productnews Point-of-Use filters for the semiconductor industry Donaldson High Purity Products, a division of Donaldson Co Inc, has launched a new air filtration solution for critical process environments, such as those found in the semiconductor industry. The Lithoguard POU (Point-of-Use) filter, which was designed in cooperation with a leading optical lithography tool manufacturer, are ideal for the chemical filtration of pressurized air streams. It has the capability to remove base, acid and organic gas phase contaminants at high efficiencies, protecting optical elements in process machinery and extending production times in the semiconductor industry says the manufacturer. The modular Lithoguard POU filter can employ a number of filtration mechanisms to control gas-phase contamination. Each filter is built to specific OEM requirements and can use membrane dryers, prefilters, and a variety of BSP, NPT or VCR fittings and analysis devices. The manufacturer asserts that various media options can also be specified to meet OEM demands. Stainless steel is used as the construction material throughout. According to Donaldson, an efficiency of 99% can be achieved in gas filtration duty dealing with base, acid or organic contaminants and an efficiency of 99.97% for particulates.
In contrast to zone or toolmounted filtration, the Lithoguard POU filter reduces operating costs by restricting the volume of air to be filtered and enabling a tighter focus on a specific set of process applicable contaminants.