May 2025 - BNC-all - ecn.purdue.edu

Two-Factor Authentication in the Birck Cleanroom
by Reger, Ronald K 30 May '25

30 May '25

Dear Birck Cleanroom Users, With the recent requirement from Purdue IT that all university log-ins require two-factor authentication we have all become accustomed to using this on our phones. There are at least two ways to use two-factor, namely face recognition and numerical code entry. We recently observed that some are using face recognition in the cleanroom, and this actually breaks our cleanroom cleanliness protocols by requiring the user to lower his/her mask to allow complete facial recognition by the phone. If you're using face recognition for this purpose please change your phone over to numerical code entry. Key presses are still enabled with cleanroom gloves, and using key entry will not require lowering your mask for face recognition. Not lowering your mask helps greatly in maintaining our low-particle environment by keeping your face covered at all times in the cleanroom. Thank you for your attention to this important detail. Ron

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UltraPure Water is Ready
by Reger, Ronald K 29 May '25

29 May '25

Dear Birck Research Community, We're pleased to report that the UPW purification process has continued through the night and as of this morning we have returned the purity of the water to outstanding levels. Yesterday our Total Organic Carbon (TOC) level was 90 parts per billion (ppb) and we like to run below 1 ppb. With continued purging and purification over night our reading this morning is 0.55 ppb. Thus the water is good and ready to be used again in your processing. Thank you for your patience as we undertook this major UPW upgrade project! Also as a reminder from previous memos we still are having issues with all our new fume hoods in the cleanroom, and we're working with Pepper Construction and the hood suppliers to remedy the issues. There are several performance issues that prevent safe use of the hoods so they remain closed to any research work at this time. There are a series of meetings coming up to discuss solutions to the problems but at this time we do not have a final direction. In the meantime you may use the 2 acid hoods and 2 solvent hoods in H-Bay, and the photoresist hoods in M- and N-Bay. Regards, Birck Engineering and Facilities

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UPW Update
by Reger, Ronald K 27 May '25

27 May '25

Dear Birck Users, The UPW system is producing water which is being flushed through the various sub-systems. We're anticipating the cleanliness/purity will meet our standards sometime tomorrow afternoon. As of today however the purging process is continuing and UPW is not yet available for processing. We will update the community tomorrow with current status. Thanks again for your patience. Birck Engineering and Facilities

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UPW Update for the User Community
by Reger, Ronald K 22 May '25

22 May '25

Dear Birck Users, We are providing an update on the Ultra-Pure Water upgrade project. Good progress has been made.....the new 'skids' are set in place and plumbed, the power and control wiring is installed, and the system is tentatively scheduled to begin the cleansing flush process on Friday, May 23. This process requires the system to run continuously to flush out any contaminants and residue that may have been introduced during the manufacturing and/or assembly process. We anticipate it will take about four days for the system to self-clean over the long Memorial Day holiday weekend, and the purity will be tested on Tuesday, May 27th when we come back. If the purity is up to our ultra-pure standard then by ~3 PM on 5/27 UPW will again be available for use in the cleanroom and in the labs, and cleanroom tools will be available again. In the meantime over the weekend only metrology tools can be used in the cleanroom and no fume hoods in the cleanroom will be available. If there is an issue with purity on Tuesday 5/27 an email will be sent out with the situation and anticipated time until availability. Here is the Spring shutdown schedule updated slightly to show our anticipation to come back online next Tuesday: [cid:image001.png@01DBCB16.078D4760] Note, some issues with our newly installed fume hoods have been observed and we're working with the construction and design companies to find a solution. Because of this, regardless of the UPW situation, all new fume hoods in the cleanroom remain closed and unavailable until a resolution can be implemented. In the meantime, and after the UPW is back online, acid hoods in H-Bay will be available, and the photoresist solvent hoods in H, M & N-Bays will be available. Thank you again for your patience as we performed this extensive upgrade of our UPW system. Birck Engineering and Facilities

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Bravo Award Nominations
by Dawson, Kelli R 19 May '25

19 May '25

Dear colleagues, Thank you to all who have submitted a Bravo Award Nomination thus far! There is still time to submit a nomination if you have not done so already. We want to kindly remind you that detailed justification is essential to help the selection committee evaluate each submission and make thoughtful decisions. Strong nominations include clear, specific examples and measurable outcomes wherever possible. Nominations should be for employees who have gone above and beyond their regular duties. To assist you, please review the award category descriptions below: 1. Moving the University Forward Recognizes efforts that advance Purdue’s strategic objectives such as: * Improving graduation rates * Developing academic programs * Enhancing academic excellence * Increasing affordability ➡️ Be sure to describe the nominee’s specific contributions and the resulting impact (e.g., improved student outcomes, program enhancements). 1. Operational Excellence Highlights extraordinary efforts during critical times or sustained performance that exceeds expectations: * Solving complex problems * Meeting tight deadlines * Supporting team success under pressure ➡️ Provide context about the situation and how the nominee's actions stood out from typical performance. 1. Innovation/Creativity Rewards new ideas or solutions that enhance how we work: * Streamlining workflows * Improving customer service * Developing new tools or practices ➡️ Detail the innovation and how it led to positive, measurable change. 1. Fiscal Stewardship Acknowledges actions that result in notable cost savings or cost avoidance: * Eliminating waste * Maximizing resources * Reducing expenditures beyond normal expectations ➡️ Include specific financial impact or metrics if possible. Please remember, there is a place on the Qualtrics Form for attaching any additional backup information that may not fit into each box. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about the nomination process to Tracy Hudson. Thank you, Kelli Kelli Dawson, M.Sc Operations Administrator Birck Nanotechnology Center, BRK 1027 O: 765-494-3509 C: 765-532-4519 https://birck.research.purdue.edu/ [cid:d45b2c82-51cf-400c-a959-dc9e5e7d2839]

