor vaporizer. [Figure 6C] FIG. 6C further illustrates various views of an exemplary liquid precursor vaporizer. [Figure 6D] FIG. 6C further illustrates various views of an exemplary liquid precursor vaporizer.

[0021] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates exemplary operations in a method for vaporizing a liquid precursor, according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0022] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a machine capable of implementing or controlling one or more exemplary embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] The following description includes systems, methods, techniques, instruction sequences, and computing machine program products that embody exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure. In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the exemplary embodiments. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present embodiments may be practiced without these specific details.

[0024] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material that is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the patent document or patent disclosure being reproduced by anyone solely as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights. The following notice applies to all data set forth and illustrated below and forming a part of this document: Copyright Lam Research Corporation, 2019-2020, All Rights Reserved.

[0025] Referring now to FIG. 1, an exemplary substrate processing system 100 for performing deposition is shown. While a PECVD substrate processing system is shown, a PEALD substrate processing system or other substrate processing system may be used. The substrate processing system 100 includes a processing chamber 102 that contains a plasma and encloses other components of the substrate processing chamber 102. The substrate processing chamber 102 includes a gas distribution system 104 and a substrate support 106, such as an ESC. During operation, a substrate 108 is positioned on the substrate support 106.

[0026] In some examples, the gas distribution system 104 may include a powered showerhead 109 that distributes process gases over the substrate 108 and induces ion bombardment. The showerhead 109 may include a stem portion with one end connected to the top surface of the processing chamber 102. A base is generally cylindrical and extends radially outward from the opposite end of the stem portion at a location spaced apart from the top surface of the processing chamber 102. The substrate-facing surface, or faceplate, of the base of the showerhead 109 includes a plurality of distribution holes through which process gases flow. The gas distribution system 104 may be made of a metallic material and may act as an upper electrode. Alternatively, the gas distribution system 104 may be made of a non-metallic material and may include a recessed electrode. In other examples, the upper electrode may include a conductive plate, and process gases may be introduced in another manner. The substrate support 106 includes a conductive base plate 110 that acts as a lower electrode. The base plate 110 supports a heater plate 112, which may be compatible with a ceramic multi-zone heater plate. A thermal resistance layer 114 may be disposed between the heating plate 112 and the base plate 110. The base plate 110 may include one or more coolant channels 116 for flowing coolant through the base plate 110.

[0027] A radio frequency (RF) generation system 120 generates and outputs an RF voltage to one of the upper electrode (e.g., the gas distribution apparatus 104) and the lower electrode (e.g., the base plate 110 of the substrate support 106). The other of the upper and lower electrodes may be DC grounded, AC grounded, or floating at 143. In some examples, the RF generation system 120 may provide dual frequency power, including a high frequency (HF) generator 121 and a low frequency (LF) generator 122 that generate HF and LF power (at predetermined frequencies and power levels, respectively) that is supplied to the upper or lower electrode (or showerhead) by a matching and distribution network 124.

[0028] The gas supply system 130 includes one or more gas sources 132-1, 132-2, ..., and 132-N (collectively, gas source 132), where N is an integer greater than zero. The gas source 132 supplies one or more process gas mixtures, dopants, carrier gases, liquid precursors, and / or purge gases. In some examples, the gas supply system 130 supplies precursor gases, such as a mixture of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) gas, a gas containing an oxygen species and argon (Ar) gas during deposition, and a dopant containing triethyl phosphate (TEPO) and / or triethyl borate (TEB). In some examples, dopant diffusion occurs from the gas phase. For example, a carrier gas (e.g., nitrogen, argon, or other) is enriched with the desired dopant (or in gaseous form, e.g., triethyl phosphate (TEPO) and / or triethyl borate (TEB)) and supplied onto the silicon wafer, where concentration balancing can be performed. In subsequent processes, the wafer may be placed in a quartz tube that is heated to a specific temperature.

[0029] Returning to FIG. 1 , gas source 132 is connected to mixing manifold 140 by valves 134-1, 134-2, ..., and 134-N (collectively, valves 134) and mass flow controllers 136-1, 136-2, ..., and 136-N (collectively, mass flow controllers 136). Gases are supplied to mixing manifold 140 and mixed within mixing manifold 140. The output of mixing manifold 140 is supplied to processing chamber 102. In some examples, the output of mixing manifold 140 is supplied to showerhead 109. Secondary purge gas 170 may be supplied to processing chamber 102, such as behind showerhead 109, via valve 172 and mass flow controller (MFC) 174.

