[labnetwork] How do you handle PDMS in a cleanroom environment?

[Vito Logiudice]

Hi Leif,

Based on some past experience with PDMS I agree with the concerns expressed by your engineers. If PDMS is handled carefully and conscientiously by your end users then possible damage can be contained or at least limited should it come into contact with any of your equipment. The problem many of us face in an academic setting however is the vast diversity of people whom use our facilities. A minority of these individuals tend to be inexperienced/disorganized/messy/self-absorbed and it is these people whom will possibly wreak havoc should you allow them to work with PDMS in your cleanroom. I recall slipping on a large glob of uncured PDMS that had been dropped on the floor of the cleanroom by one of these “challenging users" at another site.

Another concern may be the outgassing of silicone over time and its possible effects on other people’s work. I’m not an expert in this particular field but for instance, the use of silicone caulking was strictly forbidden during the construction of our cleanroom here. Hopefully Jack Paul of HDR Architecture will be able to share some insights in this regard (HDR designed our facility).

For what it’s worth we do not currently allow PDMS in the cleanroom at all. Should a well-justified argument for introducing it be made in the future, I would likely insist on only allowing cured PDMS in the cleanroom and only in well-defined, possibly isolated, areas. Uncured work would only be permitted in a satellite (non-cleanroom) lab.

Best regards,
Vito
--
Vito Logiudice  P.Eng.
Director of Operations, Quantum NanoFab
University of Waterloo
Lazaridis QNC 1207
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, ON           Canada N2L 3G1
Tel.: (519) 888-4567  ext. 38703
Email: vito.logiudice at uwaterloo.ca<mailto:vito.logiudice at uwaterloo.ca>
Website: https://fab.qnc.uwaterloo.ca


From: <labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork-bounces at mtl.mit.edu>> on behalf of Leif Johansen <lej at danchip.dtu.dk<mailto:lej at danchip.dtu.dk>>
Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2015 at 3:58 AM
To: "labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>" <labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu<mailto:labnetwork at mtl.mit.edu>>
Subject: [labnetwork] How do you handle PDMS in a cleanroom environment?

Dear Lab Network,

I have a dilemma. Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is a promising material for soft lithography, and a lot of our users have a strong wish to process this material in our lab – especially for making nanoimprint stamps . However, before being cured, PDMS is basically a silicone oil, and all our front end engineers (plasma chambers, lithography etc. ) are really scared about this substance ending up in their equipment. Our back end engineers (especially the wire bonding engineer) is also strongly opposed to the introduction of PDMS into the back end lab.

Are there any experience out there in the community on how to handle PDMS in a cleanroom environment?

Best regards,
Leif

Leif S. Johansen

Head of Operations

DTU Danchip



Technical University of Denmark

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Danchip

Ørsteds Plads, Byg. 347

2800  Lyngby

Direct +45 45255713
Mobile +45 25348992

lesjo at danchip.dtu.dk<mailto:lesjo at danchip.dtu.dk>

www.danchip.dtu.dk/<http://www.danchip.dtu.dk/>



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