TY - JOUR
T1 - Polyimide as a versatile enabling material for microsystems fabrication
T2 - Surface micromachining and electrodeposited nanowires integration
AU - Walewyns, T.
AU - Reckinger, N.
AU - Ryelandt, S.
AU - Pardoen, T.
AU - Raskin, J.-P.
AU - Francis, L.A.
PY - 2013/9/1
Y1 - 2013/9/1
N2 - The interest of using polyimide as a sacrificial and anchoring layer is demonstrated for post-processing surface micromachining and for the incorporation of metallic nanowires into microsystems. In addition to properties like a high planarization factor, a good resistance to most non-oxidizing acids and bases, and CMOS compatibility, polyimide can also be used as a mold for nanostructures after ion track-etching. Moreover, specific polyimide grades, such as PI-2611 from HD Microsystems™, involve a thermal expansion coefficient similar to silicon and low internal stress. The process developed in this study permits higher gaps compared to the state-of-the-art, limits stiction problems with the substrate and is adapted to various top-layer materials. Most metals, semiconductors or ceramics will not be affected by the oxygen plasma required for polyimide etching. Released structures with vertical gaps from one to several tens of μm have been obtained, possibly using multiple layers of polyimide. Furthermore, patterned freestanding nanowires have been synthesized with diameters from 20 to 60 nm and up to 3 μm in length. These results have been applied to the fabrication of two specific devices: a generic nanomechanical testing lab-on-chip platform and a miniaturized ionization sensor.
AB - The interest of using polyimide as a sacrificial and anchoring layer is demonstrated for post-processing surface micromachining and for the incorporation of metallic nanowires into microsystems. In addition to properties like a high planarization factor, a good resistance to most non-oxidizing acids and bases, and CMOS compatibility, polyimide can also be used as a mold for nanostructures after ion track-etching. Moreover, specific polyimide grades, such as PI-2611 from HD Microsystems™, involve a thermal expansion coefficient similar to silicon and low internal stress. The process developed in this study permits higher gaps compared to the state-of-the-art, limits stiction problems with the substrate and is adapted to various top-layer materials. Most metals, semiconductors or ceramics will not be affected by the oxygen plasma required for polyimide etching. Released structures with vertical gaps from one to several tens of μm have been obtained, possibly using multiple layers of polyimide. Furthermore, patterned freestanding nanowires have been synthesized with diameters from 20 to 60 nm and up to 3 μm in length. These results have been applied to the fabrication of two specific devices: a generic nanomechanical testing lab-on-chip platform and a miniaturized ionization sensor.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84884873616&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1088/0960-1317/23/9/095021
DO - 10.1088/0960-1317/23/9/095021
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84884873616
SN - 0960-1317
VL - 23
JO - Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering
JF - Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering
IS - 9
ER -