Abstract
Initiated by the German Ministry for Research and Technology, two Fraunhofer-Institutes were given the task of creating a "Development Group for Seminconductor Production Equipment" in order to support the consolidation of the German semiconductor equipment industry. Within the range of duties of the team the IPA should supply the manufacturing engineerical standards and device automation concepts on the one hand and on the other hand the AIS should work at the questions of process. As a part of this a test center for ultra clean manufacturing equipment started its activities at the IPA in Stuttgart in January 1988. The main investigation subject of this center is contamination control. The erected and installed facilities allow particle measurement and analysis on surfaces, in air and in any kind of process fluids.