Microfabrication Facility

The University of Washington Microfabrication Facility (MFF) is a resource and user facility for both academic and industrial researchers. Located on the Seattle UW campus, the lab serves as a facility for research, technology development and prototyping for a variety of micro- and nano-scale structures. The 15,000-square-foot lab represents more than $20 million in facilities and equipment, and is the largest public-access microfabrication facility in the Pacific Northwest.

To start a project in the MFF lab, click here.

The Microfabrication Facility offers microfabrication and characterization capabilities in 8,000 square feet of class 10,000 cleanroom space. The lab supports the processing of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), microfluidic, micro-optic, photonic and sensor devices. Using photolithography, feature sizes as small as 2 microns can be fabricated. Using our high-end Electron Beam Lithography system, features as small as 20 nm can be patterned. We also offer a full range of micro-processing capabilities, including wet and dry etch, sputter deposition, evaporation, CVD, annealing, and metrology and inspection. The standard wafer size for most equipment is 4", but some equipment can process other wafer sizes.

For details on the technology and processes we offer, see MFF blog , MFF Services and MFF Toolbench.

Areas of Activity

University researchers and industry clients are active in a wide range of fields, including:

Biosensors
Silicon Photonics
MEMs Accelerometers
Genomic Sequencing
Semiconductor Devices
Basic Physics and Materials Investigations

Many of our clients perform confidential work here at the lab, and their needs for maintaining privacy around their designs and processes are respected. While the main mode of operation is for users to work hands-on in our lab, for simple processes we also offer remote processing option, where our staff performs the processing for you.

Additional Resources

National ESCA and Surface Analysis Center for Biomedical Problems
Expert and detailed information about surface properties (composition, structure, spatial distribution, and molecular orientation) for biomedical researchers. NESAC/BIO addresses biomedical research and development issues through state-of-the-art instrumentation, specialized experimental protocols, and data analysis methods.
The Center for Nanotechnology at the University of Washington
User facility equipped with atomic force microscopes, field emission electron microscope with energy-dispersed spectrometer (EDAX), inverted fluorescence optical microscope, and an electron-beam writing system for nanolithography.