Compiled by Angela Godwin
Etch, ash residue remover
A new etch and ash residue remover from Air Products is engineered to meet the challenging requirements of semiconductor surface cleaning. ACT® NE-168 is a buffered, fluoride-containing stripper product that demonstrates cleaning efficacy in single-wafer-tool processing as well as in batch processing. It is suitable for both logic and memory applications and is aimed at the 65 nm and 45 nm technology nodes. The formulation is effective at low process temperatures, ranging from room temperature to 40°C, which helps provide an extended bath life.
Air Products & Chemicals, Inc.
Allentown, PA
www.airproducts.com
Wireless data logger
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Dickson’s Wireless Data Loggers for Temperature and Humidity Monitoring for provide flexibility in monitoring technology without any wiring constraints. Features include: an easy and affordable method of creating a monitoring network from your PC; no need for manual data downloading; thoroughly tested wireless connections to USB ports; no costs for wiring installation; no location constraints; alarm notification sent to your PC; and easy-to-use software.
Dickson Company
Addison, IL
www.dicksonweb.com
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Oil-free pressure gages
Dwyer Instruments, Inc. recently released its UNOG series gages. These “use no oil” gages possess psi scales with 2.5 percent full scale accuracy. The 2-inch or 2.5-inch gages are designed with polished brass housings and copper alloy wetted parts. Units can withstand ambient temperatures of -4°F to +140°F (-20°C to +60°C). A wide offering of ranges is available from 30 to 4,000 psi. These oil-free service gages come with a 1/4-inch male NPT bottom connection and are ideal for indicating compressed gas cylinder pressures of non-corrosive gases that would oxidize with oil-based compounds. Typical applications include gas cylinders for welding and cutting manufacturing processes.
Dwyer Instruments, Inc.
Michigan City, IN
www.dwyer-inst.com
Isolator for aseptic beverage packaging
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A new restricted access barrier system (RABS) isolator from Serac optimizes aseptic packaging of milk and drinks in and around the sterile enclosure. The SAS 3 isolator safely increases productivity by enabling up to 72 hours of nonstop production without intermediate decontamination periods and by filling up to 50,000 bottles per hour. The isolator features unidirectional flow, barrier zones, and easy access. The company based its design of the new isolator on the following criteria, as put forth by the pharmaceutical industry: solid partitions, providing a physical separation between production and the operators; unidirectional airflow (ISO 5); gloves or automation system to avoid access when filling; equipment transfer system to avoid exposure to less clean environments; high level of surface disinfection; ISO Class 7 environment; and very few interventions, requiring decontamination after intervention.
Serac SAS
Carol Stream, IL
www.serac-group.com
Advanced AMC filters
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Donaldson Company, Inc. has introduced its new ChemCore advanced airborne molecular contamination (AMC) filters, which have been developed to remove base and acid gases from ambient air. The filters are lightweight, offering lower pressure drop, long life, high removal efficiency, and easy installation. Capable of removing contaminants such as ammonia (NH3) and sulfur dioxide (SO2), these filters have an initial removal efficiency rate of greater than 99.99 percent. They can be used to control corrosion, salt formation, and other adverse effects on chemical processes. Other features include versatility of media format and an open-channel architecture, which minimizes impact on airflow. Applications include: flow benches, filter fan units, recirculation systems, and environments where low pressure drop and high removal efficiency is required, such as the semiconductor, microelectronic, medical device, and pharmaceutical manufacturing industries.
Donaldson Company, Inc.
Minneapolis, MN
www.donaldson.com
Water leak detector
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Dwyer Instruments, Inc. has released its Series WD2 Water Leak Detector. The WD2 relies on the electrical conductivity of water to change the resistance across the two contacts located at the base of the enclosure. When there is enough water to bridge these contacts, the resistance changes and triggers an alarm. Low cost and easy to use, the detector can be placed on a flat surface under HVAC equipment, dishwashers, washing machines, refrigerators, compressors, electrical switchgear rooms, and other potential leakage areas. It is available with battery or line-powered, 24 V AC/DC. Unit features SSR and SPDT relay output on selected models.
Dwyer Instruments, Inc.
Michigan City, IN
www.dwyer-inst.com
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Facility monitoring software
New facility monitoring software from Facility Monitoring Systems and Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions facilitates 21 CFR Part 11 compliance and provides complete and secure monitoring of all environmental parameters such as particle counts, temperature, pressure, and relative humidity. Created following GAMP guidelines, FMS3 software is applicable for the pharmaceutical and biomedical industries. The software is available in CD format for client and server applications, as well as pre-installed on a mini PC. The software’s “Buddy” hot standby functionality ensures that monitoring of critical processes continues uninterrupted in the event the main monitoring computer is shut down or fails.
Lighthouse Worldwide Solutions
San Jose, CA
www.golighthouse.com
Conveyor system
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MagStar Technologies, Inc. has introduced its Quickdraw® conveyor system, the Q2 (Q-squared) Series Conveyor. The Q2 offers significant cost savings by eliminating expensive control panels, software, and metering stops. It was developed to provide a new Quickdraw Conveyor control system with communication-based transfer of pallets and product between work cells. It provides flexibility and a small footprint, and generates less debris for transport systems used in clean environments, extending the life of the conveyor system. The Q2 Series is designed for cleanroom laboratory and factory automation and can be configured to meet SMEMA communication standards. The system offers modular plug-and-play operations, eliminating the need for supervisory PLCs and complex pneumatic distribution.
MagStar Technologies, Inc.
