28 Years of Precision Excellence
Calibration Wafer Standards
Cleanroom Foggers
UltraPure LN2 Foggers
Particle Size Standards
Cleanroom Metrology LLC produces Calibration Wafer Standards on 75mm to 300mm prime silica wafers, as well as quartz substrates, using polystyrene particle size standards from 20nm to 80 microns and silica microspheres from 30nm to 1 micron. We provide Ultrasonic Cleanroom Foggers and Ultrapure LN2 Foggers to support ISO 14644-3 and USP 797 controlled smoke studies and airflow visualization audits. We also provide handheld, portable Foggers. Our NIST Traceable particle size standards are used to calibrate laser particle counters and to analyse particle contamination in the atmosphere.
28+
Years in Business
ISO
14644-3 Support
USP
797 Compliant
NIST Particle
Size standards
Warranty
797 Compliant
Support
Mon–Fri
Ship
Overnight & expedited options
Repair
Service & maintenance support
Calibration Wafer Standards
Cleanroom Smoke Studies
Airflow Foggers
Silica Microspheres
Polystyrene Microspheres
Particle Size Standards
Calibration Wafer Standards
Cleanroom Smoke Studies
Airflow Foggers
Silica Microspheres
Polystyrene Microspheres
Particle Size Standards
Our Product Lines
Four Product Lines. One Compliance Partner.
All products are supplied by Cleanroom Metrology LLC from Alamosa, Colorado. Every cleanroom fogger and particle standard ships with full documentation for your smoke studies in support of your audit compliance. R Standards – KLA-Tencor Surfscan SP1
Calibration Wafer Standards
NIST-traceable silicon wafer standards for particle counter calibration and cleanroom verification.
Ultrasonic Cleanroom Foggers
The AFM series uses stainless steel enclosures and ultrasonic piezo transducers to produce 8–10 micron fog droplets.
LN2 Ultrapure Cleanroom Foggers
NIST-traceable silicon wafer standards for particle counter calibration and cleanroom verification.
Particle Size Standards
NIST-traceable silicon wafer standards for particle counter calibration and cleanroom verification.
Why Cleanroom Metrology
28 Years of Trusted Precision
Providing Calibration Wafer Standards to calibrate the size accuracy of your SSIS tools and wafer inspection tools. We provide Cleanroom Foggers and Ultrapure LN2 Foggers to support USP 797 and ISO Standard 14644-3 Smoke Studies and airflow visualization tests. Our NIST Traceable Particle Size Standards are used in particle counter size calibration as well as aerosol science studies.
John Turner – Founder
John Turner is the founder and driving force behind Cleanroom Metrology, bringing decades of metrology application experience in smoke studies and wafer inspection system calibration. His knowledge has made him one of the most trusted names in support of Metrology Engineers and Cleanroom Managers in pharmaceutical and semiconductor companies.
NIST Traceable Certification of Calibration Wafer Standards
Every calibration wafer standard ships with a complete certificate of analysis, traceable to NIST SRM size standards.
Industry-Specific Expertise
Deep knowledge across semiconductor fabs, compounding pharmacies, aerospace, and pharmaceutical and biotech cleanrooms.
Technical Support Included
Application Engineers to assist your metrology engineers with application of products, certification questions, and instrument calibration.
Smoke Studies and airflow Visualization Equipment
Ultrasonic Cleanroom Foggers vs. LN2 Ultrapure Cleanroom Foggers ! Choose the Right Technology
Both types of cleanroom foggers use only DI (de-ionized) water, WFI (water for injection), or sterile water, no glycol, no chemical fluid, no contamination risk. The correct cleanroom fogger choice depends on the volume of the BSC, Barrier Isolator, airflow hood or cleanroom, matched with the fog volume needed by the cleanroom fogger. Fog density is important to consider when a smoke study involves long travel distance of the fog in the smoke study. Your ISO 14644-3 or USP 797 smoke study can be supported very well by our AFM40 Cleanroom Fogger or our Apollo 100 LN2 Ultrapure Cleanroom Fogger.
