172 nm Excimer Radiation as a Technology Accelerator for Bio-Electronic Applications

The publication reviews recent applications of 172nm excimer radiation in bio-electric fields. It shows the broad field which already profit from the technology and also illustrates possible potentials. The principle of erasing static electricity from polyimide surfaces is explained as one application. The effect as a function of the dose is presented both for positive and negative charge and typical materials. In addition the VUV cleaning mechanism with 172nm excimer radiation is demonstrated by the mass spectroscopy of contaminations on the surface of a Si wafer. Surface energy changes of polyamides, glass and metal as a function of dose are presented as well as the change of the contact angle of water on the surface. Another application of surface energy enhancement is the polymer microchip production. Due to the surface activation, the bonding strength for the PMMA-Si combination is significantly enhanced. The results are presented in comparison to other surface treatment methods. Another presented application which profits from the surface activation is adhesive-free coupling. The mechanism of this application is explained and the adhesion strength as a function of material combination is presented. For 2 typical applications, the bonding strength is shown as a function of applied dose. A glance at other applications and an outlook is given as well.