First Time Users
Training Do's and Don'ts
Cleanroom Use for Approved Users
User Responsibilities
Cleanroom Contacts

The cleanroom is available for use by faculty, staff, graduate students, and visiting researchers from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM Monday through Friday. The facility includes an LCD prototyping line for assembly of small (up to 6"x6") displays, as well as a pilot manufacturing line for work with substrate sizes up to 14"x16". Please check with cleanroom staff for a listing of available equipment and materials.

An outline of basic usage procedures for all users is included below. Please be sure to read this document in its entirety-all users will be expected to follow these procedures, and risk losing cleanroom privileges if they abuse this.

First Time Users

If you are interested in using the LCI cleanroom facility for the first time, you must contact a member of the cleanroom staff to arrange for a training session. There are two parts to this training:

• Overview of cleanroom, rules & procedures, protocol, safety issues. At this training session, users will be given a brief introduction to cleanroom technology, and the protocols that go along with such environments. In addition, rules, procedures, and safety issues specific to the LCI cleanroom will be discussed. All users will be required to attend this training session once, even if they have extensive prior cleanroom experience. Users may be required to pass a brief written safety test before they are allowed to proceed to the equipment training. Beginning in summer 1999, this will be offered at the beginning of each semester (in June, September, and January) in the LCI auditorium or conference room. Actual times will be announced several weeks before the sessions. Users who are at the LCI for short periods of time, or who are unable to wait until the next session to begin their work, must contact the cleanroom manager to make alternative arrangements.
  
• Equipment specific training in the cleanroom. After users have attended the overview session, a time can be scheduled with the cleanroom technician to enter the cleanroom for training on specific pieces of equipment. Typically, users will be given handouts ahead of time to review before the actual training. These might include brief descriptions of LCD fabrication processes, LCI baseline processes, or equipment manuals. It is important that users read these documents before entering the cleanroom-this makes training more efficient. These training sessions vary in length from 30 minutes or so to several hours or even days depending on the equipment involved. Cleanroom staff will supply all materials required for training, unless otherwise notified. Each user will be given a cleanroom notebook to record training notes.

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Training DO's:

• DO ask questions of cleanroom staff if anything is unclear, or if you have trouble remembering how to use equipment you have been previously trained to use.
• DO read all materials thoroughly before using cleanroom
• DO take good notes during all equipment specific training sessions
• DO get your advisor's approval before approaching cleanroom staff about training.
• DO periodically check cleanroom entrance for new postings of cleanroom news and issues

Training DON'Ts:

• DO NOT ask a member of your research group to train you on a piece of equipment-all training must be done by cleanroom personnel.
• DO NOT use cleanroom equipment without proper training, even when directions are posted-there are often important issues not included in these simple directions
• DO NOT enter cleanroom without completing required training. Those wishing to enter the cleanroom to observe only must get advance permission from cleanroom staff.
• DO NOT ask for equipment specific training if you have no immediate need for it. The cleanroom staff have many other responsibilities, and we ask that you be sensitive to this. But DO try to schedule any training in advance, rather than approaching staff the day before your project is due.

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Cleanroom Use for Approved Users

Once you have been officially trained by cleanroom personnel, you are free to sign up to use the cleanroom and equipment. The basic procedure for this is outlined below:

Step 1: Fill out a New Project Form in order to obtain a project number. These forms can be found at the entrance to the cleanroom or in the main office, or can be obtained from cleanroom staff. Information required on this form includes name, advisor, brief description of work and equipment required, and name of agency funding the work (ALCOM, DARPA, etc.). ALL WORK DONE IN THE CLEANROOM MUST HAVE A PROJECT TRACKING NUMBER. After submitting this form, cleanroom staff will notify you of your project number, which should be used to label all materials (vials, glass carriers, etc.) that you will use for your project.

Step 2: Sign up for equipment on sheets posted at cleanroom entrance. Inside the entrance door to the cleanroom, signup sheets are posted, usually 1-2 weeks in advance. Please sign out the equipment you expect to use on the desired day and time.

Step 3: Attend the Monday morning cleanroom meeting the week that you intend to use the cleanroom. These meetings are held at 9:00AM in the LCI seminar room (2nd floor) unless otherwise noted. At these meetings, the week's users and the staff discuss any facilities or equipment issues for the coming week (such as equipment downtime, etc.), and any problems or comments from the previous week. If you are unable to attend this meeting, you must make arrangements with the cleanroom manager in advance.

Step 4: Show up to use the cleanroom at your assigned time-log in and out using the computer at the gowning room entrance. Complete your work as planned. Clean up after yourself, leaving work area as clean as or cleaner than you found it (Note: This is NOT the responsibility of cleanroom staff).

Step 5: Sign up for and complete helper tasks based on your usage. For every 4 hours of cleanroom usage, all users including staff are asked to assist in keeping the cleanroom clean, and in good working order, by signing up for a cleaning or restocking task. These tasks typically take 15 - 30 minutes. Users can sign up for these tasks on the sheets at the cleanroom entrance, and should contact a cleanroom staff member the first time they do each task; the staff member will do the task along with the user the first time. Note that this sign up is currently on an honor system, and we hope to keep it that way. You are not required to sign up to complete a task on the day you use the cleanroom-if another day is more convenient for you, that is fine.

Step 6: At the end of the week, fill out a Project Progress Report for your work. These forms are available at the cleanroom entrance & in the main office, or from cleanroom staff. Information required on the form includes your project number, hours of cleanroom time for the current week, equipment used and/or brief description of progress, and whether project has been completed or will continue.

Usage DO's:

• DO sign up in advance to insure access to the equipment you need
• DO mark all materials with you name and project number. Materials without this information will be disposed of by cleanroom staff.
• DO remember to fill out end of week Progress Reports-users who fail to do this may lose some or all cleanroom privileges
• DO alert cleanroom staff to any malfunctioning equipment or other problems, and when supplies need to be reordered
• DO remember to log in and log out on the computer whenever you enter the cleanroom
• DO remember to sign up for helper tasks according to your usage
• DO clean up the work areas when you are done (dispose of wipers & glass, wipe down work surface, etc.)
• DO periodically check cleanroom entrance for new postings of cleanroom news and issues

Usage DON'Ts:

• DO NOT enter the cleanroom without receiving a project tracking number and properly signing out equipment
• DO NOT begin work after 4:30PM or continue working past 4:50PM.
• DO NOT sign up for equipment and fail to show up to use it, or use equipment when others have signed it out. Courtesy is extremely important in the cleanroom!!
• DO NOT miss the Monday morning meetings without prior approval of cleanroom staff.

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User Responsibilities

Usage of the cleanroom facility is a privilege, and users are required to follow the procedures, rules, and regulations outlined by the cleanroom staff. Those users not following the above usage procedures may lose cleanroom usage privileges at the discretion of cleanroom staff. Users are also responsible for knowledge of these policies, as they will be posted at the cleanroom entrance and distributed to users during training.

Cleanroom Contacts

Cleanroom Manager: Doug Bryant
Office: 325 LCM
Phone: 3999 x342
E-Mail: dbryant@lci.kent.edu

Cleanroom Engineer: Hugh Wonderly
Office: 275 LCM
Phone: 3999 x200
E-Mail: wonderly@lci.kent.edu

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