AMONIL®: HIGH PERFORMANCE UV NANOIMPRINT RESIST
UV Nanoimprint is a mechanical molding technique. A template made from quartz or a flexible elastomer with a 3D relief is brought into intimate contact with a UV-curable resist spin-coated on top of a substrate. Applying low imprint pressure at room temperature features are filled within seconds due to the low viscosity of the imprint resist. The resist is hardened via UV-light through the backside of the template. Finally, substrate and template are separated. The replicated resist relief can further be transferred into the substrate via RIE-process or used as functional element.

Based on the extensive long lasting experience in the field of nanoimprint AMO developed an UV-curable resist (AMONIL®) and a matching adhesion promoter (AMOPRIME) which are commercially available.

AMO’S NANOIMPRINT RESIST AMONIL®:
AMO GmbH has been engaged in research and development of UV-Nanoimprint Lithography within an array of projects for over 15 years. Based on this wealth of experience we were able to design AMONIL® and improve it on a regular basis. The resist combines outstanding coating and imprinting properties with excellent pattern fidelity and a reasonable plasma stability.

THE MAIN CHARACTERISTICS OF AMONIL®:
Specification:AMONIL1

Base material viscosity: 50mPa s
Photo initiator designed for UV-curing
Capability for step&repeat cycles > 1000 imprints demonstrated
Exposure dose: 2J/cm² using quartz mold
Features:AMONIL2

Applied by standard spin-coating process
Usable with quartz, PDMS and PFPE molds
Good adhesion to silicon substrates
Average adhesion to SiO2, Ti, Au, PE
Adhesion is vastly improved using AMOPRIME for substrate preparation
Use of AMOPRIME allows imprinting on GaAs, GaN, InP, Al2O3
Availability:AMONIL3

AMONIL available in three versions with film thicknesses ranging from 100 to 800 nm
AMOPRIME available as adhesion promoter
For more information please refer to the FactSheet AMONIL® on the right-hand side or make direct contact for a concrete proposal.

INTERFERENCE LITHOGRAPHY GRATINGS
ILInterference lithography is an optical nanolithography technology for the fabrication of extensive periodic nanostructures. Critical dimensions of less than 50 nm can be realized. At AMO two interference lithography tools are installed. One setup for extensive, high quality gratings with fixed periods, the other more flexible tool allows quick prototyping. We offer grating fabrication on silicon, silicon dioxide and other substrates with tailored pitch, etch depth and size.

LARGE AREA HOLOGRAPHIC GRATINGS AND DIFFRACTIVE OPTICAL ELEMENTS
The exposure of wafers with a diameter up to 8″ (200 mm) requires a large optical table (2,5m x 4m), robust optical components and active fringe stabilization to compensate unavoidable vibration and noise causing phase modulation in the interferometer. AMO solved these problems and operates a 266 nm beam line with a fringe stabilization system based on a digital PID controller from AMOtronics.

LONG LASTING EXPERIENCE
For more than 15 years AMO has therefore developed and increased their product portfolio and successfully established several standard structures which are commercially available. Furthermore AMO offers prototyping solutions, e.g. for high efficient pulse compression gratings.

More details to every single above mentioned point can be found in the corresponding FactSheets “Interference Lithography” and “Nanogratings” in the sidebar on the right-hand side. The gratings available from stock are listed as well.

AMO’s product portfolio in interference lithography comprises the following:

STANDARD SILICON GRATINGS
large-area, coherent and stitching free gratings
high period fidelity as well as little phase distortion
rectangular edge profile due to the use of chemically reinforced DUV photoresists in combination with anisotropic RIE etching processes
in-house developed phase stabilization system enables the fabrication of high-contrast gratings
high flexibility for realizing any possible pattern is achieved by process optimized positive and negative resists
the use of an adapted BARC (bottom antireflective coating) minimizes the appearance of standing waves and hence enhances the structures’ dimensional accuracy
Substrate material    Silicon (100)
Substrate thickness    (500µm – 650µm) ± 50µm
Substrate dimensions    4”, 6”, 8” and every rectangular shape within
Type of grating    lines, pillars, holes, moiré pattern
Period    150nm – 180nm, 250nm- 2500nm
Etch depth    Up to 1000nm (depending on period and type of grating)
Active area    depending on period and type of grating
P1040086Fully covered 4”, 6” and 8” wafer    030901250nm period, linear grating
m210604o450nm period, 2-D pillar-grating    m020704m550nm period, 2-D pseudohex holes

