Cleanroom (at Imperial College)
There are two ISO class 6 cleanrooms (equivalent to US standards class 1000) The largest room, nicknamed the “semi-cleanroom”, or the “yellow room”, houses most of the fabrication tools, the processes and all relevant inspection and measurement facilities. Its yellow lights are a requirement for photolithography, one of the key processes sited within the room. The second cleanroom is also dedicated to processes requiring extremely dust-free environment. Equipment available in the Cleanroom:
- Suss Microtec MA6/BA6 mask aligner and bond aligner
- BOC Edwards Auto 500 coating system
- TPT HB16 thermosonic wedge, ball and bump wire bonder
- Veeco Dektak 6M stylus profiler stage
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Contact Optical Lithography
Contact optical lithography is a key process for defining patterns in the microscale. The Facility’s capability is built around the Suss Microtec MA6/BA6 mask aligner. Standard processes supported include positive resists for sub-micron lithography, image-reversal, lift-off and the use of thicker layers up to six microns. Thick, negative resists, in a number of flavours, are employed for the fabrication of moulds in MEMS/BioMEMS and microfluidic applications.
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Dip Pen Nanolithography
Dip Pen Nanolithography™ (DPN™) is the process of writing stable nanoscale patterns of molecular "ink" onto a substrate via coated stylus tips, including scanning microscope tips, hollow tips and tips on thermally actuated cantilevers. Inks that can be deposited include biomolecules, DNA, proteins, polymers, metals and nanoparticles to name but a few. Applications extend, but are not restricted, to protein nanoarrays, ultra-high density DNA arrays, molecular electronics, biosensor prototyping and templated nanoparticle assembly.
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Laser Micromachining System
We have an Oxford Laser micromachining system which is used for drilling of accurate, small holes (typically 5-200 microns diameter), very accurate cutting (kerf widths down 5 microns) and 2.5D milling of micro features. With the appropriate choice of laser, this system can be used to machine most materials (metals, ceramics, polymers, diamond, etc).
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Microfluidics and Micropatterning
Bio Nano Consulting is fully equipped for all BioMEMs, Micropatterning, and Microfluidic applications. We have particular expertise with cell and molecular biology applications of microfluidics and micropatterning.
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Molecular Beam Epitaxy
MBE is a method of depositing single crystals. Molecular beam epitaxy takes place in high vacuum or ultra high vacuum (10-8 Pa). The most important aspect of MBE is the slow deposition rate (typically less than 1000 nm per hour), which allows the films to grow epitaxially.
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Physical Vapour Deposition
The BOC Edwards Auto 500 coater provides two major physical vapour deposition techniques in a common high-vacuum chamber. The first technique is RF sputtering. There are two standard sputtering targets offered, silicon and titanium. The system is also capable of co-sputtering using both targets. The second technique is electron-gun evaporation, which uses the thermal energy from an electron beam to achieve evaporation of metals from different sources. Up to four different materials can be sequentially deposited in any number of combinations and thicknesses during the same run, without exposing the sample to the atmosphere.
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Plasma Cleaning
Plasma technology can be used for a variety of surface treatment processes, where materials have to be combined or where surfaces need special treatment and/or modification. The plasma cleaner has currently two process gases, oxygen and argon, and the two standard uses offered are sample cleaning and PDMS and/or glass treatment prior to bonding in microfluidic applications. Other uses of the plasma system are also possible.
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Wire Bonding
Bio Nano Consulting has access to a TPT’s HB16 thermosonic wire bonder, which is capable of performing wedge, ball and bump bonding, for connecting chips, devices, sensors etc. onto appropriate packages. This is a critical and important step towards a final prototype or product.
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