• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.23 no.8 s.185
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• pp.178-184
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• 2006

Hot embossing is to fabricate desired pattern on the polymer substrate by pressing the patterned mold against the substrate which is heated above the glass transition temperature, and it is a high throughput fabrication method for bio chip, optical microstructure, etc. due to the simultaneous large area patterning. However, the bad pattern fidelity in large area patterning is one of the obstacles to applying the hot embossing technology for mass production. In the present study, PDMS pad was used as a cushion on the backside of the micro-patterned 4 inch Si mold to improve the pattern fidelity over the 4 inch PMMA sheet by increasing the conformal contact between the Si mold and the PMMA sheet. The pattern replicability improvement over 4 inch wafer scale was evaluated by comparing the replicated pattern height and depth for PDMS-cushioned Si mold against the rigid Si mold without PDMS cushion.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.41 no.11
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• pp.743-748
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• 2017

For diseases that are difficult to detect by conventional imaging techniques, the development of a diagnostic method that allows sensors to be inserted into the human body to aid the diagnosis of local spots of the target tissue, is highly desirable. In particular, it is extremely difficult to determine whether vulnerable plaque can later develop into atherosclerosis using only imaging techniques. However, vulnerable plaques are expected to have slightly different mechanical properties than healthy tissue. In this study, we aim to develop a piezoelectric cantilever-type sensor that can be inserted into the human body and can detect the local mechanical properties of the target tissue. A piezoelectric polymer composite based on $BaTiO_3$ nanoparticles was optimized for fabrication of a piezoelectric cantilever. Next, a micro-cone tip was fabricated at the end of the piezoelectric cantilever by thermal drawing. Finally, stiffness of biological tissue samples was measured with the piezoelectric cantilever sensor for verifying its functionality.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2005.06a
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• pp.732-737
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• 2005

Distal 3D Real Object Duplication System(RODS) consists of 3D Scanner and Solid Freeform Fabrication System(SFFS). It is a device to make three-dimensional objects directly from the drawing or the scanning data. In this research, we developed an office type SFFS based on Three Dimensional Printing Process and a industrial SFFS using Dual Laser. An office type SFFS applied sliding mode control with sliding perturbation observer(SMCSPO) algorithm for control of this system. And we measured process variables about droplet diameter measurement and powder bed formation etc. through experiments. Also, in order to develop more elaborate and speedy system for large objects than existing SLS process, this study applies a new Selective Multi-Laser Sintering(SMLS) process and 3-axis dynamic Focusing Scanner for scanning large area instead of the existing $f\theta$ lens. In this process, the temperature has a great influence on sintering of the polymer. Also the laser parameters are considered like that laser beam power, scan speed, scan spacing. Now, this study is in progress to eveluate the effect of experimental parameters on the sintering process.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.475-480
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• 2017

In this paper, the conductivity of the fine pattern is improved in the insulating substrate by laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) process. The high laser beam energy generated in conventional laser induced deposition processes induces problems such as low deposition density and oxidation of micro-patterns. These problems were improved by using a polymer coating layer for improved deposition accuracy and conductivity. Chromium and copper were used to deposit micro-patterns on silicon wafers. A multi-pulse laser beam was irradiated on a metal thin film to form a seed layer on an insulating substrate(SiO2) and electroless plating was applied on the seed layer to form a micro-pattern and structure. Irradiating the laser beam with multiple scanning method revealed that the energy of the laser beam improved the deposition density and the surface quality of the deposition layer and that the electric conductivity can be used as the microelectrode pattern. Measuring the resistivity after depositing the microelectrode by using the laser direct drawing method and electroless plating indicated that the resistivity of the microelectrode pattern was $6.4{\Omega}$, the resistance after plating was $2.6{\Omega}$, and the surface texture of the microelectrode pattern was uniformly deposited. Because the surface texture was uniform and densely deposited, the electrical conductivity was improved about three fold.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.225-230
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• 2006

