Patent · US Expired

Apparatus for analysis of particulate material, analytical method for same, apparatus for production of ultrapure water, apparatus for manufacturing of semiconductor, and apparatus for production of pure gas

US5316983A · kind A · utility

22Cited by
6References
29Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 5, 1991
Grant dateMay 31, 1994
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 5, 2011

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG01N2021/4721
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

An apparatus and a method for analysis of a particle by irradiation of the particle in a fluid with an intense laser pulse to cause laser breakdown and to detect sonic waves or plasma emission which are generated by the laser breakdown. The size of the particle is measured by using at least two kinds of information from the following: intensity of plasma emission or sonic wave generated by the laser breakdown, location of the laser breakdown plasma, and plasma emission waveform. Also, a laser pulse having flattened distribution of intensity for the irradiation is used in order to eliminate the dependence of the measured value on the particle location.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.