MICRO Machining Technologies for Non Silicon Materials

Abstract:
Within actual developments of system integration the use of new materials, especially others than silicon is very often aimed. A future demand would be the right combination out of a multitude of materials and technologies for smart product development in general. For example materials like polymers were used for disposable fluidic and biomedical applications because of their low cost properties. Metals and glass are used for industrial and chemical applications mainly because of their physical properties and chemical resistance. While silicon micro technologies are well developed and often commercialised today, the micro machining processes for non silicon materials are in early stage of development. This paper will show the realization of micro structures in different materials including the preparation of high precision silicon masters for hot embossing. The development of structuring technologies will be shown for at least three different materials: copper, polymer, and stainless steel. All the materials required a combination of different technology steps depending on the dimensions or the function of the structures. First results and a conclusion will be given with this paper.