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

本研究的目的是获得研究仪器，用于研究光子波导和光子器件，集成生物传感器，用于检测有毒化学品的传感器，有机半导体和神经元再生。这些设备需要具有前对准和后对准的最新对准能力。爱荷华州在上述每个领域都有积极的研究计划，但没有背面和正面亚微米掩模对准器。在这个建议中，我们计划获得一个苏斯MA/BA 6掩模对准能够亚微米光刻和同时背面和正面对准，使设备可以在基板的两侧和设备在亚微米范围内可以作出。这种校准器将补充我们现有的工具阵列，从而使我们在大量学科的研究生产力显着提高。智力价值和广泛的影响拟议的仪器满足了大学的关键需求。爱荷华州没有其他类似的仪器。该仪器补充了我们拥有的以下工具：阿尔卡特深RIE，多晶硅CVD炉，标准硅制造工具，金属蒸发器，纳米晶硅等离子体沉积反应器，有机LED反应器，单悬臂AFM工具。该仪器将允许来自化学工程，电气工程，材料科学与工程，机械工程，物理，化学和生物学的教师，学生和研究人员在光子带隙，定向神经再生，纳米晶Si器件，基于OLED和GMR器件的集成化学和生物传感器，薄膜谐振器和用于表面组合诊断的多悬臂AFM工具。该仪器将被安置在微电子研究中心（MRC），在爱荷华州所有的互补设施存在的跨学科中心，并可供所有的爱荷华州教师，工作人员和学生使用。一名全职科学家将负责该仪器，并将维护它以及其他一些工具。将建立一个维护帐户，向用户收取使用费，以支付维护费用。这将对学生的教育，研究生和本科生的重大影响。该仪器，沿着现有的仪器将用于未来的实验模块在处理半导体，光子和MEMS材料和设备的制造课程约40名研究生在许多学科谁使用MRC设施，约15名本科生谁做研究在MRC作为他们的高级设计或独立研究项目的一部分将受益于收购该仪器。预计将有大量妇女和少数民族学生参加因获得这一工具而得以开展的研究活动。拟议的研究活动在电子和光子器件，传感器和神经科学与工程领域具有潜在的广泛影响。

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.