Tunnel Enclosure (Middlesex Automation)

Middlesex Automation presented iE with an interesting challenge; the transportation of wafers from one cleanroom to another, through 50 feet of unclassified warehouse space. Middlesex, (the supplier of automation equipment for the facility) provided an overhead wafer transport line and elevator to bridge the space between the cleanrooms.

iE was contracted to design a system to ensure a clean environment to protect bare wafers during the passage through the dirty zones. iE designed, manufactured and installed a clean tunnel system that met Class 10 Federal Standard 209E requirements and also provided structural support for the conveyor system and attached elevator. Modular sections were developed to facilitate easy assembly and balancing of airflow. External pressure displays were incorporated to allow facility personnel to verify the air system's status.

The modular, tunnel environment developed here can be reconfigured and implemented for a variety of automation configurations and facility layouts. Recent techology developments allow inhanced cleanliness standards to ISO class 2 and control of temperature, ionization and vibration.