Contamination control through in-situ particle counting

A unique system for monitoring particle contamination is described which is both easy to perform and effective in execution. The principle of near-angle light scatter is used to count and size contaminating particles in-situ. Parts to be inspected are placed in a container of ultra-pure water and ultrasonicated. A laser directly scans through the glass walls of the container and counts and sizes the suspended particles. The increased counts are directly proportional to the number and size of the particles dislodged from the parts.