MRI: Acquisition of a Direct-Write Laser System for Innovations in Electronic & Photonic Device Design

直写激光器（DWL）是一种用于精细特征的系统，不需要光罩或光栅。该提案要求为购买DWL系统提供资金，用于电子和光子器件设计的创新，该系统将用于RIT的各种研究应用。DWL系统将对目前由NSF、其他机构和工业合作伙伴资助的几个项目的研究质量和生产力产生积极影响。目前正在研究的应用领域包括薄膜电子学、纳米光子学和微光学、III-V /硅集成、光伏、MEMS、微通道和3D集成；每一个都将利用DWL系统的特定优势和能力。参与者将包括RIT几个项目的本科生和研究生，包括微系统工程和成像科学的博士项目。DWL系统还将成为光刻、薄膜工艺和微加工等实验课程的资源，为研究生课程提供研究培训。DWL系统将被安置在一个促进多学科合作研究的用户设施中。许多理工科专业的本科生和研究生将使用该仪器进行研究，包括顶尖的高级设计项目、硕士和博士论文。受影响的实验课程作为选修课提供给所有工程和科学专业的本科生和研究生，并可能计入微加工专业的5门辅修课程。这扩大了学生的基础，获得了DWL系统的经验，并将有助于进一步增加留用研究生学习和参与研究活动的学生人数。DWL系统的结果将为相关和新兴科学领域的文献提供重大贡献。DWL系统填补了研发中一个重要的利基，用于在投入固定掩模设计之前进行模式优化。根据激光源波长和光学设计，DWL系统提供与投影光学光刻相当的分辨率。与传统的接近或投影光学光刻相比，DWL系统有几个优势，使其成为一个有吸引力的替代方案，包括处理各种基板形状和尺寸的能力，按需更改图案，并在样品中实现图案变化。这些优点大大提高了实验设计的效率。使用具有精细图案对准的DWL系统的曝光水平可以与电子束或传统光学光刻水平混合，在工艺序列中的几个级别的图案转移上提供设计灵活性。DWL系统还将提供背面对齐和灰度成像功能，为研究人员提供微加工方面的新选择，这些选择通常不会外包，因为需要相关的工程实施。

A direct-write laser (DWL) is a system used to pattern fine features without the need for a photomask or reticle. This proposal requests funds for the acquisition of a DWL system for innovations in electronic and photonic device design that will be used for a variety of research applications at RIT. The DWL system will positively impact the quality and productivity of research in several projects that are currently funded by NSF, as well as other agencies and industrial partners. There are several application areas under investigation including thin-film electronics, nanophotonics & micro-optics, III-V / silicon integration, photovoltaics, MEMS, microchannels & 3D integration; each of which will utilize specific advantages and capabilities of the DWL system. Participants will include undergraduates and graduate students in several programs at RIT, including PhD programs in Microsystems Engineering and Imaging Science. The DWL system will also be a resource for laboratory courses in photolithography, thin-film processes, and microfabrication which provide research training to students that feed into the graduate programs. The DWL system will be housed in a user facility which promotes collaborative multidisciplinary research. A number of undergraduate and graduate students majoring in science and engineering will use this instrument for research including capstone senior design projects, MS and PhD theses. The laboratory courses impacted are available as elective courses to all undergraduate and graduate students in engineering and science, and may count towards a 5-course minor in microfabrication. This broadens the student base that gains experience with the DWL system and will help to further increase the number of students that are retained for graduate study and participate in research activities. Results from the DWL system will provide a significant contribution to the literature in relevant and emerging scientific fields.A DWL system fills an important niche in R&D for pattern optimization prior to committing to a fixed photomask design. Depending on the laser source wavelength and optical design, a DWL system offers resolution comparable to projection optical lithography. There are several advantages that a DWL system has over traditional proximity or projection optical lithography that makes it an attractive alternative including the ability to handle a variety of substrate shapes and sizes, make on-demand pattern changes, and implement pattern variations within a sample. These advantages support a significant increase in the efficiency of experimental design. Exposure levels using a DWL system with fine pattern alignment can be intermixed with e-beam or traditional optical lithography levels, providing design flexibility on several levels of pattern transfer in a process sequence. The DWL system will also provide capabilities in backside alignment and grayscale imaging, offering researchers new options in microfabrication which are generally not outsourced due to the associated engineering required for implementation.