System and method for analog replication of microdevices having a desired surface contour
A master wafer is replicated by creating a mold by plating a nickel electroform on a surface of a silicon wafer. Thereafter, a child wafer is prepared with a layer of photoresist or similar material that is compatible with plasma-etching techniques. Thereafter, the mold shape is transferred to the photoresist through compression molding, thereafter the child wafer is etched.
1. A method of making an analog replica of a master wafer, comprising:
creating a mold by electroforming a layer of material on the surface of the master wafer, a mold surface of the master mold having a mold shape, the mold shape comprising at least one of a curved feature, a slanted feature, or multi-level feature, wherein the mold shape is substantially parallel to the master wafer;
preparing a child wafer with a layer of photoresist;
transferring the mold shape to the photoresist,
separating the mold from the child wafer; and
etching the child wafer.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the electroforming a layer includes electroforming a layer of nickel on the surface of the master wafer.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold shape is transferred to the photoresist by compression molding.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the master wafer is a silicon wafer with a contour surface.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the master wafer is glass, quartz, silicon, gallium phosphide, fused silica, plastic, germanium, zinc selenide, Cu, Al, ceramic, or gallium arsenide.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising applying a release-aid layer to the master wafer prior to electroforming.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the applying a release-aid includes applying a metal having a poor adhesion property to the master wafer.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the release-aid layer is gold or Teflon.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photoresist is made from a negative photoresist material.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the photoresist material is a polyimide-based material.
11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the etching includes any one of plasma-etching, dry etching, wet etching or milled with standard process technology.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold shape has at least one curved feature, the curve feature is convex, concave, or a combination thereof.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the child wafer is glass, quartz, silicon, gallium phosphide, fused silica, plastic, germanium, zinc selenide, Cu, Al, ceramic, or gallium arsenide.
14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mold shape has at least one multi-level feature forming elevated steps.
15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the photoresist material is made from a positive photoresist material.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the photoresist material is novalak or a phenyl-formaldehyde resin.