Acquisition of Deep Reactive Ion Etching Instrument

购置深度反应离子蚀刻仪

• 批准号: 0116144
• 负责人: Vikram Dalal
• 金额: $ 30.58万
• 依托单位: Iowa State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2001
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2001-09-01 至 2003-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0116144&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Acquisition; Deep; Reactive; Ion; Etching

0116144DalalRecently, the advent of MEMS and the ability to deposit thin film electronic devices on virtually any substrate has made many novel electronic, MEMS, microfluidic and biological devices possible. Examples of such devices would be in-situ thin-film electronic sensors and thin film transistors deposited in etched groves for detecting and controlling fluid flow in microfluidic and biological devices; neural reconnection using trenches etched in quartz or Si; electrical stimulation of nerve growth in trenches using in-situ deposited active devices; MEMS devices for sensing chemical pollutants, using ultra-thin piezoelectric membranes and selective receptor sites; DNA analysis using microchambers; implantable micropumps for drug delivery; Soi1CHIP for in-situ testing of soils; chemical lab on a chip etc. Most of these devices need the ability to etch deeply and controllably in a variety of substrates, such as Si wafers, polymers and quartz microplates. Some of the etching has to go ~100 micrometer deep.At Iowa State University, and also at the PIs sister institution, the University of Iowa, a number of innovative projects are underway in this area which integrate electronic technology with biological and microfluidic technologies. Some of the noteworthy projects involve directed nerve regrowth in severed central nervous systems, using trenches in Si ,quartz or polymers to guide the direction of the regrowth; microfluidic channels for implantable micropumps; detection of trace chemicals for forensic testing using specialized chemical coatings on MEMS type structures; analytical laboratory on a chip; development of thin film transistors in deep trenches; development of nanocoatings for surfaces in MEMS type channels; measurement of structure and stress in cytoskeletons etc. All these projects need a deep reactive ion etching system. The one the PIs have stops at about 5 micrometer. In this project, they propose to purchase a versatile, laboratory-scale, deep uv reactive ion etching system from Oxford Instruments, which uses the patented Bosch process to achieve etching as deep as 100 micrometer. It is expected that this new system will allow them to successfully carry out some of the current and future projects in these very new and exciting fields of electro-biology, chemical MEMS, medical MEMS and opto-mechanical MEMS.This instrument is capable of deep etching, using both Chlorine and Fluorine-based gases. The Oxford Instruments system is a proven lab-scale system, with a high density ICP plasma source, RE biasing of the substrate, capabilities for backside cooling of substrates and the provision for a load-lock. It is a cluster tool which can be added on to in later stages. It comes equipped with the appropriate flow controllers and corrosive service pumps. They propose to add to it, at their cost, an in-line high-resolution, computer-controlled optical emission spectroscopy (OES) system from Acton Research which will be very useful for understanding and controlling the different plasmas that one needs when etching quartz and polymers such as polyimide, PET and biological polymers.This instrument will be housed at the Microelectronics Research Center(MRC) at Iowa State University. MRC is an interdisciplinary facility set up by Iowa State to provide research capabilities in the general area of semiconductors and MEMS for faculty and students from all departments. The PIs currently have students and faculty from EE, Materials Science and Engineering, ChemE, Physics, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Biology using MRC facilities extensively. They have many federally and industrially supported projects, and this new instrument will be useful to a wide group of faculty. Nearly 30 graduate students would benefit from having this instrument at MRC.MRC has qualified, experienced, technicians available for installing and running this instrument. They have the necessary environmental monitoring and gas-disposal facilities required for such an instrument. And they have over 20 years of experience in running plasma reactors, including a PIE system, which unfortunately does not do deep etching.The instrument will also help the PIs develop new courses in this area. They already have an extensive offering in the general semiconductor field, including several lab-based courses. They expect to add two inter-disciplinary course on plasma based manufacturing of electronic, MEMS and biological devices, and on measurement techniques if we get this instrument. Note that these courses will be open to both senior--level and graduate-level students. Thus, the educational impact will be felt both at undergraduate and graduate levels. The semiconductor and MEMS industries are very interested in having trained engineers in this field. So is the biomedical industry.The PIs have planned an extensive outreach

