No description available.

The ability to control the physical environment at subcellular scales is critical to understanding cell and tissue behaviors regulated by extracellular interactions. However, open platform technology that allows one to create combinatorial physical environments is not readily available. This thesis describes the development of a low-cost system for creating complex hydrogel and ligand patterns using maskless lithography. Specifically, it incorporates light paths with interchangeable wavelengths to facilitate a broad range of chemistries. In addition, it also includes a motorized stage with an adaptable platform that can hold different conventional cell culture vessels. Finally, I have developed a LabVIEW interface that allows one to create repeating patterns across different wells quickly and easily. Taken together, this technology will enable more rapid probing of mechanobiological regulation for applications in tissue engineering, drug discovery, and developmental biology.

This thesis proposed and demonstrated a new all-polymer based fabrication process for an all-polymer flexible and parallel optical interconnect cable having a vertical light coupler, which can not only cut down the cost by eliminating metallization process for alignment but also facilitate both in production and application. Throughout the process, polyimide was used as the substrate, coated by Epoclad as claddings, then AP2210B and WPR 5100 were used to fabricate waveguides and 45 degree mirror couplers, respectively. In addition, precisely aligned mirror couplers to waveguides are fabricated by using polymer-based, non-metallic, and transparent alignment marks. Conventional and metallic alignment marks are easy to be detected by camera, when a layer of high reflective material, generally Cr metal, is patterned. However, transparent polymer material is used in this process, as alignment marks made of it which are actually buried phase structures. Therefore, it is hardly to be observed by conventional microscopy system. Hence, to increase the contrast of the alignment marks, I proposed and tested a feature specific alignment camera system for which the shape and depth of the alignment marks are optimized for phase-based imaging, such as phase contrast and Schlieren imaging. The results showed a contrast enhancement of alignment marks image compared to that of a conventional microscopy system. By using the fabrication and alignment process, process for adding waveguides to the structure is identified by using the polymer based alignment marks on the WPR 5100 layer. Mask was made by etch down process using fused silica wafer plate, Cr and AZ 3312 photoresist. At last, the developed and proposed process provides means of all-polymer based fabrication process for a flexible and parallel optical interconnect.

This diploma thesis deals with the issue of fast high-quality prototype production of printed circuit boards for the needs of the mechatronics lab. Within the scope of this thesis a prototype machine was proposed and created together with control software, which by the help of DLP projector and two stage axis allows to produce printed circuit board in relatively short period of time.

Baigiamojo darbo tikslas – sukurti precizinių kampinių skalių formavimo įrenginį. Darbe yra išanalizuoti kampinių skalių formavimo metodai ir jų realizacijos sistemos, išskirti kampinių skalių formavimo neapibrėžties sandai, suformuoti darbo tikslai, užduotys. Yra išanalizuotos ir ištirtos optimalios įrenginio komponentės. Pasiūlyta įrenginio schema. Nustatyti rastrinių skalių originalų formavimo neapibrėžties atsiradimo dėsningumai. Išskirtos trys pagrindinės paklaidų grupės: judesio, temperatūrinės, kalibravimo. Darbe pateikiama tyrimo metodika – tyrimų eiga, tyriami mazgai ir sistemos, rezultatų apdorojimo metodika. Tyrimo rezultatai pateikti grafiškai, apdoroti statistiniais metodais, apibendrinantys rezultatai apkroksimuoti parametrinėmis funkcijomis. Darbą sudaro 9 dalys: įvadas, problemos analizė ir užduoties formulavimas, precizinių suklių tyrimai, kampo matavimo sistemos kalibravimo tikslumo tyrimas, temperatūrinių gradientų ir jų poveikio tyrimas, linijinių poslinkių matavimų tyrimai, kampinių skalių originalų konstrukcijos parinkimas ir pagrindimas, išvados, literatūros sąrašas. Darbo apimtis – 83 p. teksto be priedų, 55 iliustracijų, 35 bibliografinių šaltinių. Atskirai pridedami priedai. / Final work is dedicated for development of device for precision angular glass scales originals forming. Methods of angular scales forming and their realization have been analyzed. Distinguished angular scales forming elements of uncertainty. Work objectives and tasks have been formed. There are analyzed and researched the optimum device composition. Device scheme is proposed. Angular raster scales forming uncertainty occurrence of patterns determined. Identified three main error groups: motion, temperature and calibration. The work presents research methodology – research process, research components and systems, research data processing techniques. The results are presented graphically and processed by statistical methods, summarized results approximated by parametrical functions. Thesis consists of 9 chapters: introduction, problem analysis and formulation of the task, precision spindle research, angle measuring system accuracy research, temperature gradients and their impact research, linear displacement measurement study, angular scales original forming stand design selection and justification, conclusions, references. Thesis consist of: 83 p. text without appendixes, 55 pictures, 35 bibliographical entries. Appendixes included.

