Why is a clean room important

A Clean Room, or clean room, is a specific space designed to control the concentration of particles, chemicals, and microorganisms in the environment. It is widely used in industries such as Electronics, optics, Semiconductors, new energy, and laboratories to ensure product quality and production safety. The following will analyze the importance of clean rooms in detail, from the definition of clean rooms, the impact of cleanliness on product quality, and the role of clean modular rooms in various industries.

What is a clean shed

A clean shed is a localized clean working environment designed to provide a controlled air flow and cleanliness level. Its design is usually in accordance with ISO 14644-1 standard, and common cleanliness levels include:

• ISO5

  no more than 3,520 particles > 0.5 microns per cubic meter.

• ISO6

  no more than 35,200 particles > 0.5 microns per cubic meter.

• ISO7

  no more than 352,000 particles > 0.5 microns per cubic meter.

The core component of A CleanRoom is a high-efficiency Air Filter (HEPA or ULPA), which can remove more than 99.99% of airborne particles. The interior of a cleanroom is usually designed with laminar airflow to achieve uniform air flow and reduce re-deposition of particles.

In addition, the behavior and dress code of operators in the cleanroom are also extremely important. Personnel need to wear dust-free clothing, gloves and masks to ensure that the source of contamination is minimized during operation. Through these measures, cleanrooms can significantly improve the quality and reliability of products.

The impact of cleanliness on product quality

Cleanliness is one of the key factors affecting product quality. The presence of contaminants may cause product defects, thereby affecting its performance and reliability. The following are several aspects of the impact of cleanliness on product quality:

• Reduction in failure rate

  According to research, the failure rate of electronic products produced in cleanrooms is more than 70% lower than that in conventional production environments. For example, in the semiconductor industry, tiny particle contamination can cause chip short circuits, resulting in losses of up to millions of dollars. Therefore, it is critical to maintain a particle concentration of >0.1 microns below 100/m3.

• Improvement of product performance

  The transmittance and imaging quality of optical components produced in a high cleanliness environment are significantly better than those produced in an ordinary environment. Studies have shown that the performance of optical devices in a clean room can be improved by more than 30%, which is particularly important for high-end applications such as medical imaging and aerospace equipment.

• Improvement of production efficiency

  Maintaining good cleanliness not only reduces the defect rate of products, but also improves overall production efficiency. Every contamination incident in a clean room can cause production line downtime, resulting in a waste of time and resources. Through effective cleanliness management, companies can reduce downtime, reduce production costs, and improve competitiveness.

The role of clean sheds in various industries

1. Electronics industry

In the electronics industry, clean sheds play an indispensable role. The manufacturing process of electronic components requires extremely high environmental cleanliness. The following are its main impacts:

• Reduced failure rate

  According to the Institute of Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the failure rate of electronic products in a clean room can be as low as less than 10%. Higher cleanliness levels (such as ISO5) are essential for high-end electronic products (such as microprocessors and memory chips).

• Comply with industry standards

  Multiple standards in the electronics industry (such as IPC-A-600) require production in a clean environment to ensure product compliance and market competitiveness.

• Increase customer trust

  By producing in a clean room, companies can effectively improve product quality, thereby increasing customer trust and loyalty to the brand.

2. Optical industry

In the optical industry, modular clean rooms also play an important role. Here are its impacts:

• Guarantee optical performance

  Optical components must be manufactured in a clean environment to avoid the impact of tiny particles on light transmittance and imaging quality. The number of particles in the clean room must be strictly controlled to no more than 100 per cubic meter > 0.5 microns.

• Improve production efficiency

  The production process in the optical industry is complex and precise. Clean rooms can reduce production interruptions caused by particulate matter and improve production efficiency. Studies have shown that the use of clean room technology can increase production efficiency by up to 20%.

• Reduce maintenance costs

  Optical equipment produced in a high-cleanliness environment often requires less cleaning and maintenance, which directly reduces long-term operating costs. For example, laser equipment manufactured in a cleanroom can reduce maintenance frequency by 50%.

3. Semiconductor industry

The semiconductor industry is highly dependent on cleanrooms, and its production process has very strict requirements for cleanliness. The following are its main impacts:

• Improve product yield

  In a clean environment, the yield of semiconductor chips can be increased to more than 95%. Compared with traditional production environments, cleanrooms can minimize the impact of tiny particles on product quality and ensure that every chip meets quality standards.

• Follow international standards

  The semiconductor industry follows international standards such as ISO 14644 and SEMATECH to ensure the cleanliness of the production environment. Meeting these standards not only helps improve product quality, but also meets customer and market needs.

• Meeting technical challenges

  As semiconductor technology develops to 7nm, 5nm and even smaller process nodes, the role of cleanrooms becomes increasingly important. At extremely small process nodes, any tiny particle may cause product failure, so the existence of clean rooms is the key to achieving technological progress.

4. New energy industry

In the new energy industry, especially in the production of solar cells and lithium batteries, clean rooms also play an important role. Here are its effects:

• Improving battery efficiency

  Studies have shown that the energy density of lithium batteries produced in clean rooms can be increased by 10%-15%. This is mainly because the clean environment reduces the involvement of impurities and improves the overall performance of the battery.

• Enhancing safety

  In the battery production process, controlling cleanliness helps reduce the risk of short circuits and thermal runaway. Production in a Clean room environment can reduce harmful substances that may cause battery failure, thereby improving product safety.

• Meet market demand

  With the increasing demand for high-performance renewable energy products, the application of clean rooms enables companies to meet the market's increasing requirements for high quality and safety, and enhance market competitiveness.

5. Laboratory

Clean rooms are also indispensable in scientific research and laboratory environments. The following are its main impacts:

• Ensure the reliability of experimental results

  In biomedical and chemical experiments, clean environments can ensure the reliability and repeatability of experimental results. Studies have shown that the results of experiments conducted in clean rooms are 30% more reliable than those in conventional laboratories.

• Prevent cross-contamination

  In various experimental processes, clean rooms can effectively prevent cross-contamination between samples, thereby ensuring the accuracy of research. According to research, the incidence of cross-contamination incidents in clean room environments is less than 0.1%.

• Meet industry standards

  Laboratories usually need to follow industry standards such as GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice). The use of clean rooms can help laboratories meet these strict regulatory requirements and enhance the credibility of their research and production.

clean rooms play a vital role in modern industry and scientific research. Whether it is electronics, optics, semiconductors, new energy or laboratories, these industries rely on clean rooms to ensure product quality, improve production efficiency and reduce failure rates. With the advancement of technology and the increase in market demand, the design and management of clean rooms will continue to evolve to meet higher standards and challenges. Clean rooms are not only the basis for ensuring product quality, but also an important driving force for promoting industry innovation and development.