Tag Archives: Clean Rooms

Electronic documentation could make keeping up a little less daunting

By Gregg Mosley, Communications Vice President, and Roberta Burrows, Executive Director, IEST

Do you ever feel lost in trying to keep up with new and revised international standards and recommended practices? If feedback from our many colleagues is a good indicator, you are not alone in wishing there was something akin to a GPS system to guide you through the ever-changing landscape of standards. While the GPS system may be wishful thinking, the Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (IEST) is working the roadway to both increased standards awareness and improved standards access.

In the not-so-distant past, Fed. Std. 209 was the main document used in the United States in contamination control operations and contracts. The revisions moved along the alphabet from “A” to “E,” making it easy to keep up with any changes. We now live in a world dominated by global events, global businesses, and global economies. Standardization is not only integral but necessary, resulting in the need for publication of generic guidance documents (ISO standards) and more specific Recommended Practices (IEST RPs). As of this writing, ISO Technical Committee 209, Cleanrooms and Associated Controlled Environments (ISO/TC 209), has ten published International standards, one document under development, and four published documents under revision. IEST has 27 published recommended practices and standards with many more in various stages of development.

To steer you down the express lane to the official ISO standards, IEST will soon be providing all ISO cleanroom standards in searchable electronic format. No more worrying about where you left your dog-eared printed copy of contamination control’s cornerstone ISO 14644-1, Cleanrooms and Associated Controlled Environments

The cleanroom industry must consider the current global energy
situation and its impact on manufacturing in order to forge a path to energy efficiency

By Robert McIlvaine, The McIlvaine Co.

There has been quite a bit written about the amount of energy consumed by cleanrooms. However, the impact of direct energy costs on the industry is very small compared to the indirect energy impacts, which include:

  • Energy security
  • Regional distribution of the industry
  • Reduction in expenditures for products made in cleanrooms

Energy security

The price of oil topped $100 per barrel in early January 2008. Negative political news in Iran, Iraq, Venezuela, and other oil-producing regions, along with unrest in neighboring countries such as Pakistan, creates a potential for sudden disruptions in oil and gas supplies.

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The reality is that the Middle East has nearly 4,000 quadrillion BTUs of oil reserves, which is more than the rest of the world combined. The U.S. reserves are small, dwindling year by year. Therefore, an interruption in Middle Eastern oil supplies would have enormous consequences on the world economy.

Fossil fuel reserves

Disruptions would soon cause reduced output by semiconductor, pharmaceutical, flat-panel display, and other industries utilizing cleanroom technology. Unless there are alternative sources of supply, the world economy would be downsized. With energy consumption on the rise and oil and gas reserves peaking, the long-term outlook is not bright, whether the Middle Eastern oil supply is disrupted or not.

Regional distribution of the industry

The United States is the Saudi Arabia of total energy reserves. With 5,800 quadrillion BTUs of coal reserves, the U.S. has more energy reserves than any other country. Since coal can be converted to gasoline at a cost that is competitive with oil priced at $50 to $60 per barrel, the U.S. has the opportunity to become energy self-sufficient.

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Concerns about global warming, however, are making it difficult for developers to site coal-to-liquids plants. These concerns are also making it difficult to site new coal-fired electricity generators. The utilities are forced to build natural gas-fired generators dependent on liquefied natural gas transported from Qatar and other areas of the Middle East.

The cost of electricity will easily double if coal becomes a smaller portion of the fuel mix. However, the fate of coal also impacts other costs. The manufacture of steel, paper, and many other products requires large amounts of energy. Rising production costs will drive semiconductor, pharmaceutical, and other industries to locations where costs are lower.

China and other developing Asian countries argue that developed countries are the cause of global warming, not developing nations. However, developing countries require inexpensive energy sources to maintain their growth. China has built more coal-fired power plants than the rest of the world combined over the last five years and will continue rapid construction of these plants in the future.

Europe and the U.S. will find themselves less and less competitive. The result will be an acceleration of the present trend toward Asian manufacturing of products made in cleanrooms.

Reduction of sale of products made in cleanrooms

If families spend an additional $3,000 each year for electricity and fuel, and additional thousands of dollars on products for which energy cost is a significant percentage of the selling price, then that money will not be spent on electronics, pharmaceutical products, health care, flat-panel TVs, and so on.

One of the big growth areas in the cleanroom industry relates to end-of-life health care expenditures. There has been great progress in developing equipment and drugs to allow life extensions from months to years. The problem is that more money can be spent to extend life in the last few months than is spent in all the preceding years. The reality is that there will be a limit on these expenditures, which is a function of the society’s wealth. To the extent the wealth is drained by energy cost increases, the less money will be available for health care.

