Süss MA6Gen3

To be read first:

  • Wafers and photoresists exposed on the MA6 Gen3 must be accepted by the technical comittee. CMi staff approval is required before using any non-standard products.

  • Cross-Contamination: Samples must be free of backside contamination. Mechanically unstable metal layers (delamination) are not allowed. Note: PDMS coated wafers are exposed on the MJB4 mask-aligner. Please ask the CMi staff for guidance.

  • Mask should be checked after each working session. Clean with acetone / IPA or with soft tissue to remove any solid or liquid residues.

  • Please immediately inform the CMi staff in case of problems with the equipment.

RESERVATION RULES AND BOOKING FEES POLICY:

  1. No booking restrictions.
  2. Reservation names must correspond to operators.

Contents:

  1. Introduction
  2. Equipement description
  3. Users manuals
  4. Links
  5. Pictures gallery

I. Introduction

The MA6Gen3 mask aligner is designed for research and development, and able to align and expose wafers up to 6 inch (150 mm) diameter. Wafers, coated with photosensitive resists (PR), are exposed through a glass/chrome mask using a short (few seconds) pulse of UV radiation from a mercury (Hg) lamp, with spectral lines at 250nm, 320nm, 365nm, 436nm, or broadband. The illumination configuration is done via filters.

The parallelism between the wafer and the mask is achieved with an automated Wedge Error Correction (WEC). Both top side and backside alignement options are available.

The resolution is limited by light diffraction through the mask opening, and can reach a minimum of about 800 nm with thin PR thickness (< 1 µm).

II. Equipment description

Configurations:

MA6 Gen3 is a flexible tool with 3 possible configurations:

MA (Mask Aligner)
The standard MA6Gen3 configuration is a mask to wafer alignment and exposure system. Available are: Top side alignment (TSA), back side alignment (BSA), Assited alignment, First mask, Flood exposure.

Default illumination setup for exposure: 20 mW/cm2 i-line.

OR

GSL (Gray Scale Lithography)
An alternate mode allows for x-axis and y-axis sweep during exposure.

Using the GSL mode and configuration requires a specific training session. Contact the CMi Staff. Users are responsible to switch the tool back to MA configuration after using GSL configuration.

OR

Talbot/SMILE (Suss Microtech Imprint Lithography Equipment)
An alternate mode allows for z-axis control during exposure.

Using the Talbot/SMILE mode and configuration requires a specific training session. Contact the CMi Staff. Users are responsible to switch the tool back to MA configuration after using Talbot/SMILE configuration.

Mask and wafer sizes:

  1. Available wafer chucks:
    • one chuck for 4 inch wafers
    • one chuck for 6 inch wafers
    • one chuck for small wafers/parts
  2. Available mask holders:
    • 7″x7″ mask holder, centered, to use with 6 inch wafers
    • 5″x5″ mask holder, centered, to use with 4 inch wafers
    • 5″x5″ mask holder, adaptable positionning, to use with small wafers/parts

Technical Caracteristics:

  • Hg light source, quartz optics, no DUV cutoff (from 200nm through 450nm). Default illumination setup: 20 mW/cm2 @ 365nm (i-line).
  • Backside (BSA) and topside (TSA) alignment. Topside alignment using splitfield (two objectives) or single field as an option for small samples.
  • Exposure modes are flood-exposure, proximity, soft contact,  hard contact, and vacuum contact.
  • Objectives magnification (top side): 5x, 10x, ?x,
  • Objectives magnification (back side): ?x
  • Manual motorized alignment using using joystick (alignment accuracy about 0.5µm)
  • Dynamic range XY table movements : X = ± 10 mm Y = ± 10 mm Θ = ± 5°
  • Manual substrate handling up to 150mm diameter.

III. User manuals

IV. Links

V. Pictures gallery