Thick Photoresist and Electroplating

As a part of a MUPII programme at IPT we have a cooperative effort on development of a microfabrication technology for metallic microstructures using a combination of microlithography
and electroplating. In the project, techniques for structuring very thick photoresist moulds, which are subsequently filled with low stress electroplated metal has been developed. The process development work is still continuing e.g in order to be able to use new materials in the process. During the project several novel micromechanical devices have been fabricated, among these the first all-metal microfabricated AFM-probe (AFM: Atomic Force Microscope). The probe have a number of interesting potential applications. First of all it can be applied for a combined AFM and STM (STM: Scanning Tunnelling Microscope) measurement. Secondly it can be used for nanolithography, where it is expected to be more rugged than the usual metal coated nitride cantilevers. The probe is being commercialized by DME A/S. The work on the all metal cantilevers is accepted for presentation at Transducers 97. Whereas the technology development was presented at 83th AESF Annual Technical Conference SUR/FIN >96.
(P.T.Tang, M.E. Benzon J.P.Rasmussen, and F.S. Fontenay: Important parameters and applications for Nickel Electroforming@ in Proc. Of 83th AESF Annual Technical Conference SUR/FIN >96(AESF, Cleveland Ohio, 1996) )