A micro vertically-allocated SU-8 check valve and its characteristics

Microsystem Technologies - This paper proposes and develops a novel fabrication method to realize a micro vertically-allocated SU-8 check valve. The ordinary vertically-allocated SU-8 check valve...     

Fabrication of a freestanding micro mechanical structure using electroplated thick metal with a HAR SU-8 mold

In this thesis, fabrication technology of a freestanding micro mechanical structure using electroplated thick metal with a high-aspect-ratio SU-8 mold was studied. A cost-effective fabrication process using electroplating with the SU-8 mold was developed without expensive equipment and materials such as deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) or a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The process factors and methods for the removal of SU-8 were studied as a key technique of the thick metal micro mechanical structure. A novel method that removes cross-linked SU-8 completely without leaving remnants of the resist or altering the electroplated microstructure was utilized. The experimental data pertaining to the relationship between the geometric features and the parameters of the removal process are summarized. Based on the established SU-8 removal process, an electroplated nickel comb structure with high-aspect-ratio SU-8 mold was fabricated in a cost-effective manner. In addition, a freestanding micro mechanical structure without a sacrificial layer was successfully realized. The in-plane free movements of the released freestanding structure are demonstrated by electromagnetic actuation. This research implies that various types of MEMS devices can be developed at a low-cost with design flexibility.     

Evaluation of optical qualities of a LIGA-spectrometer in SU-8

In the past few years, SU-8 negative resist has been used in addition to PMMA positive resist for MEMS applications using deep X-ray lithography [1]. The advantage of SU-8 compared to PMMA is a higher sensitivity and a higher chemical stability. However, it is not yet as well analyzed in terms of microstructure quality. In this work SU-8 was examined with regards to its suitability to be used for high-resolution MOEMS. This is done exemplarily for a LIGA microspectrometer as this device can be thoroughly analyzed evaluating the side wall quality and the optical gratings as single structures, as well as the whole optical system [2]. In order to eliminate the high damping of visible light inside solid SU-8 material, a hollow wave guide design has been chosen. SU-8 was detected to reproduce structures in the nanometer-regime, combined with an averaged peak-to-valley profile better than PMMA. Although the measured roughness of SU-8 is worse than that of PMMA, there is still a comparable damping of the signal in MOEMS for both resists.     

Design and fabrication of a SU-8 based electrostatic microactuator

Comb-drive microactuator is widely used in MEMS devices and traditionally is made of silicon as structural material using silicon-based fabrication technology. Recent development in UV lithography of SU-8 has made it possible to fabricate the ultra high aspect ratio microstructures with excellent sidewall quality. In this paper, we report a low cost alternative to the silicon-based comb drive by using cured SU-8 polymer as structural material. The microactuator was designed to have a integrated structure without assembly or bonding. A unique integration fabrication process was successfully developed based on UV lithography of SU-8 and selectively metallizing SU-8 polymer structures. Preliminary experimental results have proved the feasibility of the microactuator and the fabrication technology.     

In situ fabrication of SU-8 movable parts by using PAG-diluted SU-8 as the sacrificial layer

In this paper we proposed a novel technology to make SU-8 movable parts in situ by using PAG-diluted SU-8 or SU-8R, a SU-8 solution with no photoacid generator (PAG) content, as the sacrificial layer. Since they are not or less sensitive to UV light the unexposed bottom layer in UV lithography will be dissolved to release the movable components during the final develop in PGMEA (Propylene Glycol Monomethyl Ether Acetate). The use of PAG-diluted SU-8 or SU-8R as a sacrificial layer offers several advantages including significant reduction in processing steps. It becomes the simplest technique currently available for in situ fabrication of SU-8 movable parts. In this paper the lithographic sensitivities of SU-8 as a function of the PAG concentration, detailed fabrication process and examples of fabricated SU-8 movable parts will be presented.     

High functionality of a polymer nanocomposite material for MEMS applications

We present on a carbon nanoparticle-filled SU-8 photosensitive polymer nanocomposite for use in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) or microsystems. Exposure and fabrication of the material was carried out using X-ray lithography. The polymer nanocomposite was studied for its electrical, thermal and mechanical characteristics. It was found that at low filler weight percentages, the SU-8 polymer became electrically and thermally conductive. A comparative study of the lithography performance of this functionalized SU-8 to pure SU-8 was also performed. It was determined that UV lithography of the PNC was not suitable for thick films and that by using X-rays, thick film high-aspect-ratio microstructures were achievable. Such results are favorable for many applications such as monolithically integrated polymeric micro-resistive heating elements and polymeric micro-heat sinks.     

