Photolithography, also known as optical lithography, is a microfabrication technique that uses light to produce precisely patterned thin films over substrates such as silicon wafers. These patterned films typically protect selected areas of the underlying substrate during subsequent processing, such as etching or metal deposition.
Precision fluid dispensing systems are utilized in a range of advanced manufacturing applications. At Platypus Technologies, we employ advanced fluid dispensing technology in our biosensor and bioassay fabrication processes, as well as in our conformal coating solutions.
Surface characterization is an important process that offers an enhanced understanding of the relationships among the structural properties of materials. In the context of thin films, surface characterization can help to establish a films’ fitness for its intended applications.
Photolithography is a fabrication process used in the production of patterned thin films for precision applications such as microelectronics, biosensors, and custom patterned electrodes. The process utilizes ultraviolet (UV) light to expose a minutely detailed pattern within a light-sensitive photoresist coating.
The coating is deposited on a substrate material and a mask is placed atop the photoresist. UV light therefore interacts only with the areas of the photoresist that are left exposed underneath the mask. Once the mask is removed, a precise geometric pattern remains on the substrate surface, formed via exposure to the UV light.
Silicon chips are a type of integrated circuit that is the primary electronic component of computing devices. The chips are mainly made from silicon (as the name suggests), which is the second most abundant element on the earth. In the last few years, there has been a significant shortage of silicon chips across the world. In this article, we explain the reasons why and the effects of this shortage.
Cell culture surfaces are surfaces on which cells are grown under controlled conditions away from their natural environment. The cells under investigation are isolated from the tissue and are sustained and preserved under carefully controlled conditions.
The History of Cell Culture Surfaces
In the past century, cell culture, growth, and differentiation have moved from fringe experiments to a widely used bioproduction tool. In this time, the cell culture surfaces themselves have evolved as the research requirements adjust.
How Thin Film Deposition Works – Its Advantages and Applications
Thin metal film deposition is a unique fabrication process commonly used in the manufacturing of semiconductors, biosensors, and other specialized photolithography applications.
The process involves carefully depositing thin metallic film coating onto a substrate in order to yield specific material properties. For example, specially engineered thin film coatings are used in the fields of optics and imaging to modify the optical properties of glass. In more advanced biomedical and semiconductor applications, thin film deposition is used to create specific molecular properties in the conducting material, further paving the way for highly customizable chip manufacturing.
Glass coverslips are small squares that cover the specimen on the microscope slide, they flatten the specimen, enhancing the viewing and minimizing the evaporation rate of the sample. This article will discuss three types of glass coverslips and how they are used.
Cutting-Edge Engineering Developments in the Biosensor Polymer Manufacturing Industry
Recently, a novel organic semiconducting material was engineered which has the potential to push next-generation biosensor development to new heights. This innovative new carbon-based semiconductor polymer was specifically developed to surpass current biosensor options in sensing performance, reliability, as well as overall biocompatibility.
Silicon wafers are materials that are used for the production of semiconductors. They can be found in many types of electronic devices that are used in everyday life. Silicon wafers are super-flat disks that are refined into a mirror-like surface, they are extremely clean and free from impurities and micro-particles.
Silicon wafers are particularly well suited to use in electronic devices because electrical currents can pass through silicon conductors than many other materials. Here we will explore more about the uses of silicon wafers in electrochemistry and some of their key characteristics.
Biosensors are the core component of many cutting-edge technological initiatives – from state-of-the-art healthcare devices to the agricultural and industrial manufacturing sectors.
Mica minerals are a group of minerals in which the key physical characteristic is their ability to form individual crystals to be split into extremely thin elastic plates. This defining characteristic is known as perfect basal cleavage.
Interdigitated electrodes (IDEs) are fabricated through the process of combining two separately addressable electrode arrays, such that the resulting electrode structure is in a zipper-like or comb-shaped arrangement.
Cell migration is an extremely important cellular process. It is the directed movement of a group of cells or a single cell when responding to chemical and mechanical signals. This fundamental process takes place throughout life and continues until death, contributing to pathogenic states in disease. This article will outline the key steps of the process and how they work.
What is Photolithography?
Photolithography, sometimes known as optical lithography or UV lithography is a process that is used in microfabrication for surface patterning parts of a thin film or the bulk of a substrate. Photolithography uses light to transfer a geometric pattern from a photomask to a light-sensitive chemical photoresist or simply resist on the substrate.
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.
Electrochemistry is an area of physical chemistry that is focused on the interactions between electrical potential and chemical change. Electrochemistry includes methods and technologies such as corrosion, electrolysis, batteries, fuel cells, electroplating, and accumulators.
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.
Wound healing assays are standard in vitro methods of probing collective cell migration in two dimensions. In wound healing assays, a cell-free area is formed in a confluent monolayer using physical exclusion or taking away the cells from the area via thermal, chemical, or mechanical damage. It is exposure to this cell-free area that leads to cells migrating into the gap.