Fabrication and Layout Improvement of Implantable Microelectrode Array Probes for Biosensing Applications

• Main Authors: Zheng-lin Yu, 余政霖
• Other Authors: Ting-chih Tseng
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2014
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/59303984446491851010

碩士 === 國立臺灣科技大學 === 化學工程系 === 102 === In this research, the semiconductor manufacturing technology we used to fabricate implantable microelectrode array (MEA) probes. The manufacturing process that we used included thermal oxidation, photolithography, thin film deposition and etching. We optimized each processing step in order to make miniaturized and low-cost microelectrode array probes with good spatial resolution, high production rate, and high yield. The process can be divided into three parts. The first part is the formation of metal layer on the probes that defined electrode sites, channels and bonding pads. The photolithography technology and metal deposition technology by electron beam evaporator were used to transfer the metal pattern on the substrate. The second part is the passivation process of probe surface. The dielectric layer was deposited on the probe to prevent short circuit. Therefore, after the formation of metal layer, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD) was used to deposit dielectric layer. Then the electrode sites and the bonding pads defined by the second photolithography process were etched to expose their metal surfaces. The third part is the definition of probe outline. The third photolithography process was used to define the pattern of probe outline and then, the etching process was used to etch the outline to the bottom of the substrate in order to make the probes releasable from the wafer. In the whole process, photolithography is the most difficult and complicated step; however, we can modify the pattern of the probe layout to improve the process conditions. In this research, we also focused on the layout design of MEA probes and hoped to improve the process efficiency and the yield of MEA probes. The cost of this manufacturing process is a major consideration; therefore, we compared different processing method and chose better processing parameters for our process in order to establish an optimized MEA manufacturing process for the production of probes with high production rate and yield.