Cleanroom

About

MMI Cleanroom is a hub of nanofabrication in a controlled environment at Kaunas University of Technology and is managed by the Institute of Materials Science. Established in 2014, the 130 m² ISO5 (Class 100) cleanroom facility is open to the entire university community, as well as external academic and commercial partners.

Since 2019, MMI Cleanroom is part of the EuroNanoLab network, which is a distributed research infrastructure uniting 44 cleanrooms in 14 countries. It provides academic and industrial access to world-class nanofabrication services and expertise for exploratory research (low-TRL). EuroNanoLab nodes welcome any external users in an open-access mode.

Cleanroom plan

Tools

Lithography

	E-beam lithography tool – Raith e-Line Plus is an advanced electron beam lithography system designed for high-precision nanofabrication and nanoscale patterning. It features a versatile platform with a high-resolution electron beam column, capable of achieving feature sizes down to the sub-10 nanometer range. The Raith e-Line Plus has a user-friendly interface and comprehensive software suite, facilitating efficient and accurate design-to-device workflows. The system is also capable of scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and surface chemical analysis (EDX) from Be (Z=4) to Am (95).
	Mask aligner and nanoimprint lithography tool – OAI Hybralign 204IR is a mask aligner system used for parallel exposure of wafers (up to 4″) and wafer chips (5 x 5 mm²) through a photomask to define microstructures in UV-sensitive resists. It features near-UV and deep-UV operating modes, an IR backside alignment system, and a UV nanoimprint add-on. Power of the source: 500 W, deviation of illumination uniformity <3%.
	Spin coater SPS POLOS MCD200 NPP and hotplate SPS POLOS Hotplate200S is a versatile system designed for coating substrates with a diameter of up to Ø 260mm. Constructed with a full-plastic system in polypropylene NPP and features a transparent flat lid with a central opening for manual chemical dispense. The spin-coater has an easy, step-by-step programming with precise control over time (1-999 sec/step), speed (1-10,000 rpm), acceleration/deceleration (1-5,000 rpm/sec), and vacuum on/off. Safety features include a door interlock preventing the motor from running with the lid opened. The spin-coater includes a vacuum chuck for small sample chips.

Dry Etching

Technological equipment Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching system "Plasma-Therm Vision LL-ICP"

Inductively coupled plasma reactive ion etching system – PlasmaTherm Apex SLR is used for the reactive ion etching of a variety of materials, most commonly Si/SiO2. It is equipped with fluorine-based gases and a cryo-cooled electrode, which enabled deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) of silicon. ICP RIE systems have two independent RF power supplies: one controls capacitive coupled plasma and the resulting self-bias, whereas the other supplies power to an antenna coil, inducing an inductively coupled plasma. This type of setup decouples the plasma density control (ICP) from the ion energy (CCP), allowing to achieve much higher etch rates without sacrificing selectivity.

Thin Film Deposition

Thermal evaporator – CUBIVAP is a thermal resistive evaporator – a reliable system designed for the efficient deposition of thin films via thermal evaporation. It is capable of evaporating a wide range of metals. The rotatable substrate holder ensures even film distribution, while precise control over deposition rates and film thickness is achieved through an integrated quartz crystal monitor. Parameters of the equipment: 2x 4 kW resistive evaporators; substrate temperature: 20–400 °C; base vacuum: 1E-3 Pa

Magnetron sputtering tool – LH A700 is a versatile system designed for high-quality thin film deposition using DC sputtering. The system supports deposition of a wide range of metals. Its rotatable substrate holder ensures uniform coatings. Automated gas flow control and in situ monitoring provides precise control over film thickness. Parameters of the equipment: substrate temperature: 20–400 °C, base vacuum: 1E-4 – 1E-5 Pa

Wet processing

	Acid/Base Wetbench is a specialized workspace tailored for handling acids and bases in the cleanroom. Built with corrosion-resistant materials, this bench ensures a safe and contamination-free setting for critical processes.
	Solvent Wetbench is a specialized workspace tailored for handling solvents in the cleanroom. Built with stainless steel, this bench ensures a safe and contamination-free setting for critical processes. The wetbench is equipped with an ultrasonic bath.

Metrology

Scanning probe microscopy system NanoWizard®3 NanoScience with supplements (JPK instruments AG, Germany)
Measurement of surface topography and mechanical, electrical and magnetic properties in air and liquids. Suitable for characterisation of solids, polymers, biological samples and molecules. Also suitable for nanomanipulation and nanolithography. Working modes: contact, tapping, non-contact; microscopy of lateral force; record of phasic image; force modulation distribution (force mapping); quantitative representation: surface image based on force curves; magnetic force microscopy; force-distance spectroscopy; force-distance volume imaging mode; nanolithograhy and nanomanipulation; conduction microscopy with I/V curves registration; Kelvin probe force microscopy; capacitive microscopy. Scanning field: 100 × 100 µm; height up to 15 µm. Samples up to 100 mm in diameter and 50 mm in height.

Nikon Eclipse LV150N microscope is a high-performance imaging instrument designed for advanced research and industrial applications. With a focus on optical clarity and versatility, this microscope features 5x, 20x, 50x, and 100x Plan Fluor objectives that deliver sharp and detailed images. The LV150N is equipped with brightfield and darkfield imaging modes, and simple polarizing capabilities.