Nanoimprint lithography (NIL) is a novel method of fabricating nanometer scale patterns. It is a simple process with low cost, high throughput and resolution. NIL creates patterns by mechanical deformation of an imprint resist and physical contact process. The imprint resist is typically a monomer or polymer formulation that is cured by heat or UV light during the imprinting process. Stiction between the resist and the stamp is resulted from this physical contact process. Stiction issue is more important in the stamps including narrow pattern size and wide area. Therefore, the antistiction layer coating is very effective to prevent this problem and ensure successful NIL. In this paper, an antistiction layer was deposited and characterized by PECVD (plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition) method for metal stamps. Deposition rates of an antistiction layer on Si and Ni substrates were in proportion to deposited time and 3.4 nm/min and 2.5 nm/min, respectively. A 50 nm thick antistiction layer showed 90% relative transmittance at 365 nm wavelength. Contact angle result showed good hydrophobicity over 105 degree. $CF_2$ and $CF_3$ peaks were founded in ATR-FTIR analysis. The thicknesses and the contact angle of a 50 nm thick antistiction film were slightly changed during chemical resistance test using acetone and sulfuric acid. To evaluate the deposited antistiction layer, a 50 nm thick film was coated on a stainless steel stamp made by wet etching process. A PMMA substrate was successfully imprinting without pattern degradations by the stainless steel stamp with an antistiction layer. The test result shows that antistiction layer coating is very effective for NIL.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.86-92
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• 2016

In this study, we used a polymer deposition system, based on fused deposition modeling, to fabricate the 3D scaffold and then fabricated micro-pores on a 3D scaffold using a salt leaching method. Materials included polycaprolactone (PCL) and sodium chloride (NaCl). The 3D porous scaffolds were fabricated according to blending ratio such as PCL (70 wt%)/NaCl (30 wt%) and PCL (50 wt%)/NaCl (50 wt%). The 3D porous scaffolds were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The results showed that 3D porous scaffolds had a deposition width of $500{\mu}m$, contained a pore size of $500{\mu}m$ and below $100{\mu}m$. To evaluate the 3D porous scaffolds for bone tissue engineering, we carried out the cell proliferation experiment using a CCK-8 and a mechanical strength test using a universal testing machine. In summary, the 3D porous scaffold was found to be suitable for cancellous bone of human in accordance with the result of in-vitro cell proliferation and mechanical strength. Thus, a 3D porous scaffold could be a promising approach for effective bone regeneration.

• Polymer(Korea)
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.305-313
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• 2004

A vacuum pressure-difference technique for making a nano-precision replica is investigated for various applications. Master patterns for replication were fabricated using a nano-replication printing (nRP) process. In the nRP process, any picture and pattern can be replicated from a bitmap figure file in the range of several micrometers with resolution of 200nm. A liquid-state monomer is solidified by two-photon absorption (TPA) induced by a femto-second laser according to a voxel matrix scanning. After polymerization, the remaining monomers were removed simply by using ethanol droplets. And then, a gold metal layer of about 30nm thickness was deposited on the fabricated master patterns prior to polydimethylsiloxane molding for preventing bonding between the master and the polydimethylsiloxane mold. A few gold particles attached on the polydimethylsiloxane stamp during detaching process were removed by a gold selecting etchant. After fabricating the polydimethylsiloxane mold, a nano-precision polydimethylsiloxane replica was reproduced. More precise replica was produced by the vacuum pressure-difference technique that is proposed in this paper. Through this study, direct patterning on a glass plate, replicating a polydimethylsiloxane mold, and reproducing polydimethylsiloxane replica are demonstrated with a vacuum pressure-difference technique for various micro/nano-applications.