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Update on UPW Upgrade
by Reger, Ronald K 16 May '25

16 May '25

Dear Birck Users, As you know we needed an extended shutdown this Spring to do a major upgrade to our UlraPure Water system as part of the Birck Modernization project. This upgrade will generate more UPW capacity needed for our 8" wafer processing and consists of disconnecting and removing two subsets of the old UPW system and replacing them with new 'skids' that give us the higher capacity. With this upgrade comes lots of new plumbing connections using the special UPW PVDF piping, new electrical power, new resin, and new system controls. This major project is on schedule as the new skids have been installed and plumbed. The 480V 3-phase power has been installed & connected, and the control wiring is being routed/upgraded now. Next week we will be installing new resin into the system which takes a fork truck and 4 - 5 days to do, as the process involves using ultrapure water to push out the old resin and install the new. After this, and after the control wiring is finalized and de-bugged, the system will begin to be brought back up. This takes time to cleanse the system of any contaminants from the manufacturing process and from the fact that it was opened during the upgrade work. The initial water will not be UPW grade but over the course of a few days it will continue to improve in quality. If all goes according to plan we hope to be fully up and running with high-quality UPW by just after the Memorial Day weekend, consistent with our original plan. Thanks for your patience as we complete this critical upgrade. Birck Engineering & Facilities

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Bravo Award Flyer for Submission
by Dawson, Kelli R 13 May '25

13 May '25

Good morning all, Please see the attached document to submit someone you believe should be considered for a Bravo Award. Thank you, Kelli Kelli Dawson, M.Sc Operations Administrator Birck Nanotechnology Center, BRK 1027 O: 765-494-3509 C: 765-532-4519 https://birck.research.purdue.edu/ [cid:d3e2be9b-51e2-4618-bda2-ea467097bc67]

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Bravo Award Nominations
by Dawson, Kelli R 12 May '25

12 May '25

Dear colleagues, Thank you to everyone who has already submitted a Bravo Award Nomination—your efforts to recognize the outstanding contributions of your fellow employees are truly appreciated! Before we move into the review phase, we want to kindly remind everyone that detailed justification is essential to help the selection committee evaluate each submission and make thoughtful decisions. Strong nominations include clear, specific examples and measurable outcomes wherever possible. Nominations should be for employees who have gone above and beyond their regular duties. To assist you, please review the award category descriptions below: 1. Moving the University Forward Recognizes efforts that advance Purdue’s strategic objectives such as: * Improving graduation rates * Developing academic programs * Enhancing academic excellence * Increasing affordability ➡️ Be sure to describe the nominee’s specific contributions and the resulting impact (e.g., improved student outcomes, program enhancements). 1. Operational Excellence Highlights extraordinary efforts during critical times or sustained performance that exceeds expectations: * Solving complex problems * Meeting tight deadlines * Supporting team success under pressure ➡️ Provide context about the situation and how the nominee's actions stood out from typical performance. 1. Innovation/Creativity Rewards new ideas or solutions that enhance how we work: * Streamlining workflows * Improving customer service * Developing new tools or practices ➡️ Detail the innovation and how it led to positive, measurable change. 1. Fiscal Stewardship Acknowledges actions that result in notable cost savings or cost avoidance: * Eliminating waste * Maximizing resources * Reducing expenditures beyond normal expectations ➡️ Include specific financial impact or metrics if possible. If you’ve already submitted a nomination but feel you could strengthen it with more detail, you are welcome to resubmit. Please remember, there is a place on the Qualtrics Form for attaching any additional backup information that may not fit into each box. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions about the nomination process to Tracy Hudson. Thank you, Kelli Kelli Dawson, M.Sc Operations Administrator Birck Nanotechnology Center, BRK 1027 O: 765-494-3509 C: 765-532-4519 https://birck.research.purdue.edu/ [cid:8d80eb65-b5f3-4d0b-928c-461978363511]

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Personnel Announcement
by Reger, Ronald K 06 May '25

06 May '25

Dear Birck Research Community, It is my pleasure to announce that Mr. Xavier Radtke has accepted our offer as the new Birck Storekeeper/Inventory Control Clerk. Xavier has been assisting Lisa Strauser for many weeks and has learned all aspects of the position under Lisa's expert instruction. Xavier was a temporary employee during this time working with Lisa, and now we're very pleased he will become a permanent member of our organization. Xavier's official start date is Monday, May 19 but in the interim he will continue to work in the capacity as the inventory clerk. In his new position he will report to me and be a member of the engineering group. Please join me in congratulating Xavier and extending him a warm welcome to the Birck family! Ron Ron Reger Engineering Manager Birck Nanotechnology Center | Room 2289 | Office: 765.494.6667 | Email: rreger(a)purdue.edu<mailto:rreger@purdue.edu> Wiki: https://wiki.itap.purdue.edu/display/BNCWiki iLabs: https://purdue.ilabsolutions.com/homepage/<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue.il…>

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