Hi everyone- I have someone who is looking to use Piranha etch and is hoping there is a safer alternative that would work but wouldn’t have the hazards. They are concerned because they have multiple users (non-Cornell folks) and only have one room in their facility for this type of work and flammable liquids are also used here; the hazardous waste could be mixed. Below is a description of the process. Any information would be great.

 

“This group is cleaning substrates before growing ultra thin layers while probing with our xrays to watch the structure and roughness in real time. All of this is done in a vacuum chamber where the precurser material is introduced in gaseous form to grow the thin films. the system is then purged and another film is grown with another material.    It takes a really strong etch to properly clean the surface since the layers being created are so thin..”

 

Thanks, Ellen  

 

Ellen Sweet

Laboratory Ventilation Specialist

Department of Environmental Health and Safety

Cornell University

315-730-8896