Advanced Platform Technology Center
Emerging Materials Development and Evaluation (EMDE) Laboratory
Located at Case Western Reserve University, Glennan Building, 2123 Martin Luther King Blvd, Cleveland, OH 44106-7071
To complement the capabilities of the MFL, back-end processing steps and microdevice evaluation can be performed in the Emerging Materials Development and Evaluation (EMDE) Laboratory under the direction of Dr. Christian Zorman. The research group focuses on the development of enabling materials for micro- and nanosystems. Of principal interest is the development of PECVD and sputtering processes for silicon carbide thin films on temperature sensitive substrates, and rapid thermal CVD processes for 3C-SiC films thermal budget-sensitive substrates. This research group also develops bioMEMS devices made from liquid crystal polymers, polyimides and thermal plastic polymers for drug delivery systems, neurostimulation, and cell studies.
This lab contains a probe station for pre-packaged electronic testing of microdevices, an environmental chamber for pressure sensor testing, an interferometric load-deflection setup for membrane testing, a pressure manifold for membrane failure testing, a vacuum chamber for micromechanical device testing, and vibration isolation tables for customized test setups. The lab also has post-fabrication processing capabilities centered on a fume hood configured for Si bulk micromachining and other wet chemical etching, electroplating and a critical point dryer for device release. The lab is equipped with dedicated computer with software for device design, mask layout, and finite element modeling. The lab has electronic instruments for capacitance measurements and leakage current measurements. The Parylene Deposition System in this laboratory has particular relevance to the development novel medical devices. Pacemaker leads, guide wires, catheters, and electrical surgical tools are coated with parylene for electrical insulation and lubricous coating.
