• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.13 no.1
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• pp.6-10
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• 2003

Electroplated Ni and Ni-W micro-molds using LIGA-like process for replication of micro-components such as microfluidic parts and micro optical parts have been investigated. In general, it is hard to produce micro-parts using conventional mechanical processes. Micro-mold formed by LIGA-like process could fabricate micro-parts with high aspect ratio. In this paper, fabrication and properties of electroplated Ni molds with varying applied current types as well as those of Ni-W molds were investigated. Ni molds fabricated under pulse-reverse current showed the highest hardness value of about 160 Hv. Ni-W molds showed the hardness of about 500 Hv which was much harder than that of Ni electroplated molds. The above results suggested that high quality micro-molds could be fabricated by using Ni electroplating of pulse-reverse type for core molds and sequential Ni-W alloys coating.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.17 no.8
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• pp.172-179
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• 2000

In this paper a technology for the fabrication of the oblique structure using the LIGA process will be presented. The fabricated microstructure is a tetrahedral 3- facet mirror. The mirror has an equilateral triangular base of hundreds ${\mu}m$ length mirror-like three side-facets inclined to the base at 45$^{\circ}$ and knife edges. Two regular triangles of 45$^{\circ}$ and tan-12. After development the shaded part of the PMMA the tetrahedral mirror remains, The completed mirror shows excellent aspects of mirror-like facets and knife-edges. By controlling the gap between the mask and the substrate the size of mirror easily can be changed. This mirror would be used as a laser beam splitter for the feedback control of the HDD slider.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers C
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.132-139
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• 2000

This paper reports a novel micromachining process based on UV-LIGA process and (110) silicon anisotropic etching for fabrication of a high-aspect-ratio comb actuator. The comb electrodes are fabricated by (110) SILICON comb structure considering the etch-rate-ratio between (110) and (111) planes and lateral etch rate of a beam-type structure. The fabricated structure was$ 400\mum \; thick\; and\; 18\mum$ wide comb electrodes separated by $7\mim$ so that the height-gap ratio was about 57. Also considering resonant frequency of the comb actuator and the frequency-matching between sensing and driving mode for gyroscope application, we designed the number, width, height and length of the spring structures. Electroplated gold springs on both sides of the seismic mass were $15\mum\; wide,\; 14\mum\; thick\; and \; 500\mum$ long. The fabricated comb actuator had resonant frequency ay 1430Hz, which was calculated to be 1441Hz. The proposed fabrication process can be applicable to the fabrication of a high-aspect-ratio comb actuator for a large displacement actuator and precision sensors. Moreover, this combined process enables to fabricate a more complex structure which cannot be fabricate only by surface or bulk micromachining.

• Journal of Powder Materials
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.140-145
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• 2012

This paper describes the manufacturing process of tilting pad gas bearing with a diameter of 5 mm and a length of 0.5-1 mm for power MEMS (Micro Electomechanical Systems) applications. The bearing compacts with nanopowder feedstock were prepared by Ni-metal mold with 2-mold system using LIGA process. The effect of the manufacturing conditions on sintering properties of nanopowder gas bearing was investigated. In this work, Fe-45 wt%Ni nanopowder with an average diameter of 30-50 nm size was used as starting material. After mixing the nanopowder and the wax-based binders, the amount of powder was controlled to obtain the certain mixing ratio. The nanopowder bearing compacts were sintered with 1-2 hr holding time under hydrogen atmospheres and under temperatures of $600^{\circ}C$ to $1,000^{\circ}C$. Finally, the critical batch of mixed powder system was found to be 70% particle fraction in total volume. The maximum density of the sintered bearing specimen was about 94% of theoretical density.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Technology of Plasticity Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.387-390
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• 2009

This study was designed to fabricate the micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) parts such as micro spur gears using hot extrusion of gas atomized Al-78Zn powders. For this purpose, it is important to develop new methods to fabricate micro-dies and choose suitable extrusion conditions for a micro-forming. Micro-dies with Ni were fabricated by LIGA technology. LIGA technology was capable to produce micro-extrusion dies with close tolerances, thick bearing length and adequate surface quality. Superplastic Al-78Zn powders have the great advantage in achieving deformation under low stresses and exhibiting good micro formability with average strain rates ranging from $10^{-3}$ to $10^{-2}\;s^{-1}$ and constant temperatures ranging from 503 to 563K. Al-78Zn powders were compacted into a cylindrical shape (${\Phi}3{\times}h10$) under compressive force of 10kN and, subsequently, the compacted powders were extruded at 563k in a hot furnace. Micro-extrusion has succeeded in forming micro-gear shafts.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2004.05a
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• pp.134-134
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• 2004

