• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.245-250
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• 2011

A high-resolution shadow mask, a nanostencil, is widely used for high resolution lithography. This high-resolution shadowmask is often fabricated by a combination of MEMS processes and focused ion beam (FIB) milling. In this study, FIB milling on 500-nm-thin SiN membrane was tested and characterized. 500 nm thick and $2{\times}2$ mm large membranes were made on a silicon wafer by micro-fabrication processes of LPCVD, photolithography, ICP etching and bulk silicon etching. A subsequent FIB milling enabled local membrane thinning and aperture making into the thinned silicon nitride membrane. Due to the high resolution of the FIB milling process, nanoscale apertures down to 60 nm could be made into the membrane. The nanostencil could be used for nanoscale patterning by local deposition through the apertures.

• Membrane and Water Treatment
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• v.14 no.3
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• pp.115-120
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• 2023

The design theory for nanoporous filtration membranes needs to be established. The present study shows that the performance and technical advancement of nanoporous filtration membranes are determined by the fundamental parameter I (in the unit Watt^1/2) which is formulated as a function of the shear strength of the liquid-pore wall interface, the radius of the filtration pore, the membrane thickness, and the bulk dynamic viscosity of the flowing liquid. This parameter determines the critical power loss on a single filtration pore for initiating the wall slippage, which is important for the flux of the membrane. It also relates the membrane permeability to the power cost by the filtration pore. It is shown that for biological cellular membranes its values are on the scale 1.0E-8Watt^1/2, for mono-layer graphene membranes its values are on the scale 1.0E-9Watt^1/2, and for nanoporous membranes made of silica, silicon nitride or silicon carbonized its values are on the scale 1.0E-5Watt^1/2. The scale of the value of this parameter directly measures the level of the performance of a nanoporous filtration membrane. The carbon nanotube membrane has the similar performance with biological cellular membranes, as it also has the value of I on the scale 1.0E-8Watt^1/2.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.147-153
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• 1998

Tungsten nitride is very attractive as absorber for X-ray lithographic mask and as a diffusion barrier for interconnecting metallization in Si VLSI technology. Microstructure of tungsten nitride films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering has been investigated as a function of deposition parameter. The crystal structure of sputtered films on silicon nitride membrane depends strongly on the NJAr gas flow ratio(0~18%1, gas pressure(l0~43mTorr). RF power (60~150W), target-substrate distance(4~8cm). Tungsten nitride films deposited at the $N_2/Ar$ gas flow ratio(- 10%). gas pressure(~10mmTorr), RF power(~150W) and target-substrate distance(6cm) are amorphous, but at other conditions are almost rough -surfaced polycrystalline. Amorphous films are very smooth($3.1\AA$ rms) and expected to be excellent absorber for X-ray mask.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.23 no.3 s.180
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• pp.56-60
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• 2006

A high-resolution shadow mask, or called a nanostencil was fabricated for high resolution lithography. This high-resolution shadowmask was fabricated by a combination or MEMS processes and focused ion beam (FIB) milling. 500 nm thick and $2{\times}2mm$ large membranes wore made on a silicon wafer by micro-fabrication processes of LPCVD, photolithography, ICP etching and bulk silicon etching. A subsequent FIB milling enabled local membrane thinning and aperture making into the thinned silicon nitride membrane. Due to the high resolution of the FIB milling process, nanoscale apertures down to 70 nm could be made into the membrane. By local deposition through the apertures of nanostencil, nanoscale patterns down to 70 nm could be achieved.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2004.10a
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• pp.871-874
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• 2004

Fabrication of a high-resolution shadow mask, or called nanostencil, is presented. This high-resolution shadowmask is fabricated by a combination of MEMS processes and focused ion beam (FIB) milling. 500 nm thick and 2x2 mm large membranes are made on a silicon wafer by micro-fabrication processes of LPCVD, photolithography, ICP etching and bulk silicon etching. Subsequent FIB milling enabled local membrane thinning and aperture making into the thinned silicon nitride membrane. Due to high resolution of FIB milling process, nanoscale apertures down to 70 nm could be made into the membrane.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2013.02a
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• pp.657-657
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• 2013

In-situ observations of nano-scale behavior of nanomaterials are very important to understand onthe nano-scale phenomena associated with phase change, atomic movement, electrical or optical properties, and even reactions which take place in gas or liquid phases. We have developed on the in-situ experimental technologies of nano-materials (nano-cluster, nanowire, carbon nanotube, and graphene, et al.) and their interactions (percolation of metal nanoclusters, inter-diffusion, metal contacts and phase changes in nanowire devices, formation of solid nano-pores, melting behavior of isolated nano-metal in a nano-cup, et al.) by nano-discovery membrane platform [1-4]. Between two microelectrodes on a silicon nitride membrane platform, electrical percolations of metal nano-clusters are observed with nano-structures of deposited clusters. Their in-situ monitoring can make percolation devices of different conductance, nanoclusters based memory devices, and surface plasmonic enhancement devices, et al. As basic evidence on the phase change memory, phase change behaviors of nanowire devices are observed at a nano-scale.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Electrical and Electronic Material Engineers Conference
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• 1998.06a
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• pp.411-414
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• 1998

