Microfabrication on a Suspended Polymer

We present a method for constructing suspended membranes using SU-8 polymer on which further micro-scale structures can be fabricated. Many micromechanical designs rely on suspended membranes, and this approach offers a significant advantage by eliminating the requirement to remove sacrificial layers as a final process step. We have tested these membranes under various stress conditions, including plasma etching and deposition, chemical etching, temperature cycles up to 250°C, and mechanical cleaving. Silica-based optical waveguides were constructed on top of the membranes as a test structure.