Patent ID: 7687110

Claim:
A method of in-line removal of impurities from a liquid precursor composition which is used to generate reactive precursor vapors for deposition of a thin film, layer, or coating at sub-atmospheric pressure, said method comprising the steps of: a) passing a vapor from a vapor space over a surface of said liquid precursor composition, which is in a supply vessel, through at least one aperture, which is in-line between said supply vessel and a thin film deposition process chamber, in a manner such that said precursor composition vapor expands into a lower pressure, confining environment; b) collecting said precursor composition vapor in said confining environment; c) sensing a pressure of said precursor composition vapor in said confining environment; d) comparing said sensed pressure with an indicated desired nominal pressure or with a change in pressure; and e) exhausting and discarding said precursor composition vapor from said confining environment when said precursor composition vapor does not meet requirements with respect to said indicated desired nominal pressure or said change in pressure.