| abstract |
In order to allow feeding for supply of a gaseous precursor for further processing while avoiding condensation, and in order to allow the feed process to be carried out as simply and reliably as possible, the invention provides a feed method as well as a feed device ( 1 ), comprising a vacuum pump ( 2 ) for evacuation of a storage vessel ( 3 ) for a precursor which is solid and/or liquid at room temperature and atmospheric pressure and for feeding the gaseous precursor which has been vaporized by evacuation, a first line section ( 23 ) on the inlet side of the vacuum pump ( 2 ) in order to produce a connection between the vacuum pump ( 2 ) and the storage vessel ( 3 ) for the solid and/or liquid precursor, at least one second line section ( 24 ) for supplying carrier gas to the vacuum pump ( 2 ), and a monitoring device ( 5 ) which can be connected to the first and the second line section ( 24 ) and, during operation of the apparatus, provides open-loop and/or closed-loop control for the flow rate of the gaseous precursor and/or of the carrier gas, by keeping the partial pressure of the gaseous precursor below its saturation vapor pressure at least after it enters the pump. |