Patent ID: 12220672

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A liquid material vaporizing device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be explained with reference to some drawings. Note that, to facilitate understanding, all of the drawings described below are schematic representations, with some omissions and exaggerations made as appropriate. The same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

<Device Configuration>

The liquid material vaporizing device100according to the present embodiment is incorporated in, for example, an optical fiber manufacturing device, and used in an optical fiber manufacturing process. In addition, for example, it may be incorporated in a semiconductor manufacturing device, and used in a semiconductor manufacturing process.

Specifically, as illustrated inFIG.1, the liquid material vaporizing device100includes a gas-liquid mixer unit2in which a liquid material and a carrier gas that is a gas is mixed into a gas-liquid mixture, and a vaporizer unit3in which the gas-liquid mixture is heated to discharge a material gas with the carrier gas by causing the liquid material to vaporize.

Examples of the liquid material includes OMCTS (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane with a boiling point of 175° C.) and TEOS (tetraethoxysilane with a boiling point 169° C.). The liquid material may be, for example, a halogen-based liquid material, such as SiCl4, conventionally used in manufacturing optical fibers, or a material used in a semiconductor process.

<Gas-Liquid Mixer Unit2>

As illustrated inFIG.2, the gas-liquid mixer unit2includes a main block21having a mixing unit21xin which a liquid material is mixed with a carrier gas, and a valve unit22that is provided to the main block21and that adjusts a flow rate of the liquid material.

As illustrated inFIG.2, the main block21includes a liquid material channel21athrough which a liquid material flows, a carrier gas channel21bthrough which a carrier gas flows, and a gas-liquid mixture channel21cthrough which a gas-liquid mixture flows. A junction between the liquid material channel21aand the gas-liquid mixture channel21cserves as a mixing unit21xfor the liquid material and the carrier gas. A gas-liquid mixture channel21cis connected to the mixing unit21x.

In the present embodiment, the liquid material channel21ais divided into an upstream portion21a1and a downstream portion21a2by the valve unit22. A downstream opening of the upstream portion21a1opens to the bottom surface of an annular recess211formed on the top surface of the main block21. An upstream opening of the downstream portion21a2opens to the central portion of the annular recess211, and the downstream portion21a2is connected to the mixing unit21x. A circumferential rim212of the upstream opening in the central portion of the annular recess211provides a valve seat (hereinafter, referred to as a valve seat212) with and from which the valve unit22is brought into contact and separated.

The valve unit22functions as a flow control valve, and is provided on the top surface of the main block21with a seal member (not illustrated) therebetween, as illustrated inFIG.2. The valve unit22includes a diaphragm221that is a valve body part brought into abutment against and separated from the valve seat212provided on the top surface of the main block21, and an actuator222that presses the diaphragm221so as to cause the diaphragm221to deform. The actuator is, for example, an actuator using a piezo stack.

In addition, as illustrated inFIGS.1and2, for example, a liquid material supplying pipe4for supplying the liquid material into the liquid material channel21a, a carrier gas supplying pipe5for supplying a carrier gas into the carrier gas channel21b, and a gas-liquid mixture outlet pipe6via which the gas-liquid mixture is discharged from the gas-liquid mixture channel21care connected to the main block21.

On the upstream side of the liquid material supplying pipe4, a mass flowmeter (not illustrated) for measuring a flow rate of the liquid material flowing through the liquid material supplying pipe4is provided. Based on the measurement of the mass flowmeter, the valve unit22is feedback-controlled so that the flow rate of the liquid material supplied to the mixing unit21xis brought to a predetermined rate. A mass flow controller that adjusts a flow rate of the carrier gas flowing through the carrier gas supplying pipe5is provided upstream of the carrier gas supplying pipe5.

<Vaporizer Unit3>

As illustrated inFIG.1, the vaporizer unit3includes a heating block31having a heating channel HS for heating the gas-liquid mixture generated by the gas-liquid mixer unit2.

Specifically, the vaporizer unit3includes a heating pipe32providing a heating channel HS, and a heater33for heating the heating pipe32. The heating pipe32and the heater33are internalized in the heating block31by covering the heating pipe32and the heater33with a heat-conducting metal (e.g., aluminum).

In the vaporizer unit3, one end32aand other end32bof the heating pipe32configures outwards from the respective surfaces (the top surface and the bottom surface) of the heating block31. The one end32aof the heating pipe32is connected to the gas-liquid mixture outlet pipe6, and the other end32bof the heating pipe32serves as an outlet port through which the vaporized gas obtained by vaporizing the liquid material is discharged.

As illustrated inFIG.1, in the heating pipe32according to the present embodiment, the one end32ais provided to an upper end of the heating block31, and the other end32bis provided to a lower end of the heating block31. A heat exchanger element321for increasing the area via which the heat is exchanged with the gas-liquid mixture is provided internal of the heating pipe32. In addition, in the heating pipe32, a nozzle322for injecting the gas-liquid mixture may be provided upstream of the heat exchanger element321.

<Configuration for Utilizing Heat Convection from Vaporizer Unit3>

The gas-liquid mixer unit2, the vaporizer unit3, the liquid material supplying pipe4, the carrier gas supplying pipe5, and the gas-liquid mixture outlet pipe6according to the present embodiment are housed in a casing7having a substantially cuboid shape. Specifically, the gas-liquid mixer unit2is installed so as to come to a position above the vaporizer unit3inside the casing7when the casing7is placed upright. The liquid material supplying pipe4connected to the gas-liquid mixer unit2is also positioned above the vaporizer unit3, and an inlet port41of the liquid material supplying pipe4is provided on the top surface of the casing7. The carrier gas supplying pipe5is also positioned above the vaporizer unit3, and an inlet port51of the carrier gas supplying pipe5is provided on the top surface of the casing7. In the present embodiment, “above” is a concept including not only immediately above but also including diagonally above.

