High purity acetylene purifier - Pure-aC  [ Return towards  Electronics & Optoelectronics  ]

Pure-aC^TM is the Air Liquide solution for purifying acetylene particularly for micro-electronics applications and more particularly for the deposition of amorphous carbon by PECVD as employed in the new APFx processes from Applied Material.

Because of its unstable nature, acetylene is often packaged in solution in a solvent (acetone, DMF). Not only does this give a “stabilized” product but one which can be made available in large quantities. However, when the acetylene is dispensed, a more or less large proportion of the solvent is driven into gaseous phase with potentially dramatic consequences for some manufacturing processes in the semi-conductor industry. It therefore has to be purified beforehand.

Pure-aC^TM basically comprises two specific purification cartridges, a regeneration system and an electrical control unit.

Pure-aC^TM operates fully automatically with 3 operating modes for switching from one purification cartridge to another:

• Purification: the acetylene containing the solvent passes through a purification cartridge at ambient temperature where the solvent is trapped.

• Regeneration: since the adsorption effect is cumulative and reversible, when the cartridge is saturated, it can be fully regenerated by heating at 100°C. Regeneration occurs automatically at fixed intervals.
• Stand-by: between the end of a regeneration phase and a purification phase, the system is on stand-by, ready to purify.