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Heidelberg Instruments' Direct Writers Revolutionize Sensor Design with Unmatched Flexibility and Precision

  • Description

  • Heidelberg Instruments direct writers enable high precision, making them suitable for sensors with fine details and complex geometries (VPG & DWL series). They can work with a variety of materials, including polymers, metals, and ceramics. This flexibility is advantageous for creating sensors with diverse functional layers and optimizing the material properties for specific sensing applications.

    Maskless lithography systems are valuable tools for rapid prototyping of sensor designs. Researchers and engineers can quickly iterate and test different sensor configurations without the need for time-consuming mask changes or complex lithography setups (VPG 300 DI, MLA series).

    Two-Photon Polymerization allows for the fabrication of three-dimensional structures, which can be beneficial for sensors with complex architectures or those requiring specific spatial arrangements of sensing elements (MPO 100).

    Thermal Scanning Probe Lithography with resolution capabilities as fine as 20 nm has the potential to elevate the sensitivity of the manufactured sensor. It opens up new possibilities for the development of sophisticated sensors and other nanoscale technologies.

  • Requirements

  • Resolution

    Flexibility

    Precise overlay of several layers

    Patterning of various materials

  • Solutions

  • Accurate overlay

    using alignment marks or none. The functional structured layer can be used as reference (NanoFrazor®, µMLA, MLA 150)

    Ultra-high resolution (15 nm) without the need for proximity effect corrections

    (NanoFrazor®)

    High resolution

    Minimum feature size 300 nm (DWL 66+) 500 nm (VPG 300 DI)

    Multiple wavelengths available

    between 355 nm and 405 nm (Direct writers), 522 nm for 3D through Two-Photon Polymerization (TPP) (MPO 100)

Heidelberg Instruments direct writers enable high precision, making them suitable for sensors with fine details and complex geometries (VPG & DWL series). They can work with a variety of materials, including polymers, metals, and ceramics. This flexibility is advantageous for creating sensors with diverse functional layers and optimizing the material properties for specific sensing applications.

Maskless lithography systems are valuable tools for rapid prototyping of sensor designs. Researchers and engineers can quickly iterate and test different sensor configurations without the need for time-consuming mask changes or complex lithography setups (VPG 300 DI, MLA series).

Two-Photon Polymerization allows for the fabrication of three-dimensional structures, which can be beneficial for sensors with complex architectures or those requiring specific spatial arrangements of sensing elements (MPO 100).

Thermal Scanning Probe Lithography with resolution capabilities as fine as 20 nm has the potential to elevate the sensitivity of the manufactured sensor. It opens up new possibilities for the development of sophisticated sensors and other nanoscale technologies.

Resolution

Flexibility

Precise overlay of several layers

Patterning of various materials

Accurate overlay

using alignment marks or none. The functional structured layer can be used as reference (NanoFrazor®, µMLA, MLA 150)

Ultra-high resolution (15 nm) without the need for proximity effect corrections

(NanoFrazor®)

High resolution

Minimum feature size 300 nm (DWL 66+) 500 nm (VPG 300 DI)

Multiple wavelengths available

between 355 nm and 405 nm (Direct writers), 522 nm for 3D through Two-Photon Polymerization (TPP) (MPO 100)