SERVICES

The technology transfer from the laboratory to innovative fabrication sites is one of the major pillars in the mission of AMO.

TRANSFER OF KEY ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES TO INNOVATIONS

The transfer of key enabling technologies (KET) accumulated in AMICA, the nano laboratory of AMO GmbH, in past and current research projects to innovative groups at University and industries is therefore of major interest.

Traditionally, technology transfer takes place within three routes:

• with AMO as an ordinary partner in a consortium for funded projects
• with AMO as a subcontractor within diverse R&D projects
• within joint developments with innovative partners

For all these partners AMO offers the perfect equipped CMOS-Cleanroom.

In the following list processes and products currently offered to partners and customers are summarized:

ADVANCED LITHOGRAPHY

A great amount of requests comprising the use of AMO’s advanced lithography targets the manufacturing of masters and templates used for imprinting purposes.

By utilizing all available cleanroom equipment AMO offers a highly flexible platform for processing templates. The specifically used lithography technique depends on the requested minimum feature size, pitch and other specific parameters of the master.

Available lithography tools are:

• i-line lithography
• Interference lithography
• Electron beam lithography

The structures are then transferred into the substrate via Reactive Ion Etching.

Other fields of application of advanced lithography comprise the processing of structures with a very low required minimum feature size, which is typically required for the highly accurate and flexible fabrication for nanoelectronics & nanophotonics. These demands are satisfied by the usage of the e-beam lithography.

For more details on the possibilities in this realm please refer to the corresponding FactSheets (“Masters and Stamps” and “E-Beam Lithography“) in the sidebar on the right-hand side.

AMO offers research, development and small scale production of silicon nanophotonic devices and circuits. AMO´s advanced baseline processes cover a wide range from single passive nanophotonic chips up to 6” wafer processing with active nanophotonic devices and two-level metal interconnects.

Currently following components/ processes are commercially available:

Passive Components
Processes for strip, ridge, slotted and combined technology waveguides
Low loss waveguides
Resonators
Fiber-to-chip coupling
Active Components
Processes for n+ and p+ doping and metal interconnects and processes for integrated micro heaters based on titanium
Heaters
Modulators
IR detectors
A summary of details can be found in the corresponding FactSheet “Nanophotonics” in the sidebar on the right-hand side.

AMO runs a class 10 to class 1000 cleanroom with a total area of 400 m²: Nanolab AMICA. Here, high end fabrication equipment for semiconductor technology is operated in a highly flexible way to enable high quality nanofabrication, quick process changes and unconventional solutions.

AMO is, as a matter of principle, a R&D company with several research and development projects within a lot of different research fields and offers high flexibility regarding customer orders. This is based on 20 years of experience in micro- and nanotechnology. As a result, we are not organized like a big wafer fab, AMO is in fact organized in a way that for all customers and partners the best individual solution is found, with low processing times and lot sizes matching the customer’s needs. Thereby, great attention is paid to the customer’s satisfaction.

AMO’s business focuses inter alia:

Fabrication of nanophotonic components on prototype and small-scale level
Nanostructuring-services
Cleanroom-Services
All the listed euipment below is made available to interested customers and partners in the framework of our services branch. For a concrete proposal please do not hesitate to make direct contact for a tailor-made solution combining all the necessary tools and processes meeting your specific demands.

