Facilities · Cleanroom & Nanofabrication
Cleanroom & Nanofabrication Facility
480 m² of ISO Class 5 (class-100) cleanroom space with a full photolithography and e-beam lithography suite, physical and chemical vapour deposition systems, reactive ion etching, and inline metrology.
Overview
The Cleanroom & Nanofabrication Facility (CNF) occupies two interconnected bays in Building E of the Calder Mesa Campus, providing 480 m² of ISO Class 5 cleanroom space and 120 m² of supporting grey space for chemical preparation, storage, and metrology. The facility was commissioned in 2011 and underwent a major tool refresh in 2021–2022.
The CNF supports the Institute's QPS and MME research groups — particularly the Integrated Photonics Lab and the Functional Materials Group — and serves a steady stream of external industrial clients in photonics, semiconductor, MEMS, and advanced materials sectors. External users access the facility either through the equipment rental booking system (CLN-2 bay bookings) or through the Scientific & Analytical Services team for a fully managed process run.
The facility is managed by Dr. Rowan Svensson-Park, Facility Manager, assisted by two cleanroom engineers (Lila Toth and Marcus Drachen). The facility is staffed 08:00–19:00 Monday to Friday; trained users with keycard access may use the facility outside these hours.
Equipment
| Tool | Category | Key specifications | Code |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heidelberg MLA150 Direct Writer | Photolithography | 150 mm wafer; 0.6 µm minimum feature; 405 nm laser; grayscale capable; alignment ±0.5 µm | CNF-PL1 |
| JEOL JBX-8100FS E-Beam Lithography | E-beam lithography | 100 kV; 4 nm beam diameter; 300 × 300 mm stage; ±20 nm overlay accuracy | CNF-EBL1 |
| AJA International ATC 2200 Sputter | PVD deposition | 6-target magnetron sputter; DC and RF; substrate heating to 850 °C; 200 mm wafer; metals and dielectrics | CNF-PVD1 |
| Oxford Instruments Plasmalab 80 PECVD | CVD deposition | SiO₂, Si₃N₄, a-Si; 200 mm wafer; substrate temps 100–400 °C; dual-frequency RF | CNF-CVD1 |
| Oxford Instruments Cobra ICP-RIE | Reactive ion etching | Fluorine, chlorine, oxygen chemistry; 200 mm wafer; 1.5:1 aspect ratio capability; endpoint detection (OES) | CNF-RIE1 |
| Trion Phantom III RIE | Reactive ion etching | Standard RIE; fluorine chemistry; 100 mm and 150 mm wafers; suitable for polymer and oxide etch | CNF-RIE2 |
| Signatone S-1160 Probe Station | Metrology / electrical | 200 mm wafer; 4-probe; temperature stage −65 °C to +200 °C; Keithley SMU integration | CNF-PRB1 |
| Filmetrics F50-EXR Reflectometer | Metrology / optical | Film thickness 2 nm–100 µm; mapping mode 300 mm wafer; 190–1100 nm spectral range | CNF-MET1 |
| KLA Tencor Alpha-Step D600 Profilometer | Metrology / surface | Contact stylus; 0.1 Å vertical resolution; 200 mm wafer stage; roughness and step-height | CNF-MET2 |
| Ultrasonic Wire Bonder | Packaging | Ball and wedge bonding; 1–75 µm wire; 200 mm wafer stage; pull-test to 30 g | CNF-PKG1 |
Process capabilities
Lithography
The CNF supports direct-write photolithography down to 0.6 µm feature size, suitable for MEMS, microfluidics, and optical device patterning. Electron-beam lithography on the JBX-8100FS achieves sub-100 nm features and is the primary tool for photonic waveguides, grating couplers, and quantum device patterning. Standard resists (AZ, S1800, PMMA, ZEP, HSQ) are stocked; specialist resists can be accommodated by arrangement.
Deposition
Physical vapour deposition covers metals (Al, Au, Ti, Cr, Ni, W, Mo, Pt), metal nitrides (TiN, TaN), and oxide dielectrics (SiO₂, Al₂O₃, HfO₂). PECVD adds silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, and amorphous silicon at lower thermal budgets suitable for polymer and flexible substrates. Atomic layer deposition (ALD) is available through an external service arrangement via the Functional Materials Group.
Etching
The ICP-RIE system handles anisotropic etching of silicon, silicon oxide, silicon nitride, III-V semiconductors, and metals using fluorine (SF₆, C₄F₈), chlorine (Cl₂, BCl₃), and oxygen chemistries. Etch depth uniformity is typically ±2% across 150 mm wafers. The standard RIE (Trion) is used for polymer ashing and oxide descum. Wet etching baths (HF, KOH, piranha, buffered oxide etch) are available in the grey-space chemical room.
Metrology
Inline metrology includes optical film thickness mapping, surface profilometry, and electrical probe testing. The facility also has access to the Advanced Microscopy Centre's AFM for post-process surface characterization. XRD and XPS measurement of deposited films can be booked through the Spectroscopy & Analytical Core. Scanning electron microscopy of processed wafers is available via the AMC (field-emission SEM, without cryo stage).
Gowning & induction
All users entering the cleanroom must complete a gowning induction before their first visit. This is non-negotiable and applies equally to internal staff, graduate students, and external users.
Gowning standard
The CNF requires a full bunny suit (coverall, hood, face mask, booties, gloves). Gowning rooms are located at both cleanroom entrances. The facility provides all consumable gowning items at no charge for registered users; regular users may purchase personal gowning equipment at the facility store discount rate.
Cosmetics, fragrances, nail varnish, loose jewellery, and contact lenses are prohibited inside the cleanroom. Users on the first two visits are accompanied by a facility engineer to confirm gowning compliance before solo access is granted.
Chemical safety
External users intending to use the wet-etch chemical room must complete an additional chemical safety assessment with Dr. Svensson-Park covering the specific chemicals in their process. This is a one-hour in-person session and must be completed before any chemical handling in the facility. Existing Veyra staff who hold a current chemical safety certificate from the Institute's Health & Safety office are exempt.
Induction process
- Online pre-read — complete the CNF safety module (approx. 45 minutes) via the Facilities Portal. Covers clean-room particulate control, chemical hazards, emergency procedures, and tool etiquette.
- In-person orientation — 90-minute walk-through of the facility with a cleanroom engineer. Covers gowning, entry/exit procedure, emergency exits, chemical storage locations, tool startup/shutdown checklists, and waste disposal.
- Gowning sign-off — supervised gowning and de-gowning to confirm correct technique. Signed off by the facility engineer.
- Tool training — separate training session(s) required for each tool class (lithography, deposition, etch, metrology) before unsupervised use. Duration varies by tool complexity: 2 hours (metrology) to 8 hours (e-beam litho).
Inductions are scheduled on Monday and Wednesday afternoons. Contact cleanroom@veyra.example to book.
Related resources
Research group
Integrated Photonics Lab
Dr. Sora Veld's group — primary internal user of the e-beam lithography and PVD systems.
View group →Service
Scientific & Analytical Services
Managed process runs for clients who prefer not to operate tools directly.
View service →Facility
Advanced Microscopy Centre
AFM and SEM for post-process characterization of fabricated structures.
View facility →