초록 ▼

An improved vaporizer for vaporizing a process fluid is provided. The vaporizer may be assembled from stacked plates and may include one or more plenums with a relatively large wall-area-to-cross-sectional-flow-area ratio. The vaporizer may be equipped with one or more heating elements configured to

An improved vaporizer for vaporizing a process fluid is provided. The vaporizer may be assembled from stacked plates and may include one or more plenums with a relatively large wall-area-to-cross-sectional-flow-area ratio. The vaporizer may be equipped with one or more heating elements configured to heat the plenums above the vaporization temperature of the precursor. At least some of the plenums may be heated above the vaporization temperature, but below the Leidenfrost temperature, of the precursor. Multiple stacked plate arrangements may be ganged together in series to achieve complete vaporization, if necessary. The vaporizers may be easily disassembleable for cleaning and maintenance.

대표청구항 ▼

1. A vaporizer comprising: a first process fluid cap plate with a first inlet configured to flow a first process fluid;a first process fluid first peripheral passage plate with a plurality of first process fluid peripheral passage holes;a first process fluid first plenum volume;a first process fluid

1. A vaporizer comprising: a first process fluid cap plate with a first inlet configured to flow a first process fluid;a first process fluid first peripheral passage plate with a plurality of first process fluid peripheral passage holes;a first process fluid first plenum volume;a first process fluid first central passage plate with a first process fluid central passage hole; anda first process fluid second plenum volume, wherein: the first process fluid first plenum volume is bounded, at least in part, by a first surface of the first process fluid cap plate and a first surface of the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate offset from the first surface of the first process fluid cap plate by a first offset distance,the first process fluid first plenum volume fluidically connects the first inlet and the first process fluid peripheral passage holes,the distance from the first inlet to at least one of the peripheral passage holes is at least three times greater than the first offset distance,the first process fluid second plenum volume is bounded, at least in part, by a first surface of the first process fluid first central passage plate and a second surface of the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate offset from the first surface of the first process fluid first central passage plate and on a side of the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate opposite the first surface of the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate, andthe first process fluid second plenum volume fluidically connects the first process fluid central passage hole and the first process fluid peripheral passage holes. 2. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate comprises a first material with a thermal conductivity above 100 W/m/K. 3. The vaporizer of claim 2, wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of CVD silicon carbide, aluminum, and copper. 4. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate comprises: a core structure made of a first material, andan outer skin made of a second material, wherein: the outer skin is interposed between the core structure and the first process fluid when the first process fluid is flowed through the vaporizer, andthe second material is chemically non-reactive with the first process fluid under normal operating conditions of the vaporizer. 5. The vaporizer of claim 4, wherein the first material is selected from the group consisting of copper and aluminum. 6. The vaporizer of claim 4, wherein the second material is a coating applied to the core structure. 7. The vaporizer of claim 1, wherein the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate further comprises: an internal flow inlet fluidically connected to a flow path internal to the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate;an internal flow outlet fluidically connected to the flow path; andthe flow path, wherein the flow path is: fluidically interposed between the internal flow inlet and the internal flow outlet,fluidically isolated from the first process fluid peripheral passage holes, andconfigured to flow a heat transfer fluid through the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate. 8. The vaporizer of claim 1, further comprising: a first process fluid second peripheral passage plate with a plurality of first process fluid peripheral passage holes; anda first process fluid third plenum volume, wherein: the first process fluid third plenum volume is bounded, at least in part, by a second surface of the first process fluid first central passage plate on a side of the first process fluid first central passage plate opposite the first surface of the first process fluid first central passage plate and a first surface of the first process fluid second peripheral passage plate offset from the second surface of the first process fluid first central passage plate, andthe first process fluid second plenum volume fluidically connects the first process fluid central passage holes and the first process fluid peripheral passage holes of the first process fluid second peripheral passage plate. 9. The vaporizer of claim 1, further comprising a first heating element configured to heat the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate. 10. The vaporizer of claim 9, wherein the first heating element is in thermally-conductive contact with at least a portion of an outer perimeter of the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate. 11. The vaporizer of claim 1, further comprising: a second process fluid cap plate with a second inlet configured to flow a second process fluid;a second process fluid first peripheral passage plate with a plurality of second process fluid peripheral passage holes;a second process fluid first plenum volume;a first outlet; andan outlet plenum volume, wherein: the second process fluid first plenum volume is bounded, at least in part, by a first surface of the second process fluid cap plate and a first surface of the second process fluid first peripheral passage plate offset from the first surface of the second process fluid cap plate by a second offset distance,the second process fluid first plenum volume fluidically connects the second inlet and the second process fluid peripheral passage holes, andthe outlet plenum volume is: a) fluidically interposed between the first process fluid first plenum volume and the second process fluid first plenum volume,b) fluidically interposed between the first process fluid first plenum volume and the first outlet, andc) fluidically interposed between the second process fluid first plenum volume and the first outlet. 