MRI: Acquisition of Double-sided Sub-micron Mask Aligner

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The objective of this research is to acquire research instrumentation for doing research on photonic waveguides and photonic devices, integrated biosensors, sensors for detection of toxic chemicals, organic semiconductors and neuron regrowth. These devices demand state of the art alignment capability with both front and back alignments. Iowa State has active research programs in each of the above areas, but does not have back and front sub-micron mask aligner. In this proposal, we plan to acquire a Suss MA/BA6 mask aligner capable of sub-micron lithography and of simultaneous back and front alignment so that device can be made on both sides of a substrate and devices in the submicron range can be made. This aligner will complement our existing array of tools, thereby allowing for a significant increase in our research productivity across a large number of disciplines. Intellectual merit and Broad ImpactThe proposed instrument meets a critical need at the University. No other comparable instrument is available at Iowa State. The instrument complements the following tools we own: Alcatel Deep RIE, poly-Si CVD furnace, Standard Si fabrication tools, Metal evaporators, Nanocrystalline Si plasma deposition reactors, Organic LED reactors, Single cantilever AFM tool. The instrument will allow faculty, students and research staff from Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry and Biology to conduct experiments in the fields of photonic bandgaps, directed neural regrowth, nanocrystalline Si devices, integrated chemical and biological sensors based on OLED's and GMR devices, thin film resonators and multi-cantilver AFM tools for combinatorial diagnosis of surfaces. The instrument will be housed at the Microelectronics Research Center (MRC), an inter-disciplinary center at Iowa State where all the complementary facilities exist and are available for use by all the Iowa State faculty, staff and students. A full-time scientist will be in charge of the instrument and will maintain it in addition to some of the other tools. A maintenance account will be set up to charge the users a use-fee to pay for maintenance.There will be significant impact on education of students, both graduate and undergraduate. This instrument, along with the existing instruments will be used for future experimental modules in courses dealing with fabrication of semiconductor, photonic and MEMS materials and devices Approximately 40 graduate students in many disciplines who use MRC facilities, and about 15 undergraduates who do research at MRC as part of their senior design or independent research projects will benefit from the acquisition of this instrument. A significant number of women and minority students are expected to participate in research activities made possible by the acquisition of this instrument. The proposed research activity has potentially broad impacts in the fields of electronic and photonic devices, sensors and neural science and engineering.