Does your high purity gas system need electropolished (EP) stainless steel components?
For fab managers in semi-conductor and photovoltaic (PV) manfacturing, this is a common question. Going back to the basics, to convey a “high purity” gas, the gas system must be free from contaminants and leaks. At one time (1970’s) copper tubing was sufficient, then chemically cleaned stainless steel was sufficient (1980’s), but finally electropolishing followed by a hot deionized water final clean was established as the best method to achieve a passive, corrosion resistant, and uncontaminated tubing inner surface. High purity is a relative term – in the semi-conductor electronics industry the specification may allow ppb (part per billion) or ppt (part...