Final Report Summary - NOVOPOLY (Novel functional polymer materials for MEMS and NEMS applications)
New materials require new and adapted methods of processing and micro-patterning. The availability of these methods was fundamental to the final goal of NOVOPOLY. This is the reason why a parallel objective in NOVOPOLY was the development, improvement and innovation of patterning and structuring methods for materials of interest in the field of MEMS and NEMS.
In consequence, standard / innovative methods were adapted / developed to the specific requirements of the new materials. The new set of materials and processes will enable a large variety of applications in the areas of MEMS and NEMS. In NOVOPOLY, we proposed to demonstrate and validate our approach by two defined applications:
(i) functional AFM probes with improved material properties (hardness) and with integrated sensor capabilities (conductivity, piezoresistivity);
(ii) Functional cantilever biosensors with integrated read-out, improved sensitivity and simpler fabrication, with applications in the environmental and biomedical fields.