Metering Apparatus for Particulate Material Vaporization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing technologies face challenges in precisely metering and delivering milligram to microgram quantities of powdered materials to vaporization apparatuses, particularly in the electronics and OLED manufacturing industries, due to issues with contamination, throughput limitations, and gradient effects in deposited films.
Innovation Solution
A metering apparatus comprising a reservoir, a rotatable shaft with a smooth surface and circumferential groove, a rotating agitator with tines, and a flash evaporator that allows for precise control and fluidization of particulate material, enabling continuous dispensing of microgram quantities as single grains or aggregates, even for materials with poor flowability and wide particle size ranges.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional auger devices with patterned screws are used to meter powdered materials, then material transport is facilitated, but metering precision deteriorates due to material bridging and inconsistent discharge
Solution Approach 1:
The auger flighting is segmented into discrete sections along the auger length, with each section having optimized geometry. The flighting is divided into multiple land and groove patterns that segment the material flow path, preventing bridging while maintaining consistent discharge. This segmentation allows the auger to handle difficult-to-meter materials like titanium dioxide without sacrificing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
Different sections of the auger have different flighting patterns optimized for local requirements. The feed section has one pattern designed to prevent bridging, while the discharge section has another pattern optimized for precise metering. This local optimization of geometry allows simultaneous achievement of easy material transport and high metering precision.
2Ease of operation
If carriers or additives are used to facilitate powder transport, then material flowability improves, but system complexity and contamination risk increase
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the carrier substance from the system entirely. Instead of mixing powder with inert carriers to improve flowability, the auger geometry itself is designed to promote material flow and prevent bridging through its flighting pattern. This extraction of the carrier eliminates the need for additional handling systems and reduces contamination risk.
Solution Approach 2:
The auger design enables the material to self-flow and self-meter through optimized geometry. The flighting pattern creates channels that guide material flow without requiring external carriers or additives. The system serves itself by using the auger structure to provide both transport and metering functions without additional components.
3Reliability
If heater temperature is limited to prevent material degradation, then material stability improves, but vaporization rate and throughput decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary metering and preparation of the powder at low temperature, then rapidly vaporizes the pre-measured material. The auger meters precise quantities of material and delivers them to the vaporization zone where they are quickly converted to vapor. This preliminary action allows the bulk material to remain stable at low temperature while achieving high instantaneous vaporization rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The continuous auger operation creates a periodic flow of material to the vaporization zone, with material delivered in controlled increments. This periodic delivery allows the vaporization chamber to maintain high temperature for rapid vaporization of each batch while the auger feed system remains at low temperature, preventing overall material degradation.
4Reliability
If small quantities of material are loaded in sources, then material degradation is minimized, but operation time and throughput are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The continuous auger system provides uninterrupted material delivery to the vaporization zone, eliminating the need to stop and refill sources. Material is continuously metered from a large reservoir through the auger, maintaining steady operation for extended periods. This continuity allows large quantities of material to be processed without interruption while maintaining quality through controlled vaporization rates.
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
The solution provides controlled volumetric feeding and continuous dispensing of microgram quantities, improving throughput and reducing contamination risks, while minimizing material degradation and gradient effects in deposited films.
Implementation Method 1
a rotating agitator with a plurality of tines disposed in the reservoir and cooperating with the rotating shaft for fluidizing the particulate material and transporting the particulate material from the reservoir into the circumferential groove
Implementation Method 2
a flash evaporator that receives and vaporizes the metered particulate material
Data Source
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AI summary
Apparatus (190) for metering and vaporizing a particulate material, includes: a metering device for metering particulate material having: a reservoir (230) for receiving particulate material; a housing (240) having first and second openings; a rotatable shaft (270) disposed in the internal volume (250), the shaft having a smooth surface and a circumferential groove; a rotating agitator (290) with a plurality of tines disposed in the reservoir and cooperating with the rotating shaft for fluidizing particulate material and transporting it from the reservoir into the groove; cooperating such that particulate material is transported by the groove; a scraper cooperates with the groove to dislodge particulate material retained therein, and deliver metered amounts of particulate material through the second opening; a structure fluidizes the particulate material at the second opening; and a flash evaporator (210) that receives and flash vaporizes the metered particulate material.