LIGA
Encyclopedia : L : LI : LIG : LIGA
LIGA (German acronym for X-ray lithography (X-ray Lithographie), Electroplating (Galvanoformung), and Molding (Abformung)) is a process that was developed in the early 1980s by W. Ehrfeld at the West German IMT in Karlsruhe. LIGA was one of the first major techniques to allow on-demand manufacturing of high-aspect-ratio structures (in other words, very skinny and tall) compared to traditional photolithographic techniques, with lateral dimensions below one micrometre. This capability is important in the fabrication of MEMS devices. Because of the high-energy of X-rays needed, the source must be synchrotron light.
While photolithography has been used extensively in integrated circuit manufacture for almost 50 years, nanostructured stamp lithography techniques to pattern silicon and other device-relevant materials have recently been improved enough to offer a realistic alternative to purely radiation-based patterning and formation methods.
Whereas LIGA greatly assisted research in micromachining and MEMS, leading elements of nanotechnology will likely take advantage of the various new forms of nano-contact printing.
There are 3 different types of LIGA with their names depending on the radiation and preform used
- X-Ray LIGA using X-Rays produced by a synchrotron
- UV-LIGA using Ultraviolet light produced by a UV-lamp
- Silicon-LIGA using DRIE etched silicon as preform
External links
- [LIGA] at Sandia National Laboratories
- [LiMiNT - LIGA process] from Singapore Synchrotron Light Source
- [The International LIGA interest group]
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