Spring 1999
Project by
Dave Pyle, dpyle@ece.utexas.edu
and Aruna Murthy, murthy@ece.utexas.edu
Project Overview
In recent years, a new technology called MicroElectromechanical Systems,
or MEMS, has emerged. In MEMS, the techniques and processes of semiconductor
fabrication are used to construct mechanical structures. In our project
we will be studying the applicability of dry-film photoresist as a MEMS
structural material for Dr. Neikirk's electronic tongue project. Dry film
photoresist is a material used in the printed circuit board industry for
transferring patterns onto the printed circuit board material. The sheet
of photoresist is laminated onto the board, and ultraviolet light is shined
through a glass mask with the desired pattern. The ultraviolet light causes
chemical changes in the photoresist, giving it a different solubility than
areas not exposed to the light. Thus the pattern can be etched into the
photoresist using a developer chemical. In our project we will primarily
be concerned with developing a process for the use of dry film photoresist.
In other words, we will experimentally determine the parameters necessary
for a successful use of dry film photoresist in a MEMS context. These parameters
would include such things as lamination methods, exposure times, developer
strength and time, and also specific techniques for creating a specific
profile in the photoresist pattern.