&lt;title&gt;Large-area polymer replication for microfluidic devices&lt;/title&gt;

Heckele, M.; Gerlach, Andreas; Guber, A.E.; Schaller, Th.

doi:10.1117/12.425380

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 8 publications

(5 reference statements)

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“…However, due to the fact that the cycle time of the hot embossing process is in the order of minutes and thus significantly longer than that for microinjection molding, this technology is best suited for proof-of-concept development projects and for the production of small to medium scale series. Relatively high aspect ratio features can be replicated with hot embossing in a wide range of structure sizes, from several hundred micrometers down to several nanometers [10,11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation and Experimental Study of the Effects of Process Factors on the Uniformity of the Residual Layer Thickness in Hot Embossing

Omar

Kolew

Brousseau³

et al. 2013

Journal of Micro and Nano-Manufacturing

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Hot embossing replica are characterized by the quality of the molded structures and the uniformity of the residual layer. In particular, the even distribution of the residual layer thickness (RLT) is an important issue in hot embossing and the related process of thermal nanoimprint lithography, as variations in the RLT may affect the functionality or further processing of replicated parts. In this context, the paper presents an experimental and simulation study on the influence of three process factors, namely the molding temperature, the embossing force, and the holding time, on the residual layer homogeneity achieved when processing 2 mm thick PMMA sheets with hot embossing. The uniformity of the RLT was assessed for different experimental conditions by calculating the standard deviation of thickness measurements at different set locations over the surface of each embossed sample. It was observed that the selected values of the studied parameters have an effect on the resulting RLT of the PMMA replica. In particular, the difference between the largest and lowest RLT standard deviation between samples was 18 μm, which was higher than the accuracy of the instrument used to carry out the thickness measurements. In addition, the comparison between the obtained experimental and simulation results suggests that approximately 12% of the RLT uniformity was affected by the local deflections of the mold. Besides, polymer expansion after release of the embossing load was estimated to contribute to 8% of the RLT nonuniformity. It is essential to understand the effects of the process parameters on the resulting homogeneity of the residual layer in hot embossing. In this research, the best RLT uniformity could be reached by using the highest considered settings for the temperature and holding time and the lowest studied value of embossing force. Finally, the analysis of the obtained results also shows that, across the range of processing values studied, the considered three parameters have a relatively equal influence on the RLT distribution. However, when examining narrower ranges of processing values, it is apparent that the most influential process parameter depends on the levels considered. In particular, the holding time had the most effect on the RLT uniformity when embossing with the lower values of process parameters while, with higher processing settings, the molding temperature became the most influential factor.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Simulation and Experimental Study of the Effects of Process Factors on the Uniformity of the Residual Layer Thickness in Hot Embossing

Omar

Kolew

Brousseau³

et al. 2013

Journal of Micro and Nano-Manufacturing

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Hot punching on an 8 inch substrate as an alternative technology to produce holes on a large scale

Rapp¹,

Schneider²,

Worgull³

2009

Microsyst Technol

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In this paper, we describe a modification of the classical hot embossing process which is capable of producing holes in polymer substrates. Substrates with holes that penetrate the complete height of the substrate have been a technical challenge since the first description of the hot embossing process. However most components as, e.g., microfluidic components targeted for biomedical applications are in need of such structures. We describe a simple and robust approach which enables the user to produce holes in polymer substrates without the need for elaborate machine equipment or special production technology for molding tools. We call this process hot punching which we demonstrate here to be suitable not only for small scale substrates but also for producing substrates with holes on an 8 inch substrate.

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Fabrication of Polymer Microsystems

Saile¹

2003

Int. J. Comp. Eng. Sci.

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<title>Large-area polymer replication for microfluidic devices</title>

Cited by 4 publications

References 8 publications

Simulation and Experimental Study of the Effects of Process Factors on the Uniformity of the Residual Layer Thickness in Hot Embossing

Simulation and Experimental Study of the Effects of Process Factors on the Uniformity of the Residual Layer Thickness in Hot Embossing

Hot punching on an 8 inch substrate as an alternative technology to produce holes on a large scale

Fabrication of Polymer Microsystems

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