IPG IX-6168-PS Operating and maintenance manual

IX-6168-PS Laser
Micromachining
System
Hardware Reference Guide

Copyright © 2018 by
IPG Photonics – Material Processing Systems
259 Cedar Hill Street
Marlborough, MA 01752 USA
Customer Service Phone: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
All rights reserved. Unpublished rights reserved under the copyright laws of the United States.
IPG Photonics and the IPG Photonics logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of IPG Photonics Corporation. All other brand and product
names in this document are the property of their respective owners.
Covered by one or more U.S.A. and foreign patents including R.O.C. Patent No. I 248244. U.S.A. patents pending.
The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. IPG Photonics assumes no responsibility for technical or editorial
errors or omissions, or for the use of this material. Nor does IPG Photonics make any commitment to update the information contained in
this document. This document contains proprietary information that is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. No part of this document
may be photocopied or reproduced in any form without the prior written consent of IPG Photonics.
P21-010256 IX-6168-PS Laser Micromachining System Hardware Reference Guide, Rev 1
ECO # Date History Rev #
6443 February 7, 2018 Initial Release 1

Contents
Contents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-
1 Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-
UV Laser Light Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1
Airborne Contaminant Hazards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
Laser Gas Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3
High-Voltage Hazards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Laser Safety Publications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5
Protecting Yourself During Procedures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Laser Safety During Operation and Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6
Laser Safety During Servicing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Beam Delivery System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Normal and Service Modes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
Ventilation and Debris Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7
IX-6168-PS Workstation Safety Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
System Enclosures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8
Safety Interlocks and Labels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9
System Signalling Light Tower with Alarm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10
Lock-Out/Tag-Out Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Compressed Air in the Filter-Regulator Assembly. . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11
Air Bearing Ballast Bottle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13
Integrated Automated Platform (IAP) Wafer Handler (if equipped). 1-
14
Main System Power. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-16
2 System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-
About This Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Use of Hyperlinks in Adobe® Acrobat® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
System Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-1
Serial Data Tag . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Documentation and Software. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
IPG Photonics Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Third-Party Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Software CDs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3
Tools and Accessories. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
System Tools and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Optics Cleaning and Alignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4
Power Meter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Contents
Customer Service Contact Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-5
3 Starting and Shutting Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-
Laser Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1
Shutting Down the System. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Normal Power-Down . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2
Temporary Shutdown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
Service Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3
E-Stop Emergency Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
Starting the System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
After a Temporary Shutdown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
After a Normal Power-Off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4
After a Service Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6
After an E-Stop Emergency Shutdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7
4 Laser Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-
Laser Head. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-2
Laser Control Unit Rack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3
Laser Head Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Laser Chiller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
Laser Head Removal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4
5 The Enclosure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-
Enclosure Safety Features. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Interlocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-2
Emergency Stop (E-Stop) Push Buttons . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-3
IX-6168-PS E-Stop Interlock Wiring Schematic. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-5
Modular Wall and Ceiling Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6
Removable Wall Panels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-7
Enclosure and Workstation Support. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-8
6 Pneumatic Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-
Pneumatics Panel. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-2
Filter-Regulator Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Vacuum Sensor Meter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-3
Manifold Solenoids. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-4
High-Purity Solenoids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Purge Panel–Flow Meters and Pressure Regulators. . . . . . . . . . . 6-5
Nitrogen and Air Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-7
Air Bearing Ballast and Air Filter Assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-8
Pneumatics Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6-9
7 Electronic and Computer Components. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-
Operator Controls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
Computer Terminal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-2
System Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-3
Ethernet Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-4
Front-Panel Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-5

Motion Control and Digital I/O Electronics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-6
Motion Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-7
Digital I/O. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9
Terminal Blocks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15
AC and DC Power Distribution. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
AC Circuit Breakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-16
DC Circuit Breakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-17
Circuit Breaker Functions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Resetting Circuit Breakers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-18
Customer Interface Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-19
External Safety Interlocks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-20
Safety Interlock Connection Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-21
8 Beam Delivery System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-
BDS Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-2
BDS Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-3
Fluence and Optical Damage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Pneumatic Beam Stop . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-4
Turning Mirrors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Adjusting a Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-5
Removing and Reinstalling a Mirror . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-6
Beam Expander . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-7
Scan Head . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8-8
9 Part Handling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-
Part Handling Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-2
Vacuum Chuck. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-3
Chuck Leveling Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-4
Vacuum Chuck Assembly Options. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-5
Motion Stages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
X-Y Motion Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
Z-Theta Motion Stage . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9-6
10 Ventilation and Debris Control. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-
Workstation Ventilation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
Roof Exhaust. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-1
Air Intake—Side. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-2
Air Intake—Bottom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-3
Processing Area Ventilation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Process-Site Suction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-4
Debris Collection Filter (optional) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-5
11 Video Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-
Digital Process-Viewing Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2
Camera Adjustments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-2
Camera Alignment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-3
Digital Part-Inspection Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-4

