Development of coated silicon microneedles for vaccine smart patch

项目目的该项目将开发硅蚀刻工艺技术，将微针制造工艺从直径100 mm的晶片扩大到直径150 mm的晶片，从而能够以较低的成本生产更多的微针芯片。该工艺将使用硅平滑和改进的光刻工艺进行优化。该项目将在制造过程中加入自释放蚀刻步骤，以便微针可以很容易地从晶片分离到单独的器件中。该项目还将开发新的等离子涂层技术，将微针涂覆在防水或不粘、绝缘或金属的薄膜中。这将通过化学气相沉积、分子气相沉积和电镀来实现。这将允许开发一系列用于各种健康和化妆品应用的微针产品。研究工程师将使用纳米健康中心和新的GB 9000万集成半导体材料中心的设施。此外，随着南威尔士半导体社区的迅速扩张，研究工程师将接受与半导体行业职业生涯高度匹配的培训和准备技能。背景KLA是一家SPTS Technologies公司，设计、制造、销售和支持蚀刻、PVD、CVD和MDS资本设备，为半导体和微电子行业提供先进的晶片加工技术和解决方案。SPT是半导体薄膜涂层、沉积和蚀刻技术的专家，他们的收入来自向主要铸造厂和IDM客户提供的设备销售和支持服务，这些客户服务于终端市场应用，包括微电子机械系统(MEMS)、先进封装、LED、高速射频设备IC和功率半导体。SPTS在与生物MEMS相关的技术和产品方面的活动日益活跃，并一直在与斯旺西大学合作开发微针技术，用于药物和疫苗输送应用。SPTS Technologies是半导体及相关行业晶片加工设备的全球领先企业，一直在与斯旺西大学合作，将新型深度蚀刻和沉积等离子体工艺技术应用于生物微电子机械系统(Bio-MEMS)和医疗保健产品。这些技术的http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2019/aug/asset-200819.shtmlOne是中空硅微针。它们是世界上最长、最锋利的硅微针，已被证明可用于胰岛素递送和细胞delivery.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-44546252More最近，SPTS微针已被用于开发一种用于疫苗递送的智能贴片，并检测到body.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55548670This对疫苗的成功反应最终可用于疫苗接种和对冠状病毒和其他病毒的疫苗效果测试。

Project AimsThis project will develop the silicon etch process technology to scale up the microneedle fabrication process from 100mm diameter wafers to 150mm diameter wafers - enabling more microneedle chips to be produced at lower cost. The process will be optimised using silicon smoothing and improved photolithography processes. The project will incorporate a self-release etch step into the fabrication process, so that microneedles can be easily separated from the wafer into individual devices. The project will also develop new plasma coating techniques to coat the microneedle in thin films which may be water repellent or non-stick, insulating or metallic. This will be achieved using Chemical Vapour Deposition, Molecular Vapour Deposition and electroplating.This will allow development of a range of microneedle products for a variety of health and cosmetic applications. The research engineer will use the facilities at the Centre for Nanohealth and the new £90 million Centre for Integrative Semiconductor Materials (CISM). Additionally, as the semiconductor community in South Wales is expanding rapidly the research engineer will receive training and preparation skills highly appropriate to a career in the semiconductor industry.BackgroundSPTS Technologies, a KLA company, designs, manufactures, sells, and supports etch, PVD, CVD and MDS capital equipment, providing advanced wafer processing technologies and solutions for the semiconductor and microelectronics industry. SPTS are experts in semiconductor film coatings, deposition and etch technology, their revenue generation is from equipment sales and support services supplied to customers in major foundries and IDMs servicing end-market applications including micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), advanced packaging, LED, high-speed RF device IC's and power semiconductors. SPTS have a growing activity in technology and products related to BioMEMS and have been developing microneedle technology with Swansea University for drug and vaccine delivery applications.SPTS Technologies - a global leader in wafer processing equipment for the semiconductor and related industries - have been working with Swansea University to apply novel deep-etch and deposition plasma process technology to Bio microelectromechanical systems (Bio-MEMS) and healthcare products. http://www.semiconductor-today.com/news_items/2019/aug/asset-200819.shtmlOne of these technologies is hollow silicon microneedles. They are the longest "out of plane", sharpest silicon microneedles in the world and have been demonstrated for insulin delivery and cell delivery.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-44546252More recently, SPTS microneedles have been used in the development of a smart patch for vaccine delivery and detection of a successful response to the vaccine by the body.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-55548670This could ultimately be used for vaccination and testing of vaccination efficacy for COVID and other viruses.