The roller hot embossing is an efficient process of manufacture in which patterns are continuously transcribed on film, etc. Recently, the application of the embossing roll to the manufacturing processes of micro parts is paid attention. In this paper, we examined the development of the embossing roll with patterns of micron level and we tried to make the embossing roll mold by using the LIGA process. In this study, instead of producing embossing patterns directly on the roll surface, we fabricated a flexible thin mold with micro-patterns, which was then wrapped onto a cylinder to form an embossing roll, and tested the soft-mold roller hot embossing method. First, by optimizing UV exposure conditions of UV lithography, we prepared a resist pattern of numerous dots with a diameter of 10 lm, a sag height of 8 lm and a pitch of 20 lm. By Ni-electroforming this pattern, a 50 lm-thick thin mold was successfully fabricated. The 50 lm-thick mold was then wrapped onto a cylinder to form an embossing roll. In the roller hot embossing process, the 10 lm-diameter dot shape was successfully replicated on PET sheets.

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Reliable joining technologies are essential for fabrication of microstructures such as micro-machines, and particularly technologies that are capable of jointing different types of materials. However, these technologies cannot be used for materials that have different rates of thermal expansion or in cases where the adhesives have an effect on the properties of the component materials. Our research focused on developing a direct jointing technology which employs hydrogen bonding. In this technology, OH radicals are absorbed into the surface of the material to be bonded by modifying its surface properties by ion irradiation. We studied the modification of the surface properties of two resins, (SU-8 and PMMA) by H 2 O ion irradiation and Ar cleaning. It was confirmed that the presence of H 2 O ions on the surface of these resins improved their hydrophilic properties and also the peel strengths of Cu membrane s deposited onto both resins. Based on the results of these studies, a series of experiments were conducted in which two different materials, (copper plus one or other of the resins) were joined directly and the results were evaluated. Each of the resins could be joined to copper by heating to a temperature of 100 °C and pressurizing to 10 MPa. This jointing technology will now be applied to the fabrication of the tilt sensors that we are currently developing.