A further reality is that alternative energy does not currently offer a low-cost supply of large amounts of electricity. There are significant improvements being made in both wind and solar technologies, but few experts would claim that these technologies would be cost-competitive in the next two decades.

Alternative energy manufacturing resources are limited as well. It now takes two years to obtain a wind turbine. The nuclear industry will struggle to build enough nuclear plants to offset those being retired in the next 10 years.

The developing countries of the world are increasing their energy usage at a rapid rate, and all available resources will be needed in order to keep up with the demand. If the use of coal is restricted, the cost of living will rise substantially.

Reducing cleanroom energy expenditures

Increases in energy costs will have a significant, direct effect on the cost of cleanroom products. However, there are ways to reduce the consumption of energy.

A web site devoted to semiconductor energy reduction has been set up at Lawrence Berkeley National Labs (http://ateam.lbl.gov/cleanroom/technical.html), showing the distribution of energy consuming operations in semiconductor plants.

Efficiency opportunities exist in all aspects of semiconductor manufacturing, but the supply and exhaust air systems account for 26 percent of the total. Recommendations for lowering energy consumption in the HVAC system include the following:

  • Lower cleanroom make-up and exhaust airflow rates conserve energy and reduce costs. For example, a properly designed exhaust system eliminates exhaust fluctuations and allows the airflow rate to be reduced, reducing the energy consumption in a fabrication facility by 10 to 20 percent.
  • Low face velocity cooling coils have lower pressure drops and less energy loss through ducts and filters, saving 3 to 7 percent on cleanroom electricity usage.
  • Higher-performance air filters clean supply air more efficiently, reducing energy consumption in the process.
  • Variable-speed drives in recirculation, make-up, and exhaust fan motors use 15 to 30 percent less energy than constant-speed drives.
  • High-efficiency motors, fans, and pumps use less energy.
  • Minimizing cleanroom volume reduces recirculation airflow requirements and the associated energy usage. Cleanroom minienvironments are designed to capture these savings.
  • Lower water flow rates in cooling towers reduce chilled water piping pressure drops and pumping energy usage. This efficiency measure can reduce facility energy consumption by 3 to 7 percent.
  • Separating chiller loops for sensible and latent cooling functions, with correspondingly different supply temperatures and energy inputs, can save energy.

Recommendations for the cleanroom industry

Reducing direct energy consumption without sacrificing product quality or increasing cost is one obvious recommendation.

A larger opportunity is to participate in the important debate on energy sources and help shape the most sensible policy. Unfortunately, there has been what one journalist calls an “availability cascade” on the dangers of global warming. Many readers believe global warming is a big problem and will read stories about the dire consequences. When one obscure scientific journal carried an article claiming that global warming caused hurricanes, it was reported in many mainstream publications. At the same time, a prestigious scientific journal carried an article claiming that global warming did not affect hurricane severity. The second article received no media attention. Therefore, it is difficult for the average person to obtain an accurate assessment of the situation.

There are significant costs associated with an energy policy that severely limits coal consumption. There are also considerable energy security risks. These must be considered in shaping the choices and in obtaining the right balance between environmental and economic outcomes.

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Robert McIlvaine is president and founder of The McIlvaine Co. in Northfield, IL. The company first published Cleanrooms: World Markets in 1984 and has since continued to publish market and technical information for the cleanroom industry. He can be reached at [email protected].

By Hank Hogan

Just in time for Christmas last year, Lam Research (Fremont, CA) gave itself a present: the company announced it was buying the SEZ Group (Zurich, Switzerland) in an all-cash deal valued at 641 million Swiss francs (about $568 million). Lam began a public tender offer of 38 Swiss francs (about $34) for SEZ shares in early January that will run through mid-February. The acquisition should close in the first quarter of 2008, subject to regulatory and SEZ share holder approval.

This deal is a way for Lam, which is primarily an etch company, to enter the cleaning market. In a statement issued at the time of the announcement, Lam president and CEO Steve Newberry said, “Together, Lam and SEZ will create a stronger, established presence in the clean segment of the wafer fab equipment industry with the ability to deliver the broadest set of leading edge high productivity clean solutions to
our customers.”

SEZ, with 2007 sales of 330 million Swiss francs (about $292 million), has the world’s largest installed base in the single-wafer wet cleaning market. In buying SEZ, Lam acquires a product line and expertise that don’t overlap its own. It also buys credibility, particularly since the SEZ management team and most, if not all, of the Swiss firm’s products will
be retained.

