MRI: Acquisition of an Alinger and Bonder Instrument for Research

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This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) program award provides funding to acquire a combined precision alignment system and wafer bonder. The aligner part of the instrument precisely lines up multiple wafers and substrates and puts them into contact. The bonder portion of the instrument permanently bonds the aligned substrates together. This instrument will be used at the University of Maryland for research and education in micro-electro-mechanical systems, integrated optics, chip-scale and wafer-level packaging, 3D interconnections, and hot embossing. Researchers will produce micro-turbine engines, biomedical drug delivery systems, microsurgical tools, micro-pumps for cooling high-density circuitry, and radio frequency devices. The wafer-to-wafer alignment system will be permanently located in a new 11,000 sq. ft. multi-user class 1000 clean room facility, the Engineering and Applied Sciences Building, dedicated to micro- and nano-systems research at the University of Maryland.The availability of a wafer-to-wafer alignment system at the University of Maryland will benefit the following research projects: micro-turbomachinery, micro-combustion, safety and arming micro-systems, micromachined cooling structures, 3-dimensional micro-mechanisms, conjugated polymer films for microfluidics, and actively positioned neural probes. This equipment will also enhance education by making available to undergraduate and graduate students hands-on training on state-of-the-art equipment in a modern clean room environment. Newly developed undergraduate and graduate courses in microsystems in both the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering departments will also utilize this instrument for class projects. The instrument will also assist research and interdisciplinary collaboration between the University of Maryland and surrounding universities and national laboratories.