Minatec - Grenoble - France

First European centre for micro- and nanotechnology innovation and expertise

Inaugurated in June 2006, MINATEC, the first European centre of excellence for micro- and nanotechnology innovation is home to over 3500 researchers, engineers and university students. The participation of experts at all stages of the construction was necessary for the 44,000 m² site, which also includes 2200 m² of cleanrooms. DD consulting, Faure Ingénierie, Oméga Concept and CIAT are among the names which called upon to complete this hi-tech centre.

MINATEC brings together a network of players to develop European expertise in micro- and nanotechnologies for various applications, such as healthcare (medical diagnostics, development of new drugs, food inspection, etc.), the environment (bacterial analysis, storage of pollutants, etc.), and the leisure sector (intelligent textiles, etc.).
The MINATEC High Technologies building, which is entirely dedicated to this network, houses a business incubator in some twenty cleanrooms of 70 m² each. This building offers each of these hi-tech start ups the possibility of customising its rooms.

Huge demands for the infinitely small

The microelectronics industry demands that production equipment be reliable and available 24/7. Maintaining constant temperatures and humidity levels is essential in microelectronics.
Working at a scale of 10^-9 mmrequires extreme precision. Not only must the air be filtered to remove particles, care must also be taken to avoid generating vibrations.
All components selected in the technical chain of equipment (namely motors and damping systems) must meet stringent vibration requirements.

The high quality of CIAT products made the difference. "Our Research and Innovation centre played a determining role in winning the contract for CIAT," explains Fabrice Rozmiarek, Market Manager. "Our experts were able to provide the scientific justification of the performance of our equipment."

Climaciat Airclean units, an ideal response to ultra-cleanliness

Cleanrooms are equipped with fresh-air units, recyclers and FFUs (Fan Filter Units). These units are used to reduce the amount of airborne particles to the required classification level. To achieve this, the fresh air needed for a cleanroom must be optimised whilst ensuring a sufficiently high air change rate. Laminar airflow allows the entire room volume to be swept, thus ensuring an ultraclean environment for hi-tech process machines (micro- and nanotechnologies).
Climaciat Airclean units, which are designed in compliance with the EN 13053 standard, provide an ideal response to the most stringent demands in terms of air quality and hygiene. In particular, several Airclean 600 units, the most complex product in the range, have been produced and equipped with washers to absorb part of the chemical pollutants present in the air and efficiently humidify the air. Fresh air is thus not only purified (by filtration and washing), but also brought to the ideal temperature and humidity levels required by the process.