That stamp of trustworthiness could be very valuable. Dean Freeman, Gartner research vice president, notes that Lam has developed its own proprietary cleaning product line but the company has faced a challenge in penetrating the market. “It’s very conservative because this is the final step the wafers usually see before they see a critical process.”

As for why SEZ agreed to the deal, Freeman notes that it costs a great deal to be a player in the worldwide semiconductor equipment market. Today, that figure could be upwards of $200 million in annual sales. SEZ may have felt that it needed the heft that Lam’s $2.6 billion in sales offered.

The two firms might also have needed each other, or at least each other’s technology. It is expected that semiconductor manufacturers will look to reduce manufacturing costs by better process step integration, particularly with the move from 45- to 32-nm technologies. Etch and clean processes are closely related, and so the capability to combine the two under one roof could prove an important advantage.

There are problems, however, that could derail the acquisition or impede its success. It is possible that another suitor for SEZ could appear. Also, mergers and acquisitions don’t have a good record in the semiconductor equipment manufacturing industry.

On the plus side, Freeman notes that Lam and SEZ are each gaining something from the deal. In addition, both management teams seem to be committed to making the deal work. These positives have to be balanced against the typical merger and acquisition negatives that arise when transplanting corporate cultures, manufacturing systems, and practices from one company to the other.

The deal’s success or lack thereof may not be apparent for some time. “We’ll have to see,” says Freeman.

January 28, 2008 — /FDA/ — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced a nationwide recall of all lots of Heparin and saline pre-filled flush syringes manufactured by AM2 PAT, Inc. of Angier, NC. Two lots have been found to be contaminated with Serratia marcescens, a bacterium that can cause serious injury or death.

These syringes are manufactured by AM2 PAT under the brand names Sierra Pre-filled, Inc. and B. Braun. They are sold in fill sizes of 3-ml, 5-ml and 10-ml and syringe sizes of 6-ml and 12-ml.

Consumers and health care facilities with any of the recalled, pre-filled Heparin lock or normal saline IV flush syringes should stop using the product immediately. Health care facilities should immediately quarantine the products in their inventory and return them to their distributor. Individual consumers should return them to the location from which they were received, such as a pharmacy or hospital. They should also let their health care providers know that they have been exposed to syringes recalled by FDA.

The recall affects all lots of these products. The FDA received information that Heparin lock flush syringes from lot 070926H and normal saline IV syringes from lot 070917A have been found to be contaminated with Serratia marcescens, and have resulted in patient infections. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has confirmed growth of Serratia marcescens from unopened Heparin syringes.

Traditionally, Serratia marcescens, a bacterium found in water and soil has been linked to pneumonia, blood infections, and urinary tract and wound infections. Some patients exposed to the recalled syringes have developed blood infections.

The company voluntarily recalled these products on January 18 after confirming bacterial contamination in some user samples.

Consumers with questions may contact Sierra Pre-Filled at 919-552-9689, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST.

Any adverse reactions experienced with the use of the products, and/or quality problems should also be reported to the FDA’s MedWatch Program by phone at 800-FDA-1088, by fax at 800-FDA-0178, by mail at MedWatch, HF-2, FDA, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20852-9787, or on the MedWatch Web site at www.fda.gov/medwatch.

Visit www.fda.gov

January 29, 2008 — /PrNewswire/ — SUNNYVALE, CA — Cepheid (NASDAQ:CPHD) today announced that Health Canada has issued a medical device license for the XpertTM MRSA test for the rapid detection of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) on nasal swabs and the GeneXpertR system. Xpert MRSA test results are available in approximately 70 minutes, thereby enabling rapid identification of carriers of the potential pathogen in less than two hours from the acquisition of the patient sample to returning the result to the floor. The availability of the Xpert MRSA test and the GeneXpert system is expected to help enable Canadian healthcare organizations to implement more efficient infection control measures, leading to lower hospital-acquired infection rates and improved patient care.

As is the situation in the United States, MRSA is a growing public health concern in Canada. According to a study published in the Canadian Journal of Infectious Diseases and Medical Microbiology, the rate of MRSA in Canadian hospitals has increased steadily between 1995 and 2004. Patients with MRSA require prolonged hospitalization – extending 26 days on average – , special control measures, expensive treatments, and extensive surveillance.

“There is evidence of growing worldwide concern over increasing MRSA infection rates and other healthcare-acquired infections such as Clostridium difficile. We expect to see more countries moving toward initiation of active surveillance programs,” says Cepheid CEO John Bishop. “The GeneXpert system is uniquely positioned to enable organizations to provide fast, reliable MRSA test results 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”

Canadian infection control officers have recommended that hospitals make prevention of healthcare-acquired infections a patient safety priority, and should commit adequate resources to screening and implementation of other preventative measures. According to the March 2007 Ontario Provincial Infectious Disease Advisory Committee (PIDAC) recommendations, high-risk patients, as well as other patients as defined by local epidemiology and risk factors, should be actively screened for MRSA.

