High pressure fourier transform infrared cell

• US 7,767,145 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2005
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Toyko Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Toyko Electron Limited
• Inventors: Jones, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Griffin; Walter D
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ramdhanie; Bobby
• Application Number:
  US11/091,976
• Publication Number:
  US 20060216197A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 422/62
• US Class Current: 422/62
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 2021/3595 using FTIR
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/0317 High pressure cuvettes; G01N21/0332 - G01N21/15 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/05 Flow-through cuvettes G01N21/09 takes precedence; handling fluid samples G01N1/10
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3577 for analysing liquids, e.g. polluted water

Abstract

A monitoring system enables in-situ monitoring of a solution enclosed within a high-pressure, closed loop environment. The monitoring system includes a calcium fluoride disk that is substantially transparent to infrared light. A hole is configured through the disk and a solution passes through the hole. Solution passing through the hole is analyzed by directing infrared light through the disk and the solution currently moving through the hole in the disk. The light exiting the disk is collected and analyzed to determine the composition of the solution through which the light passed.

Claims

1. A system for monitoring a processing fluid within a high-pressure processing system, the system comprising:

a recirculation loop comprising a high pressure processing chamber and a high pressure recirculation system coupled to the high pressure processing chamber, wherein the processing fluid flows through the recirculation loop;

a high-pressure fluid supply system coupled to the recirculation loop and comprising means for supplying fluid to the recirculation loop;

a process chemistry supply system coupled to the recirculation loop and comprising means for supplying process chemistry to the recirculation loop;

a pressure control system coupled to the recirculation loop;

an exhaust system coupled to the recirculation loop;

a monitoring system coupled to the recirculation loop for monitoring the processing fluid flowing through the recirculation loop; and

a controller coupled to the high pressure processing chamber, the recirculation system, the high-pressure fluid supply system, the process chemistry supply system, the pressure control system, the exhaust system, and the monitoring system wherein the controller comprises means for determining a chemical composition of the processing fluid using data from the monitoring system, means for comparing the chemical composition to a threshold value, means for providing additional fluid to the recirculation loop when the chemical composition is greater than or equal to the threshold value, and means for providing additional process chemistry to the recirculation loop when the chemical composition is less than the threshold value.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the monitoring system comprises an optical monitor coupled to the recirculation loop.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the optical monitor comprises a transmission window coupled to the recirculation loop and a reception window coupled to the recirculation loop, the windows having operating pressures above 3000 psi.

4. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein a light source is coupled to the transmission window and a light detector is coupled to the reception window.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the light source is an infrared light source and the light detector is an infrared light detector.

6. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the transmission window and the reception window are substantially transparent to infrared light.

7. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the transmission window and the reception window comprises calcium fluoride.

8. The system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the transmission window and the reception window are formed using an annular ring though which the processing fluid flows and comprises material that is substantially transparent to infrared light.

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, the monitoring system further comprising a holder coupled to the annular ring, the holder having an input port and an output port though which the processing fluid flows.

10. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the recirculation loop includes a first fluid line having a first end and a second fluid line having a second end, the holder comprising a first collar for coupling the input port to the first end and a second collar for coupling the output port to the second end.

11. The system as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first collar is coupled to a first surface of the annular ring, and the second collar is coupled to a second surface of the annular ring.

12. The system as claimed in claim 11, the monitoring system further comprising at least one clamp for securing the first collar to the second collar.

13. The system as claimed in claim 11, the monitoring system further comprising a first o-ring seal to seal the first collar to the first surface of the annular ring, and a second o-ring seal to seal the second collar to the second surface of the annular ring.

14. The system as claimed in claim 11, the monitoring system further comprising at least one coupling element for securing the first collar to the first fluid line, and at least one coupling element for securing the second collar to the second fluid line.

15. The system as claimed in claim 11, wherein a hole diameter in the annular ring is approximately equal to an inner diameter of the first fluid line.

16. The system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the inner diameter of the first fluid line is approximately equal to an inner diameter of the second fluid line.

17. The system as claimed in claim 9, wherein the holder comprises means for coupling an optical source and an optical detector to the annular ring for monitoring the flow of processing fluid therethrough.

18. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the controller determines the chemical composition using a Fourier Transform.

19. The system as claimed in claim 1, the monitoring system further comprising a temperature sensor, a pressure sensor, or a flow sensor, or a combination thereof.

20. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the fluid comprises gaseous, liquid, supercritical, or near-supercritical carbon dioxide, or a combination of two or more thereof.

21. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the process chemistry comprises a cleaning agent, a rinsing agent, a curing agent, a drying agent, or an etching agent, or a combination of two or more thereof.

22. The system as claimed in claim 1, the monitoring system further comprising a block of calcium fluoride including a hole through a thickness of the block through which the processing fluid passes.

23. A system for monitoring a processing fluid within a high-pressure processing system, the system comprising:

a recirculation loop comprising a high pressure processing chamber and a high pressure recirculation system coupled to the high pressure processing chamber, wherein the processing fluid flows through the recirculation loop;

a high-pressure fluid supply system coupled to the recirculation loop and comprising means for supplying fluid to the recirculation loop;

a process chemistry supply system coupled to the recirculation loop and comprising means for supplying process chemistry to the recirculation loop;

a pressure control system coupled to the recirculation loop;

an exhaust system coupled to the recirculation loop;

a monitoring system coupled to the recirculation loop before the high-pressure processing system for monitoring the processing fluid flowing directly into the high-pressure processing chamber; and

a controller coupled to the high pressure processing chamber, the recirculation system, the high-pressure fluid supply system, the process chemistry supply system, the pressure control system, the exhaust system, and the monitoring system wherein the controller comprises means for determining a chemical composition of the processing fluid using data from the monitoring system, means for comparing the chemical composition to a threshold value, means for providing additional fluid to the recirculation loop when the chemical composition is greater than or equal to the threshold value, and means for providing additional process chemistry to the recirculation loop when the chemical composition is less than the threshold value.