<azonenberg>
a full 2" wafer of the comb drive I'll be making soon
<azonenberg>
You are going to want to use vector graphics
<azonenberg>
Autocad might not be a bad choice if you have it already and know how to use it
<West0n>
What program do you print dxf's from?
<West0n>
And does glade itself convert gds to dxf?
<Thetawaves>
how much force will you get with that?
<azonenberg>
Right now? (still working on this part)
<azonenberg>
I convert DXF to PNG using QCad
<azonenberg>
and postprocess in gimp
<azonenberg>
then do final printing in gimp
<West0n>
I know how to use solidworks
<azonenberg>
The toolchain does need improving
<West0n>
And drew a 3d drawing
<West0n>
Can't figure out how to export it as something usefull.... lol
<azonenberg>
eventually i want to feed the GDS directly into a laser direct write system for mask fab
<azonenberg>
Thetawaves: No idea
<azonenberg>
The goal is, first off, to build it successfully
<azonenberg>
Doesnt even matter if it works
<azonenberg>
being able to build something off the mask set is a first step
<West0n>
Solidworks won't let me export in 1:1 scale for dxf...
<azonenberg>
Hmm, strange
<Thetawaves>
i think you should just use inkscape
<Thetawaves>
or another good vector graphics program
<Thetawaves>
hand draw it like the 6502
<azonenberg>
That will work fine for simple masks
<azonenberg>
the nice thing about glade is that it can export to standard formats like GDS
<azonenberg>
and it supports cell based layout
<West0n>
How do I print vector graphics with correct scale?
<azonenberg>
meaning you can do hierarchal designs rather than flat
<azonenberg>
Depends totally on your toolchain
<azonenberg>
If you figure out a good way of doing it, let us know and we'll document it on the wiki
<azonenberg>
the only way i know how to do to-scale printing is Gimp specifying physical size of the rendered image in the print set up page
<West0n>
I'm gonna try google sketchup
<West0n>
I think you can print to scale from it
<azonenberg>
Do your own research for your tools
<azonenberg>
I'd love to hear how it turns out but I don't know every tool around so i cant help you with everything
<Thetawaves>
it would be better to laser->galvanometer->lense->wafer
<Thetawaves>
convert dxf to gcode
<Thetawaves>
run the galvanometers with the gcode
<azonenberg>
Thetawaves: Thats the idea
<azonenberg>
except it would probably use GDSII as the native format
<azonenberg>
or GDSII to gcode
<azonenberg>
But that's the ultimate goal
<azonenberg>
I'm talking with a couple of folks now about it
<Thetawaves>
GDSII to gcode
<Thetawaves>
?
<Thetawaves>
sounds like a bitch
<azonenberg>
Thetawaves: I might do GDSII to gerber and then make gcode from that, or run the gerber natively
<azonenberg>
i dont know enough about the file formats to know how CAM friendly they are
<azonenberg>
But what i do know is i am going to have a pair of galvos on a mirror assembly with a bluray laser bouncing off it (405nm, right in the middle of my photoresist's peak sensitivity range)
<azonenberg>
shining onto a metalized photoresist-coated microscope slide
<azonenberg>
the goal being a chrome-on-glass mask
<Thetawaves>
are you going to make the galvanometer?
<azonenberg>
it wont have alignment capability so i cant do direct write on the wafer
<azonenberg>
And not sure, this is a longer term project
<Thetawaves>
yes after some consideration
<Thetawaves>
i WOULD be fun to build a galvo
<Thetawaves>
it*
<azonenberg>
how about one that does 2D on one mirror?
<azonenberg>
So you can do x/y raster scan
<Thetawaves>
procuring magnets could be irritating
<azonenberg>
i'm not sure how that would be done
<Thetawaves>
i would not attempt it
<Thetawaves>
procuring magnets is always irritating
<Thetawaves>
azonenberg, have you figured out a way to do 2d on one mirror?
<azonenberg>
Lol
<azonenberg>
If i had, i'd have built the thing already :p
<azonenberg>
I was thinking some kind of a ball joint at the center of the mirror
<azonenberg>
sprung to keep it centered
<azonenberg>
then electromagnets on all four corners
<Thetawaves>
no
<azonenberg>
Why?
<Thetawaves>
the electromagnet is the mirror
<Thetawaves>
you have magnets on the outside
<Thetawaves>
north/south
<azonenberg>
Why does it have to be done like that?
<azonenberg>
remember i dont need super fast panning
<Thetawaves>
i'm no expert, but if you look at the way regular galvanometers work...
<azonenberg>
its not like i'm trying to do realtime video projection etc
<azonenberg>
i'll be doing a brief ~100ns pulse
<Thetawaves>
you don't want to control two separate coils when you can do one
<azonenberg>
then panning by a small amount and doing it again
<azonenberg>
And the thing is, if i do 2 axis
<azonenberg>
i will need at least 2 nad possibly 4
<Thetawaves>
you're talking about 4 signals vs 2
<azonenberg>
in fact, i almost wonder if i could do it with digital servomotors
<azonenberg>
similar to how they do swashplates on RC helicopters
<Thetawaves>
you probably could
<azonenberg>
i just would like to make it a little bit faster
<azonenberg>
And also more precise
<azonenberg>
because i would like to have micron-scale positioning accuracy lol
<Thetawaves>
you could probably do better with some belts and a high def encoder
<azonenberg>
Probably
<azonenberg>
Again, these are just ideas and i havent done any real research on it
<azonenberg>
Right now i have more immediate problems at hand
<azonenberg>
Like the 100-odd exams i need to have graded ASAP
<Thetawaves>
<- machine tool enthusiast
<azonenberg>
I want to get better at machining too, i'm competent but no expert
<azonenberg>
thing is, i dont hav ethe time right now :(