CleanRooms articles from November 2003

CleanRooms archives from November 2003

Finishing touches on 2004 CleanRooms East/PDA SciTech Summit conference programs.(Clean Zone)
November 1, 2003... NASHUA, N.H./BETHESDA, MD. -- Final preparations are set for the 2004 CleanRooms East/PDA SciTech Summit (March 8-12) conferences sessions, one of the life sciences' most comprehensive contamination and process control education events to date....

Cosmic cleanrooms could launch life sciences into new dimension.
November 1, 2003... WEST COVINA, CALIF. -- Gene Meyers is a commercial real estate developer, but the property he has targeted for new pharmaceutical manufacturing facilities is more than 400 miles in the sky. An eight and a half minute rocket ship ride to...

IBM cleanrooms on trial.
November 1, 2003... ARMONK, N.Y. -- For the IBM Corp. and the cleanroom-based semiconductor industry, the next few months promise to be interesting times. A late September ruling by Santa Clara (Calif.) County Superior Court judge Robert Baines has allowed...

Ship decontaminated after virus outbreak.
November 1, 2003... NEW YORK -- A nasty stowaway surprised passengers on the Regal Prince: during a late summer cruise acros the Atlantic, necessitating a decontamination of the ship and its environs. The notorious Norwalk Virus appeared on the third day of...

Human biotechnology emerging smarter, leaner.(Viewpoint)
November 1, 2003... The "human biotechnolgy" segment of the greater Biotechnology has been one of the most appealing industries to follow from an editor's perspective. No other field has had a greater impact on healthcare and pharmaceutical development; however,...

Boston, Texas universities get OK for biocontainment labs.(News)
November 1, 2003... WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Boston University Medical Center and the University of Texas Medical Branch have been chosen by The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to build biocontainment centers, housing dozens of...

Chip spinning.(particles)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- Motorola will spin off its chip-manufacturing business as an independent company--a longtinle wish of many of the company's investors. While it racked up $4.8 billion in sales last year, the semiconductor unit didn't...

Fighting foodborne.(particles)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... BRUSSELS, Belgium -- David Byrne, the European Union's Commissioner for Health and Consumer protection, has convinced Union farm ministers that tighter rules are needed to minimize foodborne diseases. In Europe, as elsewhere, salmonella,...

Malaysia makeover.(particles)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... SINGAPORE -- Sunningdale Precision Industries Ltd says it is setting up a manufucturing plant with ISO Class 4 cleanroom facilities at its subsidiary, SDP Manulacturing Sdn Bhd, in Johor Bahru, Malaysia. The plant will support the...

Fostered foundry.(particles)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... RIMINI, Italy -- Multiplex Inc., a South Plainfield, N.J,-based manufacturer of optoelectronic components and integrated subsystems, is now offering custom compound semiconductor foundry services. From a newly completed 10,000-square-foot...

Rent-a-technology catching on.(News)(renting Clean Air Trakker from Clean Air Solutions)
November 1, 2003... ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- It looks like nothing more than a propped up dryer hose attached to toaster-like box that emits a vaporous fog, but the Clean Air Trakker from Clean Air Solutions can cost as much as a new Hyundai automobile. Some...

Why not?(On The Beat)(company plans to create orbiting cleanrooms)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... They stopped and stared as he meandered what it was to anyone who would through the aisles of CleanRooms West 2003, clutching a space shuttle-like model, and stopping to explain what it was to anyone who would listen. Some were genuinely...

Those pesky water spots.(ultrapure water systems)(Letter to the Editor)
November 1, 2003... Addressed to Robert Donovan: Thank you for the efforts you put into your recent presentation at ClaenRooms West in Anaheim (Ultrapure Water Systems: Components, Monitoring and Conservation). You mentioned that an excess of dissolved...

Cleanroom particle sources, Part I: gas to particle conversions.(Electronics)
November 1, 2003... Not many aerosol particles in the make up air drawn into a cleanroom from the outside ambient penetrate through the cleanroom's HELPA/ULPA filters. Yet the ambient air within a cleanroom is never free of aerosol particles. So, where do they...

Clean air fan.(Inventor's Corner)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The clean air fan is comprised of a bifurcated conical air inlet and blown air deflector (A), a fan (B), and a fan motor with mount and vibration isolation system (C). The unit may be outfitted in a cleanroom sub-ceiling, with the clean...

Contamination control method, device.(Inventor's Corner)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The system and method determine and control such contaminants as refractory compounds, high-molecular weight and low-molecular compounds in cleanroom manufacturing environments. The system includes a tubular collection device (A) that has...

Deionized water-making method.(Inventor's Corner)
November 1, 2003... The invention is a method that produces deionized water with electro-regeneration. The system uses anion and cation exchange membranes (A), an electrodialyzer (B) and anode and cathode compartments (C, D) where electricity is applied by an...

Pump up the volume: while progressive chip makers were installing bulk delivery systems of specialty gases in the late 1990s, the real boom is happening now.(Special Report)
November 1, 2003... In today's watch-every-penny world of semiconductor fab construction, is it any wonder that bulk specialty gas distribution systems are replacing multiple gas cabinets as the workhorse of gas delivery? Built to feed the ever increasing gas...

Vibration control in nanotechnology research environments: with geometries dipping into molecular and atomic scales, it's time to "design in" contamination control solutions.(Nanotechnology)
November 1, 2003... In the high-tech research and manufacturing world, existing contaminants of any measure can mean the difference between success and failure. As technology progresses and length scales shrink, vibration and noise are increasingly being viewed as...