In this paper, the silicon-nitride membrane structure for IR sensor was fabricated through the etching and the direct bonding. The PT layer as a IR detection layer was deposited on the membrane and its characteristics were measured. The attack of PT layer during the etching of silicon wafer as well as the thermal isolation of the IR detection layer can be solved through the method of bonding/etching of silicon wafer. Because the PT layer of c-axial orientation rained thermal polarization without polling, the more integration capability can be achieved. The surface roughness of the membrane was measured by AFM, the micro voids and the non-contacted area were inspected by IR detector, and the bonding interface was observed by SEM. The polarization characteristics and the dielectric characteristics of the PT layer were measured, too.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.379-384
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• 2015

An infrared image sensor is a core device in a thermal imaging system. The fabrication method of a focal plane array (FPA) is a key technology for a high resolution infrared image sensor. Each pixels in the FPA have $Si_3N_4/SiO_2$ membranes including legs to deposit bolometric materials and electrodes on Si readout circuits (ROIC). Instead of polyimide used to form a sacrificial layer, the feasibility of an amorphous silicon (${\alpha}-Si$) was verified experimentally in a $8{\times}8$ micro-bolometer array with a $50{\mu}m$ pitch. The elimination of the polyimide sacrificial layer hardened by a following plasma assisted deposition process is sometimes far from perfect, and thus requires longer plasma ashing times leading to the deformation of the membrane and leg. Since the amorphous Si could be removed in $XeF_2$ gas at room temperature, however, the fabricated micro-bolomertic structure was not damaged seriously. A radio frequency (RF) sputtered nickel oxide film was grown on a $Si_3N_4/SiO_2$ membrane fabricated using a low stress silicon nitride (LSSiN) technology with a LPCVD system. The deformation of the membrane was effectively reduced by a combining the ${\alpha}-Si$ and LSSiN process for a nickel oxide micro-bolometer.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.62-67
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• 2007

This paper presents a novel MEMS condenser microphone with rigid backplate to enhance acoustic characteristics. The MEMS condenser microphone consists of membrane and backplate chips which are bonded together by gold-tin (Au/Sn) eutectic solder bonding. The membrane chip has 2.5 mm${\times}$2.5 mm, $0.5{\mu}m$ thick low stress silicon nitride membrane, 2 mm${\times}$2 mm Au/Ni/Cr membrane electrode, and $3{\mu}m$ thick Au/Sn layer. The backplate chip has 2 mm${\times}$2 mm, $150{\mu}m$ thick single crystal silicon rigid backplate, 1.8 mm${\times}$1.8 mm backplate electrode, and air gap, which is fabricated by bulk micromachining and silicon deep reactive ion etching. Slots and $50-60{\mu}m$ radius circular acoustic holes to reduce air damping are also formed in the backplate chip. The fabricated microphone sensitivity is $39.8{\mu}V/Pa$ (-88 dB re. 1 V/Pa) at 1 kHz and 28 V polarization voltage. The microphone shows flat frequency response within 1 dB between 20 Hz and 5 kHz.

• Transactions of the Korean Society for Noise and Vibration Engineering
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• v.16 no.12 s.117
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• pp.1272-1278
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• 2006

This paper presents a novel MEMS condenser microphone with rigid backplate to enhance acoustic characteristics. The MEMS condenser microphone consists of membrane and backplate chips which are bonded together by gold-tin(Au/Sn) eutectic solder bonding. The membrane chip has $2.5mm{\times}2.5mm$, 0.5${\mu}m$ thick low stress silicon nitride membrane, $2mm{\times}2mm$ Au/Ni/Cr membrane electrode, and 3${\mu}m$ thick Au/Sn layer. The backplate chip has $2mm{\times}2mm$, 150${\mu}m$ thick single crystal silicon rigid backplate, $1.8mm{\times}1.8mm$ backplate electrode, and air gap, which is fabricated by bulk micromachining and silicon deep reactive ion etching. Slots and $50{\sim}60{\mu}m$ radius circular acoustic holes to reduce air damping are also formed in the backplate chip. The fabricated microphone sensitivity is 39.8 ${\mu}V/Pa$(-88 dB re. 1 V/Pa) at 1 kHz and 28 V polarization voltage. The microphone shows flat frequency response within 1 dB between 20 Hz and 5 kHz.