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<p class="MsoNormal"><a name="x__MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">Hi Alex,<o:p></o:p></span></a></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">During my consultant days, industrial standard was strict 46-48F dewpoint control. But academic fabs typically have a broader range based on research
and/or willingness to “suffer” through periods of deviation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">MIT conducted a benchmarking study of existing fabs in 2017, which produced the chart below. I have anonymized the data for clarity: university fabs
are represented above the line, while LBNL is positioned below it. Notably, only one facility operated with a very wide dewpoint band, largely due to its ideal ambient environmental conditions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><img width="471" height="273" style="width:4.9027in;height:2.8402in" id="_x0000_i1026" src="cid:image001.png@01DC7002.FACB1150"></span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif">MIT.nano runs at 44F dew point (+/- 2F – Large fluctuations are from air handler maintenance). Maintaining this in New England (cold/dry + humid/hot)
is not inexpensive or easy.<b><o:p></o:p></b></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><img width="594" height="363" style="width:6.1875in;height:3.7777in" id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image002.png@01DC7004.28331A10"></span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><b><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"><b><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Nick Menounos, </span></b></span><span style="mso-bookmark:x__MailAutoSig"></span><span style="font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">PE</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">MIT.nano - Associate Director of Infrastructure</span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:black">Cell: </span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black"><a href="tel:+15089320938"><span style="font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Arial",sans-serif;color:blue">(508)
932-0938</span></a></span><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt"> </span><span style="font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> labnetwork <labnetwork-bounces@mtl.mit.edu> <b>
On Behalf Of </b>Garry J. Bordonaro<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 17, 2025 5:18 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> 'Alex Dixon' <agdixon@mines.edu>; 'Lab Network' <labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu><br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: [labnetwork] Cleanroom humidity<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Alex,<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In our building we maintain 21C ( I believe) and 42% RH. Temp is +/-1C, RH +/-2%. Different processes are affected in different ways by these, so control is the only way to ensure consistent results. For example, photolith is very sensitive
to RH, wet chemistry to temp.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">We also move ~60000 cfm through the HEPAs.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Regards,<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal">Garry J. Bordonaro<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Microlithographic Engineer<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Cornell NanoScale Facility<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">250 Duffield Hall<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">343 Campus Road<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ithaca NY 14853-2700<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">(607) 254-4936<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="mailto:bordonaro@cnf.cornell.edu"><span style="color:blue">bordonaro@cnf.cornell.edu</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.cnf.cornell.edu/"><span style="color:blue">http://www.cnf.cornell.edu/</span></a><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Please acknowledge CNF in your publications:<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">"This work was performed in part at the Cornell NanoScale Science & Technology Facility (CNF), a member of the National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure (NNCI), which is supported by the National Science Foundation (Grant NNCI-2025233)."<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b>From:</b> labnetwork <<a href="mailto:labnetwork-bounces@mtl.mit.edu">labnetwork-bounces@mtl.mit.edu</a>>
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Alex Dixon<br>
<b>Sent:</b> Wednesday, December 17, 2025 12:12 PM<br>
<b>To:</b> Lab Network <<a href="mailto:labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu">labnetwork@mtl.mit.edu</a>><br>
<b>Subject:</b> [labnetwork] Cleanroom humidity<o:p></o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">For those of you with climate controls in your cleanrooms, what relative humidity do your keep your cleanroom at, and how tightly do you control the fluccuations?
How significant an effect have you seen on device performance? <o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Our campus facilities is doing a climate control audit and asking any lab with special requirements to justify them. Any info you could share would be appreceated.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">Thanks!<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black">-Alex<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Aptos",sans-serif;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121;background:white">__________________________________________________________</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121;background:white">Alex Dixon, Ph.D. (He/Him)</span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121">Lab Manager<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121">Nanofabrication and Thin Film Deposition<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121;background:white">Shared Instrument Facility </span><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background:white"><span style="font-size:10.5pt;font-family:"Segoe UI",sans-serif;color:#212121">Colorado School of Mines<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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