[labnetwork] ICP analysis for unknown grease

[Hathaway, Malcolm R]

Hello Saba,

Where in the load-lock did you find this material?  Widely, uniformly distributed, or in spots/patches?

What kind of system is this?  This is a system to which students/users have access?

In our systems, the most popular material to gunk up load-locks with is silicone heat-sink paste (sticking wafer coupons to carrier wafers), which falls neatly into the white, greasy, soft category.  The "right" kind of paste has pretty low vapor pressure, but perhaps a users found some other stuff...

If Waterloo has an SEM imaging lab, I'd think the quickest route would be to put this stuff under an EDX analyzer (assuming the SEM folks don't mind some sticky stuff in their chamber).

XRF is good for analyzing stuff that you don't want to put into a vacuum.  Most uni's that have nanofab core centers will have analytical gear like this.

For outside companies, Evans Analytical (EAG now) does this kind of work, but it tends to be kind of expensive.


Mac Hathaway
Senior Process and Systems Engineer
Harvard CNS
________________________________
From: labnetwork <labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu> on behalf of Saba Sadeghi <saba.sadeghi at uwaterloo.ca>
Sent: Monday, April 12, 2021 10:37 AM
To: labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu <labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>
Subject: [labnetwork] ICP analysis for unknown grease

Dear colleagues,

I have found a an unknown contamination in the loadlock of our the UHV system. It has a white, greasy, soft  texture. I'd like to know the elemental analysis of it since after wiping the system with IPA and baking it the vacuum didn't improve and I am afraid it must have left residuals.
Would you know any company that offers elemental analysis/ ICP to identify unknown substances?

Thank you,
Saba

--
Saba Sadeghi, PhD
Quantum Devices Fabrication Scientist
Email: saba.sadeghi at uwaterloo.ca
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