PREVENTION OF LINER CHOKE-OFF IN LINER-BASED PRESSURE DISPENSATION SYSTEM
To avoid problems associated with choke-off of a collapsible liner (e.g., disposed within a rigid overpack) during pressure dispensing of fluid therefrom, a pressure dispense package includes a choke prevention element comprising any of a perforated flange within the liner, a channel-defining flange within the liner, a film defining at least one liquid channel along an inner surface of the liner, a radial stiffening element coupled to the liner, an orifice-defining hollow internal support disposed within the liner, one or more magnetic and complementary magnetically responsive elements associated with the liner and surrounding container, or differential collapse characteristics between liner panels. Methods for preventing choke-off of a collapsible liner adapted for pressure dispensing are also provided.
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This application is based on and claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 60/887,194 filed on Jan. 30, 2007. The disclosure of such application is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to dispensing systems, such as are utilized to effect supply of fluid materials for use thereof. In a specific aspect, the invention relates to pressure-dispensing systems, wherein liquid or other fluid material is discharged from a source vessel by displacement with a pressurized medium, e.g., air or liquid, and to associated aspects relating to fabrication, operational processes, and deployment of such systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
In many industrial applications, chemical reagents and compositions are required to be supplied in a high purity state, and specialized packaging has been developed to ensure that the supplied material is maintained in a pure and suitable form, throughout the package fill, storage, transport, and ultimate dispensing operations.
In the field of microelectronic device manufacturing, the need for suitable packaging is particularly compelling for a wide variety of liquids and liquid-containing compositions, since any contaminants in the packaged material, and/or any ingress of environmental contaminants to the contained material in the package, can adversely affect microelectronic device products that are manufactured with such liquids or liquid-containing compositions, rendering the microelectronic device products deficient or even useless for their intended use.
As a result of these considerations, many types of high-purity packaging have been developed for liquids and liquid-containing compositions used in microelectronic device manufacturing, such as photoresists, etchants, chemical vapor deposition reagents, solvents, wafer and tool cleaning formulations, chemical mechanical polishing compositions, etc.
One type of high-purity packaging that has come into such usage includes a rigid or semi-rigid overpack containing a liquid or liquid-based composition within a flexible liner or bag that is secured in position in the overpack by retaining structure such as a lid or cover. Such packaging is commonly referred to as “bag-in-can” (BIC), “bag-in-bottle” (BIB) and “bag-in-drum” (BID) packaging. In each instance, the overpack material is substantially more rigid than the liner contained within. The rigid or semi-rigid overpack of the packaging may for example be formed of a high-density polyethylene or other polymer or metal, and the liner may be provided as a pre-cleaned, sterile collapsible bag of a polymeric film material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), low-density polyethylene, PTFE-based multilaminates, polyurethane, or the like, selected to be inert to the contained liquid or liquid-based material to be contained in the liner. Packaging of such type is commercially available under the trademark NOWPAK from ATMI, Inc. (Danbury, Conn., USA).
In the dispensing operation involving such liner packaging of liquids and liquid-based compositions, liquid is dispensed from the liner by connecting a dispensing assembly including a dip tube, or short probe, to a port of the liner, with the dip tube being immersed in the contained liquid. After the dispensing assembly has been thus coupled to the liner, fluid, e.g., gas, pressure is applied on the exterior surface of the liner, so that it progressively collapses and forces liquid through the dispensing assembly for discharge to associated flow circuitry for flow to an end-use site.
A problem associated with dispensation of liquids from collapsible liner-based dispensation systems is premature choke-off, when a liner necks and ultimately collapses on itself or a structure internal to the liner to form a choke point disposed above a substantial amount of liquid disposed below such choke point. When it occurs, such premature choke-off precludes complete utilization of liquid disposed within the liner. Such problem is far from trivial, as specialty chemical reagents utilized in industrial processes such as the manufacture of microelectronic device products are extraordinarily expensive. It therefore is necessary from an economic perspective to achieve as complete a utilization of the liquid from a package as possible, so that no substantial residual amount of liquid remains in the package after the dispensing operation has been completed.
The art therefore continues to seek improvements in dispensing packages and systems.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to dispensing systems, useful for supply of fluid materials to a tool, process, or location at or in which the fluid is utilized, and to components and assemblies useful in such dispensing systems, and associated methods for using such systems.
