Printable elastic conductors by in situ formation of silver nanoparticles from silver flakes

Naoji Matsuhisa¹, Daishi Inoue², Peter Zalar^1,3, Hanbit Jin¹, Yorishige Matsuba^1,3, Akira Itoh^1,3, Tomoyuki Yokota^1,3, Daisuke Hashizume² and Takao Someya^1,2,3,4
1Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8656, Japan.
²Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
³Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology (ERATO), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 2-11-16, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0032, Japan.
⁴Thin-Film Device Laboratory, RIKEN, 2-1 Hirosawa, Wako, Saitama 351-0198, Japan.
Nature Materials 16, 834–840 (2017)

Someya lab at the University of Tokyo is famous for printable and stretchable electronics for healthcare and wearable device applications. In this research, silver nanoparticles were used as conductive materials in flexible sensor and actuator networks, expecting large-area manufacturing using printing technologies. In the fabrication of stretchable pressure and temperature sensor, Samco UV-ozone cleaner UV-1 was used for UV curing of photoresist PSR-301A. Samco offers multiple systems of surface treatment (plasma cleaning and UV-ozone cleaning) for device fabrication and material research.

Hydrophilic-treated plastic plates for wide-range analysis of Giemsa-stained red blood cells and automated Plasmodium infection rate counting

Muneaki Hashimoto¹, Shouki Yatsushiro¹, Shohei Yamamura¹, Masato Tanaka¹, Hirokazu Sakamoto^1,3, Yusuke Ido¹, Kazuaki Kajimoto¹, Mika Bando², Jun‑ichi Kido² and Masatoshi Kataoka^1
1Health Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 2217‑14, Hayashi‑cho, Takamatsu, Kagawa 761‑0301, Japan.
²Department of Periodontology and Endodontology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Institute of Health Biosciences, 3‑18‑15 Kuramoto, Tokushima 770‑8504, Japan.
Malar J (2017) 16 321
As a new method of malaria diagnostics, the count of Plasmodium spp. cells in red blood cells (RBCs) using hydrophilic-treated cyclic olefn copolymer (COC) plates was proposed. Oxygen plasma treatment was applied to COC plates in order to modify the surface wettability to hydrophilic using Samco RIE etcher RIE-10NR.

Polymer surface modification is an essential technique to achieve surface wettability improvement and direct substrate bonding in microfluidics fabrication. We offer plasma cleaners and UV-ozone cleaners as well as plasma etching equipment for this application. The paper below shows long-term stable hydrophilic surfaces of polymer materials (PMMA, COC, COP and PEEK) using UV-ozone treatment technologies.
UV/ozone Surface Modification for Long-term Stable Hydrophilic Surface of Polymer Microfluidic Devices

Sensitivity of Piezoelectric Ultrasonic Microsensors with Sol-Gel Derived PZT Films Prepared through Various Pyrolysis Temperatures

Kaoru Yamashita, Shota Nakajima, Jo Shiomi and Minoru Noda
Graduate School of Science and Technology, Kyoto Institute of Technology, Kyoto 606-8585, Japan
2017 IEEE International Meeting for Future of Electron Devices, Kansai (IMFEDK), Kyoto, Japan, 2017, pp. 108-109.

In this paper, MEMS ultrasonic microsensors with sol-gel derived PZT piezoelectric diaphragm was fabricated. In device fabrication, Samco silicon Deep RIE etcher RIE-400iPB was used to form the thin diaphragm structure by silicon plasma etching from the wafer backside.
Stress control of PZT thin film was carried out to investigate high ultrasonic sensitivity of the devices.

Samco provides silicon deep RIE etching technologies utilizing the Bosch Process to R&D labs for MEMS device and TSV processing applications. For more information on our process technologies of deep silicon etching, please visit the process data page below.
Silicon Deep RIE Process Data

Magnesium Oxide (MgO) pHsensitive Sensing Membrane in Electrolyte-Insulator Semiconductor Structures with CF4 Plasma Treatment

Chyuan-Haur Kao^1,3,4, Chia Lung Chang¹, Wei Ming Su², Yu Tzu Chen², Chien Cheng Lu²,
Yu Shan Lee², Chen Hao Hong², Chan-Yu Lin⁴ & Hsiang Chen^2
1 Department of Electronic Engineering, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, 333, Taiwan, ROC.
² Department of Applied Materials and Optoelectronic Engineering, National Chi Nan University, Puli, 545, Taiwan, ROC.
³ Kidney Research Center, Department of Nephrology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University, College of Medicine, Taoyuan, Taiwan, ROC.
⁴ Department of Electronic Engineering, Ming Chi University of Technology, New Taipei City,
Taiwan, ROC.
Scientific Reports (2017) 7 7185  DOI:10.1038/s41598-017-07699-3

In this paper, MgO (Magnesium Oxide) based biosensors were fabricated for chemical solution sensing with high pH sensitivity. CF₄ plasma treatment was carried out to shape nanostructures and stabilize the material properties of the MgO membrane. For the CF₄ plasma treatment of MgO films and deposition of silicon based films, Samco PECVD system PD-220N was used.

Samco offers PECVD systems for plasma deposition of SiO₂, SiN_x, a-Si, DLC and etc. These films are used for passivation, barrier film and other purposes in various research fields. For more details of our process capabilities of plasma deposition technologies, please visit the process data pages below.
SiO₂ PECVD Process Data
SiN_x PECVD Process Data

Run-to-Run Yield Evaluation of Improved Nb 9-layer
Advanced Process using Single Flux Quantum Shift Register
Chip with 68,990 Josephson Junctions

Shuichi Nagasawa and Mutsuo Hidaka
National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), 1-1-1
Umezono, Tsukuba 305-8568, Japan
IOP Conf. Series: Journal of Physics: Conf. Series 871 (2017) 012065

Sputter SiO₂ deposition process has a challenge in reproducibility in device fabrication.
In this paper, as an alternative of the sputter deposition method, PECVD deposition method was developed in combination with Ar ion milling. Samco PECVD system, PD-270STL at AIST was used for SiO₂ insulation layer deposition. With effective chamber conditioning, SiO₂ insulation with less particles was achieved with an excellent run-to-run reproducibility.

