Chemical Stability of W613
W613, the wafer with 30 nm thick pnc-Si was tested for chemical stability. This wafer was shown to be very weak mechanically, with burst pressures less than 1 PSI. I tested this wafer for chemical stability with cells (fibroblasts, P26) in DMEM +10% FBS (n=5). I also monitored discoloration in DMEM +10% FBS w/o cells (n=2). No RTP treatment was conducted.
After 18 hours, complete membrane failure with cells occurred. Subjectively, this wafer demonstrates no improvements in chemical stability over wafers with 15 nm thick pnc-Si layers.
Karl, but these are non-RTP samples, right? So, aren’t they better than the 15nm thick membranes which fail within 5-6 hours?
They are non-RTP, correct. I did not image with cells before 18 hours so I am not sure if when they failed; could have been at 3 hours or 17 hours. I am going to RTP some and run a RTP/not-RTP trial next week.
So, the possibility that this sample (30 nm) might be better than the previous ones (15 nm) cannot be ruled out.
The discoloration looks much more uniform than I usually see in these images. Is this a coincidence or is it real?
Based on our current understanding, this material is likely more susceptible to degradation than the older material, however the extra thickness should help…