MRI: Acquisition of a Maskless Aligner

This Major Research Instrumentation (MRI) award supports the acquisition of a Heidelberg Maskless Aligner photolithography tool (MLA150) to enhance micro/nanofabrication initiatives at the University of Maryland College Park (UMD) and its surrounding institutions. Photolithography – a process of defining micrometer-scale patterns by using ultraviolet light to selectively expose mask patterns in a coating of light-sensitive polymer – is a ubiquitous process which underlies modern electronic devices from microcontrollers and processor chips to novel battery designs, biomedical devices, and even developing quantum-computer technologies.

The MLA150 instrument allows researchers to laser-print lithography patterns without the need for mask, greatly reducing the expense and cost of improving and developing new device designs. The instrument supports various research projects in materials science, nanoscience, energy science, and quantum science and students training at UMD.

The proposed MLA150 system is an essential yet powerful tool to promote a wide range of both fundamental and applied science studies, including but not limited to realization of compact battery cells, improved micro-electron-mechanical devices, higher-quality quantum sensors, and novel superconducting-circuit devices. The instrument eliminates delays associated with mask ordering, validation, printing, and shipping, allowing researchers at UMD to move from design to device in a less than one day.

The resulting rapid fabrication cycle times greatly expands the range of device geometries that can be explored, promote the exploration of new design concepts that would otherwise be impractical to implement, and improve the overall agility of microsystems and nanosystems research at UMD. Furthermore, the tool complements to the existing mask aligners as it can be used to produce permanent masks for finalized designs, which can then be made with higher through-put using conventional mask aligners, turning mask production from a slow expensive process to a rapid and versatile in-house one.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.