CAMBRIDGE, Mass. & AMHERST, N.H. — Nano Science and Technology Institute (NSTI) and Controlled Environments Magazine, a Vicon publication, are pleased to announce Clean and Controlled Environments 2006, to be held May 8-9, 2006, in Boston, MA.

Clean & Controlled Environments 2006 covers all aspects of contamination controlled environments and cleanrooms, from design and construction to clothing, instruments, computer equipment and consumables. The show will run concurrently with NSTI’s Nanotech 2006, the largest U.S. event covering nanotechnology. Clean & Controlled Environments 2006 is designed for professionals working with cleanrooms, contamination management, and controlled environments.

“Our existing Nanotech 2006 attendees from life sciences, electronics and materials science are deeply involved in cleanrooms and needs in this area are growing very rapidly,” said Matthew Laudon PhD, Executive Director of the Nano Science & Technology Institute. “We’re seeing new requirements for clean and controlled environments developing across all of our industrial sectors including pharmaceutical, semiconductor, biotechnology, consumer products and medical areas.”

Through this partnership, both NSTI and Controlled Environments Magazine are committed to making a difference in the marketplace,” says Patrick Murphy, Vicon Publishing president and publisher of Controlled Environments Magazine. “Both organizations are the ‘eyes and ears’ of the contamination control industry. We and NSTI are in ongoing contact with industry experts with diverse backgrounds and needs. We understand their needs and are dedicated to helping them develop timely and appropriate solutions.”

SANTA CLARA, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Dec. 19, 1995– World-leading automatic wafer prober supplier Electroglas, Inc. (Nasdaq:EGLS) announced today that Motorola’s Advanced Product Research and Develpment Lab (APRDL) in Austin, Texas, has purchased multiple Horizon 4085X systems for its ultra large scale integration (ULSI) fab line.

A longtime Electroglas customer, Motorola will utilize the new 4085X units to develop advanced electronic products for the company’s targeted global markets.

According to John Singelyn at Motorola APRDL, Motorola chose the Horizon 4085X probers for its APDRL facility for two main reasons: the system’s ability to probe 8-inch wafers, and its cleanroom capabilities. Stated Singelyn, “We’re working on some leading-edge 8-inch products on our new ULSI line, and the need to control contamination during wafer test is critical. The 4085X is the only prober with this combination of features. And, of course, Electroglas has repeatedly demonstrated its commitment to providing us with quality service and support.”

Part of Electroglas’ leading-edge Horizon series, the 4085X offers an option package unique to Electroglas-a clean air management system (CAMS) with ultrafine air filtration, plus a standard mechanical interface (SMIF). Together, these options provide a Class 1 cleanroom environment internal to the 4085X, regardless of overall sort floor cleanliness.

Commenting on the order, Electroglas’ Vice President of Customer Operations, Conor O’Mahony, said, “The work Motorola is doing at APRDL is of long-term value to the electronics industry, and their use of our equipment in this process affords us the opportunity to make a significant contribution to their important R&D efforts.”

Installation of the Electroglas systems at the Austin facility is currently under way.

About Electroglas: Founded in 1960, Electroglas, Inc. is a world-leading supplier of the automated wafer-probing products that semiconductor manufacturers rely on to sort and classify integrated circuits. The company’s products position semiconductor devices that are still in wafer form under contact probes to facilitate accurate, rapid, reliable testing, and manage information collected during the testing process. Electroglas’ common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under the trading symbol EGLS.

ENDICOTT-In a dust-free atmosphere that would be the envy of every cleanliness-obsessed mother, employees of International Flex Technologies manufacture sensitive electronics.

“One particle in the circuitry makes a defect,” says Frank Marconi, an engineer with International Flex.

Dust particles can land on electronic circuits and render them inoperable, so cleanrooms are a necessity throughout the cluster of high-tech manufacturing companies around Binghamton.

The company uses three separate cleanrooms in its Endicott plant. Marconi says International Flex may upgrade the rooms to an even cleaner version as the technology used in the circuitry manufacturing process advances.

Before entering the cleanroom, the employees suit up in protective clothing and go through a pre-cleaning. The protective suits cover cleanroom employees from head to toe in order to keep particles from being introduced into the air. The room is also cleaned daily with dustfree tools and a central vacuum system, says Marconi.

Many other Upstate companies, including Coming, General Electric, Xerox, and Kodak, use cleanrooms in their manufacturing processes, according, to Larry Wetzel, chairman of cleanroom, Systems, Inc., a Syracuse-based manufacturer of cleanroom, air conditioners.

The need for cleanroom equipment will grow with electronics manufacturing, predicts Wetzel.

The electronics industry overall, says Wetzel, is responsible for a surge in cleanroom equipment sales across the nation. Orders for equipment have been strong for about the past 18 months, he adds.

