Use this URL to cite or link to this record in EThOS: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.684297
Title: NEMS by sidewall transfer lithography
Author: Liu, Dixi
ISNI:       0000 0004 5920 7735
Awarding Body: Imperial College London
Current Institution: Imperial College London
Date of Award: 2016
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Abstract:
A batch fabrication process for nano-electro-mechanical systems (NEMS) based on sidewall transfer lithography (STL) is developed and demonstrated. The STL is used to form nanoscale flexible silicon suspensions entirely by conventional lithography. A two-step process is designed for single-layer STL to fabricate simple electrothermal actuators, while a three-step process is designed to allow nanoscale features intersecting with each other for more complicated device lay-outs. Fabricated nanoscale features has a minimum in-plane width of approx. 100nm and a high aspect ratio of 50 : 1. Combined structures with microscale and nanoscale parts are transferred together into silicon by deep reactive etching (DRIE). Suspensions are achieved either by plasma undercut or HF vapour etch based on BSOI. The STL processes are used to form nanoscale suspensions while conventional lithography is used to form localised microscale features such as anchors. A wide variety of demonstrator devices have been fabricated with high feature quality. Analytic models have been developed to compare with experimental characterization and finite element analysis (FEA) predictions. Lattice structures fabricated by multi-layer STL have also be investigated as a novel type of mechanical metamaterial. Thus, the process could allow low-cost and mass parallel fabrication of future NEMS with a wider range of potential applications.
Supervisor: Syms, Richard Sponsor: Not available
Qualification Name: Thesis (Ph.D.) Qualification Level: Doctoral
EThOS ID: uk.bl.ethos.684297  DOI:
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