Acquisition of Deep Reactive Ion Etching Instrument

最近，MEMS的出现和在几乎任何衬底上沉积薄膜电子器件的能力使得许多新型的电子、MEMS、微流体和生物设备成为可能。这类设备的例子包括：沉积在蚀刻沟槽中的原位薄膜电子传感器和薄膜晶体管，用于检测和控制微流体和生物设备中的流体流动；使用在石英或硅中蚀刻的沟槽进行神经重新连接；使用原位沉积的有源器件在沟槽中电刺激神经生长；使用超薄压电膜和选择性感受器位置的MEMS器件；使用微室的DNA分析；用于药物输送的植入式微泵；用于土壤的现场测试的Soi1CHIP；芯片上的化学实验室等。有些蚀刻必须达到100微米深。在爱荷华州立大学以及PIS姊妹机构爱荷华大学，这一领域正在进行许多将电子技术与生物和微流体技术相结合的创新项目。一些值得注意的项目包括：在切断的中枢神经系统进行定向神经再生，利用硅、石英或聚合物中的沟槽引导再生方向；可植入微泵的微流体通道；利用MEMS型结构上的专门化学涂层检测用于法医测试的痕量化学品；芯片上的分析实验室；开发深沟槽中的薄膜晶体管；开发MEMS型沟槽中表面的纳米涂层；测量细胞骨架的结构和应力等。圆周率指数在5微米左右停止的那个。在该项目中，他们计划从牛津仪器公司购买多功能、实验室规模的深紫外光反应离子刻蚀系统，该系统使用获得专利的博世工艺实现深达100微米的刻蚀。预计这个新系统将使他们能够在这些非常新的和令人兴奋的领域成功地执行一些当前和未来的项目，这些领域包括电生物、化学MEMS、医用MEMS和光机械MEMS。该仪器能够使用氯气和氟气进行深度蚀刻。牛津仪器系统是经过验证的实验室规模系统，具有高密度的电感耦合等离子体源、衬底的稀土偏压、衬底的背面冷却能力以及负载锁定功能。它是一种集群工具，可以在以后的阶段添加到上面。它配备了适当的流量控制器和防腐泵。他们建议增加一个在线高分辨率，计算机控制的Acton Research的光学发射光谱(OES)系统，这将非常有助于了解和控制在蚀刻石英和聚酰亚胺、PET和生物聚合物等聚合物时所需的不同等离子体。该仪器将安装在爱荷华州立大学的微电子研究中心(MRC)。MRC是爱荷华州立大学设立的跨学科机构，旨在为所有系的教职员工和学生提供半导体和MEMS一般领域的研究能力。PIS目前有来自电子工程、材料科学与工程、化学、物理、化学、机械工程、工业工程和生物学的学生和教职员工广泛使用MRC设施。他们有许多联邦和工业支持的项目，这种新工具将对广大教职员工有用。近30名研究生将受益于在MRC拥有这台仪器。MRC有合格的、经验丰富的技术人员来安装和运行这台仪器。它们拥有这种仪器所需的必要环境监测和气体处理设施。他们在运行等离子体反应堆方面有20多年的经验，包括PIE系统，不幸的是，PIE系统不能进行深度蚀刻。该仪器还将帮助PI在这一领域开发新的课程。他们已经在普通半导体领域提供了广泛的课程，包括几门以实验室为基础的课程。他们预计将增加两门跨学科课程，内容是基于等离子体的电子、MEMS和生物设备的制造，以及如果我们得到这种仪器的测量技术。请注意，这些课程将向高年级和研究生开放。因此，本科生和研究生都将感受到教育的影响。半导体和MEMS行业对这一领域训练有素的工程师非常感兴趣。生物医药行业也是如此。私人投资公司计划进行广泛的拓展

0116144DalalRecently, the advent of MEMS and the ability to deposit thin film electronic devices on virtually any substrate has made many novel electronic, MEMS, microfluidic and biological devices possible. Examples of such devices would be in-situ thin-film electronic sensors and thin film transistors deposited in etched groves for detecting and controlling fluid flow in microfluidic and biological devices; neural reconnection using trenches etched in quartz or Si; electrical stimulation of nerve growth in trenches using in-situ deposited active devices; MEMS devices for sensing chemical pollutants, using ultra-thin piezoelectric membranes and selective receptor sites; DNA analysis using microchambers; implantable micropumps for drug delivery; Soi1CHIP for in-situ testing of soils; chemical lab on a chip etc. Most of these devices need the ability to etch deeply and controllably in a variety of substrates, such as Si wafers, polymers and quartz microplates. Some of the etching has to go ~100 micrometer deep.At Iowa State University, and also at the PIs sister institution, the University of Iowa, a number of innovative projects are underway in this area which integrate electronic technology with biological and microfluidic technologies. Some of the noteworthy projects involve directed nerve regrowth in severed central nervous systems, using trenches in Si ,quartz or polymers to guide the direction of the regrowth; microfluidic channels for implantable micropumps; detection of trace chemicals for forensic testing using specialized chemical coatings on MEMS type structures; analytical laboratory on a chip; development of thin film transistors in deep trenches; development of nanocoatings for surfaces in MEMS type channels; measurement of structure and stress in cytoskeletons etc. All these projects need a deep reactive ion etching system. The one the PIs have stops at about 5 micrometer. In this project, they propose to purchase a versatile, laboratory-scale, deep uv reactive ion etching system from Oxford Instruments, which uses the patented Bosch process to achieve etching as deep as 100 micrometer. It is expected that this new system will allow them to successfully carry out some of the current and future projects in these very new and exciting fields of electro-biology, chemical MEMS, medical MEMS and opto-mechanical MEMS.This instrument is capable of deep etching, using both Chlorine and Fluorine-based gases. The Oxford Instruments system is a proven lab-scale system, with a high density ICP plasma source, RE biasing of the substrate, capabilities for backside cooling of substrates and the provision for a load-lock. It is a cluster tool which can be added on to in later stages. It comes equipped with the appropriate flow controllers and corrosive service pumps. They propose to add to it, at their cost, an in-line high-resolution, computer-controlled optical emission spectroscopy (OES) system from Acton Research which will be very useful for understanding and controlling the different plasmas that one needs when etching quartz and polymers such as polyimide, PET and biological polymers.This instrument will be housed at the Microelectronics Research Center(MRC) at Iowa State University. MRC is an interdisciplinary facility set up by Iowa State to provide research capabilities in the general area of semiconductors and MEMS for faculty and students from all departments. The PIs currently have students and faculty from EE, Materials Science and Engineering, ChemE, Physics, Chemistry, Mechanical Engineering, Industrial Engineering and Biology using MRC facilities extensively. They have many federally and industrially supported projects, and this new instrument will be useful to a wide group of faculty. Nearly 30 graduate students would benefit from having this instrument at MRC.MRC has qualified, experienced, technicians available for installing and running this instrument. They have the necessary environmental monitoring and gas-disposal facilities required for such an instrument. And they have over 20 years of experience in running plasma reactors, including a PIE system, which unfortunately does not do deep etching.The instrument will also help the PIs develop new courses in this area. They already have an extensive offering in the general semiconductor field, including several lab-based courses. They expect to add two inter-disciplinary course on plasma based manufacturing of electronic, MEMS and biological devices, and on measurement techniques if we get this instrument. Note that these courses will be open to both senior--level and graduate-level students. Thus, the educational impact will be felt both at undergraduate and graduate levels. The semiconductor and MEMS industries are very interested in having trained engineers in this field. So is the biomedical industry.The PIs have planned an extensive outreach