In one aspect, the invention relates to a pressure dispense package comprising: a collapsible liner adapted to hold a fluid; and a choke prevention element comprising any of: (a) at least one perforated flange disposed within the liner, (b) at least one channel-defining flange disposed within the liner, (c) a film defining at least one liquid channel disposed along an internal surface of the liner, (d) a radial stiffening element coupled to the liner, (e) a hollow internal support disposed within and operatively coupled to a side wall of the liner, the hollow internal support having a first orifice disposed in a lower portion of the liner, and having a second orifice disposed in an upper portion of the liner, (f) at least one first magnetic or magnetically interactive material coupled to the liner, said at least one first magnetic or magnetically interactive material being adapted to interact with a corresponding at least one second magnetic or magnetically interactive material coupled to an overpack container surrounding the liner, and (g) a first panel of the liner having collapse characteristics differing from a second panel of the liner that is peripherally bonded to the first panel.
Methods for preventing choke-off of a collapsible liner adapted for pressure dispensing, including addition of a choke prevention element to said liner, are also provided. The space between such a liner and a surrounding overpack container may be pressurized, with the choke prevention element utilized to prevent liner choke-off during said fluid dispensation.
Other aspects, features and advantages of the invention will be more fully apparent from the ensuing disclosure and appended claims.
The present invention relates to dispensing systems for the supply of fluid materials, and to methods of fabrication and use of such systems. In a specific aspect, the invention relates to a liner-based liquid containment systems for storage and dispensing of chemical reagents and compositions, e.g., high purity liquid reagents and chemical mechanical polishing compositions used in the manufacture of microelectronic device products.
In the use of liner-based packages for storage and dispensing of fluid materials, wherein the liner is mounted in a rigid or semi-rigid outer vessel, the dispensing operation may involve the flow of a pressure-dispense gas into the vessel, exteriorly of the liner, so that the pressure exerted by the gas forces the liner to progressively be compacted so that the fluid material in the liner in turn is forced to flow out of the liner. The thus-dispensed fluid material may be flowed to piping, manifolding, through connectors, valves, etc. to a locus of use, e.g., a fluid-utilizing process tool.
Such liner-based liquid containment systems can be employed for storage and dispensing of chemical reagents and compositions of widely varied character. Although the invention is hereafter described primarily with reference to storage and dispensing of liquid or liquid-containing compositions for use in the manufacture of microelectronic device products, it will be appreciated that the utility of the invention is not thus limited, but rather the invention extends to and encompasses a wide variety of other applications and contained materials.
The term “microelectronic device” as used herein refers to resist-coated semiconductor substrates, flat-panel displays, thin-film recording heads, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), and other advanced microelectronic components. The microelectronic device may include patterned and/or blanketed silicon wafers, flat-panel display substrates or polymer substrates. Further, the microelectronic device may include mesoporous or microporous inorganic solids.
The liner-based liquid media containment systems of the present invention have particular utility in application to liquid media used in the manufacture of microelectronic device products. Additionally, such systems have utility in numerous other applications, including medical and pharmaceutical products, building and construction materials, food and beverage products, fossil fuels and oils, agriculture chemicals, etc., where liquid media or liquid materials require packaging.
A fluid dispensing package typically includes a dispensing port that is in communication with the liner for dispensing of material therefrom. The dispensing port in turn is coupled with a suitable dispensing assembly. The dispensing assembly can take any of a variety of forms, e.g., an assembly including a probe or connector with a dip tube that contacts material in the liner and through which material is dispensed from the vessel.
The dispensing assembly in one embodiment is adapted for coupling with flow circuitry, e.g., flow circuitry of a microelectronic device manufacturing facility using a chemical reagent supplied in the liner of the package. The semiconductor manufacturing reagent may be a photoresist or other high-purity chemical reagent or specialty reagent.
The package can be a large-scale package, wherein the liner has a capacity in a range of from 1 to 2000 or more liters of material.
In a pressure-dispense mode, the liner-based package can be adapted for coupling with a pressurized gas source, such as a pump, compressor, a compressed gas tank, etc.
Referring now to the drawings,
In one embodiment, the liner 12 may be formed from at least two sheets of peripherally bonded (e.g., welded) polymeric film material. Such “two-dimensional” liner is susceptible to being expanded into a roughly cylindrical shape upon being filled with an appropriate fluid (e.g., liquid).
