Automated mass spectrometry to detect impurities in harsh acid chemistries

摘要

An automated, in-line mass-spectrometry (ILMS) system using basic time-of-flight principles has been developed that can detect part-per-trillion contamination levels of metals in harsh acid chemistries. Special hardware and software are needed to handle concentrated hydrofluoric, hydrochloric, sulfuric, and phosphoric acids. Prior control strategies relied on slow and imprecise manual sampling using off-line instrumentation. The in-line system can automatically test samples from up to five different locations in the chemical management/distribution system, providing the information needed to respond to both routine variations and extreme contamination events.