Low-cost route for the definition of IDE (interdigitated electrode) structures with nanometric geometries over large areas

该项目旨在提供一种低成本路线，用于制备金属IDE（叉指电极）结构，电极的几何形状在亚微米和纳米范围内，这些电极覆盖的有效面积在毫米范围内，电极通过接触面积连接在100微米范围内。虽然这些目标雄心勃勃，但准备工作应尽可能简单和具有成本效益。旋涂、纳米压印、光学光刻和溅射将是首选技术，而不是需要昂贵的高真空设备的电子束写入或干蚀刻。一个混合的技术应用，以进一步简化的过程。纳米压印平版印刷术（用于在大面积上限定叉指电极）将与在一个单一光致抗蚀剂层内的简单接触印刷机中的光学平版印刷术（用于限定接触区域）相结合;两种技术都适合于平行的大面积图案限定。压印过程将以没有残留层的方式进行，使得用于去除这种层的任何干法蚀刻步骤是多余的。在混合光刻和显影之后，将直接通过溅射和剥离来制备金属结构。为了进一步促进低成本路线，将只使用容易获得的物品;传统邮票（Si，聚合物复制印模），常规光掩模（石英上的Cr，无相移结构），常规光刻胶金属IDE结构是受益于大面积纳米电极的许多器件的关键部件;这些范围从简单的（电容或电阻）传感器（例如，用于环境应用）到低成本的可调谐有机DFB（分布式反馈）激光设备（例如，用于芯片实验室应用中的生物标记识别）。低成本的制备路线使得这种装置对于一次性的、可固化的分析系统是有意义的，特别是当使用塑料基底时。

This project aims at providing a low-cost route for the preparation of metallic IDE (interdigitated electrode) structures with geometries of the electrodes in the sub-micrometre- and nanometre-range, with active areas covered by these electrodes in the millimetre range and the connection of the electrodes via contact areas in the 100-micrometre range. Though these goals are ambitious, the preparation is to be as simple and as cost-efficient as possible. Spin-coating, nanoimprint, optical lithography and sputtering will be the techniques of choice, and not electron beam writing or dry etching which require costly high-vacuum equipment. A hybrid technique is applied to further simplify the procedure. nanoimprint lithography (for the definition of the interdigitated electrodes over large areas) will be combined with optical lithography in a simple contact printer (for the definition of the contact areas) within one single photoresist layer; both techniques being suitable for parallel, large area pattern definition. The imprint procedure will be conducted in such a way that no residual layer remains, making any dry etch step for the removal of such a layer redundant. Directly after hybrid lithography and development the metallic structures will be prepared by sputtering and lift-off. In order to further foster the low-cost route only items that are easily accessible will be used; conventional stamps (Si, polymeric replica stamps), conventional photomasks (Cr on quartz, no phase shifting structures), conventional photoresists (negative tone and positive tone) as well as polymeric substrates.Metallic IDE structures are the key components for a number of devices that benefit from nanometric electrodes over large areas; these range from simple (capacitive or resistive) sensors (e.g. for environmental applications) to low-cost tunable, organic DFB (distributed feedback) laser devices (e.g. for biomarker recognition in lab-on-chip applications). A low cost preparation route renders such devices interesting for disposable, miniaturised analysis systems, in particular when plastic substrates are used.