This research was presented at 29th International Symposium on Superconductivity.

For more details of our SiO₂ PECVD process capabilities,
please visit the process data page below.
SiO₂ PECVD Data

Low-power, low-pressure reactive-ion etching process for silicon etching with vertical and smooth walls for mechanobiology application

Mohammed Ashraf, Sree V. Sundararajan, Gianluca Grenci
National University of Singapore, Mechanobiology Institute, Singapore
J. Micro/Nanolith. MEMS MOEMS. 16(3), 034501 (Jul 10, 2017).
doi:10.1117/1.JMM.16.3.034501

Silicon plasma etching was carried out using RIE etcher RIE-10NR. Low-power etching process was newly developed in fluorine chemistry to fabricate vertical smooth sidewalls.

National University of Singapore is one of Samco’s proud customers. As seen in this paper, Samco RIE etcher RIE-10NR shows process versatility with excellent profile control for university lab users. The system can offer a wide range of process window for etching of various materials (silicon, SiO₂, SiN_x, metals and polymer).

For more details of our process capabilities of silicon etching, please visit the process data page below.
Silicon Plasma Etching

Difference in growth and coalescing patterns of droplets on bi-philic surfaces with varying spatial distribution

Martand Mayukh Garimella, Sudheer Koppu, Shantanu Shrikant Kadlaskar, Venkata Pillutla, Abhijeet, Wonjae Choi
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Texas at Dallas, 800 W. Campbell Road, Richardson, TX 75080

Journal of Colloid and Interface Science (2017)

In this paper, surface wettability patterning was performed, and unique water droplet motion on the patterned regions was investigated. Samco UV-ozone cleaner, UV-1 at UT Dallas was used for complete native oxide removal after hydrofluoric acid treatment.

Surface wettability modulation (hydrophilic and hydrophobic) is fundamental for material research and device fabrication. Samco is developing surface treatment processes using UV-ozone technologies and plasma technologies. If you are interested in our latest material processing technologies and publication, please visit the page below.
Material Processing Data

Formation of distinctive structures of GaN by inductively-coupled-plasma and reactive ion etching under optimized chemical etching conditions

N. Okada¹, K. Nojima¹, N. Ishibashi¹, K. Nagatoshi¹, N. Itagaki¹, R. Inomoto¹, S. Motoyama², T. Kobayashi², and K. Tadatomo^1
1Yamaguchi University, 2-16-1 Tokiwadai, Ube, Yamaguchi 755-8611, Japan
²R&D Department, SAMCO Inc., 36 Takeda Waraya-cho, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-8443, Japan

Gallium Nitride (GaN) is a popular nitride material due to its unique material properties such as wide bandgap and high breakdown voltage. The material is commercially used for various applications such as LEDs , RF devices, HEMTs and LDs. In this paper, optimized conditions of GaN plasma etching was investigated in chlorine chemistry. GaN etch profile, etch rate and etch selectivity over SiN hard mask were investigated in several process conditions using Samco ICP-RIE System, RIE-230iPC. For deposition of SiN hard mask layers, Samco PECVD Tool, PD-220NL was used.

This research paper is collaboration between Yamaguchi University and Samco. We have cooperated with Yamaguchi University for process development of GaN etching and PECVD technologies to achieve technical breakthrough in nitride semiconductor based device research.

For more details of our GaN plasma etching technologies and capabilities, please visit the GaN etching process data page below.
GaN Etching using ICP-RIE

Deposition of TiO₂/Al₂O₃ bilayer on hydrogenated diamond for electronic devices: Capacitors, field-effect transistors, and logic inverters

J. W. Liu¹, M. Y. Liao¹, M. Imura¹, R. G. Banal¹, and Y. Koide^2
1 Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki,
Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
² Research Network and Facility Services Division, NIMS, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS 121, 224502 (2017)

Diamond-based power devices are expected to see emerging applications which require high breakdown voltage. In this paper, MOSFET, MOS capactors and MOS logic inverter were fabricated using hydro-generated diamond.
Plasma etching of H-diamond channel layer was performed using Samco RIE etcher, RIE-200NL. Samco offers several plasma etching systems for customers who actively working on diamond power device research. For more details of plasma etching systems for diamond etching, please visit the product pages below.

RIE Plasma Etcher
ICP Etcher

Enhancement-mode hydrogenated diamond metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors with Y₂O₃ oxide insulator grown by electron beam evaporator

J. W. Liu¹ H. Oosato² M. Y. Liao¹ and Y. Koide^3
1 Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), 1-1 Namiki,
Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
² Nanofabrication Platform, NIMS, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
³ Research Network and Facility Services Division, NIMS, 1-2-1 Sengen, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0047, Japan
APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS 110, 203502 (2017)

Hydrogenated diamond-based MOSFET is a promising next-generation power device as well as SiC- or GaN-based devices. The device research on this material is still under development.
In this paper, H-diamond MOSFET with an Y₂O₃ oxide insulator was fabricated. Samco RIE etcher, RIE-200NL was used for mesa etching of H-diamond layer.

Samco RIE etchers offer diamond plasma etching process solutions for emerging power device research communities. For more details on our equipment lineup and specifications, please visit the product page below.
RIE Etcher for R&D and Production

If you are interested in diamond etching processes, please visit the process data page below.
Diamond Plasma Etching