Abstract: A deposition chamber is formed in a housing that has a substrate carrier on the interior. The substrate carrier is rotatable about a central axis, and a particle deposition head is mounted in the chamber on a support that can be moved linearly along lines that are substantially radial to the central axis of the substrate carrier. The deposition head thus can be moved to different radial positions of a substrate carried on the substrate carrier as the carrier rotates during deposition from the head to provide for a wide variety of deposition patterns on the substrate. The deposition head has a pair of aerosol discharge openings, one being the end of a substantially tubular central passageway and the other being the end of an annular passageway that surrounds the central tubular passageway.

Abstract: A compact cascade impactor is formed to classify particles carried in a flow through the impactor. The impactor has collection chambers that are arranged to conserve space and yet provide a large flow passageway. The collection chamber may be tear drop shaped and being nested together.

Abstract: An impactor assembly comprises a base for supporting a plurality of cups that form impactor plates, and a nozzle above each of the cups through which a flow passes for classification. The cover is removable, and a test cover can be put into position for mounting in place and providing outlets connectable to pressure sensor for determining pressure drop across the nozzle plates at each impactor stage. The cover also is designed to be easily washed by having no blind cavities or moving parts on the cover, and the latch and other hinge assemblies are all supported on the base. The flow enters and exits the impactor without having external connections on the cover.

Abstract: A wide range particle counter has sections which separately detect coarse and fine particles in an aerosol. The coarse particles are counted and sized in an optical particle counter. The fine particles are classified with a differential mobility analyzer to determine size and then passed through a vaporizer and condenser and also counted. Using the different sections permits counting and measuring a wide range of particle size in a single instrument with high accuracy and reliability.

Abstract: A deposition system is used for depositing particles onto a substrate, such as a wafer in a deposition chamber. The particles are carried in an aerosol that is generated by an atomizer that includes an impaction plate for removing large particles before the aerosol is discharged, and which has an output that is provided through a particle classifier to the deposition chamber. Various branches of flow lines are used such that the aerosol that has classified particles in it, is mixed with a clean dry gas prior to discharge into the deposition chamber, and selectively the aerosol can be directed to the deposition chamber without having the particles classified. The lines carrying the aerosol can be initially connected to a vacuum source that will quickly draw the aerosol closely adjacent to the deposition chamber to avoid delays between deposition cycles.

Abstract: A container for containing a liquid that has suspended particles used for depositing on a substrate is formed of an electrically conductive material, and has a bottom wall. An atomizer for atomizing the liquid and particles to form an aerosol is mounted at an upper end thereof. A bottom wall of the container has a piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer attached to the wall. A high voltage connection to the piezoelectric transducer is in a recess formed by a lower skirt on the container and is mounted in an insulating block in the recess. A cup shaped insulating sleeve slips over the lower portions of the container and shields the high voltage connection from the exterior.

Abstract: A pre-separator for separating out large particles from a fluid flow has a housing forming an interior chamber with an inlet and an outlet, and a separator plate in the chamber between the inlet and outlet. The separator plate has a surface facing the inlet that is provided with a liquid carrying tank into which the flow is directed when it enters the interior chamber through the inlet. The separator plate has a series of nozzle openings therethrough adjacent its periphery to the outside of the tank. The nozzle openings adjacent the periphery of the separator plate overlie a surface of the housing adjacent the outlet. The pre-separator thus has two impaction stages that permit use across a wide range of flows. The separator plate and the housing have surfaces which are tapered so that liquid in the housing can be drained out when the housing is inverted.

Abstract: A sampler for removing a sample of gas from a flue or stack utilizes virtual impactor principles, together with a gas jet ejector to insure that the surfaces are kept free of particles. The gas that is, discharged from the sampler thus is not changed in character by contact with particles that may adhere to surfaces of the sampler.

Abstract: A orifice plate used in an impactor that has a large number of very small openings therein is made of a thin material, and has a plurality of projections that extend outwardly from one surface thereof. The orifice plate is mounted adjacent a plate surface, and the projections serve to support the orifice plate spaced from the surface when the orifice plate deflects under differential pressures.

Abstract: An automatic condensed oil remover for an intercooler of a diesel engine has a flow restrictor that is positioned between the intercooler and the diesel engine, an oil sump in the intercooler, and an oil tube carrying condensed oil from the oil sump to the diesel engine. The flow restrictor creates a pressure drop sufficient to force the oil to flow from the oil sump through the oil tube to the diesel engine.

Abstract: A mixer supports a cradle holding an inlet component for a cascade impactor, and has sealing caps to close open ends of the component to trap a solvent in the component. The cradle is rotated by a motor for dissolving particles in the inlet component.