[0030] The temperature controller 142 may be connected to a plurality of thermal control elements (TCEs) 144 disposed within the heating plate 112. For example, the TCEs 144 may include, but are not limited to, respective macro-TCEs corresponding to each zone of the multi-zone heating plate and / or an array of macro-TCEs disposed across multiple zones of the multi-zone heating plate. The temperature controller 142 may be used to control the plurality of TCEs 144 to control the temperature of the substrate support 106 and the substrate 108. The temperature controller 142 may be in communication with a coolant assembly 146 to control the flow of coolant through the channels 116. For example, the coolant assembly 146 may include a coolant pump and reservoir. The temperature controller 142 operates the coolant assembly 146 to selectively flow coolant through the channels 116 to cool the substrate support 106. A valve 150 and a pump 152 may be used to control the pressure and evacuate reactants from the processing chamber 102. A system controller 160 may be used to control the components of the substrate processing system 100. Although shown as a separate controller, the temperature controller 142 may be implemented within the system controller 160 .

[0031] Some examples of the present disclosure relate to vaporization devices configured for use in liquid precursor delivery systems for either retrofit or build-forward applications. The precursor typically begins as a liquid before being vaporized as a gas. As noted above, conventional post-injection vaporization systems typically include an in-line filter, which can be inefficient and difficult to purge in a processable manner. The filter components can be relatively large and bulky, and can include heater jackets that are inefficient and expensive. The present disclosure aims to address at least these shortcomings.

[0032] 2, an exemplary precursor vaporizer 200 (also referred to herein as a "vaporizer") includes two vaporizer cores 202 and 204. A greater or lesser number of cores, or other configurations, are possible. It is believed that the illustrated two-vaporizer core configuration provides a degree of symmetry to the vaporizer and facilitates even distribution of heat provided to the core from the two heaters 206 and 208, as shown. The vaporizer cores 202 and 204 and the two heaters 206 and 208 are embedded in a welded case or sheath 210. In some examples, the sheath 210 includes or is provided in the form of an aluminum casting.

[0033] In some examples, the vaporizer core 202 or 204 is fabricated by a three-dimensional (3D) printing process or an additive manufacturing (AM) process. The AM process may include the use of laser-melted Inconel 718 as the printing material. Other high-nickel alloys with high corrosion resistance, such as Inconel 625 and Alloy C22, may be used as potential candidates. The AM process may include a post-annealing process to remove porosity. The final surface finish of the interior region may be achieved via abrasive flow machining and chemical-based processes. AM processes and materials may also be applied to the fabrication of the vaporizer 200. In some examples, the vaporizer 200 includes an inlet 212 and an outlet 214. The inlet 212 and outlet 214 are sized for standard quarter-inch (6.35 mm) gas line welds.

[0034] In some examples, AM vaporizer cores 202 and 204 are machined and welded after printing. After machining, the weldment is encased in aluminum (e.g., by sheath 210). Cast sheath 210 is machined or otherwise shaped to define elongated temperatures for two heaters 206 and 208, as shown. In some examples, heaters 206 and 208 are provided in the form of inexpensive cartridge heaters that are supplied by respective power lines 216 and 218 from an external power source. Suitable cartridge heaters may include 100-150 watt, 1-inch (25.4 mm) high-density cartridges.

[0035] In some examples, a central volume of the vaporizer 200 (e.g., central volume 502 in FIG. 5C described below) is filled with a thermal or heat transfer material, such as aluminum, to facilitate heat distribution throughout the interior surfaces of the vaporizer 200 and the vaporizer cores 202 and 204. The two vaporizer cores 202 and 204 and the two heaters 206 and 208 may be substantially completely embedded in the heat transfer material of the sheath 210, as shown. In some examples, the outer surface of each vaporizer core 202 and 204 is left rough to promote bonding between the outer surface and the sheath 210 material (e.g., aluminum) and promote surface conduction of heat throughout the outer surface.

