Facility Requirements

Overview

A smaller room may better control the environment, given that basic requirements are met.

The MultiProbe AFP system is a precision measurement tool, which is extremely sensitive to environmental conditions. Environmental factors that may degrade measurements include floor and acoustic vibration, temperature fluctuations and lab cleanliness. To assure system performance, the designated room for the AFP system must meet or exceed ISO VC-E vibration standards (125 µin/sec, or 50db), and accommodate the space requirements for the tool as well as its parts––both the AEK Acoustic Isolation Enclosure and Workstation. The X Series Nanoprober components are positionable according to user preference, as long as the components are close enough in proximity to allow the head, controller and computer cables to interconnect.

REQUIREMENTS   Room Dimensions Clean Room Room Conditions to Avoid Room Temperature & Humidity Grounding Terminals Maximum Stray Magnetic Fields Vibration Room Noise Level Electrical Ambiant Air Flow Velocity AFP (and components) Handling Air and Vacuum Ethernet Connection Internet Connection (optional)

Room Dimensions Requirements

Suggested AFP II Nanoprober layout

	Dimension
Min Room Size	12' x 10' (3.66m x 3.04m)
AEK Enclosure	38.25" x 52" x 68" (0.98m x 1.3m x 1.7m)
Rack mounted electronics	72" x 36" x 28" (1.82m x 0.91m x 0.71m)
Modular Work Area	54" x 36" x 72" (1.37m x 0.91m x 1.82m)

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Clean Room Requirements

For optimal system performance it is strongly recommended to follow specifications and procedures consistent with at least a class 100,000 (ISO 8) work space, or otherwise constructed/designed to provide minimal airflow across the AFP workspace. If the room is built to ISO clean room standard, an exception to the standard with regard to ESD gowning requirement is noted below. [Back to top]

Room Conditions to Avoid

The environmental factors that may degrade measurements include floor and acoustic vibration, temperature fluctuations and lab cleanliness. Locations which tend to pose problems for the AFP include: large, open lab floors (these will have large temperature variations and air currents) and raised first floors which will have high acoustic noise and floor vibration. Ideal locations are: labs with concrete slab floors or, for labs above ground level, locations near support pillars. [Back to top]

Room Temperature and Humidity Requirements

Room Temperature range: 21°C controlled within ± 0.5°C. While an environmental isolation chamber is provided with the X-series platform configuration of the AFP system, optimization of the setup to minimize thermal drift may require there to be some minimal interaction between the enclosed space and the surrounding environment. Thus, a stable thermal reservoir is ideally required. Variation in room temperature should be minimal, ideally not more than 0.1°C in any 10 minute period during any part of the AFP analysis process. Humidity range should be stable and controlled. <65% RH, is recommended. [Back to top]

Grounding Terminal(s)

Separate copper ground terminal to earth is necessary to provide an ideally stable reference voltage for the lowest possible noise performance of the X-, Y-, and Z-axis position sensors. If a copper ground terminal to earth is not available, a common ground between the controller electronics, head, probe-station, and curve tracer and/or parameter analyzer must be available to ensure that the resistance between the chassis of any two AFP components is less than 2Ω.
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Maximum Stray Magnetic Fields

<500 mG (<50 µT) peak stray magnetic fields, <2mG (<0.2 µT) peak-to-peak time-varying magnetic fields, <1V/m peak-to-peak time-varying electric fields. [Back to top]

Vibration Requirements

The floor of the provided work area is required to meet or exceed the ISO VC-E vibration standard (125 µinches/s, or 50dB, maximum amplitude).

A ground level room, built on a concrete slab, usually provides an adequate platform for the AFP system. While the concrete floor is usually a better foundation than a raised floor, it still may be possible that other external sources of vibration (e.g., nearby construction, near and remote traffic, lab/fab equipment, seismic activity, etc.) may be transmitted across very long distances and be sensed by the AFP. In such cases, the AFP may require relocation, or additional isolation schema appended to the system at the expense of the customer.
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Room noise level

Acoustic noise must be equal to or less than 50dB (normal conversation level). [Back to top]

Electrical requirements

110 - 60Hz or 230 - 50Hz VAC (customer must specify), single phase, 20A. [Back to top]

Ambient Air Flow Velocity

Ambient air flow velocity of 0.0051 - 0.041 m/s (1 - 8 ft/min), maximum is recommended. Cleanroom classification for AFP system work area better than class 100,000, increases airflow and may degrade performance specifications of system. Alternatively, operator access to manually adjustable airflow dampers on intake and exhaust sides of the provided ventilation system. AFP drift and instability of contacts is often a result of transient airflow in excess of the recommended maximum velocity. To facilitate operator control of the ambient airflow, or troubleshooting of airflow induced performance issues, breeze indicators should be hung from the ceiling of the AFP work space. [Back to top]

AFP (and Components) Handling Requirements

The AFP work area must provide a grounded operator at all times during the standard operation of the system. Wrist and heel straps, grounded work surface mats on workbenches and floors, and ESD smock usage protocol must be provided. A dessicator storage box with an electrically balanced (ionized) N₂ overpressure also must be provided for long-term storage of AFP probes. Customer transport, handling, and storage of AFP probes, from receiving dock to AFP operation must follow procedures described in the AFP Users Operation Manual.
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Air and Vacuum

Dry N₂, compressed air 100psi (5.62kg/cm²) with a regulated ¼" NPT female fitting or ¼" compression tubing. Vacuum 27mmHg (27torr) minimum at end of tubing. in addition it recommended to have a ¼" NPT female fitting or ¼" compression tubing with flexible connection and air nozzle. [Back to top]

Ethernet Connection

The MultiScan™ PC and optional IVC/Optics Workstation PC each require an Ethernet connection with its own IP address in order to run CadNav. [Back to top]

Internet Connection (optional)

MultiProbe offers remote, real-time troubleshooting, diagnostics and application support to qualified service technicians or authorized representatives, via the Web, through shared-screen technology. Connections are secure and customers may log out and terminate the session at any time.

Please note: The user bears full responsibility for any loss, or corruption of data arising from improperly logging out of a remote access session. [Back to top]