Establishment of a 2-D/3-D Micro/Nano-Scale Device Fabrication Facility at The University of Kentucky

该项目以肯塔基大学最近在纳米和微尺度研究方面建立的势头为基础，并寻求大幅加快这一势头，增强了器件制造能力，包括净化室、MEMS制造、芯片加工和微尺度封装集成或与宏尺度器件的连接。除了国家资助的10级洁净室，以及DARPA提供的LIGA微制造和测试设备外，此次获奖的几个关键器件制造设备有助于建立先进的微/纳米级制造设施，能够制造2-D和3-D结构。微器件-MEMS制造设施将支持和加强多个正在进行的研究项目，促进多学科研究的协同。该项目将电气、机械、化学和材料工程系的技能与化学和物理系的技能相结合。32名教职员工已经确定了正在进行的研究项目，这些项目将得到显著加强。该项目通过增强用硅、陶瓷和金属制造2-D和3-D微纳尺度器件组件的能力，极大地增强了制造2-D传感微器件和接口/封装技术的国家能力；因此，可以制造完整的系统，包括与能够在恶劣的工业或生物医学环境中运行的宏尺度部件(如泵、散热器等)连接的集成电路微系统。优化有限的州资源，器件制造设施将向所有州的研究人员开放。这些基础设施促进了与地区行业的合作，这些行业在制造过程中需要强大的微设备，为该州加强经济发展和增长提供了基础。这项工作还有助于提高相当数量学生的教育体验。

This project, building upon and seeking to substantially accelerate the recently established momentum in nano and microscale research at the University of Kentucky, enhances the device fabrication capabilities to include clean room, MEMS fabrication, chip processing and microscale package integration or connection to macroscale devices. Added to a Class 10 Clean Room funded by the state, and to the LIGA microfabrication and testing equipment provided by DARPA, the several key pieces of device fabrication equipment enabled by this award contribute to establish an advanced micro/nano-scale fabrication facility, capable of making both 2-D and 3-D structures. The microdevice-MEMS fabrication facility will support and strengthen multiple ongoing research projects, facilitating synergistic multi-disciplinary research. The project blends the skills of the Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, and Materials Engineering Departments with those of the Chemistry and Physics Departments. Thirty-two faculty members have identified on-going research projects that will be significantly strengthened. This project substantially bolsters state capabilities for fabrication of the sensing 2-D microdevices, and interfacing/ packaging technologies by enhancing the capability to fabricate 2-D and 3-D micro/nano scale device assemblies from silicon, ceramics, and metals; thus, complete systems may be fabricated, encompassing integrated circuit micro-systems interfaced with macro scaled components such as pumps, heat sinks, etc. that are able to operate in harsh industrial or biomedical environments. Optimizing finite state resources, the Device Fabrication Facility will be open to all state researchers. The infrastructure fosters collaborations with regional industries that require robust microdevices in their manufacturing processes, providing the basis for enhanced economic development and growth in the state. The work also contributes to enhance the educational experience of a substantial number of students.