Simulation and experimental validation of a SU-8 based PCR thermocycler chip with integrated heaters and temperature sensor

We present a SU-8 based polymerase chain reaction (PCR) chip with integrated platinum thin film heaters and temperature sensor. The device is fabricated in SU-8 on a glass substrate. The use of SU-8 provides a simple microfabrication process for the PCR chamber, controllable surface properties and can allow on chip integration to other SU-8 based functional elements. Finite element modeling (FEM) and experiments show that the temperature distribution in the PCR chamber is homogeneous and that the chip is capable of fast thermal cycling. With heating and cooling rates of up to 50 and 30 °C/s, respectively, the performance of the chip is comparable with the best silicon micromachined PCR chips presented in the literature. The SU-8 chamber surface was found to be PCR compatible by amplification of yeast gene ribosomal protein S3 and Campylobacter gene cadF. The PCR compatibility of the chamber surfaces was enhanced by silanization.     

Releasing high aspect ratio SU-8 microstructures using AZ photoresist as a sacrificial layer on metallized Si substrates

This paper presents a successful method for releasing high aspect ratio SU-8 micro-structures by the use of positive photoresist (AZ 4620) as sacrificial layer. The AZ 4620 photoresist sacrificial layer was dissolved by the SU-8 developer (propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate). Thus, this process reduces the need for complex microfabrication steps and equipments which are otherwise required in traditional methods using metal sacrificial layers. The current method is both cost-effective and time-effective because no additional releasing method or material is needed to remove the fabricated SU-8 structures. Further, the influence of surface energy on the adhesion between Si and SU-8 was demonstrated and metallic thin layer coating on Si was employed to further reduce the lift-off duration. The results obtained showed that the duration for lift-off of SU-8 structures from metal (Al) coated Si substrate is much lower (approximately 90 % time saving) and the surface morphology of the released structures has lesser micropore concentration compared to the process employing bare Si as the substrate. In both processes AZ 4620 was the sacrificial layer whereas the metalized Si substrate could be re-used.     

Suspended SU-8 structures for monolithic microfluidic channels

SU-8 photoresist is commonly used in the field of microfabrication as structural material or for molding of microfluidic devices. One major limitation, however, is the difficulty to process partially freestanding SU-8 structures or monolithic closed cavities and channels on-chip. We propose here a simple method for the fabrication of suspended structures, in particular of monolithic SU-8 microchannels. The method is based on the processing of a SU-8 double-layer. Appropriate modification of the optical properties of the upper layer allows for selective crosslinking in the layer sandwich. This process is suitable for versatile layouts comprising open and hollow SU-8 structures on the same chip.     

Free-standing SU-8 microfluidic chips by adhesive bonding and release etching

Free-standing SU-8 chips with enclosed microchannels and high density of fluidic inlets have been made in a three-layer process which involves SU-8 to SU-8 adhesive bonding and sacrificial etching. With this process we can fabricate microchannels with depths ranging from 10 to 500 μm, channel widths from 10 to 2000 μm and lengths up to 6 cm. The process is optimized with respect to SU-8 glass transition temperature. Thermal stresses and thickness non-uniformities of SU-8 are compensated by novel mask design features, the auxiliary moats. With these process innovations filling of microchannels can be prevented, non-bonded area is minimized and bonding yields are 90% for large-area microfluidic chips. We have released up to 100 mm in diameter sized microfluidic chips completely from carrier wafers. These free-standing SU-8 chips are mechanically strong and show consistent wetting and capillary filling with aqueous fluids. Fluidic inlets were made in SU-8 chips by adding one lithography step, eliminating through-wafer etching or drilling. In our process the inlet size and density is limited by lithography only.     

Fabrication of comb-drive micro-actuators based on UV lithography of SU-8 and electroless plating technique

Comb-drive microactuators are widely used in MEMS devices. Most of the comb-drive microactuators reported in MEMS field are made using fabrication technology with silicon as the structural material. Recent progress in ultra violet (UV) lithography of SU-8 has made it feasible to fabricate ultra high aspect ratio microstructures with excellent sidewall quality. In this paper, a research work on fabrication and metallization of high aspect ratio SU-8 polymer comb-drive microactuators was reported. The fabrication process combined multi-step and multi-layer UV lithography of SU-8 on a silicon substrate and copper electroless plating to selectively metallize the SU-8 microstructure. The selective electroless plating was achieved by using UV modification of the SU-8 microstructures and the careful control of the exposure dosage. Preliminary experimental results have proved the feasibility of the microactuator and the fabrication technology.     

