Tiger Optics, a world leader in the development and manufacturing of advanced, laser-based analytical equipment, launched its new HALO Max QCL product line, a new generation of Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy (CRDS) analyzers based on mid-infrared Quantum Cascade Laser (QCL) technology. Tiger’s QCL-CRDS enables real-time, parts-per-trillion (ppt)-level detection of trace contaminants, including carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO2), in ultra-high purity (UHP) gases typically used in semiconductor manufacturing.
Modern semiconductor fabs require extremely high gas purity to maintain low failure rates and high yield. For bulk gases such as nitrogen, argon, oxygen (O2), and others desired purity requirements are well below 1 part-per-billion for contaminants such as moisture (H2O), methane (CH4), CO, and CO2. In addition, low detection limits and real time monitoring are critical for process control. The new HALO Max QCL expands Tiger’s industry-leading product portfolio to include detection capabilities for H2O, O2, CH4 and CO and CO2, offering customers a more complete solution.
The introduction of quantum cascade laser (QCL) CRDS technology, with the release of the HALO Max QCL, into the UHP semiconductor market sets a new standard for the measurement of key impurities in process gases. The semiconductor industry has long suffered with unstable batch sampling technologies, which are difficult and expensive to operate. Legacy gas chromatography (GC) technology, for instance, requires helium carrier gas to achieve ppt-level sensitivity, which is a major cost factor. With Tiger Optics’ CRDS systems, neither calibration nor carrier gas is required, enabling savings in operating costs over hundreds of thousands of dollars over the life of the instrument.
“Tiger Optics is excited to launch this first-of-a-kind analyzer incorporating the most advanced laser technology in the market.” says Jim Belanger, Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Tiger Optics & Extrel. “We worked in close coordination with key semiconductor and industrial gas customers to ensure we addressed their requirements for real-time, continuous UHP gas analysis. The HALO Max QCL for the measurement of critical impurities such as CO and CO2 in the main semiconductor bulk process gases sets a new standard for on-line continuous UHP gas analysis.”
Source: https://www.tigeroptics.com/