Microfabrication Laboratory (MFL)
Introduction
The microfabrication laboratory is a purpose built 90 m2 ISO 7 standard turbulent airflow type cleanroom with an ISO 6 standard micro-environment for photolithography processing.
The laboratory is equipped with a suite of tools that facilitate the fabrication and testing of micron scale structures. These capabilities are utilised in undergraduate teaching to fabricate and test silicon semiconductor devices such as diodes, solar cells and transistors. Postgraduate research candidates use the cleanroom to fabricate various solid-state sensors, electrochemical sensors and other MEMS type structures, along with creating bespoke microfabricated substrates for use in other areas of their research. Furthermore, this laboratory offers a unique possibility to external companies in terms of producing or prototyping thin film structures on a variety of substrates or to discuss potential device design/testing with laboratory staff members proficient in microfabrication.
- Micron-scale structure fabrication using thin film deposition and patterning techniques.
- Small batch production of prototype sensor/electrode structures.
- PVD deposition of conducting, semiconducting and dielectric layers.
- SEM imaging of supplied samples and elemental identification using EDX.
- Nanometre scale thin film measurement using Spectroscopic Ellipsometry.
Photolithography & Patterning
- Substrate Spin Coater (SPS POLOS 150i)
- Mask Aligner (MIDAS MDA-400M)
- Direct Laser Writer ("Maskless Aligner") (POLOS µPrinter)
- Extracted Wet Etch Station
Thin Film Deposition
- DC/RF Magnetron Sputtering & Thermal Evaporation (Kurt J Lesker PVD75)
High Temperature Processing
- 3-Stack Horizontal Tube Oxidation & Diffusion Furnace
Microscopy
- Tabletop SEM with EDX (Hitachi TM4000 mkII with Oxford Instruments AztecOne EDS)
- Spectroscopic Ellipsometer (Sopralab GES5E)
Test & Measurement
- Wafer Probing Station (Signatone)
- Semiconductor Parameter Analayser (Agilent 4155C)
- LCR Meter (Agilent 4284A)
- 4-Point Probe (Jandel)
- Sourcemeter (Keithley 2400)
- Picoammeter (Keithley 6485)