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Direct Write "Maskless" Lithography – Durham Magneto Optics MicroWriter ML®3

Direct Write "Maskless" Lithography

Durham Magneto Optics MicroWriter ML®3

The MicroWriter ML3 products are a range of photolithography machines designed for rapid prototyping and small volume manufacturing in R&D laboratories and clean rooms. Conventional approaches to photolithography are usually based on exposing through a chromium-glass mask manufactured by specialist vendors. In R&D environments it is often necessary to change the mask design frequently. Direct-write lithography tools overcome this problem by holding the mask in software. Rather than projecting light through a physical mask, direct-write lithography uses computer-controlled optics to project the exposure pattern directly onto the photoresist.

The MicroWriter ML3 family comprises four compact, high-performance, direct-write optical lithography machines which are designed to offer unprecedented value in a small laboratory footprint.

Why choose the MicroWriter ML3 family?

  • All models are very competitively priced.
  • All models offer fast writing speed.
  • All models have a low cost of ownership (e.g., the light sources have a lifetime of 20,000 hours and are guaranteed for 2 years).
  • The MicroWriter ML3 Mesa and MicroWriter ML3 Pro have an impressive array of advanced features usually only found in high-end machines.
  • All machines are designed for use by PhD students and post-docs in a research environment and so have an attractive, intuitive and simple Windows user interface while still offering a flexibility and high level of access to machine operation for those who want to develop new techniques.
  • All machines share a common technology platform, allowing users to upgrade from the MicroWriter ML3 Baby all the way up to the MicroWriter ML3 Pro at a later date.

MicroWriter ML3 Family Overview

Models

MicroWriter ML3 Baby

The MicroWriter ML®3 Baby is an entry level, low cost direct-write optical lithography machine. It operates at a single resolution of 1μm with a wavelength of 405nm and is designed to sit on a standard laboratory bench. A high-quality optical microscope with a 10x Olympus objective allows exposures to be aligned to existing structures or to the edges of the substrate. Despite its low cost, it has a writing speed of 50mm2/minute, allowing a 50mm x 50mm area to be exposed in approximately 1 hour.

Key Features and Specifications

  • 149mm x 149mm maximum writing area.
  • 155mm x 155mm x 7mm maximum wafer size.
  • 1μm minimum feature size across full writing area.
  • 405nm long-life semiconductor light source (385nm and 365nm available as option).
  • XY interferometer with 15nm resolution for precise motion control.
  • Fast writing speed: up to 50mm2/minute writing speed (1μm resolution), allowing a 50mm x 50mm area to be exposed in approximately 1 hour.
  • 200nm minimum addressable grid; 15nm sample stage resolution.
  • Autofocus system using yellow light – no minimum wafer size.
  • High quality optical microscope camera with Olympus infinite conjugate 10x plan objective lens and yellow light illumination for alignment to lithographic markers on the wafer (±2μm 3σ alignment accuracy). Additional 4x digital zoom can be selected in software.
  • Gray scale exposure mode for 3-dimensional patterning (255 gray levels).
  • Software API for external interfacing and control.
  • 0.2μm minimum addressable grid; 20nm minimum sample stage step size.
  • Acceptable file formats: CIF, GDS2, BMP, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, GIF.
  • External dimensions: 700mm (w) x 700mm (d) x 700mm (h), excluding computer.
  • Light-excluding enclosure with safety interlock.
  • Designed for desktop use – no optical table required.
  • Easy to use, Windows based control software supplied.
  • Supplied with pre-configured 64-bit Windows 10 PC and monitor for 'plug and play' installation.
  • Extremely competitively priced for University and industrial R&D budgets.
  • Can be upgraded for higher performance.

MicroWriter ML3 Baby Brochure

MicroWriter ML®3 Baby Plus

The MicroWriter ML®3 Baby Plus is DMO's top selling machine and adds a number of features to the Baby which are usually only found in high-end machines. Two different resolutions (1μm and 5μm) can be selected automatically via software and without the user needing to exchange any lens manually. This allows non-critical parts of the exposure to be performed rapidly at 5μm resolution while retaining high resolution writing for critical parts. Locating alignment markers or edges of substrates is faster thanks to an automatic lens changer on the optical microscope allowing the user to switch between 3x and 10x objectives via software. The MicroWriter ML3 Baby Plus also features an optical surface profilometer tool and an automated wafer inspection tool for examining fabricated structures. As with all our machines, writing speeds are some of the fastest on the market: up to 50mm2/minute at 1μm resolution and up to 120mm2/minute at 5μm resolution, allowing a typical 50mm x 50mm area combining critical and non-critical areas to be exposed in under 30 minutes.

