Department of Chemistry and Materials Science

Microfabrication

The group develops micro- and nanofabrication processes for applications in fluidic, chemical, biological, mechanical and thermal devices.
Micronova_cleanroom research

Our research areas:

  1. Micro- and nanofabrication
  2. Microfluidics and wetting
  3. Coatings and surface treatments

We employ a wide range of micro- and nanofabrication tools at Aalto Nanofab to create structures, devices and surfaces for fluidic, thermal, and biological applications. We have projects on neurons-on-a-chip (MEAs, carbon microelectrodes, dopamine analysis), carbon-MEMS (pyrolytic SU-8), superhydrophobic surfaces (blood repellency, icephobicity, antifouling and oleophobicity), foam materials (thermal insulation), single cell trapping (patterned superhydrophobic surfaces), flexible devices (metallization of elastomers).

Silicon research

Materials we work with:

  • Silicon (bulk and SOI), Pyrex, Kapton, Aluminum as substrates
  • AZ positive resists (also with image reversal), SU-8 and NXT15 negative resists
  • PDMS and thiolenes for replica moulding
  • Plasma Teflon and spin coated CYTOP for hydrophobic coatings
  • SAMs made by wet and dry techniques
  • Plasma deposited carbon materials (DLC, nc-C, ta-C)
  • UV-sensitive sol-gel materials (SiO2, Al2O3)
  • ALD films: TiO2, SiO2, Al2O3, TiN, NbN, Pt, nanolaminates
  • Metals (Al, Cr, Cu, W, Pt) by sputtering and evaporation

Our research through images:

CHEM_Microfabrication group_ZnO ALD coated AAAO
CHEM_Microfabrication grup_Cu-PDMS superhydrophobic with 5 liquids
CHEM_Microfabrication group_polarr

Cu-PDMS superhydrophobic with 5 liquids

CHEM_Microfabrication grup_Cu-PDMS superhydrophobic with 5 liquids
CHEM_Microfabrication group_polarr
CHEM_Microfabrication group_Radial arrays

PolarR

CHEM_Microfabrication group_polarr
CHEM_Microfabrication group_Radial arrays
CHEM_Microfabrication gropu_Korea NC MEA

Radial arrays

CHEM_Microfabrication group_Radial arrays
CHEM_Microfabrication gropu_Korea NC MEA
CHEM_Microfabrication group_MEA pillars schematic 3D

Korea NC MEA

CHEM_Microfabrication gropu_Korea NC MEA
CHEM_Microfabrication group_MEA pillars schematic 3D
CHEM_Microfabrication group_MicroPESI and coin

MEA pillars schematic 3D

CHEM_Microfabrication group_MEA pillars schematic 3D
CHEM_Microfabrication group_MicroPESI and coin
CHEM_Microfabrication group_Nebulizer chips packaged

MicroPESI and coin

CHEM_Microfabrication group_MicroPESI and coin
CHEM_Microfabrication group_Nebulizer chips packaged
CHEM_Microfabrication group_Serif-T mushrooms

Nebulizer chips packaged

CHEM_Microfabrication group_Nebulizer chips packaged
CHEM_Microfabrication group_Serif-T mushrooms
CHEM_Microfabrication group_SU-8 ESI array with coin

Serif-T mushrooms

CHEM_Microfabrication group_Serif-T mushrooms
CHEM_Microfabrication group_SU-8 ESI array with coin
CHEM_Microfabrication group_Wafer with SU-8 separation chips

SU-8 ESI array with coin

CHEM_Microfabrication group_SU-8 ESI array with coin
CHEM_Microfabrication group_Wafer with SU-8 separation chips
CHEM_Microfabrication group_Woodpile of PLA

Wafer with SU-8 separation chips

CHEM_Microfabrication group_Wafer with SU-8 separation chips
CHEM_Microfabrication group_Woodpile of PLA
CHEM_Microfabrication group_ZnO ALD coated AAAO

Woodpile of PLA

CHEM_Microfabrication group_Woodpile of PLA
CHEM_Microfabrication group_ZnO ALD coated AAAO
CHEM_Microfabrication grup_Cu-PDMS superhydrophobic with 5 liquids

ZnO ALD coated AAAO

Micronova Cleanroom

Our work at Micronova cleanroom

We work on silicon, glass and polymer technologies, utilizing the Micronova cleanroom. Micronova is the largest research cleanroom in northern Europe with its 2600 m2 of class 10-class 1000 space, shared between VTT and Aalto University. Micronova is equipped with a wide range of processing tools for MEMS, CMOS, III-V and polymer technologies.

