Hello, >From your description, I am assuming you use SiO2 as a sacrificial layer. Without Critical point drying, your best bet is to use HF vapor. You will need to suspend your sample above a container of concentrated HF. This setup needs to be in a fume hood, obviously. However, it is best if the beaker of HF and the sample are both under a larger, inverted, beaker in the fume hood. BE VERY CAREFUL HANDLING CONCENTRATED HF. Hope that helps, Ken > Dear colleague, > > I am working on the processing of a MEMS-based infrared image device, > everything goes through well but the release of the device. Here are > the problems: first, since the micro-machined structures are very > flimsy, I couldn't stir the resolution violently, thus bubbles arising > in the etching process of SiO2 not only prevented the uniform etching > but also destroyed the structures; second, as I haven't a > supercritical desiccator or a squeezing drier, after removing of the > sacrificial layers, the suspending structure always corrupted because > of the capillary forces. > > Are there any good ideas on the release/drying process? Your help is > highly appreciated. > > Best regards. > > Liuqiang Zhang, Ph.D. Candidate, > > State Key Laboratories of Transducer Technology, > > Shanghai Institute of Metallurgy, Academia Sinica > > Email: zhanglq@itsvr.sim.ac.cn > > Tel: +86-21-625-11070 ext. 8603 > >