LIGHTING DESIGN – CLEANROOMS
WHAT, WHO, WHERE, HOW, WHY? • Who monitors the continued class rating of the original Cleanroom?
A DEMANDING ENVIRONMENT • Who is affected when a Cleanroom fails to operate at its class rating?
• What is a Cleanroom? • Who uses Cleanrooms?
• What do you have to be aware of when designing a Cleanroom? • Where are the largest Cleanroom markets?
• What is Particulate Matter? • Where did the Cleanroom start?
• What is a Hepa Filter? • How does lighting differ in a Cleanroom?
• What does the Classification system (Class 10, etc.) mean? • How does lighting differ in a Cleanroom?
• What is Federal Standard 209E? • How does a lighting fixture have the potential to destroy a Cleanroom’s
• What is the objective to using a Cleanroom? class ratings?
• What is the key to cleanliness? • How big are Cleanrooms?
• What kinds of activities take place in a Cleanroom? • How do Cleanrooms achieve the standards necessary for class ratings?
• Who are the players in the business? • How clean are Cleanrooms?
• Who decides what class of room will be used? • How big are the particles allowed to be?
• Who doe the design and specification of the room? • Why is it so important that a Cleanroom maintain its class rating?
• Who determines the requirements of a class? Of a Cleanroom? • Why do companies use Cleanrooms?
WHAT IS A CLEANROOM AND HOW DO THEY OPERATE? destroy the productivity of the cleanroom. Cleanrooms are classified according
A cleanroom is a defined area of space in which the air has to be so pure that to the number and size of particles found in a given cubic foot of space once
even invisible particles twenty times smaller than the eye can see have to be the room becomes operational. The number of particles will determine the
screened out. This is achieved through the creation of a shell including the class of the room. Thus, a Class 1 room will allow ONE micron-sized particle
floor, ceiling, walls and egress which is completely sealed off from the rest of per cubic foot. A Class 100 will allow one hundred particles, and so on, to Class
the environment. The air in this shell or cleanroom is then regulated by high 100,000.
powered, advanced design H.V.A.C. (heating, ventilating, air conditioning) system. In order to achieve a Class 1 Class 10 level, laminar air flow is incorporated into
Air is exchanged as often as sixty times an hour, compared to six in the average the design of the cleanroom. Laminar flow moves all air in a vertical or hori-
office space. Everything in a cleanroom, including humidity, temperature, air- zontal pattern. With vertical laminar flow, the entire ceiling system consists of
flow and balance is monitored and work together to create and maintain this High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters or Ultra Low Penetration Air
cleanliness level. Equipment is constructed of non-shedding components and (ULPA) filters that screen out 99.995% to 99.999% of the particles. All incoming,
adds to the overall cleanliness of the room. All people who occupy the space purified air moves in a vertical pattern through the ceiling, down to a raised,
wear special clothing designed to prevent particulation (shedding of any kind) ducted floor and back up through the outer walls. With horizontal laminar flow,
and, in many instances, they pass through an air shower to further remove any the same principle works in a horizontal pattern with filtered walls. Laminar
microscopic particles. Semiconductor manufacturing is moving into the SUB- flow is highly used in the semiconductor and electronics industries where
HALF-MICRON era. That means ONE HALF OF ONE MILLIONTH OF A METER! wafer chips and circuit boards are so tiny that one micron of dust can destroy
Particles of a few hundredths of a micron in size are like meteors in this envi- production. As the process in the cleanroom grows less critical, greater quantities
ronment and might cause circuit faults and product failure. This might bring of the invisible particles may be present without risk. Thus, the class of clean-
one to ask: How clean is clean? The average surgical operating room is three room is higher.
times dirtier than the dirtiest cleanroom.
The major governing factor in designing a cleanroom is awareness of the
The need for this level of cleanliness arose over thirty years ago when NASA activity in it. The process conducted in the cleanroom will determine all materials,
created white rooms which were designed to screen out dust during process type of airflow, component materials, and temperature. For example, certain
of communication systems for aerospace. In the time since, almost every area cleaning solutions or food and beverage process areas will necessitate the
of high tech manufacturing, as well as biotechnological research, animal use of a least 304 stainless steel on all exposed areas. Working in a photosensitive
containment and the fields of medicine and pharmaceuticals has begun to processing room may require the screening out of certain nanometers of light.
realize the benefit of cleanroom operation. Cleaning techniques might require that components be able to withstand high
impingement hosedown spray. Each cleanroom process involves different design
OBJECTIVES OF OPERATION IN A CLEANROOM: parameters based on the activity to be performed in the clean space. Even more
• To maximize productivity: If the environment is not as clean as it needs to be, challenging for the designer is that many times the activity remains classified.
production cannot be achieved.
