Fabrication of microdevices

by

LIGA PROCESS
Introduction
The MEMS micromachining process known as LIGA utilizes the following
three fabrication process steps

LIGA is a German acronym for,

Lithographie Lithography

Galvanoformung Electroplating

Abformung Molding

LIGA fabrication is used to create high-aspect ratio structures through the use of x-
rays produced by a synchrotron or relatively low aspect ratio structures through the
use of UV (ultraviolet) light.
LIGA Micromaching Process
 The LIGA process involves the following steps:
 l. A very thick (up to hundreds of microns) resist layer of polymethylmethacrylate
(PMMA) is deposited onto a primary substrate.
 2. The PMMA is exposed to columnated X-rays and is developed.
 3. Metal is electrodeposited onto the primary substrate.
 4. The PMMA is removed or stripped, resulting in a freestanding metal structure.
 5. Plastic injection molding takes place.

 The LIGA-fabrication process is composed of:

1. Exposure, 2. Development

3. Electroforming 4. Stripping

5. Replication
LIGA Micromaching Process
Step-1
Coat thick photoresist (300 m to > 500 m) on a
substrate with an electrically conductive surface.

Step-2:- Irradiation
X-ray lithography with extended exposure from
highly collimated X-radiation to penetrate thick
Resist with well- defined sidewalls.

Irradiation involves exposing a thick layer of

resist to high-energy beam of x-rays from a
synchrotron. The mask membrane is normally a
low atomic number material such as diamond,
beryllium, or a thin membrane of a higher
atomic number material such as silicon or
silicon carbide.
LIGA Micromaching Process
Step-3: Development

In this step the pattern is etched into the resist substrate

by the use of x- rays and desired structure are formed.

Step-4: Electroforming

Metal electroplated on the exposed conductive

substrate surface.
Electroforming is the same as electroplating.
Electroforming suggests that the plating is
used to create an actual metal component
LIGA Micromaching Process
Step-5
After photoresist removal, metal structure
formed may be used as mold.

Sacrificial techniques are combined with the basic

LIGA process to create partially freed,
flexure-suspended structure or completely freed devices.
LIGA Processess
Component for LIGA Process
 Masks
 Masks are composed of a transparent, low-Atomic number carrier, a patterned
high-Atomic number absorber, and a metallic ring for alignment and heat removal.

 Carriers are fabricated from materials with high thermal conductivity to reduce
thermal gradients. Ex: Vitreous carbon and graphite, Silicon, silicon nitride,
titanium, and diamond.
 Absorbers are gold, nickel, copper, tin,
lead, and other X-ray absorbing metals.

Masks can be of different types.

 Mask created by electron beam
lithography. (4 µm thick)
 Plated photomask which provides.(3 µm)
 Direct photomask, which provides. (80
µm thick)
 Substrate
 The starting material is a flat substrate, such as a silicon wafer or a polished disc of
beryllium, copper, titanium, or other material. The substrate electrically conductive.

 Photoresist

 For fabrication of high-aspect-ratio structures,

photoresist is requires .
 It form a mold with vertical sidewalls and must
be free from stress when applied in thick layers.
 The use of photoresist depends on types of Liga
Process used.
 For x-ray, PMMA (Polymethyl methacrylate).
 For UV-Ray,SU-8.
 The photoresist with high molecular weight is
applied to the substrate by a glue-down process.
Lithographies
E-beam lithography
Photolithography, (scattering,
diffraction limits resolution proximity effect)

X-ray lithography, Ion beam lithography,

little diffraction, low penetration depth
high depth of focus (very thin resist)

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X- Ray Lithography
“It is a process used in microfabrication to pattern parts of a thin film or the bulk of
a substrate. It uses light to transfer a geometric pattern from a photomask to a light-
sensitive chemical "photoresist" on the substrate”.

 X-rays having wavelengths of 0.4 A° to 5 A° represent radiation source for high-

resolution design reproduction into polymeric resist materials.

 X-ray lithography was first demonstrated to obtain high-resolution designs using X-

ray proximity printing by Spears and Smith.

 X-ray lithography can be extended optical resolution of 15 nm.

 Essential elements in X-ray lithography

 A mask consisting of a pattern made with an X-ray absorbing material on a thin X-ray
transparent membrane.

 An X-ray source of sufficient brightness.

 An X-ray sensitive resist material.

 The X-rays illuminate a mask placed in proximity of a resist-coated
wafer.

 The X-rays are typically from synchrotron radiation source,

allowing rapid exposure.

 X-ray lithography is expensive, because of the expense of

operating a synchrotron. The actual operating expenses without
considering the initial investment of tens-of-millions of dollars.
Wilhelm Conrad
Therefore, the LIGA process was developed to reduce the
Roentgen (1845-1923)
dependency on a synchrotron.

 Roentgen discovered an X-ray in 1895 (X-ray).

