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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Devin,<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>I manage a large ISO-4 (class 10) laboratory where we prototype integrated circuits of commercial scale complexity.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>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)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>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.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'>Dan<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> labnetwork-bounces@mtl.mit.edu <labnetwork-bounces@mtl.mit.edu> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Devin Fortier<br><b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, September 25, 2019 11:49 AM<br><b>To:</b> labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu<br><b>Subject:</b> [labnetwork] Stationary Particle Counters<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Dear Colleagues,<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>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. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>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. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>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?<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>Thank you,<br clear=all><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal>-- <o:p></o:p></p><div><div><div><div><div><div><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Devin Fortier</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Systems/Infrastructure Specialist</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>University of Alberta - nanoFAB</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>W1-028A ECERF Building</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>9107 - 116 Street</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Edmonton, Alberta</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'>Canada T6G 2V4 </span><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black'><a href="http://www.nanofab.ualberta.ca/" target="_blank"><span style='color:#1155CC'>www.nanofab.ualberta.ca</span></a> Ph: 780-868-6480</span><o:p></o:p></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>