• To reduce rejection: When product failure begins, the room has a leak and The international standard ISO 14644-1 has superseded the General Services
contamination is entering from an undiagnosed source. Administration (GSA) standard FED-STD-209E to determine the amount of
acceptable particules for a cleanroom. The new ISO standard uses new
• To achieve unbiased experimentation: In a laboratory setting, airborne cont-
designations, a metric measure of air volume and adds 3 additional classes.
amination can hamper test findings.
Both standards will be in use for about 5 years.
• To prevent contamination: In a micro setting, biological contamination can
promote infection or worse.
• To increase product shelf life: Especially in food and beverage production. ISO 14644-1 STD 209E STD 209E
ISO Class English Metric
Thus, if you ask who monitors the cleanliness levels in a cleanroom, the
answer becomes apparent: the owners do. Product failure, biased test results, 1 — —
faulty research findings, shortened shelf life and bio-contamination can cost 2 — —
owners millions of dollars and create adverse publicity – problems owners will
3 1 M1.5
work very hard to prevent. As owners spend millions of dollars to create these
high-tech environments, they know that their investments will pay for themselves 4 10 M2.5
in product yield, increased shelf life, reduced contamination risks and accurate 5 100 M3.5
research findings. When these standards of operation decline, so do profits.
So, who decides how clean a room must be? The Federal Standards Bureau 6 1,000 M4.5
determined a classification system (Federal Standard 209E) for NASA. It deter- 7 10,000 M5.5
mined that in order to achieve the goals of cleanroom operation, the number
and size of potentially damaging particles would have to be regulated. 8 100,000 M6.5
Cleanrooms are designed to provide a CONTAMINANT FREE environment 9 — —
because any form of particulate matter – dust, spore, virus, bacteria, or mold – can
T 23
LIGHTING DESIGN – CLEANROOMS
HEPA FILTER
HEPA FILTER
TEARDROP TEARDROP
FIXTURE FIXTURE
FLOW-THRU FIXTURE
A cleanroom’s purchase and design will be conducted in a number of ways. In a laminar flow setting, the entire ceiling system is comprised of HEPA filters.
Most Fortune 500 companies are exploring the use of cleanrooms in some In order to achieve and maintain a Class 10 or cleaner rating, necessary for
form of their business. As outlined in the accompanying chart, most forms of success in the semiconductor industry, the HEPA filtered air cannot be
technology already employ these rooms in their daily operations. Many of the interrupted with turbulence that will interrupt the vertical or horizontal flow. In
larger companies will employ architectural and engineering firms to design these rooms, lighting fixtures come in two varieties. The first is called a
and specify the cleanroom and all of its components. Other companies will teardrop and mounts to the “T” grid. Its lens is shaped like an airfoil and
purchase soft-wall and hard-wall, portable cleanrooms which can be contributes to the laminar flow in the room. The second is called a “flow-
transported from one sight to another. When designed the A&E way, sales through,” and mounts under the HEPA filter and allows the clean air to pass
forces who represent the component manufacturers will call on the architect through it. Design preferences will determine which of these laminar flow
and engineer to have their products specified. In many instances, owners are fixtures works best in the setting.
large enough to have their own design staff who will specify everything and
then hire a cleanroom contractor for construction. Additionally, cleanroom Once again, the activity in the cleanroom will determine component parts of the
manufacturers are companies who will design, purchase O.E.M. components lighting fixtures. In food processing areas, for example, stainless steel on all
and fabricate everything from portable, soft wall, hard wall and stick built, to exposed parts might be a requirement. In an animal containment facility where
permanent fixed cleanrooms. There are a number of players in the area. cleaning is a daily occurrence, a lighting fixture may have to withstand high
Manufacturer’s representatives will sell everything from garments to lighting impingement hosedown. In photosensitive areas, amber lensing may be needed
fixtures. Others will specialize in an area of the cleanroom, such as the ceiling to screen out certain nanometers of light. In addition to designing a lighting
system which would typically consist of a “T” grid system (1 1/2” to 2” in fixture for the cleanroom environment where particulation and outside air
width), HEPA or ULPA filters, blowers and lighting fixtures in a 2’x4’ grid passage cannot take place, manufacturers have to be ready and willing to
configuration. Most often, room class is Federal Standard driven and owner make modifications to existing fixture designs to accommodate the special
enforced. requirements of this demanding environment.
