The status of deep X-ray lithography in the UK for the development of precision microstructures

Miniaturisation fabrication technologies are bridging the gap from mini-micro-nano in field size, depth, aspect ratio and materials. New research directions and replication technologies allow the fabrication of true 3-D structures. During the last few years there has been an upsurge in interest and a demand for precision microproducts from a large section of Industry. Although large scale markets have yet to become activated through lack of established designs and manufacturing methodologies, it has been predicated that by the year 2000 they will exceed £10 billion. Development programmes are active in USA, Europe and the Far east. In Europe the main thrust has been in Germany where significant funding support has been obtained from the federal Government, the EC and industry. There is a particularly emphasis on the use of X-ray lithography and the LIGA process. In the UK a programme was first initiated in 1994 with support from the EC and industry for the industrial exploitation X-ray lithography programme for the production of microstructures using the 2 GeV national synchrotron radiation source (SRS) at the CCLRC´s Daresbury Laboratory. The Daresbury SRS can provide the intense beams of high energy X-rays needed for deep X-ray lithography. The long lifetime and high current operation of the sources combined with good beam profile characteristics make it ideally suitable