Abstract:
A fluid flow control system including a subassembly having a plurality of fluid flow component bases coupled with at least one fluid conduit to define a fluid flow path. The system further includes fluid flow components that are configured to couple selective fluid flow component bases on the subassembly such that the fluid flow components are in fluid communication with each other along the fluid flow path. The system also includes a channel block having a recess, wherein the fluid flow component bases are configured to be at least partially nested within the recess.

Description:
RELATED APPLICATION  
       [0001]     The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/586,784 filed Jul. 9, 2004, entitled “IMPROVED FLUID FLOW CONTROL SYSTEM COMPONENTRY AND METHOD OF ASSEMBLING THE SAME,” which is incorporated herein in its entirety by reference. 
     
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION  
       [0002]     The present invention relates to fluid flow control systems for fluid flow processes. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for integrating flow control and monitoring components for use in the semiconductor industry.  
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
       [0003]     Modular systems have been devised for monitoring and controlling high purity gases during semiconductor manufacturing. The systems are compact and provide flexibility to allow users to assemble custom fluid flow component integrations and configurations.  
         [0004]     Some systems utilize machined blocks that mate directly together and do not require the use of interconnecting tubes. These blocks are often machined or otherwise formed with flow passages and sealing gland interfaces, which can increase fabrication costs. In addition, the blocks are often fabricated from high purity metal, which can further increase the cost of material. In some systems, a bulk of the high purity metal is not necessary as much of the block material is generally not serving any purpose.  
         [0005]     Other systems utilize interconnecting tubes between fittings. These systems often route the fluid through the bottom of the component through fittings and/or un-shaped jumpers or interconnecting bridge fittings. These configurations can add to head loss through an integrated assembly.  
         [0006]     There is currently a need for a fluid flow control apparatus and method for integrating flow control and monitoring components that addresses the inherent deficiencies that are present with conventional designs.  
       SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
       [0007]     The fluid flow control system of the present invention substantially solves the problems with conventional designs by providing a system and method for integrating multiple flow control and monitoring components for use in the semiconductor industry in a modular assembly.  
         [0008]     In an embodiment, the fluid flow control system can comprise a subassembly having a plurality of fluid flow component bases operably coupled with at least one fluid conduit defining a fluid flow path there through. The fluid flow control system can includes a plurality of fluid flow components configured to couple selective fluid flow component bases on the subassembly such that the fluid flow components are in fluid communication with each other along the fluid flow path. The fluid flow control system can further include a channel block having a longitudinal axis and a recess defined therein extending along the longitudinal axis, wherein the fluid flow component bases are configured to be at least partially nested within the recess.  
         [0009]     In another embodiment, a method of using a fluid flow control system comprising providing a plurality of fluid flow components, a subassembly comprising a plurality of fluid flow component bases configured to couple selective fluid flow components, and at least one fluid conduit. The method also can include operably coupling the plurality of fluid flow component bases and fluid conduit to define a fluid flow path there through. The method can further include providing a channel block having a longitudinal axis and a recess defined therein extending along the longitudinal axis, operably nesting the fluid flow component bases at least partially within the recess, and operably coupling the plurality of fluid flow components to selective fluid flow component bases such that the selective fluid flow components are in fluid communication with each other along the fluid flow path.  
         [0010]     In another embodiment, the fluid flow control system can comprise a subassembly having a plurality of fluid flow component bases operably coupled with at least one fluid conduit to define a fluid flow path. The fluid flow control system can also include a plurality of fluid flow components configured to couple selective fluid flow component bases on the subassembly such that the selective fluid flow components are in fluid communication with each other along the fluid flow path. The fluid flow control system can further include a channel block matrix having a first recess and a second recess defined therein defined therein, wherein the fluid flow component bases are configured to be at least partially nested within the recesses.  
         [0011]     In a further embodiment, a fluid flow control subassembly can comprise a plurality of fluid flow component bases operably coupled with at least one fluid conduit defining a fluid flow path there through, the bases each defining at least a portion of an operative portion of a respective fluid flow component.  
         [0012]     A feature and advantage of fluid flow control system according to the various embodiments is that it enables the modular exchange and/or replacement of flow control/monitoring components that possess identical bridge mounts or ports.  
         [0013]     Another feature and advantage of fluid flow control system according to the various embodiments is that the flow path defined between the fluid flow components can be direct, thereby reducing any head loss that can be associated with tubular jumper connectors.  
         [0014]     Another feature and advantage of fluid flow control system according to the various embodiments is that the fluid flow control system can be low profile because portions of the fluid flow components can nest within a recess defined on the channel. This enables installation and/or placement in areas having limited space. 
