Platypus Technologies offers a customizable dicing service for a range of substrate materials. Accommodations can be made for both silicon wafers and glass substrates. Substrates are scribed, and then broken into individual pieces. Well-defined scribing lines are made with a diamond finished scribing wheel. This process does not involve heat therefore prevents any potential damage to a substrate material.
Author: Noelle Maire
Creating a patterned metal on a substrate can be done through various methods. Metal lift-off represents just one fabrication method that entails three steps: 1) patterning a photosensitive polymer film onto the target substrate, 2) metal deposition onto the patterns polymer film, and 3) removal of polymer with a solvent.
As more advancements are made in the electronics industry, thin-film metal coatings remain in high demand. The team at Platypus Technologies has done custom work with a range of companies, from completing small R&D projects to creating continual partnerships. Our credibility has been built based on our internal expertise, high-quality metal deposition, and attention to detail.
Reactive gas molecules form what is known as plasma. The ions and electrons in plasma are used to remove unwanted organic contaminants. Unwanted particles are removed through a vacuum system. This cleaning procedure creates an ideal sterilization process. In addition, plasma cleaning eliminates the need for expensive solvents since substrate surfaces can be cleaned via a chemical reaction within plasma molecules.
Ultra-flat gold films by Platypus Technologies are created via electron-beam metal deposition under ultra-high vacuum conditions. Our gold films have a uniform orientation (Au(111)), high purity, and low surface roughness.
The fundamental process of creating integrated circuits (ICs) is dependent on pattern transfer techniques encompassed in photolithography. The IC industry relies on three main processes: metal deposition, patterning, and selective doping.
Photolithography techniques are used heavily in the integrated circuit industry. New industry standards have created a need for creating smaller features that enable lower power consumption.
Characterizing and testing biological samples can be done through patterned electrodes. The overall structure and quality of an electrode can either enhance or impinge on sampling results. An ideal electrode design should attain a high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), a low electrode impedance, and display resistance to harsh biological environments. Current generation and transportation depend on the metal coating present on an electrode surface.
Micro-patterning is commonly done through masking. Creating a photomask involves important specifications that can directly affect a resulting pattern transfer. Mask material, environmental conditions, and type of resist should be considered. But prior to processing, photomask design characteristics must be determined.
During the photolithography process, thin film interference effects can influence a substrates surface properties. Common interference effects include the standing wave effect, reflective notching, edge bead formation, and under/over baking. The Platypus Technologies engineers have enhanced our standard operating procedures to account for potential defects caused by thin film interference effects.
The field of flexible electronics continues to be on the rise as technological advances continue. New materials are beginning to be utilized in fabricating electrodes for flexible electronic applications.
Microelectrodes are specially patterned electrodes with very small tip diameters (less than 1 µm) that enable in-vitro electrochemical measurements in living tissues. Other applications using microelectrodes include measuring substance concentrations and determining pH levels.
Lift-off is often conducted following a series of photolithography steps that create a photoresist layer onto a substrate. Chemical and metal lift-off methods are used to create distinctive patterns onto a surface. Both types of lift-offs can be time consuming compared to wet etching, however lift-off is a safer method that offers lower production costs and enhanced processing capabilities.
Photolithography refers to a binary image transfer process that can be used to enhance many microfabrication applications.
Wet etching is a technique to pattern metal films into functional devices. A metal film covered with a patterned photoresist is submerged into a liquid that selectively removes exposed areas of the metal. This form of etching is an isotropic method, meaning that the metal is removed with equal rate all directions.