Xpert MRSA is Cepheid’s second test to receive Health Canada license, following Smart GBS in October of 2007.

About the GeneXpert Molecular Diagnostic Platform

The GeneXpert system is a closed, self-contained, fully-integrated and automated platform that represents a paradigm shift in the automation of molecular analysis, producing accurate results in a timely manner with minimal risk of contamination. The GeneXpert system is the only system to combine on-board sample preparation with real-time PCR (polymerase chain reaction) amplification and detection functions for fully integrated and automated nucleic acid analysis. The system is designed to purify, concentrate, detect, and identify targeted nucleic acid sequences, thereby delivering answers directly from unprocessed samples. Modular in design, the GeneXpert system has a variety of configurations to meet the broad range of testing demands of any clinical environment.

About Cepheid

Based in Sunnyvale, CA, Cepheid (NASDAQ:CPHD) is an on-demand molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures, and markets fully-integrated systems for genetic analysis in the clinical, industrial, and biothreat markets. The company’s systems enable rapid, sophisticated genetic testing for organisms and genetic-based diseases by automating otherwise complex manual laboratory procedures. The company’s easy-to-use systems integrate a number of complicated and time-intensive steps, including sample preparation, DNA amplification, and detection, which enable the analysis of complex biological samples in its proprietary test cartridges. Through its strong molecular biology capabilities, the company is focusing on those applications where rapid molecular testing is particularly important, such as identifying infectious disease and cancer in the clinical market; food, agricultural, and environmental testing in the industrial market; and identifying bio-terrorism agents in the biothreat market.

Visit www.cepheid.com

January 29, 2008 — /PRNewswire/ — CONCORD, CA AND EDEN PRAIRIE, MN — March Plasma Systems, a Nordson company (NASDAQ:NDSN), and Harland Medical Systems, Inc. continue to build on their joint business relationship. Harland Medical Systems has agreed to license March Plasma Systems application methods and surface materials for medical device markets.

The combination of March’s plasma enhanced surface treatment technologies with Harland’s biocompatible chemistries, application systems, and test methods provides medical device manufacturers with a total-solution approach that integrates all the materials, methods, machines, and manufacturing components required to create desirable biosurfaces on a variety of medical devices.

“Harland Medical Systems’ focus in the application and testing of specialized surface coatings compliments March’s strategy for applying surface modification techniques to medical devices. The alliance will further our success in the medical device market,” says Peter Bierhuis, president of March Plasma Systems.

“We are excited to add March Plasma’s extensive application knowledge and surface materials to the portfolio of surface modification methods and materials we offer to our medical device customers,” states Jon Anderson, CEO of Harland Medical Systems, Inc.

About March Plasma Systems

March Plasma Systems is the global leader in plasma processing technology for the medical device, life science, printed circuit board (PCB), semiconductor, and microelectronics industries. March has operations and support centers worldwide, including California, Florida, Europe, Singapore, China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. With over 20 years of continuous innovation, March designs and manufactures a complete line of award-winning and patented plasma processing systems. An expert staff of scientists and engineers is available to assist in the design of plasma processes that improve both product reliability and increase production yields.

Visit www.marchplasma.com

About Harland Medical Systems, Inc.

Harland Medical Systems offers chemistries, process development services, standard automation systems for applying and testing biosurfaces, and coating service capabilities to perform pilot and production medical device coating. Harland Medical Systems has operations and application laboratories in Eden Prairie and St. Paul, MN and provides sales and support on a worldwide basis.

Visit www.harlandmedical.com

January 29, 2008 — /ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, IL/ — The Institute of Environmental Sciences and Technology (IEST) announces that the virtual expo for ESTECH 2008, the 54th Annual Technical Meeting and Exposition, is now open. Learn about the ESTECH 2008 exhibitors before you step on the show floor.

ESTECH 2008 will be held at the Hilton Chicago/Indian Lakes Resort in Bloomingdale, IL, May 4-7, 2008. The venue offers a diverse array of tutorials, seminars, working group meetings, exhibits, and networking events.

ESTECH 2008 is an excellent opportunity for exhibitors and clients to meet and do business with key people in the international community of the environmental sciences. Exhibiting will allow companies to generate leads from key decision makers and promote their industry presence to current and potential customers. Exhibiting will show support for IEST and its goals of international standards development, technical advancement, and professional enrichment.

