Abstract
The study and optimization of epoxy-based negative photoresist (SU-8) microstructures through a low-cost process and without the need for cleanroom facility is presented in this paper. It is demonstrated that the Ultraviolet Rays (UV) exposure equipment, commonly used in the Printed Circuit Board (PCB) industry, can replace the more expensive and less available equipment, as the Mask Aligner that has been used in the last 15 years for SU-8 patterning. Moreover, high transparency masks, printed in a photomask, are used, instead of expensive chromium masks. The fabrication of well-defined SU-8 microstructures with aspect ratios more than 20 is successfully demonstrated with those facilities. The viability of using the gray-scale technology in the photomasks for the fabrication of 3D microstructures is also reported. Moreover, SU-8 microstructures for different applications are shown throughout the paper.
Highlights
The field of Microtechnology and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) has grown rapidly in the last few years [1]
This paper presents the fabrication of SU-8 microstructures through a low-cost process and without the need for a cleanroom facility
Simple and low-cost solutions for photolithographic processes are always interesting, especially in microfluidic and MEMS areas, since the main disadvantage of this technique lies in the high cost of processing and equipments
Summary
The field of Microtechnology and Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) has grown rapidly in the last few years [1]. These technologies offer high precision, their fabrication methods are often complex, time consuming, and sometimes costly, which boosted research into alternative materials [2]. Photolithography and its transparency to visible light makes it compatible with optical detection systems. It is biocompatible and mechanically and chemically stable [4,5]. SU-8 was originally developed by IBM in Yorktown in the late 1980s and was designed for the fabrication of microstructures of high aspect ratios [3]. The applications of SU-8 for microfluidic and MEMS are demonstrated
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