Pre-loaded Carrier Gas for Stable Multi-Component Liquid Delivery

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current methods for delivering high purity process gases, particularly low volatility gases from liquid sources, face challenges in maintaining precise control and safety due to the dynamic concentration changes caused by Raoult's Law, leading to hazardous conditions and inefficiencies in micro-electronics and other critical processes.

Innovation Solution

The use of a pre-loaded carrier gas in fluid contact with the vapor phase of a multi-component liquid source, which includes a higher-volatility component, maintains the concentration of the low volatility component over time, ensuring precise and safe delivery by adjusting operating conditions such as temperature, pressure, and flow rate.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Quantity of substance

If a multi-component liquid solution is used as the source of process gases, then the delivery of low volatility compounds is enabled, but the concentration of components in the liquid source changes dynamically over time due to Raoult's Law

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconcentration of process gasVSAvoidcomposition of liquid source

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSStability of the object's composition

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary action by pre-saturating the carrier gas with the higher-volatility component before it contacts the liquid solution. This pre-loading of the carrier gas with the more volatile component compensates for its preferential evaporation, maintaining a stable composition in the liquid source over time and enabling consistent delivery of the lower-volatility process gas.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Productivity

If the vapor phase of the liquid source is continuously swept away by a carrier gas, then the delivery of process gas is enabled, but the more volatile component is preferentially removed from the solution

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedelivery rate of process gasVSAvoidconcentration of higher-volatility component

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring the composition of the liquid source and adjusting the saturation level of the carrier gas accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that the carrier gas is pre-loaded with the appropriate amount of higher-volatility component to maintain stable concentrations of both components in the liquid solution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

3Productivity

If highly concentrated hydrogen peroxide or hydrazine solutions are used, then the process effectiveness is improved, but safety hazards and handling concerns increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveprocess effectivenessVSAvoidsafety hazards

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies parameter changes by controlling the temperature, pressure, and composition of the carrier gas to optimize the delivery of process gases. By adjusting these parameters, the system can maintain effective concentrations of hydrogen peroxide or hydrazine in the gas phase while keeping the liquid source at safe, lower concentrations, thus achieving both process effectiveness and safety.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 allows for the safe and controlled transfer of low volatility compounds like hydrogen peroxide or hydrazine as a gas, maintaining their concentration and preventing hazardous shifts, thereby enhancing process control and purity in micro-electronics and other critical applications.

Implementation Method 1

the vapor phase of a multi-component liquid source

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 2

Raoult's Law for multi-component solutions becomes relevant. According to Raoult's Law, for an idealized two-component solution, the vapor pressure of the solution is equal to the weighted sum of the vapor pressures for a pure solution of each component

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectRaoult's Law:

Data Source

PatentEP2830748B1Method of delivering a process gas from a multi-component solution

Publication Date: 2018.08.08 RASIRC INC

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AI summary

A method and chemical delivery system are provided. The method includes providing a vapor phase of a multi-component liquid source. The method further includes contacting a pre-loaded carrier gas with the vapor phase, wherein the pre-loaded carrier gas includes a carrier gas and at least one component of the multi-component liquid source and delivering a gas stream comprising at least one component of the liquid source to a critical process or application, wherein the amount of the component in the carrier gas is sufficient to keep the ratio of components in the multi-component liquid source relatively constant. The chemical delivery system includes a multi- component liquid source having a vapor phase. The system further includes a pre-loaded carrier gas source that is in fluid contact with the vapor phase, wherein the pre-loaded carrier gas includes a carrier gas and at least one component of the liquid source and an apparatus for delivering a gas stream including at least one component of the liquid source, wherein the amount of the component in the pre-loaded carrier gas is sufficient to keep the ratio of components in the multi-component liquid source relatively constant.