Ultrasonic Technology
AFM Cleanroom Foggers
AFM Cube
Fog: 0.5 M³/min · 12 piezo · 80mm single fog outlet, stainless steel design, wireless remote option
Use: Small barrier isolators, BSCs, fume hoods
AFM24
Fog: 0.8 M³/min · 24 piezo · 80mm single outlet, stainless steel design, wireless remote option
Use: Small ISO suites, airflow hoods, aseptic compounding areas
AFM35
Fog: 1.25 M³/min · 35 piezo · 80mm single outlet, stainless steel design, wireless remote option
Use: Medium ISO suites, sterile rooms, semiconductor cleanrooms
AFM40
Fog: 2.0 M³/min · 40 piezo · Dual 80mm fog outlets, stainless steel design, wireless remote option
Use: Large cleanrooms, dual-zone smoke studies, barrier isolators
Liquid Nitrogen Technology
Apollo Ultrapure LN2 Foggers
Apollo 35
LN2 + DI/WFI · 1 × 80mm fog outlet · stainless steel, wireless remote option
Use: Standard pharmaceutical ISO suites, sterile rooms
Apollo 50
LN2 + DI/WFI · 1 × 80mm fog outlet · wireless remote option
Use: Pharmaceutical ISO 5–7, semiconductor fab smoke studies
Apollo 100
LN2 + DI/WFI · 2 × 80mm fog outlets, wireless remote option
Use: Large sterile suites, dual-zone simultaneous airflow visualization
Apollo 150
LN2 + DI/WFI · 3 × 80mm fog outlets, wireless remote option
Use: Large pharmaceutical manufacturing suites, multi-zone ISO 14644-3 studies
Ultrasonic Portable Technology
Portable Foggers
Portable
AFM Fog Pistol — glycerin-based portable fogger
Use: Spot checks, doorway entries, small localized studies
Ultrasonic, Liquid Nitrogen & Portable Technology Comparison
All Cleanroom Foggers Comparison
Semiconductor Metrology
PSL & Silica Calibration Wafer Standards for SSIS Size Calibration
Scanning Surface Inspection Systems — KLA-Tencor Surfscan SP1, SP2, SP3, SP5, SP5xp, Surfscan 6200, 6220, 6440, Hitachi, and Topcon — require NIST traceable calibration wafer standards to verify or calibrate the size accuracy and scan uniformity of your SSIS tool. A miscalibrated SSIS produces false particle counts that compromise yield control and cleanroom certification.
Cleanroom Metrology LLC deposits polystyrene microspheres from 20nm to 80µm and silica microspheres from 30nm to 1.5µm onto prime silicon wafers from 100mm through 300mm and on quartz substrates from 25mm to 150mm. Each calibration wafer standard ships with a full size certificate. 300mm prime wafers are cleaned down to 18nm before deposition; 200mm wafers down to 80nm, and prime silica wafers from 75mm to 150mm are typically clean down to 125nm.
Multiple particle size depositions on a single wafer reduce qualification time: a single wafer scan verifiy your SSIS size response across the full dynamic size range. Spot, Half, and Full deposition on silica wafers are available to match your calibration methodology.
Full Deposition
Single particle size uniformly deposited across the entire wafer surface. Verifies scan uniformity edge-to-edge. Identifies laser intensity or detector sensitivity variation across the wafer.
Spot Deposition
Circular spot of PSL spheres at a specific location, as specified by the customer or at standard 0, 90, 180, 270 degree locations on a clean prime silica wafer. Allows multiple size distributions on one silica wafer. Spot Depositions visually show a Metrology Engineer when the background is getting too contaminated with unwanted particles to use as a reference.
Half Deposition
One particle size covering half the wafer. Allows direct comparison of the laser response between the deposited side of the wafer and clean side of the wafer surface, in a single scan by the SSIS tool.
Wafer Size Availability & Particle Range
300mm
PSL: 20nm → 15µm · Silica: 30nm → 1.5µm · Pre-cleaned to 18nm
200mm
PSL: 80nm → 80µm · Silica available · Pre-cleaned to 80nm
150mm
PSL: 75mm – 150nm → 80µm · Standard prime silicon, Pre-cleaned to 125nm
100mm
PSL deposition available · Customer EPI & FILM wafers accepted
Custom
Customer-supplied film, EPI wafers & quartz masks accepted
Particle Size Standards
NIST Traceable Polystyrene & Silica Microspheres, 20nm to 160µm
Used to calibrate aerosol particle counters, verify HEPA filter performance, support pharmaceutical drug delivery research, and underpin semiconductor CMP slurry characterisation. Every standard carries narrow size distribution and a certified size accuracy traceable to NIST.
● Suspension
Polystyrene Microspheres — Wet
Polystyrene latex (PSL) microspheres suspended in Di Water. Used for aerosol particle counter size calibration, HEPA filter challenge tests, and deposition of calibration wafer standards. Monodisperse with narrow size peak.
20nm → 160µm
● Surface Standards
SURF-CAL Particle Size Standards
SURF-CAL particle size standards for surface contamination and size calibration of SSIS tools. Used by semiconductor metrology engineers to verify the surface scanning performance of wafer inspection systems against independently certified size references.
NIST Traceable
● Silica
Silica Microspheres
NIST traceable silica (SiO₂) microsphere standards for high-power UV, DUV, and blue laser wafer inspection systems. Also used in pharmaceutical drug delivery and CMP slurry characterisation at 300nm, 500nm, and 800nm.
30nm → 1µm (1000nm)
● Dry Powder
Dry Polystyrene Microspheres
Dry polystyrene spheres in powder form at larger sizes. Used in aerosol dispersion research, inhaler drug delivery testing, and applications requiring a dry, free-flowing particle standard without aqueous carrier.
