Selecting an Airborne Particle Counter

Understanding which features you need in a particle can meet the ISO specifications in less time. A
counter is a difficult task. This article will identify the particle counter with a flow rate of 50 LPM can
various features available and help you choose sample one cubic meter in
which are relevant to your application. The right only 20 minutes.
particle counter will depend on the monitoring The ISO standards prescribe
environment, communications, monitoring purposes, limits for contamination and
desired flow rate, and particle size you choose to the limits can be converted
monitor. Pharmaceutical manufacturing has special to the obsolete Federal
monitoring requirements that are not completely Standard 209E (FS-209E).
addressed here. In most cases the ISO limits
Selecting an airborne-particle counter requires some are available for common
basic understanding of the terminology and particle sizes such as 0.1,
procedures. All airborne particle counters sample air 0.3, and 0.5 µm.
at specified volumetric flow rates, which are Figure 1. Lasair® III 350L
measured in cubic-feet-per-minute (CFM) or liters-
per-minute (LPM). Since particle counters are
calibrated at a specific flow rate, the sizing accuracy
is dependent upon that flow rate. Cleanroom ISO Certification
To meet most contamination specifications, particle When the primary application is cleanroom
counters must sample defined volumes of air; this certification, an instrument that has ISO certification
provides confidence in the particle data and is often features simplifies the process. The particle testing
stated as statistical significance. The ISO standard method must be accurate, reliable, and repeatable.
(ISO 14644) refers to cubic meters; to meet this Modern cleanrooms consistently meet ISO Class 5 or
standard, a 1 CFM particle counter must sample for Class 6 (FS-209E Class 100 or 1000). These
35 minutes (1 cubic foot multiplied by 35 equals 1 cleanroom classifications require the following limits:
cubic meter). Particle counters with faster flow rates

ISO Classification Maximum Particle Size Total Particles Sample Volume

0.1 µm 100,000 1 m3
5
0.3 µm 10,200 1 m3
0.1 µm 1,000,000 1 m3
6
0.3 µm 102,000 1 m3

Monitoring a cleanroom in accordance with ISO counter maximum concentration value of greater than
cleanroom classifications requires the particle 10,200 particles per cubic meter (290 per cubic foot).
counter’s specification for maximum concentration to These are easily achieved limits with most modern
exceed ISO limits. For example, to monitor a Class 5 particle counters. Note that there is no ISO
cleanroom for 0.1 µm particles, the maximum specification for 0.1 µm particle counts higher than
concentration of the counter must be greater than ISO Class 6, so a 0.1 µm particle counter is not
100,000 particles per cubic meter (2,841 particles per required for those applications.
cubic foot). Using a 0.3 µm particle counter to monitor
the same Class 5 cleanroom requires a particle

Cleanroom Certifying Solutions

Particle Size Flow Rate Product
0.1 µm 1.0 CFM LASAIR® II 110
0.3 µm 1.0 CFM LASAIR III 310C
0.5 µm 3.56 CFM LASAIR II 5100

Page | 1
Continuous or Frequent Cleanroom quantities of data that can overwhelm a system.
Monitoring Typical time intervals range from one minute to ten
minutes. Particle counter choices for these
Continuous or frequent monitoring in the cleanroom
applications are diverse and plentiful. Factors to
still needs to demonstrate compliance to ISO.
consider are:
Frequent monitoring requires sampling at specified • Particle size
time intervals not exceeding 60 minutes during • Flow rate
operation. Manifold systems are the least expensive • Communication options
suitable solution and are best installed during the
If a cleanroom offers network ports (Ethernet’s
cleanroom construction process. Standalone particle
10Base-T or 100Base-T), select a particle counter
counters may be installed at any time. A manifold
with networking capability. If the cleanroom relies
system includes either 16 or 32 sampling ports with a
upon serial communications, select a particle counter
single line that connects to a particle counter. The
with RS-232 or RS-485 communication protocols.
manifold sequentially samples from each port, sends
the samples to the particle counter, and then repeats Choosing between continuous and frequent
the process. However, since a manifold cycles cleanroom monitoring is a choice of economics and
through many sample points, a particle event can go infrastructure. Dedicated particle counters are the
unnoticed if the particle counter is not currently best method to detect particle excursions, but at a
monitoring the appropriate port. high cost per sample point. If short-duration events
are not critical and the need is for trending, a manifold
Continuous monitoring requires constant sampling.
system can be an effective and economical solution.
This method constantly gathers data, so events are
However, manifold systems cannot reliably transport
not missed. Sample intervals can be any duration, but
and count particles much larger than 5 µm.
shorter sample intervals will give better time
resolution. Short time intervals will provide vast
Cleanroom Monitoring Solutions
Frequency Particle Size Flow Rate Communication Product
Frequent 0.1 µm 1.0 CFM 10Base-T Lasair II 110
with AM-II-16 or AM-II-32 Manifold
Continuous 0.2 µm 1.0 CFM 10Base-T Airnet®II 201
Continuous 0.3 µm 1.0 CFM 10Base-T Airnet II 310
Continuous 0.3 µm 0.1 CFM 10Base-T Airnet II 301
Continuous 0.5 µm 1.0 CFM 10Base-T Airnet II 510
Continuous 0.3 µm 0.1 CFM RS-485 RNet® 301
Continuous 0.5 µm 1.0 CFM RS-485 RNet 510

