The IMB-CNM Clean Room starts a major work to increase its energy efficiency and sustainability
It will ensure the long-term operability of the infrastructure and significantly improve its efficiency and energy consumption
Starting in October, the Micro and Nanofabrication Clean Room at the Institute of Microelectronics of Barcelona (IMB-CNM, CSIC) will undertake a major initiative as part of its efforts to increase energy efficiency and sustainability: the renovation of its air-conditioning system. The work will require halting manufacturing operations at the facility for four months, with full operations expected to resume in February 2027.
This project marks the culmination of an intensive process to strengthen the facility’s scientific and technological capabilities. After more than three decades of operation, this investment will adjust the systems that maintain the strict environmental conditions required for micro and nanofabrication and prepare the Clean Room for the coming decades.
The IMB-CNM Clean Room, in operation since 1991, is the largest facility of its kind in Spain and serves as the main hub of the MicroNanoFabs Unique Science and Technology Infrastructure (ICTS), the Spanish distributed network of clean rooms for semiconductor manufacturing. Its 1,500 m2 house more than 150 pieces of specialized equipment for the development and fabrication of micro and nanoelectronic devices intended for fields such as health, energy, mobility, security, and quantum technologies.
Climate control, a critical component of the Clean Room
In a clean room, climate control is much more than just a system for environmental comfort. It is an essential part of the infrastructure itself: it allows for the continuous and precise maintenance of the temperature and humidity conditions necessary to ensure the stability and reproducibility of manufacturing processes.
The current chillers have been in operation for more than 25 years and are nearing the end of their service life. Replacing them, along with upgrading the air-handling units, will renew one of the most critical systems for the facility’s continuity and provide it with a technological foundation ready for several additional decades of operation.
A more robust and sustainable facility
The renovation will also have a direct impact on the economic and environmental sustainability of the Clean Room. Climate control accounts for a very significant portion of its electricity consumption, and the greater efficiency of the new equipment will substantially reduce the energy required for its operation. It is estimated that the project could achieve energy savings of nearly 20 %, reducing both operating costs and the infrastructure’s environmental footprint.
It will also help increase the facility’s resilience in the face of increasingly demanding environmental conditions, strengthening its ability to maintain operating conditions under scenarios associated with climate change.
A shutdown to prepare for the coming decades
The scale of the project necessitates a temporary shutdown of manufacturing operations. The work is scheduled to take place between October 2026 and January 2027.
The plan is to resume full operations in February 2027, with a renovated facility more efficient and sustainable, as well as better prepared to meet the growing demand for micro- and nanofabrication capabilities from the scientific, technological, and industrial ecosystems.
