A light scattering particulate matter measuring apparatus is disclosed. The light scattering particulate matter measuring apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a casing provided with an inlet into which outside air flows and an outlet through which is exhausted measured air of which the particulate matter concentration has been measured; an airflow pathway which connects the inlet and the outlet in the casing and along which outside air moves; and an external temperature-humidity sensor which is provided on the outside of the casing and measures the temperature and relative humidity of outside air.

A manifold system and methods of collecting samples, where the manifold system comprises multiple input sample ports and a preferably rotatable flow focusing element. The manifold system is able to sample aerosols and gases from multiple sample points, such as from cleanrooms and manufacturing environments, for collection and analysis. The flow focusing element reduces cross talk and cross contamination of particles, including nanoparticles, between different samples.

Disclosed is a method for detecting and/or growing particles, comprising controlling the surface area exposed to the saturator region by monitoring at least one of a depth of the working liquid on the saturator surface, the surface area exposed to the saturator region, or a volume of the working liquid on the saturator surface. Also disclosed is an apparatus or system for detecting and/or growing particles, comprising a fluidics system configured to control the surface area exposed to the saturator region by monitoring at least one of a depth of the working liquid on the saturator surface, the surface area exposed to the saturator region, or a volume of the working liquid on the saturator surface. Certain aspects do not employ one or more porous structures for vapor generation, nor a separate carrier fluid flow or inlet comprising a carrier fluid and vaporized working liquid for combining with the sample flow in the saturator region.

The disclosed subject matter compensates or corrects for errors that otherwise would be present when a measurement is made on a condensation particle counting system with the only difference causing the errors being absolute pressure. The difference in absolute pressure may be due to, for example, a change in altitude in which the condensation particle counting system is located. Techniques and mechanisms are disclosed to compensate for changes in particle count, at a given particle diameter, for changes in sampled absolute pressure at which measurements are taken. Other methods and apparatuses are disclosed.

A measurement system includes an atomizer, an impactor, a particle counter, and a discharge reservoir. The atomizer has a liquid intake port and a gas intake port configured to aerosolize a liquid received at the liquid intake port. The impactor has an inlet coupled to the atomizer and has a first output port and a second output port. The impactor is configured to separate droplets wherein those droplets smaller than a selected cut point are directed to the first output port and those droplets larger than the selected cut point are directed to the second output port. The particle counter is coupled to the first output port and is configured to count particles larger than at least one particle size cut point. The discharge reservoir is coupled to the second output port.

Various embodiments include methods and systems to dilute a sampled particle-laden aerosol stream in a recirculating type of aerosol diluter system. In one embodiment, a system to dilute a sampled aerosol stream includes an aerosol sample inlet. A primary diluter device includes a first inlet to receive the aerosol stream and a second inlet to receive a filtered portion of the aerosol stream and combining the filtered portion with an additional sampled aerosol stream. A flow diverter device splits at least the sampled aerosol stream into a first portion of the sampled aerosol stream and a remaining portion of the sampled aerosol stream. A filter receives the remaining portion of the sampled aerosol stream and provides a filtered aerosol stream to the second inlet of the primary diluter device. Other methods and apparatuses are disclosed.

A method and apparatus for determining a concentration of aerosol particles in a carrier gas. The method comprises providing an aerosol having aerosol particles in a carrier gas comprising at least one condensable component; introducing at least part of the aerosol into a chamber of a pressure-rated vessel, wherein the chamber is delimited by at least one wall adjoining the chamber and set to a temperature which is above a saturation temperature of the at least one condensable component; subsequently removing part of the aerosol from the chamber, as a result of which a decrease in pressure in the chamber occurs, as a result of which the at least one condensable component condenses at least partly on the aerosol particles; and determining a concentration of aerosol particles in the carrier gas during removal of the part of the aerosol from the chamber.

An apparatus for detecting a processing tool defect is provided. The apparatus includes a processing tool having a processing chamber configured to process a semiconductor wafer. The processing chamber includes a gas inlet and a gas outlet. An exhaust pipe is connected to the gas outlet of the processing chamber. A particle counter is configured to real-time measure a parameter of particles in the exhaust pipe. A method for detecting a processing tool defect is also provided in the present disclosure.

Various embodiments include systems and apparatuses for reducing contamination levels within optical chambers of particle-detection instruments. In one embodiment, an apparatus to reduce contamination within an optical chamber of a particle-detection instrument is described. The apparatus includes a plenum chamber to at least partially surround an aerosol-focusing nozzle of the particle-detection instrument and accept a filtered gas flow. A curtain-flow concentrating nozzle is coupled to the plenum chamber to produce a curtain flow into the optical chamber to substantially surround an aerosol flow. Other methods and systems are disclosed.

A particle measuring device includes a probe including a nozzle spraying a gas on a surface of an object and an inlet inhaling the gas and particles scattered from the surface by the gas; a main pipe including an inflow hole through which the gas flows and a discharge hole through which the gas is discharged; a first manifold provided to connect the main pipe to the nozzle, and supplying the gas to the nozzle; a second manifold provided to connect the main pipe to the inlet between a connecting portion of the first manifold and the discharge hole, and supplying the particles and the gas to the main pipe; a third manifold branched from the second manifold and supplying the particles and the gas; and a particle counter connected to the third manifold, and counting the particles included in the gas supplied through the third manifold.