sampling locations required. Our advice is to monitor

Monitoring Locations
where it counts; that is, measure where your product
After choosing the type of monitoring method is exposed and where contamination will cause
desired, the next step is to determine how many damage. In the case of semiconductor
monitoring locations or particle counters are needed. manufacturers that use SMIF pods or FOUPS, the
The total number of locations required by ISO can wafers are not exposed to the general cleanroom
be calculated by determining the area of the environment, so monitoring this area is less critical.
cleanroom (in m2) and finding its square root: However, the wafers are exposed in the
minienvironment, so monitoring efforts should be
N locations  Area(m 2 ) focused there. Monitoring should be concentrated
where the risk is the highest; in the case of
Using the formula above and a typical cleanroom minienvironments, this is often near the load ports
area of 9290 m2 (100,000 ft2), the square root of where wafers are loaded and unloaded.
9290 is 96. ISO therefore requires 96 monitoring
locations. These locations should be evenly Minienvironments
distributed and mounted at work height: 76 cm Minienvironments are used to isolate the product from
(30 in). the main source of particles (people) and are often
classified as ISO Class 1 or ISO Class 2 (no FS-209E
Strictly speaking this guideline only applies to
classification exists for these levels of cleanliness).
cleanroom certification. Cleanroom operators should
Within these classifications, most instruments can
evaluate their processes and the sensitivity of their
easily remain under the maximum concentration limits.
product to contamination to determine the number of
Page | 2
 ISO Classification Particle Size Total Particles Sample Volume
1 0.1 µm 10 1 m3
0.3 µm --- 1 m3
2 0.1 µm 100 1 m3
0.3 µm 10 1 m3

Minienvironment particle data often follows trends in since the cost of a particle counter doubles as the
differential air pressure, so an instrument’s ability to sensitivity increases from 0.3 µm to 0.1 µm, the most
correlate particle and differential pressure data cost-effective continuous monitoring solution is a
provides trend analysis, yield improvements, and 0.3 µm particle counter with an inclusive differential
accurately scheduled preventative maintenance air pressure (DAP) probe. For validation and
cycles. certification, a 0.1 µm counter is recommended for
ISO Class 1 and ISO Class 2 minienvironments.
Published minienvironment particle data1 shows
particle concentrations clustered near 0.4 µm, and