LCD-BLU의 고효율 광특성을 유도하기 위한 도광판의 초미세패턴 형상가공기술, 미세사출성형기술과 미세형상패턴 광학해석기술 및 전광특성 측정 및 보완기술이 요구된다. 이러한 기술들을 바탕으로 LCD-BLU의 고단가의 주요요인인 기능성 광학 sheet(prism sheet 등)를 연차적으로 제거 및 도광판에 기능을 결합하는 기술개발이 본 연구의 목적이다.(중략)

• Proceedings of the KIEE Conference
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• 2000.07c
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• pp.2221-2223
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• 2000

본 연구에서는 새로운 개념의 초정밀 가공기술인 LIGA 기술(이하 X-선 가공기술이라 함)을 이용하여 정밀 격벽(barrier ribs) 성형용 Ni 금형을 제작하였다. 먼저 X-ray 투과도가 우수하며 내구성 및 기계적 강도가 뛰어난 새로운 재질의 graphite X-선 마스크를 제작하였으며 한정된 단위면적의 X-선 마스크를 이용하여 X-선 노광 면적을 최대화 할 수 있는 새로운 X-선 exposure 기술을 개발하였다. 제작된 barrier ribs 성형용 초정밀 금형의 전체 size는 170mm X 130mm이며 pitch 간격은 110/55${\mu}m$ $\pm$ 0.7${\mu}m$ 이다.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.26 no.11
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• pp.2450-2456
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• 2002

Microlenses and microlens arrays are fabricated using a novel fabrication technology based on the exposure of a resist (usually PMMA) to deep X-rays and subsequent thermal treatment. The fabrication technology is very simple and produces microlenses and microlens arrays with good surface roughness (less than 1 nm). The molecular weight and glass transition temperature of PMMA is reduced when it is irradiated with deep X-rays. The microlenses is produced through the effects of volume change, surface tension, and reflow during thermal treatment of irradiated PMMA. The geometry of the microlens is determined by parameters such as the X-ray dose applied to the PMMA, the diameter of the microlens, along with the heating temperature, heating time, and cooling rate in the thermal treatment. Microlenses are produced with diameters ranging from 30 to 1500 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$. The modified LIGA process is used not only to construct hemispherical microlenses but also structures that are rectangular-shaped, star-shaped, etc.

• Korean Journal of Optics and Photonics
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.223-227
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• 2002

Polymeric multi-mode optical waveguides were fabricated for parallel optical interconnection. Waveguide structures were molded by a Ni mold master using a hot embossing technique. The Ni mold master was manufactured by LIGA process. Multimode optical waveguides with a 48$\times$47 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$$^2$cross-section were produced by a simple two-step process. The propagation losses of the multimode waveguide measured at 0.85 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ and 1.3 ${\mu}{\textrm}{m}$ wavelengths were 0.38 dB/cm and 0.66 dB/cm, respectively.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.2187-2193
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• 2002

We present a novel method for 3D microfabrication with LIGA process that utilizes a deep X-ray mask in which a micro-actuator is integrated. The integrated micro-actuator oscillates the X-ray absorber, which is formed on the shuttle mass of the micro-actuator, during X-ray exposures to modify the absorbed dose profile in X-ray resist, typically PMMA. 3D PMMA microstructures according to the modulated dose contour are revealed after GG development. An X-ray mask with integrated comb drive actuator is fabricated using deep reactive ion etching, absorber electroplating, and bulk micromachining with silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. 1mm $\times$ 1 mm, 20 $\mu$m thick silicon shuttle mass as a mask blank is supported by four 1 mm long suspension beams and is driven by the comb electrodes. A 10 $\mu$m thick, 50 $\mu$m line and spaced gold absorber pattern is electroplated on the shuttle mass before the release step. The fundamental frequency and amplitude are around 3.6 kHz and 20 $\mu$m, respectively, for a do bias of 100 V and an ac bias of 20 $V_{p-p}$ (peak-peak). Fabricated PMMA microstructure shows 15.4 $\mu$m deep, S-shaped cross section in the case of 1.6 kJ $cm^{-3}$ surface dose and GG development at 35$^{\circ}C$ for 40 minutes.