Safety Information

ETL Listed

Laurell Technologies systems have been tested for safety and electromagnetic compatibility by Intertek, a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.

All Laurell products that now carry the ETL mark meet specific US and Canadian product safety standards. These standards conform to those required for CE marking.

View Laurell’s ETL safety certifications here

 

Electrical

The spin housing is made from 100% solid natural polypropylene or PTFE (electrically non-conductive). The internal electrical chassis and motor are connected to earth ground by way of the 3-pronged input power plug. No exposed conductive metal passes through the housing, therefore double insulating the operator against a possible electrical hazard. A local circuit breaker will interrupt the power if a current overload is detected and can be reset but not over-ridden by the operator.

The membrane switch panel is 5-VDC logic level isolated below a grounded static drain grid. The housing and panel material is completely resistant to nearly all solvents including, but not limited to, Acetone, Toluene, TCE, MEK, Methanol, IPA as well as KOH, H2SO4, HF, and HCl. Note: Bromine and Fluorine can only be run in the PTFE model.

• Fully encapsulated hardware for near-absolute corrosion resistance
• The motor speed is monitored and when set speed can not be achieved (a jammed chuck) rotation will be discontinued and a reason-specific error will be displayed.
• The motor seal is higher than the door opening making it nearly impossible for liquid to damage the internal components even if the spin processor's drain is blocked.
• An adjustable down-flow drain and exhaust is available to positively evacuate unwanted gases on a continuous basis.
• All systems have an interlocked Nitrogen/CDA purge in order to continuously insure that no liquid remains in the process chamber after use to harbor bacterial growth or produce unwanted hazardous reactions.

NOTE: The spin processor is not intended to be liquid-tight and will present an electrical hazard if submerged. The processor must not be located near an open sink where it can be inadvertently knocked into a liquid bath.

Operation

A door interlock ensures that rotation and automatic chemical dispensing cannot take place with the door open. A wide lip on the inside bottom of the door routes fluids spun off the wafer to the rear (directly into the drain), while an overlapping shield stops leaking across the door opening.

A vacuum wafer hold-down interlock prevents process initiation. The chuck must remain at 0 RPM for one second before vacuum can be discontinued. This prevents the accidental release of a wafer while spinning as well as chemicals being dispensed into the vacuum system. Note: Some systems do not have vacuum hold-down using various mechanical retention techniques instead.

Pressure Vessels, Valves, and Fittings

We only supply ASME-rated or other third-party tested (at least 160 PSIG - 11 bar) pressure vessels for chemical dispensing. See manufacturers information plate on each vessel for more details. The intended maximum dispense pressure is < 40 PSIG - (2.7 bar)

We use only the best dispense valves, flare or compression-type (gripper-ferrule) fittings and supply tubing supplied are all rated to at least PSIG - (10 bar). All tubing required is supplied and is properly labeled so that nothing can be compromised during installation of the equipment.

Feedback

We would appreciate any constructive comment both having to do with operation and safety of our equipment. If you find anything inconsistent or unsafe, now or in the future, please bring it to our attention immediately.

We now have close to 20,000 systems installed worldwide and have yet to encounter one safety issue in 39 years of operation. We remain eternally vigilant to this very important issue!