Time to step up the 3D of HPM process: as "lights out" scenarios increase, standards and best practices are still needed for safe gas and chemical remediation during fab decommissioning.(Fab decommissioning)
November 1, 2003... In response to current trends within the semiconductor industry, such as poor market acceptance, the lack of new consumer devices and the transition to restrictive technology node shifts in geometry and wafer size, (1) many facility owners are...

Limited use, high protection.(Product Spotlight)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The complete line of DuPont contamination control products includes fabrics, apparel and accessories--from bouffant caps and anti-slip shoe covers to lab coats, frocks, coveralls and facemasks. Cleanroom limited-use apparel lines include Tyvek...

Reusable woven polyester.(Product Spotlight)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... WK 3000 material is woven from 100% filament polyester yarn with carbon fibers laced into a stripe throughout the material. This durable fabric is designed to repel fluids, prevent particulation and dissipate static electricity. The...

Cleanroom-assembled garments.(Products Spotlight)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... CMP Clean Garment Systems are designed to provide various levels of barrier capabilities appropriate for the environmental requirements demanded from differing applications. Disposable CMP garments are cut, manufactured and packaged in a...

Anti-static fabric.(Products Spotlight)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ground Zero grounded garments are designed to protect against particulate contamination and uncontrolled static discharge. Lab coats and coveralls include electrically connected hoods and conductive footwear that are made of Class...

Chemical-resistant garments.(Product Spotlight)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... VR Protective Wear is made of a strong yet lightweight, 4-mil/6-mil impervious polyolefin material. The line of aprons, sleeves, gowns, gloves, boots and shoecovers is designed especially for use when handling chemicals and other hazardous...

ESD yarn technology.(Product Spotlight)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... By adding new ESD yarn technology, fabric surface resistivity in the company's patented C3 fabric has been reduced to [10.sup.6] ohms/sq, which the manufacturer says results in improved sleeve-to-sleeve resistivity performance. Base yarns are...

Particle filtration fabric.(Product Spotlight)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Integrity 1800 fabric offers a 3- [micro]m pore size designed for improved particle filtration efficiencies. The fabric is 0.0004 inches thick and weighs 2.67 oz/yd. An Aegis Microbe Shield Technology helps to protect against a spectrum of...

Cleanrooms West 2003 best of show.(New Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Aerosol particle counter Using a thermally chilled, solid-state diode laser to count 0.1-micron particles, the Lasair II offers what the manufacturer claims are accuracy, reduced operating costs, reliability and longevity. The product...

Valve/connection combo.(New Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The Steam-Thru Connection (STC) serves the dual function of valve and connection, eliminating the steps of traditional steam sterilization processes. It also speeds the connection process and reduces contamination risks associated with...

Disposable filter.(New Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Designed with an improved membrane pleating method, QuickChange ATM provides 40 percent improvement in membrane surface area compared to QuickChange ATX filters. This improvement leads to a higher flow rate that aids in the recirculation and...

Pressure regulator.(New Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Constructed from all-wetted PTFE and featuring no sliding parts, the Dymatrix HPR Series pressure regulator is intended for aggressive chemical and high-purity applications used in the semiconductor industry. The product provides full shut-off...

Microbial air sampler.(New Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... The RCS Isolator, designed for cleanrooms and isolators, samples 100 liters of air per minute and is controlled via remote keypad or by remote control. Airflow is contained inside the instrument housing. The unit provides reproducible results...

Pressure transducer.(New Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... PTU series ultrahigh-purity pressure transducers feature metal thin-film sensing technology to promote consistent, accurate performance that minimizes routine maintenance. The sensing technology--consisting of a metal thin-film resistor bridge...

Particle counter.(New Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Long Life Laser technology for the Met One particle counter extends the average service life of the instrumentation's laser to more than 10 years. Products that incorporate the technology include the Model 4800/4900 and Model 2400/2408 airborne...

Abatement material.(New Products)(Brief Article)
November 1, 2003... Ultima-Sorba employs dry abatement technology to abate MOCVD process gases, epecially arsine and phosphine. According to the manufacturer, the product combines two special materials to optimize scrubbing capacity and efficiency, while reducing...

Cleanroom systems need to be as adaptable as the spaces they serve.(Unfiltered)
November 1, 2003... A generation ago, biotechnology, microelectronics, and other high-tech industries were all but unknown to the general public. Today, we literally can't live without them. Biotechnology holds with it the potential for a vast array of new...

Biotech future remains bright: the industry's recent struggles have created a smarter, leaner machine.(Industry News)
November 1, 2003... BOSTON--The coming boom in the biotech market is not without its short-term challenges, including the recession and the bottom falling out of both the public and private equity markets. The result has been a mild increase in merger and...

Puerto Rico: a lure for life sciences, contamination control: island provides off-shore advantages with comforts of home.(Market Focus)
November 1, 2003... OLD SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- A visitor strolling through the narrow, cobble-stone streets between the colorful, colonial buildings of this historic paradise may have a hard time imagining that 16 of the top 20 drugs sold in the United States...

Polymer piping performance for pharma and biotech applications: advanced plastics and new welding techniques are driving alternative materials into advanced life sciences facilities.(High-Purity Piping)
November 1, 2003... Thanks to the explosive growth of the semiconductor industry beginning in the 1980s, polymer technology for high-purity water and chemical processes has advanced significantly. Polymers, for the most part, have become the material of choice for...

Improving isolator air monitoring post-VHP sterilization: recent studies were performed using different additives to mediate the residual effects of VHP on microbial growth.(Advanced Monitoring)(Vaporous Hydrogen Peroxide)
November 1, 2003... Microbiological monitoring of air is a critical component of any pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical manufacturer's environmental program. It provides information on the processing environment's quality during manufacturing and enables the...