In another embodiment, the liner 12 may be formed from tubular stock material. By the use of a tubular stock, e.g., a blown tubular polymeric film material, heat seals and welded seams along the sides of the liner are avoided. In certain applications, the absence of side welded seams is advantageous, since the liner may be better able to withstand forces and pressures that tend to stress the liner and may, in extreme cases, lead to seam failure in peripherally bonded two-dimensional liners.
The liner 12 most preferably is a single-use, thin membrane liner, whereby it can be removed after each use (e.g., when the container is depleted of the liquid contained therein) and replaced with a new, pre-cleaned liner to enable the reuse of the overall container 10.
The liner 12 is preferably free of components such as plasticizers, antioxidants, UV stabilizers, fillers, etc. that may be or become a source of contaminants, e.g., by leaching into the liquid contained in the liner, or by decomposing to yield degradation products that have greater diffusivity in the liner and that migrate to the surface and solubilize or otherwise become contaminants of the liquid in the liner.
Preferably, a substantially pure film is utilized for the liner, such as virgin (additive-free) polyethylene film, virgin polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) film, or other suitable virgin polymeric material such as polyvinylalcohol, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinylchloride, polyacetal, polystyrene, polyacrylonitrile, polybutylene, etc. More generally, the liner may be formed of laminates, co-extrusions, overmold extrusion, composites, copolymers and material blends, with or without metallization and foil.
The thickness of the liner material can be any suitable thickness, e.g., in a range from about 1 mils (0.001 inch) to about 30 mils (0.030 inch). In one embodiment, the liner has a thickness of 20 mils (0.020 inch).
The liner can be formed in any suitable manner such as peripheral bonding of thin sheets (as described hereinabove), or by tubular blow molding of a three-dimensional liner. An integral fill opening is preferably provided at an upper end of the vessel, which may, as shown in
The liner 12 preferably includes two ports in the top portion thereof, as shown in
In one embodiment, the lower receptacle portion 16 of the housing 14 is slightly tapered, as shown in
The generally rigid housing 14 also includes an overpack lid 26, which is leak-tightly joined to the walls of the housing 14, to bound an interior space in the housing 14 containing the liner 12, as shown. A space between the liner 12 and the housing 14 is subject to pressurization to effectuate pressure dispensing of fluid contents of the liner 12.
In the apparatus illustrated in
The gas fill tube 44 is joined to a gas feed line 8 coupled to a compressed gas source 7, e.g., a compressor, compressed gas tank, etc., for delivery of pressurizing gas into the interior volume of the overpack, and progressive compaction of the liner during the pressure dispense operation.
The liquid dispensing tube 40 is coupled with dispensed gas feed line 2 containing flow control valve 3 and pump 4 therein, to effect flow of the dispensed liquid from the package through such flow circuitry to the tool 5 (“TOOL”) in the microelectronic product manufacturing facility 6 (“FAB”). The tool 5 can for example comprise a spin coater for applying photoresist to a wafer, with the dispensed liquid constituting a suitable photoresist material for such purpose. The tool alternatively can be of any suitable type, which is adapted for utilizing the specific dispensed chemical reagent.
Liquid chemical reagents can therefore be dispensed for use in the microelectronic product manufacturing facility 6, from liner-based package(s) of the illustrated type, to yield a microelectronic product 9, e.g., a flat panel display or a semiconductor wafer incorporating integrated circuitry.
The liner 12 advantageously is formed of a film material of appropriate thickness to be flexible and collapsible in character. In one embodiment, the liner is compressible to about 10% or less of the rated fill volume, i.e., the volume of liquid able to be contained in the liner when same is fully filled in the housing 14. In various embodiments, the liner may be compressible to about 0.25% or less of rated fill volume, e.g., less than 10 milliliters in a 4000 milliliter package, or about 0.05% or less (10 mL or less remaining in a 19 L package), or 0.005% or less (10 mL or less remaining in a 200 L package). Preferred liner materials are sufficiently pliable to allow for folding or compressing of the liner during shipment as a replacement unit. The liner preferably is of a composition and character that is resistant to particle and microbubble formation when liquid is contained in the liner, that is sufficient flexible to allow the liquid to expand and contract due to temperature and pressure changes and that is effective to maintain purity for the specific end use application in which the liquid is to be employed, e.g., in semiconductor manufacturing or other high purity-critical liquid supply application.