Contents
Video Illuminators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-5
Inspection Camera Video Illuminator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-5
Process Camera Video Illuminator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-10
Programmable Lighting Controller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11-13
12 Maintaining the Workstation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-
General System Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Maintaining the Laser. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-1
Handling and Cleaning Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Handling Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Inspecting Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Optic Failure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-2
Cleaning Optics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-3
Pneumatic Filter Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Pneumatic Panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Air Bearing Ballast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-4
Nitrogen, Air, and Process Gas Filters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-5
Air Intake Filter Replacement. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-6
Enclosure Bottom. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-6
Fan Guard Foam Filters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-7
Galvanometer Coolant Filter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-8
Galvanometer Chiller Coolant Filter. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-8
Spare Parts List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-9
Preventative Maintenance Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-9
Factory Remote Troubleshooting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-10
Establishing Remote Visual Access. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12-11

1-1
1
Safety
Caution: Use of controls or adjustments or performance of procedures other than those specified
herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure.
Using a laser processing workstation can be hazardous in several ways:
❑UV laser light can damage your eyes and skin and generate dangerous radiation.
❑Airborne contaminants generated by laser processing can injure or poison you.
❑Laser gases used by excimer lasers can poison or asphyxiate you.
❑High voltages can burn or electrocute you.
UV Laser Light Hazards
UV light falls between blue visible light (400 nm) and X-rays (100 nm) on the
electromagnetic spectrum and includes three wavelength regions:
Lasers generate laser light of various wavelengths throughout the UV spectrum,
depending on their configuration. Skin and eye hazards vary with wavelength. Most
of the natural UV (the sun) should be avoided by use of personal protection.
However, UV radiation from laboratory equipment is monochromatic with high
intensity and low divergence which poses a greater threat to personnel. If no personal
protection equipment is used, tissue damage may occur in only a single pulse (less
than a second of exposure).
Skin Hazards
UV laser radiation is in the same range as UV solar radiation and carries similar
hazards. Even diffuse or scattered laser radiation can cause sunburn, and long-term
exposure increases your risk of skin cancer. If you come in direct contact with the
laser beam, you can be seriously injured.
To protect against UV exposure, always wear long sleeves and laboratory gloves
when working with lasers. If you are particularly sensitive to UV light, apply
sunscreen (containing both UVA and UVB blockers) to exposed skin, especially your
face, or wear a face shield.
Region Wavelengths Hazard rating
UV-A 315–400 nm Lowest Longest wavelength and lowest energy
UV-B 280–315 nm Mid - high
UV-C 180–280 nm Highest Shortest wavelength and highest energy

Safety
1-2
Sight Hazards
Each part of your eye absorbs light differently. In general, the epithelium, cornea, and
aqueous humor absorb UV-B and UV-C; the iris and lens absorb UV-A; and the retina
absorbs visible and infrared (IR).
Figure 1: Light Absorbed By the Eye
Although short-wavelength laser UV light cannot penetrate the eye, the high-power
emissions can still cause damage. Scattered laser radiation can cause inflammation or
“sunburn” of the cornea—called photokeratitis, welder’s flash, or snow blindness.
This painful condition affects vision and lasts up to 48 hours after exposure but
usually causes no permanent damage.
Longer-wavelength UV light—beyond 300 nm—can penetrate the cornea and
epithelium. Repeated exposure over time increases your risk of developing cataracts.
Recent studies show that 308 nm light can be especially dangerous for cataract
formation.
WARNING! Whenever you use UV laser equipment: 
• Use eyewear suitable for the light wavelength and your exposure to it. 
• Remember that laser beams can be hazardous even at a distance. 
• Remember that objects and surfaces can reflect and scatter laser light.
Be sure the eyewear you choose protects you adequately. Use eye wear rated for the
specific laser wavelength and with an optical density (OD) factor high enough to
bring possible exposure below the maximum permissible exposure (MPE). For further
information see the ANSI Z136.1 laser safety standard and European norms EN 207,
EN 208, and EN 60825.
Radiation Levels
UV lasers can generate short duration (nanosecond or less) pulses with high energy
thus leading to high peak power, up to hundreds megawatts. The combination of UV
light and high peak power can create hazardous levels of radiation.
Laser Safety Regulations
The Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH), part of the U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA), oversees laser equipment safety. Federal law requires
laser equipment manufacturers to design and certify their products in compliance
with the rules and regulations of the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Parts
1040.10 and 1040.11. These regulations, based on the Radiation Control Health and
Safety Act of 1968, include guidelines for enclosure design, interlock switches,
inspection, operation, maintenance, labeling, and record keeping.
The FDA has defined emission classes from Class 1 to Class 4, based on possible
human exposure to laser radiation during normal equipment operation. Class 1
devices pose the least hazard, Class 4 the greatest.
UV-B, UV-C (epithelium, 
cornea, aqueous humor)
Visible, IR (retina)
UV-A: (iris, lens)