Hopkins, MN
www.magstar.com
Coated paper for food apps
Valéron Strength Films, a global manufacturer of high-strength label film and tag stock, now offers a new coating for its V-Max® synthetic paper for use in food identification applications. The FDA-compliant V-Max can be used for tag and label applications that have direct contact with all three food categories (dry cereals, aqueous and fatty foods), including acidic foods. The paper is non-smearing, water resistant and capable of exposure to subzero temperatures. Fully recyclable as HDPE, V-Max can be easily printed using offset litho, flexography, gravure and screen-printing and is available in coated and uncoated versions. It resists tearing but is easily die cut and, because it is not mineral-filled, does not fray like other synthetic products. The matte surface is suitable for bar coding, delivering consistent ANSI-A bar code scans. Easily convertible, it can be perforated, stapled and sewn with good results.
Valéron Strength Films
Houston, TX
www.valeron.com
Crimping solution
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Millipore Corporation has announced the availability of its NovaSeal crimping solution for use with single-use disposable assemblies. It is ideal for sampling, transporting or transferring fluid, while ensuring that sterility is maintained and that the fluid is securely protected from the outside environment at all times. NovaSeal is part of the company’s Mobius suite of technologies. It combines a patented crimping tool and tubing pinch pipes premounted on the tubing of the Mobius disposable assembly. The design of the manual crimping tool first crimps the metallic pinch pipe ensuring a proper seal, then cuts the tubing into two sterile fluid paths.
Millipore Corporation
Billerica, MA
www.millipore.com
Cleanroom dispensing system
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The Axiom X-1000 series dispensing system with stainless-steel enclosure from Asymtek is suitable for manufacturing in Class 100 [ISO 5] cleanrooms. The system is specifically designed for applications, such as wafer-level packaging, that are extremely sensitive to contamination by submicron-sized particles. The cleanroom Axiom system is configured to minimize particle generation within the dispense area. All pneumatic valves are exhausted to the base of the machine, which optimizes ventilation within the system, and connection to the house vacuum prevents downstream particle emissions from entering the cleanroom. The system’s cable track reduces particle generation, and the keyboard and mouse are enclosed in a tray mounted on a swing arm to protect the keyboard during system maintenance. To further minimize particle generation during processing, an optional HEPA filter can be added for downward airflow. The system is configurable for single- or dual-valve dispensing to accommodate a wide variety of fluids, processes, and applications.
Asymtek
Carlsbad, CA
www.asymtek.com
Sealing film for automated processes
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Excel Scientific has introduced its patented X-Pierce Sealing Film, which supports automation and robotic applications. The vinyl films with a thin adhesive layer protect samples in 96-well microplates from evaporation and contamination. A precut hairline “X” pattern over each well creates four flaps that bend easily when pushed by a pipet tip or robotic probe, permitting access to samples without coring from penetrating the film or fouling from contacting adhesive. Flaps return to their original position after sampling for continued protection. Two removable end tabs and 96 printed well guides assist in positioning the film rapidly on the plate. X-Pierce Films are available sterile or nonsterile.
Excel Scientific, Inc.
Wrightwood, CA
www.excelscientific.com
AMC monitor
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The AirSentry II, the newest airborne molecular contamination (AMC) monitor from Particle Measuring Systems, is designed for high sensitivity, speed, and low cost. Building upon the original AirSentry-IMS® system, the new Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) cell provides ppt sensitivity, fast response, and increased selectivity. Continuous coverage of a critical monitoring point and a central software platform allow for easy data acquisition and analysis.
Particle Measuring Systems, Inc.
Boulder, CO
www.pmeasuring.com
Flow sensor
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The new SCHMIDT Flow Sensor SS 20.415 is a highly specialized sensor for laminar-flow monitoring in cleanrooms. The sensor is based on the principle of a thermal anemometer and can measure flow velocity from 0.05 m/s in two directions. The housing of the sensor is a thin, stainless-steel pipe measuring only 9 mm in diameter. It is sealed, and can be sterilized during operation with alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. A metal chamber protects the sensing element against impact, making the instrument robust. The sensor offers two digital outputs to show flow direction and to indicate when flow reaches a preselected switching level. The SS 20.415 comes with the SCHMIDT Cleanroom Quick Mounting System, a stainless-steel adaptor that can be mounted onto a wall or ceiling.
SCHMIDT Technology GmbH
St. Georgen, Germany
www.schmidttechnology.de
Swab for critical environments
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The new HUBY swab (product #893-PC DBL) from Puritan Medical Products is specifically designed to meet the needs of those working in critical environments. It has two larger-sized lint-free tips, one on either end, and the new swab is low in NVRs. It also features an environmentally friendly paper shaft. The HUBY line is ideal for cleaning lint-sensitive components, such as disk drives, PC board assembly, optics, and other critical products, that require precise, pristine cleaning applicators. Featuring highly absorbent cotton tips ranging in size from 2 mm to 5 mm, the swabs come in a variety of head styles, most with antistatic packaging.
Puritan Medical Products Company LLC
Guilford, ME
www.puritanmedproducts.com
New Literature
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Products, services catalog
EP Scientific Products, supplier of clean processed containers and custom services, has announced the availability of its new catalog of products and services. The catalog describes over 950 products for environmental sampling as well as new products and services for critical environments in pharmaceutical, biotechnology and semiconductor manufacturing facilities. The catalog features glass and plastic containers, closures, kits, preservatives, bags, packaging and customized services for laboratory or quality control processes in which contamination control is critical.
EP Scientific Products
Miami, OK
www.epscientific.com