Abstract: Provided is a novel system for vaporizing and purifying a gas to produce ultrapure chemical gases employed at a semiconductor processing facility. The system includes a liquified gas source, a vaporization purification bed, and a buffer tank. The liquefied gas source is in communication with the vaporization purification bed to provide a liquefied gas to the bed with an ultra-pure chemical gas generated in the purification bed. The purified gas is subsequently routed to a buffer tank and to a point of use therefrom.

Abstract: Provided is a novel on-site system and method for providing ultra-high-purity nitric acid to a point of use. The system includes a source of nitric acid at a concentration greater than 68 wt %; a reflux distillation column having an inlet in communication with the nitric acid source for introducing nitric acid into the column, a reboiler, and a condensate outlet to provide a flow of nitric acid condensate from the column; a reservoir in communication with the condensate outlet for receiving the flow of nitric acid condensate; and piping for delivering nitric acid from the reservoir to a point of use. The system and method can be used as an on-site subsystem, in a semiconductor device fabrication facility for supplying the nitric acid condensate to points of use in the semiconductor device fabrication facility.

Abstract: Provided are a method and apparatus for measuring particles in a liquid sample. The method involves introducing a liquid sample into a heat exchanger, thereby cooling the sample to a predetermined temperature. A particle measurement is performed on the cooled sample by introducing the cooled sample into a particle detector. The method and apparatus in accordance with the invention effectively suppress bubbles present in a liquid chemical sample being measured, thereby allowing for accurate particle measurements. The invention has particular applicability in the semiconductor and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries.

Abstract: Briefly, this invention uses one or more pressure vessels having installed therein on its inside a balloon of flexible and non-expandable wall to smoothly and continuously deliver a chemical to any end user without contamination and gas dissolution. Since the balloon installed inside the pressure vessel isolates a high pressure gas from the chemicals, gas dissolution in the chemical and the resulted gas bubble problems are effectively eliminated. Further, contaminants in the high pressure gas which fills the balloon will not be transferred into the chemical and the extremely toxic chemical will not be transferred into the gas to be exhausted as a serious environmental issue. Unlike the vacuum/pressure system, the contamination by the ambient air leaking into the system is avoided because the disclosed delivery system is always with the pressure higher or equal to the ambient pressure.