Abstract:
A method for fabrication of free standing mechanical and photonic structures is presented. A resist mask is applied to a bulk substrate. The bulk substrate is attached to a movable platform. The bulk substrate is exposed to an ion stream produced by a reactive ion beam etching source. The platform is moved relative to the ion stream to facilitate undercutting a portion of the bulk substrate otherwise shielded by the mask.
Abstract:
A process for fabricating a suspended microelectromechanical system (MEMS) structure comprising epitaxial semiconductor functional layers that are partially or completely suspended over a substrate. A sacrificial release layer and a functional device layer are formed on a substrate. The functional device layer is etched to form windows in the functional device layer defining an outline of a suspended MEMS device to be formed from the functional device layer. The sacrificial release layer is then etched with a selective release etchant to remove the sacrificial release layer underneath the functional layer in the area defined by the windows to form the suspended MEMS structure.
Abstract:
The present invention relates to a method of fabricating a resonator in a substrate, characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) modifying the structure of at least one zone of the substrate so as to render said at least one zone more selective; b) etching said at least zone so as to selectively fabricate said resonator.
Abstract:
A method of fabricating a nanopore device comprises: providing a layer of substrate material having a pore through it, and depositing a pair of electrodes on the surface of the substrate material such that the electrodes are located adjacent to the pore. The electrodes are deposited by particle beam induced deposition.The deposition may be induced using a particle beam that is non-perpendicular to the surface of the substrate.
Abstract:
A photostructurable ceramic is processed using photostructuring process steps for embedding devices within a photostructurable ceramic volume, the devices may include one or more of chemical, mechanical, electronic, electromagnetic, optical, and acoustic devices, all made in part by creating device material within the ceramic or by disposing a device material through surface ports of the ceramic volume, with the devices being interconnected using internal connections and surface interfaces.
Abstract:
The invention provides a system and process of patterning structures on a carbon based surface comprising exposing part of the surface to an ion flux, such that material properties of the exposed surface are modified to provide a hard mask effect on the surface. A further step of etching unexposed parts of the surface forms the structures on the surface. The inventors have discovered that by controlling the ion exposure, alteration of the surface structure at the top surface provides a mask pattern, without substantially removing any material from the exposed surface. The mask allows for subsequent ion etching of unexposed areas of the surface leaving the exposed areas raised relative to the unexposed areas thus manufacturing patterns onto the surface. For example, a Ga+ focussed ion beam exposes a pattern onto a diamond surface which produces such a pattern after its exposure to a plasma etch. The invention is particularly suitable for patterning of clear well-defined structures down to nano-scale dimensions.
Abstract:
An ion beam etching method for processing three dimensional nanostructures, wherein a pre-fabricated nanostructure (12) formed on a substrate (8) is etched three dimensionally by bombarding the nanostructure in vacuum conditions by a beam of low-energy medium-mass ions (5) at a glancing incident angle (α) with respect to the substrate while rotating the nanostructure about an axis (N) normal to the substrate. According to the invention, the energy per mass of the ions is within a range of 0.0025 - 0.0225 keV/amu; and the incident angle (α) of the ion beam (5) with respect to the substrate (8) is within a range of 30 - 50 degrees, preferably about 40 degrees.
Abstract:
A method is described for forming three-dimensional micro and nanostructures, based on the structuring of a body of material by means of a mould having an impression area which reproduces the said three-dimensional structure in negative form, characterized in that it comprises the operations of: - providing a mould comprising a substrate of a material which can undergo isotropic chemical etching, in which the said impression area is to be formed; defining an etching pattern on (in) the substrate, comprising a plurality of etching areas having zero-, uni- or bidimensional extension, which can be reached by an etching agent; and - carrying out a process of isotropic chemical etching of the substrate from the said etching areas for a corresponding predetermined time, so as to produce cavities which in combination make up the aforesaid impression area. This method is advantageously used in the fabrication of sets of microlenses with a convex three-dimensional structure, of the refractive or hybrid refractive/diffractive type, for forming images on different focal planes.
Abstract:
A method of manufacturing a plurality of through-holes (132) in a layer of first material, for example for the manufacturing of a probe (100) comprising a tip containing a channel. To manufacture the through-holes (132) in a batch process, - a layer of first material is deposited on a wafer (200) comprising a plurality of pits (210) - a second layer is provided on the layer of first material, and the second layer is provided with a plurality of holes at central locations of the pits (210); - using the second layer as a shadow mask when depositing a third layer (240) at an angle, covering a part of the first material with said third material (240) at the central locations, and - etching the exposed parts of the first layer using the third layer (240) as a protective layer.