ADEX process recipe

ADEX is DJ MicroLaminates' chemically-amplified, i-line-sensitive negative dry-film epoxy photoresist, laminated rather than spin-coated, in 5-75 µm sheet thicknesses for microfluidics, plating molds and permanent 3D MEMS structures.

https://nanyte.com/photoresists/adex · last updated 2026-07-22

At a glance

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Manufacturer: DJ MicroLaminates
Tone: negative
Chemistry: Epoxy (SU-8 type)
Thickness: 5–75 µm
Developer: Cyclohexanone
Applications: Microfluidics · MEMS structural · Electroplating / molding · High aspect ratio

Laminate5–75 µm

—01 / Coating

Coating — dry-film lamination

ADEX is supplied as a pre-cut dry-film sheet and applied by hot-roll lamination — it is not spin-coated. Thickness is fixed per sheet, 5–75 µm, selected by sheet rather than by spin speed.

ADEX is laminated onto the substrate with a heated roll or vacuum laminator, not spin-coated -- there is no spin curve, and thickness is fixed per sheet (see thicknessRange). Process guideline table (identical in both datasheets, p.1): remove the PP cover sheet by peeling at room temperature (18-25°C) on a cool surface; laminate via hot roll or vacuum at 50-70°C @ 1 ft/min (0.3 m/min); remove the carrier PET by peeling at room temperature. No lamination pressure figure is published (unlike the sibling SUEX datasheets, which state 5-10 psi / 30-65 kPa). No pre-lamination substrate dehydration-bake step, no edge-bead-removal step, and no substrate-cleaning recommendation are mentioned in either ADEX datasheet (unlike SUEX and the SU-8 families).

Adhesion: HMDS not required — Not addressed in either ADEX datasheet -- no adhesion-promoter recommendation, for or against, is given anywhere in either document (unlike the sibling SUEX datasheets, which state promoters are 'typically not useful').

—02 / Bake

Soft bake

Soft bake: Not published — characterize on-tool
Notes: Neither ADEX datasheet lists a bake step between lamination and exposure -- the process guideline table goes directly: remove PP cover sheet -> laminate -> remove carrier PET -> expose -> PEB -> develop -> hardbake (optional). Unlike the sibling SUEX datasheets (which describe an optional 80-85°C / 5 min 'post lamination bake' for improved adhesion), no such step is mentioned anywhere in either ADEX datasheet.

SOURCE: Process guidelines / Process guideline table, p.1 of both the undated 'DJML-ADEX-Data-Sheet.pdf' and the Rev June 2020 ADEX datasheet

—03 / Exposure

Exposure dose

The manufacturer does not publish a clearing dose for ADEX. Determine it with a dose array on your own tool.

As published: 'Expose: i-line or broadband (best with a short wavelength (<350nm) exclusion filter)' (Process guidelines, p.1, both datasheets). The 'Typical process conditions' table (p.1, identical in both datasheets) gives dose vs. SHEET THICKNESS, footnoted 'on Silicon': 5µm->90 mJ/cm2, 10µm->125, 15µm->150, 20µm->175, 25µm->200, 30µm->215, 40µm->250, 50µm->325, 75µm->875. No numeric table splits filtered vs. unfiltered dose the way the sibling SUEX datasheets do -- ADEX's table has a single dose column.

—04 / Development

Development

Developer: Cyclohexanone
Rinse: IPA rinse (datasheet footnote **, both datasheets; no further detail on duration or technique is given).
Developer family: Solvent

SOURCE: Process guidelines table + 'Typical process conditions' table, p.1 of both the undated 'DJML-ADEX-Data-Sheet.pdf' and the Rev June 2020 ADEX datasheet

