High purity chemical container with external level sensor and liquid sump

• US 6,526,824 B2
• Filed: 06/07/2001
• Issued: 03/04/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/07/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Versum Materials US Inc.
• Original Assignee: Air Products and Chemicals Incorporated (Linde Plc)
• Inventors: Baker, John Eric, Senecal, Lee, Chase, Geoffrey L., Roberts, David Allen, Zorich, Robert Sam
• Primary Examiner(s): Williams, Hezron
• Assistant Examiner(s): Miller, Rose M.
• Application Number:
  US09/876,243
• Publication Number:
  US 20020184945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 635 Days
• Field of Search: 732/90.V, 141/94, 141/95, 141/198, 141/374, 141/67, 141/64, 141/18, 222/394, 222/399, 222/400.7, 222/64
• US Class Current: 73/290.00V
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/2961 for discrete levels G01F23/2962 - G01F23/2968 take precedence

Abstract

A container for high purity chemicals having an externally placed level sensor to avoid contamination of such chemical and for ready serviceability and a removeable liquid out diptube to facilitate cleaning during refilling or refurbishing, both of which are situated adjacent a sump in the bottom of the container. The container can have a valved inlet and outlet and can be constructed of stainless steel which is electropolished.

Claims

1. A container for high purity chemicals comprising a shell with an external surface comprising a top surface, a side surface and a bottom surface, at least one orifice capable of being used as an inlet, at least one orifice capable of being used as an outlet, an ultrasonic level sensor affixed to the external bottom surface of said shell for determining the amount of high purity chemical in said container and a diptube connected to one of said orifices through which high purity chemical can be dispensed from said container or pressurized gas can be delivered to the container to dispensed chemical, a sump in said bottom surface into which a lower end of said diptube terminates, said sump sized to accommodate said lower end of said dip tube and a detection zone for said ultrasonic level sensor to determine the amount of high purity chemical in said sump, wherein said ultrasonic level sensor is positioned adjacent said sump to at least determine the amount of chemical in said sump.

2. The container of claim 1 wherein said orifice capable of being used as an inlet and said orifice capable of being used as an outlet each have a valve for controlling fluid flow through said orifices.

3. The container of claim 2 wherein said valves are pneumatic valves capable of being operated by remote automated control.

4. The container of claim 1 wherein said diptube is removeably attached to said orifice capable of being used as an outlet at one end of said diptube and another end of said diptube ends near a bottom inside surface of said sump.

5. The container of claim 1 wherein said ultrasonic level sensor is located on a bottom surface of said external surface of said container below said sump.

6. The container of claim 5 wherein said ultrasonic level sensor is located below said sump and adjacent said diptube.

7. The container of claim 1 wherein said level sensor is removably attached to said external surface of said container.

8. The container of claim 1 wherein said level sensor is permanently attached to said external surface of said container.

9. A container for high purity chemicals having a metallic shell, a valved inlet, a valved outlet, an ultrasonic level sensor removeably affixed to an external bottom surface of said shell for determining the amount of high purity chemical in said container and a diptube removably connected to said outlet through which high purity chemical can be dispensed from said container by connection to a downstream high purity chemical delivery system, a sump in said bottom surface into which a lower end of said diptube terminates, said sump sized to accommodate said lower end of said dip tube and a detection zone for said ultrasonic level sensor to determine the amount of high purity chemical in said sump, said ultrasonic level sensor positioned below a portion of said sump unoccupied by said diptube.

10. The container of claim 9 wherein said level sensor is located below a portion of said sump and which is not below said diptube.

11. The container of claim 9 wherein said sump is sized to accommodate said lower end of said diptube and a detection zone for said ultrasonic level sensor that is of sufficient size to avoid level sensing interference of said diptube by said level sensor.

12. A container for high purity chemicals comprising a metallic shell with an external surface comprising a top surface, a side surface and a bottom surface, a valved inlet, a valved outlet, an ultrasonic level sensor removeably affixed to the external bottom surface of said shell radially inside a skirt of said container and located above the plane defined by the bottom circumferential lower edge of said skirt, for determining the amount of high purity chemical in said container and a diptube removably connected to said outlet through which high purity chemical can be dispensed from said container by connection to a downstream high purity chemical delivery system, a sump in said bottom surface into which a lower end of said diptube terminates, said sump sized to accommodate said lower end of said dip tube and a detection zone for said ultrasonic level sensor to determine the amount of high purity chemical in said sump, said ultrasonic level sensor positioned below a portion of said sump unoccupied by said diptube.

13. The container of claim 12 wherein said sump is below the plane of said bottom surface and comprises a portion of said bottom surface.

14. The container of claim 13 wherein said sump has a portion occupied by said diptube and a portion unoccupied by said diptube below which said ultrasonic level sensor is positioned.

15. The container of claim 14 wherein said bottom surface of said external surface has a generally concave downward curvature from said side surface.

16. The container of claim 15 wherein said sump is below said generally concave downward curvature.

17. A method for determining the level of high purity chemical in a container of high purity chemical having a metallic shell with an external surface comprising a top surface, a side surface and a bottom surface, a valved inlet, a valved outlet, an ultrasonic level sensor affixed to the external bottom surface of said shell for determining the amount of high purity chemical in said container and a diptube connected to said outlet through which high purity chemical can be dispensed from said container, a sump in said bottom surface into which a lower end of said diptube terminates, comprising;

positioning said ultrasonic level sensor below said sump, generating ultrasonic waves in said high purity chemical in said container, sensing the reflection of said generated ultrasonic waves by said sensor, and generating a signal proportional to said reflection.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said sensing senses the high purity chemical in said sump.