As circuitry becomes smaller and more complex, says Wetzel, electronics companies will have to do more to protect their products from dust during manufacturing. He predicts that humans eventually will have no place inside the cleanroom. Individual pieces of equipment will be enclosed in miniature cleanrooms and the equipment will be operated remotely to eliminate the chance of dust contamination.

Companies already have been creating smaller cleanrooms dedicated to individual processes, in a shift from a centralized cleanroom, for the entire facility, says Wetzel.

BOC (NYSE: BOX) has acquired the key operating and intellectual property (IP) assets of Eco-Snow Systems, a world leader in the production and supply of carbon dioxide (CO2)-based snow cleaning equipment to the electronics industry.

Eco-Snow is a subsidiary of ATS Automation Tooling Systems Inc. (TSX: ATA). As part of the US$6.4 million transaction, BOC has also entered into a five-year, preferred equipment manufacturing agreement with ATS, under which ATS will continue to develop and manufacture Eco-Snow equipment for various high volume production applications.

Under the agreement finalized last week, BOC will own Eco-Snow’s IP assets and its cleanroom research facilities in Livermore, California. The Eco-Snow team will join BOC.

“The transition will be completely seamless for existing Eco-Snow customers - a key consideration for both ATS and BOC,” said Neil Greenfield, senior vice president, business development, for BOC’s Process Gas Solutions line of business.

“Eco-Snow’s cleaning technology fits well with BOC’s existing capabilities as a major supplier of high purity gases, equipment and technologies to the electronics and related industries. This agreement will allow us to provide customers in the high growth precision cleaning sectors with a highly integrated and effective solution: high purity CO2 combined with innovative technology and high quality equipment,” Greenfield said

Eco-Snow Systems specializes in automated systems and tools for dry precision cleaning of surfaces using carbon dioxide snow, generated by expanding high purity, liquid carbon dioxide into a jet of high velocity gas and solid particles. This provides unique cleaning methods particularly suited to removing sub-micron particles from surfaces of critical electronic components. Eco-Snow has over six years of experience, widely accepted precision cleaning tools, a portfolio of over 20 patents, and a committed and technically excellent team.

In a move to strengthen its global manufacturing network, DuPont Photomasks, Inc. (Nasdaq:DPMI) has enhanced its facility in Corbeil-Essonnes, France, to include a state-of-the-art, 7,000-square-foot cleanroom. The newly constructed cleanroom is designed to support the future production of advanced photomasks below 70-nanometer design rules.

In keeping with its previously announced strategy, DuPont Photomasks has assigned one site in each global region that it serves to focus on producing advanced photomasks. As the designated advanced facility for Europe, Corbeil allows the company to accelerate deployment of advanced processes and technologies to European customers, significantly reducing production cycle times.

“Upgrading the Corbeil facility was crucial to DuPont Photomasks’ overall strategy of developing and globally deploying superior microimaging solutions. By focusing Corbeil on critical layer production, we can more efficiently deliver optimal quality and value in every layer to the European region,” said Peter Kirlin, chairman and chief executive officer of DuPont Photomasks.

The Corbeil facility is currently being upgraded to include advanced binary and phase-shift mask production capabilities, supporting 130-nanometer design rules, as well as dry-etch capabilities. Employing DuPont Photomasks’ mix-and-match approach, the facility features both laser and electron-beam pattern generators, ensuring that each layer is produced as quickly and cost-effectively as possible.

“Our European customers will be able to rely on the Corbeil facility to meet their future photomask needs, even as the semiconductor industry moves deeper into the subwavelength era. Building a cleanroom with this kind of foresight and planning marks DuPont Photomasks as a true leader,” said DuPont Photomasks vice president of European operations and director of the Corbeil facility Jacques Bonnet.

With the potential to host up to 150 people, Corbeil’s new cleanroom currently has a complement of 90 staff members, representing manufacturing and support, engineering and technology transfer. DuPont Photomasks’ cleanroom is located inside Altis Semiconductor, a joint venture between IBM and Infineon Technologies — two customers served by DuPont Photomasks.

Cleanpak International, Inc., (Cleanpak) a United States cleanroom and air handling equipment supplier based in Portland, Ore., today announced its first expansion in China through a newly formed joint-venture partnership.

The net assets of Nanjing Purification Factory (NPF), a state-owned cleanroom manufacturing and construction company owned by Nanjing Electrical Machinery and Industrial Group (NEMIG), has been acquired by Cleanpak Asia Nanjing Purification Systems Company (Cleanpak Asia), a newly formed joint venture between Cleanpak, which holds controlling interest, and Nanjing Tianyun Purification Technology (NTPT) a Nanjing, China-based company launched by senior management of NPF.

