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

本研究的目标是获得用于研究光子波导和光子器件、集成生物传感器、有毒化学物质检测传感器、有机半导体和神经元再生的研究仪器。这些设备要求具有最先进的前后对齐能力。爱荷华州立大学在上述各个领域都有积极的研究项目，但没有前后亚微米掩模对准器。在本提案中，我们计划获得一种能够进行亚微米光刻和同时前后对准的Suss MA/BA6掩模对准器，以便可以在基板的两侧制造器件，并且可以制造亚微米范围内的器件。该校准器将补充我们现有的一系列工具，从而使我们在许多学科的研究效率显著提高。智力价值和广泛影响拟议的仪器满足了大学的迫切需要。爱荷华州立大学没有其他可比较的仪器。该仪器补充了我们拥有的以下工具：Alcatel Deep 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、纳米晶体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工具等领域进行实验。该仪器将被安置在微电子研究中心（MRC），这是爱荷华州立大学的一个跨学科中心，所有的补充设施都存在，可供所有爱荷华州立大学的教职员工和学生使用。一名全职科学家将负责这台仪器，并对它和其他一些工具进行维护。将建立一个维护帐户，向用户收取使用费以支付维护费用。这将对研究生和本科生的教育产生重大影响。该仪器将与现有的仪器一起用于未来半导体，光子和MEMS材料和器件制造课程的实验模块，大约40名使用MRC设备的多个学科的研究生，以及大约15名在MRC进行研究的本科生，作为他们的高级设计或独立研究项目的一部分，将受益于该仪器的购买。预期将有相当数量的妇女和少数民族学生参加由于获得这一仪器而可能进行的研究活动。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.