High Aspect Ratio Inorganic Resist for MEMS Structures Fabrication

Patterning on the micron and submicron levels with high aspect ratio, high quality edge definition, and low taper of vertical edges is critical for fabrication of advanced microelectromechanical structures. Deep X-ray lithography, used in one of the major existing fabrication processes, LIGA, requires expensive exposure sources, has limited aspect ratio (1:100's), and resolution (about 1 ¿m). Polymer resist, currently used in LIGA, has low mechanical and thermal stability, which limit its processing capabilities. This program seeks to demonstrate a reliable and inexpensive patterning technology based on new inorganic resist with very high etching anistropy and unmatched combination of feature size, resolution, depth of focus, edge definition, adhesion to the substrate, chemical and mechanical stability. Besides being a matrix for depositing microstructures, proposed material can be also used as a structural element for MEMS as well as an active micro- and nano-device component. During Phase I, NRC will demonstrate the proof-of-concept. Phase II will optimize the technology, build and test device prototypes. Phase III will commercialize the technology.