Instrumentation for synchrotron based micromachining at the Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (abstract)

Abstract

The J. Bennett Johnston Sr., Center for Advanced Microstructures and Devices (CAMD) is a synchrotron radiation facility owned by Louisiana State University and operated with financial support from the State of Louisiana (for information how to submit a project proposal go to: http://www.camd.lsu.edu). The centerpiece of CAMD is a 1.3–1.5 GeV electron storage ring. CAMD supports a strong program in x-ray lithography micromachining (XRLM) or LIGA. A total of four beamlines equipped with different scanners is available for exposures. A 2.500 sq. ft class 100 clean room provides basic processing capability for MEMS including optical lithography, thin film deposition, electroplating, and metrology. Three micromachining beamlines are connected to bending magnets. All beamlines are “white light” beamlines, terminated with a beryllium window. The typical source point to scanner distance is 10 m and the horizontal acceptance ranges from 6.5 to 10 mrad. A number of low Z filters can be inserted into the beam adapting the exposure spectrum to the resist thickness. Two beamlines are equipped with commercial scanners from Jenoptik GmbH (for details see Jenoptik’s webpage at www.jo-mikrotechnik.com/) and one beamline with a “vacuum” scanner designed in house. The latest model of Jenoptik’s DEX02 scanner has been installed at CAMD’s XRLM1 beamline in December 2000 and allows advanced exposures using overlay as well as tilt and rotate functions. In addition to these beamlines CAMD has installed a “white light” beamline at its 7 T wiggler source. Preliminary exposure tests in ultrathick samples (1 mm and thicker) have been conducted using an “air scanner.” Currently this beamline is dismantled and will be reinstalled together with a PX beamline. In the article further details of the beamlines and scanners as well as some examples of applications of LIGA microstructures fabricated at CAMD will be discussed.