Capabilities

The Ohio State Nanotech West Lab currently possesses the following capabilities. For semiconductor-related processing, we are capable of handling 100mm (4") wafers down to small parts in all but a very few processes.

Our electron beam lithography capability features a Leica/Vistec EBPG 5000 field-emission electron beam pattern generator (EBL01). The tool can operate at 50 and 100 keV using beam sizes as small as ~5 nm which results in linewidths down to ~20nm. We have in-house CAD layout and data fracturing capability and can accept GDSII, Tanner Database (TDB), and CTEXT formats, among others. Our engineering staff is highly experienced in both industrial semiconductor mix-and-match (e-beam and photo) and research lithography.

Our standard e-beam processes include:

  • PMMA 950k (2% and 4%) and PMMA/MAA copolymer
  • Bilayer resist processing for robust liftoff
  • SU-8 high aspect ratio negative resist
  • HSQ high resolution negative resist
  • maN 2403 easily removable negative resist
  • 4″ and 5″ photomask and reticle fabrication for photolithography
  • Staff-assisted CAD layout help is available for simple designs

Our optical lithography capability includes a GCA 6100C I-line stepper, 2 EVG 620 Contact Aligners, and a Karl Suss MJB-3 Contact Aligner.  Processes available include:

  • I-line (365 nm) stepper photolithography (STP01) to linewidths of ~0.70 microns
  • Contact photolithography to ~2 microns (ALN01, ALN02, ALN03)
  • Standard Shipley 1813, 220, 955  positive tone resist processes
  • Both positive tone and image reversal processes for AZ5214
  • Shipley LOR2A and LOR5A bilayer processes for robust liftoff processes
  • Standard SU-8 negative resist processes

Other lithography capabilities at Nanotech West include micro- and nanoimprint lithography using our EV Group 520HE (BND01) tool or an EV Group 620 (ALN02) contact aligner. 

Nanotech West has an extensive set of material growth and deposition processes and tools available. They include:

  • Metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) of III-V materials, in the form of an Aixtron 3×2″ close-coupled showerhead tool (CVD01) capable of growing (In, Al, Ga) (As, P, Sb) compound semiconductors on substrates up to 100mm
  • Electron gun evaporation of a wide variety of standard metals and some dielectrics (EVP01, EVP03)
  • RF and DC sputter deposition of a wide variety of metals and some dielectrics using a five-gun AJA Orion RF/DC load-locked sputter tool (PVD03)
  • Atomic layer deposition of dielectrics including HfO2, Al2O3, Ta2O5, ZnO, and TiO2 (other films possible with appropriate precursors) using a Picosun R-150B ALE ALD tool (ALD01)
  • Two LPCVD silicon nitride processes, stoichiometric and low-stress (TUB02)
  • PE-CVD silicon nitride and silicon oxide using a Plasma Therm 790 tool (CVD02)

Nanotech West has extensive capabilities in dry and wet etching. They include:

  • Inductively coupled reactive ion etching (ICP-RIE) using a Plasma Therm SLR770 tool (ETC04)
  • Plasma etching with a Lam 490 Autoetch (ETC02)
  • Reactive ion etching with a Technics Micro-RIE tool (ETC01)
  • Low-damage oxygen plasma ashing using a Diener Pico asher (ASH01)
  • Wet etching supported by three cleanroom wet benches (HOD07, HOD08, HOD09)
  • Spin rinse dryers for 100mm wafer processing

Thermal processing capabilities at Nanotech West include:

  • Rapid thermal annealing (RTA01, RTA02)
  • Dry and wet silicon oxidations in a shared furnace tube (TUB04)
  • Two boron solid-source diffusion processes for silicon (TUB03)
  • Two (n- and p-) spin-on dopant processes
  • Furnace tube annealing up to 1200° C (TUB06)
  • Nitrogen-purged BlueM ovens (OVN01, OVN02)
  • HMDS priming oven, YESIII HMDS Vapor Prime (OVN03)
  • Low temperature (< 650° C) baking and annealing in
    nitrogen and forming gas (TUB01)
  • Various other ovens and hotplates that support lithography and other processes

The metrology and materials analysis capabilities at Nanotech West include:

  • Carl Zeiss Ultra 55 Plus field-emission scanning electron microscope capable of high resolution on conductive and insulating substrates (SEM02)
  • Hitachi S-3000 scanning electron microscope (SEM01)
  • Extensive optical microscopy and photomicroscopy capabilities
  • Electrical probe stations including two light sources for solar simulation
  • Woollam alphaSE spectroscopic ellipsometer (ELP03)
  • Thin film reflectometry (NMX01)
  • Veeco Dektak3 surface profilometry (PRF01)
  • Jandel Four-point probe (PRB04)
  • Sinton WCT-120 photoconductance lifetime tester (PRB03)
  • Bruker Icon 3 Atomic force microscopy (AFM04)
  • Energy Dispersive X-Ray Spectroscopy (EDAX on SEM01 EDS01, Oxford EDS SDD on SEM02 EDS02)
  • Registration measurements of up to 120mm in both X and Y using electron beam (EBL01) and optical methods

Other significant process capabilities at Nanotech West include:

  • Wafer bonding using our EV520HE wafer bonder/hot embossing tool
  • Wedge wire bonding using a Kulicke and Soffe 4123 wire bonder – 1.0 mil Au and 1.0 mil Al wire and the corresponding wedges are available
  • Manual wafer and sample grinding processes
  • An MBraun nitrogen-purged glovebox for handling and processing air-sensitive materials