[0036] FIG. 3 shows a pictorial, partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary vaporizer core 202. The vaporizer core 202 includes several interior cells 302. One or more walls 304 of each cell 302 may include an arcuate or wavy profile, as shown. The nested arrangement of the cells 302 defines multiple serpentine paths through which the liquid precursor passes as it passes through the vaporizer 200, for example, from the inlet 212 to the outlet 214, as shown. As the liquid precursor passes through a serpentine path within the vaporizer core 202, the arcuate or wavy wall profiles of the cells 302 define a broad set of surfaces over which the precursor may vaporize. An exemplary serpentine path 402 between adjacent cells 302 is shown in FIG. 4. In some examples, the cells 302 are hollow, as shown. In other examples, the cells 302 may be partially or completely solid. It should be understood that other cell wall profiles, cell arrangements, and serpentine paths are possible.

[0037] The internal geometry of vaporizer core 202 can be changed to accommodate different types of precursors, thermal and / or pressure process control parameters, or precursor flow rates. Vaporizer core 202 materials may include stainless steel or resistant metals for process compatibility. The size of vaporizer core 202 can be adapted to fit half-inch (12.7 mm) gas lines for higher flow applications.

[0038] Reference is now made to Figures 5A-5C of the accompanying drawings, which respectively show a pictorial top partial cross-sectional view of an exemplary vaporizer core 202, a pictorial partial cross-sectional side view of an exemplary vaporizer core 202, and a cross-sectional side view of an exemplary vaporizer core 202. In Figures 5A-5B, cells 302 are shown visible (in the figures) below the outer skin or outer wall 504 of the vaporizer core 202. Liquid precursor enters the vaporizer core 202 through the inlet 212 side and exits through the outlet 214 side as vaporized (or at least partially vaporized) precursor gas. If the precursor gas is only partially vaporized by a single vaporizer core 202, a second in-line vaporizer core 204 may be provided, as described above.

[0039] The gently serpentine, unobstructed shape and configuration of serpentine path 402 defined by cells 302 allows for rapid purging of liquid precursor with minimal or no residual liquid precursor remaining within vaporizer core 202 after inlet 212 is closed. Alternating pinched 510 and expanded 508 regions in serpentine path 402 are visible in FIG. 5A . The contracting and expanding volumes of serpentine path 402 are believed to facilitate vaporization of liquid precursor from the cell walls. The nested configuration of cells is believed to facilitate thermal conduction of heat in the heat transport path from heater 206 or 208 through vaporizer core 202 to the liquid precursor.

[0040] In some examples, a plurality of openings or inlet holes 506 are formed around the exterior surface of the vaporizer core 202 by an AM process, allowing the ingress of heat transfer material into the central volume 502 of the vaporizer 202, as described above.

[0041] In a more general aspect, the vaporizer core 202 is designed to eliminate sharp corners to facilitate the AM process and the processing of various core surfaces. In some examples, the serpentine path 402 defined by the vaporizer core 202 is smooth and uninterrupted between adjacent cells in a nested arrangement. The geometry of the vaporizer core 202 is optimized for the AM process in some examples. For example, inclined or sloped surfaces (relative to the horizontal or vertical axis in the figure) are rendered at angles greater than 20 degrees. The smooth, optimized geometry is intended to minimize powder entrapment in the AM process. In some examples, the interior manifold region of the cell surface finish may include a printed surface of 100-120 μin (2.54-3.05 μm) Ra, with the interior region reduced to as little as 10-15 μin (0.254-0.381 μm) Ra after an abrasive flow machining (AFM) process. The skin is actually designed to have a deliberately higher surface finish with a design pattern that has the best wettability and support through the aluminum casting process, which increases the surface area for improved surface thermal conductivity.

[0042] Reference is now made to Figures 6A-6D, which illustrate top, side, end, and side cross-sectional views, respectively, of an exemplary vaporizer 200. A casting or sheath 210 material (e.g., comprising an aluminum material) extends into the central volume 502 of each vaporizer core 202 and 204. In some examples, the fully cast sheath is machined to accommodate the heaters 206 and 208, screws, and thermocouples. The heaters 206 and 208 may be provided in the form of cartridge heaters. The heaters 206 and 208 may be positioned such that their axial length extends across the entire volume of the space between the two vaporizer cores 202 and 204. Other heater arrangements are possible. In some examples, one or more, and possibly all, of these components (i.e., the heaters 206 and 208, the one or more screws, and the one or more thermocouples) are substantially encased in the casting or sheath 210 material, as shown in the figures. In some examples, the vaporizer 200 includes a cylindrical shape having a length in the range of 3 to 6 inches (76.2 to 152.4 mm) and a circumference in the range of 1 to 3 inches (25.4 to 76.2 mm). The circumference of the vaporizer cores 202 and 204 may be in the range of 1 to 2 inches (25.4 to 50.8 mm).

