TY - CONF
T1 - Bulk Metallic Glass based Tool-Making Process Chain for Micro- and Nano- Replication
AU - Vella, Pierre C
AU - Dimov, Stefan S
AU - Kolew, Alexander
AU - Minev, Ekaterin
AU - Popov, Krastimir
AU - Lacan, Franck
AU - Griffiths, Christian
AU - Hirshy, Hassan
AU - Scholz, Steffen
PY - 2012
Y1 - 2012
N2 - Existing and emerging micro-engineered products tend to integrate a multitude of functionalities into single enclosures/packages. Such functions generally require different length scale features. In practice, devices having complex topographies, which incorporate different length scale features cannot be produced by employing a single fabrication technology but by innovatively, integrating several different complementary manufacturing techniques in the form of a process chain. In order to design novel process chains that enable such function and length scale integration into miniaturised devices, it is required to utilise materials that are compatible with the various component manufacturing processes in such chains. At the same time, these materials should be able to satisfy the functional requirements of the produced devices. One family of materials, which can potentially fulfil these criteria, is bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). In particular, the absence of grain boundaries in BMGs makes them mechanically and chemically homogeneous for processing at all length scales down to a few nanometres. In this context, this research presents an experimental study to validate a novel process chain. It utilizes three complementary technologies for producing a Zr-based BMG replication master for a microfluidic device that incorporates micro and nano scale features. Then, to validate the viability of the fabricated BMG masters, they are utilized for serial replication of the microfluidic device by employing micro-injection moulding.
AB - Existing and emerging micro-engineered products tend to integrate a multitude of functionalities into single enclosures/packages. Such functions generally require different length scale features. In practice, devices having complex topographies, which incorporate different length scale features cannot be produced by employing a single fabrication technology but by innovatively, integrating several different complementary manufacturing techniques in the form of a process chain. In order to design novel process chains that enable such function and length scale integration into miniaturised devices, it is required to utilise materials that are compatible with the various component manufacturing processes in such chains. At the same time, these materials should be able to satisfy the functional requirements of the produced devices. One family of materials, which can potentially fulfil these criteria, is bulk metallic glasses (BMGs). In particular, the absence of grain boundaries in BMGs makes them mechanically and chemically homogeneous for processing at all length scales down to a few nanometres. In this context, this research presents an experimental study to validate a novel process chain. It utilizes three complementary technologies for producing a Zr-based BMG replication master for a microfluidic device that incorporates micro and nano scale features. Then, to validate the viability of the fabricated BMG masters, they are utilized for serial replication of the microfluidic device by employing micro-injection moulding.
KW - Micromilling
KW - Hot embossing
KW - Focused ion beam milling
KW - Bulk metallic glasses
KW - Process chains
KW - Function and length scale integration
U2 - 10.3850/978-981-07-3353-7_300
DO - 10.3850/978-981-07-3353-7_300
M3 - Other
SP - 309
EP - 314
T2 - 9th International Conference on Multi-Material Micro Manufacture
Y2 - 9 October 2012 through 11 October 2012
ER -