Electroplated compliant metal microactuators with small feature sizes using a removable SU-8 mould

In the work presented in this article a fabrication process for high aspect ratio metal microstructures has been developed using photoresist EPON SU-8. A smallest feature size of 2 μm with near vertical sidewalls has been achieved on a routine basis. The SU-8 photoresist has been used as mould for electroplating high aspect ratio metal micro actuators. A removal process has also been developed. The removal of the SU-8 mould after plating is done in a plasma asher using an oxygen or oxygen/fluorine plasma with plasma power as low as 200 W. To demonstrate the fabrication process a 10 μm thick nickel, electro-thermal micro actuator has been fabricated.     

Indirect removal of SU-8 photoresist using PDMS technique

SU-8 photoresist shows superior images for thick film lithography and has been utilized as an electroplating mold. However, crosslinked SU-8 is difficult to remove reliably from high-aspect-ratio microstructures (HARMs) without damage or alteration to the electroplated metal. In this paper, an indirect SU-8 removal method is proposed. Instead of directly using SU-8 microstructure as the electroplating mold, a polydimethysiloxane (PDMS) replica is employed. The metallic micromold insert obtained through this method can be easily peeled off from the PDMS replica, meanwhile with high resolution and smooth surfaces.     

基于MEMS技术的新型太赫兹混频器设计与制作

混频器是太赫兹器件中传输信号的基本元件,具有重要的研究价值。介绍了一种以MEMS工艺为基础的新型的太赫兹混频器设计和加工工艺。该太赫兹混频器采用具有高介电常数SU-8光刻胶作为介质层,然后在SU-8胶介质层上进行光刻、电镀微带线,实现了采用正负胶结合的牺牲层工艺加工制作出了太赫兹混频器。     

SU-8胶微结构的尺寸公差研究

对SU-8胶微结构的尺寸及其公差进行了定量研究.在考虑了SU-8的吸收系数和折射系数对紫外光刻尺寸精度影响的基础上,根据菲涅耳衍射理论建立了紫外曝光改进模型和尺寸公差模型,对SU-8微结构的尺寸及其公差进行数值模拟.以硅为基底,进行了SU-8胶紫外光刻的实验研究.实验中掩模的特征宽度分别取50 μm、100μm、200μm和400 μm,SU-8胶表面的曝光剂量分别取400mJ/cm2和800mJ/cm2,测量了SU-8胶微结构的顶部线宽、底部线宽和SU-8胶的厚度,数值模拟结果与实验结果基本吻合.可以用本文的模型来预测SU-8微结构的尺寸及其公差.     

A quantitative study on the adhesion property of cured SU-8 on various metallic surfaces

SU-8 has received wide attention in recent years because of its application in the fabrication of high aspect ratio microstructures and devices. This negative resist is known for its excellent lithography properties using ultraviolet light source. As the microfabrication technology based on UV-lithography of SU-8 finds wide applications, a good understanding and characterization of cured SU-8 polymer on various substrate materials are therefore very important. A good adhesion on various substrate materials is essential to both the fabrication process and to the functionality of any final products that have cured SU-8 as part of the structural material. There are very limited studies reported in this important area in the literature. This paper presents a theoretical and experimental work to quantitatively study the adhesion properties of cured SU-8 on some of the most commonly used metallic surface materials. The adhesion strengths of cured SU-8 samples on Au, Ti, Cu, Cr, and Ni coated glass substrates were measured following ASTM-C633 standard. A detailed analysis of the experimental results was also provided based on the atomic structures and electron configurations of the respective metals.     

