Schott has announced the improved photo-sensitive glass Foturan II. This material is characterised by advanced photosensitivity and homogeneity. These unique properties combined allow a high aspect ratio, and therefore enable radio frequency (RF) components and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) manufacturers to create substrates with significantly finer structures for various semiconductor and biotechnology applications.
For over 30 years, Schott’s Foturan glass has been a well-known and proven specialty glass material whenever extremely fine structures are needed without the efforts of regular resist-based photolithography.
For example, in the field of biotechnology, microfluidics is moving to the mainstream, aiding a wide variety of fields including medical diagnostics, life sciences research, and drug delivery and synthesis. Here, Foturan II can be used to produce re-usable, easy-to-clean, and optically transparent titre-plates. In contrast to silicon sensors, Foturan II’s structurability enables the design of flow sensors with small thermal masses, creating ultra-fast response times and very good chemical stability.
Foturan II is available in 6- or 8-inch round wafers and square substrates up to 200 x 200mm with thicknesses between 0.5mm and 1mm. The wafers are structured and processed in three steps: UV-exposure (with standard lithography equipment without the use of photo-resist), tempering (heat treatment), and etching; additional ceramisation is also an option when even higher temperature stability is required.