Key Features and Specifications

  • 149mm x 149mm maximum writing area.
  • 155mm x 155mm x 7mm maximum wafer size.
  • 1μm and 5μm minimum feature sizes across full writing area.
  • Automatic selection of resolution via software – no manual changing of lens required.
  • 405nm long-life semiconductor light source (385nm and 365nm available as option).
  • XY interferometer with 15nm resolution for precise motion control.
  • Fast writing speed: up to 50mm2/minute (1μm resolution) and 120mm2/minute (5μm resolution), allowing a typical 50mm x 50mm area combining critical and non-critical areas to be exposed in under 30 minutes.
  • Autofocus system using yellow light – no minimum wafer size.
  • High quality infinite conjugate optical microscope camera with 3x aspheric objective lens and 10x Olympus plan objective lens and yellow light illumination for alignment to lithographic markers on the wafer (±1μm 3σ alignment accuracy).
  • Automatic changing between microscope magnifications via software – no manual changing of lens required. Additional 4x digital zoom can be selected in software.
  • Gray scale exposure mode for 3-dimensional patterning (255 gray levels).
  • Software API for external interfacing and control.
  • 200nm minimum addressable grid; 15nm sample stage resolution.
  • Acceptable file formats: CIF, GDS2, BMP, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, GIF.
  • Built-in 2-dimensional optical surface profiler (200nm thickness resolution) for examining exposed resists, deposited layers, etching and other MEMS process steps.
  • Automatic wafer inspection tool allowing each die on a wafer to be imaged.
  • External dimensions: 700mm (w) x 700mm (d) x 700mm (h), excluding computer.
  • Light-excluding enclosure with safety interlock.
  • Designed for desktop use – no optical table required.
  • Easy to use, Windows based control software supplied.
  • Supplied with pre-configured 64-bit Windows 10 PC and monitor for 'plug and play' installation.
  • Extremely competitively priced for University and industrial R&D budgets.
  • Can be later upgraded for higher performance.

MicroWriter ML3 Baby Plus Brochure

MicroWriter ML®3 Mesa

The MicroWriter ML®3 Mesa is DMO's top performing desktop machine which adds 0.6μm resolution to the Baby Plus’s resolutions of 1μm and 5μm. These resolutions can be selected automatically via software and without the user needing to exchange any lens manually. This allows non-critical parts of the exposure to be performed rapidly at 5μm resolution while retaining high resolution writing for critical parts. Locating alignment markers or edges of substrates is faster thanks to an automatic lens changer on the optical microscope allowing the user to switch between 3x, 10x and 20x objectives via software. The MicroWriter ML3 Mesa also features an optical surface profilometer tool and an automated wafer inspection tool for examining fabricated structures. As with all our machines, writing speeds are some of the fastest on the market: up to 50mm2/minute at 1μm resolution and up to 120mm2/minute at 5μm resolution, allowing a typical 50mm x 50mm area combining critical and non-critical areas to be exposed in under 30 minutes.

Key Features and Specifications

  • 149mm x 149mm maximum writing area.
  • 155mm x 155mm x 7mm maximum wafer size.
  • 0.6μm, 1μm and 5μm minimum feature sizes across full writing area.
  • Automatic selection of resolution via software – no manual changing of lens required.
  • 405nm long-life semiconductor light source suitable for broadband, g- and h-line positive and negative photoresists (385nm and 365nm available as options).
  • XY interferometer with 15nm resolution for precise motion control.
  • Fast writing speed: up to 17mm2/minute (0.6μm resolution), 50mm2/minute (1μm resolution) and 180mm2/minute (5μm resolution), allowing a typical 50mm x 50mm area combining critical and non-critical areas to be exposed in under 30 minutes.
  • Autofocus system using yellow light with real-time surface tracking laser – no minimum wafer size.
  • High quality infinite conjugate optical microscope camera with 3x aspheric objective lens and 10x and 20x Olympus plan objective lens and yellow light illumination for alignment to lithographic markers on the wafer (±1μm 3σ alignment accuracy).
  • Automatic changing between microscope magnifications via software – no manual changing of lens required. Additional 4x digital zoom can be selected in software.
  • Gray scale exposure mode for 3-dimensional patterning (255 gray levels).
  • Software API for external interfacing and control.
  • 100nm minimum addressable grid; 15nm sample stage resolution.
  • Acceptable file formats: CIF, GDS2, BMP, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, GIF.
  • Built-in 2-dimensional optical surface profiler (200nm thickness resolution) for examining exposed resists, deposited layers, etching and other MEMS process steps.
  • Automatic wafer inspection tool allowing each die on a wafer to be imaged.
  • External dimensions: 700mm (w) x 700mm (d) x 700mm (h), excluding computer.
  • Light-excluding enclosure with safety interlock.
  • Designed for desktop use – no optical table required.
  • Easy to use, Windows based control software supplied.
  • Supplied with pre-configured 64-bit Windows 10 PC and monitor for 'plug and play' installation.
  • Extremely competitively priced for University and industrial R&D budgets.
  • Can be later upgraded for higher performance.

