Get started

ASU NanoFab is open to students and faculty from ASU and other institutions, as well as industry users. We welcome all students who want hands-on experience to spend time in the NanoFab and be trained on the appropriate tools.

External companies can benefit from using NanoFab as:

  • a foundry service where the processing is done by ASU staff.
  • a prototyping facility where the process is developed by NanoFab staff or your own researchers.
     

To begin a project with NanoFab, Email nanofab@asu.edu or contact Kevin Hilgers at 480-965-5256. A staff member will contact you and walk you or your advisor through the process.

Training and equipment is scheduled through iLab. Create an account by following the instructions on the iLab home page. Once you have an account, you can schedule equipment and training through the NanoFab iLab page.

Access and orientation

Once you have received word that your project initiation form has been received, you need to:

  1. Ensure you have a valid iLab account.
  2. Print a copy of the Safety Handbook and read it (needed for the safety class).
  3. Sign up for the Cleanroom Safety class on iLab. The class is usually offered twice a month with emails sent out a week prior to class. The class is run on two separate days: day 1 is a two-hour presentation of basic safety concepts, practices and rules; day 2 is the safety test, which requires a grade of at least 80% before any orientation and wet-bench training.
  4. After passing the safety class, you must complete the Orientation and Wet Benches training modules before signing up for any tool training. Sign up through iLab.

 

 

Required safety trainings (Career EDGE)

Once you have Career EDGE access, you will need to complete the following trainings before receiving access to NanoFab laboratories.

To sign up for additional training (iLab)

You may sign up for training on three tools concurrently. Tool training is offered on a first-come, first-served basis. Please know that some tools take considerable time to operate proficiently. The sequence for training is generally as follows:

  1. NanoFab Cleanroom Safety.
  2. NanoFab Wet Bench and Cleanroom Orientation.
  3. Metrology Suite (Woollam VASE, Filmetrics F-20 and F-40, DekTak profilometer, AlphaStep profilometer, Zygo optical profilometer, Veeco 4-point probe).
  4. Resist Spinner (SCS or CEE #1 or #2).
  5. Lithography.
  6. Dry Etching.
  7. Metal Deposition.

The specific tools are determined by the particular process you are running. This sequence is generic, but a good general guideline. There are a range of additional process tools in the cleanroom, which may require additional training programs.

To schedule and prepare for training (iLab)

Request training through iLab by selecting the Request Services tab. Students should obtain an account number from their advisor.

  1. Click on the “Request service” button next to the desired training module.
  2. Obtain a cleanroom notebook by submitting a request in iLab. Be sure to check that it has cleanroom paper.
  3. If you are designing a mask for one of the lithography tools, you will need to be proficient in a CAD program prior to starting the circuit design. The program must be able to output files in .dxf or .gds format. If you need to make your own masks, you must follow additional steps. For more information, contact Kevin Nordquist.

Note: You must reschedule your training if you are 15 minutes late or more, and your account will be billed.

To schedule time on the equipment
  1. Complete the Safety and Orientation training steps above and create an iLab account if you have not already done so.
  2. Go to the Schedules tab on the NanoFab iLab site. You will see a list of all equipment that requires scheduling, organized into menus based on technique.
  3. Click on the “View Schedule” button next to the equipment you wish to schedule.
  4. On the calendar that appears, click and drag on the desired day and time to schedule time.

Note: The following techniques require staff assistance at the specified hourly staff rate:

  • DRIE (ASE).
  • Diffusion.
  • Boron dope.
  • Oxidation.
  • High Temperature anneal.
  • Silicon Nitride.
  • Phosphorus doping.
  • Polysilicon.
NanoFab provided chemicals

The following chemicals are provided by the NanoFab facility

  • HMDS (hexamethyldisilazane): Photoresist adhesion promoter - Why HMDS? - SDS.
  • AZ 3312: Positive tone photoresist (0.7 to 1.5um film thickness) - Datasheet (short, full) - SDS.
  • AZ 4330: Positive tone photoresist (3 to 7um film thickness) - Datasheet (short, full) - SDS.
  • 6% Polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA A6): Electron beam lithography (EBL) resist.
  • AZ 300MIF: Photoresist developer (TMAH) - Datasheet - SDS.
  • AZ 400k: Photoresist developer (Potassium borate) - Datasheet - SDS.
  • AZ 400T: Photoresist stripper (NMP/TMAH) - SDS.
  • Remover PG: Photoresist stripper (NMP) - SDS
  • Methyl Isobutyl Ketone (MIBK): PMMA developer.
  • Methyl Ethyl Ketone (MEK): PMMA developer.
  • Anisole: Solvent for PMMA dilution.
  • Ethanol.
  • 2-Ethoxyethanol.
  • Acetone.
  • Isopropanol.
  • Methanol.
  • Hydrogen Peroxide.
  • Ammonium Hydroxide.
  • Acetic acid.
  • Nitric acid.
  • Hydrochloric acid.
  • Phosphoric acid.
  • Sulfuric acid.
  • Hydrofluoric acid.
  • 10:1 Buffered Oxide Etch (BOE).
  • Chrome Etch.

For chemicals not on this list, please consult the NanoFab Safety Handbook, Section II, Subsection D and E for policy and procedure details on purchasing chemicals for use in the NanoFab.

Safety