Nanoscale lithography is the key component of the semiconductor device fabrication process. For the sub-10 nm node device, the conventional deep ultraviolet (DUV) photolithography approach is limited by the diffraction nature of light even with the help of double or multiple patterning. The upcoming extreme ultraviolet (EUV) photolithography can overcome this resolution limit by using very short wavelength (13.5nm) light. Because of the prohibitive cost of the tool and the photomask, the EUV lithography is only suitable for high volume manufacturing of high value. Several alternative lithography technologies are proposed to address the cost issue of EUV such as directed self-assembly (DSA), nanoimprint lithography (NIL), scanning probe lithography, maskless plasmonic photolithography, optical maskless lithography, multiple electron-beam lithography, etc.<div><br></div><div>Electron-beam lithography (EBL) utilizes a focused electron beam to write patterns dot by dot on the silicon wafer. The beam size can be sub-nanometers and the resolution is limited by the resist not the beam size. However, the major drawback of EBL is its low throughput. The throughput can be increased by using large current but at the cost of large beam size. This is because the interaction between electrons in the pathway of the electron beam. To address the trade-off between resolution and throughput of EBL, the multiple electron-beam lithography was proposed to use an array of electron-beams. Each beam has a not very large beam current to maintain good resolution but the total current can be very high to improve the throughput. One of the major challenges is how to create a uniform array of electron beamlets with large brightness.<br></div><div><br></div><div>This dissertation shows a novel low-cost high-throughput multiple electron-beam lithography approach that uses plasmonic enhanced photoemission beamlets as the electron beam source. This technology uses a novel device to excite and focus surface electromagnetic and electron waves to generate millions of parallel electron beamlets from photoemission. The device consists of an array of plasmonic lenses which generate electrons and electrostatic micro-lenses which guide the electrons and focus them into beams. Each of the electron beamlets can be independently controlled. During lithography, a fast spatial optical modulator will dynamically project light onto the plasmonic lenses individually to control the switching and brightness of electron beamlets without the need of a complicated beamlet-blanking array and addressable circuits. The incident photons are first converted into surface electromagnetic and electron waves by plasmonic lens and then concentrated into a diffraction-unlimited spot to excite the local electrons above their vacuum levels. Meanwhile, the electrostatic micro-lens will extract the excited electrons to form a finely focused beamlet, which can be rastered across a wafer to perform lithography. The scalable plasmonic enhanced photoemission electron-beam sources are designed and fabricated. An array of micro-scale electrostatic electron lenses are designed and fabricated using typical micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) fabrication method. The working distance (WD) defined as the gap from the electron lens to the underneath silicon wafer is regulated using a gap control system. A vacuum system is designed and constructed to host the multiple electron-beam system. Using this demo system, the resolution of the electron beams is confirmed to be better than 30 nm from the lithography results done on poly methyl methacrylate (PMMA) and hydrogen silsesquioxane (HSQ) resists. According to simulation results, the electron beam spot size can be further optimized to be better than 10 nm.<br></div><div><br></div><div>This scheme of high-throughput electron-beam lithography with multiple plasmonic enhanced photoemission beamlets has the potential to be an alternative approach for the sub-10 nm node lithography. Because of its maskless nature, it is cost effective and especially suitable for low volume manufacturing and prototype demonstration.<br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div>

This work builds up on the greatest minds of Cambridge Holography: Adrian Cable, Edward Buckley, Jonathan Freeman, and Christoph Bay. Cable and Buckley, developed an OSPR algorithm which was the first to provide high-quality real-time hologram generation using general-purpose hardware while Freeman designed a method to correct arbitrary aberrations. As ingenious as the method was, the calculations were extensively lengthy. Addressing this issue, a variant of OSPR suited for correcting spatially-varying aberration is presented. The algorithm combines the approaches of Cable, Buckley and Freeman to provide real-time hologram generation while incorporating various corrections (aberration, distortion, and pixel shape envelope). A high-performance implementation on a mid-range GPU achieved hologram generation up to 12 fps. Following topic studied is an adaptive optical correction. This work attempts to construct a set of methods, forming an automated testbed for holographic projectors. Each model, after exiting the production line is placed on such testbed, having all of its imperfections characterized. Once calibrated, each model is able to display highest-quality image throughout its life-span. An application of this work to industry was carried in collaboration with Dr Phillip Hands (University of Edinburgh) and LumeJET. Three demonstrators are constructed intending for a cost-effective system for holographic lithography. They are characterized using the developed testbed. Using the supersampled Adaptive OSPR algorithm, the diffraction limit was surpassed 2.75 times allowing to increase the patterning area. This combines approaches of Cable, Buckley, Freeman and Bay to achieve a wide field-of-view and high pixel-count replay field using off-the-shelf components. This thesis is finished describing the work on 3D holography carried with Penteract28. It is shown that the 2D hologram in the presence of spatially-varying aberrations is mathematically equivalent to a 3D hologram. The same implementation of the algorithm can be used to provide real-time 3D hologram generation.