About IEST

Founded in 1953, IEST is an international not-for-profit technical society of engineers, scientists, and educators that serves its members and the industries they represent (simulating, testing, controlling, and teaching the environments of earth and space) through education and the development of recommended practices and standards.

IEST is an ANSI-accredited standards-developing organization; secretariat of ISO/TC 209 cleanrooms and associated controlled environments; administrator of the ANSI-accredited US TAG to ISO/TC 209; administrator of the ANSI-accredited US TAG to ISO/TC 142 cleaning equipment for air and other gases; and a founding member of the ANSI-accredited US TAG to ISO/TC 229 nanotechnologies.

Visit www.iest.org

January 29, 2008 — LEUVEN, BELGIUM, AND HSINCHU, TAIWAN — Powerchip Semiconductor Corporation (PSC), a leading Taiwan-based memory semiconductor supplier offering dynamic random access memory chips (DRAMs) and flash memory chips, has entered into a partnership with IMEC, Europe’s leading independent nanoelectronics research center, to perform research and development for the sub-32 nm memory process generations.

As part of the agreement, PSC will collaborate within IMEC’s advanced lithography program addressing immersion, double patterning, and EUV lithography challenges. From March 2008 onwards, PSC researchers will reside at IMEC to closely collaborate with IMEC’s researchers in the abovementioned areas. In this way, they will build up fundamental understanding and develop robust solutions for the 32-nm and beyond memory process generations.

With this agreement, IMEC further enforces the unique strength of its consortium and program towards leading memory technologies. Before that, IMEC had already grouped the top five leading memory suppliers including Micron, Qimonda, Samsung, Elpida, and Hynix, to collaborate within IMEC’s global research platform striving to scale CMOS beyond the 32-nm node. The platform also unites world leading logic IDMs and foundries, including Intel, Panasonic, TSMC, Infineon, NXP, STMicroelectronics, and Texas Instruments. This “leading mix” of semiconductor market segments is proving to be a unique cross-fertilization platform strengthening state-of-the-art process R&D beyond 32-nm node and answering the needs of the whole semiconductor market.

Powerchip Semiconductor chairman Dr. Frank Huang expressed that, as photolithography technology approaches 32-nm, the industry has encountered physical limitations while at the same time development costs are increasing. Therefore, the trend of alliances and joint development will become more and more eminent in the industry. Semiconductor giants including Intel and TSMC as well as memory suppliers Samsung and Micron have already established long-term development collaboration with IMEC. As PSC continues to grow and technology continues to advance, in order to avoid being left behind on the development of next-generation advanced process technology, PSC has decided to sign an agreement with IMEC to participate in its global research network, in order to accelerate the advancement of process technology and to take a step further in increasing PSC’s high-efficiency production.

“We are excited that PSC has joined our research platform. Their growth in the memory business is impressive, and their know-how in memory scaling will be an important asset for our global research platform,” said Gilbert Declerck, president and CEO of IMEC. “PSC’s joining demonstrates our ambition to further expand our program with new leading partners, on the path to technologies below 32-nm. It emphasizes the increasing strength of our memory partner network, which is unique in the world. It also illustrates our commitment to further enforce our business in Taiwan, at the time when we’re opening IMEC Taiwan in the Hsinchu Science Park.”

About PSC

Powerchip Semiconductor was founded in December of 1994 in Hsinchu Science Park, Taiwan in order to focus on the production and marketing of DRAM chips. In 1998, Powerchip Semiconductor listed itself publicly on OTC market. Currently Powerchip Semiconductor has three 12-inch (300-mm) fabs, over 6,000 employees, and Capital of over 78.2 billion NTD.

PSC was established upon, and further developed its long term strategic relationships with, Japanese High-Tech firms. In 2006, PSC and Elpida jointly established Rexchip.

Visit www.psc.com.tw/english

About IMEC

IMEC is a world-leading independent research center in nanoelectronics and nanotechnology. Its research focuses on the next generations of chips and systems, and on the enabling technologies for ambient intelligence. IMEC’s research bridges the gap between fundamental research at universities and technology development in industry. Its unique balance of processing and system know-how, intellectual property portfolio, state-of-the-art infrastructure, and its strong network of companies, universities, and research institutes worldwide position IMEC as a key partner for shaping technologies for future systems.

IMEC vzw is headquartered in Leuven, Belgium, has a sister company in the Netherlands (IMEC-NL) concentrating on wireless autonomous transducer solutions, and has representatives in the US, China, and Japan. Its staff of more than 1,600 people includes more than 500 industrial residents and guest researchers. In 2007, its revenue (P&L) is estimated at about EUR 235 million.

Visit www.imec.be