An interdisciplinary research team consisting of electrical and mechanical engineers will carry out fundamental research directed toward an improved understanding of processing technology for the fabrication of microelectromechanical devices. This research will use synchrotron based x-ray lithography in connection with 25 micron PMMA (poly methyl methacrylate) photoresist layers and fine-grained polysilicon mask blanks with optically defined absorber patterns made from one micron thick electroplated gold layers. The thick photoresist will be exposed on Aladdin, the Wisconsin synchrotron, and subsequent developing will produce vertical flank PMMA profiles with one micron minimum feature sizes. These structures will then be electroplated to provide micromechanical devices made from the materials used to electroplate the silicon. Additionally, research in plating will be aimed at creating deposits with repeatable and controlled mechanical properties and will focus on nickel, gold, cobalt-nickel, and silver-palladium alloys. The nickel- cobalt alloys are intended for bearing surfaces in microelectro- mechanical devices. The silver alloys address contact welding problems in microswitch applications. The proposed process is fundamental to micromechanics and, in particular, lends itself to actuator construction such as miniature gears and acceleration driven switches, in addition to numerous other potential applications.
