Cleanroom strategies for micro- and nano-fabricating flexible implantable neural electronics

Implantable electronic neural interfaces typically take the form of probes and are made with rigid materials such as silicon and metals. These have advantages such as compatibility with integrated microchips, simple implantation and high-density nanofabrication but tend to be lacking in terms of biointegration, biocompatibility and durability due to their mechanical rigidity. This leads to damage to the device or, more importantly, the brain tissue surrounding the implant. Flexible polymer-based probes offer superior biocompatibility in terms of surface biochemistry and better matched mechanical properties. Research which aims to bring the fabrication of electronics on flexible polymer substrates to the nano-regime is remarkably sparse, despite the push for flexible consumer electronics in the last decade or so. Cleanroom-based nanofabrication techniques such as photolithography have been used as pattern transfer methods by the semiconductor industry to produce single nanometre scale devices and are now also used for making flexible circuit boards. There is still much scope for miniaturizing flexible electronics further using photolithography, bringing the possibility of nanoscale, non-invasive, high-density flexible neural interfacing. This work explores the fabrication challenges of using photolithography and complementary techniques in a cleanroom for producing flexible electronic neural probes with nanometre-scale features. This article is part of the theme issue 'Advanced neurotechnologies: translating innovation for health and well-being'.