2020 - 2021 Reduced Holiday Operations
Due to Purdue's Winter Recess, availability of hazardous gasses will be reduced from 3:30 PM Fri Dec 18th to 8 AM Mon Jan 4th. Lab work may otherwise proceed, though any fume hood work must be done with someone else present in the same laboratory or cleanroom bay (the "buddy" system). Please note the following changes to our normal operation:
- ALD sources, Cl2, and BCl3 will remain available.
- Work with Highly dermally toxic liquids (25% TMAH, HF, BOE) ABSOLUTELY requires a buddy within eyesight at all times.
- Custodial staff will not be working.
- There will be limited restocking of shared use supplies.
- There will be limited availability of engineering staff to answer questions or repair down equipment (similar to a weekend).
- On metallization tools: sources will not be changed and depositions must be <200 nm.
See for more information, and contact Steve Jurss (sejurss@purdue.edu) with any questions.
Birck Users and Research Community,
With the extended break this year between the Christmas and New Year's holidays the university will be closed for 16 days in a row, beginning Friday, December 18th at 3:30 PM and concluding Monday morning, January 4th at 8:00 AM.
Please note the time and complete any processes requiring unavailable hazardous gases before 3:30 pm Friday, December 18th.
See below for more information:
The Birck Nanotechnology Center will implement the following policy for the duration of this time period:
- ALD sources, Cl2, and BCl3 will remain available, but most toxic, flammable, or hazardous gases will unavailable. Unavailable gases includes hydrogen, methane, silane, dichlorosilane, trichlorosilane, ammonia, H2S, nitric oxide, chlorine, and KrF. These gases will be shut off at the source and no processes using these gases will be allowed. Additionally, no pyrophoric sources may be handled or modified.
- Nitrogen, argon, helium, forming gas, SF6, CF4, C4F8, and oxygen will continue to be available.
- Cleanroom and laboratory operations will still be available as long as they don't use any hazardous gases.
- Fume hoods will be open for use but please make sure someone else is in the same lab area or cleanroom bay if you're going to work alone in the hood. Any HF, BOE, or 25% TMAH work absolutely must be performed with a buddy within eyesight at all times.
- Loading dock will be closed with no shipping and receiving coverage and no deliveries accepted.
- There will be no custodial service during holiday time so trash and bathroom conditions will not be maintained.
- Stocked materials should be especially conserved by all users as no deliveries to the university will occur during this period, and stocking of on-hand materials may occur on a very limited basis.
- Cleanroom users should continue to re-use their cleanroom gowns and other garments as much as possible since the shipping of used garments to our laundry supplier will be unavailable during this time.
- Staff will not be working normal hours but some may intermittently stop in for brief walk-throughs and checks.
Thank you for your support of this extended period of time for staff, faculty, and students to enjoy time off with family and to refresh.
April 03, 2019
Board approves winter recess for 2020-21
At the recommendation of President Mitch Daniels, Purdue University’s Board of Trustees on Thursday (April 2) approved for 2020 the addition of a three-day winter recess on Dec. 29, 30 and 31 for faculty and staff on the West Lafayette, Northwest and Fort Wayne campuses. The three days are in addition to approved University holidays already scheduled for Dec. 24, 25, 28 and Jan. 1, 2021.
Purdue first offered the extended winter recess during December 2015 after adding two half-day leaves during December 2014. For the coming year, the University will be officially closed Dec. 24 through Jan 1, 2021.