Research Cooperation Between Fraunhofer ENAS and Paul-Scherrer Institute Launched
The research institutes Fraunhofer ENAS (Chemnitz, Germany) and the Paul-Scherrer Institute (Villigen PSI, Switzerland) are pleased to announce the launch of their new research cooperation in the field of gas-phase metal assisted chemical etching (MACE, MacEtch) technologies. This partnership aims to develop innovative solutions in micro and nano manufacturing and further explore the potential of these technologies in semiconductor applications. Memsstar Ltd., a leading provider of etch and depostion equipment to researchers and manufacturers of semiconductors and microelectrical mechanical systems (MEMS), is supporting the research by further developing their Orbis tool platform specifically for the dedicated use of gas-phase MacEtch processes, opening new opportunities for these innovative technologies at industrial scale.
Already in the early stages of the collaboration, the research team achieved very promising results with huge aspect ratio (at least 500:1) silicon nanowires, indicating an incredible development potential. Preliminary results from the PSI team, which shows etched silicon grating for PSI X-ray optics and Si nanowires as small as 10 nm in section lying on the metal catalyst is shown on the left-hand side in the figure below. The delighted crew in the clean room of Fraunhofer ENAS after the first successful experiment on March 05, 2025 (from bottom-left clockwise: Vahide Hosseini (Fraunhofer ENAS); Toni Sandbrink-Koblenz (memsstar Ltd.); Lucia Romano (ETHZ & PSI); Bryan Benz (Univ. Basel & PSI); David Anderson (memsstar Ltd.) and Christoph R. Meinecke (Fraunhofer ENAS & TU Chemnitz)) and the ORBIS tool can be seen on the right side of the figure below. A dedicated scientific publication will be released soon.
About memsstar Limited
memsstar Limited is a leading provider of deposition and etch equipment – including its ORBIS platform portfolio and proprietary process modules – as well as technology products and services to manufacturers of semiconductors and micro-electrical mechanical systems (MEMS). The company’s remanufactured etch and deposition equipment and its proprietary technology solutions support the European semiconductor market and the global MEMS market. memsstar delivers proprietary process technology and equipment to help the MEMS industry meet the challenges of developing and manufacturing increasingly complex and integrated MEMS devices. For more information, visit htps://memsstar.com.
For further information, please contact:
christoph.robert.meinecke@enas.fraunhofer.de
lucia.romano@psi.ch
