Paper AS-ThP1
Hydrogen Generation Eases Safety and Infrastructure Requirements for Efficient and Productive Vacuum Deposition Processes

Thursday, October 24, 2019, 6:30 pm, Room Union Station B

Hydrogen is frequently employed as a backfill gas during various vacuum coating processes involving metals. Hydrogen plays several roles and provides multiple benefits:

- As a carrier gas and diluent for active gases used to modify substrate surfaces

- As a cleaning and protective agent to clean deposition surfaces and prevent oxidation at high temperatures

- High purity hydrogen is relatively inexpensive, safe and effective in this application when used properly

The major challenge with hydrogen is the storage of hydrogen often required to have a source of pure hydrogen gas. Hydrogen gas for small and medium scale applications is generally delivered from far-away generating facilities and stored at the customer's site in the form of a compressed gas. Storage of hydrogen is closely controlled by national and international code guidelines and local Authorities Having Jurisdiction.

Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM fuel cell technology) hydrogen generation makes it possible to generate hydrogen at production rates and purity levels suitable for scientific and production applications. Most importantly, PEM hydrogen generation produces pure, pressurized, dry hydrogen in a load-following fashion without the need for hydrogen storage.

Poster will outline the code and cost advantages that PEM hydrogen generation can provide for scientific and production hydrogen use in vacuum applications.