Network properties and acid degradability of epoxy-based SU-8 resists containing reactive gamma-butyrolactone

SU-8 is an octafunctional epoxy-based negative resist supplied with a reactive diluent, gamma-butyrolactone (GBL). This paper characterizes the network properties and acid degradability of cured SU-8 resists with varying GBL monomer content and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation time. The SU-8/GBL network structure was characterized by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC/MS). GBL was found to copolymerize with epoxy to bridge two neighbouring epoxy groups and does not homopolymerize. The maximum GBL:SU-8 molar ratio whereby all GBL fully reacted with available epoxy functionalities in the network was found to be 8:1. Excess GBL beyond the maximum GBL:SU-8 ratio remains in the network as a plasticizer. GBL content and UV irradiation time affect glass transition temperature (T_g), epoxy conversion and molecular weight between cross-links (M_c) which were measured by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) and FTIR. The mechanism of cross-linked network acid degradation was found to be surface erosion. Lower epoxy conversion, higher M_c and higher GBL content resulted in a higher dissolution rate, which can be exploited in applications requiring SU-8 removal. A patterned SU-8 grating with relatively high-GBL content (10%) was successfully used as a template for Cu electroforming.     

Micromechanical force sensors based on SU-8 resist

This paper presents an innovative approach to develop highly sensitive 3D force sensors. In order to increase the probing sensitivity by using a material with low Young’s Modulus, a novel force sensor design based on SU-8 polymer is realized. Therefore, a low cost fabrication process is developed accompanied by design studies and an estimation of mechanical properties of the deforming elements. This paper will present the fabrication process as well as a distinguishing set of test results, analytical results, and simulations on the characterization of the presented SU-8 force sensor. The novel SU-8 design consists of an SU-8 boss-membrane with integrated piezoresistive elements. The SU-8 membranes are structured using photolithography. The SU-8 micromechanical structures are characterized to determine film stresses, bending stiffness, displacement of the stylus, and breaking points. Included in these tests are measurement of the stress behavior at different process steps and simulation of stress distribution in the membrane at different directions of loading. In addition a comparative analytical investigation of the structures is carried out particularly with regard to the displacement of the stylus.     

Fabrication of chamber for piezo inkjet printhead by SU-8 photolithography technology and bonding method

The chamber is an important part of the inkjet printhead. However, the present fabrication methods of chamber suffer from a low alignment resolution between nozzle plates and piezoelectric structure and residual SU-8 removing problems during chamber fabricating process. In this paper, a SU-8 chamber was fabricated by using ultraviolet (UV) photolithography and SU-8 thermal bonding method. By this method, the infilling problem of the chamber during thermal bonding process was solved, and low alignment resolution problem of conventional UV exposure system during assembly process was avoided. The thickness of the SU-8 nozzle plate was optimized, and the influence of bonding parameters on the deformation of chamber was analyzed. The simulation results show that the optimal thickness of the SU-8 nozzle plate is 40 μm and the optimal bonding parameters are bonding temperature of 50 °C, bonding pressure of 160 kPa and bonding time of 6 min. The tensile test results show the bonding strength of the SU-8 chamber is 2.1 MPa by using the optimized bonding parameter.     

New fabrication techniques of SU-8 fiber holder with cantilever-type elastic microclips by inclined UV lithography in water using single Mylar mask

In contact UV lithography, a pair of cantilever beams fabricated by two inclined exposures at ±45° in SU-8 using a single mask will form a connected end on the top of SU-8 layer. These beams made of SU-8 with fixed-end have been used as optical fiber holders (Ling and Lian in Microsyst Technol 13(3–4):245–251, 2007). Recently, a two-mask, two-step process to fabricate free-end cantilever beams from SU-8 using inclined UV lithography has been developed (Ling et al. in Microsyst Technol 15(3):429–435, 2009), which has been successfully applied to fabricate SU-8 optical fiber holders with long free-end cantilever beams. In this process, two masks are needed in order to obtain free-end beams and the alignment between two exposures is always time consuming with limited accuracy. Two new techniques, inclined UV shadow mask lithography and inclined UV proximity lithography, have been illustrated here for fabricating free-end SU-8 cantilever beams, which eliminate the precise alignment step required in our previous work (Ling et al. in Microsyst Technol 15(3):429–435, 2009). In the inclined UV shadow mask lithography approach, the SU-8 cantilever beams without connected ends are formed by using one main mask and two shadow masks. Each shadow mask is used to selectively transfer one of the two separated patterns on main mask into SU-8 layer at +45° and −45°, respectively. In the inclined UV proximity lithography approach, a proper proximity gap between mask and SU-8 surface is obtained by using a 50 μm thick Mylar sheet, so that the exposing light paths that formed connected beam ends will fall inside the proximity layer instead of the SU-8. In this way, the desired open-end cantilever structures can be achieved. In this paper, the principles and the fabrication procedures of the proposed techniques are demonstrated and the preliminary results are discussed.