Equipment of the Nanostructure Service Laboratory
Most nanofabrication facilities are housed in a cleanroom class 6 and 7 environment. Access
to the cleanroom is under keycard control and new users require a course of instruction which is offered regularly, at least once a month. In order to make an appointment please contact: Gernot Goll
The usage of all equipment is subject to usage fees. Please find the latest NSL fee schedule here. The document and it's content are for internal use only. External users should contact the NSL Manager and ask for a quotation.
Following equipment is installed in the cleanroom:
- Electron beam lithography
- Focused ion beam lithography
- Optical lithography
- Dry etching
- Wet etching
- Deposition
Further equipment at ambient conditions:
- Total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy
- Critical point drying
- Atomic force microscopy
- Scanning electron microscope
The NSL runs also the Carl Zeiss Foundation 3D User Lab (https://www.3dmattermadetoorder.kit.edu/czf_user_lab.php) which provides dedicated infrastructure for 3D Additive Manufacturing in a ISO class 7 cleanroom. It is located in a dedicated laboratory with direct access to the shared cleanroom facility of the NSL.
Training on the instruments provided by the staff members in charge of the equipment is mandatory for new users. For almost any piece of equipment trained users should make a reservation via the online
booking system.
Key points in e-beam writing:
+ energy 50keV or (25keV)
+ overlay better than 40nm (3x sigma)
+ stitching error better than 40nm (3x sigma)
+ minimum feature size 10nm
+ writefield 100µm / 1mm or (200µm / 2mm)
+ substrate sizes: 2" or 4" wafer, 15x15mm or 20x20mm pieces
+ data processing and proximity correction
Staff member in charge of this equipment: Silvia Diewald, Patrice Brenner
Key points:
+ focused beam of Ga-ions
+ FIB and SEM imaging
+ energy: 2-30keV
+ point-resolution: 7nm@30keV
+ aspect ratio: 1:3
+ structuring by milling and sputtering
+ cross-sections at well defined position
+ targeted TEM-sample preparation
+ structuring by defined deposition of Pt, W, SiO2
+ controlled by scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
+ composition quantification by X-ray spectroscopy
Staff member in charge of this equipment: Patrice Brenner, Silvia Diewald
- near UV (λ=365nm and 405nm) and deep UV (248nm) mask alignment
+ proximity and vacuum contact
+ substrates up to 6"
+ minimum feature size 0,7μm
+ alignment accuracy 0.5 μm
- direct laser lithography
+ Diode-Laser λ=405nm
+ interferometer stage
+ substrates up to 9"
+ minimum feature size 0,7μm
+ alignment accuracy 0,5μm
Staff member in charge of this equipment: Aina Quintilla, Lucas Radtke
- Reactive ion etching in fluorine based plasmas
+ Gases: SF6, CF4, CHF3, C4F8, O2, N2, Ar
+ Substrates up to 4"
- Inductively coupled chlorine based plasmas (ICP)
+ Gases: SiCl4, Cl2, HBr, H2, CH4, O2, Ar
+ Substrates up to 4"
+ variable substrate temperature 273 - 343K
- Low pressure plasma cleaner
+ Gases: O2
+ Substrates up to 8"
+ Borosilicate glass vacuum chamber
Staff member in charge of this equipment: Gernot Goll, Aina Quintilla
- Sputtering: Cr, Au, Pt
- e-gun evaporation
- thermal evaporation
- shadow evaporation
Staff member in charge of this equipment: Patrice Brenner , Hannes Rotzinger
- resist processing (spinners, hot plates, oven)
- ultrasone, megasone
- cleaning and wet etching
- HF wet bench
Staff member in charge of this equipment: , Aina Quintilla
Total Internal Reflection Fluorescence (TIRF) Microscopy
Key points:
+ dual laser illumination (λ=491nm and 561nm)
+ sensitive fluorescence camera
+ Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) setup
+ temperature control for live-cell imaging
+ time-lapse imaging
Scientist in charge of this equipment: N.N.
Scanning Electron Microscope
Key points:
+ thermal field emission cathode (Schottky type)
+ low vacuum mode
+ 4-tip pico-probe module
+ external scan drive for lithography
Staff member in charge of this equipment: Silvia Diewald, Patrice Brenner