News

16 June 2010

 

OIPT introduces Standby Mode dry pump system upgrade to save up to 96% N2

UK-based equipment maker Oxford Instruments Plasma Technology (OIPT) has recently developed the new feature ‘N2 Standby Mode’ for use with its dry pumps to save energy and nitrogen used by its plasma etch, deposition and growth systems.

Previously, systems with dry pumps have had their nitrogen purge set continually at up to 35 litres per minute, but the nitrogen only needs to run at these levels when the chamber is running process gases.

The new Dry Pump N2 Standby Mode can save up to 96% of nitrogen gas usage when in ‘standby’ mode compared to usage during processing, reckons OIPT. When systems are just pumping, on ‘idle’ or ‘standby’ mode, the nitrogen inlet to the dry pump can be controlled to reduce the amount of N2 entering the pump, while still continuing to purge the pump bearings. As well as benefiting the environment, the capability also offers significant cost reductions, says the firm.

The pump can be set via Oxford Instruments’ PC2000 system software to run the pre-set flow of nitrogen for a set period prior to and after a process has completed its run, allowing all gases to be safely diluted and pumped away, before returning to the N2 Standby Mode. Initially this new capability can only be offered on systems configured with Adixen pumps. It is integrated as standard on new OIPT systems.

“Oxford Instruments was recently promoted to the FTSE Green Index and this new capability is just one of a number of initiatives we are undertaking to reduce our — and our customers’ — carbon footprint,” comments sales & customer support director Mark Vosloo.

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