200µm → 1000µm
● Dry Silica
Dry Silica Microspheres
Dry silica microsphere standards for applications requiring a powder-form size standard. Used in aerosol research, dry dispersion characterisation, and semiconductor metrology applications where aqueous suspensions are unsuitable.
30nm → 1µm dry
● Fluorescent
Dry Fluorescent Microspheres
Fluorescent microspheres for tracer studies, airflow pattern research, and filter efficiency validation where visual detection under UV illumination enhances test resolution. Used in both pharmaceutical and research laboratory settings.
Multiple sizes available
Industries Served
Built for Semiconductor Metrology Managers and Engineering Managers
That DEMAND Particle Size continuity in their SSIS tool calibration
Cleanroom Metrology LLC serves three regulated industries. Each operates under distinct guidelines and each demands different performance from its cleanroom foggers and calibration standards.
01
Pharmaceutical & Compounding
FDA-regulated pharmaceutical manufacturers, hospital compounding pharmacies, and aseptic fill-finish operations conduct mandated smoke studies using USP 797 and USP 800 guidelines. ISO 14644-3 Annex B7 governs airflow direction and visualization tests. GMP Annex 1 requires full video documentation of every smoke study session.
AFM ultrasonic foggers and Apollo LN2 foggers use only DI water, WFI, or sterile water — no chemical contamination. Both fogger lines qualify for USP 797 in-situ airflow analysis and FDA inspection readiness.
USP 797USP 800FDA GMPGMP Annex 1ISO 14644-3
02
Semiconductor Fabrication
Semiconductor fabs operate to ISO 14644-3 and SEMI Standards guidelines for cleanroom airflow verification. SSIS tools — KLA-Tencor, Hitachi, Topcon — require periodic size calibration using NIST traceable PSL and silica calibration wafer standards. A size-mis-calibrated SSIS directly impacts defect detection and process yield.
PSL calibration wafer standards from 20nm to 80µm cover the full dynamic range of modern SSIS tools.
ISO 14644-3SEMI StandardsNIST TraceableFederal 209E
03
Medical Device & Biotech
Medical device manufacturers and biotechnology facilities operate ISO 5 through ISO 8 cleanrooms under FDA 21 CFR Part 820 and ISO 14644 requirements. Smoke studies document airflow performance around critical process equipment, HEPA filter integrity, and doorway air barrier effectiveness.
Particle size standards support aerosol particle challenge testing of HEPA filters, validation of particle counter calibration, and characterization of inhaler drug delivery aerosols. Polystyrene PSL spheres and silica microspheres cover the aerosol particle counter calibration range from 20nm to 160µm.
ISO 14644FDA 21 CFR 820NSF 49USP 797
Frequently Asked Questions
Smoke Studies, Foggers & Calibration Standards — Common Questions
What is a cleanroom fogger used for?
A cleanroom fogger generates ultrapure fog to visualize airflow patterns, airflow turbulence, and dead zones in pharmaceutical ISO suites, semiconductor cleanrooms, and barrier isolators. Smoke studies using cleanroom foggers are mandated by ISO 14644-3 Annex B7 and USP 797 guidelines.
What is the difference between an ultrasonic fogger and an LN2 fogger?
Ultrasonic foggers (AFM series) use piezo transducers and DI water to produce fog at up to 2 M³/minute. LN2 foggers (Apollo series) use liquid nitrogen and DI or WFI water to produce a far denser, paper-white fog with zero residue. LN2 foggers produce significantly more fog volume and suit large cleanrooms and sterile manufacturing suites.
What are PSL calibration wafer standards?
PSL calibration wafer standards are prime silicon wafers deposited with NIST traceable polystyrene or silica microspheres at precise, narrow size distributions. They calibrate the size accuracy and scan uniformity of KLA-Tencor Surfscan SP1–SP5, Hitachi, and Topcon SSIS tools. Available in 100mm, 150mm, 200mm, and 300mm formats.
Which fogger is required for USP 797 smoke studies?
USP 797 requires a non-contaminating, zero-residue fog generator. The AFM series and Apollo LN2 series use only DI water, WFI, or sterile water — no glycol, no chemical residue. Both series comply with USP 797, ISO 14644-3 Annex B7, and FDA airflow visualization requirements.
What particle size range do the calibration wafer standards cover?
Polystyrene microspheres deposit from 20nm to 15µm on 300mm wafers, and from 80nm to 15µm on 200mm wafers. Silica microspheres are available from 30nm to 1.5µm. Standards are available in full, half, spot, and circle deposition formats.
How often should airflow visualization smoke studies be performed?
ISO 14644-3 and USP 797 require smoke studies during initial cleanroom certification, after HVAC or equipment changes, and during periodic requalification — typically annually or biannually. GMP Annex 1 requires video documentation of every smoke study session.