Application images

mr-DWL exposed with a DWL 66+ with 405nm wavelength; comb of lines with varying lengths (linewidth & gap 50 µm)
mr-DWL exposed with a DWL 66+ with 405nm wavelength; comb of lines with varying lengths (linewidth & gap 50 µm)
Sensor and digital circuits: Multi-Layer thin-film transistor made of six different materials, fabricated as part of research of flexible electronics
Fabrication of sensor and digital circuits as part of the research made in the direction of flexible electronics. Multi-Layer thin-film transistor made of six different materials. (Courtesy of Instituto Politécnico Nacional (IPN), Mexico)
Pattern exposed in AZ positive resist (~3µm) aligned to a pattern structured in a wafer. The structured wafer contains a stack of three metals.
Pattern exposed in AZ positive resist (~3µm) aligned to a pattern structured in a wafer. The structured wafer contains a stack of three metals.
Part of Bolometer, 500nm gap in 700nm AZ MIR 701 positive resist. Courtesy of Tian Yuan Global Corp.
Part of Bolometer, 500nm gap in 700nm AZ MIR 701 positive resist. Courtesy of Tian Yuan Global Corp.
Part of Bolometer, 750nm gap in 700nm AZ MIR 701 positive resist. Courtesy of Tian Yuan Global Corp.
Part of Bolometer, 750nm gap in 700nm AZ MIR 701 positive resist. Courtesy of Tian Yuan Global Corp.
SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Device) made with up to 18 layers process (Lift-off, plating, etching). (Courtesy of Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Heidelberg)
SQUID (Superconducting QUantum Interference Device) made with up to 18 layers process (Lift-off, plating, etching). Critical alignment requirements through thick layers. Yield increased by a factor 3 compared to mask aligners. (Courtesy of Kirchhoff Institute for Physics, Heidelberg)
Overlay exposure of a 5x5 Matrix of image sensors in SiGe SPADs (Single Photon Avallanche Diode) (Courtesy of IMS Chips)
Overlay exposure of a 5x5 Matrix of image sensors in SiGe SPADs (Single Photon Avallanche Diode) (Courtesy of IMS Chips)
Line Detector in SiGe-SPADs (single photon avalanche diodes made of silicon-germanium) - SEM cross-section (Courtesy of IMS Chips)
Line Detector in SiGe-SPADs (single photon avalanche diodes made of silicon-germanium) - SEM cross-section (Courtesy of IMS Chips)
Structured photoresist of the Metal conductor tracks for SiGe-SPADs (single photon avalanche diodes made of silicon-germanium) (Courtesy of IMS Chips)
Structured photoresist of the Metal conductor tracks for SiGe-SPADs (single photon avalanche diodes made of silicon-germanium) (Courtesy of IMS Chips)
Freeform optic printed on-device: a EEL (Edge Emitting Laser), used for Beam Shaping in Sensors.
Freeform optic printed on-device: a EEL (Edge Emitting Laser), used for Beam Shaping in Sensors. (Courtesy of nanoplus Nanosystems and Technologies GmbH)
An SEM image of a 20 nm gap in between two metal electrodes patterned by NanoFrazor and transferred via a 3-layer lift-off process
An SEM image of a 20 nm gap in between two metal electrodes patterned by NanoFrazor and transferred via a 3-layer lift-off process

suitable Systems

MLA 150 – a maskless lithography tool for nanofabrication of quantum devices, MEMS, micro-optics and other applications

MLA 150

  • Maskless Aligner

The fastest maskless tool for rapid prototyping, the alternative to the mask aligners. Perfect for standard binary lithography.

µMLA – the perfect entry-level research and development (R&D) tool for virtually any application requiring microstructures

µMLA

  • Maskless Aligner

Configurable and compact tabletop maskless aligner with raster scan and vector exposure modules.

DWL 66

DWL 66+

  • Direct Write Laser Lithography System

Our most versatile system for research and prototyping with variable resolution and wide selection of options.

MPO 100 – a TPP tool for 3D Lithography and 3D Microprinting for optics, photonics, mechanics, and biomedical engineering

MPO 100

  • Two-Photon Polymerization Multi-User Tool

Multi-User Tool for 3D Lithography and 3D Microprinting of microstructures with applications in micro-optics, photonics, micro-mechanics and biomedical engineering.

NanoFrazor tabletop

NanoFrazor

  • Thermal Scanning Probe Lithography System

Versatile & modular tool combining Thermal Scanning Probe Lithography, Direct Laser Sublimation, and advanced automation for cutting-edge R&D. 

VPG+ 200 and VPG+ 400 – Volume Pattern Generators designed for i-line resist applications like MEMS and advanced packaging

VPG+ 200, VPG+ 400, and VPG+ 800

  • Volume Pattern Generator

Powerful production tools for standard photomasks and microstructures in i-line resists.

The VPG+ 800 and VPG+ 1400 – Large-area volume pattern generators for the display industry, for advanced packaging, and more

VPG+ 1400 FPD

  • Volume Pattern Generator

Photomask production on large substrates, perfect for display applications.

VPG+ 200 and VPG+ 400 – Volume Pattern Generators designed for i-line resist applications like MEMS and advanced packaging

VPG 300 DI

  • Maskless Stepper

Maskless direct imager for high-accuracy and high-resolution microstructures.

ULTRA – a laser mask writer for semiconductor photomasks, which are the basis for electronic devices such as microcontrollers

ULTRA

  • Laser Mask Writer

A tool specifically designed to produce mature semiconductor photomasks.

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