A channel R via which the convection of heat from the vaporizer unit3is guided to the liquid material supplying pipe4is formed inside the casing7. The convection of heat from vaporizer unit3is generated by the air around vaporizer unit3becoming heated by the heat radiation from the vaporizer unit3. Specifically, the internal space of the casing7is divided into two housing spaces S1and S2, the gas-liquid mixer unit2is housed in one housing space S1(hereinafter, a first housing space S1), and the vaporizer unit3and the liquid material supplying pipe4are housed in the other housing space S2(hereinafter, a second housing space S2). The second housing space S2serves as a channel R for guiding the convection of heat from the vaporizer unit3to the liquid material supplying pipe4. An exhaust port7H is provided in an upper part of a right side wall of the casing7, the right side wall being a wall by which the second housing space S2is formed, and the heat convection from the vaporizer unit3is discharged to the external, via the exhaust port7H.

Furthermore, the partitioning wall8by which the internal space of the casing7is divided into the two housing spaces S1and S2includes a first partitioning wall81provided between the gas-liquid mixer unit2and the vaporizer unit3, and a second partitioning wall82provided between the gas-liquid mixer unit2and the liquid material supplying pipe4. The partitioning wall8according to the present embodiment provides partitioning between the gas-liquid mixer unit2and the vaporizer unit3, and prevents the heat from the vaporizer unit3from reaching the gas-liquid mixer unit2. As illustrated inFIG.1, the partitioning wall8according to the present embodiment has a substantially L-shaped cross section. The front wall, the rear wall, the top wall, and the left wall of the casing7together with the partitioning wall8form the first housing space S1, and the remaining space serves as the second housing space S2. The gas-liquid mixture outlet pipe6is passed through the first partitioning wall81, and the liquid material supplying pipe4and the carrier gas supplying pipe5are passed through the second partitioning wall82.

In addition, the casing7is provided with a blower fan9generating a flow in a direction from the vaporizer unit3toward the liquid material supplying pipe4. Specifically, the blower fan9is provided in the second housing space S2, andFIG.1illustrates an example in which the blower fan9is provided on the left side of the vaporizer unit3, but the position of the blower fan9is not limited thereto, and the blower fan9may be provided anywhere.

<Advantageous Effects of Present Embodiment>

In the liquid material vaporizing device100according to the present embodiment having the configuration described above, because the channel via which the convection of heat is guided from the vaporizer unit3to the liquid material supplying pipe4is formed inside the casing7, the liquid material supplying pipe4can be heated by the convection of heat from the vaporizer unit3. With this, it becomes possible to eliminate the need for the liquid material supplying pipe heating mechanism for heating the liquid material supplying pipe4. As a result, it becomes possible to alleviate environmental burden by reducing the number of components, and to reduce the power consumption. It is also possible to make the footprint of the liquid material vaporizing device100smaller.

In the present embodiment, because the partition (partitioning wall8) dividing the gas-liquid mixer unit2and the vaporizer unit3is provided, it is possible to prevent the gas-liquid mixer unit2from being highly heated by the convection of heat from the vaporizer unit3. As a result, it is possible to prevent thermal decomposition or deterioration of the liquid material caused by the gas-liquid mixer unit2being heated by the convection of heat from the vaporizer unit3.

Other Embodiments

For example, as illustrated inFIG.3, the partitioning wall8(the first partitioning wall81) between the gas-liquid mixer unit and the vaporizer unit may have an inclined surface8xinclined upwards toward the liquid material supplying pipe4. With this configuration, it is possible to better guide the convection of heat from the vaporizer unit3to the liquid material supplying pipe4.

It should be needless to say that the liquid material vaporizing device according to the embodiment described above may be used not only in an optical fiber manufacturing process and a semiconductor manufacturing process, but also in general applications requiring vaporization of other liquid materials.

As a scheme of the gas-liquid mixer unit, a scheme of spraying a liquid material into a gas using a nozzle or the like, or a scheme of vibrating a liquid with ultrasonic waves using an ultrasonic transducer or the like may be used.

In the embodiment described above, the gas-liquid mixture outlet pipe6has a shape of a straight pipe, but may be curved or bent depending on the arrangement of the gas-liquid mixer unit2and the vaporizer unit3.

The gas-liquid mixture outlet pipe6according to the embodiment may also be formed integrally with the main block21. In such a case, the gas-liquid mixture channel21cof the main block21serves as a part of the gas-liquid mixture outlet pipe6. In other words, a downstream portion of the mixing unit21xincluded in the gas-liquid mixer unit2may be used as the gas-liquid mixture outlet pipe6.

The liquid material according to the embodiment may include, in addition to that disclosed above in the embodiment, a liquid material achieved by dissolving a solid in a solvent or a liquid material obtained by dispersing a solid in a dispersion medium.

In addition, various modifications and combinations of the embodiments may be made within the scope not deviating from the gist of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

100liquid material vaporizing device2gas-liquid mixer unit3vaporizer unit4liquid material supplying pipe5carrier gas supplying pipe6gas-liquid mixture outlet pipe7casingR channelS1first housing spaceS2second housing space8partitioning wall8xinclined surface9blower fan