The most sophisticated airborne molecular contamination (AMC) monitor currently on the market is the AirSentry® II Multi-point Monitoring System. It uses responsive and sensitive ion mobility spectrometry to identify and characterize airborne molecular contamination from numerous locations within a cleanroom. The system includes an onboard industrial computer with secure software and communications, as well as a 16- or 30-point manifold sampling system.
Process tools are frequently dispersed throughout numerous levels and large cleanroom spaces and multiple floors in contemporary cleanroom manufacturing facilities. Most of the air in a cleanroom is circulated by air handlers, which makes it easy for molecular contamination to migrate to undesirable locations and harm process steps that are located farther from the real contamination sources.
The AirSentry II AMC Monitoring System offers a central and reasonably priced monitoring station that enables quick contamination detection and monitoring sequences that cover a large number of sample points dispersed across a facility. This is a crucial component of a strategic AMC monitoring program.
Benefits
- Compact size
- Versatile configuration of testing locations
- Low cost-per-sample point
- Identifies numerous AMC compounds based on user-specified parameters
- Programmed monitoring to identify AMC patterns and occurrences
Features
- Monitors up to 30 sample locations
- Features AirSentry II ion mobility spectrometry (IMS) sensors that are reliable, sensitive, and repeatable
- Detection of low concentrations of ammonia, chlorides, amines, and acids
- Calibrations traceable to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)
- Real-time graphical software
- Industrial PC for dependable and sturdy performance in manufacturing settings
- Slide-out keyboard and display for a convenient interface
Applications
- Multi-point cleanroom and process bay monitoring
- Evaluation and measurement of chemical filter efficiency
- Baseline and qualification of AMC levels in new cleanrooms
- Characterization of AMC contribution from makeup and recirculation air
Specifications
Source: Particle Measuring Systems
| . |
. |
| Sample point options |
16 or 30 Channels |
| Analyzer options |
NH3, Amines, Acids, Chlorides |
| Analyzer ranges |
0 - 50 ppbv |
| Sample tube length (max.) |
75 m |
| Power |
120 VAC or 230 VAC |
| CDA requirements |
10 LPM, 40 psig input, < -76 °F (< -60 °C) dew point, no particles > 50 μm, hydrocarbon-free |
| Vacuum |
< 33 kPa (absolute) |
| Weight |
Depends on analyzer configuration |
| Dimensions (H x W x L) |
46 x 23 x 30 in (117 x 58 x 76 cm) |
| Communication |
Ethernet (OPC) |
There are three types of AMC pollution monitoring strategies:
- Real-Time
In the most important locations, such as photolithography, where even sub-ppb levels of contamination decrease process performance and negatively impact yield, real-time monitors are continuously used.
- Near Real-Time
Near real-time monitors consist of a multi-port sampling scheme to sample a large number of locations regularly (2-3 times each day).
- Off-Line
Off-line monitoring is the process of manually collecting an air sample over 6–24 hours; laboratory examination is conducted afterward, with findings delivered in 7–10 business days.
A potent AMC monitoring process utilizes a combination of these three strategies, with a near real-time technique supplying a significant amount of information. To deliver more detailed time-based or composition-based information, the data from the near real-time analyzer frequently initiates the subsequent use of real-time or offline approaches. This allows for reduced monitoring costs since real-time and offline solutions are more expensive per sample point throughout the monitoring period. To summarize, near real-time monitoring via the AirSentry II AMC Monitoring System is the basis for the building of robust and capable AMC monitoring programs and strategies.