The demand for semiconductor chips is at an all-time high, and chip makers around the world know the slightest accident in one of their cleanrooms could slow or even halt production and cause millions of dollars in damage. FM Global Research has been working closely with representatives from the semiconductor industry to help them improve standards in their cleanrooms.

A consortium of large semiconductor manufacturers contracted FM Global Research to examine whether new plastic materials with low combustibility-designed to make semiconductor fabrication cleanrooms inherently firesafe-would be compatible with existing semiconductor chip manufacturing processes.

As part of this cutting-edge research, FM Global Research scientists examined the leaching, chemical resistance and outgassing characteristics of these engineered plastics.

The scientists concluded that these new polymers with low combustibility were, in general, process compatible, and, in some cases, better than the polymers currently in use.

The results of this research complement breakthrough product testing FM Approvals already has conducted to make the combustible environments of many cleanrooms inherently firesafe. That research led to the development of what is known in the industry as the FM4910 Cleanroom Materials Flammability Test, the only test standard for evaluating flame, smoke and corrosion parameters of cleanroom materials.

Currently, materials that conform to FM4910 resist fire propagation; emit little if any smoke; produce few, if any, corrosive byproducts; and are listed by FM Approvals as acceptable for cleanroom use.

Materials passing the cleanroom protocol, subsequently, are listed here.