Bubbling supply system for stable precursor supply

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention generally provide apparatus and methods for vaporizing liquid precursors. In one embodiment, a bubbling system for supplying a vapor of liquid precursor is provided including a gas flow conduit having a first end and a second end, a nozzle structure connected to the second end of the gas flow conduit, and comprising one or more perforated conduits fluidly coupled with the second end of the gas flow conduit, and a plate disposed around the gas flow conduit and in a spaced relationship from the nozzle structure, wherein both the one or more perforated conduits and the plate extend radially from an axis of the gas flow conduit.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A bubbling system for supplying a vapor of liquid precursor, comprising:
 a gas flow conduit having a first end and a second end;   a nozzle structure connected to the second end of the gas flow conduit, and comprising one or more perforated conduits fluidly coupled with the second end of the gas flow conduit; and   a plate disposed around the gas flow conduit and in a spaced relationship from the nozzle structure, wherein both the one or more perforated conduits and the plate extend radially from an axis of the gas flow conduit.   
     
     
         2 . The bubbling system of  claim 1 , wherein the plate is disposed around the gas flow conduit and in a parallel spaced relationship from the nozzle structure. 
     
     
         3 . The bubbling system of  claim 2 , wherein the plate comprises an annular disk having a diameter equal to or greater than any lengths of the one or more perforated conduits. 
     
     
         4 . The bubbling system of  claim 3 , wherein the annular disk comprises a ratio of annular disk diameter to perforated conduit length from greater than 1:1 to about 2:1. 
     
     
         5 . The bubbling system of  claim 3 , wherein the annular disk is disposed from the nozzle structure along the gas flow conduit by a ratio of distance from the nozzle structure to an annular disk diameter from about 1:12 to about 1:1. 
     
     
         6 . The bubbling system of  claim 1 , wherein the plate is disposed from about 0.5 cm to about 6 cm from the nozzle structure along the gas flow conduit. 
     
     
         7 . The bubbling system of  claim 6 , wherein the plate comprises an annular disk having a disk diameter from about 4 cm to about 8 cm and is disposed from about 3 cm to about 4 cm from the nozzle structure along the gas flow conduit with. 
     
     
         8 . The bubbling system of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more perforated conduits are oriented in an orthogonal manner to the gas flow conduit wherein each of the one or more perforated conduits comprise two arms, and each arm comprises one or more perforations. 
     
     
         9 . The bubbling system of  claim 1 , wherein the bubbling system further comprises the gas flow conduit disposed in a fluid container having a volume from about 0.1 liter to about 10 liters. 
     
     
         10 . The bubbling system of  claim 8 , wherein each perforation is from about 0.1 mm to about 3 mm in diameter. 
     
     
         11 . The bubbling system of  claim 1 , wherein the bubbler further comprises a jacket heater disposed on the sidewalls and bottom of the container and a controller coupled to the jacket heater. 
     
     
         12 . The bubbler system of  claim 1 , wherein the plate has a diameter from about 4 cm to about 8 cm and a thickness from about 0.1 mm to about 2 mm and each of the one or more perforated conduits has a diameter from about 0.5 cm to about 1.5 cm and a length from about 1 cm to about 8 cm. 
     
     
         13 . A method for vaporizing a liquid precursor, comprising:
 providing a bubbling system, comprising:
 a fluid container; 
 a gas flow conduit having a first end and a second end disposed in the liquid container; 
 a nozzle structure connected to the second end of the gas flow conduit, and comprising one or more perforated conduits fluidly coupled with the second end of the gas flow conduit; and 
 a plate disposed around the gas flow conduit and in a spaced relationship from the nozzle structure, wherein both the one or more perforated conduits and the plate extend radially from an axis of the gas flow conduit; and 
   providing a liquid precursor to the fluid container and forming an initial volume greater than a height of the plate;   providing a carrier gas through the gas conduit and exiting the one or more perforated conduits of the nozzle structure, wherein:
 the exiting carrier gas forms first bubbles having a first size in the liquid precursor; 
 the first bubbles contact the plate to form second bubbles having a second size less than the first size; and 
 the second bubbles flow to a surface of the liquid precursor; and 
 produce a vaporized precursor at the surface of the liquid precursor. 
   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein each of the one or more perforated conduits comprise two arms, and each arm comprises one or more perforations. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the first bubbles have a size of no greater than about the diameter of one or more perforations in the nozzle structure. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the diameter of the one or more perforations in the nozzle structure comprise from 0.1 mm to 3 mm in diameter. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the flowing the second bubbles to the surface of the liquid comprises flowing second bubbles at a rising velocity less than a rising velocity of the first bubbles. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the vaporized precursor has a dosage from about 1.5 grams/minute to about 11.8 grams/minute. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising the liquid precursor developing a processing volume less than the height of the plate, wherein a liquid precursor mist contacts the plate. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the carrier gas is selected from the group of nitrogen, argon, helium, and combinations thereof, and is provided to the gas conduit at a flow rate from greater than about 1 slm to about 10 slm. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the liquid precursor comprises a hydrocarbon compound or a metal-containing precursor selected from the group consisting of diethyl zinc, dimethyl zinc, trimethyl aluminum, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the plate comprises an annular disk having a diameter equal to or greater than any lengths of the one or more perforated conduits. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the annular disk is disposed from the nozzle structure along the gas flow conduit by a ratio of distance from the nozzle structure to an annular disk diameter from about 1:12 to about 1:1. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the fluid container has a volume from about 0.5 liter to about 10 liters.