WHO USES CLEANROOMS? When an architectural or engineering firm designs a cleanroom, components
Generally, any company who wishes to achieve the previously outlined will be specified by manufacturer name and catalog number. Cleanrooms are
objectives uses cleanrooms. Specifically, those companies who cannot afford demanding enough environments that most engineers will not tolerate substi-
product failure or biased research because of airborne contamination use tutions and will do a thorough process of choosing what they want during the
them as well. For example, Kodak, Mitsubushi, BASF, Campbell Soup, AT&T, specification process.
Searle, Eli Lily, Allied Signal, Boeing, Texas Instrument, Kellogg, Baxter
Travenol, Abbott Laboratories, Beatrice Foods, Motorola, Sony, Sandia all use The next time you look at the expiration date on the cream at your local grocery
cleanrooms, and the list goes on, including hospitals, universities, research store, you might notice one or more brands with dates longer than two months
facilities, dairies and medical device manufacturers. Cleanrooms and the need from now. It’s called “ultra-pasteurized,” and because it was processed in a
for contamination control have entered nearly every segment of the market. cleanroom environment, the shelf life extended from two weeks to two months.
They are the future. They’re here to stay, and they’re getting even cleaner. As you pop a compact disc into your player, remember that it was probably
made in a cleanroom. When you hear headlines of genetic research’s latest
Once a room has passed its Class rating and becomes active, the owner will advancement and the suffering it will eliminate, know that the discovery was
contract with outside certifying agencies to periodically test the cleanroom to made in a cleanroom. If you wonder whether these rooms are just a passing
make sure it meets its original rating. Ideally, a corporation will not have to fad, think again. No area of advancement will take place without facilities for
call in one of these organizations because of a problem. Usually when trouble the research testing and manufacture of the future; facilities called CLEANROOMS.
arises, micro-contamination has entered the clean space from a violation of
the cleanroom shell that has allowed outside air into the cleanroom. Two of the
biggest culprits to this violation are lighting fixtures and HEPA filters.
LIGHTING THE CLEANROOM
In a non-laminar flow cleanroom, recessed lighting fixtures, in a grid or flange
configuration, penetrate the ceiling shell. Even surface mounted fixtures,
while substantially reducing the size of the opening, still require conduit entry
ports. When installed, they must re-seal the shell. This means that the housing,
which is exposed to the plenum, must be sealed to prevent contamination during
re-lamping and fixture maintenance. During operation, the fixture’s door fame
must seal to the housing, and the lens medium must seal to the doorframe,
thus providing a 3 way seal. Seams, penetrations, and gaps between parts,
even if sealed, provide potential storage areas for contamination and also
must be reduced to as few as possible. Thus, cleanroom lighting fixtures have
to be designed and constructed for cleanroom use, to forbid air passage and
prevent contamination. Adequate illumination (80fc on the work surface) from
a totally sealed fixture is a must.
T 24
10/06
LIGHTING DESIGN – CLEANROOMS
A MARKET BREAKDOWN: LARGEST USERS OF CLEANROOMS
LARGEST AREAS OF GROWTH EXPECTED IN
THE NEXT TEN YEARS
Could Account for Close to 50% of the Market
SEMICONDUCTORS ELECTRONICS PHARMACEUTICAL AEORSPACE FOOD MEDICAL OTHER
Wafer Fabrication Computer Liquid Drug Filling Defence Contractors Aseptic Food Process Surgical Transplants Automotive
Microprocessor Compact Disc Biological Research Satellites Beverage Filling Artificial Limb Prod. Laser/Optics
DRAM Chips Printed Circuits Botanical Space Craft Inst. Cereal Manufacturing Surgical Sultes Superconductor
Large Wafer Sizes Disc Drives Pharm. Preparations Aircraft Instruments Dairy Pasteurization I.V. Drug Injections Rubber/Plastics
ICs Other Magnetic Media Biomedical Food Preparation Blood Banks Photography
Hybrids Sensors/Relays Biotechnology Agriculture Holography
Flat Panel Displays Computer Peripherals Chemicals, Gasses
VERTICAL LAMINAR FLOW HORIZONTAL LAMINAR FLOW
HEPA FILTERS
Flow-Thru
Ceiling
Light
line
Fixture
raised,
ducted
floor
OUTER CLEAN ROOM SHELL HEPA FILTERED WALLS--AIR MOVES HORIZONTALLY
T 25