     
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES  
       [0015]      FIG. 1  is an exploded perspective view depicting a fluid flow control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0016]      FIG. 2  is a partial cross-section side elevational view depicting a fluid flow control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0017]      FIG. 3  is a top plan view depicting a fluid flow control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0018]      FIG. 4  is an elevational end view depicting a fluid flow control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0019]      FIG. 5  is a perspective view depicting a subassembly according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0020]      FIG. 6   a  is cross-sectional view depicting a bridge mount and hand valve according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0021]      FIG. 6   b  is cross-sectional view depicting a bridge mount and regulator according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0022]      FIG. 6   c  is cross-sectional view depicting a bridge mount and actuator according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0023]      FIG. 7   a  is cross-sectional view depicting a channel according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0024]      FIG. 7   b  is cross-sectional view depicting a channel according to an embodiment of the present invention, a bridge mount or port depicted in phantom lines;  
         [0025]      FIG. 7   c  is cross-sectional view depicting a channel according to an embodiment of the present invention, a bridge mount or port depicted in phantom lines;  
         [0026]      FIG. 8  is an exploded perspective view depicting a fluid flow control system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0027]      FIG. 9   a  is a top plan view depicting a fluid flow control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0028]      FIG. 9   b  is an elevational end view depicting a fluid flow control system according to an embodiment of the present invention;  
         [0029]      FIG. 9   c  is an elevational end view depicting a fluid flow control system according to an embodiment of the present invention; and  
         [0030]      FIG. 10  is cross-sectional view depicting a channel matrix according to an embodiment of the present invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION  
       [0031]     Referring to  FIG. 1 , a fluid flow control system according to exemplary embodiments is depicted and is generally indicated by the numeral  10 . The principle components of the fluid flow control system  10  are a subassembly  12 , a channel block  14 , and fluid flow components  16 . Such fluid flow components  16  include, but are not limited to, valves  18 , regulators  20 , flow controllers  22 , pressure transducers  24 , actuators  26 , or other various fluid flow components used by those of skill in the art in fluid monitoring or control.  
         [0032]     As depicted in  FIGS. 1-4 , the in-line fluid flow control system  10  includes a variety of fluid flow components  16  connected in series. From left to right, the components are a hand valve  18 , regulator  20 , an Integrated Flow Controller (IFC)  22 , a pressure transducer  24 , and an actuator  26 .  
         [0033]     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 6   a - 6   c , fluid control components  16  often include bridge mounts  28  or ports  30  through which fluid can enter and/or exit. Active control components, such as valves  18 , regulators  20 , and actuators  26 , can include bridge mounts  28 . The bridge mounts  28  can be the lower portion or base of the active fluid control component through which a fluid enters and exits. The bridge mounts  28  can also define a portion of the inner valve chamber and/or a valve seat.  FIGS. 6   a - 6   c  depict, respectively, a hand valve  18 , a regulator  20 , and an actuator  26 , including their respective bridge mounts  28 . Fluid control components  16  can include standard or identically configured bridge mounts  10 , such that the components  16  can be easily interchanged or replaced while the interconnecting plumbing remains in place. Accordingly, a plumbing line or network having a number of such bridge mounts  28  can be regarded as “receptacles” for the modular placement of fluid flow components  16  in a desired sequence. As depicted in  FIGS. 6   a - 6   c , the bridge mounts can have an inlet  36  and an outlet  38  through which fluid can enter and exit the bridge mount, respectively.  
         [0034]     Referring to  FIGS. 2 and 6   a - 6   c , other fluid flow components can include a port  30  or ports through which fluid can enter and/or exit the component  16 . The ports  30  can be the lower portion or base of the active fluid control component  16  through which a fluid enters and exits For example, as depicted in the figures, the IFC  22  and pressure transducer  24  include ports  30 . As depicted, the ports  30  differ from the configuration of bridge mounts  28 . Referring to  FIG. 2 , the ports  30  include an inlet/outlet  40 . The inlet/outlet  40  can be L-shaped or T-shaped depending on the application or placement of the port within the subassembly  12 .  
         [0035]     As depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 5 , the ports  30  and bridge mounts  28  can be interconnected by fluid conduits  32  or tubulations and the subassembly can be terminated with one or more compression fittings  34 . These components are can collectively constitute the subassembly  12  or “wetted subassembly.” The various components of the subassembly  12  can be constructed of various metals, such as stainless steel, or polymers, such as various fluoropolymers (e.g., DuPont® Teflon® polytetrafluoroethylene), or any other suitable material, such as materials suitable for use during semiconductor processing known to those of skill in the art. If constructed of metal, the subassembly  12  can be rigid. The components of the subassembly  12  can be constructed by any method known to those skilled in the art, including, but not limited to, extrusion, molding, forging, and casting.  
