A Fully Integrated, MEMS Based, Micro-Scale Printer for Cryogenic Thin Film Structures

• Published in: Journal of microelectromechanical systems Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 126 - 135
• Main Authors: Lally, Richard, Imboden, Matthias, Stange, Alexander, Barrett, Lawrence K., Perez-Morelo, Diego J., Bishop, David J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York IEEE 01.02.2023; The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE)
• Subjects: Apertures; Circuits; Cryogenic temperature; Electrical properties; Film thickness; Flip-chip; Lithography; MEMS; Micromachining; Micromechanical devices; nanofabrication; Nanoscale devices; Printers; quenched condensed thin films; Substrates; System of systems; Thin films; top-down approach; Wires; Writing; Yang-Mills theory
• ISSN: 1057-7157; 1941-0158
• DOI: 10.1109/JMEMS.2022.3224476

Cryogenically produced thin film structures at the research scale facilitate many novels experiments. This paper discusses the construction of a fully integrated, MEMS based, printer, capable of printing micro and nano-scale features. In this millimeter-sized device, many features of a nanofab are incorporated to fabricate and characterize thin films in situ. The micro-scale printer comprises surface micromachined MEMS, digitally programmable source of atoms; a stencil lithograpghy tool that uses a MEMS nanopositioner for alignment; a substrate with on-chip leads for electrical characterization; a film thickness monitor; a substrate thermometer and heater. The device consists of three separate silicon die, flip-chip bonded to each other, forming a fully integrated, fabrication system of systems. This device creates micro and nano structures ranging from a few monolayers thick up to micron scale circuits. Applications range from searching for the Casimir Energy to the direct fabrication of quantum circuits, in situ, at cryogenic temperatures. [2022-0132]