Mask Aligner

A mask aligner is a critical instrument for fabricating multilayer microstructures. It exposes a substrate coated with photosensitive resist to UV radiation through a photomask containing the desired pattern. The aligner allows precise alignment of features on the substrate with those on the photomask, enabling the creation of complex devices through multiple alignment steps. This technology forms the foundation for manufacturing microfluidic chips in our facility.

Our UV-KUB3 mask aligner from Kloé offers a complete suite of tools for controlling the microfabrication process, from wafer loading to exposure:

• Mask holder: Supports 5" and 7" square chrome photomasks as well as flexible film photomasks
• Sample chuck: Accommodates substrates of various sizes, including silicon wafers up to 6"
• Alignment system: Provides an XYZ substrate shift resolution below 0.5 µm and ensures alignment accuracy of 1 µm
• UV LED source: Emits UV light at a wavelength of 365 ± 5 nm in continuous or pulsed mode, achieving high-quality collimation (divergence angle <2º). It offers resolutions down to 1 µm without requiring vacuum contact mode, with exposure homogeneity of ±5% across a 6” area
• Antivibration table: Ensures stable operation during the alignment and exposure processes.

More information about the mask aligner is available here.