         [0036]     In the semiconductor industry, subassembly  12  is often constructed of DuPont® Teflon® polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) or some other fluoropolymer, thus, in some embodiments, can require added structural stability and support. Referring to  FIG. 1 , in these embodiments, a channel  14  or channel rail can be included to provide additional stability and support for the subassembly  12 . As depicted in  FIGS. 1 and 7   a , the channel  12  includes a channel axis  41  and can be formed to include two joining recesses, i.e., a first or upper recess  42  and a second or lower recess  44 . While the recesses are described herein as upper and lower recesses  42 ,  44 , the channel can be oriented such that the first and second recesses  42 ,  44  are oriented outwardly in either direction or downwardly. As such, the upper and lower recesses  42 ,  44  are described as such for the orientation as depicted in  FIG. 7   a . The recesses are described in this manner for convenience but are not to be construed to be limited to such an orientation. In addition, while the channel  14  is depicted as including two recesses  42 ,  44 , the channel  14  can include only one recess or more than two recesses without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application.  
         [0037]     Referring to  FIG. 7   a , the upper recess  12  includes a base surface or floor  46 , two generally opposed walls or sides  48 , and an open top or ceiling  49 . Likewise, the lower recess  44 , which depicted as being wider than the upper recess  42 , also includes a base surface  50 , two generally opposed sides  52 , and an top or opening  53  that can be centered on floor  46  of the upper recess  42 . The convolution of the recesses  42 ,  44  can form a T-shaped void. Thus the floor  46  of upper recess  42  can form two shoulders  51  that can straddle the opening  53  of the lower recess  44 . In other embodiments, the channel  14  is not angled but rather rounded to correspond to rounded edges of components included on the subassembly  12 . In addition, while the channel  14  is depicted as being unitary and integral, the channel  14  can include multiple channel portions that are configured to operably couple to form an integral channel  14 .  
         [0038]     The channel  14  can be constructed of metal, such as stainless steel, or polymer, such as various fluoropolymers (e.g., DuPont® Teflon® polytetrafluoroethylene) or any other suitable material providing additional stability and support for the subassembly  12 . Depending on the application, the channel  14  can be constructed of the same material as the subassembly  12  or can be constructed of a different material than the subassembly  12 . For example, the subassembly  12  can be constructed of a fluoropolymer while the channel  14  is constructed of a metal, or both the  12  subassembly and channel  14  can be constructed of the same material, such as a fluoropolymer or of a metal. The channel  14  can be constructed by any method known to those skilled in the art, including, but not limited to, extrusion, molding, forging, and casting.  
         [0039]     While the channel  14  is depicted as being linear in shape, the channel  14  can include bends or curves without departing from the scope of the present application. For example, the channel  14  can be L-shaped, S-shaped, C-shaped, circular, square, or other shaped configurations. In addition, while the channel  14  is depicted as being generally flat, the channel can be curved, bowed, or otherwise shaped in order to be placed on and mate with a non-flat surface.  
         [0040]     Various flow control or monitoring components  16  can be coupled or secured to and nest within the channel  14 . Referring to  FIGS. 2-4 , the bridge mounts  28  and ports  30  of the respective flow control components  16  can be configured to fit within the void created by the recesses  42 ,  44 . As depicted in  FIG. 2-4 , because a portion of the fluid flow components (e.g., bridge mount  28  or port  30 ) nests into the recesses  42 ,  44  on the channel  14 , the fluid flow control system  10  in its assembled configuration has a low profile. The low profile enables the fluid flow control system  10  to be placed in locations having otherwise limited clearance or space. The low profile also provides a direct flow path, thereby reducing any head loss.  
         [0041]     Various mechanisms for securing the bridge mounts  28  and ports  30  to the channel  14  are depicted in  FIGS. 7   b  and  7   c . As depicted in  FIG. 7   b , the bridge mounts  28  and ports  30  can be secured to the floor  46  by a fastening assembly, such as a fastener/nut assembly  54  and/or a fastener/tapped hole assembly  56 . Referring to  FIG. 7   c , the interior surfaces of sides  48  can include lips or protrusions  58  that are formed with or attached to sidewalls  48 . In another embodiment, the lips or protrusions  58  can be formed with or attached to sidewalls  52  of the bottom recess. The bridge mounts  28  (depicted in phantom in  FIGS. 7   b  and  7   c ) can be captured within the channel  14  by the snapping into the channel  14  by the lips  58  or by sliding the assembled subassembly  12  into the channel  14  from the ends.  
