Investigations on Micromolds for Dispensing Low Viscosity Epoxies for MEMS Applications

Abstract

The area of Micro-electromechanical Systems (MEMS) is a rapidly emerging field, offering solutions for manifold applications of miniaturized systems. Nowadays, MEMS are standard components of every automobile, including e.g. an accelerometer used for airbag activation. They are also found in various medical devices and part of everyday consumer electronics such as mobile phones, projectors, CD or DVD players, and others. To further increase the acceptance of MEMS, the development of low-cost, highly productive processes is necessary. This is also important if the aim is to produce rather small quantities. The standard material used by the electronics industry is silicon, which still is complex and quite expensive material to be produced. Otherwise, polymers can be provided in large amounts with a high variety of material characteristics. Polymers can also be applied for the fabrication of MEMS by injection molding, hot embossing or stereolithography. They are especially well suited for microfluidic applications.