MME 693

Materials Science Technologies for

Applications in Life Sciences
Microfabrication Techniques
Instructor: Vivek Verma
MME 693: Materials Science Technologies for Applications in Life Sciences
MME 693: Materials Science Technologies for Applications in Life Sciences 2
Wet-Bulk Surface Micromachining
Features are sculpted in bulk
Wet-bulk machining can be used for
Cleaning
Shaping three dimensional structures
Removing surface damage
Polishing
Silicon wafers
Aspect ratio
Microelectronics 1:2
MEMS 1:400
4 inch wafer: 525 m
6 inch wafer: 650 m
MME 693: Materials Science Technologies for Applications in Life Sciences 3
Wet-Bulk Surface Micromachining
Miller indices
Planes are described with parenthesis
(100), (110), (111), (120)
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
MME 693: Materials Science Technologies for Applications in Life Sciences 4
Wet-Bulk Surface Micromachining
Miller indices
Planes are described with parenthesis
(100), (110), (111), (120)
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
MME 693: Materials Science Technologies for Applications in Life Sciences 5
Wet-Bulk Surface Micromachining
Miller indices
Planes are described with paranthesis
(100), (110), (111), (120)
Set of equivalent directions is described with braces
{110}
Particular direction is described with square bracket
[100] normal to plane (100)
Set of equivalent directions are designated with
angle brackets <100>
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Wet-Bulk Surface Micromachining
Various planes in a {100}-orientation wafer
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
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Isotropic and Anisotropic Etching
Isotropic etchants are applied to all crystallographic
directions at the same rate
Usually acid etchants
Lead to rounded features
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
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Isotropic and Anisotropic Etching
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
Anisotropic etching rates depend on exposed crystal
orientation
Specific orientations get etched much faster
Alkaline materials are used at anisotropic etchants
MME 693: Materials Science Technologies for Applications in Life Sciences 9
Isotropic and Anisotropic Etching
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
Isotropic agents are diffusion limited
Anisotropic agents are rate limited
Isotropic and anisotropic agents involve in oxidation of
silicon followed by dissolution of the hydrated silicate
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Isotropic and Anisotropic Etching
Isotropic etching
Si + HNO
3
+ 6HF H
2
SiF
6
+ HNO
2
+ H
2
O + H
2
Isotropic etching is used for
Removal of work-damaged surfaces
Rounding sharp corners to avoid stress
concentration
Removing roughness
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Isotropic and Anisotropic Etching
Anisotropic etching takes place in hydroxide groups:
Anisotropic etching results in geometric shapes
bounded by the slowest etching plane
MME 693: Materials Science Technologies for Applications in Life Sciences 12
Isotropic and Anisotropic Etching
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
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Isotropic and Anisotropic Etching
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
[100]-orientation
silicon wafer has
inward sloping walls of
54.74
[110]-orientation has
fastest etch rate
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Selection of Silicon Wafer Orientation
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
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Isotropic and Anisotropic Etching
Parameters include
Undercutting (bias)
Tolerance
Etch rate
Anisotropy
Selectivity
Over etch
Feature size control
Loading effects
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3D Structures with Sacrificial Layers
Micromachining is used
Sacrificial layer is used that can be etched away to
leave undercut features
Cantilever parts
Free moving masses
Bridges
Diaphragms
In 3D surface micromachining, features are built up
layer by layer
Dry etching defines features in x-y plane
Wet etching releases them from the plane by undercutting
Shapes are restricted by crystallography of the substrate
Example of micromachining
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3D Structures with Sacrificial Layers
http://www.swri.edu/3pubs/ttoday/winter04/images/page9.jpg
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3D Structures with Sacrificial Layers
http://www.sfu.ca/immr/gallery/crm52-01/hinge_3g_2.jpg
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LIGA
LIGA (German)
Lithographie,
Galvanoformung,
Abformung
Lithography electroplating
molding
High aspect ratio process
http://en.wikipedia.org/
wiki/LIGA
High energy synchrotron
X-Ray or UV to pattern
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
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LIGA
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
MME 693: Materials Science Technologies for Applications in Life Sciences 21
LIGA
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
MME 693: Materials Science Technologies for Applications in Life Sciences 22
LIGA
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
MME 693: Materials Science Technologies for Applications in Life Sciences 23
LIGA
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
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LIGA
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE)
Used for building high aspect ratio micro-
machined parts
20:1 aspect ratio is nicely achieved
Near vertical walls
Inductively coupled plasma
Bosch process
Alternating etching and passivation process
Allows deeply etched trenches
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25
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Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE)
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
MME 693: Materials Science Technologies for Applications in Life Sciences 27
Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE)
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
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Deep Reactive Ion Etching (DRIE)
SF
6
plasma is used for etching
C
4
F
8
is used for passivation
DRIE can be used
In silicon for microfluidic devices
Producing nanocapillaries
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HEXIL Process
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
Silicon walls are wet etched to create smooth surface
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HEXIL Process
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
Phosphosilicate glass (PSG) is applied as sacrificial layer
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HEXIL Process
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
Polysilicon is deposited using CVD
Annealing and polishing
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HEXIL Process
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
Another structural (polysilicon) layer is patterned and
deposited such that it physically connects with first layer
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HEXIL Process
Saliterman Fundamentals of BioMEMS and Medical Microdevices
Sacrificial layer is removed using hydrofluoric acid