—05 / Post-processing

Hard bake, etch & strip

Stripper: Difficult to remove after cure -- the two ADEX datasheets differ slightly on the recommended method. The undated 'DJML-ADEX-Data-Sheet.pdf' states: 'Removal after cure is difficult. It is best removed with laser ablation techniques. It is only partially removed with resist strippers.' The Rev June 2020 sibling instead states: 'Removal after cure is difficult. In certain cases, films can be removed in hot NMP.' Uncured ADEX (prior to PEB / cure) can be cleaned with acetone; other, less stringent solvents may be used but may be less effective (Clean-up / Clean Up section, p.2 of both datasheets).
Storage: The undated 'DJML-ADEX-Data-Sheet.pdf' gives: 0°C (32°F) -> 18-24 months shelf life; 18-23°C (64-73°F) -> 12 months. The Rev June 2020 sibling gives shorter figures for the same two conditions: 0°C (32°F) -> 12 months; 18-23°C (64-73°F) -> 6 months (adding 'longer shelf-life at room temperature is expected'). Both agree: store in a dark, dry location, covered with black polyethylene when not in use to exclude UV transmission, at or below 25°C, and avoid high temperatures (risk of increased molecular weight and altered performance and stability). Source: Storage and Handling / Recommended Shelf Life / Shelf Life sections, p.2 of both datasheets.

SOURCE: Process guidelines / Process guideline table, p.1 of both the undated 'DJML-ADEX-Data-Sheet.pdf' and the Rev June 2020 ADEX datasheet

—06 / Applications

Where it's used

Microfluidics MEMS structural Electroplating / molding High aspect ratio

Practical notes from the datasheet

ADEX is DJ MicroLaminates' i-line-sensitive, chemically-amplified negative epoxy dry-film photoresist -- the same underlying dry-film-lamination chemistry family as the company's thicker SUEX product, but supplied in thinner standard sheets (5-75 µm vs. SUEX's 20 µm-1 mm) and marketed specifically for microfluidics, bio-sensor/bio-assay devices, force/load sensors, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and CMOS-compatible permanent 3D MEMS structures, plus plating molds and copper redistribution layers in wafer-level packaging. Because it laminates via a heated roller or vacuum press rather than a spindle, its process is defined by roller temperature, speed and (for the vacuum option) chamber pressure rather than a spin curve, and its exposure dose and develop time are both published as per-sheet-thickness tables rather than single values -- treat the row matching the target sheet thickness as the starting point. ADEX is capable of >5:1 aspect-ratio structures with <5% thickness variation and can be stacked in multiple layers or thicknesses for taller features, with demonstrated good image quality up to 100 µm of combined/stacked thickness. Both datasheets agree the cured film is difficult to remove with conventional solvent-based strippers, differing only on the recommended fallback (laser ablation per the primary document; hot NMP per the June 2020 revision), so any process needing to remove ADEX after cure should test the specific removal route against the actual cure history rather than assume either figure applies unconditionally.

—07 / Sources

Sources & disclaimer

DJ MicroLaminates — ADEX datasheet (No printed revision date on the document itself. This is the exact file currently linked from djmicrolaminates.com's Resources / 'Data Sheets / Research Papers' page as the 'ADEX Data Sheet' (djmicrolaminates.com fetched directly -- no third-party mirror was needed, unlike the Kayaku SU-8 entries in this library). The original longlist URL (https://djmicrolaminates.com/wp-content/uploads/DJML-ADEX-Data-Sheet.pdf, missing the /2020/08/ upload-date folder segment) returns HTTP 404; the /2020/08/ path is the live, currently-linked location of the same filename.) · accessed 2026-07-22
https://djmicrolaminates.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/ADEX-Data-Sheet-June-2020.pdf — ADEX (R) Thin Film Rolls/Sheets Product Data Sheet, Rev June 2020, Copyright 2020 -- an earlier/sibling revision of the same product, not currently linked from the live site's Resources page. Used to cross-check the primary datasheet's process table (the two documents' dose / develop-time / resolution figures are identical at every thickness) and to source the explicit 'Rev June 2020' date label the primary document lacks. Minor wording/figure differences from the primary document: shelf life is longer in this revision (12/6 months vs. the primary's 18-24/12 months), its Clean Up section calls the acetone step 'prior to cure' rather than 'prior to PEB', and its removal guidance names hot NMP rather than laser ablation.

Manufacturer datasheet values are starting points; optimal parameters depend on your substrate, equipment and environment. Product names and trademarks belong to their respective owners. NANYTE is not affiliated with the manufacturers listed. Last updated 2026-07-22.

Cite this recipe

NANYTE. "ADEX process recipe." NANYTE Photoresist Library. https://nanyte.com/photoresists/adex. Accessed 2026-07-22.

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