Mar 27 2014
OAI, designers and manufacturers of precision, cost-effective equipment for the Semiconductor MEMS, PV solar energy, nanotechnology and microfluidics today introduced the new non-contact lithography system PhableR 100.
The system is developed and manufactured by Eulitha AG, a Swiss based company specializing in novel nanolithography technologies. The PhableR 100 prints high resolution nano-structures for use in R&D as well as low-volume production. The system has the resolution of a stepper, the simplicity of a mask aligner and is a low cost solution for photonic patterning.
PhableR100
OAI has signed a sales agreement with Eulitha AG to market, sell and provide technical support in the Americas for the PhableR 100 system. “We are very enthusiastic about how the Eulitha PhableR 100 fits into OAI’s growing family of versatile cost-effective photolithography products,” commented Dr. Charles Turk, President of OAI.
PhablerR 100 System
The PhablerR 100 system is based on the proprietary PHABLE (short for Photonics Enabler) photolithographic technology developed by Eulitha AG, which makes it possible to print high-resolution structures in a non-contact, proximity photolithography system. The resolution obtained with the PhableR 100 is essentially the same as that of a DUV projection lithography system, but without the complex and expensive optics and mechanics. For example, linear gratings with a half-pitch of 150nm can be printed with high uniformity with the new system. As an added advantage, the practically unlimited depth of focus of the image formed by the PhableR 100 system means that the high-resolution patterns can be printed with high uniformity even onto non-flat substrates, which are commonly encountered in photonics applications.
The PhableR 100 system can expose substrates with diameters up to 100mm using industry standard chrome-on-glass or phase-shifting masks. The mask and the substrate are loaded manually onto the system and the exposure process is controlled by an onboard computer. Standard i-line photoresists, both positive and negative tone, which are available from common vendors, can be used. Linear or curved gratings, 2D photonic-crystal type patterns with hexagonal or square symmetry can be printed with feature periods less than 300nm. The system may also be used like a standard mask-aligner in either proximity or contact mode to print micron-scale structures. Targeted applications include research and development projects in photonics, fabrication of gratings for optical diffraction and spectroscopy, light extraction patterns on LEDs, patterned sapphire substrates and color filters.
Harun Solak, CEO of Eulitha AG stated: “We are proud to introduce a solution that will enable our customers to perform high resolution photolithography with a low-cost system for the first time. This equipment is a result of a long-term development effort at both the Paul Scherrer Institute and Eulitha.”
About Eulitha AG
Eulitha AG is a spin-off company of the Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland. It specializes in the development of lithographic technologies for applications in photonics, biotech. It manufactures and markets nano-patterned samples and templates using its own PHABLE tools and state-of-the-art e-beam lithography systems. PHABLE is the brand name of its proprietary photolithography platform, which includes exposure tools and wafer patterning services.
About OAI
OAI is based in San Jose, CA and engineers, markets and manufactures precision cost-effective affordable equipment for the Semiconductor MEMS, PV Solar Energy, Nanotechnology and Microfluidics Industries. With 40 years of proved expertise, OAI has developed a time tested platform of modularized subsystems which can be used alone or may be integrated into custom configured systems. This approach controls costs, increases flexibility and reduces the overall cost of ownership.