Resistless patterning of sub-micron structures by evaporation through nanostencils

• Published in: Microelectronic engineering 2000-06, Vol.53 (1), p.403-405
• Main Authors: Brugger, J., Berenschot, J.W., Kuiper, S., Nijdam, W., Otter, B., Elwenspoek, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Design. Technologies. Operation analysis. Testing; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Integrated circuits; Lithography, masks and pattern transfer; Microelectronic fabrication (materials and surfaces technology); Microelectronics: LSI, VLSI, ULSI; integrated circuit fabrication technology; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices
• ISSN: 0167-9317; 1873-5568
• DOI: 10.1016/S0167-9317(00)00343-9

We describe a sub-micron shadow-mask evaporation or nanostencil technique for single-layer material patterning. The technique does not involve photoresist processing steps and is therefore applicable on arbitrary surfaces. It allows for rapid fabrication of sub-micron structures on a milimeter scale. The nanostencils used here are thin microfabricated silicon nitride membranes, 1 × 3 mm wide and 0.3–1.0 μm thick. They are peforated by a regular two-dimensional array of sub-micron apertures of 1 μm periode. Metal evaporation of 40 nm thick Cr/Au through the apertures directly onto the substrate yields the exact 1:1 replication of the aperture pattern. The smallest dot size on a flat substrate obtained is 120 nm, whereas 750 nm dots are reproduced, both on free-standing micromechanical beams and on a surface recessed by 5–10 μm.