GENERAL RULES AND RESTRICTIONS

The following rules are to be observed by all persons qualified to work in CDR's LCD Laboratory:

1. The only individuals qualified to work in the cleanroom are those who have satisfied all conditions in the document entitled, "Who is allowed to work in the Cleanroom". (Document pending publication 99/1/12).
2. Wash hands before entering the cleanroom.
3. NO makeup shall be worn inside the cleanroom.
4. Food and drinks are prohibited in the clean room.
5. Smoking is not allowed 30 minutes before entering the cleanroom.
6. Chewing gum is not allowed in the cleanroom.
7. Avoid wearing contacts. Contacts can absorb vapors or trap chemicals in the space between the lens and the eye. In an emergency eye muscles may spasm , preventing removal of the contact lens.Contacts may thus interfere with flushing the eye with water and allow the eyes long and intimate contact with toxic chemicals. If you take your contacts before you enter, don't bring them into the lab and store them near volatile chemicals. Leave them in a safe place outside of the lab.
8. Check your clothing. Everyone must wear full-length pants when using the lab. You may put on a pair of pants over shorts. Avoid gowning over bare legs. Do not enter wearing sandals or open-toed shoes. Wear shoes made of leather that completely cover the foot. Do not wear muddy shoes. If you step in a mud puddle on the way to the cleanroom, you're out of luck.
9. Only use pens and cleanroom paper. Lead pencils are not allowed in the cleanroom.
10. Bunny suits, booties, mustache/beard nets, and gloves must be worn at ALL times in the cleanroom.
11. Your name MUST appear on the QUALIFIED USER LIST to operate ANY piece of equipment in the CLEANROOM. Exceptions are the following only:

Non-programmable apparatus  in the LAF benches.
Compressed air guns, DI water and Vac Chamber N2 supply.

12. All cleanroom equipment usage must be entered in the respective log manual along with any unusual occurances.
13. Chemical and gas usage must be recorded in the log sheets.
14. Nonessential items of equipment (tools, books, etc.) will not be allowed to accumulate and will be removed from the lab at the discretion of the CDR Cleanroom  Manager.
15. Gloves must be worn at all times inside the cleanroom.
16. Try not to sneeze or cough in the cleanroom. Don't breathe directly on a clean surface or wafer. Singing, whistling, and chewing gum also produce severe contamination. Do not let your skin touch any surface in the cleanroom. In particular, don't touch your face and then a lab surface. Your skin will leave behind oils. If you believe something has been contaminated, contact the lab manager or lab technician.
17. Once inside the cleanroom, there are a few precautions you can take to maintain cleanroom integrity. Do not violate the Air Shower . Be aware if you tear any part of your bunny suit or booties. Move slowly and carefully to minimize air turbulence. Don't slam any of the doors; this also creates turbulence and shakes the partitions, resulting in additional contamination.
18. Always clean up your work area before you leave. Thoroughly rinse the beakers you used with DI water and then store upside-down in their appropriate locations.

SAFETY RULES AND RESTRICTIONS

The following safety rules are to be observed by all persons qualified to work in the CDR Cleanroom.

LCD Substrates/ Finished cells must be treated with care to avoid glass breakage and potential personal injury.
Broken work pieces should be carefully disposed of in the alotted glass bin; never mix other solid waste with broken glass, personal injury may result.
In general, when handling glass work pieces, avoid sudden or violent motion. Never "shove" work pieces against hard objects or try to force them apart when assembled!

Photoresists used by CDR are delivered in liquid form. Such liquids may contain harmfull solvents and care must be taken to avoid dermal contact or prolonged exposure to the vapours; some photoresist types are known to cause birth defects in pregnant women!
Safety gear must be worn at all times.
Spills must be dealt with immediately and the resultant soiled material disposed of properly in the fire proof waste bins.

The Liquid Crystal alignment layer - generally a polyimide - is delivered in liquid form. Such liquids may contain organic solvents capable of developing contact dermatitis, hepatital or renal damage if swallowed or inhaled over long periods of time.
Specific polyimide solutions are known to contain mutagenic solvents!
Care must be exercised when handling alignment layer solutions and adequate safety precautions observed. (Eye, Skin, body protection).
Spills must be dealt with immediately and the resultant soiled materials disposed of properly, in the fire proof waste containers.
Polyimide solutions are flammable!