MicroWriter ML3 Mesa Brochure

MicroWriter ML®3 Pro

The MicroWriter ML®3 Pro is DMO's flagship machine and offers no-compromise sub-micron lithography on up to 9" wafers. It is designed for highly demanding individual research groups or for central clean room facilities. Four different resolutions (0.6μm, 1μm, 2μm and 5μm) can be selected automatically via software and without the user needing to exchange any lens manually. An additional 0.4μm minimum feature size is available as an option. The optical microscope contains a full set of high performance bright and sharp infinite conjugate objectives (3x, 5x, 10x and 20x) with a software-controlled automatic lens changer, allowing large substrate areas to be searched rapidly and individual sub-micron objects such as nanowires and crystal flakes to be accurately located. Top writing speeds are very fast: 17mm2/minute at 0.6μm resolution, 50mm2/minute at 1μm resolution, 120mm2/minute at 2μm resolution and 180mm2/minute at 5μm resolution, allowing a 100mm x 100mm area to be fully exposed at 2μm resolution in under 2 hours. In addition to the optical surface profilometer tool and automated wafer inspection tool present in the Baby Plus, there is also a Virtual Mask Aligner mode in which the pattern to be exposed is displayed on top of the real-time microscope image, allowing the machine to be used like a traditional mask aligner.

Key Features and Specifications

  • 195mm x 195mm maximum writing area.
  • 230mm x 230mm x 15mm maximum wafer size.
  • 0.6μm, 1μm, 2μm and 5μm minimum feature sizes across full writing area. 0.4μm minimum feature size available as an option.
  • Automatic selection of resolution via software – no manual changing of lens required.
  • 385nm long-life semiconductor light source, suitable for broadband, g-, h- and i-line positive and negative photoresists, including SU-8. Replacement 365nm light source available as an option.
  • XY interferometer with 1nm resolution for precise motion control.
  • Extremely fast writing speed: up to: 17mm2/minute (0.6μm resolution), 50mm2/minute (1μm resolution), 120mm2/minute (2μm resolution) and 180mm2/minute (5μm resolution). These allow a typical 50mm x 50mm area combining critical and non-critical areas to be exposed in under 30 minutes, or a 100mm x 100mm area to be fully exposed at 2μm resolution in under 2 hours.
  • Autofocus system using yellow light with real-time surface tracking laser. No minimum wafer size.
  • High quality infinite conjugate optical microscope camera with 3x aspheric objective lens and 5x, 10x and 20x Olympus plan achromatic objective lens and yellow light illumination for alignment to lithographic markers on the wafer (±0.5μm 3σ alignment accuracy). 50x Olympus plan achromatic objective lens available as an option.
  • Automatic changing between microscope magnifications via software – no manual changing of lens required. Additional 4x digital zoom can be selected in software.
  • Grey scale exposure mode for 3-dimensional patterning (255 grey levels).
  • Software API for external interfacing and control.
  • 100nm minimum addressable grid; 4nm sample stage resolution.
  • Acceptable file formats: CIF, GDS2, BMP, TIFF, JPEG, PNG, GIF.
  • Built-in 2-dimensional optical surface profiler (100nm thickness resolution) for examining exposed resists, deposited layers, etching and other MEMS process steps.
  • Automatic wafer inspection tool allowing each die on a wafer to be imaged.
  • Virtual mask aligner mode in which the pattern to be exposed is displayed on top of the real-time microscope image, allowing the machine to be used like a traditional mask aligner.
  • Includes passive vibration-isolation optical table with integrated monitor and keyboard mount.
  • Light-excluding enclosure with safety interlock.
  • Temperature stabilization to ±0.25⁰C.
  • Easy to use, Windows based control software supplied.
  • Supplied with Clewin 5 mask design software.
  • Supplied with pre-configured 64-bit Windows 10 PC with monitor.
  • Includes on-site installation by trained service technician.
  • Extremely competitively priced for university and industrial R&D budgets.
  • 90-260 VAC, 50-60Hz, 4A single phase power requirement.
  • Footprint 90cm (w) x 75cm (d) x 153cm (h) (including optical table).
  • CE-marked and compliant with EN-61010.

MicroWriter ML3 Pro Brochure

Supplier Info

Durham Magneto Optics

For additional product information:

Visit Our Supplier's Website

Videos

DMO MicroWriter ML3 Lithography (Webinar - November 2020)

Resources

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