EV GROUP® | Technologies

Solutions forBio- & Medical Technology

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EV GROUP® | Technologies//

Solutions for Bio- & Medical Technology

Introduction
Today’s miniaturized biotechnology devices can be found in numerous applications, including
fields related to human health as well as environmental and industrial sciences. To successfullycommercialize such products in a fast growing market with stringent requirements and highregulatory hurdles, precise and cost-effective micro-structuring technologies are essential.
Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) has evolved from a niche technology to a powerful highvolume manufacturing method that is able to serve today’s needs and overcome thechallenges of increasing complexity of microfluidic devices in particular, and biotechnology
devices in general. NIL can be distinguished between three types of imprint technologies:
hot-embossing or thermal NIL, UV-NIL, and micro-contact printing (µ-CP).
In addition to structuring technologies, sealing is a central process. Thus, bonding ofdifferent device layers, capping layers or interconnection layers is a key process that can be
implemented together with NIL in an efficient large-area batch process. A variety of different
bonding options are available, ranging from advanced room temperature bonding techniques
for bio-material encapsulation to plasma activated bonding as well as high-quality hermetic
sealing and vacuum encapsulation.
EVG’s NIL equipment offers a well-suited solution, where complexity in design does notnecessarily add manufacturing cost. Together with bonding processes that are well alignedwith these structuring techniques, limitations of current fabrication methods can be overcome
to enable the production of next-generation biotechnology devices.

Bio- and Medical Devices
Microsurgical Tools
Neural Electrodes■■

Stimulation
Monitoring

Prosthetic Devices■■■

Artificial retina
Cochlear implants
Pacemakers

Drug Delivery *Micro- and Nano-■■■DNA, RNA and Protein Chips *■■■■■Extraction / Purification
PCR
Electrophoresis
Sequencing

Needles
Pumps
ValvesCell and Tissue Chips *■■■■Cell Culture
Organ-on-a-Chip
Cell Sorting
Drug Discovery

Protein Analysis

Chemical Sensors and Biosensors *■■Clinical Chemistry
Environmental & Industrial Analysis*

Microfluidic-based

UV Lithography
Direct structuring of microfluidics
Master fabrication for UV-NIL or Hot Embossing

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UV Light trough Mask

State-of-the-art thick and thin resist processing
Easy design change for R&D and HVM
Multilayer processing for 3D devices
SU-8 mastering

Spin-coated UV patternable
Resist on Substrate

Photolithography

Patterned Substrate

UV Nanoimprint Lithography (UV-NIL)
Nanostructured surfaces with highest resolution

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Volume–proven imprinting technology with superior
replication fidelity with resolution down to 20 nm
Proprietary SmartNIL® technology
UV CuringRoom-temperature process
Stamp

Imprinted UV-NIL resist directly suitableas functional layer
Highly uniform residual layers for optimum
pattern transfer by etching

NIL Resist on Substrate

Imprint Nanostructures

Detach Stamp

Hot Embossing
Replication of microfluidic patterns into polymer materials

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Simultaneous replication of micro- and nanostructures

Pressurized
Heating

Imprinting into bulk polymer or spin-on thermoplastics

Stamp

Low residual stressHigh replication accuracy down to 50 nm
High aspect ratio features

Polymer Substrate

Molding

DemoldingMaterial Transfer

Remove Stamp

Adhesive Tape Bonding

Adhesive Layer
Transfer Bonding

Thermal Polymer BondingAnodic Bondingµ-contact Printing
Transfer of bio-molecules onto substrates in a distinct pattern■■

Local modification of surface chemistry■■

Applicable on all common surfaces

Precise placement of capture molecules forbio-sensing applications
Micro- and nanometer resolution

Pick up Material
with Soft Stamp

Adhesive Bonding
Biocompatible device sealing with adhesives■■

Room-temperature encapsulation of biological materials■■

Compatible with a wide range of substrate materials

Ultra-thin adhesive transfer technology withexcellent uniformity over large areas
Hybrid microfluidic integrationBonding of photo-patternable
Adhesives

Interlayer-free Bonding
Homogenous device sealing

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High pressure and temperature uniformity
High-quality hermetic sealing and vacuum encapsulation
Plasma-activated bonding
Precise bond alignment capabilities

Fusion Bonding

Key Features

Nanoimprint Lithography

Device Sealing

Hot Embossing, UV-NIL,
Micro Contact Printing

Thermal, Plasma-activated,
Adhesive, Anodic, Metal■

Innovative lithography for bioand medical applications■■

Market-leading nanoimprint
lithography equipment■■

Robust and field-proven proprietary
SmartNIL® technology■

Bio-compatible bonding on
industry-leading wafer processing
equipment
Room-temperature bonding
technologies for bio-material
encapsulation
Processing of all common
substrates, including polymers,
glass and siliconHigh-Throughput Parallel Processing■■■

Fully automated equipment solutions up to 300 mm
Flexible low-cost production technology
Large area processing

Imprinting

Detach Stamp

Bonding

Additional Integration,Functionalization, etc...

Imprinted Substrate

BondedSubstrate

Singulation

Support and Development
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Customer demonstrations
Process development
Small-volume pilot-line production
Joint R&D with partners
Funded projects→ World class cleanroom infrastructure→ State-of-the-art equipment→ Process know-how→ Applications know-how→ Technology experts

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EV GROUP® | Technologies//Solutions for Bio- & Medical Technology

Process Results
EVG’s NIL solutions are able to produce a multitude of different sized and shaped patterns with resolution down to 20 nm.
A variety of different bonding options are also available, ranging from advanced room temperature bonding techniques to plasma
activated bonding as well as high-quality hermetic sealing and vacuum encapsulation.
UV Lithography

500 µm

SEM Image of 1 µm pillars in SU-8 resist
Source: EVG

SEM image of microfluidic network in SU-8 resist
Source: EVG

Master with microfluidic structures for hot embossing
Source: EVGUV Nanoimprint Lithography (UV-NIL)

1 µm

L/S grating with optimized residual layer withapproximately 10 nm thickness
Source: EVG

Nanostructured cell culture well plates
Source: EU Project R2R Biofluidics

Photonic bandgap sensor grating
Source: EVG (EU Project Saphely)

Hot Embossing

10 µm

500 µmMicrofluidic chips replicated in PMMA by hot embossing
Source: EVG

10 µm pillar arrays with high aspect ratio (7:1)
Courtesy of National Research Council Canada

SEM image of hot embossed microfluidic channels
Source: EVGµ-contact Printing

Adhesive Bonding

Interlayer-free Bonding

1 µm

Biological sample interacting with directly imprinted
functional array
Courtesy of FH Wels

Cross section of adhesive interface after adhesivetransfer bonding
Source: EVG

Cross section of bonded PMMA substrates
Courtesy of Waseda University

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design and specifications without prior notice.
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