[labnetwork] reopening DTU Nanolab

[Jörg Hübner]

Dear Colleagues

Here is a short report on our experiences in reopening the cleanroom and electron microscopy facility at the Technical University of Denmark.
In Denmark we had a complete shutdown of the public sector and thus the University and the cleanroom were shut down the 13th of March. We have device production in our cleanroom, there are about 5 companies that use our cleanroom for continuous device production. In order to protect these companies from possible bankruptcy we asked for special permission to reopen for commercial production only, already from the 20th of March. We proposed two people in the cleanroom at the same time, one at a time in the gowning area and scheduled time blocks for each company (initially one company at a time). This permission was granted and a few days later we had put measures and rules in place  that allowed for this mode of operation.

More companies were asking permission to fabricate components and soon (mid april) the scheduling became more and more complex, including nights and weekends to accommodate the demand for cleanroom time. It became clear that we had to find back to a more “self regulated” scheme where people could book equipment on a first come first serve basis (as before COVID-19) while we could maintain the restriction of a maximum number of persons in the cleanroom.
Literature and discussion with other cleanrooms convinced us that HEPA filters and the high laminar air flow in the cleanroom are an excellent protection against airborne virus infection especially in combination with face masks,  so the main physical bottleneck was the gowning area. Fortunately we could (within a few weeks) establish a second gowning area to ease the load on the main ggowning. A very crude, home made and cheap solution involving stripes and tube isolation (see attached picture taken in “the new, makeshift" gowning) allowed us to ensure distance between the (personal) cleanroom suits.


During the shutdown we blocked all users from the booking system and access to the cleanroom.
Regarding the restriction on number of persons in the cleanroom we introduced a new “tool” in our booking system LabManager (it is a homebuilt – over the last 20 years- booking, billing system including web shop) called "cleanroom presence”. Users are required to book "cleanroom presence" if they want to enter the cleanroom. If they book any standard bookable equipment they book automatically “cleanroom presence” which is extending 15min before and after their tool booking. If the total max. number of persons at the “cleanroom presence tool” in the booking system is exceeded, a warning is issued and booking of tools is not allowed.
We can set the max. occupancy number of persons in the software, and the actual and maximum number is shown at the gowning areas so people area aware  of the occupation status.

We increased the max. occupation number gradually from 10 to 20 and are now at 30 people at the same time inside our 1300m2 cleanroom observing bottlenecks and behaviour. Our opening hours are currently restricted to weekdays from 7:00 to 19:00 with a staff member always present in the cleanroom.  This is in order to observe if users gather some places (gowning, special tools) and if all COVID-19 special rules are obeyed. For commercial production we issue special permissions for companies to come in nights and week-ends.
We hope to be able to open again for 24/7 in a few weeks.

In order to ensure that users have read and understood the new rules and regulations they must register again to get access to the cleanroom (this also serves as a urgently need cleanup of our users list) and we require a (virtual) handshake, where they state that they have read and understood the new rules, and watched the videos on how to enter the cleanroom and the screencast concerning booking “presence”in the cleanroom.  Both can be found at our homepage:    www.nanolab.dtu.dk<www.nanolab.dtu.dk>.  Here you can also find material concerning our COVID –19 rules and measures if you are interested.

At this time, May 28th, we have around 150 users that have registered again and as we speak we did not experience large queues or clogging. However we expect a bigger wave of user that want to register again  following the ful reopening of the experimental research at the university during the coming days.

 So far our experiences are good, users generally obey the rules and are happy to be back in the cleanroom.

Best Regards
        Jørg


Jörg Hübner, Ph.D.

Director


DTU Nanolab

National Centre for Nano Fabrication and Characterization


Technical University of Denmark
DTU Nanolab

National Centre for Nano Fabrication and Characterization

Ørsteds Place

Building 347, Room 178

2800 Kgs. Lyngby
Denmark

Direct +45 45255762

Mobile +45 22785157

jhub at dtu.dk<mailto:jhub at dtu.dk>

www.nanolab.dtu.dk/english<http://www.nanolab.dtu.dk/english>


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