MiniFAB has installed a wide selection of specialized equipment in Class 10,000 and Class 1000 cleanrooms that enable us to provide a unique and comprehensive service to our clients. Below are details of the systems routinely used to make micro and nano scale features in a range of materials. If the equipment you require doesn't appear in this list please contact us to discuss your application.

• Laser micromachining

  • Excimer laser:
    MiniFAB operates two excimer laser systems, working at a wavelength of 248nm or 193nm. These lasers provide nanosecond-long pulses of intense UV light that can etch polymeric materials without causing thermal damage. Features as small as 1µm in width can be machined and the depth of features can be controlled to <<1µm. These lasers are also ideal for patterning thin (<2µm) films on a variety of substrates. MiniFAB has extensive experience in cutting and patterning an array of features and materials using this type of laser.
    
    Frequency tripled YAG laser (AVIA): The AVIA laser is a pulsed UV laser system (wavelength = 355nm) that allows cutting of a wide range of polymers, metal films and foils, ceramics, semiconductors, adhesives and other materials. The cut path is controlled by a CAD-defined tool path and typical cut widths begin at ~20µm.
• Lithography

  • Lithography suite:
    MiniFAB's lithography suite is supported by an array of auxiliary equipment required for wafer processing and measurement of microfeatures. Hot plates, wet-chemistry benches, metallization processes (sputtering and electroforming) and microscopy are all available in-house.
    
    Spinner:
    The deposition of thin, uniform layers of material involves spinning parts at high speed before dispensing controlled volumes of solution or material suspension. Adhesives and photoresists are the most common materials applied using this method. Typical film thicknesses can range from ~1µm to several hundred microns.
    
    Mask aligners:
    MiniFAB operates a suite of mask aligners for the UV patterning of photoresist layers on a variety of substrate materials. Features as small as 2µm in width can be exposed before wet chemical processes are used to develop the resist structures. The photoresist moulds can then be used in etching or metal deposition processes. This equipment is designed around 4" and 6" silicon wafer platforms.
    
    Nano imprint lithography (NIL):
    NIL is a relatively new lithographic process that enables features <<1µm in size to be replicated in thin photoresist materials. Subsequent processing can then transfer the photoresist structures into the substrate material or replicate them in metal using electroforming.
• Micro-milling

  • Direct milling of micro-features into a variety of polymer materials is a key process capability for MiniFAB. Tooling, with diameters as low as 50µm, are routinely used to directly fabricate parts or to create tooling for use in subsequent processes.
• Metallization and Electroforming

  • Magnetron sputtering:
    DC magnetron sputtering is used by MiniFAB to deposit thin metal films (typically copper, chromium, titanium and gold) onto a variety of substrate materials including polymers and silicon. Film thicknesses from 10s of nanometers to ~1 µm can be deposited with controlled adhesion properties.
    
    Large format electroforming system:
    MiniFAB can electroform a metal tool containing micro-features up to 1m x 1m in size from a polymer or metal mould. Metal shims made in nickel can be fabricated with a thickness from 100 to 500 µm. This state-of-the-art electroforming system creates nickel shims with well-characterized hardness and a total thickness variation (TTV) < 10%. This process yields robust metal parts that replicate complex micro-features produced by other fabrications processes. Features <<1µm can be routinely reproduced in the electroformed parts.
• Polymer replication

  • Injection moulding:
    A Class 10,000 cleanroom based electric injection moulding system with 60 ton clamping force is used by MiniFAB to produce moderate to high volumes of polymer parts. The 25g maximum shot size can form parts with dimensional tolerances of the order of 1µm in a range of polymer materials (ie. PC, COC, PP etc.).
    
    Hot embossing:
    Hot embossing of microstructures into polymer parts can accurately reproduce features <1µm in width. Accurate alignment of parts to embossing tools can also be achieved using optical alignment tools. MiniFAB can use hot embossing processes for low volume proof of principle production runs for validation and testing.
• Conformal coatings

  • Parylene coating:
    Parylene coating is a method by which MiniFAB can apply a transparent, conformal polymer coating to a surface to improve chemical resistance or biocompatibility. If required, surfaces can be pre-conditioned (plasma etched) to improve adhesion of the defect-free parylene coating. Thickness can be controlled from a few microns to several tens of microns. Parylene C is the most common form of this material and other dimers, such a Parylene N can be used to provide specific solutions if required.
• Wire bonding

  • Die bonding:
    MiniFAB uses a semi-automated pick-and-place process to place dies or other small components onto circuit boards (PCB, flexible circuit boards, hybrids, silicon substrates, etc.) with very high positional accuracy (~5µm). Adhesives will be selected on a case-by-case basis, depending on requirements.
    
    Wire bonding:
    Integration of electronic components into circuits can be realized by connecting bond pads as small as 50µm in diameter using 25 µm aluminum or gold wire. MiniFAB can produce ball or wedge bonding on single interconnects or high density packages.
    
    Pull testing:
    Pull Testing is a non-destructive QC method for testing the quality of the connection made during the wire-bonding process. The method works by applying a calibrated force to the wire to determine if the bond fails.
• Metrology and testing

  • Microscopy:
    Optical, scanning electron and laser scanning confocal microscopes are essential tools in the characterization and quality control processes of MiniFAB. These microscopes enable calibrated measurements to ~ 1µm resolution.
    
    Surface profilometry:
    An optical surface profilometer is routinely used in our development and fabrication processes for QC measurement of structures from roughly 1µm in length.
    
    Custom testing:
    MiniFAB can provide custom testing and characterization methods for a broad range of micro-fabrication related applications. Enquiries into new and novel applications are encouraged.
• MiniChemLAB

  • A large proportion of MiniFAB's work involves the fabrication and testing of microfluidic devices. MiniChemLab is a microfluidic workstation developed by MiniFAB in order to quickly drop in fluidic cartridges and test performance. MiniChemLab can be integrated with a number of different sensor technologies that would benefit testing of microfluidic devices.