         [0042]     While the lips  58  are depicted as being inwardly directed, the lips  58  can be oriented upwardly, outwardly, or downwardly without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application.  
         [0043]     Referring to  FIGS. 8 and 9   a - 9   c , another embodiment of the fluid flow control system is depicted and is generally indicated by the numeral  100 . In this embodiment, the various fluid flow components  16  can be mounted to a channel matrix  60 . The channel matrix  60  configuration enables fluids to be routed alternatively or simultaneously through multiple flow branches or flow paths  35 . The particular embodiment depicted in the  FIG. 8  includes multiple actuators  26  for an on/off control of multiple flow streams. In other embodiments, the channel matrix can include any desired combination of fluid flow components, including, but not limited to, hand valves  18 , regulators  20 , IFCs  22 , pressure transducers  24 , and/or actuators  26 .  
         [0044]     Also, a system  100  can possess additional flexibility as a port  30  or bridge mount  28  can be located at every node within the channel matrix  60 . When a port  30  or bridge mount  28  is not occupied by a component  16 , the port  30  or bridge mount  28  can be blanked off or blocked using a blind flange  62 . The blind flange  62  enables flow to continue through selective flow paths but inhibits flow through a port  30  or bridge mount  28  having a blind flange  62 . The channel matrix  60  can be used for any number of combinations of fluid flow components and can be configured in multiple shapes. While the channel matrix  60  is depicted as being square in shape, it can be rectangular, T-shaped, L-shaped, or any other shape that is desired for a given application or location.  
         [0045]     In the embodiment depicted in  FIG. 8 , the components  16  are mounted with fastener/tapped hole arrangement  56 . Also, as depicted, the channel  60  does not include an upper recess  42 , but rather only a single lower recess  42 . Referring to  FIG. 10 , a dual level channel matrix  60  is depicted. In this embodiment, each channel in the channel matrix includes an upper and lower recess  42 ,  44 .  
         [0046]     To assembly a modular fluid flow control system  10  according to the various embodiments, first a plurality of bridge mounts  28  and/or ports are operably coupled to or connected with one ore more fluid conduits or tubulations  32 . The connected components form the subassembly  12 .  
         [0047]     If the components of the subassembly are metallic, the interconnection may be done by conventional pipe fitting mechanisms known to those of ordinary skill in the art, such as brazing, soldering or welding. Releasable connections, such as flared fittings, compression fittings or pipe threads can also be used.  
         [0048]     If the components are made of DuPont® Teflon® polytetrafluoroethylene or some other fluoropolymer, conventional gluing or bonding techniques can be used if it is compatible with the process stream to be controlled. In other embodiments, the fluid conduits or tubulations  34  can be connected to each other or to ports  30  or bridge mounts  28  by polymer welding, such as the welding described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,929,293, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.  
         [0049]     After the subassembly  12  has been assembled, it can then be mounted to the channel or channel matrix, depending on the application. The mounting can be done using the techniques depicted in  FIGS. 6   a - 6   c  and as described above. In addition, the subassembly  12  can be operably coupled to the channel  14  or channel matrix  60  using other mechanism, such as gluing, taping, hook and loop fasteners (e.g., Velcro®), or other fixations mechanisms known to those of ordinary skill in the art.  
         [0050]     Either before or after the subassembly  12  has been operably coupled to the channel  14  or channel matrix  60 , the fluid flow components  16  can be operably coupled to the subassembly  12  at selective locations along the subassembly. Any unused ports  30  or bridge mounts  28  can then be blanked off with blind flanges  62 . As depicted in  FIGS. 2-3  and  8 , the assembled fluid flow control system according to various embodiments can have one or more fluid flow paths or axes  35  defined therein along which fluid can flow. Referring to  FIG. 8 , the fluid flow paths  35  are depicted as being at right angles with respect to one another. In other embodiments, the fluid flow paths can be at right angles or angles greater to or less than right angles with respect to one another. This allows the fluid to be controlled in two paths  35  in any angular relationship from zero degrees to one hundred and eighty degrees.  
         [0051]     Once the fluid flow control system  10  has been assembled, a user can then monitor and or control the fluid flow through the fluid flow control system  10 . Also, a user can remove, replace, change, or otherwise displace various components  16  because of the common bridge mounts  28  or ports  30  provided on the subassembly. This enables a user to do any removal or replacement without affecting the plumbing of the fluid flow control system  10 .  
         [0052]     While the method of assembling the fluid flow control system  10 , subassembly  12 , and channel  14  has been described in an order, the order of the various assembly steps can be modified without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application.  
         [0053]     Although the present invention has been described with reference to particular embodiments, one skilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention. Therefore, the illustrated embodiments should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.