AN ULTRASENSITIVE MICROPROBE DETECTOR FOR SURFACE CONTAMINATION

THIS PROJECT WILL DESIGN, CONSTRUCT, AND TEST A NOVEL INSTRUMENT FOR THE DETECTION OF SURFACE CONTAMINATION ON SOLID SUBSTRATES. THE DETECTOR WILL OPERATE UNDER AMBIENT ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS, WILL NOT DESTROY THE SUBSTRATE, IS HIGHLY SENSITIVE, AND PROVIDES REAL-TIME INFORMATION. POTENTIAL SENSITIVITY OF THE DEVICE IS ON THE ORDER OF 10 NGPER SQUARE CM, (NEARLY MONOLAYER DETECTABILITY). THE DEVICECOULD BE MINIATURIZED AND MAY BE CAPABLE OF REMOTE SENSING IN OTHERWISE INACCESSIBLE PLACES, SUCH AS INSIDE LONG STRETCHES OF BENT TUBING. THE INSTRUMENT USES A NEW OPTO-ACOUSTIC TECHNIQUE TO SENSE LASER-INDUCED, PHOTOTHERMALDESORPTION OF ADSORBATE (OR CONTAMINANT) FROM A SURFACE. ANULTRAVIOLET WAVEGUIDE EXCIMER LASER IS USED FOR LASER-INDUCED DESORPTION; A HELIUM-NEON PROBE SENSES THE DESORPTION EVENT. THE INSTRUMENT COULD BE TRANSPORTABLE, ISINHERENTLY SIMPLE, AND SHOULD FIND MANY USES IN MANUFACTURING, ELECTRONICS AND SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING, ANDENVIRONMENTAL TESTING. THIS PROJECT WILL DESIGN, CONSTRUCT, AND TEST A NOVEL INSTRUMENT FOR THE DETECTION OF SURFACE CONTAMINATION ON SOLID SUBSTRATES. THE DETECTOR WILL OPERATE UNDER AMBIENT ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS, WILL NOT DESTROY THE SUBSTRATE, IS HIGHLY SENSITIVE, AND PROVIDES REAL-TIME INFORMATION. POTENTIAL SENSITIVITY OF THE DEVICE IS ON THE ORDER OF 10 NGPER SQUARE CM, (NEARLY MONOLAYER DETECTABILITY). THE DEVICECOULD BE MINIATURIZED AND MAY BE CAPABLE OF REMOTE SENSING IN OTHERWISE INACCESSIBLE PLACES, SUCH AS INSIDE LONG STRETCHES OF BENT TUBING. THE INSTRUMENT USES A NEW OPTO-ACOUSTIC TECHNIQUE TO SENSE LASER-INDUCED, PHOTOTHERMALDESORPTION OF ADSORBATE (OR CONTAMINANT) FROM A SURFACE. ANULTRAVIOLET WAVEGUIDE EXCIMER LASER IS USED FOR LASER-INDUCED DESORPTION; A HELIUM-NEON PROBE SENSES THE DESORPTION EVENT. THE INSTRUMENT COULD BE TRANSPORTABLE, ISINHERENTLY SIMPLE, AND SHOULD FIND MANY USES IN MANUFACTURING, ELECTRONICS AND SEMICONDUCTOR PROCESSING, ANDENVIRONMENTAL TESTING.