MicroWriter ML3 Baby Plus
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MicroWriter ML3 Baby Plus

Durham Magneto Optics

MicroWriter ML®3 Baby Plus is a compact, high-performance, direct-write optical lithography machine which is designed to offer unprecedented value for money in a small laboratory footprint. It also has an excellent environmental footprint: power consumption of the machine even when exposing is comparable to that of a laptop.

Measuring only 70cm x 70cm at its base, the MicroWriter ML®3 Baby Plus sits on a standard laboratory bench or desk and plugs into a supplied laptop computer. Its only service requirement is a standard power socket. A light-excluding enclosure with safety interlock allows it to be used equally well in an open laboratory environment or in a clean room. Easy to use Windows® based software means most exposures can be set up and launched with just a few mouse clicks. Two different minimum feature sizes (1µm and 5µm) can be selected automatically via software. This allows non-critical parts of the exposure to be performed rapidly at 5µm minimum feature size while retaining high resolution writing for critical parts. The MicroWriter ML®3 Baby Plus also features an optical surface profilometer tool and an automated wafer inspection tool for examining fabricated structures.

Applications

• Microelectronics and semiconductors
• Spintronics
• MEMS/NEMS
• Sensors
• Microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip
• Nanotechnology
• Materials science
• Graphene and other 2-dimensional materials

Features and Specifications

• 149mm x 149mm maximum writing area.
• 195mm x 195mm maximum writing area available as an option.
• 155mm x 155mm x 7mm maximum wafer size.
• 230mm x 230mm x 15mm maximum wafer size available as an option.
• 1µm and 5µm minimum feature sizes across full writing area.
• 0.6µm minimum feature size available as an option.
• Automatic selection of minimum feature size via software – no manual changing of lens required.
• 405nm long-life semiconductor light source, suitable for broadband, g- and h-line positive and negative photoresists (e.g. S1800, ECI-3000, MiR 701). Replacement 385 nm and 365nm lightsources available as option, suitable for g-, h-, and i-line photoresists (e.g. SU8). Dual wavelength option (405nm lightsource and 365nm lightsource, software selectable) available for best performance across g-, h-, and iline photoresists.
• XY interferometer with 15nm resolution for precise motion control.
• Extremely fast writing speed - up to: 50mm2/minute (1µm minimum feature size), and 180mm2/minute (5µm minimum feature size). These allow a typical 50mm x 50mm area combining critical and non-critical areas to be exposed in under 30 minutes.
• Optical autofocus system using yellow light with real-time surface tracking module – no minimum wafer size.
• High quality infinite conjugate optical microscope with x3 aspheric objective lens, x10 Olympus plan achromatic objective lens, and yellow light illumination for alignment to lithographic markers on the wafer (±1.0µm 3? alignment accuracy).
• Automatic changing between microscope magnifications via software – no manual changing of lens required. Additional x4 digital zoom can be selected in software.
• Grey scale exposure mode for 3-dimensional patterning (up to 255 grey levels).
• Software API for external interfacing and control.
• 60nm minimum addressable grid. 15nm sample stage resolution.
• Acceptable file formats: CIF, GDS2, BMP, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, GIF; Oasis, DXF, Gerber RS-274X acceptable via KLayout conversion.
• Built-in 2-dimensional optical surface profiler (200nm thickness resolution) for examining exposed resists, deposited layers, etching and other MEMS process steps.
• Automatic wafer centring tool.
• Automatic wafer inspection tool allowing each die on a wafer to be imaged.
• Autocalibration tool allowing users to check and correct calibration.
• 2D barcodes can be automatically generated through software for exposures. The software can then identify the developed barcode patterns and reads the contents.
• Emailing multiple users when exposures are finished.
• Light-excluding enclosure with safety interlock.
• Easy to use, Windows® based control software supplied.
• Supplied with KLayout open-source mask design software (www.klayout.de).
• Supplied with pre-configured 64-bit Windows® 10/11 PC with monitor, keyboard, and mouse for ‘plug and play’ installation.
• Includes on-site installation by trained service technician.
• Extremely competitively priced for university and industrial R&D budgets.
• Can be later upgraded to MicroWriter ML® 3 Mesa or Pro for higher performance.
• 90-260 VAC, 50-60Hz, 4A single phase power requirement.
• External dimensions: 70cm (w) x 70cm (d) x 75cm (h), excluding computer.
• CE-marked and compliant with EN-61010.

Options

• Replace 405nm light source with 385nm
• Replace 405nm or 385nm light source with 365nm
• Clewin Software
• Virtual mask aligner
• Increases max samples thickness to 15mm)
• Increases max XY travel to 200mm-same as Pro)
• Temperature compensation module, same as Pro)
• 1 year's additional warranty
• Upgrade system to more advanced models

Examples of fabricated structures

Images of resolution-limited structures. Top left and right: Lines array with width of 1.0µm and period of 2.0µm on Si/Bottom antireflection coating/S1805 (0.5 µm). Bottom left: Lines array with width of 0.6µm on Si/LOR/S1805 (0.5µm).

Scanning Electron Microscope images of micro-moulds. Structures were produced on a 50µm thick SU8 layer. Aspect ratio of the dots array (bottom left) is 8.

Optical Microscope images of patterns produced across varied types of substrates: Top left: AlN ceramic. Top right: Liquid polymer. Bottom left: Si/SiO2. Bottom middle: Glass. Bottom right: Diamond.

Optical Microscope images of patterns produced on a photomask.