Limint beamline is dedicated to micro-and nano-manufacturing through Deep X-Ray Lithography (DXRL) for the scientific, commercial, and high-tech community in Singapore and overseas. DXRL is enabled via the LIGA technique, a German acronym for Lithographie, Galvanoformung, Abformung (Lithography, Electroplating, and Molding), a fabrication technology used to create high-aspect-ratio microstructures. Limint is working with groups from local and overseas universities, institutes, and industries on several projects in the fields of biotechnology, polymer processing, X-ray and micro-optics, and microfluidics.
LiMiNT beamline of SSLS provides all process steps of LIGA technique for prototyping micro-and nano-devices, starting from pattern design and mask fabrication. It plays a vital role as its x-ray scanner makes SSLS a unique micro-and nanotechnology lab in South-east Asia.
The deep and unscattered penetration of x-rays through resist materials enables the fabrication of microstructures with very high aspect ratios. On the other hand, the shorter wavelength of the x-rays with rectangular beam architecture enables batch fabrication of nanostructures on wafer level.
Conventional lithography processes done with usage of single mask results in 2 dimensional components. Over the years, Limint beamline acquired new capabilities of manufacturing 3-dimensional micro-components of optical quality and at wafer scale through simultaneous usage of multiple masks. The wafer can either be glass, Si, or even a bulk polymer. These manufactured components can directly be applied to commercial devices for various functionalities such as micro-mirror arrays, filter arrays, or gratings. Precise control of dose deposited is also enabled through the usage of stages with micro-controllers that offer determined chain scission leading to 1800 discrete gray levels in a chip of area 20 mm2.