 Setup of proximity x-ray lithography
Mask is made of absorber (Au…) on membrane (Si3N4…)

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 Synchrotron radiation x-ray source:
the choice for x-ray lithography

Storage Ring

Shield Wall

Synchrotron radiation (SR):

• Electromagnetic radiation (light) emitted from electrons moving with relativistic velocities.
• First observed in 1947 from a 70MeV electron accelerator at GE.
• In earlier times, it was just considered as waste product, limiting accelerator performance.
• However, other researchers soon realized that SR was the brightest source of infrared,
ultraviolet, and x-rays, very useful for studying matter on the scale of atoms and molecules.
• Irradiation is highly polarized and pulsed (e.g. nanosecond pulse).
• Observer sees only a small portion of electron trajectory. The pulse length is thus the
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difference in time it takes an electron and a photon to cover this distance on the circle.
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 How synchrotron radiation works?
Bending magnet:
For normal-conductive B1.5 Tesla.
“C” shaped allowing radiation to exit

Straight line

Bend and
emit when
passing a
magnet
Accelerated
here

• Typically a low-energy accelerator injects “bunches” of electrons into a

storage ring; the charged particle are in pico-second pulses spaced
nanoseconds apart.
• Acceleration is produced by an alternating (RF – radio frequency) electric
field that is in synchronism with orbital frequency.
• A broad continuum of radiation is emitted by each bunch when it changes 0.559 r (m)
direction, with the median (or “critical”) wavelength given by  c (nm)  16 3
E (GeV )
 Radiation is due to charge acceleration

Synchrotron radiation: Antenna:

electromagnetic radiation emitted electrons accelerating by running up
when charged particles are radially and down in a radio antenna emit
accelerated (move on a curved path) radio waves (long wavelength
electromagnetic waves

Radial acceleration a=v2/R (v is speed, R is radius)

Both cases are manifestation of the same physical phenomenon:

Charged particles radiate (only) when accelerated.
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Synchrotron radiation angular distribution
p: power
a: acceleration
: spherical angle No radiation along acceleration direction.
Strongest radiation at perpendicular direction.

Cone aperture
~ 1/g

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 Spectrum of synchrotron radiation (bending magnet)

Bending Magnet

(critical energy)

1.24nm

Electron rest energy=mc2=(9.110-31)(3108)2=8.1910-14J=0.511MeV (very small).

Total electron energy=gmc2, with g=1/(1-v2/c2)1/2.
For 1.0GeV energy, g=1000/0.511=1957, so v/c=0.99999987, indeed v is very close to c.
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 Undulator radiation: Doppler shift to nm wavelength
Synchrotron radiation from relativistic electrons

You can try to understand the following calculation if interested. It won’t be included in exams.
In the frame moving with the electron, electron “sees” a periodic magnet structure moving toward it
with a relativistically contracted period ’=u/g (u is magnet period, g1/(1-2)1/2, v/c)
The frequency of this emitted radiation is f’=c/’=cg/u.
To the observer, the relativistic form of Doppler frequency formula is: f=f’/(g(1-))=c/(u(1-
))2g2c/u. (for 1, 1-1/2g2)
So the observed wavelength is: =c/f= u /2g2.
E.g, for 1.9GeV, g=1900/0.511=3718; with u =5cm, gives =1.8nm (x-ray).
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 Advantages of synchrotrons for X-ray lithography

• Extremely high intensity.

• Extremely high brilliance - small effective source size
situated a long distance from the experimental station.
• Very low divergence out of the plane of storage ring.
• Tunable, specific energies can be chosen.
• Highly polarized and short pulses.
• It offers many characteristics of visible lasers but into
the x-ray regime: partial coherence, high stability.

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X- Ray Lithography Steps
X- Ray Lithography Steps Cont.
1. Irradiation:

The first step in x- ray lithography is irradiation which involves exposing a thick layer of
resist to high-energy beam of x-rays from a synchrotron. The mask membrane is normally a
low atomic number material such as diamond, beryllium, or a thin membrane of a higher
atomic number material such as silicon or silicon carbide.

2. Development:

In this step the pattern is etched into the resist substrate by the use of x- rays.

3. Electroforming:

Electroforming is the same as electroplating. Electroforming suggests that the plating is

used to create an actual metal component.
X- Ray Lithography Steps Cont.
4. Mould insert:
A chemical solvent PMMA (poly methyl methacrylate) C5O2H8 is used to dissolve
material, resulting model of the mask pattern. After removal of the resist, a freestanding
metal structure is produced.
5. Mould filling:
The metal structure may be a final product, or serve as a mold insert for precision plastic
moulding.
6. Mould releases:
The plastic mold retains the same shape, size, and form as the original resist structure but
is produced quickly. Moulded plastic parts may then be final product.
Advantage and Disadvantage of X-Ray Lithography
Advantages Disadvantage
 Short wavelength from X-rays 0.4-4 nm  Thin lens
 No diffraction effect  Distortion in absorber
 Simple to use  Cannot be focused through lens
 No lens  Masks are expensive to produce
 Faster than EBL
 Uniform refraction pattern
 High resolution for small feature size