CleanRooms articles from July 2007

CleanRooms archives from July 2007

Boy, that guy sure is hairy!(from the editor)
July 1, 2007... I guess it must be about 15 years ago now, when I was the editor of a military electronics publication, that I wrote an editorial opining on Japan's highly ambitious and targeted competition with the U.S. semiconductor industry. I had just...

Transparency is key to neighborhood acceptance of biosafety labs.(news)
July 1, 2007... Despite the highly publicized antics, a poorly attended biolab protest may have done more to illustrate the growing acceptance of Biosafety Level 3 and 4 facilities--even in urban areas--than to rile up residents. It also provided a reminder to...

Going for the green.(news)
July 1, 2007... Semiconductor wafer fabs tend to be one color, but now the industry wants another--green. At one of two back-to-back meetings held in mid-May in Austin, TX, members of the International SEMATECH Manufacturing Initiative (ISMI) agreed to draft a...

Microtest, texcel link up for combo products.
July 1, 2007... Microtest Laboratories (Agawam, MA) and Texcel Medical (East Longmeadow, MA) recently announced their strategic alliance to provide pharmaceutical manufacturers and biotech companies with outsourcing services for developing the latest...

Hand hygiene compliance helps hospitals reduce infections.(news)
July 1, 2007... Taking into consideration the statistics on hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), it's no wonder that the health care industry is looking for simple and cost-effective ways to reduce the number of these infections. According to the Centers for...

IBM takes chip manufacturing 'au naturel'.(news)
July 1, 2007... IBM recently announced the first application of a breakthrough self-assembling nanotech-nology to conventional chip manufacturing, borrowing a process from nature to build the next-generation computer chips. The natural pattern-creating...

SEMICON West.(show guide)
July 1, 2007... JULY 16-20, 2007 MOSCONE CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO, CA SEMICON[R] West2007 EVENT HOURS Exhibits Tuesday July 17-Wednesday, July 18 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. Thursday, July 19 10:00 a.m -4:00 p.m. Conference program...

Pairing ISO standard series with new IEST Recommended Practices: keeping up with new challenges in contamination control across industries requires understanding of the synergies between ISO standards and IEST RPs.(setting the standard)
July 1, 2007... Following the article titled "New Challenges in Contamination Control" published in the January issue of CleanRooms magazine, IEST has received positive comments and additional requests for insight into relevant ISO standards applicable to...

Swab applications and market trends: these small consumables make an impact in big markets.(your market analysis)
July 1, 2007... There are three broad categories of wiping products: woven flat wipers, non-woven flat wipers, and swabs. The main advantage of swabs is the variety of shapes and materials in which they are available. This makes them ideal for cleaning in very...

Molecular contamination: the urge to purge: A combination of mini-environments, thorough particle and chemical filtration systems, close environmental monitoring, and purging around key lithography steps can give operators control over contamination and improvements in yields.(special report)(Cover story)
July 1, 2007... Getting control of surface contamination has become the Holy Grail for semiconductor and other high-tech fab production managers intent on increasing yield and avoiding costly part replacements. With geometries dropping to the nanoscale,...

New glovebox designs meet expanding application demands: whenever new technologies emerge, glovebox designs must evolve.(glovebox designs and tradeoffs)
July 1, 2007... Gloveboxes are. designed and engineered to provide an enclosed work space for operation under a controlled environment. Today gloveboxes serve applications ranging from research and development to the manufacture of medical devices,...

UPW contaminant effects and purification for immersion optical lithography: when transitioning to a liquid immersion process using ultra-pure water (UPW), water clarity must be addressed.(gas and chemical handling systems)
July 1, 2007... In response to consumer demand for smaller, faster, and more capable electronics, semiconductor process designers and chip fabricators have adopted optical lithography processes to increase chip capacity by decreasing circuit linewidths. To...

