LA-74-10-4 -- The Approach to "Class 10" Clean Rooms for the Manufacture of Semiconductors

Airborne particulates in the production of small semiconductor devices can cause a poor quality product, or a device that fails completely. Another example of problems caused by particulate matter would be a very large defect in a portion of an integrated circuit chip. Air cleanliness, therefore, is a very important part in the manufaoture of miniature devices, and the use of clean rooms is highly desirable.

A "Class 10" clean room which 1s what is being approached by our most recently built room, would have a particle count which does not exceed 10 particles per cubic foot 0.5 micron and larger, and no more than 1 particle per oubic foot 1.0 micron and larger. This new classification is a proposed addition to the Federal Standard and will classify the excellent air cleanliness conditions that are now being approached.