For semiconductor manufacturing applications, the liquid contained in the liner 12 of the container 10 should have less than 75 particles/milliliter of particles having a diameter of 0.25 microns, at the point of fill of the liner, and the liner should have less than 30 parts per billion total organic carbon (TOC) in the liquid, with less than 10 parts per trillion metal extractable levels per critical elements, such as calcium, cobalt, copper, chromium, iron, molybdenum, manganese, sodium, nickel, and tungsten, and with less than 150 parts per trillion iron and copper extractable levels per element for liner containment of hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen peroxide and ammonium hydroxide, consistent with the specifications set out in the Semiconductor Industry Association, International Technology Roadmap for Semiconductors (SIA, ITRS) 1999 Edition.
The liner 12 of
The port 30 in deck 26 of the housing 14 can be coupled with a rigid port on the liner, so that the liner is fabricated with two ports, or alternatively the liner can be fabricated so that it is ventable using a single port configuration. In still another embodiment, a headspace gas removal port fitting surrounds the inner liquid dispense fitment without the use of an additional vent.
Deck 26 of the housing 14 may be formed of a same generally rigid material as the remaining structural components of the housing, such as polyethylene, polytetrafluoroethylene, polypropylene, polyurethane, polyvinylidene chloride, polyvinylchloride, polyacetal, polystyrene, polyacrylonitrile, and polybutylene.
As a further optional modification of the container 10, a radio frequency identification tag 32 may be provided on the liner, for the purpose of providing information relating to the contained liquid and/or its intended usage. The radio frequency identification tag can be arranged to provide information via a radio frequency transponder and receiver to a user or technician who can thereby ascertain the condition of the liquid in the container, its identity, source, age, intended use location and process, etc. In lieu of a radio frequency identification device, other information storage may be employed which is readable, and/or transmittable, by remote sensor, such as a hand-held scanner, computer equipped with a receiver, etc.
In the dispensing operation involving the container 10 shown in
Correspondingly, air may be displaced from the interior volume of housing 14 through port 30, for flow through the passage 43 in dispensing head 34 to tube 44 during the filling operation, so that air is displaced as the liner 12 expands during liquid filling thereof.
As mentioned previously, a problem associated with pressure dispensing of fluids fro collapsible liners is premature choke-off, when a liner prematurely necks and ultimately collapses on itself or a structure internal to the liner to form a choke point disposed above a substantial volume of fluid remaining to be dispensed. Such a problem is illustrated schematically in
Various structures capable of ameliorating this choke-off problem are illustrated in
Although
In the embodiment shown in
Various liners have been described hereinabove. In various embodiments, liners may be formed from peripherally bonded panels.
Differing collapse characteristics may be obtained by various methods, including localized or bulk processes, such as: thermal processing, thermal and pressure processing, addition of layers of the same or differing composition from a bulk layer (whether localized or across an entire panel), and the like. Preferred thermal processing includes heat sealing and welding. In one embodiment, at least a portion of the first panel is compositionally different from the second panel. In another embodiment, at least a portion of the first panel is thicker than the second panel. In one embodiment, the first panel comprises a peripheral edge circumscribing a first panel face, and at least a portion of the first panel face is thermally modified to impart the first panel with collapse characteristics differing from the second panel. In one embodiment, the entire first panel is treated or processed to impart differing collapse characteristics relative to the second panel. In one embodiment, the first panel comprises a peripheral edge circumscribing a first panel face, and at least a portion of the first panel face is modified by application of heat and pressure to impart the first panel with collapse characteristics differing from the second panel. In one embodiment, a liner includes a stiffening material disposed in or on the first panel and adapted to inhibit collapse of the first panel against the second panel. The effect of various modifications to the first panel as described herein is to form a stiffened region along such panel relative to the second panel.
Treatment of a first panel to impart different collapse relative to a second panel of a liner is preferably performed prior to peripheral bonding between the first panel and second panel.
The effect of even a very small pathway (e.g., 1 millimeter diameter orifice) in maintaining flow is illustrated in
Use of pressure dispense packages disposed in feed relationship with one or more fluid utilizing process tools (e.g., microelectronic device processing tools) is specifically contemplated. In one embodiment, a microelectronic device manufacturing facility includes a microelectronic device processing tool connected to receive liquid from a liner-based pressure dispense package having a choke prevention element as described hereinabove.
