INFICON RQCM - Quartz Crystal Microbalance Research System - Manual (Page 45)

RQCM – RESEARCH QUARTZ CRYSTAL MICROBALANCE
CRYSTALS, HOLDERS AND FLOW CELL 4-7
Freq Change vs. Temp
INFICON AT cut for 25C
-25
0
25
50
75
100
125
150
175
200
225
250
275
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100 110 120
Temperature ( C)
Delta Frequency (Hz)
Figure 11 Frequency vs. Temperature of INFICON 1" AT-Cut Crystal for 25 C
4.2 CRYSTAL CARE AND HANDLING
It is essential that a sensor crystal is clean and free of foreign matter that may react with the
experiment inducing errors in the measurements. The following guidelines are recommended for
general handling of the sensor crystals.
♦ Keep the crystals in a clean environment. Store them in their original package until use.
♦ Never handle the crystals with bare hands.
♦ Always use plastic tweezers around the edge of the crystal during handling.
♦ Do not touch the center of a sensor crystal, as any oil, dirt, dust, or scratches will quickly
degrade the quality of the crystal.
♦ When using a chemical agent to clean the crystal, ensure that the crystal electrode
material(s) will not be damaged by the chemical.
♦ Never use cleaner that will etch the quartz surface.
♦ Always rinse with deionized water, or another appropriate pure liquid, before drying the
crystal.
♦ Always use a flow of dry, oil-free, non-reactive gas (e.g. filtered nitrogen) to blow-dry the
crystal. It is better to chase liquid off the crystal than to let it evaporate off the crystal.
♦ Never wipe the crystal – even soft, lint-free cloth will scratch the crystal.