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3-D LITHOGRAPHY |
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Custom-built laser patterning system with full 3-D capabilities and medium precision. "Full" means that the system is capable of creating a continuos exposed path from the side surface of the cylinder to its flat base. Left: operator console. Centre: electronic drive units. Right: compact 3-D laser writing system, on an optical bench. The laser source is connected to the writing head through an optical fibre. See details below (courtesy of ALENIA industries). |
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Laser writing head with full 3-D capabilities.The sample being processed is the small gold-plated rod with a bluish top, in the central part of the system. This is a compact 4-axes robotic system, where the "tool", that is the focused laser beam, can be moved all around the sample. The bluish color is produced by the laser light (442 nm) scattered by the round surface of the sample. All movements are completely open loop. This limits the positioning precision to about 15 micron (courtesy of ALENIA industries). |
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The writing head is shown here while patterning the edge between the flat top of the sample and its cylindrical side surface. While the head rotates the laser spot is kept focused on the sample surface(courtesy of ALENIA industries). |
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SEM photo of the upper edge of the sample (real
size in the color inset). This is a "cold finger" to be filled with liquid
nitrogen when used. Before being patterned, the sample is coated with a thin gold
film and plated. The resist is applied by sprying. Note: the corrugated aspect of the lines is an artifact of image compression.The actual resolution is 10 micron. |
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The 3-D patterning system can also be used as a traditional planar patterning tool. The photograph shows a microstrip device patterned just after removing the 3-D sample holder from the system. Only 3 axes are used in this case. The substrate is galvanoplated RT-Duroid(TM). (Courtesy of ALENIA industries). |
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High precision patterning on a cylindrical surface. The photograph show a detail of the lower side of the MICROTECH system. The cylindrical sample is held between two high precision conical chucks and rotates around its axis. While a couple of XY precision transation tables moves the sample, a he-cd focused laser bream hits the sample surface from above (in the photograph the focusing optics has been removed). A microfiltered air flow comes from the back of the system, in order to minimize sample microcontamination. |
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Patterned silica cylinder, with 1000 lines
parallel to cylinder axis. Their presence is witnessed by the moire fringes visible
in transmitted light though the sample. The diameter is 1" (courtesy of the
Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Palermo).
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Two patterned cylinders, placed one inside the other. They have been made on PMMA. The gap between them is not empty, but filled with PMMA and polished. |
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A collection of cylindrical samples with different diameter. |