In addition to the forgoing structures adapted to prevent choke-off of a collapsible liner, methods for preventing choke-off are similarly contemplated. One method for preventing choke-off of a collapsible liner adapted for pressure dispensing includes adding a choke prevention element to said liner, the choke prevention element comprising any of: (a) at least one perforated flange disposed within the liner, (b) at least one channel-defining flange disposed within the liner, (c) a film defining at least one liquid channel disposed along an internal surface of the liner, (d) a radial stiffening element coupled to the liner, (e) a hollow internal support disposed within and operatively coupled to a side wall of the liner, the hollow internal support having a first orifice disposed in a lower portion of the liner, and having a second orifice disposed in an upper portion of the liner, (f) at least one first magnetic or magnetically interactive material coupled to the liner, said at least one first magnetic or magnetically interactive material being adapted to interact with a corresponding at least one second magnetic or magnetically interactive material coupled to an overpack container surrounding the liner, and (g) a first panel of the liner having collapse characteristics differing from a second panel of the liner that is peripherally bonded to the first panel. Such liner is preferably disposed in an overpack container. The space between the liner and the overpack is then pressurized to dispense fluid from the liner, and the choke prevention element is utilized to prevent liner choke-off during said fluid dispensation. By preventing liner choke-off during fluid dispensation, undesirable “pocketing” of residual fluid in a lower portion of a liner not susceptible to dispensation is avoided.
While the invention has been has been described herein in reference to specific aspects, features and illustrative embodiments of the invention, it will be appreciated that the utility of the invention is not thus limited, but rather extends to and encompasses numerous other variations, modifications and alternative embodiments, as will suggest themselves to those of ordinary skill in the field of the present invention, based on the disclosure herein. Correspondingly, the invention as hereinafter claimed is intended to be broadly construed and interpreted, as including all such variations, modifications and alternative embodiments, within its spirit and scope.
INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITYThe present invention is useful in industry, as it promotes efficient delivery and usage of pressure dispensed chemical reagents to various fluid-utilizing processes.
Claims
1-41. (canceled)
42. A pressure dispense package comprising:
- a collapsible liner adapted to hold a fluid; and
- at least one choke prevention element comprising any of: (a) at least one channel-defining element suspended within the liner and arranged to provide at least one fluid flow path within the liner, the channel-defining element being distinct from any dip tube or dispensing probe optionally present within the liner; (b) a film defining at least one fluid flow pathway disposed along an internal surface of the liner, (c) at least one perforated flange disposed within the liner; (d) a radial stiffening element coupled to the liner, the radial stiffening element being arranged along an intermediate portion of the liner, (e) a hollow internal support disposed within and operatively coupled to a side wall of the liner, the hollow internal support having a first orifice disposed in a lower portion of the liner, and having a second orifice disposed in an upper portion of the liner, (f) at least one first magnetic or magnetically interactive material coupled to the liner, said at least one first magnetic or magnetically interactive material being adapted to interact with a corresponding at least one second magnetic or magnetically interactive material coupled to an overpack container surrounding the liner, and (g) a first panel of the liner having collapse characteristics differing from a second panel of the liner that is peripherally bonded to the first panel.
43. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, being devoid of a dip tube or dispensing probe.
44. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, further comprising an overpack container formed of a material that is substantially more rigid than the liner, wherein the liner is disposed within the overpack container.
45. The pressure dispense package of claim 44, comprising a gas inlet port adapted to receive pressurized gas from a pressurized gas source and deliver pressurized gas to a space between the overpack container and the liner.
46. The pressure dispense package of claim 44, wherein the liner comprises an aperture-defining fitment, the overpack container defines an opening, and the fitment is adapted for coupling to the overpack container with the fitment registered with opening.
47. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, wherein the at least one choke prevention element comprises at least one channel-defining element suspended within the liner and arranged to provide at least one fluid flow path within the liner, the channel-defining element being distinct from any dip tube or dispensing probe optionally present within the liner.
48. The pressure dispense package of claim 47, wherein the at least one channel-defining element comprises a plurality of flanges, wherein the plurality of flanges is arranged to provide a plurality of fluid flow paths from a lower portion of the liner to an upper portion of the liner.
49. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, wherein the liner comprises an aperture-containing fitment, and the at least one choke prevention element comprises at least one of (a) perforated flange disposed within the liner and (b) a channel-defining element, suspended within the liner by a support element extending through the aperture-containing fitment, wherein any channel-defining element is distinct from any dip tube or dispensing probe optionally present within the liner.
50. The pressure dispense package of claim 47, wherein the liner comprises an aperture-containing fitment, and the at least one channel-defining element extends through or is inserted through the aperture-containing fitment.
51. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, wherein the at least one choke prevention element comprises any of a plurality of perforated flanges and a plurality of channel-defining flanges disposed within the liner.
52. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, wherein the at least one choke prevention element comprises a film defining at least one fluid flow pathway disposed along an internal surface of the liner.
53. The pressure dispense package of claim 52, wherein the at least one fluid flow pathway is formed by embossing.
54. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, wherein the at least one choke prevention element comprises a radial stiffening element coupled to the liner, the radial stiffening element being arranged along an intermediate portion of the liner.
55. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, wherein the at least one choke prevention element comprises a hollow internal support disposed within and coupled to a side wall of the liner, the hollow internal support having a first orifice disposed in a lower portion of the liner, and having a second orifice disposed in an upper portion of the liner.
56. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, wherein the at least one choke prevention element comprises at least one first magnetic or magnetically interactive material coupled to the liner, said at least one first magnetic or magnetically interactive material being adapted to interact with a corresponding at least one second magnetic or magnetically interactive material coupled to an overpack container surrounding the liner.
57. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, wherein the at least one choke prevention element comprises a first panel of the liner having collapse characteristics differing from a second panel of the liner that is peripherally bonded to the first panel.
58. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, wherein the at least one choke prevention elements comprises at least two of elements (a) to (g).
59. The pressure dispense package of claim 42, connected in feed relationship to a fluid-utilizing process tool.
60. A microelectronic device manufacturing facility comprising a microelectronic device processing tool connected to receive liquid from the pressure dispense package of claim 42.
61. A method for preventing choke-off of a collapsible liner adapted for pressure dispensing of a fluid when the liner is disposed within an overpack container, the method comprising:
- adding at least one choke prevention element to said liner, the at least one choke prevention element comprising any of: (a) at least one channel-defining element suspended within the liner and arranged to provide at least one fluid flow path within the liner, the channel-defining element being distinct from any dip tube or dispensing probe optionally present within the liner; (b) a film defining at least one fluid flow pathway disposed along an internal surface of the liner, (c) at least one perforated flange disposed within the liner; (d) a radial stiffening element coupled to the liner, the radial stiffening element being arranged along an intermediate portion of the liner, (e) a hollow internal support disposed within and operatively coupled to a side wall of the liner, the hollow internal support having a first orifice disposed in a lower portion of the liner, and having a second orifice disposed in an upper portion of the liner, (f) at least one first magnetic or magnetically interactive material coupled to the liner, said at least one first magnetic or magnetically interactive material being adapted to interact with a corresponding at least one second magnetic or magnetically interactive material coupled to an overpack container surrounding the liner, and (g) a first panel of the liner having collapse characteristics differing from a second panel of the liner that is peripherally bonded to the first panel; and
- inserting the liner into an overpack container, wherein the overpack container comprises a material that is substantially more rigid than the liner.
62. The method of claim 61, wherein the at least one choke prevention element comprises at least one channel-defining element suspended within the liner and arranged to provide at least one fluid flow path within the liner, the channel-defining element being distinct from any dip tube or dispensing probe optionally present within the liner.
63. The method of claim 61, wherein the at least one choke prevention element comprises a film defining at least one fluid flow pathway disposed along an internal surface of the liner.
64. The method of claim 61, further comprising pressurizing a space between the liner and the overpack container to dispense fluid from the liner, and utilizing the choke prevention element to prevent liner choke-off during said fluid dispensation.
Type: Application
Filed: Jan 30, 2008
Publication Date: Feb 4, 2010
Applicant: ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY MATERIALS, INC. (Danbury, CT)
Inventors: Michael A. Cisewski (Hutchinson, MN), Paul Dathe (Plymouth, MN), Donald D. Ware (Woodbury, MN), Amy Koland (Eden Prairie, MN)
Application Number: 12/525,128
International Classification: B65D 35/28 (20060101); B65D 35/56 (20060101);