UltraPure Steam for Science & Nanotechnology
MEMS
Steam is used for the growth of thick and thin oxide films on silicon wafers. RASIRC steam generation and purification technology allows for the elimination of bubblers, direct liquid injection, vaporizers and pyrolytic torches.
Benefits include:
- Reduced operating cost
- Improved uniformity
- Eiminated organic film contamination
- Minimized metallic and particulate
- Dramatically improves safety
- Increased growth rate by up to 18% over bubblers, saving weeks of production time annually
Unlike the pyrolytic process that generates water vapor by combustion of oxygen and hydrogen, RASIRC technology starts with de-ionized water, so it operates at lower temperatures, and can help eliminate hydrogen from the process and facility.
Cleaning Flat Panels
As the substrate size increases, the chemical and water bath usage increases dramatically. Steam cleaning provides a very cost effective method for applying and removing chemistry from the wafer surfaces. The use of steam as a replacement for water can reduce chemical requirements by 1000 fold. In addition steam can be used to form isolation layers between films and annealing of films to reduce defects and improve cell efficiencies.
Photonics
Steam is used for generating oxide films used in managing optical signals. Applications that can benefit from this include optical components, wave guides, instruments, lasers, fiber optics, electro-optical instrumentation, and electronics.
RASIRC reduces costs, improves quality, and dramatically improves safety associated with these applications. Unlike the pyrolytic process that generates water vapor by combustion of oxygen and hydrogen, RASIRC technology starts with de-ionized water, so it operates at lower temperatures, and can help eliminate hydrogen from a process and facility.
Fuel Cells
Contamination in any of the process gases (hydrogen, oxygen, and water vapor) involved in fuel cell development can lead to poisoning of the membrane catalyst and degradation of the proton exchange membrane (PEM). In addition, improper hydration of the PEM degrades performance of the fuel cell. RASIRC high temperature humidifiers allow 100% saturation of hydrogen and air up to 120ºC operation.
RASIRC RainMaker humidifiers present a new alternative to bubblers. Bubblers are limited to below boiling (100°C) and low pressure. RASIRC RainMaker humidifiers can be used with water or steam as the water source for humidification. They can be used to provide humidification at above boiling temperatures and higher pressures. This can enable PEM fuel cells to operate more efficiently.
Power Generation, Steamflood and Oil Recovery
Steam provides the driving force for turbines that generate electric power. Volatile silica can be released from de-ionized water and redeposit on the turbine blades, shortening their life and reducing efficiency. Extensive chemical treatments are required to keep the water clean enough for power plant usage.
RASIRC steam purification can reduce overall costs, improve efficiency, and increase turbine up-time. The ability to separate impurities from water can reduce nuclear waste by concentrating these contaminants and removing water molecules through boiling and steam separation.
The majority of oil discovered by man still remains below ground. As the cost of oil increases economic incentives drive new technology to extract the oil left from aged or abandoned fields. Steamflood technology can be used to extract an additional 5% to 25% from older fields. RASIRC steam purification technology can be used to reduce environmental release and energy requirements. This can be achieved by separation of the steam from CO2 and other hydrocarbons at the collector well head.
Environmental Control
Contaminated waste water can be distilled down to high concentrations. This can reduce dangers associated with transport and storage of hazardous wastes.
Distillation is a very effective process for concentration of heavy metals and ionic contaminants. However, the propensity of steam to transport micro droplets greatly reduces this efficiency. RASIRC steam purification eliminates micro droplets, so water vapor can be extracted while ionic impurities are left behind.
Reductions of over 3 orders of magnitude can be achieved with an associated reduction in hazardous waste volume. One part per million (1 ppm) can be reduced to less than one part per billion (1 ppb) and 1 ppb can be reduced to less than one part per trillion (1 ppt) for most metals.
Laboratory and Instrumentation
RASIRC Wringer™ Dryers and RainMaker® Humidifiers can precisely add or remove water vapor from process gases.
Medical Industry
Synthetic air and oxygen enriched air suffer from having very low humidity levels. This can lead to pain, discomfort, and dehydration of the patient. RASIRC membrane humidifier can be used to provide small or large scale humidification of respiratory air economically.
Steam is also used for sterilization of almost all components used in manufacturing pharmaceuticals. In addition almost all the water used for making drugs begins as steam. RASIRC generates UHP steam that is virtually free of metallic contaminants and volatile gases, unlike other processes that rely on metallic boilers and thereby load the steam with dissolved metals, silicates, and atmospheric gases.
Pharmaceutical and BioTech Industry
Steam is used for sterilization of almost all components used in manufacturing pharmaceuticals. In addition almost all the water used for making drugs begins as steam.
RASIRC generates ultra high purity (UHP) steam that is virtually free of metallic contaminants and volatile gases, unlike other processes that rely on metallic boilers and thereby load the steam with dissolved metals, silicates, and atmospheric gases.
RASIRC makes the first and only steam purifier to provide UHP steam, and also builds precision controlled humidification systems that can deliver +/-1% control on water vapor in low and high flow applications.
RASIRC products are designed for high temperature and high purity and can be steam sterilized without being damaged. This allows purifiers or humidifiers to be placed in process lines and be steamed in place.
Nanotechnology
Improving the growth rate and uniformity of carbon nanotubes is a major hurdle to transfer of this technology from research to production. For repeatable and reliable CNT fabrication, tools are needed to control whether CNT are single- or multi-wall, straight or bent, long or short, and clean or dirty. Water vapor addition to the process is turning out to be the main control knob for all of these processes. Precise delivery of water vapor will determine what the CNT looks like, what its yield is, and how contamination free the structure is. Water vapor is both the gas pedal and the steering wheel for CNT fabrication.
The process of growing CNT on catalysts leads to self-poisoning of the catalyst and cessation of the process. Through the addition of small amounts of water vapor, the catalyst can be kept free of molecular contamination. This enables longer carbon fibers to be grown under the same general process conditions. Adding more water first leads to breaks in the CNT, which enable more tube opens. Further addition ceases the process. Metallic species are the sites for bends and branches of CNT. Addition of water vapor can react with metallic species to volatize and remove them, which stops branching and bending. Water vapor changes the CNT from multi-walled to single wall and ensures the single wall tube are clean and free of amorphous carbon debris.
RASIRC technology is the first and only system to generate ultra pure water vapor that can deliver precise amounts of water vapor that is purified for both ionic contaminants and dissolved gases. Needing only house de-ionized (DI) water and power, the RainMaker Humidification System (RHS) adds controlled amounts of water vapor to any carrier gas. It can humidify inert gases, as well as oxygen, hydrogen, or corrosive gases. The system is capable of delivering into both atmosphere as well as vacuum process pressures.
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