Modern Liquid Crystal Materials (LCM's) - those available after the late 70's - are not known to be harmful, however, adequate protection must be taken to avoid dermal contact or ingestion. LCM's do not produce vapours, except at very high temperatures; typically in excess of 200 C. In the event, avoid inhaling the fumes.
Spills should be dealt with promptly and the resultant soiled material disposed of properly, in the fire proof waste containers.

The adhesive materials used by CDR are delivered in liquid or paste form. Such materials are not considered to be dangerous, however, adequate precautions must be taken to prevent dermal contact or ingestion.
Spills must be dealt with immediately and the resultant soiled material disposed of properly in the fire proof waste containers.

LCD spacing material is not known to be harmful, however, adequate precautions must be taken to avoid inhalation of such fine particles.
Spills must be dealt with immediately (never re-use spilt material) and the resultant soiled material SEALED in plastic (bagged) and disposed of properly in the fire proof waste containers.

Some process chemicals used in the CDR Facility may be hazardous. Table 1 below lists some of the more common chemicals used in the lab and their concentrations. Some concentrations, necessary for LCD fabrication, may be much higher than those found in conventional undergraduate chemistry labs. Some of these chemicals may cause severe damage to human tissue. Therefore, you must be alert and cautious when using these chemicals to avoid all contact with them. When you follow the safety procedures below, your risk of injury will be minimized.

(List to be completed when all CDR's chemicals are documented. 99/1/12).

1. DO NOT use a chemical in the cleanroom without first reading its MSDS. (Material Safety Data Sheet).
2. Know which chemicals and containers are compatible. Some chemicals, such as NMP, cannot be used with plastic beakers. Some chemicals, such as Trich' and Acetone, form toxic gases when mixed.
3. Always work with chemicals under the fume hood. Heavy-duty rubber gloves, a chemical apron, and a face mask must be worn when handling hazardous chemicals in the cleanroom. For example: ITO etchant and potassium hydroxide are some of the corrosive liquids used in the lab.

4. Use the DEDICATED glassware/ squeegee bottles only with the chemicals and/or process labeled on the container. Do not cross-contaminate containers. Do not remove containers from the cleanroom.
5. When mixing chemicals, use only one bottle at a time. Do not open a new bottle unless an existing bottle is completely empty. Pour the chemical slowly. Do not let it gulp. Remember the Golden "A"  Rule: "Acid to water to water is what you oughta', water to acid, that aint placid" . This prevents violent splashing. Do not mix organic solvents with inorganic chemicals. This can result in a violent reaction or explosion.
6. Don't pour chemicals back into the storage bottle. If you pour out too much, dispose of it appropriately.
7. Put the cap back on each chemical bottle securely. Rinse the outside of the bottle before you return it to storage.
8. Do not leave your processes unattended. If you need to have the process running over extended periods of time arrange with staff to mind it for you in your abscence; always leave a note telling where you can be contacted and when you expect to return.