Minienvironment Monitoring Solutions

Minienvironment Class Flow Rate Particle Size Monitoring Purpose Product

ISO Class 1 or 2 1.0 CFM 0.1 µm Validation LASAIR II 110

specifications dictate the filter’s efficiency at a specific

Filter & Valve Testing MPPS and velocity. High Efficiency Particulate Air
(HEPA) filters have a minimum filtering efficiency of
Depending upon the level of accuracy required,
99.99% at 0.3 µm, and Ultra Low Penetration Air
testing filters may require specialized particle
(ULPA) filters have a minimum filtering efficiency of
counters. Aerosol spectrometers employ more than
99.999% at 0.12 µm. Detecting penetrating particles
thirty-two channels for particle size distinction and
requires a particle counter with at least 0.3 µm
resolution. Spectrometers provide the most detailed
sensitivity for HEPA filter testing and 0.1 µm
information regarding particle sizes and distributions,
sensitivity for ULPA filter testing.
but are expensive.
Valve testing procedures are outlined by SEMATECH.
Standard 0.1 µm or 0.3 µm particle counters can
By their nature, valves tend to trap and shed particles,
easily monitor filters and valves and are usually
so sampling particles from a valve can provide
installed upstream and downstream of the filter or
unreliable data. Therefore, because some of the
valve. This technique provides accurate filter
particles detected may be generated by the process
efficiency data and alarming for contamination
and others may come from the valve, valve
problems, but may not be desirable for testing valves.
cleanliness reports are difficult to generate.
Filters use an efficiency rating specified at the most
penetrating particle size (MPPS). Standard

Filter and Valve Monitoring Solutions

Filter Type Particle Size Flow Rate Communication Product
ULPA 0.1 µm 1.0 CFM 10Base-T LASAIR II 110
HEPA 0.3 µm 1.0 CFM 10Base-T Airnet II 310
HEPA 0.3 µm 0.1 CFM 10Base-T Airnet II 301
HEPA 0.3 µm 0.1 CFM RS-485 RNet 301
HEPA 0.5 µm 1.0 CFM RS-485 RNet 510

Lab Testing tested in the lab, so the lab must define the critical
particle size limit (in µm) and the acceptable
Lab testing applications do not typically need to meet
maximum concentration limits.
ISO cleanroom requirements. These applications
seek a specific number of particle counts within a High flow rates are often desirable as they increase
certain size range, and this number defines whether throughput, reduce sampling times, and gather more
the lab components will pass or fail. Particle counter data. Since lab tests tend to focus upon sub-
selection is dependent on the components being micrometer contamination, the choices narrow for
particle counters.
Page | 3
Lab Testing Solutions
Product Particle Size Flow Rate
LASAIR II 110 0.1 µm 1.0 CFM
LASAIR III 310C 0.3 µm 1.0 CFM
LASAIR III 350L 0.3 µm 1.78 CFM
LASAIR III 5100 0.5 µm 3.56 CFM

Harsh Environments
Harsh environments require special instrumentation. LASAIR III 5100, Airnet II series, IsoAir series, and
These environments may include pharmaceutical labs, RNet provide this functionality. If a pharmaceutical lab
cleanroom make-up air handling (MUAH) units, fan contains heavy concentrations of hydrogen peroxide
decks, or aerospace launch facilities. These (H2O2), a particle counter with resilient coating and
conditions require particle counters that are isolated high maximum sampling concentrations, such as the
from the environment but still provide accurate air Airnet II 510 XR, is recommended.
sampling. MUAHs, fan decks, and launch systems require
Particle counters developed for harsh environments robust enclosures that can withstand conditions
are often housed in NEMA-rated enclosures. These outside normal room environments. Appropriate
enclosures isolate the sensitive optics and electronics, particle counters for this use have enclosures made
while providing an external probe for monitoring the from stainless steel or Kydex®, which provide superior
particle concentrations. resistance to damaging external conditions, but have
proven reliability in particle counting. Some of the
Pharmaceutical manufacturers’ interests lie only in instruments that meet these conditions include the
0.5 µm and 5.0 µm. Some particle counters offer IsoAir and IsoAir 310P, the Airnet II series, and the
screen/data configurations that only display/print RNet.
these specific channels. The LASAIR III 350L and

Harsh Environment Monitoring Solutions

Product Particle Size Flow Rate Communications Cover Material
LASAIR III 350L 0.3 µm 1.78 CFM Ethernet Polycarbonate
Airnet II 310 0.3 µm 1.0 CFM Ethernet Polycarbonate
IsoAir II 310 0.3 µm 1.0 CFM Ethernet Stainless Steel 316L
Airnet II 301 0.3 µm 0.1 CFM Ethernet Polycarbonate
IsoAir II 301 0.3 µm 0.1 CFM Ethernet Stainless Steel 316L
IsoAir 310P 0.3, 0.5 µm 1.0 CFM Ethernet Stainless Steel 316L
RNet 301 0.3 µm 0.1 CFM RS-485 Polycarbonate
LASAIR III 550L 0.5 µm 1.78 CFM Ethernet Polycarbonate
Airnet II 510 (XR) 0.5 µm 1.0 CFM Ethernet Polycarbonate
RNet 510 0.5 µm 1.0 CFM RS-485 Kydex

