Abstract: Provided is a novel system and apparatus for producing primary standard gas mixtures. The system includes providing a gas permeation device having a constant diffusion rate into a temperature controlled enclosure; connecting a supply source of a component to the permeation device; routing the component from the gas permeation device to a product container until a desired amount of said component in the product container is reached; and supplying a balance of purified gas to the product container to obtain a known concentration of component in the primary standard gas mixture.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods and systems for detecting contaminants that can precipitate and deposit on a workpiece during a carbon dioxide application, especially contaminants that are already present and dissolved in the fresh carbon dioxide fed to the application. One aspect of this invention includes a method of detecting contaminants dissolved in a carbon dioxide stream, including the steps of sampling at least a portion of the carbon dioxide stream to form a carbon dioxide sample; modifying at least one physical condition of the carbon dioxide sample to form an aerosol that includes gaseous carbon dioxide and at least one suspended contaminant; and detecting the number of particles of suspended contaminant in at least a portion of the carbon dioxide sample with at least one particle counter. A system for continuously detecting contaminants dissolved in a carbon dioxide stream is also described.

Abstract: This invention relates to methods and systems for detecting contaminants that can precipitate and deposit on a workpiece during a carbon dioxide application, especially contaminants that are already present and dissolved in the fresh carbon dioxide fed to the application. One aspect of this invention includes a method of detecting contaminants dissolved in a carbon dioxide stream, including the steps of sampling at least a portion of the carbon dioxide stream to form a carbon dioxide sample; modifying at least one physical condition of the carbon dioxide sample to form an aerosol that includes gaseous carbon dioxide and at least one suspended contaminant; and detecting the number of particles of suspended contaminant in at least a portion of the carbon dioxide sample with at least one particle counter. A system for continuously detecting contaminants dissolved in a carbon dioxide stream is also described.

Abstract: An analyzer suitable for performing continuous gas analysis in ultra-high purity applications. The analyzer combines a low-level emission source and a gaseous emission spectrometer having a charge coupled device (CCD) diode array as a detector. The CCD detector replaces one or more photomultipliers and narrow bandpass filters typically used in spectrometers. The analyzer performs various processing operations to evaluate and eliminate the effect of background light level, or dark spectrum.

Abstract: A method of analyzing a sample gas for the presence of at least one gas impurity by combining a stream of sample gas with a stream of carrier gas to provide a combined stream of gas, directing the combined stream of gas through a column which preferentially removes the sample gas from the combined stream to produce a retentate stream of gas, and analyzing the retentate stream of gas for the presence of the at least one gas impurity.

Abstract: An electric discharge tube for a gas emission spectrometer and method for analyzing and measuring low concentration levels of multiple gas/vapor impurities in a gas stream under continuous flow conditions. The electric discharge tube comprises a plurality of analytical sites through which emissive radiation generated by an alternating source of power across the tube can be analyzed and measured.

Abstract: A gas emission spectrometer and method for analyzing a continuously flowing gas stream using gas emission spectroscopy to measure low concentration levels of one or more gas/vapor impurities in the gas stream. Alternating power is applied to an electric discharge source to generate emissive radiation which is filtered into an optical signal at the emission wavelength of a preselected impurity gas. The optical signal is converted into an electrical signal which is selectively amplified within a narrow frequency range centered at substantially twice the excitation frequency of the alternating power source. The impurity concentration is measured from the amplified signal upon rectification.