Abstract: The invention provides, in one aspect, a system for recirculating ozonated liquid. The system includes a contactor including at least two inlets and at least two outlets. The contactor is in fluid communication with a first liquid source at a first contactor inlet and a second liquid source at a second contactor inlet, and the second contactor inlet receives gas that purges at least a portion of gas from liquid received at the first contactor inlet. The purged gas exits the contactor at a first contactor outlet. The contactor is in fluid communication with the second liquid source at a second contactor outlet, and the contactor drains at least a portion of the liquid in the contactor, the drained liquid exiting the contactor at the second contactor outlet. The contactor includes a third inlet in fluid communication with the first liquid source, the third inlet allowing the first liquid source to release liquid at an ambient pressure.

Abstract: An ionization gauge to measure pressure, while controlling the location of deposits resulting from sputtering when operating at high pressure, includes at least one electron source that emits electrons, and an anode that defines an ionization volume. The ionization gauge also includes a collector electrode that collects ions formed by collisions between the electrons and gas molecules and atoms in the ionization volume, to provide a gas pressure output. The electron source can be positioned at an end of the ionization volume, such that the exposure of the electron source to atom flux sputtered off the collector electrode and envelope surface is minimized. Alternatively, the ionization gauge can include a first shade outside of the ionization volume, the first shade being located between the electron source and the collector electrode, and, optionally, a second shade between the envelope and the electron source, such that atoms sputtered off the envelope are inhibited from depositing on the electron source.

Abstract: A Long Lifetime Cold Cathode Ionization Vacuum Gauge Design with an extended anode electrode having an axially directed tip, a cathode electrode, and a baffle structure. The axially directed tip of the anode electrode can have a rounded exterior with a diameter at least 10% greater than the diameter of the anode electrode.

Abstract: An RF supply system in which a bias RF generator operates at a first frequency to provide a bias RF output signal and a source RF generator operates at a second frequency to provide a source RF output signal. The RF output power signals are applied to a load, such as a plasma chamber. The source RF generator detects a triggering event. In response to the triggering event, the source RF generator initiates adding frequency offsets to the source RF output signal in order to respond to impedance fluctuations in the plasma chamber that occur with respect to the triggering event. The triggering event detected by the source RF generator can be received from the bias RF generator in the form of a control signal that varies in accordance with the bias RF output signal.

Abstract: Ozone generator cells that include two thermally conductive plates that maintain contact between various layers of the cells in the absence of a bonding agent. The cells lack aluminum-containing materials in the discharge region of the cell.

Abstract: Stress relief structures and methods that can be applied to MEMS sensors requiring a hermetic seal and that can be simply manufactured are disclosed. The system includes a sensor having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being disposed away from the first surface, the second surface also being disposed away from a package surface and located between the first surface and the package surface, a number of support members, each support member extending from the second surface to the package surface, the support members being disposed on and operatively connected to only a portion of the second surface. The support member are configured to reduce stress produced by package-sensor interaction.

Abstract: A pressure sensor may measure gas or liquid pressure. A chamber may have an inlet that receives the gas or liquid. A flexible diaphragm may be within the chamber that has a surface exposed to the gas or liquid after it flows through the inlet. A pressure sensor system may sense changes in the flexible diaphragm caused by changes in the pressure of the gas or liquid. A pressure-insensitive sensor system may sense changes in the flexible diaphragm that are not caused by changes in the pressure of the gas or liquid. The pressure-insensitive sensor system may be insensitive to changes in the flexible diaphragm caused by changes in the pressure of the gas or liquid.

Abstract: A mass flow controller comprises: a first flow meter constructed and arranged to measured flow rate of mass through the mass flow controller; a second flow meter constructed and arranged to measure flow rate of mass through the mass flow controller; a control valve constructed and arranged so as to control the flow rate of mass through the mass flow controller in response to a control signal generated as a function of the flow rate as measured by one of the flow meters; and a system controller constructed and arranged to generate the control signal, and to provide an indication when a difference between the flow rate of mass as measured by the first flow meter and the flow rate of mass as measured by the second flow meter exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: A method and system for predicting prospective behavior of a manufacturing process are described. Measured values of multiple variables, including at least one dependent variable, are received. A partial least squares (PLS) regression approach is used to estimate an unknown future value of the at least one dependent variable at a future point in time in a current batch run.

Abstract: A RF power supply system for delivering periodic RF power to a load. A power amplifier outputs a RF signal to the load. A sensor measures the RF signal provided to the load and outputs signals that vary in accordance with the RF signal. A first feedback loop enables control the RF signal based upon power determined in accordance with output from the sensor. A second feedback loop enables control the RF signal based upon energy measured in accordance with signals output from the sensor. Energy amplitude and duration provide control values for varying the RF signal. The control system and techniques are applicable to both pulsed RF power supplies and in various instances to continuous wave power supplies.

Abstract: Stress relief structures and methods that can be applied to MEMS sensors requiring a hermetic seal and that can be simply manufactured are disclosed. The system includes a sensor having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being disposed away from the first surface, the second surface also being disposed away from a package surface and located between the first surface and the package surface, a number of support members, each support member extending from the second surface to the package surface, the support members being disposed on and operatively connected to only a portion of the second surface. The support member are configured to reduce stress produced by package-sensor interaction.

