Pressured gas cylinders traditionally used by the semicon sector have gradually been replaced by an alternative. Jim Mayer and Lou Blanchard, ATMI, describe how the new systems cut accidental release and deliver higher gas utilisation.
Hazardous, toxic gases are frequently used in a number of semiconductor fabrication process steps in the microelectronics industry. Practical applications require that these gases be stored in, and delivered from, high-density media. Typically, this is accomplished by compressing or liquefying the material in conventional high pressure gas cylinders. While high pressure cylinders are still widely in use today for many gases, it is no longer the preferred method for storing and delivering the most toxic gases, where an accidental gas release or a compromised cylinder could lead to immediate death for workers in the vicinity.
The alternative, and now standard method, uses a different medium that adsorbs (or bonds) gas molecules inside nano-sized pore structures, effectively reducing cylinder pressure and virtually eliminating accidental gas releases.
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