The Buzz Adams Microfabrication Facility is located in the newly constructed Multidisciplinary Research Building (MRB) on the West Campus of the University of Kansas in Lawrence which was occupied in January 2006. The MRB is a state-of-the-art, three-story research facility designed with research labs, support space and interaction areas to promote collaborative research. The $40 million, 106,000-square-foot building was completed in December, 2005 and is the latest addition to KU’s growing research complex on west campus. More than 200 scientists, students and other research staff will work in the building when it is fully occupied. The Microfabrication Facility, located on the first floor of the MRB, contains 2,400 ft2 of cleanroom space, 900 ft2 for a machining room, 400 ft2 of wet lab space and offices. This facility is under the direction of Drs. Susan Lunte and Karen Nordheden. The facility is available to KU researchers in all departments and provides training to new investigators and graduate students in the use of microfabrication procedures and equipment. In the long-term, the center will evolve into a self-supporting facility of service to the wider University of Kansas community.
The Microfabrication Facility cleanrooms consist of a gowning vestibule (200 ft2, room 1C6); a class 100 cleanroom for imaging (190 ft2, room 169); a class 100 area for photolithography (200 ft2, room 163); a class 1000 space for metal deposition (280 ft2, room 165); a class 1000 space for plasma etching (280 ft2, room 166); and a class 1000 wet lab for substrate etching, bonding, and device inspection (575 ft2, room 168). The facility has access corridors for gas tanks, house nitrogen, specialized hoods and lighting, and built in desiccators. The facility provides capabilities for photolithography, plasma etching of high surface ratio elements, glass etching, laser ablation, metal deposition, dielectric material deposition and microchip characterization. The major equipment in this facility is listed in the equipment section below.
Major Equipment in the Buzz Adams Microfabrication Facility
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Photolithography Equipment |
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ABM UV Flood and Mask Alignment System
The i-line near-UV flood source produces light with an intensity of 21 mW/cm2, with wavelengths below 350 nm being filtered out. Automatic exposure timing down to 0.1 s, stage adjustments (x, y, z, and Θ) with 1 μm precision. |
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Brewer CEE100 Programmable Spin Coater & Thermolyne PMC Digital Hot Plate
The spin coater has ten programmable presets, each with timed and stepped control of acceleration rates (1-30000 r/m/s) and held angular speeds (1-6000 r/m), with repeatability of ±5 r/m. The microprocessor controlled PMC hot plate holds timed and stepped temperatures from 38 to 370° C (± 2° C). |
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Diagnostic and Circuit-testing Microscopes
One of three inspection microscopes in our facility, this Zeiss microscope features 5x, 10x, 20x, 50x and 100x objective lenses, and dark and bright field illumination. An attached camera enables video and still image capturing. |
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SPI Plasma-Prep II
The oxidizer is used not only to ‘de-scum’ substrates prior to deposition, but also to alter the surface characteristics of PDMS microchips. UHP O2 is plumbed directly to its 10.5 x 15 cm reaction chamber. |
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Plasma Etching |
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Hydroflouric Acid Etching Station
Set in a dedicated fume hood with a deep basin, this etching station is used to wet etch glass microfluidic devices using a buffered oxide etch process. |
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Film Deposition |
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Lesker thin film deposition system
This instrument deposits films—primarily metals— using one of two DC magnetron sputtering sources in a low temperature environment. An Inficon quartz crystal monitors deposition rate and thickness. |
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Oxford Plasmalab 80 Plus PECVD
The new plasma-enhanced deposition system uses NH3, N2O, N2, CF4, and SiH4/O2 to deposit siliconbased, nitride and oxide films on various substrates for superconductor fabrication at low temperatures. |
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Semiconductor Characterization |
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HORIBA Jovin Yvon UVISEL - Spectroscopic Ellipsometer
The UVISEL ellipsometer measures features down to 250 nm, with a spectral range from 250 to 2100 nm—ideal for measuring semiconductor features and thin film deposition. |
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Evaluation |
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Tencor Alphastep 200 Profilometer
The Alphastep profilometer is used to measure features down to low micrometer heights, with scan lengths from 80 to 10000 microns, and resolution down to 5 nanometers. |
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Miscellaneous |
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Fisher Programmable Muffle Furnace
Used primarily for glass bonding, this furnace allows for timed and stepped control of temperatures from ambient to 1125° C. |
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Labconco Vertical Clean Bench
This work station is used for mixing and degassing substrate monomers, such as PDMS, prior to molding and curing. Air handling provides an ISO Class 5 (US FED Class 100) work environment. |
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Microchip Machine Shop |
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Universal CO2 Laser Engraving System
In addition to myriad other uses, this equipment is used to ablate microchannels in polymer plastics (such as PDMS and PMMA) and glass, with feature sizes down to ~100 μm across. |
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