Liner-based liquid storage and dispensing systems with empty detection capability

• US 9,073,028 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2012
• Issued: 07/07/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. (Entegris Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Technology Materials, Inc. (Entegris Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hovinen, Minna, Kingery, John R., Tom, Glenn M., O'Dougherty, Kevin T., Mikkelsen, Kirk, Ware, Donald D., Van Buskirk, Peter C.
• Primary Examiner(s): JACYNA, J CASIMER
• Application Number:
  US13/667,182
• Publication Number:
  US 20130056112A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• Field of Search: 222/1, 222/65, 222/94, 222/95, 222/105, 222/386.5, 222/394, 222/400.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00065 Pressure measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00067 Liquid level measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00069 Flow rate measurement
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2219/00164 controlling the flow
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 4/02 for feeding measured , i.e. prescribed quantities of reagents
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 83/0061 the contents of a flexible bag being expelled by the contracting forces inherent in the bag or a sleeve fitting snugly around the bag
• CPC Class Codes: G01F 23/18 Indicating, recording or alarm devices actuated electrically

Abstract

Fluid supply systems for storage and dispensing of chemical reagents and compositions, e.g., high purity liquid reagents and chemical mechanical polishing compositions used to manufacture microelectronic device products, having capability for detection of an empty or near-empty condition when the contained liquid is at or approaching depletion during dispensing operation. Fluid delivery systems employing empty detect arrangements are described, including pressure transducer monitoring of dispensed material intermediate the supply package and a servo-hydraulic dispense pump, or monitoring of dispenser chamber replenishment times in a dispenser being replenished on a cyclic schedule to flow material from the dispenser to a downstream tool utilizing the dispensed material.

Claims

1. A fluid supply system comprising:

a liner-based fluid storage and dispensing package including a liner adapted to contain a liquid medium in a zero or near-zero headspace conformation;

a pressurizing element adapted to exteriorly exert pressure on the liner for pressure-mediated dispensing of said liquid medium from the liner; and

an empty detect sensor arranged downstream of the liner to monitor sense the liquid medium dispensed from the liner in a zero or near-zero headspace conformation during said pressure-mediated dispensing and to generate an output signal alerting to a near-empty condition of said liquid medium in the liner before the liner is exhausted of the liquid medium and before any gas is dispensed from the liner, wherein the empty detect sensor comprises at least one of;

(a) a pressure switch or pressure transducer adapted to monitor pressure of liquid medium dispensed from the liner to detect pressure droop or decay, and

(b) an integrated flowmeter arranged to monitor flow rate of liquid medium dispensed from the liner.

2. The fluid supply system of claim 1, wherein the empty detect sensor comprises a pressure switch or pressure transducer adapted to monitor pressure of liquid medium dispensed from the liner to detect pressure droop or decay.

3. The fluid supply system of claim 1, wherein the empty detect sensor comprises an integrated flowmeter arranged to monitor flow rate of liquid medium dispensed from the liner.

4. The fluid supply system of claim 3, wherein the integrated flowmeter generates said output signal in response to a substantial diminution of said rate of dispensing of the liquid medium.

5. The fluid supply system of claim 1, wherein the pressurizing element comprises a pressurized gas source.

6. The fluid supply system of claim 1, wherein the pressurizing element comprises a fluid pressurizing drive train adapted to deliver pressurized fluid into an interior volume of the package to apply pressure on the liner.

7. The fluid supply system of claim 1, wherein the empty detect sensor is operatively coupled to a controller for isolating the fluid storage and dispensing package to enable change-out thereof upon detection of a condition indicative of onset of exhaustion of said liquid medium from the liner.

8. The fluid supply system of claim 1, wherein the fluid supply system comprises a dispensing assembly including a dispense head coupled with a dip tube, and the dip tube is adapted for flow therethrough of liquid medium from the liner during dispensing operation.

9. The fluid supply system of claim 1, further comprising a second fluid storage and dispensing package including a second liner adapted to contain a liquid medium, wherein the second fluid storage and dispensing package is arranged to continue dispensing after generation of the output signal indicative of onset of exhaustion of said liquid medium from the liner.

10. The fluid supply system of claim 1, wherein the liner contains a liquid medium used in microelectronic device manufacturing, wherein said liquid medium is selected from the group consisting of photoresists, etchants, chemical vapor deposition reagents, solvents, wafer and tool cleaning formulations, and chemical mechanical polishing compositions.

11. The fluid supply system of claim 1, wherein the fluid storage and dispensing package comprises a RFID tag arranged for communication with at least one of (i) the empty detect sensor and (ii) a process controller.

12. The fluid supply system of claim 1, adapted to effect a change-over from said fluid storage and dispensing package to a second fluid storage and dispensing package responsive to said output signal to provide continued dispensing operation from said second fluid storage and dispensing package.

13. The fluid supply system of claim 1, wherein the liner comprises a collapsible bag that comprises a polymeric film material.

14. The fluid supply system of claim 1, further comprising a controller adapted to receive said output signal from the empty detect sensor, and to responsively terminate dispensing operation.

15. A liquid medium-supplied manufacturing system, comprising:

a manufacturing tool adapted to utilize a liquid medium; and

a fluid supply system according to claim 1 joined in flow communication with the manufacturing tool, to dispense liquid medium to the manufacturing tool.

16. A liquid medium-supplied manufacturing system according to claim 15, wherein the manufacturing tool comprises a microelectronic device manufacturing tool.

17. A method of supplying a liquid medium to a location of use from a fluid supply system according to claim 1, the method comprising;

applying exterior pressure on the liner to dispense said liquid medium from the liner;

monitoring the liquid medium dispensed from the liner with said empty detect sensor during said dispensing of liquid medium from the liner, and

generating an output signal indicative of onset of exhaustion of said liquid medium from the liner.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising switching-in another liner-based fluid storage and dispensing package to effect continued dispensing of liquid medium to the location of use.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising terminating dispensing operation responsive to generation of said output signal.

20. A fluid supply system comprising:

a liner-based fluid storage and dispensing package including a liner adapted to contain a liquid medium in a zero or near-zero headspace conformation;

a pressurized gas source adapted to exteriorly exert pressure directly on the liner for pressure-mediated dispensing of said liquid medium from the liner;

an empty detect sensor arranged downstream of the liner to sense the liquid medium dispensed from the liner in a zero or near-zero headspace conformation during said pressure-mediated dispensing and to generate an output signal indicative of a near-empty condition of said liquid medium in the liner before the liner is exhausted of the liquid medium and before any gas is dispensed from the liner, wherein the empty detect sensor comprises a pressure transducer adapted to monitor pressure of liquid medium dispensed from the liner to detect pressure droop and generate the output signal indicative of the near-empty condition; and

a filter located downstream of the empty detect sensor to filter the liquid medium dispensed from the liner;

wherein the fluid supply system is adapted to effect a change-over from said fluid storage and dispensing package to a second fluid storage and dispensing package responsive to said output signal to provide continued dispensing operation from said second fluid storage and dispensing package.