Abstract: Described herein is a spectroscopic system and method for measuring and monitoring the chemical composition and/or impurity content of a sample or sample stream using absorption light spectroscopy. Specifically, in certain embodiments, this invention relates to the use of sample pressure variation to alter the magnitude of the absorption spectrum (e.g., wavelength-dependent signal) received for the sample, thereby obviating the need for a reference or ‘zero’ sample. Rather than use a reference or ‘zero’ sample, embodiments described herein obtain a spectrum/signal from a sample-containing cell at both a first pressure and a second (different) pressure.

Abstract: Pilot valve structures are described as including a main valve having a main flow body and having an inlet and outlet, and a diaphragm, with a perimeter, a moveable portion, and first and second sides. A main flow orifice is located in the flow body between the inlet and outlet. A main valve plug is attached to and/or disposed in the moveable portion of the diaphragm and opens and closes the flow orifice when the moveable portion of the diaphragm is in first and second positions. The pilot valve also includes a pilot valve inlet that is connected to the flow path of the main flow body. A pilot valve outlet/orifice is disposed within and co-located with the main valve plug. The pilot valve includes a pilot valve plug, which is moveable to open and close the pilot valve orifice. Related mass flow controllers with such pilot valve structures are further described.

Abstract: A combiner includes N coaxial cables each configured to connect to a respective output of N radio frequency power amplifiers, where N is an integer greater than one. Each of the N coaxial cables is configured to receive an amplified radio frequency signal from a respective one of the N radio frequency power amplifiers. A board includes capacitances and is configured to connect to each of the N coaxial cables and combine the radio frequency signals. The N coaxial cables and the capacitances provide N inductance and capacitance combinations. A connector is configured to connect an output of the board to a load.

Abstract: A mass flow controller comprises: a pressure-based flow meter, a thermal-based flow meter, a control valve, and a system controller. The pressure-based flow meter and thermal-based flow meter each measure flow rate of mass through the mass flow controller. The control valve controls the flow rate in response to a control signal generated as a function of the flow rate as measured by thermal-based flow meter when the measured flow rate is relatively low, and as a function of the flow rate as measured by the pressure-based flow meter when the flow rate is relatively high. A comparison of the flow measurements of the two flow meters can be used to (a) sense pressure disturbances at low flow rates, and (b) sense when the thermal-based flow meter is out of calibration so that a zero offset signal can be applied to the thermal-based flow meter.

Abstract: A method, controller, and system for monitoring a manufacturing process are described. Measured values of multiple variables, including dependent variables, manipulated variables, or both, are received. Future values of the manipulated variables, future values of the dependent variables, or both, are predicted. A multivariate analysis is performed on a combination of (1) the measured values of the variables and (2) the future values of the manipulated variables, the future values of the dependent variables, or both, to generate multivariate statistics.

Abstract: An ionization gauge to measure pressure and to reduce sputtering yields includes at least one electron source that generates electrons. The ionization gauge also includes a collector electrode that collects ions formed by the collisions between the electrons and gas molecules. The ionization gauge also includes an anode. An anode bias voltage relative to a bias voltage of a collector electrode is configured to switch at a predetermined pressure to decrease a yield of sputtering collisions.

Abstract: An ionization gauge that measures pressure has an electron source that emits electrons, and an anode that defines an ionization space. The gauge also includes a collector electrode to collect ions formed by an impact between the electrons and a gas and to measure pressure based on the collected ions. The electron source is dynamically varied in emission current between a plurality of emission levels dependent on pressure and a second parameter other than pressure. The ionization gauge may also vary various operating parameters of the gauge components according to parameters stored in a non-volatile memory and selected by a user.

Abstract: Improvements in the supply of high-frequency electrical power to ozone-producing cells can be accomplished using the systems and techniques described herein. Application of a DC-DC converter operating at a switching frequency substantially greater than a load frequency, supports generation of a high-voltage AC for powering such cells, while allowing for reductions in component size and reductions in a quality factor of a load tuning circuit. Controllable power inverters used in obtaining one or more of the switching and load frequencies can be controlled using feedback techniques to provide stable, high-quality power to ozone-producing cells under variations in one or more of externally supplied power and load conditions. An inrush protection circuit can also be provided to selectively introduce a current-limiting resistance until an input DC bus has been sufficiently initialized as determined by measurements obtained from the DC bus.

Abstract: A method is provided for monitoring one or more silicon-containing compounds present in a biogas. The method includes generating a first absorption spectrum based on a ratio of a first spectral measurement and a second spectral measurement. The first spectral measurement is from a non-absorptive gas having substantially no infrared absorptions in a specified wavelength range of interest and the second spectral measurement is from a sample gas comprising the biogas. The method includes generating at least one surrogate absorption spectrum based on, at least, individual absorption spectrum for each of a subset of one or more silicon-containing compounds selected from a larger set of known silicon-containing compounds with known concentrations. A total concentration of the one or more silicon-containing compounds in the biogas can be calculated based on the first absorption spectrum and the at least one surrogate absorption spectrum.