[0043] 7, operations in a method 700 for vaporizing a liquid precursor may include, at 702, providing a liquid precursor vaporizer, the vaporizer including an inlet and an outlet, and a first vaporizer core, the first vaporizer core including a plurality of nested cells defining a plurality of serpentine paths through which a liquid precursor may pass in a path between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer, and, at 704, causing the liquid precursor to pass through the plurality of serpentine paths in the path between the inlet and the outlet of the vaporizer.

[0044] FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a machine 800 (e.g., system controller 180) capable of controlling one or more exemplary process embodiments described herein. In an alternative embodiment, machine 800 may operate as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, machine 800 may operate in the capacity of a server machine, a client machine, or both in a server-client network environment. In one example, machine 800 may operate as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (P2P) (or other distributed) network environment. Furthermore, while only a single machine 800 is illustrated, the term “machine” should be interpreted to include any collection of machines individually or collectively executing a set (or sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies described herein, such as via cloud computing, software as a service (SaaS), or other computer cluster configuration.

[0045] Examples described herein may include or operate on logic, several components, or structures. Circuitry is a collection of circuits implemented with tangible objects, including hardware (e.g., simple circuits, gates, logic, etc.). Membership in a circuitry may be adaptive over time and over variations in the underlying hardware. Circuitry includes elements that, alone or in combination, can perform specified operations when operated. In one example, the hardware in a circuitry may be invariably designed (e.g., hardwired) to perform specific operations. In one example, the hardware in a circuitry may include variably connected physical components (e.g., execution units, transistors, simple circuits, etc.) that include computer-readable media physically modified (e.g., magnetically, electrically, by a movable arrangement of invariable mass particles, etc.) to encode instructions for specific operations. When connecting the physical components, the electrical properties of the underlying hardware components are changed (e.g., from insulator to conductor, or vice versa). Instructions enable embedded hardware (e.g., execution units or load mechanisms) to create elements of the circuitry in the hardware through variable connections to perform portions of specific operations when operated. Thus, the computer-readable medium is communicatively coupled to other components of the circuit configurations when the device is operating. In one example, any of the physical components may be used in multiple members of multiple circuit configurations. For example, during operation, an execution unit may be used by a first circuit in a first circuit configuration at one time and reused by a second circuit in the first circuit configuration or a third circuit in the second circuit configuration at a different time.

[0046] The machine (e.g., a computer system) 800 may include a hardware processor 802 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a hardware processor core, or any combination thereof), a graphics processing unit (GPU) 803, a main memory 804, and a static memory 806, some or all of which may communicate with each other via an interlink (e.g., a bus) 808. The machine 800 may further include a display device 810, an alphanumeric input device 812 (e.g., a keyboard), and a user interface (UI) navigation device 814 (e.g., a mouse). In one example, the display device 810, the alphanumeric input device 812, and the UI navigation device 814 may be touchscreen displays. The machine 800 may further include a mass storage device (e.g., a drive unit) 816, a signal generator 818 (e.g., a speaker), a network interface device 820, and one or more sensors 821, such as a global positioning system (GPS) sensor, a compass, an accelerometer, or another sensor. Machine 800 may include an output controller 828, such as a serial (e.g., Universal Serial Bus (USB)), parallel, or other wired or wireless (e.g., infrared (IR), near field communication (NFC), etc.) connection, to communicate with or control one or more peripheral devices (e.g., printer, card reader, etc.).

[0047] Mass storage device 816 may include machine-readable medium 822 on which is stored one or more data structures or a set of instructions 824 (e.g., software) that are embodied in or utilized by any one or more of the techniques or functions described herein. Additionally, instructions 824 may reside, completely or at least partially, within main memory 804, static memory 806, hardware processor 802, or GPU 803 during execution of instructions 824 by machine 800. In one example, machine-readable medium 822 may be constituted by one or any combination of hardware processor 802, GPU 803, main memory 804, static memory 806, or mass storage device 816.

