Patent ID: 6645364
Filing Date: 2003-11-11
Classification: C25D,Y10T

Abstract:
A method for determining the level of one or more components in an electroplating bath comprising the steps of:a) obtaining a plurality of solutions wherein each solution has known and different concentrations of an analyte, but where the quantity of the analyte in each solution differs from the quantity in the other solutions; b) providing an apparatus having a first chamber and a second chamber, the first chamber being separated from the second chamber by a liquid-impermeable, gas-permeable membrane; c) introducing each solution individually into the first chamber and carrying out a predetermined sequence of steps comprising: i) reducing the pressure in the second chamber relative to the first chamber to produce a gas stream; ii) directing at least a portion of the gas stream to a mass spectrometer; iii) measuring a characteristic mass/charge peak for the analyte; d) for each solution, correlating the quantity of analyte with the measurement of the characteristic mass/charge peak; e) introducing a bath having an unknown quantity of the analyte into the first chamber; f) performing the predetermined sequence of steps; and g) choosing from the correlation in step d) a quantity of the analyte which corresponds to the measured characteristic mass/charge peak measurement for the analyte.