Cleanpak Asia will immediately take over operations of NPF, maintaining current product and service offerings, while adding the higher technology products and services of Cleanpak International. Current NPF product and service offerings include engineer-to-order pharmaceutical and electronics class 100 to 10,000 clean room environment design, manufacturing, installation and certification.

“We’re combining the valuable assets of both companies — local talent and expertise and the highest level of clean environment engineering and manufacturing capabilities — to capitalize on the growing needs of the Chinese clean environment equipment and construction market,” said Laird Richardson, president of Cleanpak Asia. “China is now entering an era where new standards for clean environments will be required over a broader market base. Cleanpak Asia will be one of the few companies with the intricate understanding of local needs, and the capabilities to deliver products and services to meet the new, higher standards.”

Wang Jian Ping, director and principal owner of NTPT, has managed operations of NPF for the past nine years. “We have seen the domestic purification market grow 10 percent per year over the past few years, and expect growth to continue at this rate for the next 10 years. As higher quality and technology requirements are expected in the market moving forward, many low-end suppliers will need drastic change or will fail. The low end-market of the past had low-entry barriers that created many start-up companies competing for these projects,” said Mr. Wang.

Lint-free UltraClean No. 810B SmartWipes[R] are Class 100 grade wipes suited for industrial cleaning applications. Manufactured from 100% continuous filament polyester fiber with knit construction and pattern, they offer resistance to tearing and clean aggressively, but will not scratch surface being cleaned. Offered in a 9 x 9 in. size, wipes become softer when wet, are unaffected by solvents, and generate very low electrostatic discharge.

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Franklin, Massachusetts, USA - Tough, lint-free UltraClean #810B SmartWipes[R] from JNJ Industries offer the same cleanroom-grade quality and cleaning performance as UltraClean #810, but cost less because they are bulk-packaged by machine rather than hand-stacked. These Class 100 grade #810B polyester wipes deliver superior cleaning performance across a wide range of industrial cleaning applications with extremely low particle generation and soluble extractables. They are ideal for applications that require a cleanroom-grade wipe with good absorbency, resistance to tearing, and softness; they clean aggressively but will not scratch the surface being cleaned. Manufactured from 100% continuous filament polyester fiber with a knit construction and pattern, JNJ’s #810B wipes become softer when wet, while maintaining high tensile strength. They are unaffected by solvents and generate very low electrostatic discharge.

These wipes are excellent for cleaning a variety of products including glass and ceramic substrates, CD discs, instrumentation, tools, and the bottom of screens used for printing electronic materials. They are offered in a 9″ X 9″ size, meet Federal Standard 209D and are laundered and dried in a cleanroom environment.

UltraClean #810 and #810B polyester wipes are part of JNJ’s SmartWipes[R] family of products. JNJ Industries is a leading supplier of electronics screen-printing accessories, cleaning chemistries, ultrasonic cleaning equipment and specialized tooling products.

In the beginning, a cleanroom was just that–a large, decontaminated room where production operations could be performed in relative sterility. These original rooms were large, complex and costly to build and operate. They were used almost exclusively by the pharmaceutical and electronics industries, which needed them and could afford them.

“Cleanroom” today often refers to something much more practical–smaller, modular and often operated without intervention from personnel except for occasional maintenance and repair. Many full-sized cleanrooms still operate, especially in high-volume pharmaceutical operations. But the trend toward minimal cleanroom size is enabling many more manufacturers to use efficient clean filling systems. Some of the fastest growth is taking place in beverage and liquid food filling plants.

The main source of contamination in clean areas is people: the workers who have to enter a work area, and who are subject to the conditions within the cleanroom while at work. All else being equal, simply removing the people from a cleanroom causes contaminant levels to fall dramatically. Workers also have to be gowned and sanitized, a costly and time-consuming process. Eliminating workers from filling areas has been a major step forward in making cleanroom areas more practical in size and cost-effective to install and operate.

The removal took place by designing smaller clean containments with the filling operation inside and the workers and mechanical / actuating systems of the equipment outside. Not only did that change eliminate the need to decontaminate and gown workers; it also, in many cases, reduced the number of workers needed.

Bosch Packaging Technology has led in the development of barrier isolation technology in which the clean area is designed to surround and isolate only a filling operation, creating a Class 100 environment within a larger Class 100,000 external environment. All drives and motors are accessible for maintenance and repair from outside the containment; no personnel need enter the protected filling chamber. The Bosch MAFS[R] (Mini Aseptic Filling System) was introduced in 1992; there are now more than 170 MAFS operating in pharmaceutical facilities.

The benefits: a study conducted by Merck & Co. in 1997 indicated that adopting isolators like file MAFS could cut facility size in half, cut facility costs by up to 70%, reduce operating staff by 50% and double equipment utilization rates.