[0048] Although the machine-readable medium 822 is illustrated as a single medium, the term "machine-readable medium" may include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database, and / or associated caches and servers) configured to store one or more instructions 824.

[0049] The term "machine-readable medium" may include any medium capable of storing, encoding, or carrying instructions 824 for execution by machine 800, causing machine 800 to perform any one or more of the techniques of this disclosure, or capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures used by or related to such instructions 824. Non-limiting examples of machine-readable media may include solid-state memory, and optical and magnetic media. In one example, a high-capacity machine-readable medium includes a machine-readable medium 822 having a plurality of particles with an unchanging (e.g., stationary) mass. Thus, a high-capacity machine-readable medium is not a transitory, propagating signal. Specific examples of high-capacity machine-readable media may include non-volatile memory, such as semiconductor memory devices (e.g., electrically programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM)) and flash memory devices; magnetic disks, such as internal hard disks and removable disks; magneto-optical disks; and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The instructions 824 may also be transmitted or received over a communications network 826 using a transmission medium via the network interface device 820 .

[0050] While an embodiment has been described with reference to certain exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes may be made to these embodiments without departing from the broader scope of the inventive subject matter. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be interpreted in an illustrative and not a restrictive sense. The accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, show, by way of example, and not by way of limitation, specific embodiments in which the subject matter may be practiced. The illustrated embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the teachings disclosed herein. Other embodiments may be utilized and derived from the teachings disclosed herein, such that structural and logical substitutions and changes can be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. Accordingly, this detailed description is not to be interpreted in a limiting sense, and the scope of various embodiments is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full range of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

[0051] Although such embodiments of the inventive subject matter may be individually and / or collectively referred to herein as the "invention," this is merely a matter of convenience and is not intended to voluntarily limit the scope of this application to any single invention or inventive concept when in fact more than one is disclosed. Accordingly, although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it should be understood that any configuration calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. The present disclosure is intended to cover all adaptations or variations of various embodiments. Combinations of the above embodiments with other embodiments not specifically described herein will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reviewing the above description.

Claims

1. 1. A liquid precursor vaporizer comprising: The entrance and The exit, a first vaporizer core including a plurality of nested cells defining a plurality of serpentine paths through which a liquid precursor may pass in a path between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer; Equipped with each of the plurality of nested cells is defined by an arcuate or wavy closed wall; the plurality of nested cells are comprised of a plurality of sets of cells arranged in an array in which the cells of one set are surrounded by the cells of the other set; the cells of each set of cells have the same shape; A vaporizer in which, among the multiple sets of cells, two adjacent first-type cells included in one set of cells and a second-type cell included in another set of cells and closest to the two first-type cells are arranged so that a flow path defined by the two first-type cells and the second-type cell is serpentine.

2. 2. The vaporizer of claim 1, At least one of the plurality of serpentine paths includes a series of alternating pinch and expansion regions.

3. 2. The vaporizer of claim 1, a second vaporizer core in communication with the first vaporizer core, the first and second vaporizer cores defining the pathway for the liquid precursor between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer.

4. 4. The vaporizer of claim 3, The vaporizer further comprises a sheath surrounding the first and second vaporizer cores.

5. 5. The vaporizer of claim 4, The carburetor, wherein the sheath surrounding the first and second carburetor cores comprises an aluminum material.

6. 6. The vaporizer of claim 5, The aluminum material extends into a central volume of each of the first and second carburetor cores.

7. 2. The vaporizer of claim 1, A vaporizer, wherein the first vaporizer core is manufactured by an additive manufacturing (AM) process.

8. 8. The vaporizer of claim 7, The AM process includes the use of laser melted Inconel 718 as the AM material.

9. 8. The vaporizer of claim 7, The AM process includes a post-annealing operation to remove porosity.

10. 2. The vaporizer of claim 1, The vaporizer further includes a heater.

11. 6. The vaporizer of claim 5, The vaporizer further includes at least one heater disposed between the first and second vaporizer cores.

