[en] Fabrication techniques for devices having dimensions of about a micrometer are presented. A versatile low cost photolithographic microscope projection technique and chemical etching are used as part of the fabrication process. The whole procedure is proposed as an alternative to razor blade or diamond scratching techniques in laboratory research at low temperatures. A detailed description of the equipment and methods is given. Specific examples of one material devices and two material devices are described in connection with physical problems of recent interest. The broad field of application of the techniques shown make them appropriate for creating structures that might have defined and reproducible forms from millimeter dimensions down to 0.5 μm

[en] We present a material removal rate model for MRF of optical glasses using nanodiamond MR fluid. The new model incorporates terms for drag force, polishing particle properties, chemical durability and glass composition into an existing model that contains only terms for the glass mechanical properties. Experimental results for six optical glasses are given that support this model

[en] During the Chemical mechanical planarization (CMP), the pad conditioning process can affect the pad surface characteristics. Among many CMP process parameters, the improper applied load on the conditioner arm may have adverse effects on the polyurethane pad. In this work, we evaluated the pad surface properties under the various conditioner arm applied during pad conditioning process. The conditioning pads were evaluated for surface topography, surface roughness parameters such as Rt and Rvk and Material removal rate (MRR) and within-wafer non-uniformity after wafer polishing. We observed that, the pad asperities were collapsed in the direction of conditioner rotation and blocks the pad pores applied conditioner load. The Rvk value and MRR were founded to be in relation with 4 > 1 > 7 kgF conditioner load. Hence, this study shows that, 4 kgF applied load by conditioner is most suitable for the pad conditioning during CMP

[en] The theoretical basis is developed for a technique to fabricate nonaxisymmetric mirrors. Stresses are applied to a mirror blank that would have the effect of elastically deforming a desired surface into a sphere. A sphere is then polished into the blank, and upon release of the applied stress, the sperical surface deforms into the desired one. The method can be applied iteratively, so arbitrary accuracy should be possible. Calculations of the stresses and deformations are carried out in detail for an off-axis section of a paraboloid. For a very general class of surfaces, it is sufficient to only impose appropriate stresses at the edge of the blank plus a uniform pressure on the back

[en] According to Preston [J. Soc. Glass Technol. 11, 214 (1927)], the wear on a glass point in the polishing process is proportional to the work given by frictional force between glass and tool. He supposed that the frictional coefficient is a constant value. To verify this hypothesis, we measured the dragging forces applied to a tool as a function of the relative speed between a rotating glass and the tool center. To reproduce these experimental results, it was necessary to propose a new model, for which the frictional coefficient has a Gaussian dependence with relative speed. Therefore the wearing Preston equation has to be modified in order to include the frictional coefficient as a function of the relative speed

[en] Solid-state nanopores have been widely used as building blocks for nanofluidic devices and circuits from both fundamental and application aspects. In this review, we sketch the recent research progress in our group on the fabrication and application of single nanopores in PET membrane by track-etching method. The asymmetric ion transport properties in the conical nanopore are intensively studied both experimentally and theoretically. Based on the understanding of the particular ion transport behavior on nano-scale, some applications are present, including the pressure-driven streaming current and synthetic nanopore-DNA system.

[en] An analysis of asymmetric etch demonstrated that the nuclear track membranes can be prepared with smaller pore size than that with the normal etch. The experiment showed that the pore size can be decreased to 1/2 of the normal size by this method. The analysis for an etch method with temperature gradient showed that the pore size decreased with the increasing temperature gradient and could decrease to one-fifth of the normal size under the practical conditions. The computer simulation showed that the nuclear track membranes could prepared with cylinder pore by this method but it was difficult to control the etching process

[en] The influence of surfactants on the process of chemical development of ion tracks in polymers is studied. Based on the experimental data, a mechanism of the surfactant effect on the track-etch pore morphology is proposed. In the beginning of etching the surfactant is adsorbed on the surface and creates a layer that is quasi-solid and partially protects the surface from the etching agent. However, some etchant molecules diffuse through the barrier and react with the polymer surface. This results in the formation of a small hole at the entrance to the ion track. After the hole has attained a few nanometers in diameter, the surfactant molecules penetrate into the track and cover its walls. Further diffusion of the surfactant into the growing pore is hindered. The adsorbed surfactant layer is not permeable for large molecules. In contrast, small alkali molecules and water molecules diffuse into the track and provide the etching process enlarging the pore. At this stage the transport of the surfactant into the pore channel can proceed only due to the lateral diffusion in the adsorbed layer. The volume inside the pore is free of surfactant molecules and grows at a higher rate than the pore entrance. After a more prolonged etching the bottle-like (or 'cigar-like') pore channels are formed. The bottle-like shape of the pore channels depends on the etching conditions such as alkali and surfactant concentration, temperature, and type of the surfactant. The use of surfactants enables one to produce track-etch membranes with improved flow rate characteristics compared with those having cylindrical pores with the same nominal pore diameters

[en] A new parameter of sputtering, the erosion energy efficiency, is defined as the ratio of the theoretical energy required to eject atoms to the experimental energy. This efficiency eta (E) is shown to be proportional to the ratio of the sputtering yield Y(E) to the energy E and, even under optimum conditions never exceeds approximately 10%. The relationship of this efficiency to the broadening process occurring during sputter profiling resulting from recoil atomic motion and mixing is examined. It is shown that the ion energy conditions employed in both technological etching and sputter profiling systems are near optimum for energy utilization and profile broadening minimization. (author)

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