• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• 제8권4호
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• pp.246-251
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• 2003

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is composed of the brain capillaries, which are lined by endothelial cells displaying extremely tight intercellular junctions. Several attempts at creating an in vitro model of the BBB have been met with moderate success as brain capillary endothelial cells lose their barrier properties when isolated in cell culture. This may be due to a lack of recreation of the in vivo endothelial cellular environment in these models, including nearly constant contact with astrocyte foot processes. This work is motivated by the hypothesis that growing endothelial cells on one side of an ultra-thin, highly porous membrane and differentiating astrocyte or astrogliomal cells on the opposite side will lead to a higher degree of interaction between the two cell types and therefore to an improved model. Here we describe our initial efforts towards testing this hypothesis including a procedure for membrane fabrication and methods for culturing endothelial cells on these membranes. We have fabricated a 1 $\mu\textrm{m}$ thick, 2.0 $\mu\textrm{m}$ pore size, and 55% porous membrane with a very narrow pore size distribution from low-stress silicon nitride (SiN) utilizing techniques from the microelectronics industry. We have developed a base, acid, autoclave routine that prepares the membranes for cell culture both by cleaning residual fabrication chemicals from the surface and by increasing the hydrophilicity of the membranes (confirmed by contact angle measurements). Gelatin, fibronectin, and a 50/50 mixture of the two proteins were evaluated as potential basement membrane protein treatments prior to membrane cell seeding. All three treatments support adequate attachment and growth on the membranes compared to the control.

• 센서학회지
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• 제24권6호
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• pp.379-384
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• 2015

An infrared image sensor is a core device in a thermal imaging system. The fabrication method of a focal plane array (FPA) is a key technology for a high resolution infrared image sensor. Each pixels in the FPA have $Si_3N_4/SiO_2$ membranes including legs to deposit bolometric materials and electrodes on Si readout circuits (ROIC). Instead of polyimide used to form a sacrificial layer, the feasibility of an amorphous silicon (${\alpha}-Si$) was verified experimentally in a $8{\times}8$ micro-bolometer array with a $50{\mu}m$ pitch. The elimination of the polyimide sacrificial layer hardened by a following plasma assisted deposition process is sometimes far from perfect, and thus requires longer plasma ashing times leading to the deformation of the membrane and leg. Since the amorphous Si could be removed in $XeF_2$ gas at room temperature, however, the fabricated micro-bolomertic structure was not damaged seriously. A radio frequency (RF) sputtered nickel oxide film was grown on a $Si_3N_4/SiO_2$ membrane fabricated using a low stress silicon nitride (LSSiN) technology with a LPCVD system. The deformation of the membrane was effectively reduced by a combining the ${\alpha}-Si$ and LSSiN process for a nickel oxide micro-bolometer.

• 센서학회지
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• 제16권1호
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• pp.62-67
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• 2007

This paper presents a novel MEMS condenser microphone with rigid backplate to enhance acoustic characteristics. The MEMS condenser microphone consists of membrane and backplate chips which are bonded together by gold-tin (Au/Sn) eutectic solder bonding. The membrane chip has 2.5 mm${\times}$2.5 mm, $0.5{\mu}m$ thick low stress silicon nitride membrane, 2 mm${\times}$2 mm Au/Ni/Cr membrane electrode, and $3{\mu}m$ thick Au/Sn layer. The backplate chip has 2 mm${\times}$2 mm, $150{\mu}m$ thick single crystal silicon rigid backplate, 1.8 mm${\times}$1.8 mm backplate electrode, and air gap, which is fabricated by bulk micromachining and silicon deep reactive ion etching. Slots and $50-60{\mu}m$ radius circular acoustic holes to reduce air damping are also formed in the backplate chip. The fabricated microphone sensitivity is $39.8{\mu}V/Pa$ (-88 dB re. 1 V/Pa) at 1 kHz and 28 V polarization voltage. The microphone shows flat frequency response within 1 dB between 20 Hz and 5 kHz.

• 한국소음진동공학회논문집
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• 제16권12호
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• pp.1272-1278
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• 2006

This paper presents a novel MEMS condenser microphone with rigid backplate to enhance acoustic characteristics. The MEMS condenser microphone consists of membrane and backplate chips which are bonded together by gold-tin(Au/Sn) eutectic solder bonding. The membrane chip has $2.5mm{\times}2.5mm$, 0.5${\mu}m$ thick low stress silicon nitride membrane, $2mm{\times}2mm$ Au/Ni/Cr membrane electrode, and 3${\mu}m$ thick Au/Sn layer. The backplate chip has $2mm{\times}2mm$, 150${\mu}m$ thick single crystal silicon rigid backplate, $1.8mm{\times}1.8mm$ backplate electrode, and air gap, which is fabricated by bulk micromachining and silicon deep reactive ion etching. Slots and $50{\sim}60{\mu}m$ radius circular acoustic holes to reduce air damping are also formed in the backplate chip. The fabricated microphone sensitivity is 39.8 ${\mu}V/Pa$(-88 dB re. 1 V/Pa) at 1 kHz and 28 V polarization voltage. The microphone shows flat frequency response within 1 dB between 20 Hz and 5 kHz.

• 한국정밀공학회지
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• 제21권8호
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• pp.152-156
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• 2004

A new tool of surface patterning technique for general purpose lithography was developed based on shadow mask method. This paper describes the fabrication of a new type of miniaturized shadow mask. The shadow mask is fabricated by photolithography and etching of 100-mm full wafer. The fabricated shadow mask has over 388 membranes with apertures of micrometer length scale ranging from 1${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ to 100s ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ made on each 2mm${\times}$2mm large low stress silicon nitride membrane. It allows micro scale patterns to be directly deposited on substrate surface through apertures of the membrane. This shadow mask method has much wider choice of deposit materials, and can be applied to wider class of surfaces including chemical functional layer, MEMS/NEMS surfaces, and biosensors.

• 대한기계학회논문집A
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• 제30권10호
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• pp.1314-1319
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• 2006

This paper describes the novel fabrication method of the high-aspect-ratio nano structure which is impossible by conventional method using a shadow mask and a Deep X-ray Lithography (DXRL). The shadow mask with $1{\mu}m-sized$ apertures is fabricated on the silicon membrane using a conventional UV-lithography. The size of aperture is reduced to 200nm by accumulated low stress silicon nitride using a LPCVD (low pressure chemical vapor deposition) process. The X-ray mask is fabricated by depositing absorber layer (Au, $3{\mu}m$) on the back side of nano shadow mask. The thickness of an absorber layer must deposit dozens micrometers to obtain contrast more than 100 for a conventional DXRL process. The thickness of $3{\mu}m-absorber$ layer can get sufficient contrast using a central beam stop method, blocking high energy X-rays. The nano circle and nano line, 200nm in diameter in width, respectively, were demonstrated 700nm in height with a negative photoresist of SU-8.