<html>
<head>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=Windows-1252">
</head>
<body>
<div style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_MSFontService, -apple-system, Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;" dir="auto">
We use a nitrogen generator, no LN2. Very robust, little maintenance required. This is good for 99% of what we need (purge,N2 gun, bubbler....). We have a filter inline at our sputter tool to improve the purity and we have purchased high purity N2 bottles
for a couple of specialty processes as needed.</div>
<div id="ms-outlook-mobile-body-separator-line" data-applydefaultfontstyles="true" dir="auto" style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_MSFontService, -apple-system, Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<div style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_MSFontService, -apple-system, Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<br>
</div>
</div>
<div id="ms-outlook-mobile-signature" dir="auto" style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_MSFontService, -apple-system, Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">
<span style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_MSFontService, -apple-system, Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Get
</span><a href="https://aka.ms/AAb9ysg" style="font-family: Aptos, Aptos_MSFontService, -apple-system, Roboto, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Outlook for Android</a></div>
<hr style="display:inline-block;width:98%" tabindex="-1">
<div id="divRplyFwdMsg" dir="ltr"><font face="Calibri, sans-serif" style="font-size:11pt" color="#000000"><b>From:</b> labnetwork <labnetwork-bounces@mtl.mit.edu> on behalf of Schmidt, Benjamin Willis <ben.w.schmidt@Vanderbilt.Edu><br>
<b>Sent:</b> Thursday, September 18, 2025 11:05:32 AM<br>
<b>To:</b> Labnetwork (labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu) <labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [labnetwork] Recommendations to reduce lab nitrogen usage</font>
<div> </div>
</div>
<style type="text/css" style="display:none">
<!--
p
{margin-top:0;
margin-bottom:0}
-->
</style>
<div dir="ltr">
<p class="x_MsoNormal" style="line-height:12.0pt; background:#FF6666"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt; color:white"> [EXTERNAL]</span></p>
</b>
<div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="line-height:1.38; margin:0in 0in 8pt; font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Hello Labnetwork,</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="line-height:1.38; margin:0in 0in 8pt; font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
In our nanofab at Vanderbilt, we are looking at ways to reduce our nitrogen usage, and I wanted to ask for any recommendations, success stories, or failures that might help in our search.</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="line-height:1.38; margin:0in 0in 8pt; font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
For background, we use 5N “house” N2 for purging catastrophic scrubbers, point-of-use scrubbers, gas cabinets, VMBs, and some vacuum pumps 24/7. Additionally, we have on-demand usage at wet chemical hoods and various tools, but the most significant users are
the constant-purge items listed above.</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="line-height:1.38; margin:0in 0in 8pt; font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Our N2 is supplied from a large tank next to our building that is periodically filled from a truck to provide 5N “house” nitrogen, and then we have a set of purifiers to give us 6N “process” nitrogen for specific tools. This was part of an original design
for flexibility with future lab growth.</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="line-height:1.38; margin:0in 0in 8pt; font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
We’re already trying to cut back on the on-demand needs and only turning hoods on and off as needed for example, but we don’t really have the same options for the gas delivery and abatement systems.</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="line-height:1.38; margin:0in 0in 8pt; font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
We’re also looking at ideas such as a hybrid approach like putting the scrubbers onto a nitrogen generator that may not need the same purity requirements, but this is a new area for us.</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="line-height:1.38; margin:0in 0in 8pt; font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
I can provide specific usage numbers privately if it helps, but we are a nominally 10,000 sqft facility (half under filtration, half service areas).</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="line-height:1.38; margin:0in 0in 8pt; font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Thanks for any suggestions!</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
Ben</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" id="x_Signature">
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="font-family:Aptos,Aptos_EmbeddedFont,Aptos_MSFontService,Calibri,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size:12pt; color:rgb(0,0,0)">
<br>
</div>
<p class="x_elementToProof" style="text-align:left; text-indent:0px; line-height:15.75px; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px">
<span style="font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web (West European)",-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Roboto,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif; font-size:13.5pt; color:black; line-height:18.9px">Ben W. Schmidt, Ph.D.</span></p>
<p class="x_elementToProof" style="text-align:left; text-indent:0px; line-height:15.75px; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px">
<span style="font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web (West European)",-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Roboto,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif; font-size:10.5pt; color:black; line-height:14.7px">Cleanroom Manager<br>
Vanderbilt Institute of Nanoscale Science and Engineering</span></p>
<p class="x_elementToProof" style="text-align:left; text-indent:0px; line-height:15.75px; background-color:rgb(255,255,255); margin-top:0px; margin-bottom:0px">
<span style="font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web (West European)",-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Roboto,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif; font-size:10.5pt; color:black; line-height:14.7px">Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN</span></p>
<div class="x_elementToProof" style="font-family:"Segoe UI","Segoe UI Web (West European)",-apple-system,BlinkMacSystemFont,Roboto,"Helvetica Neue",sans-serif; font-size:10.5pt; color:black">
<span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255)"><br>
</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>