0116144Dalal 最近，MEMS 的出现以及在几乎任何基材上沉积薄膜电子器件的能力使得许多新颖的电子、MEMS、微流体和生物器件成为可能。此类设备的示例包括沉积在蚀刻槽中的原位薄膜电子传感器和薄膜晶体管，用于检测和控制微流体和生物设备中的流体流动；使用石英或硅蚀刻的沟槽进行神经重新连接；使用原位沉积有源装置电刺激沟渠中的神经生长；使用超薄压电膜和选择性受体位点传感化学污染物的 MEMS 设备；使用微室进行 DNA 分析；用于药物输送的植入式微型泵； Soi1CHIP 用于土壤原位测试；这些设备中的大多数需要能够在各种基材（例如硅晶片、聚合物和石英微板）中进行深度且可控的蚀刻。有些蚀刻深度必须达到约 100 微米。在爱荷华州立大学以及 PI 的姊妹机构爱荷华大学，该领域正在进行许多创新项目，这些项目将电子技术与生物和微流体技术相结合。一些值得注意的项目涉及在被切断的中枢神经系统中定向神经再生，使用硅、石英或聚合物中的沟槽来引导再生的方向；用于植入式微泵的微流体通道；使用 MEMS 类型结构上的专用化学涂层来检测用于法医测试的痕量化学品；芯片分析实验室；深沟槽薄膜晶体管的开发；开发 MEMS 型通道表面纳米涂层；细胞骨架结构和应力的测量等。所有这些项目都需要深层反应离子蚀刻系统。 PI 的直径大约为 5 微米。在这个项目中，他们建议从牛津仪器购买多功能、实验室规模的深紫外反应离子蚀刻系统，该系统采用博世专利工艺，可实现深达100微米的蚀刻。预计这个新系统将使他们能够在电生物学、化学 MEMS、医疗 MEMS 和光机械 MEMS 等非常新的和令人兴奋的领域成功开展一些当前和未来的项目。该仪器能够深入研究使用氯和氟基气体进行蚀刻。牛津仪器系统是经过验证的实验室规模系统，具有高密度 ICP 等离子体源、衬底 RE 偏置、衬底背面冷却功能以及负载锁定装置。它是一个集群工具，可以在后期添加。它配备了适当的流量控制器和腐蚀性服务泵。他们建议自费添加 Acton Research 的在线高分辨率、计算机控制的光学发射光谱 (OES) 系统，该系统对于理解和控制蚀刻石英时所需的不同等离子体非常有用该仪器将安装在爱荷华州立大学微电子研究中心（MRC）。 MRC 是爱荷华州立大学设立的跨学科机构，旨在为各院系的教师和学生提供半导体和 MEMS 领域的研究能力。目前，电气工程、材料科学与工程、化学工程、物理、化学、机械工程、工业工程和生物学等领域的 PI 学生和教师广泛使用 MRC 设施。他们有许多联邦和工业支持的项目，这种新工具将对广大教师群体有用。近 30 名研究生将受益于 MRC 的这款仪器。MRC 拥有合格、经验丰富的技术人员可用于安装和运行该仪器。他们拥有此类仪器所需的必要环境监测和气体处理设施。他们在运行等离子体反应器方面拥有 20 多年的经验，其中包括 PIE 系统，遗憾的是该系统不能进行深度蚀刻。该仪器还将帮助 PI 开发该领域的新课程。他们已经在通用半导体领域提供了广泛的课程，包括一些基于实验室的课程。如果我们获得这款仪器，他们希望增加两门跨学科课程，分别是基于等离子体的电子制造、MEMS 和生物设备，以及测量技术。请注意，这些课程将对高年级和研究生水平的学生开放。因此，本科生和研究生都会感受到教育影响。半导体和 MEMS 行业对在该领域培养工程师非常感兴趣。生物医学行业也是如此。PI 已计划进行广泛的推广