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Catching up at NSTI with RASIRC's Jeff Spiegelman |
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May 29, 2007 at 03:23 PM |
I've known Jeff Spiegelman since the early 1990s, when he started up a little gas-purification company called Aeronex in San Diego and I edited a little trade magazine called Microcontamination.
Aeronex grew into a medium-sized concern (at least by component-manufacturer standards) and was eventually sold to Entegris a few years ago.
I've always appreciated Jeff's candor, a (mostly) healthy blend of voluble optimism and market-weary cynicism. Jeff "calls it as he sees it," which is no surprise given his "what you see is what you get" personality. "'Tis himself," the Irish might say, in taking the measure of the serial entrepreneur.
Jeff started up his latest venture, RASIRC, a couple of years ago, not long after he left Entegris. The core of the company's IP centers on a set of innovative ultra-high-purity DI water steam and humidification technologies. A growing list of cleaning and surface- and oxide-enhancement applications has found traction in such sectors as semiconductor/microelectronics, nanotechnology, biotech, and photovoltaics.
I caught up with Jeff at the NSTI Nanotech/Cleantech show in Santa Clara last week, where he was exhibiting for the first time. Since RASIRC has only eight or so employees, bossman Jeff has to wear many hats. He told me he drove up to Northern California from San Diego (wearing his marketing cap, no doubt), with the show booth in his car.
Jeff also shared some good news: RASIRC had just experienced its first profitable month, largely due to the sale of one of its systems to an unnamed semiconductor concern for an immersion lithography application. (Jeff dreams about IML as one of RASIRC's potential "killer apps.") He also discussed possible uses for the company's ultrapure-steam technology in the emerging carbon nanotube (CNT) market. I chatted with Jeff again toward the end of the NSTI show, and he said that he did indeed see alot of interest from the CNT folks he'd spoken with there.
I asked Jeff to put together a few paragraphs about why RASIRC's UHP steam may benefit CNT manufacturing. Here are some of his words:
"There are two major needs for water vapor in CNT fabrication. Both center around contamination. The formation of the carbon nanotube takes place on the catalyst site. The carbon is incorporated into the structure. However, not all the carbon is used and some deposits as amorphous carbon and chokes off the reaction at the catalyst site.
"The introduction of a small amount of water vapor can combust the amorphous carbon and turn it into CO2, which is purged from the chamber. This allows the reaction to continue, leading to the longest CNT ever grown, as reported in Small Times recently. Too much water will choke off the reaction. If any oxygen remains in water, the oxygen will attack both the amorphous carbon, the carbon in the CNT, and also the catalyst, so oxygen-free water is important. Our technology is the only water purification that can separate out oxygen from water vapor and deliver ultrapure steam under control to the process.
"As for post-CNT growth, the removal of metallic contaminants and amorphous carbon debris is a real issue. Generic semiconductor approaches such as SC-1/SC-2 or halogen gas lead to nonspecific degradation of the CNT. Both also use bunches of chemicals and generates buku (sic) waste. By using water vapor at 200 C to 800 C, the amorphous carbon and metallic impurities can be removed without damage to the CNT."
Jeff mentioned that the next generation of RASIRC tools should be out in about 6 months, so stay tuned for further developments from the upstart Sultans of Steam.
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