Fluid storage and dispensing systems and processes

Abstract

Fluid storage and dispensing systems and processes involving various structures methods for fluid storage and dispensing, including, pre-connect verification couplings that are usefully employed with fluid storage and dispensing packages to ensure proper coupling and avoid fluid contamination issues, empty detect systems (e.g., monitoring pressure of dispensed liquid medium to detect pressure droop conditions) useable with fluid storage and dispensing packages incorporating liners that are pressure-compressed in the fluid dispensing operation, ergonomically enhanced structures for facilitating removal of a dispense connector from a capped vessel, cap integrity assurance systems for preventing misuse of vessel caps, and keycoding systems for ensuring coupling of proper dispense assemblies and vessels. Fluid storage and dispensing systems achieve zero or near-zero headspace character, and prevent or ameliorate solubilization effects in liquid dispensing from liners in overpack vessels.

1 . A fluid supply system comprising:
 a fluid storage and dispensing system including a liner adapted to contain a liquid medium;   a pressurized fluid source adapted to exteriorly exert on the liner a fluid pressure for pressure-mediated dispensing of the liquid medium from the liner;   a transducer arranged downstream of the liner to monitor the liquid medium dispensed from the liner and to produce transducer output signals indicative of pressure drop of the dispensed liquid medium to indicate onset of exhaustion of the liquid medium from the liner; and   a processor operatively coupled to the transducer to receive the transducer output signals, to process the transducer output signals, and to determine, before the liner is exhausted of liquid medium, onset of exhaustion of the liquid medium from the liner based on the transducer output signals.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , wherein the liner is adapted to contain the liquid medium in a zero or near-zero headspace condition; further wherein the transducer is arranged to monitor the liquid medium dispensed from the liner in a zero or near-zero headspace condition. 
     
     
         3 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , wherein the transducer is a pressure transducer arranged to monitor pressure of the liquid medium dispensed from the liner. 
     
     
         4 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is arranged to control dispensing of the liquid medium from the liner and utilization of the liquid medium dispensed from the liner. 
     
     
         5 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to control the pressurized fluid source to exert the fluid pressure on the liner. 
     
     
         6 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 5 , wherein the processor is adapted to modulate the fluid pressure exerted on the liner. 
     
     
         7 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to monitor the fluid pressure exerted on the liner. 
     
     
         8 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressurized fluid source is a pressurized gas source to exteriorly exert directly on all sides of the liner a gas pressure for pressure-mediated dispensing of the liquid medium from the liner. 
     
     
         9 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a control system operably coupled with the processor to output an alarm indicative of said pressure drop, before the liner is exhausted of liquid medium, to initiate a liner change-out operation for continuation of dispensing from a replacement liner. 
     
     
         10 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , wherein the processor determines that said pressure drop exists only after dispensed liquid medium pressure begins to decrease, at a lower rate of dispensed liquid medium pressure change vs. time, and only before dispensed liquid medium pressure continues to decrease, at a higher rate of dispensed liquid medium pressure change vs. time relative to the lower rate, to provide an early indication that the liner is approaching exhaustion of liquid medium. 
     
     
         11 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , wherein the liner contains a liquid medium selected from the group consisting of photoresist liquid compositions and chemical mechanical polishing slurries. 
     
     
         12 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , further comprising a filter arranged for filtering of liquid medium dispensed from the liner, wherein the transducer is downstream of the liner and upstream of the filter. 
     
     
         13 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , wherein the pressurized fluid source is set to provide fluid pressure on the liner that will enable dispensing of liquid medium from the liner from an initial full state of the liner, through the pressure drop, to an empty or near-empty state of the liner. 
     
     
         14 . The fluid supply system according to  claim 1 , in combination with a semiconductor manufacturing tool receiving fluid from the fluid supply system. 
     
     
         15 . A fluid supply system comprising:
 a fluid storage and dispensing system including a liner adapted to contain a liquid medium;   a pressurized fluid source adapted to exteriorly exert on the liner a fluid pressure for pressure-mediated dispensing of the liquid medium from the liner;   a transducer arranged downstream of the liner to monitor the liquid medium dispensed from the liner and to produce transducer output indicative of pressure drop of the dispensed liquid medium; and   a processor operatively coupled to the transducer to receive the transducer output, to process the transducer output, and to adjust, based on the transducer output, fluid pressure exerted on the liner to control dispensing of the liquid medium from the liner.   
     
     
         16 . The fluid supply system of  claim 15 , wherein the transducer is a pressure transducer arranged to sense pressure of the liquid medium dispensed from the liner. 
     
     
         17 . The fluid supply system of  claim 15 , wherein the processor is adapted to adjust fluid pressure exerted on the liner so as to control pressure of the liquid medium dispensed from the liner. 
     
     
         18 . The fluid supply system of  claim 17 , wherein the processor is adapted to determine, before the liner is exhausted of liquid medium, onset of exhaustion of the liquid medium from the liner based on the transducer output. 
     
     
         19 . The fluid supply system of  claim 18 , wherein the processor is adapted to determine rate of change of pressure of the dispensed fluid based on the transducer output and to determine that onset of exhaustion of the liquid medium from the liner exists upon an increased rate of change of pressure of the dispensed fluid. 
     
     
         20 . A method of supplying fluid to a location of use from a fluid dispenser including a collapsible container holding the fluid, the method comprising:
 applying exterior pressure to the collapsible container to progressively collapse the collapsible container and dispense fluid therefrom;   monitoring the dispensed fluid during dispensing operation to generate an output signal indicative of a pressure drop in the dispensed fluid to indicate onset of exhaustion of fluid from the collapsible container;   processing the output signal indicative of the pressure drop and determining, before the collapsible container is exhausted of fluid, that the pressure drop exists, to indicate onset of exhaustion of fluid from the collapsible container; and   supplying the fluid dispensed from the collapsible container to the location of use.