New approaches to infection control in hospitals: stricter procedures, reporting, and new antimicrobial products play a role.(hospital infection control tools)
July 1, 2007... For anyone who has ever been admitted to a hospital for an emergency, illness, or scheduled procedure, usually the last thing on their mind is exposure to another, potentially more devastating health problem--infection. Yet there is no denying...

Ergonomic cleanroom seating.(product spotlight)
July 1, 2007... Chairs from BioFit Engineered Products are scientifically designed and independently tested to meet rigorous cleanroom standards. The chairs are designed with an eye on cleanroom space, tasks workers will be performing, and how the eating is...

Perforated stainless-steel tables.(product spotlight)
July 1, 2007... Clean Air Products' Series 64 perforated stainless-steel cleanroom tables allow uniform airflow through the work surface and eliminate eddies and stagnant air pockets that are on or above the work surface of solid-top tables. They feature a...

Antimicrobial-treated fabrics.(product spotlight)
July 1, 2007... CMI Enterprises, a leading supplier of soft-trim textiles and fabrication solutions to the health care, contract furniture, and transportation industries, has announced its new environmentally friendly Nanocide[TM] Antimicrobial. The company's...

Distributor of cleanroom furniture.(product spotlight)
July 1, 2007... Connecticut Clean Room Corporation (CCRC) offers a complete line of cleanroom furniture including a wide selection of custom stainless-steel furniture by Eagle, InterMetro, Advance Tabco, and BioFit. All of the products meet or exceed the...

Technical seating for industrial applications.(product spotlight)
July 1, 2007... Gibo/Kodama Chairs are made in the U.S. and can be found in cleanroom production lines, biomedical/pharmaceutical labs, and office environments-anywhere ergonomics and productivity are vital .Technical seating products for ESD protection,...

Lab workstations with exhaust.(product spotlight)
July 1, 2007... JST Manufacturing Inc. offers a Hill line of exhausted laboratory workstations for safe handlingof acids, bases,or solvents. Materials of construction consist of corrosion-resistant 304L stainless steel, FM4910 approved acid-resistant plastic,...

Vibration isolation workstation.(product spotlight)
July 1, 2007... The Class 100 cleanroom-compatible (Class 10 compatibility optional) 2000 Series Variable Height Vibration Isolation Workstation from Kinetic Systems allows the user to raise or lower the tabletop with a simple switch to any height throughout a...

Range of submicron cleanroom furnishings.(product spotlight)
July 1, 2007... NTA Industries designs and produces stainless-steel cleanroom furniture in the U.S.that are used in semiconductor, medical, biotech, pharmaceutical, aerospace, and precision molding industries worldwide. The furnishings provide sterility and...

Furniture for critical environments.(product spotlight)
July 1, 2007... Palbam Class supplies high-quality cleanroom furniture, featuring designs that reduce particle/ microbial accumulation; improve user/furniture interaction such as human factors, ergonomics, and wipe-down; create a modern high-tech environment...

Auto-adjusting workstation.(product spotlight)
July 1, 2007... Terra Universal's Ergo Height[TM] auto-adjusting workstation positions the work surface at the correct height for each operator. Its high-torque, low-RPM motorized lifters safely handle a net load of 420 lb., adequate for most benchtop...

Complete line of corrosion-resistant furniture.(product spotlight)
July 1, 2007... Vestilab S.A. Clean Room Control is dedicated to the manufacturing and supply of products for cleanrooms and aseptic areas in sectors such as pharmaceutical, chemical, cosmetics, research, and animal health. The company offers a wide range of...

Class 100 cleanroom cabinet oven.(new products)
July 1, 2007... The No. 971 is an electrically heated, 500[degrees]F (257[degrees]C) Class 100 cleanroom cabinet oven from Grieve, used to sterilize glassware at the customer's facility. Workspace dimensions measure 36 x 36 x 39 inches. A 1,200 CFM, 1-1/2...

