Fabrication technologies for microsystems utilizing photoetchable glass

Photoetchable glass is a very promising material for the production of components for a wide variety of equipment and relatively low fabrication costs are achievable already in small scale production. The application potential of photoetchable glass is mainly determined by the fact that this material can be applied in corrosive and high temperature environment which is of major importance for applications in chemistry and biology. Further advantages are transparency, high Young's modulus and good thermal and electrical insulation. Microstructures generated from photoetchable glass have been produced commercially for various lications mentioned in the text. The photostructuring of this glass is used as an example to show how these microsystems can be manufactured on a large production scale. The principle chemical and physical processes together with the fabrication technologies are explained. In order to promote the utilization of photoetchable glass in microsystems technology the Institute of Microtechnology in Mainz (IMM) and the Schott company have built up a production line for micro devices using FOTURAN produced by Schott. The joint venture covers the design and production of micro devices, the optimization of the fabrication process and the development of advanced equipment for processing FOTURAN in high volume quantities.