9. Rinse the heavy chemical gloves with DI water before you take them off.
10. Always clean up your work area before you leave. Soiled surfaces may gently wiped clean with a cleanroom wiper and 2Prop. The soiled wiper should then be disposed of in the fire proof waste bin.
11. Though a seldom occurance, spillages of LC Fluid and Epoxy may be wiped up with a cleanroom wiper and Acetone. In this event ALWAYS use gloves and remove the soiled wiper to the fire proof waste bin immediately
12. A fire extenguisher is located in the Cleanroom,  another is located in the Scribing area; both are  CO₂ suitable for use with electrical fires.
13. (Gas masks)
14. Tell your supervisor about any unsafe situation. Use your judgment. For example, if a process or chemical is left unatteneded, report it. Don't touch other peoples work yourself, inform the cleanroom staff.
15. If you are not sure something is safe, ask your supervisor. Use common sense. There are no unexpected dangers in the CDR lab, but do not touch anything unless you are sure you understand it.
16. Wear safety glasses when using the spinner.  The spinner sometimes breaks LCD substrates, and eyes must be protected from the risk of flying glass.
17. It is a good habit to always wear safety glasses in the CDR cleanroom, taking them off only to use a microscope. This is a rule for everyone in a room when someone in that room is doing spin, develop, etch, or strip. Aprons are available to protect your clothing. A drop of photoresist may splash onto your clothing and make a permanent spot. The spinner is well ventilated; if you smell the solvent in the room, discontinue work and notify the lab superior. Open your resist dispensor close to the spinner chuck; opening far away from the chuck ventilation may cause other students to smell the solvent. Some of these solvents are known to cause birth defects when inhaled by pregnant women.
18. ITO Etchant and Resist stripper can cause severe burns; protective clothing, gloves and glasses must be worn when handling these substances.
19. Wash your hands when you leave the microfabrication lab.
20. Policies for Gases: ALL GAS CYLINDERS MUST BE FIRMLY SECURED TO PREVENT PERSONAL INJURY.
1. New gas cylinders should be labeled with the date of arrival.
2. Empty gas cylinders should be labeled with date it was noted empty.
3. Empty gas cylinders should be stored in gas storage cabinets
21. Policy for Chemical Storage:
1. Chemicals are stored based upon their contents and color code. Only store chemicals in their appropriately labeled cabinets and locations.
22. Policies for Acid and Bases:
1. When handling acids or bases, gloves, apron, face shield, and lab coat must be worn.
2. All acid and base work must be done with the designated apparatus.
3. Acids are stored in the cabinet labeled "ACIDS". For example: Nitric Acid, Hydrochloric Acid
4. Bases are stored in the cabinet labeled "BASES". For example: Sodium Hydroxide, Potassium Hydroxide, Positive Photoresist Stripper, Positive Photoresist Developer
5. Never work with acid and bases side by side because violent reactions can occur.
6. Disposal of acids of bases through the drain can occur only after a pH level between 6 and 8 is achieved through neutralization.
7. Storage of waste acids will be done by storing the acids in clearly labeled waste containers for that particular acid. Do not mix the acids together. Waste acids should be stored in separate containers in the acid cabinet.
8. Neutralization of the acids is done by taking approximately equal parts of Sodium Hydroxide solution placed in an open polypropylene container and slowly adding an equal part of acid until a pH between 5 and 8 is reached. Always pour the acid into the Sodium Hydroxide solution.
9. Storage of waste bases will be done by storing the bases in a clearly labeled waste container.
10. Neutralization of the bases is done by adding Hydrochloric Acid to the base solution in an open polypropylene container in an exhausted fumehood until a pH between 6 and 8 is reached. Always pour the acid into the base.
11. Storage of the waste acids will be in the acid cabinets and storage of the waste bases will be in the base cabinet.
12. If any acids or bases are purchased by individual faculty or students, they must take the responsibility for the neutralization by purchasing the neutralization chemicals and mixing of the chemicals to achieve a pH between 6 and 8 before disposal down the drain with large quantities of running water.
13. Small quantities of concentrated acids or bases (less than 75ml) can be poured down the drain as long as it is diluted with large amounts of tap water (not DI water).

23. Policies for Solvents:

1. All chlorinated solvents must be stored in a clearly labeled waste solvent container for proper disposal.
2. Trichloroethane (TCE) should be kept in a separate solvent waste container from Acetone, Methanol, and Propanol. Acetone, Methanol, and Propanol can be disposed of through incineration while TCE cannot because of carcinogens.
3. On all solvent waste containers will be a label. On this label will be three columns that need to be filled out when a waste solvent is poured into that bottle. Column one is the CHEMICAL NAME, column two is the CONCENTRATION (%), and column three is the QUANTITY. The chemical name is the proper chemical name not the manufacturer's name. An example is Product Name is the manufacturers name, the proper chemical name is N- methyl 2-pyrrolidone. Most solvent containers have the proper chemical names listed on them.
4. Keep all flames away from the solvents because most solvent are highly flammable.
5. Policies for LC Fluid: LC Fluid must only be stored in the dedicated environment chambers (to prevent degradation). When not  in use the lids of the LC containers must be firmly affixed and the container stored in the alotted environment chamber.
6. Policies for LCD Spacer storage: LCD Spacers must only be stored in the dedicated environment chambers (to prevent degradation). When not in use the spacer container lids must be firmly affixed and the containers stored in the alotted environment chamber.

24. Policies for Solids: Solids must be stored in an appropriate container and clearly labeled for disposal through the safety department.