Applying FTIR multigas measurement technology to solving fab air quality issues.
Jim Cornish
The analytical technique of fourier transform infrared (FTIR) gas analysis has been traditionally limited to either a laboratory or a fixed/ permanent installation. Pioneered by Dr. Albert A. Michelson in the 1890’s with his development of the interferometer which involves moving a finely balanced mirror to generate an interferogram and combined with the complex computations (fourier transformation) requiring a powerful computer this analytical technique while recognized and widely used for accuracy and rapid multi-component gas analysis was disregarded as a field technique.
Develops in optical engineering and the advent of ever faster and faster computer processing chips have further refined FTIR so the powerful analytical technique once reserved for the laboratory is now available for plant safety personnel, emergency responders and engineers to use a portable FTIR for various applications including further understanding the processes, tightening the controls on their processes through improved quality control, reducing losses and environmental discharges. New generation portable FTIR gas analyzers can now be worn on the user’s back bringing new monitoring opportunities to the semiconductor industry essentially allowing safety professional to “bring the lab. to the field “. Consequently emergency responders and safety engineers can now be equipped with a