12. The vaporizer of claim 11, further comprising a mixer located within the outlet plenum volume, the mixer including one or more baffles and configured to facilitate mixing of the first process fluid and the second process fluid within the outlet plenum volume. 13. The vaporizer of claim 11, further comprising: a second process fluid first central passage plate with a first second gas central passage hole; anda second process fluid second plenum volume, wherein: the second process fluid second plenum volume is bounded, at least in part, by a first surface of the second process fluid first central passage plate and a second surface of the second process fluid first peripheral passage plate offset from the first surface of the second process fluid first central passage plate and on a side of the second process fluid first peripheral passage plate opposite the first surface of the second process fluid first peripheral passage plate, andthe second process fluid second plenum volume fluidically connects the first second gas central passage hole and the second process fluid peripheral passage holes. 14. The vaporizer of claim 11, further comprising a carrier gas source fluidically connected to the second inlet and configured to flow a carrier gas into the second process fluid first plenum volume. 15. The vaporizer of claim 11, further comprising a second heating element configured to heat the second process fluid first peripheral passage plate. 16. The vaporizer of claim 1, further comprising a first spacer interposed between the first process fluid cap plate and the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate, wherein: the first spacer is a thin plate with an opening that forms a continuous perimeter around the first process fluid peripheral passage holes,the first spacer has a first spacer thickness that defines, at least in part, the first offset distance. 17. The vaporizer of claim 16, further comprising one or more clamping features, wherein the one or more clamping features are configured to compress the first process fluid cap plate, the first spacer, and the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate together in a stacked arrangement. 18. The vaporizer of claim 17, further comprising a plurality of through-holes, wherein: the one or more clamping features include a plurality of fasteners:each fastener includes a threaded portion and a fastening portion configured to screw onto the threaded portion;the through-holes are configured to allow one of the fasteners to pass through; andthe through-holes are in one or more of the plates selected from the group consisting of: the peripheral passage plate, the cap plate, and the spacer. 19. A vaporizer comprising: a first process fluid cap plate with a first inlet configured to flow a first process fluid;a first process fluid first peripheral passage plate with a plurality of first process fluid peripheral passage holes;a first process fluid first plenum volume;a second process fluid cap plate with a second inlet configured to flow a second process fluid;a second process fluid first peripheral passage plate with a plurality of second process fluid peripheral passage holes;a second process fluid first plenum volume;a first outlet; andan outlet plenum volume, wherein: the first process fluid first plenum volume is bounded, at least in part, by a first surface of the first process fluid cap plate and a first surface of the first process fluid first peripheral passage plate offset from the first surface of the first process fluid cap plate by a first offset distance,the first process fluid first plenum volume fluidically connects the first inlet and the first process fluid peripheral passage holes,the distance from the first inlet to at least one of the peripheral passage holes is at least three times greater than the first offset distance,the second process fluid first plenum volume is bounded, at least in part, by a first surface of the second process fluid cap plate and a first surface of the second process fluid first peripheral passage plate offset from the first surface of the second process fluid cap plate by a second offset distance,the second process fluid first plenum volume fluidically connects the second inlet and the second process fluid peripheral passage holes, andthe outlet plenum volume: a) fluidically interposed between the first process fluid first plenum volume and the second process fluid first plenum volume,b) fluidically interposed between the first process fluid first plenum volume and the first outlet, andc) fluidically interposed between the second process fluid first plenum volume and the first outlet. 20. The vaporizer of claim 19, further comprising a mixer located within the outlet plenum volume, the mixer including one or more baffles and configured to facilitate mixing of the first process fluid and the second process fluid within the outlet plenum volume. 21. The vaporizer of claim 19, further comprising: a second process fluid first central passage plate with a first second gas central passage hole; anda second process fluid second plenum volume, wherein: the second process fluid second plenum volume is bounded, at least in part, by a first surface of the second process fluid first central passage plate and a second surface of the second process fluid first peripheral passage plate offset from the first surface of the second process fluid first central passage plate and on a side of the second process fluid first peripheral passage plate opposite the first surface of the second process fluid first peripheral passage plate, andthe second process fluid second plenum volume fluidically connects the first second gas central passage hole and the second process fluid peripheral passage holes. 22. The vaporizer of claim 19, further comprising a carrier gas source fluidically connected to the second inlet and configured to flow a carrier gas into the second process fluid first plenum volume. 23. The vaporizer of claim 19, further comprising a second heating element configured to heat the second process fluid first peripheral passage plate.