• Macromolecular Research
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.348-356
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to fabricate a submicro-and micro-patterned fibronectin coated wafer for a cell culture, which allows the positions and dimensions of the attached cells to be controlled. A replica molding was made into silicon via a photomask in quartz, using E-beam lithography, and then fabricated a polydimethylsiloxane stamp using the designed silicon mold. Hexadecanethiol $[HS(CH_2){_{15}}CH_3]$, adsorbed on the raised plateau of the surface of polydimethylsiloxane stamp, was contact-printed to form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of hexadecanethiolate on the surface of an Au-coated glass wafer. In order to form another SAM for control of the surface wafer properties, a hydrophilic hexa (ethylene glycol) terminated alkanethiol $[HS(CH_2){_{11}}(OCH_2CH_2){_6}OH]$ was also synthesized. The structural changes were confirmed using UV and $^1H-NMR$ spectroscopies. A SAM terminated in the hexa(ethylene glycol) groups was subsequently formed on the bare gold remaining on the surface of the Aucoated glass wafer. In order to aid the attachment of cells, fibronectin was adsorbed onto the resulting wafer, with the pattern formed on the gold-coated wafer confirmed using immunofluorescence staining against fibronectin. Fibronectin was adsorbed only onto the SAMs terminated in the methyl groups of the substrate. The hexa (ethylene glycol)-terminated regions resisted the adsorption of protein. Human dermal fibroblasts (P=4), obtained from newborn foreskin, only attached to the fibronectin-coated, methyl-terminated hydrophobic regions of the patterned SAMs. N-HDFs were more actively adhered, and spread in a pattern spacing below $14{\mu}m$, rather than above $17{\mu}m$, could easily migrate on the substrate containing spacing of $10{\mu}m$ or less between the strip lines.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.454-454
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• 2014

Silicon microwire array is one of the promising platforms as a means for developing highly efficient solar cells thanks to the enhanced light trapping efficiency. Among the various fabrication methods of microstructures, deep reactive ion etching (DRIE) process has been extensively used in fabrication of high aspect ratio microwire arrays. In this presentation, we show precisely controlled Si microwire arrays by tuning the DRIE process conditions. A periodic microdisk arrays were patterned on 4-inch Si wafer (p-type, $1{\sim}10{\Omega}cm$) using photolithography. After developing the pattern, 150-nm-thick Al was deposited and lifted-off to leave Al microdisk arrays on the starting Si wafer. Periodic Al microdisk arrays (diameter of $2{\mu}m$ and periodic distance of $2{\mu}m$) were used as an etch mask. A DRIE process (Tegal 200) is used for anisotropic deep silicon etching at room temperature. During the process, $SF_6$ and $C_4F_8$ gases were used for the etching and surface passivation, respectively. The length and shape of microwire arrays were controlled by etching time and $SF_6/C_4F_8$ ratio. By adjusting $SF_6/C_4F_8$ gas ratio, the shape of Si microwire can be controlled, resulting in the formation of tapered or vertical microwires. After DRIE process, the residual polymer and etching damage on the surface of the microwires were removed using piranha solution ($H_2SO_4:H_2O_2=4:1$) followed by thermal oxidation ($900^{\circ}C$, 40 min). The oxide layer formed through the thermal oxidation was etched by diluted hydrofluoric acid (1 wt% HF). The surface morphology of a Si microwire arrays was characterized by field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM, Hitachi S-4800). Optical reflection measurements were performed over 300~1100 nm wavelengths using a UV-Vis/NIR spectrophotometer (Cary 5000, Agilent) in which a 60 mm integrating sphere (Labsphere) is equipped to account for total light (diffuse and specular) reflected from the samples. The total reflection by the microwire arrays sample was reduced from 20 % to 10 % of the incident light over the visible region when the length of the microwire was increased from $10{\mu}m$ to $30{\mu}m$.

• Journal of Pharmaceutical Investigation
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.147-151
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• 2011

This paper demonstrates the development of a method for preparing micropatterned microdiscs in order to increase contact area with cells and to change the release pattern of drugs. The microdiscs were manufactured with hot embossing, where a polyurethane master structure was pressed onto both solid and porous microparticles made of polylactic-co-glycolic acid at various temperatures to form a micropattern on the microdiscs. Flat microdiscs were formed by hot embossing of porous microparticles; the porosity allowed space for flattening of the microdiscs. Three types of micro-grooves were patterned onto the flat microdiscs using prepared micropatterned molds: (1) 10 ${\mu}M$ deep, 5 ${\mu}M$ wide, and spaced 2 ${\mu}M$ apart; (2) 10 ${\mu}M$ deep, 9 ${\mu}M$ wide, and spaced 5 ${\mu}M$ apart; and (3) 10 ${\mu}M$ deep, 50 ${\mu}M$ wide, and spaced 50 ${\mu}M$ apart. This novel microdisc preparation method using hot embossing to create micropatterns on flattened porous microparticles provides the opportunity for low-cost, rapid manufacture of microdiscs that can be used to control cell adhesion and drug delivery rates.