Patent ID: 6178925
Filing Date: 2001-01-30
Classification: C23C,F22B

Abstract:
A liquid delivery apparatus for vaporizing a liquid to produce a vapor therefrom, said apparatus comprising:a vaporizer including a surface arranged to receive liquid thereon;a liquid feed assembly including (i) a liquid source and (ii) a liquid flow circuit coupled to the liquid source and arranged to discharge liquid onto the vaporizer surface during liquid vaporization operation; anda burst purging assembly including a pressurized gas source joined in gas flow communication with the liquid flow circuit and arranged to introduce a clearance burst of pressurized gas into the liquid flow circuit after completion of the liquid vaporization operation so that hold-up liquid in at least one of the liquid flow circuit and the vaporizer following completion of the liquid vaporization operation is discharged onto the vaporizer surface and vaporized, thereby avoiding retention of said hold-up liquid in the liquid flow circuit and the vaporizer until renewal of liquid vaporization operation.