Confidential Semiconductor Manufacturing Campus Expansion | Austin, Texas

Building in and around class 1 and class 100 cleanroom environments requires strict adherence to air quality protocols, as well as a deep knowledge of campus HVAC and electrical infrastructure, to eliminate the risk of contamination. To keep pace with fast-track schedules without sacrificing quality or safety, DPR’s team has brought several creative solutions to the table.

While converting an existing gown room to a new cleanroom, DPR went to great lengths to avoid disrupting or contaminating active operations nearby. Only a few walls separated their workspace from active class 1 cleanrooms and, leading up to painting, the DPR self-perform interiors team had been exhausting air outside of the building. For painting, however, it was clear that any shared air between rooms could lead to contamination.

The team opted to run additional air quality tests with a neighboring room as a control measure. They found that return air was indeed being pulled from their workspace—despite what was shown in the as-builts, which were not accounting for a remodel 15 years prior. At this point, the team shut down work and began discussing workarounds to maintain schedule.

The solution they settled on was to build a 10,000-sq.-ft. tent inside the workspace, using suspended metal studs and plastic sheeting (resembling a giant greenhouse) and making it airtight under negative variances. This allowed the painting crew to finish the space within five days, meeting the turnover deadline without any issues.

A major challenge DPR faced was to complete a major excavation within the building’s crawlspace to make way for new substructure and utilities. Each of the 13 new wet hoods in a converted cleanroom would require 18 bulk utilities, ranging from process gas, to acids, to ultra-pure water. To make room underground for 240+ cores—i.e., a giant maze of pipes—let alone place a one-hour-rated concrete barrier around them, the team had to move massive amounts of dirt.

The space underground, however, had an initial max height of six feet, and the largest access point was only three feet wide. Using two electric mini skid-steers, team members moved over 1,600 cubic yards of dirt within the span of two months. Bucket by bucket, they made enough room to form and pour footings, walls and foundations, and the team completed the substructure on time to support the cleanroom space above, all with zero safety incidents.

Consistently hitting quality targets for multiple back-to-back semiconductor projects is a tall order. However, meeting the wide-ranging, fast-evolving and interconnected needs of a “mini city” manufacturing campus can be just as challenging. Team member commitment to communication—regularly consulting and informing the right individuals, and understanding where people and tools fit within the fabrication process—continues to create new levels of value.