Feed device for a precursor

Abstract

A feed method and a feed device, comprising a vacuum pump for evacuation of a storage vessel for a precursor which is solid and/or liquid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure and for feeding the gaseous precursor which has been vaporized by evacuation, a first line section on the inlet side of the vacuum pump in order to produce a connection between the vacuum pump and the storage vessel for the solid and/or liquid precursor, at least one second line section for supplying carrier gas to the vacuum pump, and a monitoring device which can be connected to the first and the second line section and, during operation of the apparatus, provides open-loop and/or closed-loop control for the flow rate of the gaseous precursor and/or of the carrier gas, by keeping the partial pressure of the gaseous precursor below its saturation vapor pressure at least after it enters the pump.

1 . A feed device ( 1 ) for supplying a gaseous precursor for further processing, comprising
 a vacuum pump ( 2 ) for evacuation of a storage vessel ( 3 ) for a precursor which is solid and/or liquid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure and for feeding the gaseous precursor which has been vaporized by evacuation,   a first line section ( 23 ) on the inlet side of the vacuum pump ( 2 ) in order to produce a connection between the vacuum pump ( 2 ) and the storage vessel ( 3 ) for the solid and/or liquid precursor,   at least one second line section ( 24 ) for supplying carrier gas to the vacuum pump ( 2 ), and   a monitoring device ( 5 ) which is connected to at least one of the first and the second line section ( 23 ,  24 ) and, during operation of the feed device ( 1 ), provides open-loop and/or closed-loop control for the flow rate of the gaseous precursor and/or of the carrier gas, by keeping the partial pressure of the gaseous precursor below its saturation vapor pressure at least after it enters the pump,   further comprising a third line section ( 25 ) for supplying the vaporized precursor for further processing on the outlet side of the vacuum pump ( 2 ), which third line section ( 25 ) has a valve ( 26 ) for setting and/or open-loop and/or closed-loop control of the output pressure, by means of which under operating conditions the output pressure is set to the value of the process pressure in response to the actual pressure if the process pressure is less than the output pressure from the vacuum pump.   
     
     
         2 . The feed device ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the monitoring device ( 5 ) has a first mass-flow controller ( 6 ) for the gaseous precursor in the first line section ( 23 ) and/or a second mass-flow controller ( 7 ) for the carrier gas in the second line section ( 24 ). 
     
     
         3 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . The feed device ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a first heating device ( 11 ) for heating the first line section ( 23 ) from the storage vessel ( 3 ) to the first mass-flow controller ( 6 ). 
     
     
         7 . The feed device ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a second heating device ( 12 ) for heating the first line section ( 23 ) from the first mass-flow controller ( 6 ) to the inlet to the vacuum pump ( 2 ). 
     
     
         8 . The feed device ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a third heating device ( 13 ) for heating the vacuum pump ( 2 ). 
     
     
         9 . The feed device ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising a fourth heating device ( 14 ) for heating the third line section ( 25 ). 
     
     
         10 . The feed device ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum pump ( 2 ) is a multistage vacuum pump ( 2 ). 
     
     
         11 . The feed device ( 1 ) as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the vacuum pump ( 2 ) is selected from the group consisting of membrane pumps, turbopumps, scroll pumps and rotary-slide pumps. 
     
     
         12 - 22 . (canceled)