[labnetwork] Stationary Particle Counters

[Pulver, Daniel - 0835 - MITLL]

Devin,

 

I manage a large ISO-4 (class 10) laboratory where we prototype integrated circuits of commercial scale complexity.

 

We do monthly particle counts with a $2500 hand held meter (Fluke?).  Most of our particle feedback comes from measuring wafer surfaces (e.g. surfscan or like laser scattering surface particle counters)

 

While we do have the benefit of ISO-4 design, our facility is 25 years old and to my knowledge we haven’t had an airborne particulate failure during that period while the HVAC systems are running normally.  We have facilities surveillance for HVAC component status and occasionally sample HEPA filters for particle leaks and pressure drop.

 

We do a lot of surface particle measuring and defect metrology down to ~0.1um.  We don’t find environmental particles in any significant quantity.  Essentially all of our surface particles result from process and process maintenance – even after 3 years of improvements from defect reduction on routine foundry work where we regularly achieve high visual defect screening yield at ~1/3 micron process node.

 

I advocate you have an understanding of process-induced particles impact on your lab’s work in good balance with your interest in investing in additional airborne counting.

 

Dan

 

 

From: labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu <labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu> On Behalf Of Devin Fortier
Sent: Wednesday, September 25, 2019 11:49 AM
To: labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu
Subject: [labnetwork] Stationary Particle Counters

 

Dear Colleagues,

 

We are looking to improve the way we do particle counts in our cleanroom and are looking at installing multiple stationary particle counters as a solution.  We would also want these devices to tie in with our building monitoring system that uses BACnet. 

 

We currently have a portable particle counter that is moved to various set locations and left to take its measurements.  This is being done by a staff member and the whole procedure takes up almost half a day of one person's time per week.  Aside from taking so much time, the counter is cumbersome and gets in the way of our users in the lab.  

 

My question to the group is what are you currently using for your particle counts?  Does anyone use stationary particle counters and process the data to get an average over the whole cleanroom area?

 

Thank you,


 

-- 

Devin Fortier

Systems/Infrastructure Specialist

University of Alberta - nanoFAB

W1-028A ECERF Building

9107 - 116 Street

Edmonton, Alberta

Canada T6G 2V4 

 <http://www.nanofab.ualberta.ca/> www.nanofab.ualberta.ca Ph: 780-868-6480

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