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US 9,752,975 B2Granted
Method and apparatus for determining cleanliness of a sample
AssigneePersys Technology Ltd.
InventorsLeo Mendelovici, Gideon Drimer, Yitzhak Vanek
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Determining cleanliness of a sample by providing a continuous flow of clean air into a chamber through a HEPA filter, taking a reference reading of particle counts while the chamber is empty, introducing the sample into the chamber and taking a first reading of a particle count received from all sides of the sample in the chamber to determine loose particles in a particle size range of 0.1 microns up to 5 microns associated with the sample.
Claims23
A non-destructive method for determining cleanliness of a sample, the method comprising:
- an operating apparatus,
- wherein the operating apparatus comprises:
- a chamber having a door and a sample holder or an integrated sample jig for holding both the sample in said chamber and providing a high velocity air stream over the sample;
- in said chamber,
- a HEPA filter unit with a blower or a dome to provide clean dry air (CDA) disposed above said chamber and in fluid connection with said chamber;
- said blower or dome adapted to provide a constant flow to said chamber,
- a nozzle set activated by a set of valves to provide a stream of high velocity clean air or short pulses of high velocity clean air over the sample, wherein the air to the nozzles set is provided through in-line HEPA filter units,
- a valve coupled to an electrostatic discharge device (ESD) for generating ionized air, in fluid connection with said nozzle set, located in said chamber, said nozzle set configured to direct a stream of air via said in-line HEPA filter unit onto the sample,
- a particle counter, coupled with the chamber, configured to count particles passed in a stream of air from said sample to said particle counter, and
- a programmable controller for operating said apparatus, and
- an electrostatic precipitator device (ESP) with a removable electron microscope holder coated with a detachable carbon sticker to which high voltage (5 KV) is applied in order to catch particles released from the sample for analyzing the chemical composition of trapped particles:
- wherein the operating apparatus determines the cleanliness of the sample by the following steps:
- a) providing a continuous flow of clean air into the chamber;
- through the HEPA filter,
- b) taking a reference reading of particle counts while said chamber is empty,
- c) introducing said sample into the chamber, and
- d) taking a first reading of a particle count received from all sides of said sample in said chamber to determine loose particles in a particle size range of 0.1 microns up to 5 microns associated with said sample.
14 more elements
An apparatus for determining cleanliness of a sample, the apparatus comprising:
- a chamber having a door and a sample holder or an integrated sample jig for holding both the sample in said chamber and providing a high velocity air stream over the sample;
- in said chamber;
- a HEPA filter unit with a blower or a dome to provide clean dry air (CDA) disposed above said chamber and in fluid connection with said chamber;
- said blower or dome adapted to provide a constant flow to said chamber;
- a nozzle set activated by a set of valves to provide a stream of high velocity clean air or short pulses of high velocity clean air over the sample, wherein the air to the nozzle set is provided through in-line HEPA filter units;
- a valve coupled to an electrostatic discharge device (ESD) for generating ionized air, in fluid connection with said nozzle set, located in said chamber, said nozzle set configured to direct a stream of air via said in-line HEPA filter unit onto the sample;
- a particle counter, coupled with the chamber, configured to count particles passed in a stream of air from said sample to said particle counter;
- and
- a programmable controller for operating said apparatus, and
- an electrostatic precipitator device (ESP) with a removable electron microscope holder coated with a detachable carbon sticker to which high voltage (5 KV) is applied in order to catch particles released from the sample for analyzing the chemical composition of trapped particles.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.