Micronova cleanroom equipment

Examples of our equipment:

  • optical lithography with backside alignment (Süss MA-6)
  • DRIE (Oxford 100 cryo and STS Bosch) and RIE (Oxford 80)
  • PECVD (Oxford 80)
  • ALD (Picosun R200 and Beneq TFS 500 thermal and Beneq TFS 500 plasma)
  • sputtering (various tools) and evaporation (various tools)
  • Centrotherm tube furnaces (thermal oxidation, LPCVD poly, LPCVD nitride)
  • AML bonder/nanoimprint

For a complete list of equipment, see: http://www.micronova.fi/nanofabrication_centre-002/equipment/

Research group members:

Sami Franssila

Sami Franssila

Professori
T105 Chemistry and Materials

Latest publications:

A biofluid-repellent nanograss coating enhances flow of protein solutions and preserves transparency of glass capillaries upon exposure to blood

Mubashir Hussain, Mohammad Awashra, Christoffer Kauppinen, Seyed Mehran Mirmohammadi, Nicholas Addy-Tayie, Rosa Peltola, Juho Leskinen, Sami Puustinen, Heikki A. Nurmi, Robin H. A. Ras, Sami Franssila, Ville Jokinen 2026 Nanoscale Advances

Stable Air Plastron Prolongs Biofluid Repellency of Submerged Superhydrophobic Surfaces

Mohammad Awashra, Seyed Mehran Mirmohammadi, Lingju Meng, Sami Franssila, Ville Jokinen 2025 Langmuir

Enhanced superhydrophobic robustness of black silicon employing nanojungle structures

Lingju Meng, Mohammad Awashra, Seyed Mehran Mirmohammadi, Seyede Maryam Mousavi, Jaana Vapaavuori, Ville Jokinen, Sami Franssila 2025 Nanoscale

Femtosecond-laser-surface-nanostructured glass for building-integrated photovoltaics

Lingju Meng, Moe Awashra, Sara Hamed, Dmytro Gnatyuk, Ville Vähänissi, Ville Jokinen, Hele Savin, Xiaolong Liu 2025 Materials & Design

Durable Icephobic and Superhydrophobic Silicon Nanowire Surfaces

Seyed Mehran Mirmohammadi, Miika Heikkilä, Laura Fieber, Mohammad Awashra, Sara Hamed, Suprit Bhusare, Gaurav Mohanty, Robin H.A. Ras, Ville Jokinen, Sami Franssila 2025 ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces

In-situ chloride/potassium passivated ZnO nanocrystals for improved charge extraction in PbS quantum dot solar cells

Tao Zeng, Lijing Wang, Zhangwang Guo, Yuxing Shi, Yunxia Chen, Gang Dong, Wei Li, Lingju Meng 2025 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science

Plastron lifetime of superhydrophobic surfaces submerged in biofluids (poster)

Mohammad Awashra, Seyed Mehran Mirmohammadi, Lingju Meng, Sami Franssila, Ville Jokinen 2024

Superhydrophilic/Superhydrophobic Droplet Microarrays of Low Surface Tension Biofluids for Nucleic Acid Detection

Mohammad Awashra, Pinja Elomaa, Tuomas Ojalehto, Päivi Saavalainen, Ville Jokinen 2024 Advanced Materials Interfaces

Bio-inspired surface structures promote optical transmittance and hydrophobicity in cellulose-based films for self-cleaning perovskite solar cells

Hamidreza Daghigh Shirazi, Seyed Mehran Mirmohammadi, Seyede Maryam Mousavi, Magnus Markkanen, Janne Halme, Ville Jokinen, Jaana Vapaavuori 2024 Communications Materials

Colloidal quantum dot materials for next-generation near-infrared optoelectronics

Lingju Meng, Qiwei Xu, Jiangwen Zhang, Xihua Wang 2024 Chemical Communications
More information on our research in the Aalto research portal.
Research portal
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