In this work, we will introduce the concept of Gas Exchange Device (GED) and how it is used to monitor organometallic compounds and metallic particles in specialty gases. GED-ICP-MS workflow eliminate the need for any off-line sample preparation making it the ideal tool for online metallic impurities monitoring. This technology can be deployed to monitor specialty gas impurities in process chemicals at delivery, distribution points, and point of use.

Specialty gases for semiconductor and electronics industry range from the pyrophoric and/or toxic gases required for thin film deposition and doping processes (ammonia, silane, dichlorosilane, germane, diborane, arsine and others) through the reactive and corrosive gases needed in different etch processes (chlorine, fluorine, halocarbons, nitrogen trifluoride, etc.). Conventional used methods, impinger or filters, suffer from various limitations (external contamination during collection process, solubility of the organometallic compounds and metallic particles in impinger media, loss of metallic particles information, filter material suitability, etc.) not to mention the labor intensive and time-consuming sample preparation and impinger unsuitability to be used for moisture sensitive gases.

Gas Exchange Device – ICP-MS overcome all those challenges offering a fully automated workflow that can be deployed in the R&D Lab and in the Fab. Two applications, carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrochloric gas (HCl), will be discussed comparing obtained results by GED-ICP-MS vs impinger.