A Design for Combining Biological and Semiconductor Cleanrooms for Nanotechnology Research

Nanotechnology brings together various functional areas for interdisciplinary research, making it necessary for them to reside in a single facility. The conjoining of biology, biomedical engineering, and bio-nano-micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) with semiconductor and MEMS processing requires that these technologies coexist in ultraclean facilities, while the facility designs and operating practices are incompatible. This case study describes a design concept in a collaborative research environment that meets biocleanliness goals and International Organization for Standardization (ISO) Class 4 particle concentrations (as defined in ISO 14644-1, Cleanrooms and associated controlled environments – Part 1: Classification of air cleanliness).