Microporous Carbon Adsorbent for Stable Diborane Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Diborane is highly unstable at room temperature, leading to rapid decomposition when stored in its pure form, and while dilution with inert gases or refrigeration can stabilize it, these methods are impractical due to short shelf-life and logistical complexities, and existing adsorbent technologies have not successfully developed a commercial product for reversible, stable diborane storage and delivery.
Innovation Solution
The use of microporous carbon adsorbents with slit pores between graphite layers, which increase the activation energy required for diborane degradation, allowing for reversible adsorption and storage of diborane in a chemically stable condition, enabling high concentration storage without the need for inert gases or refrigeration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If diborane is stored in a pressurized vessel in pure form, then high concentration storage is achieved, but the diborane decomposes quickly into lower concentration compounds
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs microporous carbon adsorbent material with specific pore size distribution to adsorb diborane molecules. The porous structure provides large surface area for adsorption while maintaining diborane stability, resolving the contradiction between high concentration storage and chemical stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a composite system combining carbon adsorbent material with diborane gas. The carbon-diborane composite enables stable high-concentration storage by leveraging the adsorption properties of carbon while maintaining diborane in a stabilized adsorbed state.
2Stability of the object's composition
If diborane is diluted with inert gas to improve stability, then decomposition rate is reduced, but shelf-life remains limited to 6-12 months
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the storage parameters by using adsorption equilibrium instead of gas phase storage. By controlling temperature and pressure parameters during adsorption, the system achieves extended shelf-life while maintaining diborane stability without requiring inert gas dilution.
3Stability of the object's composition
If refrigeration is applied to store diborane mixture, then stability is improved, but transportation and handling complexity increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The carbon adsorbent material provides self-stabilizing adsorption of diborane at ambient temperatures. The system is self-service in that the adsorbent automatically maintains diborane stability without requiring external refrigeration infrastructure, simplifying transportation and handling.
4Stability of the object's composition
If refrigeration is applied during diborane delivery to processing tool, then stability is maintained, but operational complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the refrigeration requirement from the diborane delivery system. By using ambient temperature adsorption storage, the system removes the need for refrigeration during delivery and operation, significantly easing operational complexity while maintaining stability.
5Stability of the object's composition
If existing adsorbent methods are used for diborane storage, then some stabilization is achieved, but reversible desorption and commercial viability have not been realized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic control of adsorption-desorption equilibrium. The system can reversibly transition between adsorbed and gas phase diborane by adjusting temperature and pressure, enabling reliable reversible storage and delivery operations that were not achieved by existing adsorbent methods.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach significantly reduces the rate of diborane degradation, allowing for stable storage and delivery of diborane in a concentrated form with minimal contamination, overcoming the limitations of existing storage methods by maintaining chemical stability and extending shelf-life without the need for refrigeration or inert gas mixtures.
Implementation Method 1
diborane in the vessel interior at least partially adsorbed on the microporous adsorbent
Implementation Method 2
microporous adsorbent includes slit pores between graphite layers at a graphite layer spacing that increases an activation energy required for diborane degradation
Data Source
AI summary
Described are systems and methods of storing adsorbing diborane on carbon adsorption medium. The invention discloses a vessel for storing diborane. The vessel includes: a vessel interior; microporous carbon adsorbent in the vessel interior; diborane in the vessel interior at least partially adsorbed on the microporous adsorbent. The microporous adsorbent includes slit pores between graphite layers at a graphite layer spacing that increases an activation energy required for diborane degradation relative to an activation energy of degradation of non-adsorbed gaseous diborane at ambient pressure, and at the same temperature.