Introduction to micro-/nanofabrication

Abstract

This chapter outlines and discusses important micro- and nanofabrication techniques. We focus on the most basic methods borrowed from the integrated circuit (ICintegratedcircuit (IC)) industry, such as thin-film deposition, lithography and etching, and then move on to look at microelectromechanical systems (MEMSmicroelectromechanical system (MEMS)) and nanofabrication technologies. We cover a broad range of dimensions, from the sub-millimeter to the nanometer scale. Although most of the current research is being geared towards the nanodomain, a good understanding of basic top-down methods for fabricating micron-sized objects can aid our understanding of this research. Due to space constraints, we focus here on the most important technologies; in the microdomain these include surface, bulk, and high-aspect-ratio micromachining; in the nanodomain we concentrate on e-beam lithography, epitaxial growth, scanning probe lithography, template manufacturing, and self-assembly. MEMS technology has matured rapidly, with some new technologies displacing older ones that have proven to be unsuited to manufacture on a commercial scale. However, due to limitations encountered on these methods used in the nanodomain, it appears that bottom-up methods or introduction of novel nanoforms and nanomaterials are the most feasible and promising solutions. Disruptive approaches are expected to have a major impact in a variety of application areas such as biology, medicine, environmental monitoring, and nanoelectronics.