Abstract: A compact cascade impactor is formed to classify particles carried in a flow through the impactor. The impactor has collection chambers that are arranged to conserve space and yet provide a large flow passageway. The collection chamber may be tear drop shaped and being nested together. The impactor includes nozzles that are used across a desired flow range without changing the nozzles.

Abstract: An aerosol impactor and monitor has a plurality of impactor stages, each of which will receive an aerosol and classify the aerosol according to particle size. The impactor stages have nozzle plates and impaction plates that reduce the effects of cross flow under high flow volumes, as well as including monitors for determining pressure drop to permit analyzation of performance of the impactors. The impaction plates are mounted so that they can be rotated within the separate impactor chambers through the use of magnetic attraction drives to eliminate the need for rotating seals and yet obtain the benefit of the rotatable impaction plates. Pressure sensors are used for determining pressure drop across nozzle plates, both to insure evaluation of the flow rate through the impactor and also to determine the condition of the nozzles.

Abstract: A vapor generator (19, 62) and connected chemical vapor deposition chamber (28) for providing a vapor for operations such as chemical vapor deposition has an atomizer (16, 16A, 38, 50) for forming an aerosol or droplet spray (36, 58, 74, 80) separate from a vaporization chamber (19, 62). The aerosol is passed into a heated vaporization chamber (19, 62) wherein the particles or droplets are flash vaporized and larger droplets are vaporized by direct contact with heated surfaces. The resulting gas/vapor stream is then used for chemical vapor deposition, in a separate chemical vapor deposition chamber (26). The vapor and gas stream is preferably passed through a restricted passageway (22, 44, 68) for mixing before being introduced into the chemical vapor deposition chamber (26).

Abstract: An electrostatic precipitator has a high voltage electrode including multiple wire segments that are positioned within a surrounding electrically conductive porous media having a central axis and wherein the electrode assembly extends along the central axis. The electrode assembly has a plurality of wire lengths positioned to extend in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the porous media, and the wire segments being arranged to have a substantially longer total length than the length of extension along the longitudinal axis. An aerosol containing droplets is passed into the interior of the porous media, and across the electrode, which is charged with a high voltage. The porous media is at a substantially lower or different voltage from the high voltage electrodes. Flow of the aerosol containing particles charged by the electrode passes through the porous media to the outlet and the charged particles are precipitated by the porous media.

Abstract: A thin film deposition apparatus is used for applying thin films onto substrates, such as large panel displays, as well as integrated circuit devices, and includes a source of an ionized gas that is intermixed with an aerosol prior to deposition. The ionized gas causes the aerosol particles to take on an electrical charge. The aerosol containing the charged particles is concentrated in a virtual impactor and then provided to a shower head or orifice that is used for depositing the aerosol material onto the substrate. The shower head can be moved in a selected pattern to uniformly deposit aerosol particles as a thin film on the substrate.

Abstract: An electrostatic precipitator has a high voltage electrode including multiple wire segments that are positioned within a surrounding electrically conductive porous media having a central axis and wherein the electrode assembly extends along the central axis. The electrode assembly has a plurality of wire lengths positioned to extend in a direction along the longitudinal axis of the porous media, and the wire segments being arranged to have a substantially longer total length than the length of extension along the longitudinal axis. An aerosol containing droplets is passed into the interior of the porous media, and across the electrode, which is charged with a high voltage. The porous media is at a substantially lower or different voltage from the high voltage electrodes. Flow of the aerosol containing particles charged by the electrode passes through the porous media to the outlet and the charged particles are precipitated by the porous media.

Abstract: An inspection system for inspecting products that have a flat, reflective surface, such as a wafer or a flat panel display on which a thin film is to be deposited, includes an inspection chamber connected to a processing chamber with both of the chambers being under vacuum. The inspection equipment performs the inspection with the product in the inspection chamber without removing the product from the vacuum environment. In a preferred form of the invention, the inspection chamber includes a wall portion that will transmit light, and the inspection equipment is a laser source directed to the reflective surface of the product and a receiver for receiving reflected light to determine changes in the character of the surface caused by the deposited film or by imperfections, haze or particles.

Abstract: An atomizer has a chamber holding a liquid containing particles of a desired material. Aerosol particles are formed by using an aspirating nozzle or ultrasonic vibrator and the aerosol particles are carried in a gas flow. The aerosol particles are treated by increasing the charge on the aerosol particles by contact with a high voltage electrode and the aerosol particles are passed through inertial separator stages to remove large aerosol particles from the flow so they are not discharged from the atomizer.

Abstract: An atomizer includes a housing that has a plurality of atomizing nozzles which will atomize a solution containing small particles that are to be carried in an output aerosol. The atomizer nozzles are surrounded by a ring-like surface against which the atomized material impinges to collect large droplets and to cause secondary atomization of the liquid impinging on the ring-like surface. The ring-like surface can have many different cross-sectional configurations for obtaining different results in secondary atomization and droplet collection.