Clean Room Safety
In general, the classifications of cleanrooms are done depending on the number and size of particles permitted per volume of air. Numbers like "class 100" or "class 1000" denote the number of particles of size 0.5 mm or larger permitted per cubic foot of air.
The classifications of cleanrooms are done with two standards; (1) US Federal Standard 209E and (2) the newer standard TC 209 from the International Standards Organization. The number of particles found in the laboratory’s air is a basis for these two standards used in classification of cleanrooms. As an example; Sabancı University lab has been classified as a class 10 cleanroom because there are less than 10 particles per cubic foot. Table 11.1 relates FS to ISO classifications:
| Table11.1 ISO 14644-1 Cleanroom Standards | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class | maximum particles/m3 | FED STD 209E equivalent | |||||
| >=0.1 µm | >=0.2 µm | >=0.3 µm | >=0.5 µm | >=1 µm | >=5 µm | ||
| ISO 1 | 10 | 2 | |||||
| ISO 2 | 100 | 24 | 10 | 4 | |||
| ISO 3 | 1,000 | 237 | 102 | 35 | 8 | Class 1 | |
| ISO 4 | 10,000 | 2,370 | 1,020 | 352 | 83 | Class 10 | |
| ISO 5 | 100,000 | 23,700 | 10,200 | 3,520 | 832 | 29 | Class 100 |
| ISO 6 | 1,000,000 | 237,000 | 102,000 | 35,200 | 8,320 | 293 | Class 1,000 |
| ISO 7 | 352,000 | 83,200 | 2,930 | Class 10,000 | |||
| ISO 8 | 3,520,000 | 832,000 | 29,300 | Class 100,000 | |||
| ISO 9 | 35,200,000 | 8,320,000 | 293,000 | Room Air | |||
* Table adopted from Brigham Young University, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cleanroom Classification (Reference 11.1).
In the K 10,000 two situations exist:
- Mo - Fri, 07.00 a.m.. - 06.00 p.m. air extraction high
- Mo - Fri, 06.00 p.m.. - 07.00 a.m., and on Saturday, Sunday and on holidays: air extraction low
Air extraction high: conditions meet safety and minimum contamination level requirements.
Air extraction low: conditions meet safety requirements; minimum contamination level not guaranteed.