NANOSTRUCTURING
The exploitation of the enabling potentials of nanotechnology for the fabrication of novel functional components depends critically on the availability of advanced lithography methods and their continuous improvement. AMICA is designed to be a nanolithography center. The established lithography technology was designed to meet application specific parameters, such as minimum feature size, exposure area and design flexibility. Today, AMO is able to offer a variety of lithography-technologies as follows:

LITHOGRAPHY
Vistec EBPG 5200 e-beam system:CR2.tif
50/100 kV
sub 10 nm resolution
from samples of 10×10 mm² up to 8″ wafers
Canon FPA 3000 i5r i-line Stepper with 0,5 μm resolution
EVG 420 6″ semi-automatic CR3.tifMaskaligner
EVG 150: 4″- 8″ automatic resist coater and developer
Süss MA8 Gen3 SCIL 2″-8″ UV-Nanoimprint Lithography
EVG 770 4″- 8″ UV-Nanoimprint Step&Repeat Lithography
EVG 620 Soft UV Nanoimprint prototype:
4″- 6″ flexible template size, sub 50 nm resolution
2 experimental Interference Lithography systems:
180 nm – 2.5 μm pitch, up to 8″ substrates, stitching free
ETCHERS
DEPOSITION
For deposition of high quality thin films, dielectrics and metals, AMO offers a wide range of different techniques enabling thicknesses of the deposited or grown material layer from several angstroms to some microns.

CVD (CHEMICAL VAPOUR DEPOSITION)
The substrate is exposed to reactive gases which decompose and react on the substrate surface forming the desired deposit. By using low pressure (sub-atmospheric) unwanted gas phase reactions are reduced and the film thickness uniformity is enhanced.

Centrotherm 6″ LPCVD furnaces
Polysilicon
Silicon Nitride
LTO (low temp. SiO2)
ATOMIC LAYER DEPOSITION
SPUTTERING / EVAPORATORS
FURNACES
AMO has different furnaces available, used at different stages along the process flow for high quality micro- and nanoelectronic devices, ranging from growing high quality silicon oxides to high temperature annealing.

Four 6″ – 8″ Centrotherm Furnaces:CR6
Oxidation (wet and dry oxides)
POCl3-Diffusion
Annealing
Jipelec JetFirst:
6″ Rapid Thermal Annealing system
WET PROCESSING
Wet processing is carried out in dedicated areas for handling wet chemicals including areas with amber light for handling CR7lithography resists. To allow for a maximum of flexibility of processable substrates wet benches and tools are provided to handle wafer pieces, single wafers as well as wafer batches.

ARIAS Wet benches:
single wafer and batch cleaning and resist processes
SCFluids Super Critical Dryer:
CO2, semi-automatic, up to 6″ substrates
METROLOGY
In order to ensure process control and device characterization AMO has different measurement equipment available, for measuring diverse parameters, during processing as well as on the finished device. Typical parameters of interest during process control are e.g. layer thickness, layer roughness, layer composition, lateral dimensions and distances.

Zeiss Supra 60 VP
EDX High resolution SEM with automated CD control moduleSilizium_Master_Stempel
up to 8″ substrates
Veeco (DI) Dimension 3100 SPM:
high resolution STM, AFM, MFM,
up to 6″ substrates
Veeco DekTak³ST surface profiler
Leica INM 100 and INM 300: optical microscopes, up to 6″ substrates
Philips PQ Ruby Ellipsometer, up to 8″ substrates
J.A. Woollam spectroscopic Ellipsometer (M-2000U 245-1000nm)
To verify device characteristics, both electrical and optical, AMO offers testing facilities to cover these demands. Measurement capabilities comprise the following:

ELECTRICAL TESTING
High end Parameter analyzer for small signal DC nanoelectronic device testing
Cascade Microtech semi-automatic probe station
Agilent Precision impedance analyzer (4294A)
Agilent Semiconductor parameter analyzer (4156B)
Agilent pA-meter (4140B)
Agilent Precision LCR-meter (4284A)