Investigation of “fur-like” residues post dry etching of polyimide using aluminum hard etch mask

Joshi, Shivani; Savov, Angel; Shafqat, Salman; Dekker, R.

doi:10.1016/j.mssp.2017.11.025

Cited by 6 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Dry etching of Al mask with a slight overetch resulted in a residue-free PI etching. The slight overetch erodes the surface of the PI where the Al mask remnants are embedded [ 29 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Platform for Mechano(-Electrical) Characterization of Free-Standing Micron-Sized Structures and Interconnects

et al. 2018

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A device for studying the mechanical and electrical behavior of free-standing micro-fabricated metal structures, subjected to a very large deformation, is presented in this paper. The free-standing structures are intended to serve as interconnects in high-density, highly stretchable electronic circuits. For an easy, damage-free handling and mounting of these free-standing structures, the device is designed to be fabricated as a single chip/unit that is separated into two independently movable parts after it is fixed in the tensile test stage. Furthermore, the fabrication method allows for test structures of different geometries to be easily fabricated on the same substrate. The utility of the device has been demonstrated by stretching the free-standing interconnect structures in excess of 1000% while simultaneously measuring their electrical resistance. Important design considerations and encountered processing challenges and their solutions are discussed in this paper.

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“…Dry etching of Al mask with a slight overetch resulted in a residue-free PI etching. The slight overetch erodes the surface of the PI where the Al mask remnants are embedded [ 29 ].…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Platform for Mechano(-Electrical) Characterization of Free-Standing Micron-Sized Structures and Interconnects

et al. 2018

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“…6b, c ) 115 . Notably, RIE with hard masks, such as Al, causes fur-like residues 116 . The sputtering etching of the metal mask forms metal inclusions on the roughened PI layer on top (Fig.…”

Section: Micropatterning Of Polyimidementioning

confidence: 99%

Microfabrication of functional polyimide films and microstructures for flexible MEMS applications

Dong

Shen

et al. 2023

Microsyst Nanoeng

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Polyimides are widely used in the MEMS and flexible electronics fields due to their combined physicochemical properties, including high thermal stability, mechanical strength, and chemical resistance values. In the past decade, rapid progress has been made in the microfabrication of polyimides. However, enabling technologies, such as laser-induced graphene on polyimide, photosensitive polyimide micropatterning, and 3D polyimide microstructure assembly, have not been reviewed from the perspective of polyimide microfabrication. The aims of this review are to systematically discuss polyimide microfabrication techniques, which cover film formation, material conversion, micropatterning, 3D microfabrication, and their applications. With an emphasis on polyimide-based flexible MEMS devices, we discuss the remaining technological challenges in polyimide fabrication and possible technological innovations in this field.

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“…Hard etch masks are required for this dry etch process, as thin photoresist layers lack the etch selectivity required to allow the polyimide layer to be etched before the mask itself is etched away completely. Examples of etch mask materials include aluminium [53], chromium [54], titanium [50], nickel [55] and gold [56], although in some cases thick photoresist may also be used.…”

Section: Polymer Patterningmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…There is still however—to quote the now cliché from Richard Feynman—plenty of room at the bottom [ 78 ]. The fact that a technique as simple as spin-coating can be used to produce homogeneous films with values of rms surface roughness of less than 1 nm [ 53 ] bodes well for further miniaturization into the nano-regime. The solution processability means that very large-scale integration (VSLI) is possible if applications are widely adopted.…”

Section: Future Perspectivementioning

confidence: 99%

Cleanroom strategies for micro- and nano-fabricating flexible implantable neural electronics

Walton

Cerezo-Sánchez

McGlynn

et al. 2022

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A.

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Implantable electronic neural interfaces typically take the form of probes and are made with rigid materials such as silicon and metals. These have advantages such as compatibility with integrated microchips, simple implantation and high-density nanofabrication but tend to be lacking in terms of biointegration, biocompatibility and durability due to their mechanical rigidity. This leads to damage to the device or, more importantly, the brain tissue surrounding the implant. Flexible polymer-based probes offer superior biocompatibility in terms of surface biochemistry and better matched mechanical properties. Research which aims to bring the fabrication of electronics on flexible polymer substrates to the nano-regime is remarkably sparse, despite the push for flexible consumer electronics in the last decade or so. Cleanroom-based nanofabrication techniques such as photolithography have been used as pattern transfer methods by the semiconductor industry to produce single nanometre scale devices and are now also used for making flexible circuit boards. There is still much scope for miniaturizing flexible electronics further using photolithography, bringing the possibility of nanoscale, non-invasive, high-density flexible neural interfacing. This work explores the fabrication challenges of using photolithography and complementary techniques in a cleanroom for producing flexible electronic neural probes with nanometre-scale features. This article is part of the theme issue 'Advanced neurotechnologies: translating innovation for health and well-being'.

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Investigation of “fur-like” residues post dry etching of polyimide using aluminum hard etch mask

Cited by 6 publications

References 20 publications

A Platform for Mechano(-Electrical) Characterization of Free-Standing Micron-Sized Structures and Interconnects

A Platform for Mechano(-Electrical) Characterization of Free-Standing Micron-Sized Structures and Interconnects

Microfabrication of functional polyimide films and microstructures for flexible MEMS applications

Cleanroom strategies for micro- and nano-fabricating flexible implantable neural electronics

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