Cleanroom User Information
General information
- Access to the cleanroom costs 500 EUR per person per year (flat rate), not applicable for coworkers (i.e. BA students, interns, guests) working only under supervision of a person registered to the cleanroom. Make sure to keep track of the start date to avoid excess charges.
- The cleanroom is a shared lab operated and organised by the IMSEAM core facility. The groups (group leaders) are responsible for their work in the cleanroom (see the IMSEAM safety and responsibility concept). In particular: the users are responsible to make sure that their work does not endanger other users nor interferes with their work
- Chemicals have to be purchased by the groups and have to be used following the safety rules of the university. All chemicals have to be logged into DaMaris.
- All equipment can only be used after proper introduction regarding standard operating procedures and safety
- Larger devices in the cleanroom are operated by main users and have according terms of usage.
Safety First
Since a variety of chemicals is used in the cleanroom, the safety rules for a chemistry lab are applied. Hence, all precautions regarding personal protective equipment (safety glasses, gloves etc.) and safe handling of equipment and chemicals must be followed. Make sure you always work in a way that is safe for you and those around you. Special precautions for the work in the cleanroom especially avoiding generation of particles etc. are explained during the introduction.
Cleanroom Key
The cleanroom key (which also opens the IMSEAM entrance doors and personal clothes’ storage room) should be collected by the user from Olaf Skibbe after the cleanroom training. It must be returned when terminating the usage of the cleanroom
Keeping the cleanroom clean
A cleanroom is a room within which the number concentration of airborne particles is controlled and classified, and which is designed, constructed and operated in a manner to control the introduction, generation and retention of particles inside the room.
Essentially, a cleanroom is a facility utilised as a part of specialised nano and micro-structure fabrication or of scientific research, respectively. The prevention of particles in the processes is crucial.
The cleanroom users are obligated to maintain the cleanliness of the cleanroom by their behaviour as well as the usage of appropriate equipment. The highest possible quality of the room in terms of low particle contamination has to be pursued, even if it may not be crucial for a certain process. Details are taught during the cleanroom introduction.
Cleanroom Suits and Consumables
Cleanroom suits must be ordered by the cleanroom users according to ISO 5 requirements. Two cleanroom suits (including boots) are required per user (in the size of the respective user). These are added to the cleanroom’s "suit cycle", i.e., after having given away a suit for cleaning (box/bin bag in the second lock), the user receives any other clean suit of their size (not necessarily the second suit that was bought when starting in the cleanroom). The cleanroom suit is then personalised until it is again collected for cleaning. Consumables (shoe covers, gloves, masks etc.) are provided by the cleanroom, make sure to inform the cleanroom staff when anything runs low and well before it runs out (by email or whiteboard outside the cleanroom).
Booking System for Cleanroom Equipment
Log in to the IMSEAM Sharepoint with your Uni-ID and go to the booking portal (Booking Cleanroom Devices). Book the machine or equipment you need in the corresponding calendar. You only have booking access after documented training by the equipment main user.
Chemicals
All chemicals that are introduced into the cleanroom must be registered in the DaMaRIS system.
Please check the safety data sheet of your chemicals or solvents before use. Log into the DaMaris portal and go to room management, AK CAM, and select a room in the cleanroom (e.g., Photolithography (yellow room) or Device Fabrication). Either register your new chemicals (don’t forget to upload the safety data sheets of new chemicals) or find chemicals you need to use from other groups to contact for possible sharing. Sharing is encouraged but ask first! Check with other groups and the cleanroom staff before introducing dangerous/unusual chemicals or those interfering with other processes (e.g., anything to do with perovskites). The use of HF and similar is strictly prohibited.
Moving Chemicals to the Cleanroom
After filling in the DaMaris form, enter through the main entrance of the cleanroom and clean the bottle of chemicals with cleanroom paper and IPA provided inside the first lock. Put the chemicals into the chemical cabinet (double-check the correct cabinets are selected for storing, based on acids, bases, organic solvent…). All chemicals must be labelled with the name of the user group and the date of opening. Follow general guidelines for labelling chemicals.
Dispose of Chemicals after Use
Follow general lab safety guidelines for chemical disposal!
Never dispose of chemicals or solvents by pouring them into the sinks!!! (Note: The quality of disposal water of the cleanroom is randomly controlled by the safety department of HD university). Please check the safety data sheet of your chemicals or solvents before disposal. Solvent waste canisters (aqueous and organic (non-halogenated or halogenated)) can be found inside the chemical cabinets (under the fume hoods). Always select the correct canisters. Beware: Pouring the wrong chemical into a waste container can cause explosions! Solid waste belongs into the blue waste barrels next to the fume hood in the yellow room. In case the solid waste is soaked with volatile material (e.g., solvent), first let it degas in one of the white boxes under the sink in the yellow room. Make sure to inform the staff when a waste container is full (indicated by line on container) either via e-mail or the whiteboard outside the cleanroom so it can be removed and replaced. Overfilling solvent containers is dangerous and irresponsible.
Finishing your Work
Make sure that all utensils etc. are clean and put them back to the initial locations. Turn off equipment (e.g., spin coater vacuum pumps) and unplug the electrical routine equipment (like hotplates and thermometers) after using. Don’t unplug big instruments. Make sure your working environment is fully clean and safe to use for the next user (e.g., empty the solvent trap of the yellow room wet bench spin coaters after every use).
Technical Issues
In case of technical issues of the cleanroom itself and the infrastructure therin (e.g. pressured air, nitrogen, water or vacuum), please contact the cleanroom staff.
In case you face any technical issue with a device, contact the responsible person.
If appropriate, please inform the instrument’s users (cleanroom staff in cc) about your trouble with a short explanation of details. Never hide or disinform about the technical issues. Technical issues/problems are best resolved in collaboration with all cleanroom users.
Information exchange
To maintain the safety of the users as well as the quality of the cleanroom, a good information exchange is crucial. Several channels are available for this purpose:
- The mailing list CAM-CLEANROOM. You are subscribed to this list by the staff after you received your cleanroom introduction or on request. The mailing list is used for official messages by the cleanroom staff and is also open for contributions of the users.
- Sharepoint. Besides the calendars, Sharepoint provides Wiki functionality and should be used to provide information regarding the devices and the cleanroom.
- Personal communication. Old fashioned, but proven to be very effective. Do not hesitate to talk to your colleagues (including the IMSEAM staff).