Counting Particles in Gases the wetted materials of

the particle counter to
When choosing a particle counter, you need to know
insure compatibility
if the gas is reactive and what the pressure range is.
with the gas. Further,
Reactive gases include, but are not limited to
the user should
hydrogen and oxygen. These gases require a special
consider additional
particle counter stored inside a containment vessel.
precautions such as
The containment vessel’s design should withstand
leak monitoring, purge
moderate levels of overpressure, which results from
flow monitoring, and
detonation between mixtures of hydrogen and oxygen.
any other safety
Usually, the containment vessel is back-filled with
measure to insure safe
nitrogen, an inert gas that neutralizes small volumes
operation.
of reactive gases. It may be possible to monitor other Figure 2. HPGP-101-C
reactive gases, but the user must carefully evaluate
Page | 4
Sampling gases at pressure is preferred. Therefore Another option for non-reactive gas monitoring is to
gas instruments employ mass flow controllers to connect a high-pressure diffuser (HPD) to a
provide constant, volumetric flow rates when standalone particle counter. The HPD accommodates
connected to gas line pressures between 40~150 pressures from 40~100 psig. The HPD dilutes the gas
psig. Particle sizing can differ with pressure and the sample with ambient air, which provides humidity.
composition of gas, so gas particle counters must The humidity prevents degradation in a particle
account for these variables. A gas constant entered counter’s optics and plumbing.
into the instrument’s data system provides correction A particle counter combined with an HPD typically
factors for different gases and allows the mass flow has the lowest initial cost. However, monitoring at
controller to increase/decrease the flow rate based reduced pressure is not as effective as monitoring at
upon the chemistry of the gas. pressure due to several factors:
If the gas is reactive and falls within the specified • Potential of particle loss in the diffuser
pressure range, you may sample the gases using the • Smaller percentage of the total gas flow is
Particle Measuring Systems High-Pressure Gas measured.
Probe (HPGP). The HPGP-101-C offers 0.1 µm • The diffuser can become contaminated and cause
sensitivity, 0.1 CFM flow rate, and a containment artificially high particle measurements.
vessel tested to confine overpressures of 3200 psig. • The design of a diffuser wastes gas that is not
Non-reactive gases such as argon, helium, neon, measured.
nitrogen, and xenon have different monitoring Dedicated gas particle counters should be used for
requirements. A dedicated gas particle counter, such critical applications and any measurement of reactive
as the Micro Laser Particle Counter (MLPC-101-HP), gases. HPD’s should be used for less critical
provides accurate measurements and particle applications or for occasional monitoring of non-
counting in pressurized, non-reactive gases. reactive gases.

Gas Monitoring Solutions

Product Particle Size Pressure Range Purpose Gas Type Flow Rate
HPGP-101-C 0.1 µm 40-150 psig Dedicated Sampling Reactive 0.1 CFM
MLPC-101-HP 0.1 µm 40-150 psig Dedicated Sampling Non-Reactive 0.1 CFM
LASAIR II 110 Dedicated, Occasional, or
0.1 µm 40-100 psig Non-Reactive 1.0 CFM
with HPD II-100 Periodic Testing
LASAIR III 310C Dedicated, Occasional, or
0.3 µm 25-100 psig Non-Reactive 1.0 CFM
with HPD III Periodic Testing

Conclusion
While the purchasing choices may seem endless,
evaluating your particular application will help you
focus on your requirements. Using the basic
guidelines provided in this article will help you
purchase the ideal counter to meet your requirements
without paying for features you do not need.

References
1. High-yield manufacturing: Particle Monitoring in Minienvironments; CleanRooms Magazine, April 2004

© 2011 Particle Measuring Systems. All rights reserved.

Reproduction or translation of any part of this work without the permission of the copyright owner is unlawful. Requests for permission or
further information should be addressed to Particle Measuring Systems, Inc. at 1-800-238-1801
10/25/2011

Page | 5