Patent ID: 8297223

Claim:
An apparatus for thin film deposition and semiconductor device fabrication including: a. a vaporizer to generate a gas/vapor mixture; b. a vacuum chamber, containing a substrate on which a thin film is to be formed; c. a first filter for removing particles connected to carry a gas/vapor mixture flow from the vaporizer to the vacuum chamber, said first filter comprising a plurality of concentric tubular porous metal filter elements of size to nest inside others and having wall members positioned around and between the tubular porous metal filter elements to form a flow path through tubular porous metal filter elements, d. a first set of isolation valves, including an isolation valve between the first filter and the vacuum chamber, selectively operable to allow and prevent said gas/vapor mixture flow to flow through said tubular porous metal filter elements of the first filter to the vacuum chamber; and e. a temperature controller configured to control said first filter and said first set of isolation valves at a temperature sufficient to prevent vapor condensation on said filter and said first set of isolation valves.