Automatic analyzer and control system for electroplating baths
AssigneeRohco, Inc.
InventorsWilliam E. Eckles, Craig V. Bishop, Peter T. Vaitekunas
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The invention provides an on-stream method and apparatus for analyzing of the concentrations of chemical components in a bath, especially in an electroplating bath, contained in one or more processing tanks. Moreover, the information obtained by such analysis of a single bath or of multiple baths may be efficiently employed to control such concentrations in the bath or respective baths, for example, by controlling the addition of one or more additives. The apparatus comprises a multi-steam sampling value and a computer for controlling the operation of said value. The computer also controls means for adding material to the baths in order to maintain the parameters thereof.
Claims29
An on-stream analyzer for liquid solutions, mixtures, and the like comprising supply means for supplying a stream of such liquid at a relatively low pressure, selecting means for selecting a sample of such stream of liquid for analysis, separating means for high pressure separation of components of such sample, detector means for detecting the concentration of at least one component of such sample, and pressurizing means for delivering such sample at relatively high pressure to said separating means for relatively high pressure separation thereby, said separating means comprising high pressure liquid chromatography means for passing such sample therethrough while retarding the passage of at least one of the components of such sample relative to passage of another component of such sample, and said detector means comprising first detector means fluidically downstream of said separating means for detecting the concentration of at least one component in such sample, and second detector means fluidically downstream of said first detector means for detecting the concentration of at least another component in such sample.
The analyzer of claim 58 further comprising solvent delivery means for delivering at least two solvents selectively to transport such sample to and through said detector means, and control means for controlling delivery of said respective solvents and, thus, the proportions of each used to transport such sample.
An on-stream analyzer for electroplating baths, comprising supply means for supplying at least one stream of liquid from at least one bath, selecting means for selecting a stream of liquid from said supply means for analysis, and detector means for detecting the concentration of at least one component in a sample of such selected stream, said supply means comprising means for supplying separate flowing streams of liquid from plural respective baths, said selecting means comprising valve means for selecting individual respective streams for analysis, and said detector means comprising a first detector stage including a high pressure liquid chromatography column and an ultraviolet radiation detector and a second detector stage including an electrochemical detector fluidically coupled to and downstream of said first detector stage.
An on-stream analyzer for electroplating baths, comprising supply means for supplying a plurality of streams of liquid, at least one from each of plural baths, selecting means for selecting one stream of liquid at a time from said supply means for analysis, separating means for passing such sample therethrough while retarding the passage of at least one of the components of such sample relative to passage of another component of such sample, and detector means for detecting the concentration of at least one component in a sample of such selected stream, said detector means including first detector means downstream of said separating means for detecting the concentration of at least one component in such sample, and second detector means fluidically downstream of said first detector means for detecting the concentration of at least another component in such sample.
The analyzer of claim 21, said separating means comprising a high pressure liquid chromatography column means for separating components of such sample and said first detector means comprising a spectrophotometric electromagnetic detector means for examining the elution from said column means.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.