1-3
IPG Photonics Workstations
IPG Photonics IX-series enclosed laser workstations are Class 1 laser products. While
performing their intended function, Class 1 products must prevent human exposure
to emissions beyond those indicated in Title 21, Volume 8, Chapter I, Subchapter J,
Part 1040.10, Table I. Therefore they typically pose no known laser radiation hazard to
operators, routine maintenance personnel, or the public.
Although the IX-series enclosed laser systems have an overall Class 1 rating, they do
incorporate UV lasers that generate radiation levels exceeding the Class 1 limit. These
include Class 4 levels of UV radiation, and sometimes Class 2 levels of visible red
radiation from a HeNe alignment laser. Therefore, when operating the beam outside
the enclosure, Class 1 safety assurances may no longer apply.
IPG Photonics workstations that are not enclosed are Class 4 products.
Airborne Contaminant Hazards
Laser processing generates hazardous airborne contaminants.
❑The UV laser beam etches materials by breaking down molecular bonds, resulting
in high-velocity ejection of vaporized materials. This process, called ablation, can
release hazardous fumes and airborne toxic materials.
❑The UV laser beam can also interact with the air to generate toxic ozone gas.
To protect personnel from such hazards, IPG Photonics enclosed workstations use
various methods to isolate the processing area, prevent ozone formation, and exhaust
airborne contaminants. In some environments, personnel may need to wear
respiratory protective devices for safe operation of laser devices.
Laser Gas Hazards
IPG Photonics systems may use compressed gases for operating an excimer laser and
for purging the beam delivery system.
❑Excimer lasers typically use four gases: helium, neon, fluorine, and krypton or
argon. The laser may be configured to connect to four separate gas bottles, or to
connect to one bottle with helium and one with a mixture of the other gases.
❑Some systems use nitrogen to purge the beam delivery system.
These gases pose several kinds of hazards: high pressure, asphyxiation, and fluorine
toxicity.
High Pressure
High-pressure gas bottles can be very dangerous if damaged. When exchanging gas
bottles, take care to handle them safely. If the primary valve on a pressurized gas
bottle is damaged, the escaping gas can produce significant thrust, turning the bottle
into a projectile. For this reason, you must make sure that bottles are restrained at all
times. Always use a bottle cart to transport gas bottles, and never roll or carry them by
hand. When moving a gas bottle, make sure its safety cap is in place.

Safety
1-4
Asphyxiation
Compressed gases pose an asphyxiation risk. A leak can gradually displace the
oxygen in a closed room. And because helium, neon, krypton, and nitrogen are
colorless and odorless, the people in the room may not notice the leak before the
oxygen level becomes dangerously low. For this reason you must carefully leak-test
all gas connections after performing bottle exchanges or other gas system
maintenance, and correct any gas leaks before you use the system.
Fluorine Toxicity
Fluorine gas is especially hazardous because it is toxic and corrosive. It is the most
chemically active nonmetallic element and the most electronegative of all the
elements. Exposure to even a moderate concentration of fluorine can cause severe
burns to the skin, eyes, and internal tissues such as the mouth, throat, stomach, and
lungs.
WARNING! Fluorine, even in small amounts, can hurt you seriously.
Prolonged exposure to small amounts of fluorine can cause respiratory disorders and
other health problems. Fluorine has a strong, distinct odor that the nose can detect in
concentrations as small as several parts per billion (ppb). Electronic fluorine sensors
are only sensitive to a fraction of a part per million (ppm). The fluorine gas used with
the laser system is diluted to five percent fluorine in helium or neon, which reduces
the safety hazards associated with its use.
Gas leaks in the laser system can come from three sources: the laser, the gas cylinders,
and the gas delivery system. The laser enclosure helps contain any gas leaks that
might occur within the laser gas system. Exhaust gases from the laser are processed
with an activated carbon scrubber (an electrostatic gas particle precipitation unit). The
scrubber traps the laser gas fluorine component, preventing the release of fluorine
into the cabinet ventilation system. Proper laser and gas system installation includes
providing a ventilation system that adequately exhausts both the laser enclosure and
the fluorine gas cabinet.
In case of a large fluorine leak, a qualified technician must immediately correct it by:
❑Closing the fluorine cylinder valve
❑Evacuating people from the laser room
❑Using the ventilation system to clear the room of toxic gases
If personnel must enter the room while hazardous gases are present, they must be
fully qualified to operate in such an environment, and they must wear appropriate
breathing equipment and protective clothing.
While sophisticated electronic safety systems can reduce the hazards of using fluorine
gas, no such system is foolproof. Therefore:
❑All personnel involved in using and maintaining the gas delivery system must
receive thorough training in gas safety for both inert and toxic gases.
❑Personnel must understand and strictly follow proper procedures for gas system
use and maintenance.
❑Two persons must be present during gas system maintenance to prevent
procedural errors.
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