[labnetwork] Sensors for DES (diethylsilane)

[Albert William (Bill) Flounders]

 Mario Beaudoin,
I'm surprised there is even a monitoring requirement for diethylsilane
(DES) and wonder how it is being defined.
MSD sheets don't list a LFL and most don't even have vapor pressure data.
Gelest at least has BP
I understand DES is flammable but I think few of us are monitoring all our
flammable gases.
I know I'm not monitoring my methane at home - but I recognize that's why
we add mercaptan.
All that aside, monitoring is good - so back to your sensor

I expect the company is just offering you a general hydride sensor.
I would ask them to confirm that they even have it calibrated to DES - and
how they do it.
Then you can ask them for the cross reactivity to silane -
and just use anyone else's reasonably priced silane sensor.
For a flammable gas, I would not consider carefully calibrated detection to
ppm necessary.
I think you and your authority having jurisdiction (AHJ) just want to know
if you have a leak or not.

Bill Flounders
UC Berkeley

On Fri, Jan 20, 2023 at 4:45 PM Beaudoin, Mario <beaudoin at physics.ubc.ca>
wrote:

> Hello All,
>
> We use DES (diethylsilane) as our silicon precursor in our Trion PECVD
> system.   The company we deal with for sensors is asking 10K$ for a sensor
> that will need to recalibrated yearly and replaced after 2 years.  Quite
> steep in our opinion.  As our DES cylinder spends roughly 95% of the time
> closed, I'd like to find a less expensive option.  For example, even a
> handheld unit that I would only use when DES is in use.
>
> Thanks all,
>
> Mario
> --
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