Port fitting, combo strainer/ ball valve.(new products)
July 1, 2007... Victaulic has added the Tour & Andersson Series 78U Union Port Fitting and Series 78Y Strainer/ Ball Valve Combination to its product line for measuring and balancing flow rates. The port fitting features a port section equipped with a manual...

Filters for recirculation, FFU applications.(new products)
July 1, 2007... Process, contamination control, and quality assurance engineers can minimize AMC-related defects with cleanroom-compatible filters from Purafil. The Purafilter[R]-CG and the Purafilter[R]-FFU use Purafil's patented dry-chemical media to target...

Fabric-faced diffuser.(new products)
July 1, 2007... DuctSox[R], a manufacturer of U.S.-made fabric duct system sand accessories, has introduced the D-Fuser[TM], the HVAC industry's first fabric-faced diffuser for research laboratories, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and other critical...

Modular workstation with conveyor system.(new products)
July 1, 2007... Lista International Corporation presents the Arlink[R] 8000 Modular Workstation System with conveyor solutions. Ergonomically designed, these modular workstations offer flexibility to accommodate changing or future needs. Suitable for a variety...

Small-volume drug sampling system.(new products)
July 1, 2007... The new Nova Septum AV Accurate Volume system from Millipore is designed to meet the requirements for aseptic and sterile sampling of biotherapeutic products.The closed, accurate sampling system enables production personnel to obtain...

Luminescent oxygen sensor.(new products)
July 1, 2007... The G1l00 Trace Oxygen Sensor from Hach Company is the first sensor for ppb level oxygen monitoring that uses luminescent dissolved oxygen (LDO) technology Design for maximum reliability and minimal maintenance, the sensor offers advantages...

Powder-free textured gloves.(new products)
July 1, 2007... Tronex Nitrile powder- and latex-free textured examination gloves are manufactured to provide highly reliable protection and effective resistance against chemicals and sharp objects. They meet the ASTM 739-99 Chemo Rating and exceed FDA (K)...

Tabletop filler and capper for ophthalmics and topicals.(new products)
July 1, 2007... The FF30 Bottle Handling System from Flexicon America moves from liquid fills to handling viscous ointments, gels, or creams simply by attachment to the appropriate dispensing pump. Liquid fill materials within the PF6 are completely isolated...

Energy-saving high-intensity fluorescent lighting.(new products)
July 1, 2007... Orion's high-intensity fluorescent (HIF) systems and controls replace the standard high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting fixture. HIF systems deliver an average of 50 percent more light at half the energy usage compared to HID lighting...

Programmable syringe pump.(new products)
July 1, 2007... The Harvard Apparatus PHD 400 programmable syringe pump has a high-power stepper motor that provides more than 200 lb. of linear force. Using a 2.5 ml stainless-steel syringe, the user can achieve pressures up to 8,000 psi for applications such...

Utility Software for airborne particle counters.(new products)
July 1, 2007... Biotest has released the APCOne 11-21 CFR Part 11 compatible-Download Utility Software for its line of airborne particle counters. The tool allows the user to safely transfer data from the particle counters to a computer without compromising...

Extended-life contactors for IC testing.(new products)
July 1, 2007... inTEST Corporation, a developer and manufacturer of equipment for semiconductor testing, has introduced V-Touch[TM] Extended-Life[TM] Contactors featuring more precisely aligned spring pins, with critical feature machining tolerances that are...

Does a 'one-size-fits-all' pharmacy compounding regulation really work? Accepting USP <797> as a robust quality and patient safety regulation is the first step to enforcing it.(compounding corner)
July 1, 2007... What do all these situations have in common? * A 25 bed critical-access hospital in rural Minnesota * A physician's office where intramuscular antibiotics are given to children with pneumonia * An allergist who manages the care of...

Calendar.(Brief article)(Calendar)
July 1, 2007... To announce your organization's upcoming conferences and meetings (date, location, and information), e-mail: carriem@pennwell.com. JULY 22-25 American Glovebox Society (AGS) Annual Meeting 2007. Harrah's, Lake Tahoe, NV. For more...