12. 1. A method for vaporizing a liquid precursor, comprising the steps of: The method further comprising:

1. A liquid precursor vaporizer comprising: The vaporizer is An inlet and an outlet; a first vaporizer core including a plurality of nested cells defining a plurality of serpentine paths through which a liquid precursor may pass in a path between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer; providing a vaporizer comprising: causing the liquid precursor to pass through the plurality of serpentine paths in the path between the inlet and the outlet of the vaporizer; Including, each of the plurality of nested cells is defined by an arcuate or wavy closed wall; the plurality of nested cells are comprised of a plurality of sets of cells arranged in an array in which the cells of one set are surrounded by the cells of the other set; the cells of each set of cells have the same shape; The method, wherein among the multiple sets of cells, two adjacent first type cells included in one set of cells and a second type cell included in another set of cells and closest to the two first type cells are arranged so that a flow path defined by the two first type cells and the second type cell is serpentine.

13. 13. The method of claim 12, The method, wherein at least one of the plurality of serpentine paths includes a series of alternating pinch and expansion regions.

14. 13. The method of claim 12, The method further comprising: a second vaporizer core in communication with the first vaporizer core, the first and second vaporizer cores defining the pathway for the liquid precursor between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer.

15. 15. The method of claim 14, The method further comprising a sheath surrounding the first and second carburetor cores.

16. 16. The method of claim 15, The method, wherein the sheath surrounding the first and second carburetor cores comprises an aluminum material.

17. 17. The method of claim 16, The aluminum material extends within a central volume of each of the first and second carburetor cores.

18. 13. The method of claim 12, The method further comprising manufacturing the first vaporizer core using an additive manufacturing (AM) process.

19. 20. The method of claim 18, The method, wherein the AM process includes using laser melted Inconel 718 as the AM material.

20. 20. The method of claim 19, The method, wherein the AM process includes a post-annealing operation to remove porosity.

21. 15. The method of claim 14, The method further comprising providing at least one heater between the first and second vaporizer cores.

22. 1. A liquid precursor vaporizer comprising: The entrance and The exit, a first vaporizer core including a plurality of nested cells defining a plurality of serpentine paths through which a liquid precursor may pass in a path between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer; Equipped with The carburetor, wherein the nested cells include a plurality of triangular shaped cells arranged in an interdigitated configuration.

23. The vaporizer of claim 22, A carburetor, wherein each of the plurality of triangular shaped cells arranged in the interdigitated arrangement includes an arcuate or wavy profile.

24. The vaporizer of claim 23, the serpentine path includes a series of alternating pinch and expansion regions defined by a plurality of nested triangular shaped cells arranged in the interdigitated arrangement.

25. 1. A liquid precursor vaporizer comprising: The entrance and The exit, A first carburetor core, the first carburetor core includes a plurality of nested triangular shaped cells in an interdigitated arrangement; each of the plurality of triangular cells arranged in the interdigitated arrangement includes an arcuate or wavy profile and interdigitates with a plurality of other triangular cells arranged in the interdigitated arrangement; the arcuate or wavy profile defines a tortuous path through which a liquid precursor can pass between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer; a first carburetor core, the serpentine path including a series of alternating pinch and expansion regions defined by a plurality of nested triangular shaped cells arranged in the interdigitated arrangement; A vaporizer comprising:

26. 1. A liquid precursor vaporizer comprising: The entrance and The exit, a first vaporizer core including a plurality of nested cells defining a plurality of serpentine paths through which a liquid precursor may pass in a path between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer; Equipped with the nested cells include a plurality of triangular shaped cells arranged in an interdigitated radial arrangement; the plurality of cells overlap and combine with adjacent plurality of cells to form an integrated nested structure; The integrated nested structure defines a plurality of serpentine paths through which liquid precursor can pass between adjacent nested cells in a path between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer.

27. The vaporizer of claim 25, each of the plurality of triangular cells overlapping and combining with adjacent plurality of cells to form an integral nested structure; The integrated nested structure defines a plurality of serpentine paths through which liquid precursor can pass between adjacent nested cells from the inlet to the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer.

28. 1. A liquid precursor vaporizer comprising: The entrance and The exit, a first vaporizer core including a plurality of nested cells defining a plurality of serpentine paths through which a liquid precursor may pass in a path between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer; Equipped with the plurality of nested cells being radially arranged to define a serpentine path; the tortuous path being such that liquid precursor can pass between radially adjacent nested cells in a path between the inlet and the outlet of the liquid precursor vaporizer.

Images